A New Way

Chapters

Chapter 1: Changelings of Equestria
Chapter 2: Queen's Gambit
Chapter 3: Reunion
Chapter 4: Loyalty
Chapter 5: Schemes
Chapter 6: Looking In
Chapter 7: Captive
Chapter 8: Rising Sun Reunion
Chapter 9: The Diplomatic Process
Chapter 10: Public Image
Chapter 11: Black and Gold
Chapter 12: Foresight
Chapter 14: Bughunt
Chapter 15: Dawn
Chapter 16: On Steel Wings
Chapter 17: Lost and Found
Chapter 18: Surprise
Chapter 19: Sudden but Inevitable
Chapter 20: A Call to Arms
Chapter 21: The Hive
Prologue
Chapter 13: What the Right Hoof Does

Chapter 1: Changelings of Equestria

Chapter 1: Changelings of Equestria

Mirror Match was not a happy changeling.

Yes, he had managed to form several useful personas over his short stay among ponies. Sure, the still-healing injury that prevented him from transforming hadn’t been the disaster he had expected, as the crude physical disguises he had crafted were proving surprisingly capable of deceiving these ponies he had been stranded among. And yes, he had made several friends in those disguises, one of which was quickly falling in love with him, and whom he had growing feelings for as well. But now his success was threatening to be his undoing. Who could have known that Sunsinger had been a gossip-buddy of Lavender, Lord Autumn Star’s sister? Who would have guessed that the crude vagrant Guttersnipe was an old childhood friend of Lord Autumn Star? Who could have anticipated that Lord Autumn Star himself, who had fallen madly in love with Mirror’s “Summer Rose” persona, would have met Mirror in every single one of his disguises, much less that he would form a steadfast friendship with each in turn?

For that matter, who would have expected him to show up to Summer Rose’s supposed home that afternoon, unannounced, while Mirror was still disguised as that traveling merchant, Two Bits? Fortunately, Mirror had come up with the quick excuse of being Summer’s cousin and hurried out the door, scrambling to try to keep up with an increasingly bad day.

Skitter, on the other hoof, was a very happy changeling.

Despite all the worrying he had done, his evening was turning out better than he could have hoped. He’d certainly never been so well-fed, even after the surprising first few days of his stay in Ponyville. He had to fight to keep a grin from his face as he hopped across the back of the stage on two hooves, behind a broad and panoramic window. While he enacted a panicked struggle to free himself of his jacket, Silver Script, the pony playing Lord Autumn Star, acted completely oblivious to the bumbling changeling only a couple yards behind him. A moment after Skitter had passed off the side of the stage the sound of a window sliding open and slamming shut could be heard, just before Skitter threw open the door and staggered onto stage, wearing a hastily donned summer dress and sporting a blond wig impaled upon his horn.

“Oh, my!” he gasped in a vaguely feminine-sounding tone between exaggerated panting. “What a--” gasp “--relaxing--” wheeze “--nap!”

The audience chuckled as the comedic antics continued. Any worry of them finding the play outrageous and offensive had, perhaps, been a bit over-blown. The residents of Ponyville were accustomed to seeing changelings fairly frequently by now, and the audience was filled with ponies who had come to see not only the first play starring a changeling, but the first play written by one, as well. They might not be roaring with laughter or anything, but they were still enjoying the show, and Skitter was soaking up the attention.

Not all of the crowd were ponies, either. A couple clumps of black chitin broke the multi-colored hue of the gathered ponies. Most were gathered front and center, clustered around the two most well-known changelings: Sky and Nictis.

Sky was a very happy changeling as well, laughing along with the silliness and absurdity on-stage.

Nictis was... not so much.

Not that he was unhappy, not exactly. Every now and then, Sky would notice him being quiet, a little bit of sympathy growing. Each time he got a soft feeling of faint amusement from Nictis, a silent “I’m okay, thanks.” Outwardly, he kept his expression soft, while Sky continued to watch, eager to see how the show turned out. Nictis already knew. He’d spent enough time helping Skitter out to know the story by heart.

By the time the play had ended, Mirror Match’s spiderweb of personalities and deceptions had snowballed into its inevitable collapse, with him sorrowfully apologizing to a stunned-silent Lord Autumn Star, explaining how he had only kept up the deception because he couldn’t bear the idea of Autumn thinking him a liar, only to be surprised in turn when Autumn Star professed his profound joy to know that all of the friends he had made over the previous week had been the same pony--or, changeling, he had quickly amended.

Nictis managed to smile a little when Skitter had called him and Sky up on stage to thank them for their help. It wasn’t even entirely fake. He was, at least, content with how well Skitter’s project had turned out, to see the ponies applauding him. Skitter was practically bouncing by the time they all got back-stage, radiating happiness and thanks to Sky and Nictis. He’d even given them a big hug--he had picked up pony ways quite quickly, Nictis noted--before bounding off with the rest of the cast and crew to celebrate. Tonight had been the high point of his life: surrounded by friends, bringing happiness to those around him, and for the first time in his life, he was completely full.

“Come on,” Sky said, nudging his shoulder against Nictis’s. “Cheer up. They like Skit’s play. You did good.”

“I know,” Nictis said, watching the overjoyed changeling actor depart. “And I’m happy for him. I’m glad this all worked out. I just...” He hesitated, struggling for the right words. Finally, he sighed. “It’s just a little close to home, I guess.”

“It’ll be fine,” Sky said, confidence clear in his voice and emotions. “I know you’re worried about how things are going to go, but you’ll see. I’ll bet Skit’s play isn’t far from the mark.”

Nictis scowled a little as they walked to the exit along with the other guests. “I wish I felt so confident about it,” he said, shaking his head a little. “I can hope, sure, but I’ve--”

“--Done some very bad things,” Sky interrupted with a sigh. “I know, you’ve said it enough. We all have.” He nudged Nictis with his shoulder again. “And I know it’s not going to be clear skies and easy flying, but it’ll all turn out for the best in the end. You’ll see.”

Nictis grumbled a little as they stepped out into the street, the evening air cool after their time in the theater. Still, he couldn’t help a small smile, and Sky could feel the appreciation the other changeling felt for the reassurance.

“At the very least, stop worrying so much about it,” Sky continued, smiling. “You’re going to see Spark tomorrow, and even if it doesn’t go as smoothly as it should, it’s still going to go a lot better than you’re thinking.”

That drew a groan from Nictis. “I wish it were so easy.”

They continued on in silence, the flow of sensed emotions filling in for any more vocal communication. Sky’s silent confidence and sympathy spoke as clearly as any words, as did Nictis’s appreciation.

Ponyville had changed in some ways. Quite a few ponies wandered the streets as the evening sky steadily turned crimson and gold, but they paid the two changelings no mind. What had once been a strange curiosity was now a common sight. Normal, even. It was no longer so uncommon to see glossy black mixed in among the colorful ponies, and for the most part nopony there thought too much of it.

If anything, the changelings seemed slower to adapt, which struck Nictis as both appropriate and exceptionally ironic.

The silent pair made their way to the otherwise ordinary little two-story house that had become one of the little town’s more famous buildings: Sky’s home, although the name was possibly underselling it. While some changelings had sought housing of their own, less than half of the changelings in Ponyville had done so. More than a dozen other changelings called the little house their home.

Some ponies might have described the results as cramped. To changelings who had just arrived in pony society, it was a bit of comfort in the midsts of such drastic changes; a hive in miniature, where they could relax among their fellow changelings.

Sky finally spoke up again once they had stepped inside. “Maybe I should go with you tomorrow? I’ll be there to visit Chirrup in a few days anyway, so it wouldn’t be any trouble to go a little early. I might be able to help out, speak up for you, or... just be there.”

“No,” Nictis sighed. “Spark’s had enough troubles thanks to changelings, and he’s probably anxious enough about this already. I think having one changeling there will be bad enough.” Despite that, he couldn’t help a small smile. “...But thanks.”

“If you say so,” Sky said with a shake of his head. “I just kind of wish I could help out.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nictis replied, a little hint of a smirk starting to form. “That’s supposed to be my job.”

Laughing, Sky playfully pushed Nictis. “Fine! But seriously, don’t. It’ll turn out fine, you’ll see.”

The little smirk faded away. “I hope so.”

The silence returned for a few seconds before Nictis spoke again. “Anyway, the train leaves pretty early. I should go check on Cara and get some sleep.”

He was stopped by Sky pushing lightly at his shoulder. “I’ll check on Cara,” he said. “You get some sleep.”

They parted ways, the feelings of thanks speaking more clearly than words could. Sky went up the stairs while Nictis headed to the living room. While there were other sleeping options, Nictis still considered the couch “his.”

Unfortunately, so did Skiris and Trip, who at that moment were sprawled out on the couch and emitting the faint, chirping buzz of changeling snores. Nictis watched them sleep as he undid the clasp of the fine gold-chain necklace that held his personal symbol, the small and simple compass that had he had carried with him for so many years. He floated it over to set it on the end table beside the couch, resting alongside Skiris and Trip’s symbols: a miniature pick and wagon wheel, respectively. Then, with a sigh, he squirmed his way onto the couch. Skiris woke enough to crack an eye open, then shift himself around enough to make room for Nictis to fit. He was fast asleep before Nictis had even settled in.

Nictis closed his eyes, head resting on Trip’s side, and for what was far from the first time, noted how much better chitin was than fur. Such a sleeping arrangement would likely be intolerable if he were in the squishy form of a pony. Instead, there was just the steady but comfortable weight, the faint sounds and slight movements of the other sleeping changelings. It might not be quite as comfy and luxurious as having the space to himself might have been, at least physically, but the comfort of having someone else sleeping alongside him was something so much better.

Cara fidgeted, unable to sleep despite his best efforts. His mind refused to rest, racing through all the strangeness of the past two days. He had expected things to be different--that was why he was here, after all--but it was still so overwhelmingly strange. Even with the other sleeping changelings sharing the dim space of the communal bedroom, he still fidgeted anxiously. The soft sound of their sleeping was relaxing, reassuring, but each time he started to relax, the soft cushions that lined the floor drew him back. They were so much softer than the floor of the hive, so much more comfortable. Yet another reminder of how different things were now.

Still, it was better in there than it was out in the rest of the house or the town itself. As such, he had hurried off to bed early, hoping to avoid the strange world he found himself in through sleep, but it refused to come.

He was still wide awake when Sky peeked in. A silent exchange passed between them, sympathy and concern from Sky meeting the nervous thanks of Cara. After a moment of this, Sky padded in across the mattress-floor, laying himself down beside Cara.

“How are you doing?” he asked, voice quiet.

Cara hesitated, even as Sky put a hoof lightly on his shoulder. His first reaction was to insist that he was fine, to just keep carrying on, but he eventually spoke. “...Not so good.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I... I don’t know. I knew everything would be different here, but it’s still just so...” He shuddered and turned away from Sky, curling in on himself. “...I think I made a mistake.”

He felt Sky’s concern grow. “What do you mean?”

Cara found his throat growing tight as he spoke. “You and Nictis have done a lot for me, and even the ponies have been nice. Everything is so good here. I’ve never dreamed of being so well-fed. But... I left the hive!” His voice cracked on the last word, and Sky gave a comforting squeeze. “I-I heard about how much better things were here, and I abandoned them! And now I’m out here, and it’s all just so strange and scary, and nothing makes sense, and I can’t even go home! I could feed so many with the love I’ve gotten in just a couple days, but instead I’m just going to waste it all on myself.” His voice dropped. “I’m just a traitor.”

Sky scooted in closer, wrapping his forelegs around Cara in a hug. He couldn’t help but think that maybe Nictis would have been better at this, as he had once professed similar feelings, feelings he had eventually come to peace with. He thought back to that, considering what Nictis had said of himself shortly after his first meeting with Princess Celestia. “You’re not a traitor,” he said softly. “And you’re not abandoning them. What we’re doing here will help every changeling. The hive, it can’t keep going on treating changelings and ponies as enemies. That’s a fight that we can’t win. We have to find a new way. A better way.” He gave another soft squeeze. “That’s what we’re doing here. We’re... leading the hive to a better future. One that will benefit all changelings.”

With a faint shudder and sniffle, Cara wiped a hoof across his eyes. “I’m not leading anyling anywhere,” he whimpered. “I’m just a tunneler and that’s all I should ever be. I shouldn’t have left, I can’t... I can’t...”

“You’re not just a tunneler,” Sky said, leaning his head down alongside Cara’s. “You’re a changeling who can make a difference. I know it’s kind of scary and strange, but you were brave enough to leave the hive, to try to find something better. We need more changelings like you, ones who can show the rest what we can do.”

Cara shook his head, shuddering. A glimmer of blue drew his attention away, until he noticed the thin blue slits of eyes. A few of the changelings sleeping in there had woken to the sound of conversation, and rather than simply drifting back off to sleep were now watching. He recoiled, suddenly recognizing that he had just called every one of them a traitor, but there was no anger or hatred there. Instead he felt only a comforting sympathy.

“I... I don’t know if I can,” he whispered. A shudder passed through him, and he took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. “But... I’ll try.”

That drew another comforting squeeze from Sky, and Cara found himself surprisingly thankful for the other changeling’s presence. The thin slits of blue winked out around him, little wisps of happiness touching at his senses as the other changelings returned to sleep. The pony world was still strange and frightening in a way, but at least there were other changelings right there alongside him, working together... and somehow, something more than that.

Sky held Cara the whole time as the other changeling slowly relaxed, a faint glimmer of happiness drifting across his senses as Cara finally fell asleep. A smile crossed Sky’s muzzle as he tucked his head in alongside Cara, eyes closing. It was far from the first time that his own bed was forgotten as he comforted another changeling in need.

The sensation of warmth and energy flowed through Nictis’s body, easing him out of his sleep. He responded by groaning and swatting at the air above his head. “Gah! Stop it!”

The gesture produced a snicker as the flow of energy stopped, and Nictis looked up to see Sky grinning back at him, his horn still lit.

Nictis grumbled, rubbing at his horn. “Erg. That is the weirdest way to wake up.”

“It worked, though,” Sky smugly replied.

“It’s still weird,” Nictis muttered, laying his head back down on the couch cushion. His living pillow, Trip, had evidently gotten up before him. His body was wide awake, ready to go after how all the energy Sky had poured into him, and that rather spoiled any plans of lazing around in bed. His eyes opened again as it suddenly registered how much energy the other changeling had given him. “...And it’s absolutely disgusting that you would give that much love to one single changeling,” he said with a frown. “You could feed the whole house for days on what you gave me.”

Sky just waved it off. “As if we have any lack of love. Besides, you barely go out. Somepony has to make sure you’re fed.”

Nictis grumbled. “Yeah, sure.” Though he didn’t say it, he was at least thankful for the gesture, not that Sky needed words to know that. “Oh, that reminds me. How’s Cara doing?”

“Pretty poorly. He’s still freaking out a bit, but he’s calming down. We talked last night and it went well. A couple more days and he should be fine.”

With a sigh, Nictis nodded. “I hope so. I feel kind of bad for leaving everyling when he needs the help.”

“Don’t even start that,” Sky said with a roll of his eyes, a gesture that still worked quite well despite the lack of distinct pupils. “We can handle things without you for a few days, and after how much you’ve been working for everypony else, you deserve a couple days for yourself.”

“Yes, I know,” Nictis replied. “But the timing is... less than ideal.”

“It’ll be fine. Now get up. We can at least get you something to eat before you head out. Trip’s making waffles. I think.”

The statement brought a muttered series of grumbles from beside Nictis as Skiris groggily extracted himself from the mild tangle of limbs. The grumbles eventually made way for a barely coherent “I’ll get the fire extinguisher,” before Skiris got to his hooves and wandered off in the direction of the kitchen.

Sky smirked in silence as he watched Skiris go, before turning back to Nictis. “I didn’t think his cooking was that bad.”

“I appreciate his enthusiasm,” Nictis said, taking the moment to stretch out now that he had the couch to himself. “But his idea of cooking seems to be just grabbing whatever random ingredients are within reach and throwing them all together. I’m not sure if he even understands the concept of a recipe.”

Interrupting his own snickers, Sky said, “He has a cookbook out and everything.”

“More flammable material,” Nictis said, and finally heaved himself up to a sitting position. “I suppose we should go check on things, then.”

No disaster came, and in fact, the waffles Trip made were spectacularly average. Nictis was given first helpings, and after a hurried meal, he left for the train station. Sky and Skiris were content to eat at a more relaxed pace. Trip, however, had to grab a few rushed bites between mixing and cooking yet more waffles, though he was hardly complaining. It wasn’t long before the small dining room and kitchen were filled with changelings, all happily eating and chatting away, with Trip moving around with a bounce to his step and a grin on his face. He’d even gotten an apron from somewhere, wearing it with pride.

Even Cara joined in the meal, though he sat in a corner as out of the way as possible, and kept casting strange, almost shocked looks at his food between bites. He was still getting used to the whole concept of things tasting good.

“So, Skiris,” Sky said as he poured some syrup on a fresh waffle. “Any big activities for today?”

Skiris quickly swallowed a bite. “Well, it’ll be a little quieter now that Skitter isn’t freaking out about his project. There’s Nictis’s trip, but that’s already taken care of.” He paused as he brought out a notepad, flipping it open and scanning over a few lines. “Hmm, already did that, don’t need that... looks like the only thing that really needs doing today is getting some more food and supplies, but I’ll take care of all that. They’ve got a nice clear day planned, and I bet it’d be perfect flying weather...”

Sky smirked at him, considering several replies before shaking his head and going back to eating. The other changelings carried on, various conversations going back and forth. A knock on the door eventually drew him away from the little gathering, and he answered it to find not a pony or a changeling, but a rather tired-looking dragon.

“Hey Sky!”

“Hello, Spike,” Sky said, to which the dragon held up a claw, taking a few quick, deep breaths before continuing.

“Sorry. Been running all over Ponyville,” he said, breath slowly coming back to him. “Twilight sent me. Said Celestia wants to see you in Canterlot. Well, you, and Nictis, and any other changelings you wanted to bring along to serve as your staff. And Twilight and her friends, too.”

“Wait, staff?” Sky asked, head cocking to one side. “Since when do I have or need a staff?”

“Don’t ask me,” Spike grumbled as he sat down. “Nopony’s told me anything. Twilight just told me to tell you, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity to meet up at train station, while she went to tell the others. Oh, and she told me to hurry.”

“Twilight, her friends, and a bunch of changelings, all summoned urgently to Canterlot.” Sky raised an eyebrow. “Should I be worried?”

Spike shrugged. “Probably.”

“Wonderful.”

“We’re going!”

Sky turned around to see Skiris and Trip both standing in the doorway to the kitchen and grinning, the latter still clad in his apron. Sky blinked, and was about to object before Skiris spoke again. “Celestia wants you to have a staff, and we’re your unofficial assistants, so that means we have to go!”

“What? No it doesn’t. And you can’t both go, anyway. Who’ll take care of things here?”

Trip chuckled, waving a hoof dismissively. “I’m sure Slate or Nygma could handle things just fine. Besides, you have to take one of us, and we’re not splitting up, so that means we’re both going.”

Sky hesitated, eying the two of them as they smiled eagerly at him. Eventually he let out a sigh. “Well... what about Cara? He’s going to need some help handling everything, and I’m not sure if any of the others are really ready to do that.”

“I’ll go ask him if he wants to go with us!” Trip said, and ducked back into the kitchen before Sky could object.

Sky just sighed. “This is going to go well.”

Skiris snickered. A few moments later Trip returned from the kitchen, Cara following behind him. “He said he’ll go!”

“Wait, what? Really?” Sky stared for a moment before approaching Cara. “Are you sure?”

Cara nodded, though nervously.

“Canterlot is a lot bigger than Ponyville,” Sky pointed out. “It’s not as... relaxed as it is here. There’ll be a lot more ponies, and not many changelings.”

“I-I know,” Cara replied. “But... you were telling me about how we’re going to help other changelings, right? And I’m not helping if I just keep hiding here, and I... I want to help.” Despite the faint tremble that passed through him, he raised his head, standing a little taller. “I want to go with you.”

Sky smiled, and with the feelings of reassuring approval from his fellow changelings, Cara managed to return the gesture. “Well, okay then,” Sky said, giving a nod. “We’d be glad to have you along.”

“Th-thanks,” Cara replied, not quite restraining an anxious fidget.

“Well then.” Sky glanced back at Skiris. “I guess we should let everyone know that we’re all going to be gone.” As Skiris nodded, Sky noticed that Spike was sitting back against the doorjam. “You okay?”

“Oh, sure, I’m good,” Spike said, still panting a bit. “It’s not like I got woken up extra early by belching out Twilight’s mail, only to have her start stressing out and sending me running all around Ponyville when I should still be tucked in my nice warm bed. I’m fine.” He leaned his head back against the doorjam, eyes half closed. “But hey, since you’re going to the train station anyway, think I could catch a ride?”

Sky chuckled. “Sure thing,” he said as his magic reached out, lifting the young dragon onto his back, and followed after Skiris.

The bag of bits jingled as Nictis prodded at it. He immediately pulled his hoof away, placing it back on the cushion of his seat as he tried to still himself. He did his best to avoid glancing around the train car. The ponies boarding from Ponyville didn’t have a second thought about a changeling riding the train with them, but he’d caught a few curious or anxious glances from passengers who were traveling through, and that was a subject he really did not want to get involved with at the moment. Instead, he leaned his head against the window, watching the ponies out on the platform while continuing to wait for the train to leave. It felt like it was taking forever.

A few moments later he found himself fidgeting with his bag of bits, and again forced his hoof back to the cushion. It only lasted for a minute or so before he unconsciously started it up again, and he finally gave in, rolling the bag between his hooves. At least it gave him something to do. Belated, he realized he should have brought a book or something, anything to keep his mind occupied. He didn’t even have anything with him, other than that bag of bits and his compass necklace.

Speaking of books, he could see Ponyville’s librarian-slash-princess out on the platform, conversing eagerly with the train’s conductor and engineer. He sighed slightly, sinking into his seat.

Soon enough several of Twilight’s friends started arriving, and to Nictis’s surprise, so did several changelings, with Sky at the lead. Nictis suppressed a soft groan, slumping a little further. He didn’t know what was going on, but he was certain that he wasn’t going to like it.

So when Sky trotted through the car to find him, he found Nictis slumped against the window, lightly thumping his head against the hard surface while the ponies in the car pretended not to notice.

Sky hesitated, unsure how to deal approach what he found. “Um...”

“Just one day,” Nictis grumbled quietly. “That’s all I want. Is it really too much to ask for things to not go wrong for just. One. Day?” He punctuated each of the final words with another thump of his head, then slumped further.

Sky rubbed a hoof anxiously over his foreleg. “Um... well, we don’t actually know that anything’s gone wrong...”

Nictis just glared back in response.

“...Yeah, okay, something’s probably gone wrong,” Sky said, ears pinning back. “Sorry.”

The glare relented as Nictis leaned his head against the window again. “Not your fault,” he said with a sigh. “So what’s going on this time?”

“I’m not sure. You’d have to ask Twilight.” Sky shrugged, doing his best to feel apologetic. “She’s got a private car for everypony if you want to ask her. I could use some answers too. All I know is that Celestia summoned her, you, and me, and it sounded like it was urgent. And apparently I need a staff, now.”

“I’m summoned?” Nictis stared for a moment before thumping his head against the window again, a fair bit harder than the times before. “Of course I am. Why now? It could have been any other time, but no, it has to be on one of the most important days of my life!” Another thump, then his expression softened. “I’m finally going to meet up with Spark, and now I’m just going to disappear on him again. Great.”

Sky sat next to Nictis, offering his sympathy. “Maybe you don’t have to go? I could tell Celestia that you had prior plans, and could join us later? We might even get Twilight to vouch for us. She’s got to be able to use that princess authority for something, right?”

Despite the feeling of appreciation, Nictis eventually shook his head, his voice quiet and hollow. “No. Duty comes before personal desires. If Celestia summoned me by name then I have to assume it was for an important reason.”

Sky placed a hoof gently on Nictis’s side. “Sorry.”

“Still not your fault,” Nictis mumbled.

Sky almost apologized again before stopping himself. “Well, I could get a message to Spark, let him know what’s going on. Maybe even get Twilight to ask some royal guard or courier or something to deliver it so he knows how important it is?”

“No need,” Nictis said. “Cotton was going to meet me at the station. She can pass on the news.”

“Cotton?”

“Yeah. Cotton Candy.” When Sky still looked uncertain, Nictis added, “She was a friend from the orphanage.”

“Oh!” Sky nodded, leaning back in the seat. “Right, I remember you mentioning her. But how come you’re meeting her?”

“She’s... kind of why we were going to meet in Canterlot. Kind of a third-party, safe-haven sort of thing. She thought it’d be more comfortable for Spark.” Nictis’s ears drooped. “...I think he’s scared of me.”

“Oh.” Sky frowned a little. “I... I’m sure it’s not that bad. If he’s even half as smart as you say he is, he’ll see you’re a nice guy. You just worry too much.”

Nictis frowned. “No offense, Sky, but I don’t think you’re the most reliable source for relationship advice.”

“Hey!” Sky said, drawing his head back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The question drew a surge of irritation from Nictis, which flared and died as quick as it came. He sighed. “What that means is that, for a former Infiltrator, you’re kinda dense when it comes to love.”

“For the last time, I’m not an Infiltrator!” Sky blurted, and his ears immediately pinned back in embarrassment as he realized most of the train car probably heard him.

“Right,” Nictis said, dryly. “You crash in the woods, and your first response is to take the form of a pony, then act the role so convincingly that you fool even yourself. You just happen to have all the right behaviors and responses so intuitively ingrained that you can pull off a convincing act without even consciously trying. Oh, yeah, just another drone, no Infiltrator training at all.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that all before. Or maybe I’m not a moron, and I just mimicked everypony around me.” He jabbed Nictis lightly in the side as he spoke. “You know, like what actually happened? And for the record, they knew I was a changeling right away. That doesn’t exactly sound like an Infiltrator to me.”

Despite the frown, Sky could feel a hint of amusement from Nictis. “Well, I never said you were a good Infiltrator.”

Sky snorted, even though he couldn’t help feeling a little amused. “Ugh, fine.” Then he poked Nictis again, a little more firmly. “Well, now that I’ve gotten you out of ‘mopey’ and back to ‘snarky,’ let’s get back to Twilight and see if she has any idea what’s going on.”

She didn’t.

In fact, Twilight was rather worried about that lack of knowledge, fidgeting most of the way to Canterlot. She would look over the small collection of books and scrolls she brought, sigh in frustration as she shook out and refolded her wings, then she’d turn to watch the terrain rolling by outside the window for a minute before repeating the whole process again. The other occupants of the car seemed more relaxed, for the most part, though their reactions were all rather different. Spike was sleeping soundly beside her, a scroll still clutched in his claws. Rarity, who had complained a few times of being woken too early and not getting enough beauty sleep, was “resting her eyes for a moment,” complete with the occasional and rather unladylike snore. Most of the rest of the car seemed centered around Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, who were joking and laughing. Sky had quickly joined them, but Nictis hung back, not feeling very sociable at the moment--though he made a point of not letting it show, lest Pinkie should try dragging him into the center of things again.

Cara lay hunkered down in his seat, almost entirely still apart from the occasional nervous flick of his wings, and the occasional sidelong glance toward Twilight, who was thankfully too caught up in her own worrying to notice. Nictis sat silently beside him, offering a little bit of comfort to the scared changeling, though it did little good. Unlike the other changelings who had lived in Ponyville for weeks or months longer than him, Cara did not know Twilight at all, and while she was certainly the least regal and imposing of the alicorn princesses, there remained the fact that she was an alicorn, and a princess, and a very powerful and capable magic user. That put her in a very exclusive group, one of the four most powerful--both personally and politically--and influential ponies in Equestria, while he was just a very small and very lost changeling.

They continued on in silence, each holding their own concerns as Canterlot steadily drew closer. Only when they had finally passed the outer walls did Twilight sigh, shake herself from her routine of fretting, and start gathering up her books and supplies. As the train pulled into the station, she was already getting to her hooves. “Okay everypony.” She glanced over to Sky. “Everyone. Time to find out what’s going on.”

With a flutter of wings, Rainbow Dash landed atop the back of Twilight’s seat, peering down at her. “Still no clue what we’re all here for, huh?”

“Oh, I’ve got clues,” Twilight said, with just a hint of grumbling. “Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got: vague clues. It’s obviously something important enough to call the six of us to Canterlot. It’s probably something involving changelings, and something big enough that the ‘Counselor on Changeling Affairs’ needs a whole staff for it. And...” She shuffled her wings again in agitation. “...And that’s all we know. And I really should stop trying to figure out what’s going on from such vague clues, because every time I do, I keep coming up with worse and worse doomsday scenarios, and it’s not helping.”

Despite having to restrain her own chuckling, Applejack placed a hoof comfortingly on Twilight’s shoulder. “Well, we’re all here now, so let’s go find out what’s really going on, alright?”

Twilight drew in a deep breath, slowly let it out, and nodded. “Right. Let’s get going. Worrying about invasions and traps isn’t going to solve anything.”

“Wait,” Rainbow said as she swooped over to land in front of Twilight. “What was that about traps?”

“Doomsday scenario number twenty three is that Chrysalis has replaced Celestia and Luna, and has brought us and the most important changelings in order to take out the most effective threats against her takeover of Equestria,” Twilight explained calmly. The train was silent for a moment, and Cara hunkered anxiously at the mention of the queen’s name. “But that’s almost certainly wrong. It’s most likely that Chrysalis couldn’t copy Celestia’s scroll-sending spell, which led to the formulation of doomsday scenario number twenty four, where she replaced only Luna at first, and then used her influence with Celestia to convinced her to send that letter worded the way it was. Twenty six through thirty are all further variants on that theme. And then the next four get even worse.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Uh... why’d you skip twenty five?”

“Doomsday scenario number twenty five was formed on the realization that it would be far easier to confront us individually rather than gathering us all together like this, in which case we would have been attacked the night before and be in changeling cocoons right now, and this is all just a dream. I’m mostly dismissing that one because there wouldn’t be anything I could do about it if it were true, and I always wake up when I start to think I’m dreaming, anyway.” She hesitated a moment before admitting, “Well, usually.”

The train car was silent again.

Twilight bowed her head with an embarrassed smile. “I had a lot of time to think on it and nothing more productive to do.”

Pinkie bounced up to Twilight and gave her a hug. “Well I think those were neat stories, and you should totally tell us some more! But maybe you should wait until after we meet up with Princess Celestia. We probably shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

“Sounds good,” Twilight said with a chuckle.

They filed out of the train, with Twilight at the lead. While the group made its way toward the station exit, Nictis looked over the crowd to find the familiar sight of his old friend, a search that was abruptly ended by Pinkie shouting out right behind him.

“Incoming!”

He jerked away and spun to look at her, while she just grinned at him. That expression derailed his thoughts just long enough that he only belatedly noticed that everyone else in their group had thrown themselves to the ground. Even Cara had done so, dropping for cover at the loud shout rather than the sight of Pinkie’s tail spasming about as if possessed. He didn’t know what it meant, after all. Nictis did, but that realization had only just registered in Nictis’s mind when a pink blur flew out of nowhere and slammed into him.

“Niccy!”

Nictis yelped and staggered a few steps, only barely managing to stay standing under the force of the hug-turned-tackle, and leaving him staring wide-eyed at the mare who had her forelegs wrapped around him. “C-Cotton?”

She suddenly released him, drawing back to look him in the face with a deep frown, despite the happiness and excitement he felt from her. Raising a hoof, she knocked it sharply on the top of his head, producing a sharp “clop” as the hoof struck chitin. “That’s for not telling any of us.”

“...Ow?” he said, rather surprised at both the suddenness of her appearance and the strange dissonance between her expression and feelings.

Then she hugged him again, only furthering his confusion. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again!” Then she stopped again, backing away a bit, though her hooves remained on his shoulder. “Or, you know, for the first time, really.” She giggled a little as she quickly looked him over.

“Er, um...” He glanced around anxiously, seeing that most of his party was looking on with quite a bit of amusement, including a few smug-looking changelings. “I’m... a little surprised you could tell who I was. Most ponies can’t.”

“Pairs of opposed notches just above the front left hoof and just below the front right knee, and the front right hoof split near the back,” she rattled off, still looking him over. “I saw your picture in the paper.” Then she reached up and lifted up his compass, giving a smirk. “Not to mention this thing.”

He quickly snagged it in his hoof, ears pinning back. “Oh. Okay.”

And then she was hugging him again, happily murmuring. “Seriously, though. It’s good to see you again.”

Slowly, cautiously, he raised a hoof to hug her back.

When the hug finally ended she stepped back, grinning as she gestured to his companions. “So, you going to introduce me to your friends?”

His expression, which had just started to lighten up, fell again. “I’m not sure if we have the time,” he said, looking down to the ground. “I’m sorry. Celestia summoned all of us, myself included. I have to go.” Cotton’s smile vanished, replaced by a worried look. “Maybe after...?”

Twilight’s voice cut in as she stepped up next to him. “Nictis, I’m sure Celestia will be fine with you keeping a prior commitment. I’ll just tell her you had something important to do.”

He hesitated, but slowly shook his head. “Thank you... but if she’s asked for me by name, I need to go.” He turned his eyes up to Twilight. “But... if maybe you could convince her that I don’t really need to be there and can leave...?”

“I will,” Twilight replied with a nod.

“Thanks,” Nictis said, sighing softly.

Cotton reached a leg over his shoulder to give a little squeeze, while smiling at Twilight. “Thanks, Princess.”

Twilight opened her mouth as if she were about to object, but after a moment’s hesitation she smiled instead. “It’s the least I could do.”

Turning back to Nictis, Cotton asked, “You still remember where I live, right?”

Nictis nodded slightly. “Yeah.”

“Okay, good.” She gave him another hug. “I’m looking forward to seeing you.” She hesitated for a moment, and when she spoke again her voice was softer and quieter. “So is Spark.”

Nictis had to practically force the words out, his throat suddenly tight. “...Me too.”

They parted ways, Cotton returning home to pass on the bad news, while Nictis rejoined the other changelings. Sky smiled at him as they began to walk again. “Niccy?”

“Don’t,” Nictis grumbled, and Sky’s smile vanished. Nictis halfway regretted the curt reply, knowing Sky had merely been trying to cheer him up, but he didn’t need to say anything for Sky to know he wasn’t really upset with him, just as Sky didn’t need to say anything for Nictis to know he felt apologetic. He did appreciate the simple ease of interacting with other changelings, as they continued on in silence.

The unicorn Royal Guards at the gate of the castle scanned each of them with their magic, a security measure that was rarely enacted even at the castle itself. When asked by Twilight, they said they did not know the reason for it, only that Princess Luna had passed on instructions that morning to cast a disenchantment spell on all ponies entering the castle, regardless of who they were. Several concerned looks were shared, particularly among the changelings. Such a precaution could have only one likely purpose.

Once they had passed the gate a pair of Guards escorted them into the throne room. Celestia and Luna were holding court today, the chamber filled with ponies seeking to petition the princesses, as well as those who simply wanted to watch. Luna politely excused herself to approach them, a smile on her face.

“Welcome, Princess Twilight. We are glad you could make it so quickly.”

“Oh, of course,” Twilight replied, her own smile a little more nervous. “After all, I’m kind of... extremely curious what would need all of us coming on such short notice. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a letter like that which didn’t have something bad following it.”

“Hmm, indeed,” Luna replied with a thoughtful frown. “I wish I could alleviate those fears, but I suspect they may be proven true soon enough. I can at least offer the knowledge that we are not certain that anything bad will happen, or anything at all. Summoning you all here was a precaution, one that will hopefully prove unnecessary.”

Hesitantly, Twilight nodded. “Well... I guess that’s good. But why were we summoned here? What might happen?”

Luna glanced aside at the crowd gathered in the throne room. “I am afraid that will have to wait until after court. We must fulfill our public obligations first, and this is not the best place to discuss such matters. In fact, had we expected you to show up so swiftly, we may have postponed court for a few days, but it would be improper to simply interrupt it now. As soon as court is concluded, Celestia and I shall tell you everything that I have... seen.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side, looking curious at Luna, but this produced no more information. “You may all stay as guests, if you wish,” Luna said, gesturing to the area beside the throne. “Otherwise the Guards can show you to the quarters we have arranged for you.”

“I’d love to stay,” Twilight said with a smile.

“I should probably stay, too,” Sky said, while the other changelings nodded along--all but Cara, who stayed as close as possible to the other changelings, practically hiding from Luna behind Nictis’s body.

Pinkie hopped up. “Well I’m going to go looking for the dining room. I’m starving!”

“Yeah, I’m with Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said, a flutter of her wings lifting her off the ground. “Not that sitting around watching politics doesn’t sound completely thrilling, but I kinda skimped on breakfast.”

Once they had worked out who was going and who was staying--which ended up being just Twilight, Fluttershy, Spike, and the small pack of changelings--Luna turned to walk back to Celestia’s side, only to be stopped when Twilight remembered something.

“Princess Luna?” She asked, casting a quick glance back to Nictis. “Does Nictis need to be here? He had something very important and personal planned for today, and this pulled him away from it.”

Luna looked to Nictis as well, a faint sadness in her expression. From her emotions, Nictis could tell that she must have had some idea what this was interrupting. “I am sorry,” she said, head dipping a little. “But if what we suspect is going on truly comes to be, we will be in need of his skills and knowledge more, perhaps, than anypony else’s.”

Nictis stood completely still, trying to show as little emotion as possible, while everyone else shared worried glances. He wasn’t sure whether to be worried that the princesses needed him in particular, or annoyed that the world would, naturally, conspire to make him useful on the least convenient day for him to be so.

“The court should be ending in little over an hour,” Luna said to him. “What we need to discuss with all of you should not take too long, at least not tonight. Much will need to be done in the near future, I suspect. But, once we have gotten your input, I think we can do well enough in your absence if you should have other matters in Canterlot drawing your attention.”

He did at least manage to smile, though it was a little forced. “Thank you.”

She nodded, and again turned to walk away. The rest of them split up, some heading out to relax for a bit, while the rest watched and waited. Twilight seemed the only one particularly interested in the court, listening intently to every word of the petitioners and the princesses, and before long had begun taking notes. Most of the changelings whispered quietly amongst themselves, with Spike joining in. Nictis just sat there silently, internally insisting that he wasn’t sulking, he just had nothing to say. Cara lay behind the other changelings, being as unnoticeable as he could manage.

Fluttershy seemed just a little out of place, much to Sky’s curiosity, but he didn’t pry. It took a few minutes to realize that she wasn’t paying any attention to the princesses, and instead seemed much more interested in Cara. Sky smiled a little as he saw her fidgeting in place, shifting her weight back and forth, wings shuffling. Finally she paused, biting her lip, and forced herself to move toward the nervous changeling.

“Excuse me,” she said, her voice as soft and gentle as could be, but Cara still cringed back when he heard the voice from right next to him, turning to look wide-eyed at the quiet pony who had unintentionally snuck up on him. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she quickly said, drawing back a little. “I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just that you looked so nervous, and... I...”

She trailed off, awkwardly rubbing at one foreleg, while Cara looked about anxiously. After several seconds of silence Fluttershy found her voice again. “I just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to be afraid.” She blinked, then quickly held up a hoof. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I mean, I’m afraid all the time.” She lowered her hoof again, the beginnings of a smile starting to form. “But I have such good friends, and when I’m around them, I don’t feel so afraid. I was just kind of hoping that maybe I could be there for you, if you’d like, so that you don’t have to be afraid all on your own?”

Cara sat almost entirely still, except for a tiny fidget of his forelegs. There was a long moment of silence as he tried to make sense of what was going on, and even more, to make sense of the mare sitting beside him. Sure, some of the other changelings had talked about Fluttershy in such a glowing way, but such words could hardly compare to the staggering amount of care and compassion he could feel from her.

Finally, he forced himself to speak, though it came out barely above a whisper. “Thank you.”

She was smiling at him. She started to extend a hoof, then hesitated, and thinking better of it set it back down. “My name is Fluttershy. What’s yours?”

With the initial hesitation and worry largely passed, he was a little quicker to reply. “Cara.”

Fluttershy looked curious and possibly a little confused, but she quickly replaced that look with a smile. “That’s a nice name. Does it mean something?”

Silence met the question for several long seconds as Cara shifted anxiously, trying to build up the courage to say more than one or two words at a time. “I... I heard that the princess that named me was going to call me Carapace. But... the other princesses complained that the name was already used... um, several times, I think. So she just cut the name in half...”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said, though she smiled quite happily. “Well I think it’s a very nice name.”

Again there was silence, but it was short lived, and Cara spoke again. “I also heard that the next nymph got named Pace.”

Fluttershy quickly raised a hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle, though she beamed happily at the sight of a tiny smile starting to creep its way past Cara’s nervousness.

Sky caught her eye, giving a quick smile and nod that she returned. He sighed happily and turned his attention back to the rest of the gathering, content that Cara was in good hooves. He and Nictis could do quite a bit to help their fellow changelings, but when it came down to showing someone some kindness, there really was no comparing to Fluttershy.

While those two continued a very slow and halting conversation, Sky settled in to wait. There wasn’t very much for him to do, and though he joined the conversation the other, more talkative changelings were sharing, he mostly just watched the court itself. Unfortunately, it was not the most engaging entertainment. There were a few requests for aid and assistance, followed by a noble whose request--something about family lines and dynasties and such--was so arcane and obscure in its arguments that Sky had no idea what he had actually been asking. Occasionally an aide or guard would come up and whisper something to one of the princesses, usually Luna, generally receiving a simple nod or short whisper in return. A later petitioner was a farmer who managed to make a somewhat rousing--by comparison--appeal for grain subsidies for much of southwest Equestria. He was just reaching the peak of his argument when a loud cry interrupted him.

“Oh, enough of this pathetic banality!”

Gasps and murmurs passed through the crowd as every eye snapped over to the one who had dared to speak out in such a rude fashion. She was a tall white unicorn, with the kind of lean beauty one might expect from a fashion model, and with a long and flowing silvery mane and tail. She cast a green-eyed glare to Celestia and Luna as she strode forward from the crowd, flanked by a dozen stallions. Half were unicorns, the other half earth ponies, and most of them carried standards bearing gray and green patterns. Every one of their members shared colors identical to the mare that lead them, as well as one further detail: not a single one of them bore cutie marks.

Their group strode into the middle of the hall, in front of the princesses, while their current petitioner scrambled back a few steps. The crowd watched and murmured, with a few quicker-thinking ponies hurriedly slipping out the door. The Royal Guard watched on, and Sky only now noticed how many of them there were. At some point a few dozen of them had entered the chamber, and many of them even carried spears.

The princesses themselves all had different reactions. Both Celestia and Luna stood still, wings held upright in their usual regal pose, but their expressions differed. Luna fixed the mare with a condescending and disapproving glare, while Celestia retained a calm and serene expression, yet one that held a warning fire behind it.

Twilight, on the other hoof, simply gaped at what she was watching.

“I have been waiting here for an hour,” the blank-flanked mare growled, “listening to all this useless drivel while there are far more important matters at hoof. I have come to speak with you, and I will not be ignored so easily.”

The murmuring in the crowd grew, ponies expressing their shock at anyone expressing such rude behavior toward Celestia--“Oh, and the other princesses, too,” some amended. Celestia did not react nearly so much, even as Luna’s glare turned to a deeper scowl and Twilight quickly shifted to an expression of anger. Instead, Celestia spoke calmly and clearly.

“You entered these chambers not five minutes ago. You were not being ignored. In fact, you were to be called forward next, as I expect we have much to discuss.” Then she turned her head back to the stunned-silent petitioner. “In any case--”

The strange mare lifted her hoof and struck it sharply against the ground, and every one of the near-identical stallions around her burst into green flames to reveal armored changelings. The standards they carried were brought down, illusionary magic dropping to reveal the shining spearheads as they gathered around in a defensive circle.

The crowd gasped out in shock, skittering back. The dozens of Royal Guards leveled their spears, but made no move to advance. The princesses didn’t move at all--except Twilight, who leaped up to her hooves, her stance wide, ready for a fight. The changelings by Sky and Nictis all cringed back with various looks of surprise and fear. Cara and Fluttershy both tried to hide behind the other and instead ended up clutched together for safety.

And in the center of the defensive ring of changeling circles, the mare’s glaring eyes flickered with a brighter green as she grinned, a hint of dark amusement entering her voice. “Do I have your attention now?”

Chapter 2: Queen's Gambit

Chapter 2: Queen's Gambit

In the abrupt lull that followed the changelings’ sudden appearance, Celestia simply looked at the smugly smiling mare for several seconds. Then she turned back to the displaced and cringing petitioner. “In any case, I apologize for the interruption, and I assure you, I will see what funds can be allocated to your cause.”

She gave the scared and confused stallion a nod and a smile before looking back to the blank-flanked mare, whose expression of surprise was rapidly changing to one of indignant rage. The mare was just starting to open her mouth when Celestia spoke again, as calm as ever. “I hadn’t expected you to show up so soon, or I would have been more ready to welcome you. Chrysalis, I presume?”

“I have something to say, first,” the mare replied, her eyes narrowed. “If you intend some manner of trap or trickery, we are already prepared to take retribution for any action you take. Whatever meager victory you could accomplish by such an act will be insignificant compared to the damage a few hundred well-placed changelings can cause.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. The surprised pause was so short that Nictis wasn’t sure anyone else had even noticed it before she replied. “There is no trap. We simply wish to talk with you in the hope that a more peaceful arrangement can be made between us.”

A moment of silence passed, a smile slowly growing on the mare’s face. Then she laughed, quiet at first, but soon throwing her head back as the laughter grew, and a ripple of green flame formed around her hooves to sweep up over her form. It was not the nearly-instant flash of a changeling’s normal transformation, but a slow, rippling wave that stripped away the false white form to reveal the black, chitinous, hole-riddled form beneath.

The laugh was cut off as Chrysalis fixed her glare again upon Celestia, a grin on her face, voice laden with smugness. “Peaceful arrangements. Funny how it’s always the prey who desire peace.”

The changelings seated near the thrones looked on in horror at the imposing sight of their former queen. Her glossy-black form towered over ponies and changelings alike, matched only by Celestia herself. For most of the Ponyville changelings, she was the ruler that they had, whatever their intentions, betrayed. For Sky, she was something new, yet familiarly terrifying; visions of a forgotten past, a creature straight from his nightmares, and yet strangely fascinating. He just sat there, staring back wide-eyed.

Celestia was far less fazed by the sudden but expected appearance. “I am speaking of moving beyond that,” she said, her tone faintly disapproving. “Of finding a way that is better for both our people.”

“Ah, such naive idealism,” Chrysalis said with a amused roll of her eyes. “And I suppose you have a good reason as to why I should care at all about your ponies? Because as far as I can see, the only thing ponies are good for is food.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed slightly, but her voice remained calm. “I have many, reasons which benefit changelings every bit as much as they do ponies, if not more... if you’re willing to listen.”

Chrysalis chuckled quietly before looking down to one of her guards. With a short jerk of her muzzle, the guards all relaxed their stances, spears turning upright. A moment later, following an order from their commanders, the Royal Guard stood down as well, though both sides still eyed the other warily.

The lead pair of changeling soldiers stepped aside as Chrysalis walked forward, approaching the base of the steps to where Celestia and Luna stood. “Of course, princess,” she said, putting extra emphasis on the last word. “That’s why I’m here. After all, you’ve been sowing such fanciful stories. Stories that have ensnared some of the... weaker-minded drones.” She cast a meaningful glare toward the small gathering of Equestrian changelings, who all cringed slightly under the attention of their disapproving former queen. They could feel the scorn she held for them. Cara chirped fearfully, and Fluttershy shifted to shield him until Chrysalis looked away again. “But then my Infiltrators bring back word that you’ve been publicly speaking of a desire to talk with me, to open diplomatic relations, knowing that they would bring your words back to me. And I have to admit, I found the idea so hilariously idiotic that I just had to come and see it for myself. At the very least, it should be an entertaining waste of time.”

Luna cut in, her disapproval quite clear. “If you think this is such a waste of time, then why, pray tell, did you bother coming at all?”

“I have my reasons,” Chrysalis replied smugly. “So go on. Talk.”

“Very well,” Celestia said, her tone carefully neutral. “In short, we desire peace.”

“Ridiculous,” Chrysalis snorted, laughing softly, but it lasted only a moment before she grew serious. “And what if I refuse? Will you threaten us, then? Will you try to take me prisoner? We are not so weak as you seem to think.”

Celestia shook her head. “If you have come as a diplomat, we shall respect that. You will be free to leave at any time you choose, and we will not detain you. Although, I do hope we can come to some sort of arrangement.”

“Of course you do,” Chrysalis said. “But I see no reason to agree to anything you might desire. There is nothing you can offer my hive that we could not simply take for ourselves.”

“We can offer peace and friendship, if you--”

She was cut off by Chrysalis’s loud laughter. “Friendship!” She cried out, mockingly. “You ponies are so ridiculously sentimental. Besides, I can assure you, if I wanted the love of a pony...” She grinned, lighting her horn in a brilliant green. “...I am perfectly capable of taking it myself.”

“No, you are not,” Celestia replied, as the green glow faded. “You can feed on it, but that is a far different thing than having friendship. If you doubt its worth, you can ask any of the changelings who now live here in Equestria, in far better conditions than they did in your hive.”

“Oh, yes,” Chrysalis said with another roll of her eyes, and then gestured toward the changelings in question. “How about the two ringleaders of that group? I’d love to hear about how worthwhile a pony’s friendship is from someling who was abandoned by the object of their misplaced desires the moment they found out they weren’t a pony.”

Sky and Nictis both went rigid, ears pinned back.

“Even the best of friendships can have difficulties at times, but--”

“You’re really not selling me on this,” Chrysalis dryly interrupted.

“But,” Celestia said firmly before continuing in a calmer voice, “I am certain every one of them would agree that it is worth it in the end, and even when friendships run into tough times, they have a way of working out eventually.”

“Oh, of course,” the queen scoffed. “That, or they find your extravagant pony luxuries make it worth the cost. I doubt someling who would betray their queen and every changeling in the hive would put a very high value on loyalty.”

“Why don’t you ask them?” Celestia said with a gesture of her hoof. “They are quite capable of speaking for themselves.”

Chrysalis smirked as she eyed the small gathering of changelings beside the throne. “Oh, I’m sure they are, and you have so many of them here to speak for you. I had expected to see Nictis here, but I’m a bit surprised to see so many of my wayward subjects also in attendance. Is there some special occasion?”

“I simply thought that you might prefer to hear of the advantages of coexistence from changelings who had actually experienced it,” Celestia replied, a hint of a smile beginning to show. “So I invited them to join us.”

It was Chrysalis’s turn to frown, her head drawing back slightly. “I see.” She looked over the changelings in question, who all cringed again, if slightly less so than before. A moment later she looked back to Celestia. “And perhaps I will speak with them, but that can come later. For now, go on. I believe you were trying to come up with some meaningful reason why I should listen to anything you have to say?”

“If friendship and coexistence are too sentimental for your tastes, how about something more practical?” Celestia took a single step forward. “Your subjects suffer needlessly by the current state of affairs. They live in harsh conditions, working long and tedious hours simply to maintain the status quo. Food is scarce and strictly rationed. Your culture is nonexistent. Your subjects have no future, only a dreary repetition of their past. What we offer will improve life for all your subjects.”

“Improve?” Chrysalis scoffed. “Our way of life may look harsh to you pampered little ponies, but it is what has made us as strong as we are while your own ponies have grown soft and complacent.”

“And yet, look at where that has gotten you,” Celestia said, taking another single step forward to stand at the very edge of the steps before her throne. She stared down at Chrysalis, wings raised. “Your people number only a few thousand, hiding in a remote wasteland, fearful of discovery, while Equestria has grown to become a great and powerful nation. My ponies have survived in a dangerous world, and they have done it not by hiding from that danger, but by helping each other and confronting it head-on. They have weathered countless disasters that could have brought the end for them all, but they have met every challenge and persevered. Even your own invasion, leading the entirety of your hive in all its strength, still failed to defeat them. Ponies are stronger than you think. If you truly wish to see your subjects grow strong, you could learn much from them.”

Chrysalis bared her teeth, eyes narrowing. “I did not come here to listen to you insult me and my subjects, princess.”

The reply brought a short snort from Luna, as well as the strangled sound of a barely-restrained retort from Twilight, but Celestia merely shook her head. “I mean no insult or disrespect, nor to imply that your subjects are weak. Indeed, the few changelings I have gotten to know over these past months have impressed me in many ways. But you mistake my point. Much like how a few ponies can be made stronger by working together in friendship, we can make the world a better place for both our subjects, changeling and pony alike.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes again as she turned to walk away. “So noble and altruistic of you, I’m sure. But I tire of your speeches, princess. I have traveled much too far today to endure so many hollow words.” She stopped before her soldiers, casting a cold grin back over her shoulder. “Now then, are you going to be a good host and offer me and my subjects quarters, or shall I go out and make my own arrangements here in your fine little city?”

Celestia leveled a flat look at Chrysalis, but only for a moment. “That will not be necessary. You are here as our guest, and our staff shall have quarters prepared for you when you need them. In the meantime--”

“Good,” Chrysalis cut in. Another quick jerk of her muzzle brought her soldiers back to attention, forming two lines behind her as she turned to again face Celestia. “I know they’re used to serving princesses, but I trust they’ll be able to find something befitting a queen. Oh! Are Princess what’s-her-mane’s quarters available? I did enjoy them so much in my last stay here. Those should be quite suitable.”

“I’m afraid those chambers are being held for when Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor arrive tomorrow,” Celestia said in a carefully measured tone.

“Oh, good,” Chrysalis said, eyes narrowing slightly, her grin growing a touch sharper. “I look forward to congratulating the happy couple.” The expression mellowed quickly to one of simple smug amusement. “Now then, show me these quarters you have for me. I need to rest from my travels and contemplate our... negotiations.”

Silence held for several seconds as Celestia simply stared at her, a slight hardness to her eyes. Eventually she turned to the side, looking to the nearby pegasus guard. “Sergeant, would you kindly escort our guest to her room? I believe the servants should be done making preparations by now.”

The guard in question bowed to her. “Your Highness.” Rising again, he gathered several other guards, and together they led Chrysalis and her soldiers to one of rear doors of the throne room. The queen strutted along proudly, casting one last smug grin toward Celestia before she left the room.

The moment the last of the foreign changelings disappeared from sight, Celestia relaxed, drawing in a deep breath and sighing. Twilight was hurrying up with a grim expression, but Celestia forestalled any conversation with a quick shake of her head.

With the changeling queen gone, the crowd had begun to murmur amongst itself, as if some oppressive, silencing weight had finally been lifted. Celestia looked out over the gathered ponies for a moment before raising her wings again and calling out.

“I am sorry, but I am afraid we must conclude court for the day. If any of you have any pressing needs, please speak with Miss Primrose--” Celestia gestured to a nearby mare. “--or any of her staff, and she shall do her best to help. For now, we must excuse ourselves. It seems we have a guest to deal with.”

As the gathered crowd slowly broke up and made its way to the exit, Celestia and Luna turned and made their way to one of the rear doors of the throne room. Twilight paused to look back at Sky. “You should probably all come, too. I guess now we know why Celestia asked for you.”

“Y-yeah,” Sky said numbly, shaking himself from his stunned silence. When he finally glanced back he was met with the faces of four very shaken changelings. He took a deep, calming breath and rose to his hooves. “Right. Let’s go to Celestia. It’s time for us to help out.”

Slowly, they all stood, even Cara. Sky gave an encouraging smile, and a few moments later they followed in a ragged group with Sky in the lead.

Nictis stepped up beside Sky, still looking stunned at the unexpected encounter. “I never thought I’d see the queen again,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “Used to be, I would have given anything to do so, but now...” He shook his head. “Nothing good can come of this.”

“Don’t give up on it,” Sky replied quietly, attempting to give off as much confidence as he could, though his unease was crystal-clear to the other changeling. “This might all work out.”

Nictis just snorted, but did not contradict him.

Together, the small group followed Twilight from the slowly emptying throne room and into one of the grand hallways beyond, where the Princesses Celestia and Luna had paused.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so upset with someone since Discord’s return,” Luna was gently teasing. “Frowning and raising your voice in court, my goodness.”

Her remark brought a soft snort and wry smile from Celestia, though it vanished again when she looked back to see that they had been joined again. “Ah, good. Come.”

Most of the group fell in behind the two sisters as they walked on. All except Twilight, who hurried up to Celestia’s side. “Do we have teleportation... er, portal security in place?”

“Ah, yes,” Celestia replied with a grim nod. “Golden Aegis developed some good alarm spells, with Sky’s help, and the spells should all be active by now. If they attempt to use a fire portal to cause any mischief, the guards on watch will be alerted immediately.”

“Mimicry?”

“Guards will be keeping logs of all of changelings coming and going from Chrysalis’s chambers and keep them under surveillance, and all guards and staff will be checked with disenchantment spells at the beginning and end of their shifts, as well as when passing through key points of the castle.”

Twilight hesitated a moment, a conflicted look crossing her face before asking, “And if they turn aggressive? Or if this is a prelude to another invasion?”

“The Guard has been called to full alert,” Celestia said. “The reserves should be fully active by the end of the day, and patrols have been doubled.”

“Okay,” Twilight said, nodding. “Okay, good.”

Celestia smiled softly to her, though it soon faded. Silence returned for a full minute before she spoke again. “She frustrates me,” she said quietly, shaking her head. “She answers our call to talks, to try to work out an amicable arrangement between our nations, but then she spends a few minutes insulting the very notion of such a thing before calling for an early break. She shows up with a complete lack of subtlety, but then acts as if she has no intent of dealing with us in good faith. She is up to something.”

“She’s playing us,” Nictis grumbled. A moment later he halted as the sudden silenced registered, and he looked up to see all three princesses staring at him. “I-I mean... well...” He shook his head and took a half step back before quietly repeating, “She‘s playing us.”

“I know it may be a bit much to expect,” Celestia gently said, “But I don’t suppose any of you might have any guesses what she may hope to accomplish?”

The changelings all shook their heads.

Luna turned to look to her sister. “She has displayed a remarkable lack of subtlety so far, as if she wishes us to know she is up to something. I received several messages from the Guard during court. Shortly after Chrysalis entered the city in her farce of a disguise, six pegasi were observed flying into the city over the eastern wall. They were identical to the disguises she and her guards had taken, save for their race. The Guard pursued them, only a few seconds behind, but it was enough time for them to have disappeared into the crowd, presumably under more convincing disguises.” She grimaced slightly. “It is almost as if she wishes for us to know she is plotting against us.”

“Maybe she does,” Sky said, which drew a look of consideration from Celestia.

“I think I may have more work for you than I had initially intended,” she said as they began to walk again. “I would greatly appreciate your help with any negotiations, of course, and I hope that she will listen to all of your tales of life here in Equestria. At the same time, if she has openly brought six changelings to infiltrate Canterlot, and possibly even more through more subtle methods, we need to discover what they are up to, to ensure we are not caught unaware.” She glanced back to Nictis. “While I won’t push you into anything, Nictis, your familiarity with the infiltration tactics of your hive might prove quite valuable in this effort.”

Nictis’s ears pinned back, anxiety rising at the very thought of working against the hive, and he worried at how quickly it passed, or how easy it was to justify: they were almost certainly going to be preying on innocents, and their actions would only serve to make things worse for both sides. “No, of course. I’ll help.”

“Thank you,” Celestia said, offering a surprisingly warm smile. A moment later she turned away from him. “Twilight, please gather the rest of your friends and bring them to the Solstice Hall. It should be the perfect place to carry on any negotiations, and in the meantime, we will need to discuss our own plans.”

“On it!” Twilight said before turning and galloping off, with Spike hurrying after her.

“Luna, could you continue on to the hall with the rest of our friends, to wait for Twilight? I think it’s time to introduce Sky and Nictis to Miss Tea.”

“Of course,” Luna replied, then turned to address the rest of their group. “Come along.”

With that, Celestia turned and resumed her walk with purpose, her long legs carrying her swiftly enough that Sky and Nictis had to trot to keep up, though only just. They followed along silently for a moment before Sky moved up beside her to talk. “So who is this Miss... Tea, as in the letter?”

Celestia chuckled softly. “As in the drink.”

“Right,” Sky said. “So who is she? I don’t remember meeting her.”

“No, you haven’t met, much to her regret, I am sure.” She considered her words a moment before answering, “She is something of a specialist.”

When Sky quirked an eyebrow at the answer, Celestia continued. “She is responsible for security against any espionage on Equestria and its citizens.”

Nictis looked to Celestia with a look of alarm, unseen behind her back, while Sky simply contemplated her answer for a moment. As he was doing so, they approached a pair of guards who stood flanking a set of double doors, and who quickly opened them when Celestia nodded. As they walked through and entered a room lined with desks and working ponies, he looked over to her again. “That makes it sound like we’re walking into a Con Mane novel or something.”

Celestia laughed softly. “Oh, no, though I’m sure Miss Tea would love that. No, we don’t really have any spies or secret agents, as such. Most of Miss Tea’s staff are simply researchers and analysts, focusing on counter-espionage, and passing any information on to the Guard, Luna, or myself.”

“So... no international espionage and assassination?” Sky asked.

“Oh, heavens no,” Celestia said, smiling as she shook her head. “There’s nothing so... Cloak and Dagger about it.”

The mare at the final desk in the row looked up as they approached. “Hey, now,” she said with a sly smile. “Cloak and Dagger were excellent spymasters, and even if they were a bit overzealous at times, they never got that bad.”

Celestia returned the smile. “You know that isn’t your title, Miss Tea. You have to actually have spies to be a spymaster.”

“Posh,” the mare said with a wave of her hoof. “Sometimes a bit of misdirection can do wonders.”

Nictis couldn’t help nodding slightly to himself.

With that, the mare hopped off her chair and trotted up to Sky. She was a fairly young earth pony, looking almost too ordinary to be a spymaster--or whatever her actual title was. She had a straw-yellow coat with a neatly-trimmed purple mane and tail. Her cutie mark did not at all suggest her profession, being a simple steaming cup of tea on a saucer. Sky only had a moment to take in her appearance before she had grasped one of his forehooves with both of her own and eagerly shook it. “Counselor Sky, I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally get to meet you!”

Sky blinked in surprise at the enthusiastic mare. “Oh, um, thank you, Miss Tea.”

“Oh, please, no need for last names. Call me Subtle.” She jerked her head toward Celestia. “I’ve been pestering the princess for months to get to meet you. Figures it’d take the impending fall of the kingdom to bring us together.”

He drew his head back, alarmed. “It’s not that bad, is it?”

“Nah, not with us on the job,” she replied with a shrug. Releasing his hoof, she turned to Nictis and took his hoof, though with less excessive enthusiasm. “And you must be Nictis. I hope we can get some time to chat. I have to admit, I’m something of a fan.”

Nictis drew his head back, just as Sky had done. “A fan?”

“Of course!” She said happily. “You managed to keep your identity safe and hidden despite being cut off from your home and trapped in supposedly enemy territory for almost a decade. A true changeling Infiltrator. I’d love to talk shop some time. And hey, if you or any of your changeling friends ever need a job, I’d be quite happy to help out. I can’t tell you just how helpful a couple skilled changelings could be around here!”

“See, this is why I didn’t introduce you sooner,” Celestia said, sounding quite amused at the situation. “You’re rather overzealous yourself.”

Subtle waved a hoof again, which Nictis was thankful to note left his hoof free once again. “There is nothing wrong with enjoying one’s job,” she replied. “And you clearly agree with me about needing a few changelings around here, or you wouldn’t have brought them along to help us with our little problem.”

“Fair enough,” Celestia said with an exaggerated sigh. “Though speaking of said problem...”

Subtle hopped up to sit on the edge of her desk. “We know at least six changelings infiltrated the population of Canterlot just one hour ago, and it’s quite possible that a larger number have used more subtle methods prior to that. I’ve got Holly and Straight Record heading up teams, reviewing local records and such, focusing on the past month. It’s possible that they might find inconsistencies that uncover a few changelings that have been in the city for a while, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. It won’t tell us what they’re up to, and it won’t help find any of the six we know are out there. What I really need is some more skilled individuals, agents perhaps, who can help out with more direct investigation...”

She finished by turning a broad and innocent smile to Celestia while tapping her forehooves together.

“I know you have quite a few capable ponies already in your employ,” Celestia said. “All the same, I’ve brought Sky and Nictis here in case they might be able to help.”

Subtle actually giggled and clopped her hooves together like a child who was just handed the keys to a candy shop. When she finally noticed Sky’s look of surprise--Nictis having long since adopted the survival tactic of looking neutral in the face of pony strangeness--she turned her grin to him. “What? I enjoy my job.”

“Sorry,” Sky replied, looking abashed. “It’s just that, er, you don’t really seem like what I’d expect of a Spymaster. Or, whatever your actual title is.”

Her grin grew a little more. “I would have thought a changeling would appreciate how looks can be deceiving.”

Nictis turned to give him a very flat look. “Seriously, you are the worst changeling ever.”

Sky huffed at the playful amusement he felt from Nictis and gave him a little shove, while Subtle chuckled some more.

Celestia spoke up. “I assure you, despite her relaxed and often-unorthodox behavior, Miss Tea is quite skilled at what she does. Cloak and Dagger both highly recommended her when they retired, and she has been running this office exceptionally for three years.”

Despite the intent of her statement, Nictis found a slightly different thought coming to the forefront. “Wait. Do you really mean to tell me somepony named their foal Dagger?”

Subtle threw up her hooves. “I know, right! That bugged me for years, but Cloak just stayed silent like he always did, and Dagger told me at least a dozen different versions--”

“Miss Tea,” Celestia patiently interrupted. “I believe we’re drifting off-topic.”

“Right,” Subtle said, sitting a bit straighter. “Well, the best I can do right now is get a better idea of how these changelings might operate. Nictis, do you have any Infiltrator’s insight that might help us?”

Nictis stood silently for several long seconds, face neutral despite the conflicting emotions running through him. It felt wrong to work against the hive, but this was an unusual circumstance. “Without knowing what they are trying to accomplish, I don’t think there’s much we could do. They’re not here for food, so there will be little need to socialize, and that means fewer interactions where they might stand out as unusual. Still... they must be hoping to accomplish something.” He shrugged nervously. “I’m afraid there isn’t much I could offer. The only suggestion I can think of is to look for anything unusual, which I’m sure isn’t much help.”

“But you might have a better idea what kind of unusual we should be looking for,” Subtle said, giving him a small nod and smile. “And I’m sure there are things you might recognize as unusual that ponies might not even be capable of noticing. Changelings can sense emotions, correct?”

“Um... more or less. Emotions directed at us, anyway.”

Subtle smiled. “And I suspect these changelings would have rather different feelings toward ponies than most ponies would?”

“Well, yes, of course,” Nictis said, his expression of neutrality cracking a bit as his ears folded back. “Though if they’re in any way skilled, they’ll know how to mask their emotions from other changelings. I wouldn’t be able to help with that.”

“Only if they know you’re a changeling,” Subtle replied, then gestured to him with a hoof. “Don’t you have some way of hiding that fact?”

Abandoning neutrality, Nictis frowned. “I suppose.”

“Don’t worry,” Subtle said, raising a hoof. “I’m not going to ask you to trick and take advantage of ponies or anything like that. I know how you feel about that sort of thing--”

“You do?” Nictis asked, eyebrow raised.

“Like I said, I’m a bit of a fan. I’ve read up on you. All I’d ask is that you help our investigation by pointing out anyone who is acting like a changeling Infiltrator, and to lend us some of your expertise and knowledge in understanding the situation.”

“I’m not sure how much that will help,” Nictis said. “I don’t understand it at all, myself.”

Subtle giggled softly, an almost childish sound. “Well at least we’re in good company! I don’t imagine we’ll have a good idea what they’re up to until we’ve found one of these changelings. At least then we’ll have some clues that might point in the right direction. I don’t imagine we’d have any luck getting any of them to talk?”

Nictis’s eyes widened at the thought of just how unlikely that would be, or how far such a changeling might go to keep his secrets. “No,” was all he said.

“I had a feeling,” Subtle said. “Anyway, we might not be able to determine what they are doing, but we can at least work out where we’re vulnerable. You know how Infiltrators work. Put yourself in their horseshoes. If you were one of them, and you wanted to act against Equestria, how would you do it? And how would we protect against it?”

“Infiltrate the castle,” Nictis replied immediately, and then frowned. “Which they’ve already done. Chrysalis is already inside with a dozen soldiers. They’re outnumbered, but they could still cause some real damage, something to weaken Equestria in some way. There may even be other changelings already within the castle, before security was increased. They’ll have a hard time moving about, but Infiltrators can be very tricky. They may even be able to slip in despite security. Sneaking in out of sight, or simply taking the form of someone the guards wouldn’t think to check.” He looked back to Celestia. “Are the guards scanning other guards when they arrive?”

“They should be,” Celestia said. “Luna gave them their orders, and I assume she instructed them to do so, given the circumstances. I will check to make sure. At the very least, she insisted that even we be scanned, so I doubt the other guards are exempt.”

“Okay, good.” Nictis stepped forward, crossing his forelegs on the edge of the desk beside Subtle. “They may try to act directly against you and the other princesses. At least that means they will likely be discovered if they do replace one of you. We should also be on the lookout for mental magic. From what I heard of the invasion, Chrysalis used magic to control some ponies. It’s possible she might use that to compromise our security.”

Celestia nodded. “We haven’t encountered those spells again, but hopefully the disenchantment spell the guards are using should work. They’re also keeping their eyes out for unusual behavior, in case it doesn’t.”

“You should probably make sure guards are in sufficient numbers that they can’t easily be taken by surprise,” Nictis said. “Prevention is generally better than reaction.”

Celestia nodded again.

Nictis stared grimly at the desk, deep in thought for several moments before speaking again. “If we’re very lucky, the six the guards saw flying in were just for insurance. Chrysalis seemed a little concerned that we might try something sneaky. They might just be a warning, a display to let us know she can strike back.” He frowned. “But if she was truly worried that you were going to attack her, I don’t know why she would have spent the entire time antagonizing you.”

“They’re a distraction,” Subtle said. “Maybe a threat, too, but definitely a distraction. We need to track them down to make sure they don’t cause any problems, but that’s also going to distract us from whatever else Chrysalis is planning.”

Nictis nodded slowly. “Probably. And they’re almost certainly going to try to cause problems. Even if they’re primarily intended as a distraction, they’ve got every reason to try to accomplish more than that. Flexibility is important. An Infiltrator needs to keep their options open. Having only a single path to success leaves you vulnerable. Having multiple lets you mislead your opponents. If they find one, it just distracts them from the rest.”

“Of course,” Subtle said with a nod. “Just like Dagger. Like I said, she must have told me at least a dozen different stories behind her name, and every one of them was contradictory. I called her on it once, and she just got this smile and insisted that every single one of them was true. It took me a little while to really get that one.”

Nictis blinked at that, giving her an appraising look, and she grinned back. “So anyway, we’ve got ‘infiltrate the castle.’ What other methods might they take?”

“Attack the Royal Guard. Not necessarily overtly, but something to weaken them. Anything from ambushing them in the streets to sabotaging their equipment.” He paused, idly tapping the desk with a hoof. “Or something more subtle, more indirect. Weaken the Guard by eroding public support. Make them look incompetent, perhaps, or untrustworthy.” His expression grew more grim. “Force them to increase security to deal with a perceived threat, to the point that it interferes with normal life. Make them a hindrance to normal ponies, while making them look incapable of actually protecting them. Get the ponies to turn against the Guard, eat away at the Guard’s morale and confidence. A divided population provides a vast array of opportunities for an Infiltrator, and enough pressure, applied subtly and in the right place, could break the whole thing. Turn ponies against each other.”

He glanced up at Subtle. “That’s how I would do it.”

She nodded contemplatively, and Nictis found some comfort in her professionalism; he could sense some unease directed toward himself even from Sky--followed by guilt for feeling that way toward Nictis--but she was calm, almost detached. “That is troublesome, yes. Lax security is a vulnerability, but increasing security could be a vulnerability as well. Princess?”

Celestia nodded as well. “I have always believed that protecting ponies required a light touch. While the Guard will be brought to full readiness, we will make sure that their presence does not become a burden.”

“That will help,” Nictis said, “but it can’t eliminate the threat, only reduce it. Infiltrators could still influence the population by spreading rumor and discontent among the population. Ponies seem easily influenced by the opinion of others. Get enough ponies--or apparent ponies--speaking poorly of the Royal Guard, and the sentiment will spread.”

“That might help us,” Subtle said, a smile returning. “It gives us something to go on, something to help build a profile for potential changeling Infiltrators. Granted, ‘speaks against the guard’ is rather broad, but it will narrow the investigation slightly.”

“No,” Celestia said firmly, giving a shake of her head. “We will not scrutinize ponies simply because they hold an opinion that we do not approve of. Not only should ponies be free to express their opinions without any threat of reprisal, it would play right into the scenario Nictis described. Besides, that sentiment has been growing over the past few months.” She glanced over to Sky. “I am afraid that the upcoming graduation ceremony for the newest Royal Guard recruits has already stirred up some discontent.”

Sky’s ears pinned back as he looked up, worry etched upon his face. “Chirrup?”

Celestia nodded with a sad smile. “Yes. It has been only a year since Chrysalis led her attack on this city. Many ponies have found it hard to trust changelings, and the idea of one serving in the Royal Guard worries them.”

“Bad timing,” Subtle mumbled.

“Only from our side,” Nictis said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the timing of Chrysalis’s visit was no coincidence.”

“Oh, I’d count on it,” Subtle replied.

“And it presents an uncomfortable challenge,” Celestia said. “We were already anticipating some form of dissent. There were many upset to hear that a changeling had been accepted as a recruit, and some may see this as the last chance to make their voices heard in an attempt to stop it. Nothing too serious has occurred yet, but it has been troubling. Golden Aegis expects that there will be a more sizable number of dissenters at the graduation ceremony, perhaps even a full-fledged protest.”

Subtle hummed softly. “So you’ll have to keep guards low-key at their own ceremony. I might be able to help there, if I can get a few of my ponies among the dissenters. At least then we can get an idea if some... someling? If someling is stirring them up.” She held up a hoof as Celestia turned back to her. “I know, we won’t be scrutinizing ponies because they’re speaking out, but the only way we’re going to find any of these changelings is by looking for unusual behavior. I promise you, we won’t approach anypony unless we have sufficient evidence.”

Celestia frowned at that, but after a few moments she nodded. “Be delicate with this, Miss Tea.”

She just gave a smug smile. “Subtle is literally my name, princess. I can do delicate.”

With a sigh, Nictis let his head droop to rest on his forelegs. “I told Chirrup this would be a mess.”

“Perhaps,” Celestia said as she stepped up to him, a smile growing again. “But I would rather have some short-term turmoil than to allow a longer injustice to exist. If we shy away from dramatic steps, such problems could linger for generations. Ponies are generally nervous of unusual things. The best way to overcome that is to make those things no longer unusual, and that means not singling out changelings for unusual treatment.”

“It’s still a mess,” Nictis grumbled.

Celestia allowed a sigh. “Yes. It is,” she said, “but it will all work out in the end. Just think of your time in Ponyville. Already, ponies and changelings live together in peace and harmony. Canterlot is home to some of the most stubborn and traditionalist of ponies, but acceptance is spreading swiftly, and the rest of Equestria is sure to follow.”

“And we have a place to start,” Subtle pointed out. “I can at least start some degree of investigation. If I can get the help of either of you two, we can get started even sooner. Oh, and maybe Cara. I understand he came along? I’d rather like to ask him some questions about the situation in the hive.”

Nictis could only imagine the awkwardness of trying to get Cara to talk to anyone who used the self-appointed title of Spymaster, no matter how gentle she looked. Judging from Sky’s expression, he likely had the same thought.

“Um, I could ask him,” Sky said. “Why?”

“Because Celestia’s been talking about wanting to open negotiations with the hive for months,” Subtle replied, “and she only shows up now. I’m thinking something at home finally motivated her to come and talk with us, and I’d like to know what.”

“As would I,” Celestia said. “In any case, our talks with Queen Chrysalis will have to come first, but it should hopefully not dominate Sky and Nictis’s time too excessively.” She turned to the pair of changelings. “Would you two be willing to offer your spare time to helping Miss Tea?”

“Of course,” Nictis said, while Sky just silently nodded. They exchanged a nervous glance, but said nothing else.

“Thank you,” Celestia said. “With that, we should be going. I asked my captain to come up with a short list of Guard members to be placed at your disposal, Miss Tea. I’ll see that they’re sent your way as soon as possible to help out.”

“Thank you. I can use every pony I can get my hooves on.” Subtle gave a nod to Sky and Nictis. “And I’d love if we could meet up some time! Maybe get together to chat over lunch?”

Eventually Subtle extracted agreements from them, and Celestia allowed them to escape. She led the way, with them trailing along, silent with their own thoughts. They had passed down three different halls and through a small courtyard before Nictis finally sighed. “Relax, Sky.”

“What?” Sky said. “I am relaxed. Why would you think I need to relax?”

“Because you’re being quiet,” Nictis said. “That, and you always seem to forget that other changelings can sense the same things you can.”

“Sorry,” Sky said, ears pinned back again.

Nictis just sighed deeper. “And you always seem to forget that if I were upset with you, you’d be able to tell. Seriously, you really are kind of bad at being a changeling some times.”

Sky scowled for a moment. “It’s just... all that talk about how to hurt Equestria, turning ponies against each other, all of that. I don’t like hearing ponies talk about stuff like that so calmly, as if they wouldn’t even care if it happened.”

“Liking has nothing to do with it,” Nictis replied. “We were taught all of this, and the best way to prevent any of those things from happening is to approach them in an intelligent, calm manner, not to avoid the subject just because we find it uncomfortable.”

“You were taught,” Sky snapped, “Not me.”

Nictis stopped, surprised at the flaring sense of anger he felt from Sky. “Sky, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Neither of us like what’s going on, but avoiding the problem won’t help, and neither will denial. Even if you weren’t an Infiltrator, you were still a changeling of the hive. Ponies were nothing but inferior creatures, good only for food. Regardless of what we think now, that’s what we thought then, and you’re going to have to deal with that.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“No,” Nictis agreed, keeping his tone gentle. “But Sky, you will have to deal with it.”

“Sure,” Sky growled as he resumed walking. Celestia had paused a short distance ahead to wait for them to catch up, and they continued on their way, as silent as before.

The Solstice Hall was a large chamber, almost as large as the throne room, but round. A circular table dominated the middle of the room, surrounded by sitting cushions, with two large chairs of familiar colors set side-by-side: one of white accented with gold, the other, slightly smaller, a deep midnight blue trimmed in silver. Tall windows lined one side of the room, letting the evening sun fill the room with its light, and great tapestries ran from the floor up to the high, vaulted ceiling.

At the moment, the table was neglected, the small collection of ponies and changelings sitting on cushions set along one of the walls. Already Sky and Nictis could tell something was wrong. They couldn’t quite hear what Luna was saying to Twilight, or why the nearby aide looked so concerned, but the sight of Twilight Sparkle sitting there with her face planted firmly in hoof was a clear sign of impending trouble.

Luna looked up as Celestia approached. “Ah, sister. I hope your meeting with Miss Tea has met with more success than we have.”

“That depends on how things have gone for you,” she said, looking to Twilight in concern. “I hope nothing too serious has happened?”

Twilight answered by grumbling into her hoof, then gesturing vaguely with the other in the direction of the aide, whose look of concern grew significantly as Celestia turned to him. “Ah, um, she--Queen Chrysalis, I mean--she told us that she is going to rest after her trip, and that any negotiations would have to wait. She even specifically said that she did not want to see either of your Highnesses, but--”

“No, no,” Twilight interrupted with a loud grumble. “Tell her the names.”

The aide’s awkwardness grew as he glanced toward Twilight, then turned back to Celestia. “She said she didn’t want to see… ‘Sun-butt or Loony.’”

Twilight sighed for what was clearly not the first time, and Celestia frowned. Luna, however, looked to be suppressing a smile. When Celestia looked to her with a raised eyebrow, Luna chuckled softly, shaking her head. “It’s just... it’s so childish and petty.”

Celestia considered that for a long moment before looking back to the aide. “Was there anything else?”

The aide shook his head. “She said that she wished to see Nictis, and demanded that we bring him to speak with her immediately.”

Nictis froze, eyes wide. “Me?”

“Yes,” the aide said with a hesitant nod. “She seemed very insistent about it.”

“But... just me? Alone?”

Celestia looked back to him. “You do not need to do so, if you do not wish, and if you’re worried about being alone with her, we can at least make sure any meeting is done under our own terms.”

“Um... yeah, okay.” Nictis swallowed, then nodded. “I’ll meet with her. Just... just give me a minute.”

“Take all the time you need,” Celestia said with a smile.

“So that’s all we have accomplished,” Luna said with a wry smile. “I hope you had more luck?”

“Miss Tea has a few preliminary ideas,” Celestia said. “Sky and Nictis have offered to help in their spare time. With any luck, she might be able to find some clues as to what Chrysalis is up to.”

“Nothing good,” Rainbow Dash grumbled from where she lay, sprawled out on one of the cushions. Several of the other ponies muttered their agreement.

“Quite likely,” Celestia said. “It may simply be that she’s trying to put pressure on us for any negotiations, but it’s concerning. I’m assigning a small contingent of guards to Miss Tea, just in case. Their authority may be able to help her investigation, and while I hope it won’t come to it, they will afford some protection.”

“A good idea,” Luna said with a nod. “I think I shall contribute one of my own personal guard to the cause. Perhaps Dusk Wing. He should be most suited to the task, and it would be good for at least one of her guardians to be acclimated to a more nocturnal schedule.”

As Celestia nodded, Twilight let her hoof drop to the floor and spoke out. “I still don’t like this,” she said, wings shifting in agitation. “She just barges in, insults you for a couple minutes, and then instead of even trying to talk, she shuts herself away in her room.” Twilight gestured wildly with her hooves. “She was even acting like she’s moving in, talking about replacing all the ‘tacky’ decorations and such.”

“Maybe she’s just trying to rile us up,” Sky offered uneasily.

“Well, it’s working!” Twilight replied sharply, not even noticing Spike as he placed a reassuring hand on her side. “She could at least pretend like she’s here to negotiate. But no, she just insults Celestia, refuses to talk, and now she wants to drag Nictis off alone. And why? If she were here to negotiate, you’d think she’d want to talk to Celestia instead, or maybe Sky. What is she up to?”

“I don’t know,” Sky said, drawing back just a tiny bit. “But, well, Nictis has been doing at least as much as I have. He’s a lot better at making new changelings feel comfortable, and helping them out with their new life. Maybe that caught her attention?”

“Maybe,” Twilight grumbled. “But it still seems odd that she’d be focused on him, of all changelings. And it still doesn’t answer what she’s up to. If she’s here to negotiate, why sneak a bunch of Infiltrators into the city? And why make sure that we know she’s doing it? It makes no sense!”

Celestia spoke softly, but there was a hard strength behind her words. “Whether she is here to negotiate or not, she clearly has some mischief planned. I intend to talk with her in good faith, but if she mistakes our desire for peace as weakness, she will discover just how wrong she is.”

Whatever reaction her words might have had was cut off by Nictis’s quiet voice.

“She was expecting me.”

He barely even noticed when everyone turned to look at him, as he continued to stare off into space. “She... she said she had expected to see me.” His eyes widened slightly. “Which means she knew I would be here.” His body grew rigid, jaw tightening. “Which means she knew why I would be here.” He shuddered in anger, barring his teeth, and slammed a hoof down against the floor. “She... she knew? She did it on purpose? It’s not good enough to wreck things unintentionally, now she’s doing it on purpose?”

He shook for a moment, biting back any further words, not even noticing the voices of the ponies around him, urging him to calm down. Instead he let out a loud snarl and kicked one of the cushions, sending it flying across the room. “That vicious little conniving monster! I’ll... I’ll...” He let out another snarl as he stormed toward the door. Again, the voices barely registered. It wasn’t until a pair of hooves wrapped around him and brought him to a halt that the others in the room again registered to him, and he found Sky holding him back.

“Calm down!” Sky cried, the feelings of sympathy and fear only barely noticed by Nictis. As he continued to try to pull himself away, Sky shouted out, “This isn’t about you!”

Nictis drew back as if Sky had just punched him right on the nose. A few seconds later he went slack, his ears folding back. Sky still held on as Nictis slumped to the ground, the restraining grip quickly turning to a comforting hug as Nictis shuddered. “I’m sorry,” Nictis said in a tiny voice. “I just... I just want one thing to go right. Just one. It’s not that selfish...”

“I know,” Sky said softly. “I know. And... maybe it did have something to do with why she showed up now, but I doubt her plan is just to... to cause problems for you.”

Nictis sighed deeply. “...Yeah, I know.” He shook his head slowly, and quietly grumbled. “She’s perfectly capable of messing up my life entirely by accident.”

“Well, we’re not going to let her do that,” Sky said, giving Nictis a squeeze, as several of the others voiced their support.

“Darn right we’re not,” Applejack said loudly from where she sat.

Rainbow Dash grinned at her. “And if she’s got a problem with it, we’re going to have some fun kicking her bug-butt out of Canterlot again!”

“I hope it won’t come to that,” Celestia said, “but we will certainly do our best to ensure she does not cause any problems for anyone, pony or changeling.”

“Maybe I could help with that,” Rarity said thoughtfully. “I do know some important ponies here in Canterlot, the kind that are sure to notice any odd influences in the city. If any of Chrysalis’s changelings try anything sneaky among the influential ponies of Canterlot, we might just be able to find them before they accomplish anything.”

“Perhaps I should introduce you to Miss Tea as well,” Celestia said. “She seems to have a talent for knowing whatever happens in Canterlot even before the ponies involved. I’m sure the two of you could help each other out quite nicely.”

“That does sound like it would help to uncover what Chrysalis is up to,” Luna said, a thoughtful look crossing her face. A moment later it was replaced with a grim smile. “I must admit, if she is here for nefarious reasons and must be dealt with, I can’t say I would entirely regret it. I was unable to assist in expelling her from Equestria on her last visit, and I should like the opportunity to redress that.” When Celestia cast her a glance, eyebrow raised, Luna’s smile grew softer. “If it should come to that.”

“Chrysalis...”

The gathering grew quiet as everyone, pony and changeling alike, looked to Skiris. He had stood and stepped forward, and now had to visibly restrain himself from stepping back at the sudden attention he found focused his way. He swallowed, bracing himself; there was no point in backing down now. “...Chrysalis has messed up life for a lot of changelings,” he said, voice slowly growing firmer as he spoke. “She nearly ruined the hive with her invasion. Now she’s come here and... and I think she’s only going to make things worse. I hope she’ll see that things are better this way, but if she doesn’t...”

He stopped to look over the other changelings. The nervousness he felt from them was fading, replaced with a growing sense of solidarity. “...Then she does not deserve to rule the hive.”

Despite the looks of worry and unease, despite the almost unthinkable expression of treason against the queen, every changeling present nodded in agreement. Nictis shrugged out of Sky’s embrace to stand, his expression growing tight again. “And I’m not going to let her ruin any more of my life, either.” He looked to the gathered princesses. “Tell her... tell her I have somepony much more important to talk to than her, and she’ll just have to wait her turn.”

“Maybe I could talk to her,” Sky added as he stepped up beside Nictis, “if it would help out with negotiations?”

“I think that sounds like an excellent idea,” Celestia said with a smile. “You have my best wishes, Nictis. Good luck.”

“Um... th-thank you,” he replied, sinking down to his haunches as the fire left him. “I think, um... I think I need a minute.”

Celestia nodded to him, then turned to the rest of the gathering. “As for the rest of us, I’m afraid there is little else we can do at the moment. You should all probably get some rest. Tomorrow is likely to be rather busy.”

Soon they were all heading out, discussing plans for the evening. Only Sky and Nictis remained, sitting together in the silence that followed.

“Do you think this is the right thing to do?” Nictis asked. When he felt only confusion from Sky, he clarified. “Going to Spark, instead of dealing with Chrysalis? It doesn’t seem responsible to be focusing on my own problems when--”

He was silenced by a hoof placed over his mouth. “Oh shut up, Nictis.” Sky smiled. “You aren’t responsible for everything. Go talk with Spark. You deserve it. I can take care of things while you’re gone.” His smile slipped, turning to a frown. “Even if it means going face-to-face with her.”

Nictis pushed the hoof away. “I know, but--”

“No buts!” Sky said, pushing at Nictis’s shoulder. “Weren’t you just telling me about not avoiding things? Now get going. I’m sure he misses you.”

Nictis sighed, finally leaning in to hug Sky. “Thanks.”

Sky chuckled, leaning his head in to nuzzle alongside Nictis’s. “Hey, that’s what friends are for.”

A few moments later they separated, giving a few parting words before going their own way. Nictis slowly worked his way through the various halls and courtyards, until he found his way to the main gate. He hesitated a moment when he reached the castle gate, casting a glance back to the castle, now shrouded in the amber glow of the late evening sun. Queen Chrysalis was in there somewhere, no doubt plotting something unpleasant. To her, he must seem a despicable traitor. Someling who abandoned the hive for his own interests, who betrayed the trust she had put in him as an Infiltrator-in-training, to pursue his own interests among ponies. She had every reason to hate him, and he did not imagine that she would be above doing horrible things to someone she hated.

But as he turned and walked out the gate to begin his journey to find Spark, he couldn’t help thinking that facing her would have been the less terrifying option.

Chapter 3: Reunion

Chapter 3: Reunion

Sky slowly paced back and forth, hoof-steps muffled by the rich carpet. “Okay,” he muttered. “I can do this. Nothing to it. It’s just going to be a talk, nothing to worry about.” He drew in a deep breath and slowly sighed it out. “Right.”

After a moment to straighten himself out, he walked forward, stepping around the corner he had lingered behind for the past few minutes. Just down the hall lay the door into Chrysalis’s chambers, with three of her soldiers standing before it. They were clad in armor, with the two on either side carrying spears. All stood at perfect attention, as did the four Royal Guard facing them a short distance away.

It was unnerving to step between the two unmoving groups, as if their tense standoff might explode at any moment. It was even more unsettling to be the one to throw the match into the tinder by breaking that uneasy silence.

He was particularly unprepared for the sudden wave of scorn and hatred that assailed his senses the moment he stepped in front of Chrysalis’s guards. He faltered for a moment before finding his voice again. “I’ve come to speak with Chrysalis.”

“The queen has not summoned you,” the center soldier said, breaking from his unmoving stance to glare back at him.

Sky’s ears twitched as they fought to lay flat in the face of the overwhelmingly hostile changeling. “I know that she asked to speak with Nictis, but he is unavailable right now. I’ve come to speak in his place.”

“The queen has summoned Nictis, not you. She does not wish to see anyling else.”

Sky blinked. “I… I know I’m not him, but he can’t make it right--”

“Then he has further failed his queen, and your presence makes no difference. If the queen wished to speak with you, she would have summoned you.”

“But since he can’t make it, surely she’d rather speak to somepony?”

The soldier bared his teeth in a venomous snarl. “It is not your place to question the queen’s orders, traitor. She does not wish to speak to anyone but Nictis. Leave.” With that, he resumed his previous stance, although with a distinct scowl to his expression.

Sky’s eyes widened in surprise at the hostility of the other changeling. Sure, he had expected some displeasure, particularly after listening to how much Nictis had worried about “turning away from the hive,” but he hadn’t expected it to be quite so aggressive, particularly not when the other changeling could sense his own lack of hostility.

“Can’t you at least ask her?” he asked, but his question was met only with a slight narrowing of the soldier’s eyes and a fresh surge of irritation. Sky stared back for several seconds as his own expression slowly changed to an irritated glare before snorting and turning away. His hooves struck the ground angrily with every step as he made his way down the hall and out of sight.

“Well that was a complete waste of time,” he grumbled to himself. “Those stuck up little… guh. Stupid Chrysalis.” He snorted and shook his head, pointedly ignoring the anxious looks a couple of the castle staff gave at the sight of an angry changeling muttering to himself.

“You know what? Forget it. I don’t need to deal with her. I’ve got other stuff I could be doing, too.” He turned off down a different hallway, wings buzzing in agitation. “...Now where did Rainbow Dash get off to?”

With every step, the nervous weight in Nictis’s gut grew a little heavier, and it had nothing to do with the occasional sidelong glance or feelings of unease that sparsely peppered the Canterlot crowd. Already, the vaguely remembered city was turning to a more recognizable neighborhood. Streets began to turn in familiar ways between buildings that increasingly stood out in his memory. The nervousness grew to a peak at the sight of a very familiar apartment building. It was all building to the inevitable confrontation, the meeting he desired so much, and yet dreaded the possibility of. The meeting that would decide his future--or at least, the part of it he cared about the most.

He had only visited the place once, several years ago, but when he stepped into the entryway, it seemed completely unchanged. He followed his memory as it lead him through the courtyard, up a set of stairs, and down along an open-air hallway.

Finally he found himself faced with a simple door. One final obstacle, facing him, challenging him. He stared at it, distantly recalling another door that had once stood before him. Once again, he found himself a lost and lonely changeling, facing an uncertain future hidden behind a simple door.

After an uneasy minute of staring and slowly building up his courage, he raised a hoof and knocked. A few moments later he heard the sound of hooves approaching, and then the door opened. Cotton looked to him, and immediately broke into a wide smile. “It’s you! I was worrying you might not be able to make it tonight.”

Before he could reply, she called out over his shoulder. “Hey guys, he’s here! Give me a minute.”

“Guys?” Nictis asked as she stepped out to join him, shutting the door.

“Good to see you’re as quick as I remembered you,” Cotton said, and stepped forward to wrap him in a tight hug. When she released him, her smile slipped a bit. “Before you go in, though, there’s something you should probably know.”

The weight in his stomach grew heavier, his heart beating hard with the twinge of adrenaline that the ominous statement produced. “What’s that?”

“Um…” She shuffled her hooves, drew in a deep breath, and then simply said, “Bigs is here.”

Nictis’s eyes widened a touch, ears perking up to full alert. So many different thoughts and fears spun through his head, but he reined in his reply to a flat “What?”

“Yeah,” Cotton said, giving an awkward smile. “And they’re, um… kinda friends, too.”

Nictis stared at her as if she had just sprouted a second head. “Seriously?”

“Yep.”

He blinked, mouth working silently for a few moments before finally producing words. “What? How? Why?”

Cotton shook her head. “You’d have to ask them. I’m a little fuzzy on it myself.”

“But… Bigs? Seriously?” Nictis sputtered for a few moments as a frenzy of objections rushed through his head. “But he’s a jerk! He was always tormenting Spark! How could they be friends?”

He was met with a flat look from Cotton. “You didn’t really think that out very well, did you?”

Nictis sank to his haunches, ears pinning back. “That’s different,” he said, followed by immediately placing a hoof over his face. “Okay, that sounded really pathetic…”

A bit of a smile returned to Cotton’s face. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen you like this, before.” When he moved his hoof to give her a curious look, she smiled more. “Flustered. You always seemed so perfectly in-control of the situation. Even when things were going wrong, you were always so precise and measured.” The smile faltered again. “And confident.”

“I had to be,” Nictis replied quietly, letting his hoof fall back to the ground. “That’s how I was taught. Social encounters were battles. Words were weapons. I had to carefully weigh every single word I use, to influence ponies exactly how I wanted. It was all about how to twist the truth to my benefit.”

“But, then why do…” She trailed off, a thoughtful look crossing her face before tilting her head and giving a skeptical look. “What, you’re worried that thinking about what you’re going to say is dishonest or something?”

“You mean measuring exactly what I say to get exactly the result I want?” he said. “Yeah. I’ve already caused enough damage that way.”

She stared at him for a moment while fighting back a smile, and finally gave in, sitting beside him to loop a foreleg over his shoulder. “You know, Niccy… you’re really dumb sometimes.”

His frown and half-hearted glare brought out a giggle from her. “Seriously. Being honest doesn’t mean blurting out the first thing that comes to mind without putting any thought into it.”

Nictis grumbled faintly.

“Really,” Cotton said. “Especially now. Spark’s going to see you for the first time in a year. You should really put some thought into what you say.”

“Sounds like you’re telling me to lie to him,” Nictis muttered, and Cotton gave a little squeeze.

“No, I’m not, and you better not lie to him. I know you two are going to have to talk about some painful things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t choose how and when to talk about them. Just… go gentle on him, okay?”

He looked up to her smiling face, and after a moment, managed a small nod in reply. “Yeah, of course.” He sighed. “And, um… thanks for the heads up about Bigs.”

She laughed as she stood, offering a hoof to help him up. “Hey, no problem. I’m sure there’d be some great sadistic humor in letting you stumble in on him without any warning, but I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I did that, now would I? Now come on, let’s get in there!”

She opened the door and walked in, and he followed, heart pounding. He held his head low, ears back, hoping that the display might make him seem less threatening. Spark may not have even seen a changeling face-to-face before, and he had more reason to feel threatened than most.

A small entryway gave one last moment of hesitation before he stepped into Cotton’s small living room. It was even more cluttered and lived-in than his last visit, but he hardly made note of any of that. He barely even noticed the white stallion who sat at one end of the couch, or the generally negative feelings coming from him. His attention was drawn entirely to the pony sitting half-curled-up on the other side of the couch.

Nictis froze at the sight of Spark, not moving a muscle while Cotton practically hopped over to one of the two chairs in the room. He was struck by the sudden surge of emotions coming from the young stallion. There was some excitement, sure, but there was also fear, sadness, and perhaps just a touch of anger. Even having expected such emotions did little to soften the pain of it. He looked decent enough at first, well-groomed and all, but it felt hollow. Nictis was quite familiar with disguises, after all, and he couldn’t help but note a few fine details slipping through. Spark’s mane had always been a bit messy, but not quite so much as it was right then, and the fiery-orange color seemed to have lost some of its vibrance. His charcoal coat seemed a bit frazzled and unkempt, without the sleekness Nictis remembered. He’d always been a bit on the skinny side, but even after a year’s separation, Nictis thought he looked leaner than he remembered. Worst, though, was the slackness in Spark’s body, even as he tensed up at the sight of the changeling entering the room. Nictis had seen Spark sad many times before, but it had only been the very worst times when he had looked so weakened and resigned: the very few times when he had completely given up. The look in his eyes completed the picture; the golden eyes looked back to Nictis, but even as they widened slightly at the sight of him, they seemed dulled.

Seeing Spark in such a state brought about a fresh stab of guilt.

Nictis only belatedly realized that he had been standing there, silently staring, for an uncomfortably long time. His voice came weakly when he spoke. “Hello.”

He saw Spark’s ears twitch faintly, and felt his awkwardness rise. Despite that, Spark replied, though only quietly. “Hi.”

After another moment’s hesitation, Nictis made his way over to the vacant chair and sat, tucking his legs in close beneath him, his muzzle turned down; anything to look less threatening. A long, awkward silence followed, which Nictis spent alternating between looking hopefully to Spark and looking down to the floor in an attempt to show the contrition the pony couldn’t otherwise sense from him, with the occasional uneasy glance toward the nearby but silent bulk of Big Shot.

Cotton, meanwhile, spent the whole time looking expectantly back and forth between Nictis and Spark.

As the uneasy feelings from Spark began to mount, Nictis knew it was up to him to break the ice. He kept his voice soft and quiet, knowing that his voice must sound completely alien to what Spark would remember of him. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Y-yeah,” Spark replied automatically, his eyes slowly roaming over Nictis’s form. His ears folded back as he realized what he’d said, and he awkwardly added, “I mean… not again, I guess. Because… um, you know…”

Nictis nodded slightly, ears drooping in apology. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

There was another pause as Spark looked back, full of unease. He finally drew in a slow breath, visibly steeling himself before finally forcing the words out, his voice sounding thin and tiny. “You’ve said that a lot in your letters, but… you never said why. Why did you… back at the orphanage...?”

Nictis winced. The question was inevitable, he knew, but that made it no more pleasant to face. He’d at least hoped there might be some more pleasant conversation before turning to such serious matters, but that seemed foolishly optimistic in hindsight. It took a moment before he managed to reply. “I was scared,” he said. “I was lost and alone. I didn’t know if I’d ever see another changeling, or if I’d be stranded here forever. I had to survive, and that meant I needed food. You were the most friendly to me, enough that I didn’t have to worry about starving, but then I learned that you might be going away, and… and I was scared.

“At the hive, it was always said that other species were something inferior, good for nothing but food. It’s not really something that anyling questions, it’s just assumed that it’s how things are. I’d been taught for years how to take the love of other species to feed the hive. It was just… how things were.” His head drooped further, chin coming to rest atop his hooves. “So when I was worried that I might lose my source of food, I did what I could to keep it. It wasn’t until years later that I started to think differently, but by then… well, I couldn’t go back and undo the past.”

Even though he must have expected it to some degree, his words still brought a fresh wave of pain and sadness from Spark. “So I was just food?”

“At first,” Nictis dully replied. “But that changed. Eventually.”

Spark hesitated, eying him carefully. Nictis could sense a touch of hope from him, but as Spark glanced over to Bigs, it abruptly faded. “And what about him?” Spark asked as he looked back to Nictis. “All those things Bigs says you did. He was really telling the truth, wasn’t he?”

If Nictis had been able to curl up any smaller, he would have. “I… I don’t know what all he’s said I’ve done,” he replied, “but yes, probably.”

“So you just… you really threatened to kill him?” Spark asked, his voice growing more strained. “How could you do that? Why?”

Nictis’s head rose at the question, his response coming immediately. “Because he hurt you.”

A flash of anger came from Bigs, the stallion tensing, but it was Spark who spoke, and spoke loudly. “You ruined my chances of adoption for years, but you were going to kill him because he was a jerk?”

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” Nictis said, his head drawing back almost reflexively at the anger he sensed. “Yes, I only thought of ponies as food back then, but changelings only feed on positive emotions. I did what I thought I had to do to keep you around, and… and it was wrong, I know that now. But I still wanted you as happy as possible, even if it was for selfish reasons back then.” He turned his eyes to Bigs, unable to restrain himself from leveling a glare at the stallion. “But he just wanted to hurt you so he could feel better about himself. I wish I could say I did it for selfless reasons, but back then, all I cared about was that he was messing with my food, so I made sure to stop him.”

It was then that Bigs finally decided to speak. “And the other time?”

Nictis’s glare vanished, his ears drooping once again. “That was… that was wrong.” He shifted uneasily, fighting the urge to buzz his wings in anxiety. “I even knew it at the time. When I had a chance to calm down, I almost came back to apologize.”

Bigs frowned. “Sure.”

Nictis scowled, despite himself. “It wasn’t for you,” he said sharply. “It was for Spark. He wouldn’t have liked me doing that.” Realizing how that might sound, he hesitated, reluctantly trying to come up with a better way of phrasing it that didn’t feel dishonestly manipulative. “What I mean is, I didn’t like the idea of having done something he would disapprove of, even something I thought he’d never know of. I’d already done far too much of that.”

“Yeah, you cared so much that you constantly lied to him to get what you wanted.” Bigs snorted. “You’re only telling him any of this now because you got found out.”

Nictis tensed up, jaw tightening despite his attempts to remain calm. “I didn’t like lying to him,” he shot back. “But I couldn’t tell him any of that, because that would mean telling him what I was. I couldn’t just risk the entire hive for… for myself.”

“Convenient,” Bigs said.

Nictis was just opening his mouth to make an angry reply to that, but Spark spoke first. “Bigs,” was all he said, his voice quiet and pained, but that was all it took to silence the larger stallion.

As another awkward silence threatened to develop, Nictis spoke again, his voice surprisingly weak even in his own ears. “I miss you.”

Spark shrank back a little, and Nictis could sense another glimmer of hope behind the fear and sadness. “You’re the first pony I ever cared about,” he continued. “I still care about you, more than anyone else, pony or changeling. Even myself.”

Spark opened his mouth, wavered for a few moments, and shut it again, and Nictis slowly sank in place until his chin once again rested on his hooves. “I really do,” he said, even quieter. “I’d give anything just to see you happy again.”

“Anything, huh?” Bigs said, earning him an uneasy glance from both Nictis and Spark, but he said nothing more.

Nictis turned his eyes down to the floor. “For… for changelings, we’re raised with the idea that the hive is everything. We’re all part of the greater whole. Our entire worth is what we contribute to the hive. I was being trained to be an Infiltrator, so I could help feed the hive. It’s probably the most important role a changeling drone can have. It was the greatest thing I could ever imagine happening to me.

“And then I got stranded here.” His wings flickered at the memory. “My mentor was dead. I had no idea how to get home, or find any other changelings. I was separated from the hive, useless. For years, my entire goal in life was to grow stronger, so I could one day make my way home, to finally… to have a purpose in life again.”

He looked up again to meet Spark’s eyes. “That expedition I was planning? That’s how I was going to get home.”

Confusion crossed Spark’s face, the unease and sadness muted as his mind focused on a new puzzle. “But… you called it off.”

“I did, because you wanted to go with me,” he said, casting his eyes down again. “When I said that I knew nopony would be coming back from the trip, well… it was true, but it wasn’t really honest. Nopony would be coming back because the hive couldn’t risk allowing even the slightest bit of evidence to suggest its existence. I needed ponies to come with me so I wouldn’t starve while I searched for the hive, like I almost had before. I didn’t even think anything of it at the time. They were ‘just ponies.’

“But that changed when you asked to go with me. You weren’t ‘just a pony.’ I liked you. You were smart, you could be really witty when you tried, and you weren’t weird like some ponies could be. You were a pony I could respect. I actually… I liked it when you were happy. It made me feel happy, too.

“I could have taken you with me,” he said, though he shuddered slightly as he did. “But then you’d be… imprisoned. Or I could refuse. I knew how sad it would make you, but I thought it’d be worth it to make sure you stayed free. But then… then I had to see how sad it made you. It was horrible, and it was even worse because it was all my fault. So I called it off. It was the hardest thing I ever did, but... I was willing to never see the hive again if it made you happy.”

He sank a little lower in the chair, quietly adding, “Then I went and screwed it all up, anyway.”

Spark looked almost as miserable as Nictis did, his eyes watering as he quietly spoke. “So… all those months where you were moping about, that’s what it was really about?”

Nictis nodded. “And I couldn’t even tell you why, because that would mean telling you what I was.”

A tear started to make its way down Spark’s cheek. When he finally spoke, his voice was raw and weak. “I miss Meadow.”

Nictis found it hard to speak past the tightness in his throat. “So do I.”

For a moment they sat silently. Spark was trembling faintly as more tears formed, the flood of emotions flowing from him growing even more jumbled and confused. He shakily wiped a hoof across his cheek, and a second later he pushed himself from the couch, stumbled forward, and practically collapsed into Nictis, wrapping his forelegs around him in a desperate hug. Nictis clutched to Spark, burying his muzzle against the softness of Spark’s neck, a once-familiar sensation turned alien as his hard chitin met Spark’s soft coat. They held each other tight as Spark quietly sobbed.

Nictis wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that. At some point, Cotton and Bigs had slipped off to the kitchen to give them what little privacy could be had in the small apartment; considering that the kitchen was divided from the living room only by a bit of countertop, it was more symbolic than effective. The only sign of time passing was the gradual quieting of Spark’s sobbing, his body slowly relaxing in Nictis’s grip.

He was jarred from the quiet embrace by a surge of fear and concern as Spark drew back, a hoof planted against Nictis’s chest. He babbled a few incoherent words, something that vaguely sounded like an apology, and then quickly pulled himself away to run past the kitchen, and the pair of rather surprised ponies inside it. He disappeared down the hallway, followed shortly by the sound of the bedroom door shutting.

Spark was gone again.

Nictis had risen to his hooves to follow, calling out Spark’s name, but staggered to a stop a few steps later; chasing after Spark when he was already full of fear couldn’t possibly go well. Cotton and Bigs looked on in surprise, and then simultaneously moved to follow Spark. “I’m going to go check on him,” Cotton said quickly; being the closer of the two, she hurried back after him, while Bigs came to a halt.

Then he turned on Nictis. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Nictis exclaimed, reflexively taking a step back from the sudden source of anger.

“Then what happened?”

“I don’t know!” The realization of who he was talking with--not to mention the absurd nature of the conversation that seemed in complete opposition to the natural order of things--started to poke at his temper, but he did his best to hold it in check. “Everything was fine, then he got this big surge of anxiety, panicked, and ran off. I don’t know why.”

Bigs frowned. “Just like that, huh?”

“Yeah, just like that,” Nictis shot back, a bit more sharply than intended. He sat, looking back to the hallway Spark had disappeared down--and just as importantly, away from Bigs. It did nothing to block out the scorn and suspicion the pony felt for him, but at least he didn’t have to look at his face.

The uncomfortable but relatively peaceful silence managed to last a whole minute before Bigs ruined it by speaking again. “Look,” he said, “I know Spark is holding out hope, but I still don’t entirely trust you. This better not be some sort of trick.”

“Seriously?” Nictis snapped, turning a glare on Bigs. “You spent years intentionally trying to make his life miserable, and now you’re turning around and trying to play as his protector? Why are you even here?”

Bigs bristled. “Well maybe something gave us some common ground.”

Nictis snorted. “Oh yeah, because you always seemed like such a paragon of empathy. I don’t know why you’re here, Bigs, but I don’t trust you, either.”

“I’m here because he’s my friend,” Bigs shot back, “even if you can’t wrap your self-centered little brain around that. He was scared of meeting you on his own. That’s why I’m here, you--”

He was interrupted by a pink hoof punching him solidly in the shoulder, which brought Nictis a bare instant of satisfaction before the gesture was repeated on his own shoulder, hard enough to sting despite his carapace.

“Seriously, guys?” Cotton hissed. “Spark’s in there pretty much having a panic attack, and you two dorks think now is the right time to start yelling at each other?”

Both Bigs and Nictis looked back at her in shock, which was quickly being replaced with looks of guilt. At least Nictis could tell she wasn’t angry with him. Upset, yes, but not really angry, despite what his shoulder might say on the matter.

Bigs glanced back at Nictis. “I was just making sure--”

Whatever else he was going to say was silenced when a cookie, one of the many snacks littered around the kitchen, was suddenly propelled into his mouth. When Nictis unwisely opened his mouth, another cookie was abruptly crammed into it at an unpleasantly high velocity, leaving him staggering back and coughing while trying not to spray bits of cookie--oatmeal raisin, it turned out--around the room.

Cotton glared at them both, a third cookie floating up in the purple glow of her magic. Despite the threatening look, she kept her voice quiet. “I swear to Celestia, the next one of you that starts fighting, I’m going to throw you out to the street, and you won’t be going by the stairs. Got it?”

They both nodded, though Nictis had a bit of difficulty controlling his coughing. He was pretty sure he’d just lodged a chunk of oatmeal in his sinus.

“Good,” Cotton said, lowering the cookie. “Now, it’s late, Spark’s pretty overwhelmed, and he needs some time to calm down and think, so we’re done for the night. We can pick this up in the morning. Bigs, he wanted to talk to you, so…” She grabbed his foreleg and lifted it to place the cookie in his hoof, then grabbed him by the shoulder and haunches, spun him around, and shoved him toward the hallway. He staggered on three legs, gave a rather confused glare back at her, and finally continued on down the hall.

Cotton continued to watch the corner for a few seconds after he left, before finally getting a satisfied grin. “Huh. I didn’t think I’d actually be able to get away with doing that.”

With Bigs out of sight, the surge of anger that had gripped Nictis vanished, and his ears drooped apologetically. Swallowing what was left of the cookie, he started to say, “Sorry about--”

Her grin vanished as she turned on him. “And you, really? You should know better than anypony what this is doing to Spark, and you still get in a shouting match out here?”

For a moment, Nictis wanted to say he wasn’t he wasn’t shouting, but he immediately thought better of it. Semantics seemed rather unimportant at the moment. Instead, he awkwardly repeated, “Sorry.”

He was surprised when, rather than delivering more chastisement, she stepped up to give him a hug. It was unexpected enough that he simply stood there, frozen. “I know this must be pretty hard on you, too,” she said, and as the words registered, he finally relaxed.

“Yeah,” he said quietly, raising a leg to give her a gentle squeeze in return. “I just… I don’t know. Is Spark okay?”

“He’ll be fine,” she said as she released him. “He just needs some time off to get some sleep and recover. Heck, you know him, some time to think will do him some good.”

“Eh,” Nictis sighed, rather less optimistically, and then frowned. “I’d kind of hoped our reunion would have been a bit… well, more. I barely got to see him.”

“Honestly, I’m kind of surprised he lasted this long. It’s kind of late, and he’s been wound tight all day long.”

Nictis slumped slightly. “Was he that afraid of meeting with me?”

“I was going to say ‘anxious,’” she replied. “He kept swinging back and forth between excited and worried. He seemed most worried when I told him you couldn’t come right away. Even if he was anxious about it, he’s been looking forward to this for a while.”

“And then I come, and I barely get to see him before I have to go,” Nictis grumbled.

“You don’t have to go,” Cotton said with a smile. “I know it’s not the biggest place, but as long as you and Bigs promise not to strangle each other in the middle of the night, you’re welcome to stay here.”

Nictis hesitated a moment before replying. “I’m not sure if Spark would be entirely comfortable with that,” he said, sadly. “Besides, I need to get back to the castle. Apparently I have a bunch of responsibilities all of a sudden.”

She smiled sadly. “Well, can I walk you back, then? It’s been a while, would be nice to do some catching up.”

Nictis managed a weak smile before nodding. “Sure.”

He stepped outside while Cotton went back to write out a quick note explaining their absence. He folded his forelegs across the railing of the open hallway, overlooking the softly lit courtyard below. The sun had fully set now, while a cool breeze softly wafted between the buildings. It was calm and peaceful for the moment, with the only movement to be seen being a pair of pegasus guards banking into a gentle turn far above. Even as night descended, the guard was still out in force, because of…

He sighed, head sinking to the railing. He stared glumly down into the courtyard, lost in thought until he was brought back by the sound of the door clicking shut. A moment later Cotton stepped up beside him, her feelings of concern clear in his senses.

“You know, I might not be all that familiar with changelings just yet,” she said, “but you look really sad.”

Nictis stepped back from the railing, consciously trying to stand a little more firmly, ears raised attentively, but it was a half-hearted attempt. He looked to Cotton’s sad smile and deflated slightly, knowing he wasn’t fooling anyone. “...It’s just been a really long day.”

Cotton nodded as she leaned in, her shoulder pressing supportingly to his. “Looks like Spark isn’t the only one who could use some rest,” she said, then tilted her head in the direction of the stairs. “Come on. Let’s get you back to the castle, and you can tell me all about it on the way.”

With another little nudge, Nictis finally got on his way, with Cotton pacing alongside him. Even with his depressed mood, there was something comforting about having Cotton there, and he soon found himself speaking without quite meaning to. “I just… I wanted things to work out so badly,” he said as he drug his hooves along. “I hoped so much that maybe everything would be just fine, that maybe we could go back to how things are. I couldn’t help it. I wanted it so much, but I was just being naive.”

“Hey, don’t say that,” Cotton said, bumping her shoulder against his. “Yeah, it won’t go so perfectly smoothly, and it might take a bit of time, but it’ll all work out in the end.”

“I’m… not quite so confident,” Nictis murmured. More clearly, he said, “But I couldn’t help hoping for it. Especially after I saw things go so well for other changelings.”

“Oh?” Cotton curiously prompted.

“Yeah, it’s…” He frowned. “It’s kind of a long story.”

“Well, it’s kind of a long walk,” Cotton said with a growing smile. “And besides, I love stories!”

Nictis sighed again, though the corners of his mouth twitched upward for a moment. He hesitated a moment as they stepped out onto the street, slowly looking around. Even with the sun set, the city was still alive, if subdued. The ponies had thinned out greatly, but a fair number still wandered the streets. The city itself was gently lit, just enough for ponies to go about comfortably without chasing the night away with glaring light. To Nictis, it was soft and comforting.

They turned to walk down the street, and Nictis finally spoke again. “Okay, you know who Sky is, right?”

“Of course,” Cotton replied with a nod.

“Okay,” Nictis said, keeping his voice as even as he could despite the emotions lingering in the background of his mind. “So Sky has this fancy official position that basically doesn’t mean anything most of the time, but there are times it does. One of those times is when somepony is suspected of being a changeling. If evidence turns up that seems to conclude that somepony is actually a changeling, it goes through him. Officially it’s so that he can double check the information before it goes to the Guard, but really… well, it’s so he can go talk to them first.

“He usually brings me along. Sky can be… excessively optimistic, but even he knows that having some support can help. Fortunately, it’s never come to violence, even the two times we turned up loyal Infiltrators. Most of the time I just end up standing there, feeling awkward, and dreading what we might be doing to someling who might just want a nice, quiet life.

“We’re discreet. Neither of us want to ruin anyling’s life, but we do understand why such suspicions have to be investigated. The Infiltrators we’ve turned up have shown that, and Celestia has good intentions in prompting the few friendly changelings that have remained in hiding to be more open. Sky and I don’t quite agree on the subject, but we still understand it. So we do a little investigating, to find the best time to approach them. That way, nopony finds out their secret.

“The idea was that, if they have to be revealed, they can at least reveal themselves on their own terms. Most of the times it works fine, but…” He shook his head. “There was this one time. We’d found a changeling, Turquoise, living with a mare. They were a couple. We waited until she left for work, then went to talk to him. The moment he opened the door, he knew. They always do. Why else would Celestia’s changeling advisor show up at their door? Some panic, still worried that Equestria is going to punish them. Some insist that they’re not changelings. But him, he just got this defeated look, like he knew it was all hopeless.”

Nictis glanced over to Cotton, who gave a soft, encouraging smile. “Anyway,” he continued, “he let us in, and we started talking, but we didn’t get far. We’d only just started when the door opened and his marefriend walked in. She’d secretly taken the day off to surprise him with a gift, and instead walks in on him having an awkward conversation with a couple changelings.”

“I just locked up,” he admitted. “Sky surprised me, though. He immediately explained that we were investigating some suspected changelings, then asked her if she’d seen any unusual behavior at her work. I was kind of impressed with him, actually. It was quick thinking, and a good way of diverting suspicion.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know if it would have worked, though. Turquoise stopped him, and just… told her everything. All I could do is watch as he went on, with her looking completely lost by it all. The only thing she said, at first, was to ask what he really looked like, and he showed her. I was so sure it was all going to fall apart, that I’d just helped ruin someling else’s relationship, and then she steps up and hugs him. She was okay with it. Heck, I think she was happy about it, about how he’d chosen her above anything else in the world.”

Nictis’s head drooped, eyes turning down to the street slowly passing beneath his hooves. “I don’t know, maybe I just hoped this would go as well as it did for him. I know better, but still…”

“Hey, don’t be so gloomy about it,” Cotton said, leaning in to bump her shoulder against his. “Yeah, it’s not going to just magically get better, but it’ll work out. I know you could tell how happy he was to have you back.”

“Oh, yes,” he grumbled. “So happy he ran off and locked himself in a different room. Do you have any idea what fear and sadness taste like?”

She frowned a little at that. “I know I might not be able to sense emotions the same way you can, but that doesn’t mean ponies are completely blind. Are you really going to tell me there wasn’t any happiness in him when he hugged you?”

“Ehh,” he replied in a grumble, thinking of the panic and fear that had followed. As they continued to walk down the sparsely populated street, his thoughts turned back to another changeling. “I should have been more happy for him. Turquoise. He’d had his secrets revealed and his marefriend loved him more than ever. Instead, I was jealous. I’d had everything fall apart in my life, I should have been more sympathetic, but instead I was upset that it went so much better for him than it did for me.” He scuffed a hoof against the street in a half-hearted kick. “Maybe I just don’t deserve Spark.”

His attention was drawn back as Cotton groaned, and he looked over to see her fixing him with a glare. “No,” she said, firmly. “Stop that. Am I going to have to get a newspaper to roll up and thwack you on the snout every time you start getting mopey? Because I’ll totally do it.”

He frowned back at her. “I’m being serious.”

“So am I,” she retorted, though a grin was beginning to show through her glare. “Spark didn’t fall for you because of your secret dark brooding skills, as impressive as they may be. He fell for you because you were smart, confident, caring, and completely in love with him, whether you knew it or not.” She paused a moment, her grin growing as she got a thoughtful look. “Well, that and Meadow was drop-dead gorgeous, but I guess you’ve got the ‘exotic’ thing going for you now.”

Nictis snorted. “That wasn’t me,” he said, looking away. “Meadow was an act. What do you really know about me? What does he? Neither of--”

Cotton cut him off, her voice surprisingly sharp. “Oh, I know plenty about you, Niccy.” He looked back to see her fixing him with a surprisingly hard glare, her grin turned smug. “After the invasion fiasco, my whole unit got called back to Canterlot to help out with repairs. Half our logistics were taken care of just by being here, so it was easy enough to get some time off. After all, I had a friend that had just disappeared.” She raised her hoof again and prodded him firmly in the shoulder. “So I went and did some digging. A lot of digging. I found out all about you.”

Nictis leaned away, giving her a wary look. “You mean you found out about Meadow.”

“No, I mean you,” she said, stepping in front of him. He staggered to a stop, then drew back a bit as she prodded him again, this time in the chest. “You just disappeared, leaving all of us worrying and wondering what happened to you. I didn’t know what to think, so I went looking, and I was thorough. I spent a few days backtracking through your life, all the places you’d lived. I talked to ponies who had met you. Over the next month, I talked with even more through the mail. Oh, they told me such interesting stories.” She leaned in closer, eyes narrowing. “You want to hear some of them?”

Despite the lack of any hostility in her feelings, Nictis hesitantly took a step back. The faint satisfaction he could sense from her was concerning enough. When he didn’t immediately answer, Cotton continued on. “How about we start with Merry Skies. Do you remember her?”

The name tickled something in the back of Nictis’s memory, but he couldn’t quite put a face to it. He hesitantly shook his head.

“Ah, just another forgotten name in your secret little rampage through Equestria,” she said smugly. “She remembers you.” She punctuated the statement with another chest-prod. “Oh, does she remember you. She remembers your devious little scheme to spend a whole week of your spare time rebuilding her home so she and her children would have a home to live in when theirs was lost.”

As he finally made the connection, he scowled at Cotton. “Oh, come on, I’m trying to be serious.”

“So am I!” she retorted, though her glare had lost its intensity. “I went through your past, and everywhere I turned, there was another pony with a happy story about how you spent so much time and effort to help them. How you’d be there every day, working harder than anypony else, even spending some of your own bits to make sure things turned out right. Charity just about broke down crying, going on about how you’d been like a gift from Celestia, and how hard things were going to be without you.”

Nictis winced at that, then turned away. “And did they tell you how I was manipulating it all just to make Bigs look bad?”

“Yep,” Cotton replied, her smug grin growing a bit more when he blinked in surprise. “Yeah, I talked with him, too. He told me all about the funding requests you made, and how he figured out that you wrote them up to intentionally be rejected, just so he’d look like some evil bureaucrat while you swept in to save the day.” Her glare returned. “And you know, that was kind of a little despicable, Niccy.” Then she shrugged, the glare vanishing as quick as it came. “But I figure you made up for that with the next four years, and it’s not as if you didn’t help them, anyway.”

“Of course I helped them,” he grumbled. “I needed food. It wasn’t some selfless generosity, I helped them because I got something out of it.”

“Well, yeah, so?” She shrugged again. “It’s not like ponies are any different.”

He frowned. “Last I checked, ponies don’t eat other ponies’ happy feelings.”

Cotton snorted out a short laugh. “Oh, sure, but that’s not what I mean! I mean, helping out others because it helps yourself isn’t something dark and selfish. You and I basically do the same thing, you know.”

Nictis cocked his head to the side, an eyebrow raised in a questioning look. “How in the world do you figure that?”

“Easy!” she replied. “You helped out ponies because it made them happy, because you wanted to see them happy, because that gave you food, because that made you happy. I help out ponies because it makes them happy, because I wanted to see them happy, because that makes me happy.” She stood back, smiling smugly. “See? My logic is perfect, you can’t question it.”

“That… no.” Nictis shook his head. “You can’t just leave out the ‘feeding on them’ part. That’s kind of a big deal.”

Again, she prodded him in the chest. “I said you can’t question it,” Cotton said with mock severity, before lightening up again. “Besides, I get paid for my job. How do you think I get food?”

Nictis started to open his mouth to reply, but nothing came out, drawing a giggle from Cotton.

“So yeah, I get food out of ponies every bit as much as you do,” she said with a shrug. “Anyway, it all comes down to what makes us happy. Even the most selfless pony does what they do because they think it’s the right thing to do, and doing the right thing makes them happy. Getting a free, harmless meal out of it doesn’t change that.”

Nictis’s eyes widened, and he swept a leg back in the vague direction of her apartment. “You call that harmless?”

“I’d say you did a lot more good than harm,” she replied. “Yeah, you’ve done a few stupid things, but you’re not as bad as you seem determined to paint yourself. You can argue and say we can’t be sure about who you really are, but you’re wrong. You know why?”

He scowled, biting back a sarcastic retort.

“Because you could have come here and done anything. You could have tried to worm your way into political power, or taken over a business. You could have used all sorts of changeling tricks to ruin any competition. Hay, you were a knock-out, you could have easily been a top-notch model or actress. You could have been rich and famous, admired by thousands.” She smiled. “Instead, you decided to help ponies.”

His scowl died as he looked away again. “Or I’m just utterly incompetent at being an Infiltrator.”

She raised a hoof and rapped it sharply atop Nictis’s nose, drawing a surprised yelp as he stepped back, covering his snout with his own hoof. “Hey!”

“I don’t have any newspaper,” Cotton said with a shrug. “And you know, if that’s not good enough, how about this?” She leaned in close, a sly smile spreading across her face. “You could have had anypony you wanted. You could have sidled up to some noble to gain political influence. You could have seduced some celebrity and lived a life of fame and luxury. Ponies who didn’t know you saw a gorgeous and graceful mare, one who’d turn heads just by walking into a room. Those who did know you knew that you were kind and compassionate, every bit as pretty on the inside as you were on the outside. You could have had any of them.”

She moved in even closer, her nose bumping into his. “Heck, I’m really not the ‘couples’ type, but I’d have made a move on you myself if you and Spark weren’t a couple.”

Nictis’s ears pinned back as he drew away, eyes widening at both the admission and the subtle, but very present, feeling of affection he felt from her. That feeling was followed by a rush of amusement as she glanced around, then stepped up beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and conspiratorially stage-whispered, “Just between the two of us, I think you made the right decision.”

“Um…”

“Anyway,” Cotton said, continuing on as if nothing had been said, “you didn’t do any of that. Instead, you go for an orphaned young stallion whose only significance was a rather sharp mind. If you just wanted food, you could get that and more from so many other ponies. You chose Spark because you like him. That’s how I know who you really are, Niccy.”

With that, she flashed him a smug grin, turned, and resumed the walk toward the castle. He hesitated for a few moments before following after her. “Okay, fine,” he grumbled. “I don’t entirely agree with you, but I guess you’ve got some good reasons.”

“Hah!” She said smugly. “Of course I do. Though I can’t really claim the credit. Spark’s the one who said all that.”

Nictis nearly tripped over his own hooves, ears perked straight up. “He did?”

“Told you he’s sharp,” she said smugly, gaining a bit of a happy bounce in her step. “Yes, he’s afraid, and he’s spent a lot of time worrying, but that also means he’s spent a lot of time thinking about it. He’s smart enough to see what was really going on.”

“I hope you’re right,” Nictis murmured.

They continued on in silence, once again side-by-side. There were no crowds to weave through, or any other distractions to disturb them. It was almost a minute before Cotton spoke again. “So why do you do all this, anyway?”

Nictis looked over to her curiously. “Do what?”

“Earlier, you were trying to convince Spark that you’re a good pony--uh, changeling,” she quickly corrected. “Now with me, who does think you’re good, you’re trying to convince me that you’re not.”

“I’m not--”

She cut him off with a wave of her hoof. “Okay, that you might not be. Whatever. You still didn’t answer the question.”

Nictis hesitated, frowning, and finally grumbled, “I don’t know.”

Cotton gave a sad smile. “Is it just because you feel guilty?”

He looked away, ears drooping again. “Maybe.”

“Well stop it,” she said with a soft chuckle. “Seriously, you’re not going to convince anypony who knows you. It’s just going to get annoying.”

Nictis just snorted in reply.

She glanced back to him, smiling. “Was that a laugh?”

“No,” he said.

“Because it sounded like a laugh,” she said in a light, teasing tone.

“It wasn’t,” he grumbled.

“Mmm-hmm.”

He just sighed rather than trying to argue the point any further.

Cotton hummed a moment before speaking again. “So anyway, enough of the past. What kind of stuff are you doing now?”

“Eh, not much,” he said. “Living in Ponyville with Sky and a bunch of other changelings. Mostly I’ve been helping them adapt to living in Equestria, settling in, that sort of thing.”

“So, helping others,” Cotton said with a smug smile.

“...But of course, you already knew that,” Nictis said with a sigh, while Cotton giggled softly.

“So we’ll be seeing you tomorrow?” Cotton asked, switching gears so seamlessly that Nictis took a moment to catch up.

“...Uh, I guess so. I mean, I hope so.” He frowned again as he looked up to the sight of the castle’s towers looming above them, faintly lit by the dwindling twilight. His steps slowed at the sight, and the knowledge of what awaited him there.

Cotton chuckled softly. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone looking so unhappy at the prospect a spending a night at the castle.”

He grumbled as they rounded a corner, the castle gate coming into view up ahead. “I’m just really not looking forward to dealing with Chrysalis.”

Cotton stumbled so hard that she nearly face-planted on the cobblestone street. “Wait, what?” she blurted, turning on him. “Chrysalis? As in Queen Chrysalis? The changeling queen?” She grabbed him by the shoulders. “I thought you didn’t have any contact with the hive!”

“I don’t!” he said quickly, the urge to backpedal spoiled by her grip. “She just showed up at court today!”

“What? But… she…” Cotton sputtered for a few moments, then forced herself to stop. Her hooves slid from his shoulders to return to the ground, but not before giving him another poke in the chest. “Okay. Explain.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “She came into court, dropped her disguise, insulted Celestia for a few minutes, and said she was there to negotiate. That’s pretty much it.”

“Okay,” Cotton said with a nod. Then she raised her hoof and thumped him in the center of his chest. “And why didn’t you tell any of us this before?”

He scowled, raising a hoof to rub at where she had struck. “It was the middle of Celestia’s court, with a few hundred ponies present. I think the whole city knows by now!”

“Oh, well,” she said, ears twitching backwards as a faint hint of shame came from her. “I guess we hadn’t really been out at all, today…”

Nictis snorted faintly, shaking his head. He paused a moment, still holding his hoof to his chest. “You know, I don’t remember you being so hitty.”

“I don’t remember you being so hittable,” she said, regaining her cheerful grin. “Besides, it makes such a satisfying sound!”

She demonstrated by raising a hoof and rapping it against his shoulder with a sharp “clop” and drawing another snort from Nictis. “Well it’s not very nice.”

“Pfft,” she replied. “It’s affectionate! Besides, you’ve got that armored shell of yours. Did you even feel that?”

“It’s the principle of it,” he grumbled, earning a laugh from her.

“And if I didn’t like you, you wouldn’t be complaining about the principle of it after I hit you,” she said, waving a hoof in front of him. Then she stepped up beside him, throwing a foreleg over his shoulder. “Seriously, though, I’m glad you’re back, so you’re just going to have to deal with me being all happy and affectionate and glad to see you, no matter how much it hurts.”

Nictis sighed, prompting another giggle from Cotton.

Another period of silence followed after she released him.

“Hey, Cotton?”

She smiled back. “Yeah?”

He hesitated a moment before finally saying, “Thanks, for…”

“Hey,” she said, reaching out to give him a hug, her head resting alongside his. “What’re friends for, right?”

He simply held on, gathering what hope he could build from the affection and compassion an old friend still held for him, even after all that had happened.

Eventually she released him, pausing to give a gentle nuzzle. “So, we’ll see you tomorrow?”

Despite everything, he found himself smiling softly. “Yeah.”

They made their farewells and parted ways. Nictis stayed and watched Cotton trotting off, with that happy bounce in her step. Eventually he forced himself to turn back and walk toward the castle gate, and the pair of unicorn guards waiting for him.

The black spot of movement drew Sky’s attention down to the courtyard far below. Even from the tall tower’s balcony, he was pretty sure that was Nictis returning already. His posture and movement didn’t betray any sadness or anger, so presumably his meeting with Spark had gone well. Curiosity tempted him to simply fly down and ask, but he held off. There would be plenty of time for that later.

Instead he sighed and slumped again. The sigh was echoed a moment later by Rainbow Dash, who was laid out atop the tower railing, a leg dangling lazily over the precipitous drop. “This is so boring,” she groaned.

“I did tell you so,” Sky said.

“But it shouldn’t be this boring,” Dash replied, her colorful tail flicking in agitation. “I mean, yeah, all those detective stories always talk about how long and boring a stakeout is, but we must have been here for hours!”

Sky gave a near-silent snort of amusement. “We could do something else,” Sky said. Please.

Dash gestured vaguely in the direction of the opposing tower’s balcony. “You know Chrysalis is in there, plotting up something nasty. Someone’s got to keep an eye on her.” She gestured again. “But instead, we just end up staring at some stupid drapes for hours.”

Sky glanced aside to the guards standing atop a nearby wall, to the nearby fully-manned tower, and to the small formations of pegasus guards flying slow patrols over the castle. “There are like thirty or forty guards here. Pretty sure they can take care of it without us.”

That drew another groan from Rainbow Dash. “Well it’s not as if I have anything better to do. You and Twilight are doing all the boring talky stuff, Rarity’s playing at being a spy, and who even knows where Pinkie got off to. Not much I can do but keep my eye on Chrysalis in case she tries something.”

“Swooping in to the rescue, huh?” Sky said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Well, yeah. That’s kind of what I do. ‘Sides, it’s a lot more exciting than staring at drapes all night long.” She lazily waved a dismissive hoof toward the offending window. “That’s more of Rarity’s thing.”

Sky snickered softly. “Well, it seems to me that if you’re here to swoop in to the rescue, we don’t really need to be right here, do we?”

Dash’s head lifted up, and she turned to look at him. “What are you thinking?”

Sky’s wings flickered for a moment, lifting himself to stand atop the railing behind her. “I’m thinking we leave the guards to do the whole watching-and-guarding thing, and go have some fun.”

Dash mulled the statement over for a few moments. “I do like fun things,” she replied with a momentary flash of a smile before growing serious again. “But I’m not leaving everypony high and dry if she tries to pull something.”

“Pretty sure the guards can handle things here while we’re gone,” Sky said with a shrug. “And if they can’t? Well, we’ll just have to have fun playing the big heroes, swooping in to save the day.”

He could just barely hear a not-quite restrained chuckle from Dash. “Well when you put it that way,” she said, slowly stretching out. “What did you have in mind?”

“Are you kidding? We’re in a mostly vertical city full of towers and waterfalls and giant cliffs. It’s like a giant aerial obstacle course, and it’s probably the only place I know the skies of better than you do.” He flicked his wings through a couple beats and crouched, ready to spring into the air. “I want to race.”

That got Dash to raise an eyebrow, though he also noted the way her wings tensed ever so slightly, ready for flight. “Oh, you still think you can beat me, huh?”

“The main tower of Celestia’s school, then the main gate, then finish at the top of the lowest waterfall out of the city.”

Dash was starting to grin, wings shuffling slightly at her sides. “Okay, I--”

“Go!” Sky called out as he sprang from the railing, wings buzzing. Dash sprang after him almost instantly, all lethargy wiped away.

Sky grinned as he powered into a dive, building speed as he arced toward the dark gap between two buildings that provided the shortest route toward the first destination. Even though he had flown around the city every time he visited, and likely knew all the little twists and shortcuts better than Dash, he knew his chances of winning the race were slim. It hardly mattered. What mattered was that he was flying with her, enjoying a few moments of fun and excitement where they could simply do whatever they please.

Tomorrow held many important and potentially unpleasant things, from Chrysalis’s scheming to the potential fate of the majority of his species. Tonight, he just wanted to relax.

Tomorrow could wait.

Chapter 4: Loyalty

Chapter 4: Loyalty

“Excuse me.”

The words filtered through to Sky like sunlight through a thick haze, stripping away the darkness of half-formed memories. His eyelids fought against the pull of sleep to look toward the source of the voice, which turned out to be a dark blur against a nearly blinding white glare. He blinked several times to clear the sleep from his eyes and squinted against the glare of the rising sun, as the blur finally focused into the form of a gray pegasus in the armor of the Guard, hovering a few feet away.

“Counselor Sky? Miss Rainbow Dash?”

The cloud beneath Sky shifted slightly, followed by a grunted series of sounds that sounded not entirely unlike a muffled and mumbled, “What did you call me?” He turned to follow the sound to find Rainbow Dash sprawled out on the cloud, her face half-buried in the surface, her one visible eye cracked open to peer back at the one who had woken her.

The cobwebs of sleep were already pulling away from Sky’s mind as he glanced back over the edge of the cloud. He was greeted by the sight of a plume of water falling into open air a short distance away and the mountain cliffs off to his side, running all the way down to the valley floor, far, far below him. Looking up, he saw the underside of one of Canterlot’s terraces some hundred feet above, and a few Royal Guard pegasi perched at its edge as if standing guard over his improvised bed.

Which they probably were, he realized, ears pinning back. They had only landed on the cloud because they were worn out from all the racing and crazy flying, looking to take a short rest before heading back to the castle. He hadn’t expected to wake to the sight of the sun rising from the horizon. Not that he could mind the comfort of sleeping on a cloud, even if the beds in the castle were almost as soft, but it wasn’t exactly planned.

Belatedly, he realized that the guard had been hovering there for several seconds without an answer. “...Yes?” Sky croaked, followed by loudly clearing his throat in an attempt to regain his normal voice after the longer-than-intended sleep.

The guard’s concerned expression relaxed slightly. “Ah, good, you’re awake. Princess Celestia has requested your presence at breakfast in their Highnesses’ personal dining hall. She instructed me to tell you, Counselor Sky, that she would appreciate your presence and assistance in dealing with Queen Chrysalis.”

Sky pushed himself shakily up to a sitting position, raising a hoof to rub at his eyes. “Dealing with,” he echoed quietly, followed by a long yawn. “What, is she going to be there, too?”

“That is my understanding, yes.”

Sky blinked, his hoof dropping back to the cloud. “Oh,” he replied, numbly. “I, uh… I guess I better get going. When is this breakfast starting?”

“Some time ago,” the guard said, a slightly apologetic smile showing on his face and echoed in his feelings. “It took some time to track down where you had gotten off to,” he clarified, glancing between him and Rainbow Dash.

Sky went stiff, eyes widening. “Wait, it’s happening now? I’m late?” The guard didn’t have a chance to reply before Sky turned around. “Dash! We’ve got to go, we’re late!”

“You’re late,” Rainbow replied sleepily, though she sat up, stretching as she said it.

“Right, I’m late,” Sky said, his expression rapidly devolving to one of horror. “I’m late. I’ve got one simple job to do, and I’m already late! I-I’ve got to go!”

With that he lunged into the air, kicking off of the cloud hard enough that it broke apart, producing a startled yell from a suddenly-very-awake Rainbow Dash. He glanced back to see her arcing upward to chase after him with terrifying speed. He turned back and focused on pouring on every bit of speed as he could manage, rolling inverted to pull a tight turn as he passed the lip of one of Canterlot’s terraces and shot toward the castle, with Dash streaking after him.

Nictis picked unenthusiastically at his salad.

It wasn’t the salad’s fault. It was, by all standards, a wonderful salad. Nice, crisp lettuce, some finely-diced fruit, thin slivers of almond, and a creamy sauce that tasted faintly of apples. It was delicious, if a bit light. There was plenty of other equally delicious food set about the table for anyone to claim. There was a large variety of pastries and other baked goods, some sandwiches, several bowls of fruits and vegetables, and two large platters that had minutes ago been relieved of most of their load of pancakes and waffles. It was all perfectly cooked, but Nictis still found it odd. It seemed like rather simple fare to serve royalty, but the princesses seemed to make no note of it as they happily talked with each other and their guests.

There were even a couple small platters of food clearly intended specifically for the changelings, and set conspicuously at their end of the table. One held a seared fish of some sort, while the other was loaded with several sausages. He had been so surprised on seeing them set on the table that the server had mentioned how they were quite used to hosting species with more omnivorous diets, and indeed, none of the ponies seemed to even make note of their presence.

Nictis, however, couldn’t ignore the scent of them, nor could he quite make up his mind whether the feeling it provoked in his stomach was nausea or hunger. The other changelings seemed to have no such conflict. Skiris had happily snatched up several sausages and some fish in addition to a healthy sampling of other foods, and Trip likely would have done the same if he hadn’t enthusiastically loaded his plate with a half-dozen waffles. Cara had started to reach for one of the sausages as well, until his shyness arrested his hoof, and he settled instead for picking reluctantly at the nearest items of food, a few pastries.

Nictis wasn’t sure exactly what he had expected when he had been invited to breakfast with the princesses, but it certainly wasn’t this. Their personal dining hall hardly merited the title of “hall,” being nowhere near as grand as that had suggested to him. Instead it was a moderately sized room, lit by the morning sun through tall, open windows. A single U-shaped table occupied the middle of the room, with plush sitting cushions arrayed around it. With the three princesses, four of Twilight’s friends--or possibly five, he wasn’t sure what label to apply to Spike--and four changelings arranged around the table, plus the occasional servant, the room was starting to feel rather full. That fullness, however, drew his attention to the places left open on the table, and two of those in particular: the places intended for Sky and Rainbow Dash.

Where were they? He found that irritating question overwhelming all the other various concerns that were roaming wildly about in his head.

He certainly didn’t expect that question to be answered as dramatically as it was. First the door to the hall burst open as Sky skidded to a halt before the table, then a chromatic blur darted in the window as Rainbow Dash landed heavily beside him, and finally what seemed to be half the Royal Guard poured into the room from every single opening. The room filled with angry yells and the glint of weapons as Sky and Rainbow looked around in shock, and Cara dove under the table.

Princess Celestia stood, raising her wings in a commanding, regal pose, and the room was plunged into silence. “Would you care to explain this?” she asked, her voice clear and calm despite the preceding commotion.

One of the Guard stepped forward. Removing his helmet, he bowed his head. “Your Highness, these two flew into the castle grounds over the walls. They did not stop to be identified or scanned. Given the recent security concerns, their behavior and destination were very alarming.”

“Of course,” Celestia replied, before raising her horn. The soft glow of her magic built into a brilliant flash, and Nictis flinched at the feeling of magic washing over him. Sky did the same, he saw, though Rainbow merely blinked a few times at the light.

As the glow vanished, Princess Celestia lowered her horn again and smiled. “Fortunately, these two are who they appear to be.” She looked around the numerous guards, who had visibly relaxed, and smiled. “I thank you all for your vigilance. You may return to your posts.”

Guards bowed in return, and soon began making their way out of the now very densely packed room. As they shuffled out, Rainbow Dash and Sky stood completely still in the middle of the room, and Nictis was glad to see that they at least looked somewhat abashed at what they had provoked.

Or they did, until they glanced at each other. Slowly the corners of their mouths crept upward, the apologetic facade cracking as they both began to snicker. Nictis stared wide-eyed for a moment before opening his mouth to chastise Sky, but he caught himself before he could speak, and gave an uneasy glance over toward the three princesses seated nearby.

While Princess Celestia seemed the mask of neutrality, he was satisfied to see that Princess Twilight was giving the pair a very unamused look. “This isn’t funny, you two. You probably made the whole Guard think we were being attacked!”

It was then that he saw the hint of amusement cross Princess Celestia’s face. “A little alarmed, perhaps, but I think we can forgive Rainbow Dash and Sky for their rashness,” she said with a soft smile, “so long as they make sure to show a little more thoughtfulness in the future.”

The gentle comment did what even Twilight’s admonishment had not, instantly silencing their snickering. They both quickly agreed with her, a hint of embarrassment returning.

Princess Luna had hardly taken a break from her meal throughout the commotion, but she did now. “Perhaps we could make use of such rashness,” she said with an amused smile. “It may prove beneficial to keep our guardians on the tips of their hooves.”

To Nictis’s surprise, Celestia chuckled softly at this. “I think we can find a less alarming method of doing so, once things have settled down again.”

“Perhaps,” Luna replied, returning to her meal with an amused grin.

Sky stepped forward anxiously. “So, erm… I’m not too late, am I?”

“There is still plenty of food, if that’s what you mean,” Celestia said with an almost playful tone.

“Er, no, I mean… I was told Chrysalis was going to be here as well.”

Princess Celestia’s smile faded slightly. “I’m afraid you haven’t missed anything. I had invited her in the hopes that our hospitality might soften some of her hostility, but it seems now that she does not intend to join us.”

Sky frowned. “Oh.”

“Please, have a seat, Sky,” she said, indicating one of the open places with a tilt of her head. “We can still enjoy a good meal. We’ll have plenty of time for dealing with Chrysalis when we meet later.”

With a flutter of his wings, Sky rose over the table to land neatly at his spot. Nictis frowned in response, giving a disapproving glare at what was surely appalling manners. Sky, however, didn’t even notice; he was looking back to Celestia with a worried look on his face. “So, what happens if she doesn’t show up for that, either?”

“In that case,” she replied, “we would need to answer the question of why she would come here to talk only to refuse to do so.”

Sky grumbled unhappily as he looked back to the food, and only then seemed to take notice of Nictis. He blinked in surprise. “What?”

“Seriously?” Nictis said, his voice low. “All of Canterlot is worried about changelings, and you go flying around like a maniac and scaring them even more? Ponies already feel uncomfortable enough around us. The last thing we need is to give them real reason to worry.”

“What, the guards?” Sky asked with a questioning look. “They’re not going to take it like that. They’re used to me flying around. Heck, they’ll probably have fun ribbing me about it later.”

“And what about the rest of us?” Nictis retorted. “Yeah, you’re ‘that one changeling’ they all know. They might excuse some of what you do. Most of us don’t have the benefit of that. We’re just trying to fit in and be accepted. Sure, it won’t hurt you much, but what do you think it does to someling like Cara?”

Nictis gestured toward said changeling’s seat for a moment before he sighed and let his hoof drop to the table. “Cara, you can come out from under the table now.”

Cara poked his head out, radiating a sheepish embarrassment as he slipped back into his seat. Nictis forced himself not to sigh further at the display, instead turning his attention back to Sky. “Seriously, Sky, you’re the most publicly known changeling in Equestria. Could you just think a little before doing something stupid?”

Sky fixed him with a flat glare. “So I’m going to guess last night didn’t go so well,” he said, dryly.

Nictis flinched back, ears laying flat. He turned back to the table. “I, uh… I’m not really sure.”

He could feel a surge of regret from Sky, who quickly spoke up. “Hey, I’m sorry. That was… I didn’t mean--”

“I know,” Nictis sighed.

“No, really,” Sky insisted, placing a hoof on Nictis’s shoulder. “I just--”

“Sky, I--oh for Celestia’s sake.” Nictis’s head drooped to meet his own hoof. “You really are the worst changeling ever.”

Sky’s hoof retreated, a hint of embarrassment rising from him, likely realizing that of course Nictis could tell he hadn’t meant to hurt him, not really, and that Nictis wasn’t really upset. They sat there silently, the emotions coming from Sky wavering around before, oddly, settling on faint amusement. “...Celestia’s sake?”

“What?” Nictis said as his head snapped up. “I--that… oh come on, I’ve lived among ponies for a decade, I think I’m allowed to use some of their phrases by now!”

Sky just chuckled softly while Nictis gave a hollow scowl and, deciding Cotton was right after all, thumped Sky on the shoulder. Sky simply chuckled some more as they turned their attention back to the food arrayed before them.

Nictis was a little surprised when he realized Skiris and Trip were talking with Princess Celestia, who was asking about their life in Ponyville. They didn’t even seem very uncomfortable with it, despite who they were talking to. The two of them were quite happily describing how they’d fit in and found their place among ponies, though he felt a little self-conscious any time they proclaimed how much he had helped them.

“Hey, Nictis?”

He looked over to see Sky looking back at him.

“I know you’re worried about how ponies see us,” Sky said, “and I figure you’ve got more reason than a lot of us. But at the same time, I don’t think being all… reserved and carefully measured, I don’t think that’s going to help much.” He quickly raised a hoof even before Nictis had started to open his mouth. “And yes, flying past the guards at high speed when they’re already on alert was probably a bad idea. I don’t mean that. What I mean is… well, ponies need to see us just being normal.”

“We’re changelings,” Nictis flatly replied. “Normal is tricking ponies, sucking their emotions dry, maybe even kidnapping or killing them if necessary. I don’t think ‘normal’ is going to help us.”

With a slowly spreading grin, Sky asked, “And how much of that have you done in the last, oh, five years?”

Nictis frowned. “You mean after I abandoned the hive and everything it means to be a proper changeling? I’m not ‘normal’ for a changeling any more than you are.”

Sky actually laughed at that, much to Nictis’s surprise. “It’s been, what, six months since you showed up in Ponyville? And already there are dozens of changelings living in Equestria like it’s the most natural thing in the world.” He spread his hooves. “We’re adaptable. This pretty much is normal.”

It took an effort to not look at Cara. “Not quite so normal for some of us as others.”

“You might find it a bit more normal if you’d just relax, sometime.”

Nictis blinked in surprise, turning to stare back at Sky, but there was no hostility behind the other changeling’s statement. “I’m not kidding,” Sky said. “You’re always so wound tight and worried about what ponies think of you.”

“That is normal for me,” Nictis grumbled.

“No it’s not,” Sky said. “At least, not listening to all your stories. You talk about all these times you were happy and confident and carefree. That’s about the only time I ever see you really happy, Nictis, when you’re losing yourself in a story, or when you’re wrapped up in helping other changelings. It’s like you forget to worry and actually allow yourself to have fun for a change.”

“So, what, you think I should just walk in on Spark all cheery and happy like nothing happened?” He snorted. “Yeah, that would go well.”

“I’m not saying to be insensitive!” Sky shot back. “I’m just saying you need to relax a little. Let ponies see that you’re just as normal as them. Don’t brush aside the bad things, but… you know, don’t let them define you.”

Nictis blinked, then leveled a flat look at Sky. “You got that from Princess Celestia, didn’t you?”

“I think it was Luna, actually,” Sky said with a smug smile, though it faltered a moment later. “Wait, or… actually, maybe it was Celestia after all.”

Nictis sighed.

“Either way, I figure they’ve got a lot more experience in dealing with ponies than either of us,” Sky said with a shrug. “Ponies need to see us as normal, and if you’re always acting so cautiously, it’s just going to make ponies think of why you’re acting that way.”

True enough, Nictis noted, though he quite consciously did not say so. He also reigned in the impulse to point out how much that line of logic sounded like Infiltrator training. Instead, he said, “Maybe you can find a way of being ‘normal’ that doesn’t involve spooking half the Royal Guard?”

“Heh, sure,” Sky said with a nervous chuckle, then held out his hoof. “I’ll do that, if you can find a way of interacting with ponies without sulking all the time.”

“I don’t sulk all the time.”

“Most of the time, then,” Sky amended, giving his offered hoof a little wiggle.

Nictis glared at the offending hoof for a moment before sighing. “Ugh, fine.” He took Sky’s hoof, giving a single shake before releasing it and turning back to pick unenthusiastically at his salad. For the first time, he was actually looking forward to the distraction of the upcoming negotiations.

After breakfast, the group made their way to the Solstice Hall in preparation for the meeting. When they arrived, nobody sat at the table. Instead, they sat back on the various cushions set along one of the walls. The table could wait for the actual negotiations.

In fact, there wasn’t any discussion of the negotiations at all. Chrysalis’s motives were still unknown, so there was little point in making plans. Instead they sat and chatted casually, or in a few cases, waited in silence while the others talked.

The only slight disruption was when one of the princesses--usually Twilight--would look away to check the clock yet again. Chrysalis had still not arrived, and the delay was starting to become worrying.

Nictis was close to breaking his silence to suggest they go and find out what was keeping her when the doors flew open. Three changelings marched in, grim-faced and armored, but Chrysalis was not among them. The Royal Guards that were escorting them halted just inside the doorway, wary but not intruding. The two changelings soldiers carrying spears followed close on the flanks of the third, who approached the gathered Equestrians with a hint of a grimace peeking out past the grim expression.

The three came to a halt a short distance away, the lead changeling’s snout raising as he spoke, voice laden with contempt. “The queen has declared that she shall not participate in any negotiations so long as Equestria continues to insult her and the hive in such a shameful fashion. There will be no negotiations until Equestria has properly apologized and made amends for this insult.”

Shock and surprise were the general reactions. A few softs gasps and murmurs passed among the various ponies, though they grew quieter as Celestia rose. “What insult is it that you speak of?” she calmly asked.

“The queen had requested that Nictis appear before her before any negotiations commence, a request which has been coldly ignored by Equestria. She demands to know if Equestria intends to make amends and negotiate in good faith, or if you intend to waste her time with this demeaning farce.”

A cold rush passed through Nictis at the idea that he might be responsible for negotiations breaking down before they had even properly begun. He hastily stood as the shock passed, but Celestia was already speaking.

“Nictis had prior commitments that demanded his attention, commitments your queen was well aware of before her arrival.”

The changeling turned his head to regard Nictis, who fought the sudden urge to sit back down. “Yes,” the soldier said, voice laden with contempt. “The queen is quite well aware of how he has shunned his duty and commitment to the hive. It was hoped that he might still have shown some sliver of dignity or respect, but clearly that was too much to hope for.”

“That’s enough,” Celestia said, the slimmest hint of an edge to her voice as she stepped forward, wings raised. Behind her, both Luna and Twilight rose to their hooves. The changeling soldiers stood their ground, though Nictis could see them tense at Celestia’s approach. “Nictis has committed himself to a noble cause, one which can benefit your hive far greater than his prior duties. He does not deserve your scorn.”

“The queen is not interested in excuses,” the soldier snapped back in retort. “If you wish these negotiations to commence, you will present Nictis to her. If not, we have nothing further to discuss.”

“I will not compel any of my subjects to appear before Chrysalis against their will,” Celestia replied. “If she wishes to speak with him, you should be asking him, not me.”

“We have delivered our message,” the soldier replied coldly. “What is your answer?”

Rather than respond, Celestia merely raised a hoof, gesturing toward Nictis. The soldier glared at her for several seconds before finally turning his head. Nictis winced at the contempt and disgust leveled at him, and it took a moment for him to find his voice. “I’ll go.”

“She will be expecting you soon,” the other changeling replied curtly. “Alone.” Without another word, the three of them turned and walked out, followed by their Royal Guard escorts. As soon as they were out of sight, he slumped down onto his cushion, his legs gone weak. Sky was at his side immediately, the feeling of sympathy vaguely stabilizing.

“You okay?” Sky asked, to which Nictis merely nodded, though the slight shakiness of the gesture likely negated any assurance it offered.

Turning away from the doorway, Celestia looked down to him. “I am sorry for that.”

Nictis only barely found his voice as he automatically replied, “Not your fault.”

“No,” Celestia agreed, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t express my sympathy, although I’m sure you would know it even if it went unsaid.” In response to the strained, almost panicked look that statement provoked, she smiled, the sympathy coming from her unwavering. “I am also sorry that you are put in such an uncomfortable position. I was not lying in what I told him; I will not compel you to meet with Chrysalis on your own if you do not wish to do so.”

“No,” Nictis said, shaking his head, while unconsciously leaning away from Celestia. “No, I have to go. I am still committed to helping the hive, regardless of what Chrysalis thinks. I… I can’t let any hopes of diplomacy die just because I’m…”

He cut himself off, giving another shake of his head.

It was Luna who spoke, catching Nictis by surprise as she stepped up beside him. “You are afraid of her.”

“Of course I am,” Nictis said, before flinching as he realized the reply had been rather louder than he intended. More quietly, he said, “I don’t understand what’s going on, or what she’s up to. I have to interact with her completely blind, with no idea of her motives and goals. What does she want? Why do I need to be alone? She might want to ask how life is in Equestria, or kill me the moment I’m alone with her, and I have no way of knowing until it happens!”

Celestia’s smile abruptly vanished, replaced with a mask of neutrality. “Do you think she would go so far?”

Nictis inched away from her. “No. If… if she wanted to kill me, she wouldn’t show up in some grand fashion and do it in the middle of your castle. Not when she could’ve had an Infiltrator slip into Ponyville and kill me in my sleep days ago.” He frowned, trying unsuccessfully to banish the thought from his mind.

Celestia remained silent for several seconds before her expression softened. “I suppose there is some small comfort in that,” she said, though she didn’t sound very convinced. His own uncertainty, however, seemed of more immediate importance.

“Though, we should have the guards scan me when I leave,” Nictis added, “just to make sure it’s me.”

“Of course,” Celestia replied with a nod. “And if nothing else, your meeting may give us some insight into her goals. We have precious little to go on, so far, and her actions so far have been worrying.”

Nictis nodded absently, eyes turning to the door. After a few moments, he hesitantly stood. “I suppose I shouldn’t keep her waiting any longer.”

“Remember, whatever Chrysalis might threaten, Equestria will always protect its subjects.” Celestia nodded respectfully to him. “Good luck.” The sentiment was echoed by everyone else in turn, until he finally took a deep breath, steeled himself, and walked out.

The same three changelings were standing outside of Chrysalis’s chambers when Nictis arrived. They didn’t say a thing. Nictis was just stepping up to them when the two spear-bearing soldiers stepped aside, and the third lit his horn, opening the door. The feeling of contempt was as strong as ever, however, and needed no words to back them up.

He had to force himself to begin walking, to pass by the armed guards as he followed the third changeling, all the while struggling to rein in his own emotions. Despite his experience, despite his training as an Infiltrator, it was a lost cause. His own hive-mates, the very changelings he wished to help, they loathed him for having left the hive, and he… he was afraid of them.

Once again, he was alone.

Stepping inside the chambers was almost surreal in how ordinary it was. It was as if he had unconsciously imagined Chrysalis to have completely redecorated the rooms to be more in-line with the style of the hive itself. Walking in to see just another room in the same white-and-gold style as the rest of the castle struck him as profoundly odd, and seeing the room filled with almost a dozen unfriendly changelings, most still in armor, made it even more so--despite Nictis’s uneasy and slightly guilty feelings at that thought. He had to fight the urge to bow his head in shame under the weight of their disapproval, reminding himself that they didn’t know the entirety of the situation.

They didn’t see him as trying to help them. They only saw a traitor, siding with their enemies.

They reached another door, and this time when the lead changeling opened it, he stood aside to let Nictis walk in alone. It took a force of will to not hesitate, to take a moment to prepare himself. It’s just another conversation, he told himself. It’s exactly what I’ve been trained for. I’ve faced worse things before.

He pushed the fear down, put on a calm face, and stepped inside.

The calm threatened to flee the moment he lay eyes on Queen Chrysalis, who was laid out on a large cushion and looking for all the world as if she owned the place. As he entered, she turned to focus her acid-green gaze on him, and he was abruptly struck by the fact that he could not feel her.

It wasn’t just that he couldn’t read her emotions. Most changelings could hide their emotions from others to varying degrees of success, even though it was considered rude to do so. Even some ponies could manage it, such as Princess Celestia. Chrysalis, however, was more than simply unreadable. In those other cases, there was still a sense of something there, even if it was an indistinct and blank vagueness, like a shadow hiding something from sight. For Chrysalis, however, there was nothing. He almost staggered as he drew to a stop; if he couldn’t see her with his own eyes, he would have sworn she wasn’t there at all.

“So you finally decided to show,” Chrysalis said, giving him a cold smile. It vanished a moment later, her eyes narrowing. “Come,” she commanded, jabbing a hoof at the ground before her.

He momentarily entertained the idea of running away, but instead forced himself to approach. As he neared, Chrysalis rose to her hooves, and he nearly came to a halt at the sight. She towered over him, as big as Celestia, and significantly more imposing. Celestia was powerful beyond all reason, but even as terrifying as he once found her, she had a friendly warmth to her. Standing before Chrysalis, he knew she did not, certainly not for him. Even without being able to read her emotions, it was clear how much scorn she held for him.

The sight of the queen had once filled him with pride and longing. The thought of returning to the hive, of seeing her once again, had been something he had sought for years. Now, face-to-face with her, it brought fear, and with that, a terrible shame that he should have fallen so far as to be frightened by the presence of his own queen.

And somewhere in the back of his mind was a near-panicked voice pointing out that she had once defeated Celestia. He did his best to ignore it.

“So you can follow simple instructions,” Chrysalis mused as she stepped forward. Nictis halted, standing very still as she walked to his side, slowly circling as if appraising him. More likely, Nictis knew, it was simply to unnerve him. “So what other tricks has your new master taught you?” she mused as she walked behind him. “Sit? Roll over?”

Nictis stood frozen, ears pinned back. He had absolutely no idea how to respond to this. Anger? Reasoning? Dismissive? Uncertain, he remained silent, but she made it clear she expected a response when she lowered her head, nearly growling, “Well? Or did Celestia never get to ‘talk?’”

He pulled back before he could stop himself, shame and fear warring over his emotions. Finding his voice, he replied quietly. “She is not my master.”

Chrysalis barked out a laugh as she turned away. “Could have fooled me,” she said, her voice a mixture of amusement and scorn. The amusement died in an instant, replaced by a somber tone. “The entire expedition you were in disappeared. Scouts scoured the area and found nothing but a scorched patch of woodland. There were no remains, no bodies. By all appearances, every single member of the expedition had died.” She turned back, fixing him with a stare. “And then, a decade later, you suddenly appear, toadying up to Celestia.”

Stalking forward, Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare. “So tell me, little nymph,” she growled, “what really happened to Ceymi?”

Nictis staggered back, eyes wide in shock at the implication leveled at him. “M-manticores,” he stammered. “She… she died protecting me.”

“Hah!” Chrysalis snorted as she stepped forward again, head held high as she glared down at him, imposing. “I knew Ceymi far longer than you did, nymph. She was calculating, ruthless, and above all, practical. She would not throw away her life for a single nymph like you!”

“I-it wasn’t for me!” Nictis said hastily, his heart pounding in his ears as she drew closer. “We were trying to rescue the others! We didn’t know they were already dead.”

Chrysalis paused, considering him for another moment before speaking. “So Ceymi, the most experienced Infiltrator alive, an expert assassin, skilled fighter, and princess of the hive… was killed by a simple manticore?”

“It… it was an accident,” he said, his head drooping as he recalled that night, so long ago. “Her horn got stuck.”

Chrysalis frowned, staring down at him. Her voice was dry and unamused. “Stuck?”

“The last manticore got in close,” he said quietly. “Too close for her to aim her magic accurately. She tricked it, slipped inside its swing. She stabbed it right through the chest, but when she pulled back… her horn caught for a moment, and the manticore stung her…”

“I see,” Chrysalis said, though she sounded entirely unconvinced. “And you just watched all this happen, did you?”

Nictis’s ears shot up, his body tensing at the accusation. He met Chrysalis’s glare. “I was being trained as an Infiltrator, not a soldier,” he replied sharply. “Ceymi trained us in subtlety, not combat magic or fighting skill. She also taught us to be practical, to know when to act, and when not to. If I’d tried to get into the fight, I would have just gotten in her way, maybe even hurt her. So I held back and waited for an opportunity, exactly like she would want me to!”

A small part of him worried about having raised his voice against his queen--former queen, whatever--particularly when Chrysalis’s glare deepened in response. Surprisingly, she didn’t reprimand him for his outburst, although what she did say was almost as harsh. “So Ceymi died because you were not skilled enough to help her.”

“I was not being trained as a soldier,” Nictis repeated, any hint of fear and shame washing away as his stance strengthened, and despite everything that had been said, a sense of confidence welled up inside him. Chrysalis seemed determined to be hostile. Despite her imposing nature and the accusations of betrayal, there was a familiarity to the situation. She might be powerful beyond anything he could ever accomplish, but that simply made her one more in a long line of powerful and dangerous beings whom he had dealt with, not through blows or magic, but with words, and her words were petty.

There was a strange comfort in that.

“She also trained us better than to let our pride get in the way of making the right decision,” he said, meeting Chrysalis’s glare without anger, but with an unwavering stare. “Because of the course of my training, I was unable to help her. Ceymi would not want me to act out of prideful overconfidence or sentiment and jeopardise both myself and her in such a fashion. The proper decision was to stand back and look for an opportunity to strike, and I am certain that Ceymi agreed with my actions.”

Chrysalis’s expression changed; the hostility in her glare vanished, replaced with an appraising look. Silence lingered for many long and uncomfortable seconds, but Nictis did not waver under the scrutiny. When she finally spoke, the words that came out were not at all what Nictis had expected.

“I can see why she had spoken so highly of you.”

Nictis blinked in surprise, followed by a mental curse at allowing himself to visibly react. The reaction drew a cold laugh from Chrysalis. “Oh, are you surprised that I should have kept track of the training of the rare few who might be worthy of the elusive title of Infiltrator? Ceymi kept me fully updated on the progress of every generation of candidates. She had described you as likely the most promising of your class. Great magical potential, a natural wit and ingenuity, a strictly rational mind, confident without pride, and showing great proficiency in manipulation and falsehoods.”

Her expression darkened as she frowned at him. “Perhaps too much,” she added, “as she also described you as being completely devoted to the service of the hive, scornful of its enemies, and unwaveringly loyal.”

Both anger and shame tried to rise up, but he crushed them under the weight of professionalism. “I have never betrayed her,” her replied, “or the hive. I kept our secrets for years. I would have died rather than risk exposing the hive to danger.”

The statement was met with a condescending scoff. “And yet, that loyalty wasn’t enough to bring you back once you found a pony to suck the love out of. You made one imbecilic attempt to return and gave up. You did betray the hive, when you decided to shun your duty to it.”

Anger battered at his resolve, knowing what pony she was referring to. “I know how the hive operates,” he retorted sharply. “It’s rational and practical. By the time I could even make the attempt, the next generation of Infiltrators would already be fully trained, or nearly so. Even the nymphs spawned as soon as the loss was known would be almost as old as I was when I left the hive. I knew I’d been replaced by then. I had no place or purpose back at the hive.”

“And this is why we don’t let simple-minded drones make decisions like that,” Chrysalis replied with a sneer. “You haven’t the slightest idea what’s going on, but you’re so convinced of your brilliance that you decide you know better than the entire hive.” She snorted angrily. “Who do you think was going to train those new Infiltrators? Ceymi was dead, and even our older Infiltrators had no experience teaching others. Ceymi had a replacement, but noling had her skill and experience. We lost an entire generation of Infiltrators, and the skill to replace them. Even one more Infiltrator gathering love would have been a great relief.”

As Nictis hesitated, considering that, she stepped up beside him, continuing. “Even knowing what had happened on your training expedition would have been useful. Instead, we don’t find out anything until almost a decade later… when a changeling we had thought dead shows up at Celestia’s side. A little suspicious, don’t you think?”

“You thought I had something to do with it?” Nictis asked, appalled at the thought, but he quickly moved past the shock of it. “You know that’s not true.”

“Now, yes,” she replied as she continued to slowly circle him. “But that’s not even the worst of it.”

“Then what is?” Nictis said, coming close to grinding his teeth at her taunting.

“Well, let’s see how well Ceymi taught you to think for yourself,” Chrysalis said. “An expedition with a highly skilled Infiltrator, a pair of elite guards, and a dozen nymphs disappears on the Equestrian border without a trace. Over the next few years, Infiltrators start disappearing at higher and higher rates. And then, after almost a decade of losing Infiltrators and declining food supplies, an Infiltrator in Canterlot returns with word of an expeditionary fleet of airships that would soon be setting out on a journey of ‘exploration.’ A journey whose first leg would see them cross the expansive Everfree Forest and fly straight for the broken and barren lands that held nothing of interest, save for a hidden and supposedly secret changeling hive.”

Coming to a halt beside him, she peered down her muzzle at him. “So tell me, what does that sound like.”

“You… you thought they knew?” he said, eyes widening. “You thought they were going to attack the hive?”

A cruel smile crossed her face. “And the one changeling who knew better,” she said tauntingly, “had decided that he was too unimportant to return to the hive with that knowledge.”

Nictis stood stock still as his mind scrambled at the information. He didn’t trust himself enough to speak at the moment, unsure of what he could possibly say. Instead, he remained frozen, as a slowly building horror gripped him.

It was a few moments before he realized Chrysalis was walking away, still speaking. “By all rights, I should demand you be returned to the hive as a fugitive, to face punishment for high treason.” Nictis quivered at the matter-of-fact tone, his facade of professionalism crumbling from beneath him. “But we are already too short on Infiltrators to waste any, so I am willing to offer you an alternative.”

Chrysalis turned to seat herself once again on the cushion she had been laying on when he first entered, a smirk playing at her lips. “I will forgive you of your crimes, in exchange for you returning to the hive, reaffirming your loyalty to me, and taking up the title and responsibilities of an Infiltrator.”

Nictis stared back, wide-eyed and stunned. His mouth moved wordlessly for several seconds as his mind fought against the emotional whiplash. One second, he was accused of the greatest betrayal a changeling could ever do, and the next he was offered the greatest role a drone could ever have, the one he had dreamed of for most of his life. Worst of all, he wasn’t even sure how he should feel about either of them. The offer itself drew mixed reactions; a small part of him still held some excitement at the idea of being made an Infiltrator, while another, larger part found it to be completely absurd. One particular objection slowly bubbled to the top. “But… Spark…”

Chrysalis sighed with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “Of course you can keep your pony,” she said before smirking again. “An Infiltrator needs a source of love, after all, and I’m not going to impede your ability to help feed the hive.”

His mind continued to race away and, shaken, his mouth followed. “But that won’t work,” he said in a shaky voice. “Equestria knows about changelings and how to find Infiltrators. We can’t just go on like nothing’s changed.”

“That’s none of your concern,” Chrysalis replied firmly. “I have plans to ensure the prosperity and security of the hive. You are an Infiltrator, and you will aid these plans in the same way Infiltrators always have.”

A hint of warning rose in his mind, and he clutched to it. “What plans?”

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “That is also none of your concern.” He flinched back, alarms going off in his mind, but she immediately added, “Once you have returned to the hive and reaffirmed your loyalty, we shall discuss the future of the hive and how you may aid it. Until then, I’m not going to entrust you with sensitive information when you might just turn around and pass it on to Celestia.”

Nictis swallowed nervously. He found himself in a particularly strange position, but it had to be said: “Celestia doesn’t want us to be enemies.”

“Of course not,” Chrysalis said with a soft laugh, much to Nictis’s surprise. “Ponies don’t like conflict. They like their nice, peaceful, quiet lives. Changelings, though, we complicate their simple little world, and they don’t like complicated. So Celestia wants to ‘simplify’ the problem.”

“But we can coexist,” Nictis said. “We… we’ve been doing that for months now. There’s enough food for the entire hive and more, and we don’t even have to trick anypony to get it.”

“Oh, of course,” Chrysalis said. Her horn lit up, followed by a lightness around Nictis’s neck as the little compass on its golden chain lifted up before him, held in a green aura. “And all you have to do is wear their chains.”

Nictis snatched the compass out of her magic. “I don’t wear this for them!” he snapped back. “I wear it because it was Ceymi’s--”

“--Who seems to have never taught you about metaphor,” Chrysalis said firmly. “Look at what’s happening, Nictis. Look at what you’re becoming. Celestia bought your subservience for a bit of food and comfort. She wants to see the hive destroyed, whether at her hooves or our own. Maybe not dead and buried, but destroyed all the same. She wants us under her control, so that we’re no longer a threat to her precious peace and quiet. You know this.”

Nictis was shaking his head. “It’s not like that,” he murmured quietly, his mouth gone dry.

“It is,” Chrysalis said, fixing him with a stare that he did not meet. “She talks of friendship, but she offers slavery. I will not allow the very existence of our species to be dependent on the whims of some pony.”

“It’s not like that,” Nictis repeated even more quietly.

“But you know it is,” Chrysalis smoothly replied. She raised a hoof, gesturing toward his chest. “And you know Ceymi would agree.”

Nictis froze, his gaze dropping to the compass still clutched in his hoof. His breath stuttered, a dull weight growing in his gut.

Chrysalis smiled smugly, crossing her forelegs over the edge of her cushion. “Well?”

Nictis swallowed, words coming reluctantly. “...She was wrong.”

The smile shrank as Chrysalis gave a disapproving look. “What was that?”

“Ceymi,” he said. “I… respect her… and she was one of the greatest… one of the greatest beings I’ve ever known.” He lowered his hoof to the ground again, feeling a little more steady as he raised his head, meeting Chrysalis’s gaze. “But she was wrong. She warned that ponies would kill us the moment they knew of us, that they’d wipe out our hive and every changeling to protect themselves, but she was wrong. And so are you.”

Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but he quickly continued, undeterred. “They’re better than you think. I used to think the same of them, but I’ve lived among them for most of my life. I’ve seen how they really are, once I looked past the misconceptions drilled into our heads in the hive. Yes, there are difficulties, but many of them have already accepted us as equals, and it’s spreading every day.”

“Equals,” Chrysalis scoffed. “Just, not quite as equal as ponies, hmm? You don’t really think Celestia would ever allow a changeling to hold a throne beside her, do you?”

Nictis was silent for several seconds. “Well, maybe not you.”

“That is enough!” Chrysalis snapped, baring her teeth. “You may have been gone from the hive for far too long, but you will show respect to your queen.”

Again, he hesitated. Words immediately came to mind, but it took a force of will to say them. “I… can’t call you my queen any longer. I want to help everyling to have a better life, and so long as you oppose that... I can not follow you.”

“You will help them into servitude and slavery,” Chrysalis growled. “You had best rethink this, nymph. I’m offering you a way to help the hive grow strong and free. Do not throw away this opportunity for some petty comforts.”

“Can’t you see that this is the best opportunity we have?” Nictis asked. “What other way do we have? You can’t beat Equestria. They’re stronger than us. If you fight them, you’ll lose, and the entire hive will pay the price of that. These ponies are willing to accept us as friends. We need them!”

“Of course we do,” Chrysalis replied. “We need ponies just like we need water. Too little, and we starve.” She gave a cruel smirk. “Too much, and we drown.”

Nictis just shook his head.

“Time to decide, Nictis. Will you rejoin the hive as an Infiltrator and help us grow strong, or will you stand in our way?”

He drew in a slow, shuddering breath, and answered. “I can not help you.”

Chrysalis snorted softly. “Very well. I hope you will change your mind. I can be very persuasive. Until then, I declare you a traitor and enemy of the hive. You will know no peace or comfort from any of the kin you have turned your back on.” A sharp-toothed grin slowly crossed her muzzle as she fixed him with a predatory glare. Her tone carried a suggestion of sadistic glee. “And you will soon discover that you do not want to be my enemy, little nymph.”

She held the glare for several seconds as he stood there in silence, unable to reply. The silent standoff was finally broken when she lifted a hoof to point to the door. “Leave me.”

He slowly forced his hooves to move, forcing his breaths to come smooth and calm even as the familiar tinge of adrenaline stung at his nerves. He slowly crossed the length of the room, and had just reached the door when her voice brought him to a halt. “Oh, and Nictis?”

He looked back over his shoulder to see Chrysalis’s expression remained unchanged.

“Tell your master that I am willing to resume talks after lunch.”

With that, she shooed him away with a wave of her hoof, and he opened the door and exited.

The rest of the walk out was done in a numbed silence, his legs unsteady as his muscles screamed for action. Despite that, he walked out with his head held high, the perfect image of calm confidence, even under the gauntlet of cold glares and condescending emotions from Chrysalis’s soldiers.

Exiting the chambers, he paused, the guards scanning him with their magic before they all continued on down the hall. He traveled in near silence, the only sound being hoofsteps and the soft clinking of the armor worn by the two guards escorting him.

As the adrenaline quickly faded, fatigue started to close in on him. His legs grew increasingly unsteady, and his chest felt tight. He forced himself to continue on, to keep his head held high and his steps sure, but it was growing more difficult by the moment.

He managed to keep up appearances until he had rounded the corner, passing out of sight of the changelings who stood guard outside the doors. With a few more steps, his legs began to wobble, a shudder passing through his body. He stumbled to the side to lean heavily against the wall for support, and slid down along it until he was sitting. His breath stuttered, short and ragged, and the world started to blur before he closed his eyes, focusing on the losing struggle to remain calm and strong in the face of what he had done.

“Sir?”

Nictis opened his eyes, blinking away the blurriness to look at the guard who had spoken. Both were looking at him with different degrees of concern, and he hastily gave a weak reply. “I-I just need a moment…”

But it was the emotions coming from them that caught his attention. He could feel their concern, not of him, but for him. They were the guardians of the realm, who sought to protect Equestria’s subjects from harm, and he could feel that same protective concern now focused on him. His breathing calmed at the thought.

Whatever Chrysalis might say, she is wrong about them.

Looking to these ponies was all the affirmation he could need. Even these Royal Guards, the soldiers committed to protecting Equestria from threats such as those Chrysalis might level, didn’t see them as enemies. Chrysalis could say whatever she wanted about their motivations; he could feel them.

Ever so slowly, strength slowly returned to him as he savored the emotions--but out of respect, he did not feed on them. After taking a few deep breaths, he pushed himself back up to his hooves. The guards waited silently for him, and he hesitated for a moment before managing a weak and halfhearted smile, murmuring, “Thank you.”

The guards nodded dutifully in reply, and again fell in behind him as he resumed his walk.

Nictis was being quiet.

Not that Cara would normally mind this, of course. Nictis was usually quiet. Cara rather liked the quiet, himself. In fact, he’d rather have more quiet at the moment; the streets of Canterlot were busy with activity, with hundreds of ponies in a rainbow of colors all around him, surrounding him, judging him. Oh, most didn’t seem to make note of him and his little group, but he caught the occasional hint of fear, distrust, even anger. How little would it take to spread that anger through the crowd? He could perfectly picture the streets devolving to chaos and violence as pony and changeling fought. He could perfectly picture it because he remembered it, in all its confusion and terror, and all those ponies around him must remember it, too. Only this time, there was no swarm, with thousands of his hive-mates all around him. Instead, it was just three changelings surrounded by hordes of ponies, and the pair of guards escorting them through the crowd.

The guards just made it worse; supposedly, they were there to protect Sky, Nictis, and himself, but the quiet sounds of their armor only reminded him that these were soldiers, and that he was very much not one of their ponies.

So he focused as much as he could on the quiet changeling walking in front of him, but even that had grown uncomfortable. Sky was as cheerful as ever, but Nictis hardly reacted to him. They’d even talked about what had happened when Nictis had met Chrysalis--Cara shivered at the thought of being put in the same situation, himself!--but Nictis had soon gone quiet again.

Something was troubling him, and the thought of that worried Cara.

He wanted to help. Nictis had been so helpful to him since he had arrived, and he wanted to return the favor, but he had no idea where to start. Instead, he simply followed along in silence, inching a little closer any time ponies passed by too closely.

He didn’t even know why he was out here, in the crowded streets, surrounded by all these ponies, rather than comfortably closed away in a room in the castle. He paused for a moment to consider the absurdity that he had just thought of the princesses’ castle as a refuge, but the thought vanished when the sound of a couple ponies happily laughing snapped his attention back to where he was. He scooted closer to Nictis and Sky, just about pressing up to them. Surely whoever it was that wanted to talk to him could have come to the castle, right?

Or just not talked to him. He would have been happy with that, too.

Unfortunately, both Sky and Nictis had thought it a good idea and encouraged him to go, and he could hardly say no to them when they’d helped him so much.

The winding streets slowly lead him further and further from the unusual safety of the castle. Sky pointed out a few landmarks along the way, though Cara rarely spared them more than a quick glance before retreating into the safe little bubble of his fellow changelings. A few even looked familiar, which only served to stir up more of a feeling of dread in him.

Eventually, Sky declared that they had arrived. Cara glanced up to see that they stood in front of some sort of restaurant. The patio along its front held several tables with ponies gathered about them, and a flower-shaped sign with a smiling face on it hung over the front steps. Cara hesitated, looking fearfully to the restaurant. He had expected--hoped!--that they’d be going to some nice, quiet house or something. He hadn’t expected something like this. Walking through the crowded streets was bad enough, being exposed to all those ponies, but at least there he’d only be near each one for a short time. Instead, he was going to be stuck sitting in the same place, surrounded by the same ponies, who would see and remember everything he did.

Sure, none of them seemed to make note of the arrival of the three changelings, and the few who did notice seemed indifferent, but it would just be a matter of time.

He tried to act calm as he followed Sky and Nictis up the steps, though the way his breathing sped up likely betrayed him. Sure enough, one of the ponies, a cream-colored mare who was walking between the tables, had spotted them. He tucked his head down as she approached, and bumped up against Nictis in the hopes that he might shield him from some of the oncoming doom.

“Sky!” the mare called out, and then reached out and, much to Cara’s surprise, hugged Sky.

“Been a while,” she happily remarked, and released him again. “And I see you’ve brought some more of your friends this time.”

“Yep!” Sky replied with a grin, lifting a hoof to gesture with. “Sunflower, this is Nictis.”

“Ah, Sky’s told me a lot about you,” she said, reaching out and shaking Nictis’s hoof. “Glad to finally meet you.”

“Thank you,” Nictis replied, breaking his quiet streak for only a moment.

“And this is Cara,” Sky continued, and Cara locked up, eyes going wide. Sky hardly paused before adding, “He’s new, just got here a few days ago. Still a little overwhelmed by everything.”

Cara could feel a hint of apology from Sky, as if he’d be offended at such a description, which seemed odd when the real truth was that he was utterly terrified. Still, he appreciated the gesture, even if meant he was suddenly at the center of attention.

Sunflower started to lift a hoof, but it returned to the ground as she smiled and nodded to him. “Nice to meet you, Cara.”

He swallowed, drew in a breath, and awkwardly replied, “Th-thank you.”

Sunflower turned back to Sky. “Go on back. Your other friend already arrived. She’s waiting at your usual table. I’ll be by as soon as I take care of these orders!”

Sky thanked her, and they headed into the restaurant, while the escorting guards remained out front. Cara kept his head down as they passed only inches away from dining ponies. Fortunately, few seemed to take notice of them, and the few that did seemed merely curious. Strangely, the few who he looked at then looked away, some of them even giving off faint feelings of embarrassment. It was strange behavior, but not hostile. Cara found himself reconsidering his opinion on restaurants, or at least this one; the place seemed rather welcoming.

At least, as welcoming as any room filled with dozens of unknown ponies could possibly be. He swallowed again, inching closer to Nictis, but with a little less fear than before. Still, he was quite happy when they stepped through the door, and felt the cool summer breeze of the outside once again. They had just reached some steps down when he raised his head to caution a glance past Nictis, and he nearly tumbled down the rest as he looked out past the edge of the world.

The back of the restaurant wasn’t another patio like the front; it was a balcony, with a sturdy but decorated iron railing that gave a minimum of obstruction between them and the view. The edge of the city ran off in either direction, protruding out over the giant cliffs it was built upon to hang over open space. Beyond the railing, the valley far below stretched off into the distance. Cara’s wings flickered as a familiar sense of vertigo teased at his senses. It was much like the first time he had stepped out of the hive, leaving the narrow and dim corridors to the sight of unending sky stretching off to a horizon impossibly far away. It passed much more swiftly this time, as he ducked his head to follow along again, but he couldn’t help casting the occasional glance to the spectacular view.

Up ahead, Sky was leading them to a table that already had an occupant, a yellow-and-purple mare who was kicked back to lean against the railing, her head tilted back to look over the edge. To Cara’s surprise, she was one of those hornless, wingless types of ponies. He always felt a little uneasy about them. Life would be awkward enough without his wings, or without his horn. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like without either, but she seemed happy enough. His own wings fidgeted again, a little surprised that she should be so casual about looking over such a tremendous drop when she didn’t have wings. She was even smiling.

She must be very brave, Cara thought. He was pretty sure he’d be very nervous anywhere near such a height if he didn’t have wings. Well, more nervous than he already was, in general. Although, he supposed he wasn’t completely safe, either. He could accidentally hurt his wings. Or be tangled up in something. Or some angry pony mob could cripple his wings and hurl him over the edge.

He’d already been thrown from this city once before. It was unpleasant enough even when he could use his wings to land more-or-less safely.

The mare lifted her head, spotting them as they made their way over. “Ah, Sky! You certainly picked a nice place. I should have checked this place out before.”

“I kind of lucked out,” Sky said, sounding almost abashed at the comment. A moment later he stepped back, turning to gesture to Cara, who did his best to not cringe at being abruptly thrust into the spotlight. “This is Cara. Cara, meet Subtle. We’re working with her to try and find a solution to everything that’s going on.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Subtle said with a kind smile, and while “pleasure” was perhaps exaggerating, he sensed no hostility or reservation of any kind, only a friendly interest.

He had to clear his throat before replying with a meek, “You too.”

They all sat around the table, casually conversing. More accurately, Sky and Subtle were casually conversing. Cara was quite happy to sit there being silent and unnoticed, and Nictis was being particularly quiet and distracted. He seemed to be watching a gathering of ponies at an overlook a short distance away, a few of whom would occasionally peer over the edge. The sight of it made Cara wonder why a city of wingless unicorns would be built in such a high place.

Only a couple minutes after they arrived, Sunflower trotted up to their table, flashing a smile. “So, what can I get for you today?”

Subtle smiled at Sky. “Any recommendations?”

“Yeah, everything,” Sky said with a chuckle. “Though my favorites have always been the drinks. She makes some really good smoothies.”

“Yeah,” Nictis grumbled, eventually ordering a raspberry smoothie and a small platter of hay fries. Not knowing what else to say, Cara asked for the same. Sunflower continued around until they had all ordered, then hurried off to get their food.

As soon as Sunflower had left, Subtle looked over to to Cara, who did his best to not flinch as she spoke. “So, Cara. You just arrived in Equestria?”

“Y-yes,” he answered hastily. “About, um… four days ago?”

Was it really so recent? He almost frowned at the thought. It felt a lot longer.

She nodded, giving him a pleasant smile. “How’re you liking it so far?”

“It’s… it’s very different,” he said, fidgeting in place. “Most ponies are nice. Even though we, erm… you know…”

“Plenty of friendship to go around,” Subtle said with a soft chuckle. “Must have been quite the change, though?”

“Yeah,” Cara said, shuffling his wings, trying to keep his breathing calm. “It’s all, um… different.”

There was a momentary pause before Subtle prompted, “How so?”

Cara sank a little as he realized that he wasn’t going to escape attention with a simple, vague answer. “Well, um… it’s a lot calmer? I haven’t had to work since I got here. I’m not really sure what to do with all the time.” He paused, looking down at the table before another thought came to mind. “The food is different. It’s tasty, better than anything I’ve had before, but it’s still… different.”

He glanced over to Sky, and added, “Also, um… I learned that houses aren’t caves.”

Sky tried to stifle a laugh, and the comment even brought a bit of a smile to Nictis’s face, which at least somewhat made up for the embarrassment of being at the center of attention.

Subtle looked around with a questioning look. “I can tell when I’m missing something.”

Sky let his hoof drop back to the table, still chuckling. “Ah, yeah. See, the hive is basically a bunch of caverns, all stone walls. The new changelings that have just gotten here, sometimes it takes a while for them to learn that most walls and ceilings aren’t made to support the weight of a pony. Or a changeling. Had to remodel because of it.” He shrugged a little. “I still try to teach them not to go crawling all over everything as soon as I can. Some ponies freak out when they see a changeling crouched on the ceiling.”

“Yeah, I could imagine so,” Subtle said diplomatically. “Anyway, what I was really curious about…” She turned back to Cara, smiling again. “What convinced you to come to Equestria?”

His ears pinned back, anxiety rising. Why would she want to know that? Was she just trying to be friendly? Or was she suspicious of him? He swallowed, quickly speaking up. “I-I heard about how nice Equestria was, so… so I decided I’d come here.”

Subtle looked at him with a raised eyebrow, asking, “That’s it?”

Cara sunk in response, disappointed that he couldn’t just brush aside the whole thing with a vague answer. “Well… okay, I guess there was a little more?” He sighed a little. “There was this other changeling, Sapphire. We were friends as nymphs, though I haven’t seen him often since then. I ended up digging tunnels, while he became a soldier, and then later he was promoted to Infiltrator.”

Nictis looked momentarily confused, but Cara continued on. “I hadn’t even seen him for months, but he was there when the group I was working with came back to the main hive to--”

The surprise coming from Nictis and Subtle jarred him from his tale, and Nictis even spoke up. “Wait, main hive?”

Subtle leaned forward, eyes lit up. “There’s more than one? How many?”

“I don’t know!” Cara squeaked, leaning back. “Th-they’re not really hives, just… outposts? At least three or four, maybe more. I-I was on a team to dig one out, but I don’t know what’s going on beyond that!”

Subtle leaned back again, thinking. “Well, this could complicate things. About how big is the outpost?”

“Um… pretty big?” Cara replied. “It’s mostly empty, except for supplies. It’d probably only fit… I don’t know, maybe half the hive in it, when it’s done?”

This prompted glances between Nictis and Subtle, sharing thoughtful expressions. The silence lasted for only a few moments before Subtle’s face abruptly returned to casual happiness as she looked past Sky. “Ahh, here come our drinks!”

Cara blinked awkwardly at the abrupt change of tone, as Sunflower stepped up to the table. “Here you guys go,” she said as she floated the drinks over and set them on the table. Sky had already snatched his up by the time she asked, “Everything good here?”

After several nods and a few affirmative words, she smiled. “Your food will be along soon. Just give me a wave if you need anything else.”

With that, she nodded and trotted off again. Cara eyed his drink cautiously at first, but everyone else was enjoying theirs, so he took a sip. He nearly cringed as the flavor did something to his mouth. He was familiar enough with what “sweet” tasted like, thanks to that manic pink earth pony, but there was something else there that made it feel almost like the drink was attacking his mouth. He frowned at the drink for a moment before leaning in and taking a smaller sip. As odd as it was, it was delicious.

Subtle had leaned back again, savoring a long sip of her own drink. “This is pretty good,” she said, giving a smile and a nod to Sky. Then she looked back to Cara. “Sorry about the interruption. You were saying?”

He nearly coughed up some of his smoothie, quickly gulping it down as a faint ache started to spread in the back of his head. He did his best to ignore it, as well as the paranoia that there was something wrong with his drink. “Um, yeah, I… where was I?”

“You met up with Sapphire?” she prompted.

“Oh, right.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “Well, um... he was always eager and active, but when I saw him, he was kind of just… sitting there. He looked sad, or lost.” He glanced over to Nictis, then immediately away. “I didn’t have anything to do while the dig-leader was arranging for supplies, so I went to talk to him. I just wanted to see what was wrong. Maybe I could even do something to help him.

“He was… different. Like he was confused, and had lost that confidence he always had. It… kind of scared me, actually, so I kept talking to him, trying to get him to tell me what was wrong. I was kind of excited that I might be able to do something to help him. And then… then he started telling me about his time in Equestria. About how everything was different from what he expected. He said he’d been taught that ponies hated changelings, and how they’d imprison or kill him, or try to get the location of the hive through trickery or torture, so they could invade and wipe us out.

“But then he saw changelings living among ponies. He said he thought it was a trick at first, so he started digging into it to find out. He went to…” Cara glanced around uneasily, swallowed, and continued. “He went to Ponyville, since there were more changelings there. He spied on the changelings and ponies there, trying to figure out what was going on, but said all it did was convince him there was no trick. There were just too many changelings. They were all happy, nopony tried to get any information out of them, and there was no invasion brewing.

“That’s why he was so quiet. Even after he told his princess, he was still told to do the same thing as before. He said he tried to talk more about it, to get them to look into what was happening, and he was told to drop it, that it was all some elaborate trick. So he didn’t know what to do, and he was starting to think that the queen, um… that she might be wrong.”

Cara shook his head slowly, eyes staring down at the table without really seeing. “He was always so… loyal and sure. Seeing him like that, it was kind of scary. Then he started talking about the changelings themselves. About how happy they looked, how they were better fed and lived in more comfort than at the hive, how they could do whatever they wanted.

“I… I kept thinking about that,” he said, quieter than usual. “I hated my work. I hated digging all the time. I did it because it helped the hive, and I was glad I was helping, but I still hated it. I’d always… fantasized about being able to do something else, something more important, but I knew it was selfish. So I just kept digging, even though I hated it. I hurt at the end of every day, barely got enough food, and never enough sleep. And I just kept thinking about Sapphire. If even he was starting to question things, surely there was something wrong, right?”

Cara sighed, lifting a hoof to idly paw at his drink. “A few days ago, it was worse than usual. I was worn out from digging, nearly had a tunnel collapse on me twice, and spent half the day bailing water when we hit an aquifer. I was cold, and sore, and covered in mud, and because of how long we’d scrambled to keep the lower tunnels from flooding, I’d probably only get a couple hours of sleep before it was back to digging. I just… I couldn’t put up with it any more, not with the idea of something better out there.

“So… so I stole a bit of food and snuck out when noling was watching. I didn’t get far before I had to land and sleep.” He shook his head. “As soon as I woke up, I knew I’d made a mistake. I wanted to go back, but…” He swallowed, clutching his hooves together. “I’ve heard other changelings talking about others who left the hive, and how much they hated them. I even heard that Chrysalis executes them on the spot if they’re found. So… I couldn’t go back. I’d screwed up, but I had to keep going…”

He fell silent, fidgeting a little as he drew a tiny bit of stability from the sympathy of his fellow changelings. Even Subtle carried feelings of sympathy for him. “I’m sorry you had such a hard time of it,” she said, softly. “I hope it isn’t so bad here?”

Cara slowly nodded. “Everything Sapph said is true. It really is better here.”

Subtle smiled, wisps of happiness reaching Cara’s senses. “And no digging, unless you want to.” She paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “So now I’m kind of curious, what did you want to do?”

“Oh, um,” Cara mumbled, fidgeting even more. “Well, I… I had always kind of fantasized about being an Infiltrator. Or a soldier. Or even a scout. Anything that would get me out of those tunnels. I mean, I know I couldn’t really do that. I’m not brave enough, but it was kind of fun to imagine.”

“And yet you were brave enough to leave the hive and journey to a distant land in hopes of a better life.” Subtle raised her glass as if in salute. “Would that we could all be so brave.”

Cara shrank in on himself, embarrassed by the surely unwarranted praise, though he couldn’t help a small smile. Thankfully, they soon moved on to other topics, letting him sit and think in peace. Subtle had stirred up new thoughts. He had spent so much time worrying about what would happen to him; only now did he begin to consider what he might do now that he was here. The idea of being able to do anything was rather daunting. Scary, almost.

He didn’t have much time to dwell on it, however, as a mare in Royal Guard armor was trotting up to the table. “Miss Tea, I have the morning update from--”

She abruptly halted only a few steps away, looking past Subtle in confusion to stare at Nictis. He turned away from the view that had consistently distracted him, mirroring her confused look.

Then she lowered her head and fired a bolt of magic into his chest.

There were several yelps, both from them and the ponies seated nearby. Cara spilled his drink as he jerked back, and Nictis let out a loud grunt and shuddered. A moment later Nictis fixed the guard with a glare. “What the hay was that for?”

The guard looked even more confused than before. “Sorry, sir,” she said, as if on reflex. “I just came from the observation team stationed at Cotton Candy’s apartment--”

“What?” Nictis said, rising to his hooves, and then turned his glare on Subtle. “You’re spying on Spark?”

“Protecting him,” Subtle replied calmly. “A precaution we took after the team following you last night after your visit nearly caught the changeling who was attempting to intercept you.” While Nictis stared in surprise, she looked back to the guard. “And I assume that has something to do with why you cast dispelling magic on one specific and undisguised changeling.”

“Yes,” the guard said, sounding somewhat uncertain. “The observation team had mentioned Nictis entered Cotton Candy’s apartment just a few minutes before I left with their report.”

Silence followed the statement, shattered moments later by a bang and clatter of glasses as Nictis kicked off of the table and shot straight up.

“Nictis, wait!” Sky shouted, leaping to his hooves. He was just lifting off the ground when Nictis’s wings went still, his eyes fixed on some distant location, and he dropped like a rock. Nictis struck the ground at the same moment that a circle of green fire surged upward, and in an instant, he was gone.

Sky fluttered back to the ground. “Aaand now I can’t follow him. Great.”

Subtle was staring silently at the patch of ground Nictis had just portaled through. “I know where he’s going,” she said calmly as she stood. “Glimmer?”

The guard broke away from her own staring to look back to Subtle.

“Find Feather Strike and Autumn Wind, and instruct them to join up with the observation team assigned to Spark Wheel.” The guard nodded hastily and galloped off, and Subtle turned to Sky and Cara. “Someling is making a move against Nictis. We need to return to the castle.”

The world reeled around Nictis, sliding into place for the third time in the past few moments. The green flash of fire had only barely parted before he kicked off the once-again solid roof beneath his hooves, throwing himself forward. The rapid-fire portals were an exhausting way of saving a few moments of time, but that didn’t matter. He could always get more energy.

He was already flying over the edge of the roof as his vision cleared, eyes landing on his final target. Dropping down, he kicked off the railing of the open-air hall as he sailed by, and slammed into the wall with all four hooves. He clung there for an instant before dropping, lunging forward, and pounded a hoof on Cotton’s door. Then he stood there, panting after the exertion of the near-panicked race to get there, fighting the urge of the adrenaline that was screaming for him to do something. Part of him wanted to just barge right in, but he knew that would likely go horribly wrong, whether there was a hostile Infiltrator waiting inside or not.

After a few moments of struggling against the desire to simply bust down the door and charge in, he heard the indistinct sounds of movement beyond the door, and a moment later Cotton opened it. She looked ragged and off-balance, and flinched the moment she saw him.

“Is Spark okay?” Nictis quickly asked between his panting. “Is he still here?”

“Nictis?” she asked, warily, as a cold chill gripped him. She was scared of him.

He didn’t know what to say. “Y-yeah. Is he okay? Are you okay?”

“I… yeah,” Cotton said warily. After a moment’s hesitation she stepped back to let him in, though she seemed to be favoring a leg, and he was fairly certain now that he could make out a growing lump on the side of her head. With growing fear he hurried past her and rounded the corner of the entryway to enter the living room.

The room was in shambles. One of the large chairs was knocked over, books and other belongings knocked from shelves, and spilled drinks and broken cookies were scattered across the floor around the coffee table. In the center of it all, Spark was sitting on the couch, looking as if he were close to breaking into tears, while Bigs held him protectively in his forelegs, comforting him. Nictis was relieved to see that Spark looked physically unharmed, but it was clear enough that he was hurt in other ways. Bigs looked to be developing a rather impressive black eye, and looked a little uncertain, perhaps even uncomfortable with the current situation, though the look was washed away in an instant as he spotted Nictis, to be replaced with a furious glare.

Nictis hardly noticed that, however. He was focused instead on the sudden shot of fear he received from Spark the moment their eyes met. He wavered, starting to step forward before drawing back, the urge to rush over and comfort Spark warring with the painful knowledge that he was the cause of Spark’s fear. After a moment he dryly croaked, “Are… are you okay? What happened?”

Bigs started to open his mouth, but the answer never came. The loud bang of the front door flying open made them all jump, followed an instant later by a voice shouting out, “Royal Guards! Stay where you are!”

Nictis spun around to see Cotton drop the heavy snack tray she had picked up in her magic, as a half-dozen armored guards rushed into the room. One unicorn fixed his eyes on Nictis, who staggered back reflexively as the guard sent a blast of magic into him.

He let out a strangled yelp as the hastily cast dispelling magic struck, his chest tightening as excess energy grounded through his body. “Gah! Will you ponies stop doing that to me already?!”

The guard ignored him as he pointed a hoof to the others. “Check them, too.”

The other guards quickly followed his order, though at least they took the time to cast the spell properly, rather than hastily dumping energy into it for speed. When they all failed to turn into changelings, the first guard asked, “Where did the other changeling go?”

“He teleported out,” Bigs said firmly, though he once again glared at Nictis as he did so.

Nictis paused in rubbing his chest, head drawing back in surprise. “Teleported? You mean a fire portal?”

“Whatever you want to call your creepy melt-into-the-ground fire thingy,” Bigs replied angrily.

The guard looked down to him; he seemed familiar enough that Nictis thought he should probably remember his name, but it escaped him at the moment. “Is that important?”

“What?” Nictis asked, a little surprised to be asked this by a pony who had moments ago shot him in the chest with his magic. “Oh, no. It’s just that when he said teleport, I thought… well, changelings can’t teleport.”

The guard nodded. “How far could they have gotten?”

Nictis grumbled. “Heck if I know. With enough energy they could have portaled right out of the city.”

“All right,” the guard said with a snort, and then turned back to the others. “So, what happened here?”

Cotton limped forward a step. “Well, he--I mean, a changeling who looked like him… they showed up, and we let him in, thinking he was Nictis. I knew something seemed off, but Nictis is kind of going through a lot, so I didn’t think anything of it. As soon as we were all in here, he just went nuts. Blindsided Big Shot, kicked me in the side of the head, then took turns wailing on us. Then he stuck us down with some weird sticky stuff he spit up.” She shuffled her hooves. “I’m not quite sure what happened after that. He hit me pretty hard…”

She looked over to Spark, who looked even more uncomfortable than before. He swallowed, finally speaking up. “After that, he… he grabbed me, and pinned me down on the couch, and he started… choking me.” As he spoke, he kept glancing over to Nictis, and each look felt like a stab in the chest.

“H-he was just choking me and grinning, a-and… and he was acting so happy when he did it, making these… sounds. And… he told me to tell you…”

He stopped as he looked at Nictis again, trembling faintly. “...He said to tell you to… ‘consider the cost of betrayal.’”

Nictis stared wide-eyed, his blood gone cold. He sat down, numb. This other changeling had attacked Spark because of him. Because he had refused Chrysalis’s offer. He’d already known this, of course, but to hear it from Spark, and to hear what he had done…

His thoughts turned back to the memory of choking Bigs, and that look of terror when the pony thought he was going to die; it was all too easy to picture Spark in his place, panicking as he struggled for a breath that would not come, while his attacker just grinned down at him, enjoying his struggles.

He lept to his hooves. “We’re taking them to the castle!”

Everypony looked to him in surprise, and he only then realized that they had continued talking without him. The guard in charge gave him a questioning look. “What are you talking about?”

“He was attacked because I refused to help Chrysalis,” he said angrily. “I’m not going to just let her hurt Spark! This was just a threat, but I’m not going to let her follow through on it, so we’re taking them to the castle where they’ll be safe!”

Then he blinked, the fire leaving him as he looked back to Spark, Cotton, and Bigs, feeling suddenly awkward. “Um, I mean… if that’s okay with you.”

Cotton was staring at him wide-eyed, mouth hanging open for a second. “If it’s… if it’s okay to stay at the castle? Are you serious?”

He shuffled uneasily. “Um… yes?”

She continued to stare for a moment. “...Heck yeah it’s okay! How often do you get the chance to stay at the castle?” She turned a grin on the others. Spark hesitated a moment before faintly nodding, after which Bigs nodded as well. Neither seemed to share her enthusiasm.

The guard chose then to speak up again. “Sir, you can’t just invite people to stay at the castle. That’s up to the princesses. Miss Tea is aware they may become targets, that’s why we were stationed here, to keep them safe.”

Cotton looked a little surprised at this, but Nictis barely noticed as he turned on the guard. “And a fat lot of good you’re doing at it! What are you going to do, camp out in Cotton’s living room? That other changeling can make a fire portal, and he’s already been here. He could portal in and you wouldn’t even have a clue!”

The guard’s face tightened with a sharp rush of irritation. “Regardless, you can’t just decide that yourself. We can ask--”

“I don’t really care if I can or not!” Nictis shot back. “I’m doing it. If Celestia has a problem with it, she can tell me herself, because that’s what it’s going to take to stop me! Besides,” he added in a belated attempt to be conciliatory, “Princess Celestia told us to bring along anyone we wanted to have as staff, so I’ll just claim them as assistants. There, they’re already invited.”

The guard frowned, looking very much as if he was biting back an angry retort, until one of the pegasus guards stepped forward. “It would free some of us up, having the castle guards watching them. Miss Tea has us stretched thin already.”

The frown deepened more at this, though he finally nodded. “Fine, they can come with us to the castle.” He raised a gold-shod hoof to point at Nictis. “But they’ll only be staying if it’s okayed by the princesses.”

“Good,” Nictis replied with a nod. Even as uncomfortable as he might be about the princesses, he had a feeling Celestia would have no problem with this, given the circumstances.

The guards stood by as Spark and Bigs gathered their things, and Cotton made use of the time to clean up the worst of the mess. A few minutes later they stepped out, with Cotton locking the door behind them. Nictis could see several ponies peering out from windows, no doubt wondering what all the commotion was.

As they walked along, surrounded by guards, he noticed that Cotton was trying to suppress a smile, even as she limped along. When she eventually noticed him watching her, she shot him a grin. “What?”

He frowned. “Why are you suddenly so cheery?”

“I’m all beat up and being led away by guards,” she said, skipping for a couple steps as she chuckled. “My neighbors probably think I’m being arrested.”

“And this is a good thing?” he asked, dubiously.

“Heck, I think some of them expected it years ago,” she replied rather too cheerily. “Besides, it’ll probably blow their mind when I tell them the truth. International espionage and interspecies diplomacy. Not exactly what they’d expect of ‘that crazy mare who throws all those loud parties.’”

He shook his head as she giggled, the tiniest of smiles touching his face. It faded quickly as his attention drifted back to Spark, who was trudging along listlessly. Nictis sighed softly, any hope of levity vanishing at the thought. Someling had hurt Spark. Not only that, they had done it while wearing his face.

And if he continued to refuse Chrysalis, she would try to finish the job.

His head dipped as he followed along, silent and weary.

Chapter 5: Schemes

Chapter 5: Schemes

“He did what?!”

Sky winced, his hoof freezing an inch from the door to the Solstice Hall. Twilight might have been getting better at keeping her temper in stressful situations, and Sky understood he hadn’t been around to see the worst of it, but hearing her outburst was still worrying. He sighed, and continued on to open the door and enter.

The room was mostly empty. Twilight sat with a hoof to her face, wings drooping limply at her side, while Spike awkwardly patted her on the back. Her friends sat around her, minus Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who were off elsewhere, and Rainbow Dash, who was currently sprawled out and napping on a nearby cushion. The rest looked somewhat surprised and unsure, except for Fluttershy, who simply looked awkward. Skiris and Trip both sat nearby, exchanging confused looks.

Contrary to the rest of the gathering, Luna looked entirely unperturbed about whatever had upset Twilight.

“Of all the times,” Twilight grumbled, “of course he’d pull this now. I don’t even know why I’m surprised any more.”

Sky cautiously approached, concern rising. “Did something happen?” he asked, quite glad that ponies couldn’t read the trepidation clinging to his mind.

Twilight let her hoof fall, looking up to him with a tired, irritated look. “Discord is skipping town, right when he might actually be useful for once.”

The unexpected answer brought Sky to a halt. “Wait, Discord?” He blinked, not quite sure what to think. Normally, him being elsewhere was a cause for relief for most ponies. “And, um… why is he leaving?”

“Because…” Twilight trailed off, then frowned and turned to Fluttershy. “Actually, I don’t know. Why is he leaving right now?”

“Well, um, you see…” Fluttershy paused, drew a calming breath, and continued. “He said that ponies always think it’s his fault whenever anything really chaotic happens, and he doesn’t want to be blamed for the next few days.”

Applejack cocked her head to the side, looking suspicious. “Wait, are you tellin’ us he’s expectin’ things to be so chaotic that even he doesn’t want to be around for it?”

“I, um… I don’t think that’s quite what he meant.” She shifted awkwardly and added, “He said he’d be keeping an eye out to see what happens here.”

“Ah,” Luna said, her thoughtfully neutral expression replaced with a look of tired disapproval. “‘Keeping an eye out.’ So that explains the disembodied eye in my washroom this morning.”

Twilight looked momentarily disturbed at the thought, but quickly blinked it away before turning back to Fluttershy. “Keeping an eye out… to help us, or to enjoy the show?”

“Um,” Fluttershy said, delaying for a moment by fidgeting with her hooves. “...I’m sure he’ll come back to help us if anything goes wrong.”

Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know why I’m even surprised.” She finally turned back to Sky. “Anyway, how are things with Nictis and the rest?”

“Oh, uh, they’re doing… well, I guess. Subtle and Celestia have been talking with them to get the details of what happened. Celestia is… kind of irritated.”

“Oh, she’s not irritated,” Luna said with a soft chuckle. “She’s furious.”

Sky’s eyes widened. “Why is that so funny? That’s bad, isn’t it?”

“Not so much,” Luna replied, still smiling. “At least, not for us. For Chrysalis?” She shrugged slightly, her smile looking a little sharper. “Well, we shall see.”

“Oh,” Sky said uneasily, as he took a seat.

“And do not worry,” Luna said, her smile softening. “I do not mean to make light of the situation, but as a sister, it is practically my duty to find some amusement in her reaction.”

Sky grumbled. “So much for negotiations. I didn’t expect them to end before they even started.”

“Do not be too hasty,” Luna said. “Let us see what comes, first. At the very least, I want to hear how Chrysalis intends to explain this.”

“She’s done nothing but mock the entire idea of peace between the hive and Equestria,” Sky said, ears starting to droop. “And now this. Celestia was trying to hide how angry she was, but it’s still kind of… frightening.”

Luna nodded. “My sister has always tied her emotions closely to her subjects. Ponies seem to overlook that. She has always been loving and protective, yet somehow it seems ponies expect me to be the more emotional of us.” She turned a wry smile toward Sky. “I know from experience that nopony who had ever made a point of harming Equestria or its subjects would make that mistake.”

Sky frowned. “That’s not exactly reassuring.”

“What I mean is, she will do what’s best for everyone in Equestria. If that means making a deal with Chrysalis, then she will. As angry as she may be, she is not driven by wrath or pride. Her passion lies in the well-being of her ponies, and all the subjects of Equestria.”

Sky considered that for a moment, though he still looked dubious. “So… what’s yours, then?”

Luna raised a hoof, idly tapping it to her chin for a moment before neatly crossing her forelegs, a grin crossing her face. “Adversity. Conflict, even.” She lifted her hoof again to wave it dismissively. “Which is not to say I dislike peace, or any such nonsense. I value the well-being of Equestria’s subjects as much as my sister. I simply enjoy a challenge, but there are many ways to find such things without subjecting anyone to harm.”

Her grin turned sharp for a moment. “So as much as I’d love to storm into Chrysalis’s chambers, dispatch her soldiers, and demand answers, I’d like to see where this is going. She is an intriguing adversary.”

Twilight snorted softly. “Intriguing is probably the nicest word I’ve ever heard used to describe her.”

“Perhaps,” Luna chuckled. “But that’s what makes it so interesting.”

“Interesting,” Sky echoed, shaking his head. “I don’t think Celestia finds it quite so interesting.”

“My sister and I are contrary in nature,” Luna replied with a knowing smile, “and it serves us well. We have the same goals, but we often have different outlooks on how to achieve them. I perhaps favor more direct methods than my sister. After all, I think it is quite important to encourage our subjects to pursue that which matters most to them.” She inclined her head toward the sleeping form of Rainbow Dash, then leaned in toward Sky, a sly smile on her face. “Even if it is a little scary.”

If it were physically possible, Sky was sure he would have been blushing furiously at the comment. Instead, he merely made a faint, wordless squeak before clamping his mouth shut, ears pinned back, and trying to ignore the amusement of the rest of the group.

A moment later their attention was drawn to the doors as they opened, and a grim-faced Celestia marched into the hall.

“Speaking of,” Luna murmured softly before rising to her hooves. “Please excuse me, I believe my sister and I have some matters to discuss.”

Despite the bruising and the faint limp that persisted when she walked, Cotton Candy had a bounce to her step as she trotted along beside Nictis. “...A suite in the castle, and we got to talk with Princess Celestia. This day just keeps getting better!”

Nictis sighed yet again. “Cotton, your day started by getting beat up. It’s kind of hard to not improve from there.”

“Pfft,” was Cotton’s dismissive reply. “I can get beat up any day. I don’t get to talk to the princesses all the time like you do!” She swerved to the side, bumping her shoulder against his. “That’s really cool, by the way,” she said as she resumed her happy trotting.

“This was less talk and more interrogation,” Nictis grumbled.

“Meh, details,” she said, hopping forward just to spin around to face him, walking backward for the moment. “Either way, I got to talk with a princess, and now I get to stay in the castle, and I’m going to enjoy it!”

Nictis rolled his eyes while she simply grinned back at him. “...I’m just worried, is all.”

With a quick pirouette, Cotton fell in beside him again. “Well, you shouldn’t be. We’re in the castle, we’ll be fine.”

“I know that,” he replied, his mouth hanging open for a moment longer before he decided against elaborating. Fortunately, an easy distraction presented itself. “Well, we’re here,” he said, stepping up to the door to his room.

Cotton giggled happily as she threw open the door and trotted in, head turning this way and that as she took in the room. It was about the size of her entire apartment, with a pair of couches, a table, a line of windows showing a grand view of the city and the valley beyond, and all manner of decorations. As if that wasn’t enough, it was only the first room; the large doors in the back led to a bedroom that was almost as big and just as impressive, and a different door led to one of the largest and most well-stocked bathrooms Nictis had ever seen.

“Wow!” Cotton gasped as she spun around giddily. “This place is awesome! And you’ve got it all to yourself?”

“Yeah,” Nictis reluctantly replied. “I told Celestia that we didn’t need so many rooms, but she still gave us several, so I ended up with one to myself.” He shrugged awkwardly. “But I guess at least I’m not uprooting anyling to make room for you.”

He glanced back as Spark and Bigs followed them into the room, both rather more reserved in their reactions. In fact, Spark had been looking at him rather than the room, and immediately glanced away the moment their eyes met. Bigs did not, staring back at Nictis, though at least he had stopped glaring. The anger Bigs held had faded some after Subtle had mentioned being in Nictis’s company when his doppelganger had attacked them. Nictis was particularly thankful toward the mare when the same comment had diminished the lingering concern Spark had been feeling toward him. At least some good had come of the questioning.

He shook himself from his thoughts. “Anyway, I hope this will do,” he said, to which Cotton snorted with laughter.

“Do?” she asked between laughs. “Oh, it’ll more than do. Come on, Nictis, this is the royal castle. How could it be any better?”

“Well, um… okay,” Nictis said, hesitating a moment before continuing. “Anyway, there are guards outside if you need anything.” He gestured toward one side. “And I’ll be staying next door, though I’ll probably be busy most of--”

“Wait, what?” Cotton said, coming to a halt in front of him. “I thought this was your room?”

“It was,” he said, taking a half-step back. “But I’m going to move over to the next room, so you guys can have the room to yourself.” He glanced over to Spark, but said nothing more.

“No, no, no,” Cotton said, stepping up beside him and hooking a foreleg around his shoulders. “We aren’t kicking you out of your room! Besides, there’s more than enough room for all of us. Think of it like a slumber party. We’ve got a whole Rising Sun reunion going on!” She gave him a squeeze. “Come on!”

Nictis sighed, deflating a little. “Only if it’s okay with everypony else,” he conceded.

Surprisingly, Spark spoke up right away, though quietly. “It’s okay.” A moment later Bigs nodded, and Cotton looked back to Nictis with a grin. “See? It’s unanimous, now you’ve got to stay.”

“Okay,” Nictis said, hoping that it wouldn’t all end up being a horrible mistake. “But I’ve got to go for now.”

“Right,” Cotton said, releasing him again. “I always figured you’d end up doing something talky, but I’ve got to admit, I never expected you to end up as a diplomat.”

“I’m not really a diplomat,” Nictis said as he slowly made his way to the door, with Cotton following along. “I’m just there to answer any questions Princess Celestia might have… and to show that changelings and ponies can live together.” He glanced back for a moment and sighed. “Not that I’m the best example of it.”

“Ah-ah!” Cotton chided, lifting a hoof mock-threateningly. “You’re not starting that up again. You go do your whole pseudo-ambassadorial thingy, and then when you get back we can all have some fun.” She stepped forward to open the door for him. “I promise.”

Nictis paused, torn, but eventually nodded. “...Thanks.” He looked back to the others. “Goodbye, then. I guess I’ll see you all tonight.”

Spark made a quiet and awkward sound that might have been a very soft “Goodbye,” while Bigs merely nodded again.

With that, Nictis tuned and left, head drooping as he walked. He didn’t get far. Only halfway to the corner of the hall, Spark’s voice called out to him. “Wait!”

Nictis stopped abruptly, head snapping up and around to see Spark slipping past a surprised Cotton and trotting after him. Spark slowed the closer he got, until he was practically creeping up to Nictis. Despite that slowness, his breathing was growing faster, mirroring the increasing jumble of emotions coming from him. Nictis remained silent, ears drooping.

Spark was trembling faintly as he drew near, and he struggled for several moments, trying to find his voice. Fear and unease grew by the moment as he wavered, and Nictis tried to think of something to say, anything to try to relieve that fear. He never got the chance; Spark quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped his forelegs around Nictis, squeezing firmly despite the shudder that passed through him.

“It wasn’t you,” Spark said, his voice tight and small. “I-I know it wasn’t you. I’m sorry. It wasn’t you...”

While Spark repeatedly mumbled the same words again and again, Nictis hugged back automatically, but otherwise just stood there for a moment, stunned. As realization sank in, he found himself blinking and soon clenching his eyes shut to hold off the watering, a faint shudder passing through him as he hugged tighter. “It’s okay,” he murmured weakly, leaning his head gently against Spark’s, saying those words again every time the trembling pony repeated himself.

They held each other tight as the trembling slowed and stopped, their murmured words fading. As they did, the feelings of fear in Spark also diminished, though they lingered alongside a persistent and pervasive worrying. He had even just started to relax in Nictis’s grip when a quiet and cautious voice drew his attention.

“Is everypony alright?”

Nictis blinked a few times, raising a hoof to wipe away the last bit of blurriness to his eyes as he glanced over. The source of the voice was a gray pegasus guard, who was regarding the pair of them cautiously. “We’re okay,” he quietly replied, turning his attention back to Spark, but the initial glance turned into a double-take as recognition struck.

Spark had drawn back from the hug, wiping the back of his hoof across his face in an attempt to dry some of the dampness on his cheeks. “Th-Thunder Chaser?”

“Hey, Spark,” Thunder said, quietly. “I came as soon as I could. I only just heard what happened. You’re okay?”

Spark glanced to Nictis, though he quickly looked back to Thunder Chaser with a faint, apologetic feeling. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“Good to hear,” Thunder said with a weak smile. “What about Cotton?”

“A little bruised,” Spark quietly replied, “but she’s okay, too.”

He gave a timid gesture back down the hall, and Nictis automatically glanced that way. Cotton Candy was still standing at the door, halfway down the hall. Surprisingly, she had company; Pinkie Pie was bouncing in front of her as they shared a very animated conversation, both of them grinning enough to make Nictis feel vaguely uneasy.

Spark drew in a deep breath, let it back out, and then gestured again. “Come on,” he said softly, and started to pad back toward Cotton and their room. As they drew closer, Nictis could pick out bits of Cotton and Pinkie’s conversation, which sounded to revolve around baking. Said conversation came to an abrupt end when Cotton glanced their way, her face lighting up even more. “T.C.! Oh my gosh, this is perfect!”

Thunder’s wings snapped out as if to take flight when Cotton lunged at him, wrapping him in a tight hug. A moment later she released the hug, though she kept her forehooves planted firmly on his shoulders. “Are you off-duty tonight, T.C.?”

He looked warily at her, then back to the pink earth pony who hadn’t stopped bouncing the whole time, and finally back to Spark and Nictis. “Uh, I’m… I’m kind of on-duty right now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cotton said, removing one hoof from his shoulder in order to wave it around. “But what about tonight? Are you available?”

“Well… I’m off-duty at eight, but I don’t know if--”

“Perfect!” Cotton exclaimed with a grin. “We’re having a slumber party and reunion tonight, and you’re coming!”

Thunder cocked an eyebrow, and looked about ready to object when Pinkie Pie bounced forward. “That is perfect!” she cried, grinning at Cotton. “I can help you get ready for your party, and then you can help me with my super-secret special surprise stealth project!”

Nictis cringed as they both giggled.

Thunder Chaser looked nearly as uneasy. “I don’t know…”

“Aw, come on!” Cotton said, grinning encouragingly. “We’ve got a whole Rising Sun reunion thing going on. We even have Bigs here--and he’s being nice! Besides, um…” She slipped up close to him, quickly whispering into his ear. When she drew back, Nictis saw a hint of pleading to her expression, while Thunder Chaser cast a momentary glance Spark’s way.

“Okay,” he replied with a small nod. “I’ll see if I can make it.”

“Great!” Cotton said as she wrapped him again in a hug, her grin having returned full-strength. “Okay, I should get going then, if I’m going to get all the treats ready in time! Pinkie here is even giving me access to the castle’s kitchens!”

Nictis frowned, fairly certain that Pinkie didn’t actually have the authority to do that.

“Of course!” Pinkie said, as full of enthusiasm as ever. “I heard that you were going to be staying here in the castle, and I remembered your cutie mark, and Niccy--I like that name, by the way!--Niccy mentioned you liked parties and baking, so I thought, ‘Perfect!’”

Dubiously, Nictis asked, “Uh, Pinkie, what exactly are you planning?”

The response was a simultaneous “Secret!” from both Pinkie and Cotton.

“Oookay,” Nictis said, even more dubiously. “And why do you need Cotton?”

Pinkie bounced, grinning even bigger than usual. “Oh! Because the kitchens are so huge, and I can bake so much stuff there, and I want to bake so much stuff, but I can only bake so much on my own, so I need somepony to help me so that I can bake all that I can bake!”

“And how could I turn down an argument like that?” Cotton said with a laugh. “Anyway, we’ve got to get going to the kitchen, and you’re going to be late to your diplomatical stuff. Shoo!” She gave a quick wave as she turned away. “See you all tonight! This is going to be great!”

“Yeah,” Nictis replied with a sigh. “This can only end well.”

“I know!” Cotton replied happily over her shoulder. She and Pinkie trotted and bounced down the hall, babbling energetically as they went.

Silence lingered among the rest of them for a few seconds before Thunder Chaser glanced over to Spark. “Did she get a little more manic at some point?”

“She’s being weird today,” Nictis sighed, shaking his head. “But she’s right, I’ve got to get going.” He turned to look to Spark. “Are you going to be okay?”

Spark nodded faintly, giving a small, fragile smile. “Yeah.”

“Okay. I’ll, uh… I’ll see you two tonight, I guess.”

“Yeah,” Thunder Chaser said. “We’ve… got some catching up to do.”

Nictis hesitated; even with the advantage of his natural senses, he couldn’t quite get a good feel for how Thunder was feeling about him. Instead, he gave a little nod before turning and walking off to make his way across the castle.

The Solstice Hall was rather quiet. Luna and Celestia sat to one side, though their quiet conversation had ended some time ago. The others chatted quietly amongst themselves, though it was somewhat muted and uneasy, recent events weighing heavily on many minds. Sky knew they were likely weighing most heavily on Nictis, but the other changeling had quietly assured him that he was more-or-less fine before going very quiet.

Sky himself remained rather quiet, as well. The events of earlier were troubling, not just for what it might mean for Nictis and his friends but for changelings everywhere. At the same time, he found himself dwelling on Luna’s earlier words. It wasn’t helped when Rainbow Dash finally woke from her nap and joined the group; he immediately wanted to talk with her, but it felt somehow inappropriate at the moment.

Instead, he quietly joined in on the conversation, throwing in a few words every now and then while they waited.

For better or worse, they did not have to wait long.

The double doors leading into the room opened to allow Chrysalis to enter, a smug and condescending smile on her face as her gaze landed on the group awaiting her. Behind her trailed a half-dozen of her own soldiers, followed by twice that number in Royal Guards. A few magical auras sparkled nearby as the last few members of the procession were scanned by the door guards.

“Chrysalis.” Celestia’s voice was hard and sharp. She had already risen to her hooves and walked toward the queen, followed by Luna and, a moment behind, Twilight. Sky shuffled his wings anxiously, watching the three advance on Chrysalis. “You were welcomed into Equestria as a guest in the hopes that we might find a peaceful resolution to our situation. Instead, I find that hospitality betrayed and my subjects attacked. Explain yourself.”

Chrysalis came to a halt, regarding Celestia with a look of bored disapproval. “...What in the world are you blathering on about, now?”

The muscles in Celestia’s jaw tightened faintly. “After Nictis met with you, his friends were attacked by one of your changelings. They were beaten and told to deliver a message to him, telling him to reconsider the offer you made to him. I don’t know what made you think you could get away with such barbaric behavior, but I will not tolerate attacks on my subjects.”

Chrysalis met Celestia’s glare for several long seconds. Slowly, the corners of her mouth crept up, until the queen chuckled out loud, her voice full of amusement. “Oh, Celestia. You must have an overly high view of yourself if you think I would ever be such an idiot!” She snapped the last word out with a growl, any humor dying in an instant. “Yes, I have changelings out in your precious little city. They were instructed to hide and wait, as an insurance policy for your good behavior. Emphasis on ‘hide.’”

She turned away from Celestia, casually strutting toward the grand table. “If what you say is true, and I find that doubtful, then it was done against my explicit instructions.”

“So you’re telling us that you have such poor command over your own agents that you cannot restrain their actions?” Celestia asked, glaring after her. “That does not relieve you of responsibility for what they have done.”

Chrysalis snapped her head around, teeth bared. “You do not need to tell me my responsibility, princess. I have led my subjects through far more adversity and hardship than you might think. If one of my subjects has disobeyed my direct orders, then I shall discipline them.” She sneered coldly. “Does that satisfy your enraged sense of justice?”

“This isn’t about a lack of discipline or a failure to follow orders,” Celestia replied sharply. “This is about an assault on my subjects.”

“We feed on your precious little ponies,” Chrysalis said, her sneer turning to a smug grin. “If you are truly interested in any sort of ‘peaceful’ agreement with the hive, then you’re going to have to learn to cope with that fact.”

“That is not the same thing,” Celestia replied, though to Sky’s surprise, she had calmed slightly. She followed the statement by sweeping a hoof to her side, indicating the small gathering of ponies and changelings. “Changelings can live alongside ponies, getting all the food they need, without having to resort to such cruel violence.”

“Oh, please,” Chrysalis laughed, rolling her eyes before pointing a hoof at Nictis; Sky reflexively shifted a little closer to him, though she paid him no mind. “You mean the one who poisoned and nearly killed his lover, and who intentionally and repeatedly drained him dry just to leave him mentally impaired? The one who ruined a child’s hopes of adoption for half a decade? Who repeatedly framed another foal in an attempt to assert social dominance, and when that failed, beat and choked him to the verge of death? How about his string of burglaries, stealing so many thousands of bits, and which eventually led to him putting a pony in the hospital with a fractured skull?”

She chuckled darkly as she turned away, waving a hoof. “And that’s not even counting all the smaller lies, threats, frauds, and assaults he’s committed throughout your precious little kingdom.” She looked back over her shoulder at Celestia, smirking. “If he’s your standard for good behavior, then I must be a paragon of virtue by comparison.”

Celestia’s voice was surprisingly soft. “He may have done many bad things in his past, but he has sought to change his ways and make amends for his behavior. Nobody is beyond redemption, if they truly seek it.” The edge returned to her voice as she added, “But attempting to excuse needless violence and oppression will never be justified.”

Chrysalis’s smirk never wavered. “You never get tired of this self-righteousness, do you?”

“Chrysalis,” Celestia replied in a warning tone, eyes narrowing.

“What?” Chrysalis spat back. “Do you expect me to apologize for something I had no part in? Do you expect me to plant my snout in the dirt and grovel like all your hoof-licking little sycophants? If one of my subjects has disobeyed me, then that is something that I shall punish, myself. I will not, however, subject them or any other subject to whatever absurdity passes for justice in Equestria. If that is unacceptable to you, then it seems we have nothing further to discuss.”

While Chrysalis and Celestia glared at each other, Luna stepped up. “There may be other concessions that could be considered.”

The queen’s eyes darted over to the younger princess. “Oh, right. I keep forgetting that you’re supposed to be a real princess, too.”

“We can discuss your failing memory another time,” Luna replied with a confident smile. “For now, perhaps we should stick to the matter at hoof.”

Chrysalis held her stare for a long, silent moment, before snorting softly; Sky wasn’t quite sure if it was annoyance, amusement, or both. “Very well,” she said. “Go on.”

Instead of replying herself, Luna looked over to Celestia. It was a moment before the older princess spoke, her glare holding strong. “First, since you claim to be unable to ensure the proper conduct of the agents you have in my city, you will remove them immediately.”

“Hah,” Chrysalis snapped back, scornfully. “I’m not about to remove what little insurance I have against any Equestrian treachery.”

“You know quite well that no such thing will happen,” Celestia said. “You face three of the most powerful beings in Equestria, backed by the entire Royal Guard, and with your own soldiers scattered and surrounded. Despite that, you’ve been nothing but provocative since you arrived, unconcerned about the response your insults might bring. Any trap would have been sprung long ago. Their removal will not have any effect on your safety and you know it.”

Chrysalis considered for a moment before allowing a small chuckle. “Oh, very well. If a half-dozen changelings are terrifying you so much, I suppose I could send them a message to wait outside of your precious little city.”

“No,” Celestia said, firmly. “You’re not going make a show of them leaving only to sneak them back in again. You will bring them to the castle, and they will stay with you and the rest of your soldiers until you all leave.”

“Ah,” Chrysalis dryly replied. “So they’re to be treated as prisoners.”

Luna spoke up again. “They will be hosted in a suite at the castle, and will be free to leave with you on the conclusion of our talks.”

“How generous of you,” Chrysalis said, her voice making it clear that she considered it anything but. As Celestia opened her mouth to speak, Chrysalis raised a hoof to cut her off. “Oh, fine, if you’re going to make such a fuss of it. It’s not like six changelings will make much difference, anyway. Satisfied?”

“Not just the six we know of,” Celestia replied. “All of the changelings following you.”

“I only brought the six,” Chrysalis replied, sounding bored.

“And we will remember that you said that, if we find any more of your agents in Canterlot.”

Chrysalis gave a dry laugh. “Oh, you might find an Infiltrator or two. They’re given a degree of independence in accomplishing their goals, it wouldn’t surprise me if a few have made their way here, but I am not aware of them, specifically.”

Celestia nodded. “Second: your soldiers will disarm.”

“What?” Chrysalis snapped, amusement vanishing. “I will not leave my soldiers defenseless!”

“They are already defenseless,” Celestia replied.

“Any fight would be hopelessly one-sided,” Luna said, still smiling. “Disarming them makes no practical difference. It is a purely symbolic gesture.”

“If it makes no difference,” Chrysalis hissed, teeth bared, “then surely you won’t mind when I refuse.”

“Ever since you arrived, you have been insulting and dismissive of the very idea of negotiations,” Celestia said, unwavering. “It is time for you to give some indication that there is any hope of you being willing to listen.”

“I showed up,” Chrysalis sneered.

“And brought along soldiers and Infiltrators, verbally lashed out at several ponies, and allowed the assault of my subjects,” Celestia said. “So far, you’ve used these talks as an excuse, and nothing more. I was willing to be lenient, but not when my subjects are being attacked. Your soldiers will disarm, or you will be expelled from Equestria. Again.”

Chrysalis met her glare, silent for several moments. Eventually, she rolled her eyes. “Here in the depths of your own castle, surrounded by your personal guard, and you still feel threatened by me. Fair enough, I suppose. I did beat you the last time we crossed horns.” She grinned slyly. “But very well, they will disarm. My soldiers are quite capable of defending themselves without such weapons.”

“Third,” Celestia said, “on the same note, you will attend these talks, and make an effort to at least appear to listen. No more scoffing at the very idea of them, no more insults, and no more refusing to speak for whatever fabricated outrage you can come up with.”

This time, Chrysalis simply smiled, though the look was hardly reassuring. “Oh, but of course. That is why I’m here, after all.”

“...In that case,” Celestia said, gesturing to the table, “let us take our seats and begin.”

Sky rose to his hooves, as did everyone else awaiting the outcome of the two rulers’ confrontation. His eyes were fixed on Chrysalis as they all began to make their way to the table. It was rather hard to look away from her, even as the nervous anxiety in him grew. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to notice him.

A moment later he caught a hint of a smile on her features. Adrenaline flooded his senses as her wings snapped to life and lifted her from the ground; whatever attack he imagined, however, never came. Instead, she flew over the table to descend on the largest of the two chairs, sinking down to lay out luxuriously across it.

Celestia frowned as she approached. “Chrysalis, that’s not yours.”

“It’s not?” Chrysalis purred, though the sharp teeth thoroughly countered any softness. “And why is that? Seems fitting that the grandest chair would go to the ruling queen, and the smaller one to the ruling princess. Surely you didn’t expect me to just sit on the floor while you and your sister lord over me, hmm?”

“Chrysalis…”

“Hmm?” she hummed with a feigned smile.

“Get out of my chair.”

With a soft snort, Chrysalis rose, wings flickering as her hooves left the cushion of the chair to alight upon the table. She turned away from Celestia, slowly strutting down the length of the table. “At least we’ve made it clear where changelings stand in your eyes,” she said, before stepping down from the table, laying out atop a cushion, and leveling a smug smile back at Celestia.

Sky noted that her new seat also put her uncomfortably close to the Equestrian changelings, and tried to stay as still and unnoticed as possible.

“Given your behavior here, you have no ground to be accusing anypony of disrespect,” Celestia replied, taking her seat. “Especially when there was none intended.”

“No, you’re quite capable of being unintentionally disrespectful,” Chrysalis noted, “but that doesn’t make it any better, now does it?”

Celestia exchanged a wordless glance with Luna, and sighed, relaxing slightly. “We can find you another chair, if it is so important to you.”

Chrysalis scoffed. “As if that would make any difference, now. Besides, aren’t we here to discuss slightly more important matters than the seating arrangement?”

Celesia frowned slightly, but nodded. “Yes, we are,” she said, though hesitantly, as if there was something else she had wanted to say. “Specifically, we are here to discuss the possibility of peaceful coexistence between changelings and ponies.”

“By which you mean that you mean you want changelings to be subservient to you,” Chrysalis said, “and you expect me to simply turn the whole hive over.”

“What I want is what’s best for everyone, pony and changeling alike. I want changelings to be able to get all of the food they need, openly and freely. I want ponies to be able to live without the fear that one of the ponies around them might be a changeling from a hive hostile to Equestria.”

“Sounds like Equestria gets the better deal,” Chrysalis noted. “We can take everything we need without your peace.”

“Because that’s working so well for you,” Luna said with a hollow chuckle.

“Your hive is struggling,” Celestia said. “Every changeling has had a slightly different tale, but the picture is clear. Your subjects live in squalor. The love you’re able to gather is stretched thin. To be blunt, your hive would benefit from such a deal more than Equestria would.”

Chrysalis snorted. “So you suggest we just give up?”

“I could suggest many things. The first thing I will suggest is that your hive joins Equestria.”

Lifting a hoof to idly tap her chin, Chrysalis considered for a moment, then let her hoof fall back to the cushion. “Very well, I accept.”

The surprised silence lasted only an instant before Chrysalis continued, giving Celestia a cold grin. “I’ll even let you rule beside me as an equal, even though I do outrank you. Isn’t that so generous of me?”

Celestia shook her head. “I am quite willing to allow you, or some other changeling, to maintain rulership over your territory, and to have the same prospects in government as any other subject. Every changeling would be given the same rights and protections as any other subject of Equestria. The rulership of Equestria as a whole, however, will not be changed.”

“Of course not,’” Chrysalis dryly noted. “Even you realize how idiotic it would be to put your species in the hooves of another.”

“I am less concerned with species than I am ability and intent. You have repeatedly expressed your contempt for ponies and your willingness to victimize them for your own gain, while Equestria has been willing to do everything it can to help those changelings willing to live in peace. Your rulership has left your hive small, poor, and weak, while Equestria has thrived. That is why, whatever agreement we may come to, you will not be allowed such unchecked authority over my subjects.”

Chrysalis smirked. “If you have such a personal problem with me, then perhaps one of my princesses? Or are you just opposed to the idea of sharing power at all?”

Surprisingly, Celestia smiled at that. “On the contrary. I’m sure you remember Princess Cadance? She was not always a princess, and now she rules over the Crystal Empire.” She inclined her head to the young alicorn sitting beside her. “Nor was Princess Twilight Sparkle,” she said, producing a smile from the pony in question. “I am quite willing to elevate those who prove themselves capable and worthy of holding a position of power. If that individual happened to be a changeling, it would make no difference.”

The expression grew firmer as the smile faded. “That said, it is not something I would ever do lightly. If you were to join Equestria, the most I can offer you now is the continued rulership over your hive and surrounding territory, just as Princess Cadance rules over the Crystal Empire. I cannot offer anything higher as a condition of our negotiations. Such an offer of trust must come with time, but I can assure you that any promising changeling would be given the same consideration as any of my ponies.”

“Oh, how reassuring,” Chrysalis replied with a roll of her eyes. “You might eventually extend us the trust you demand we give you now, and you call that equal.”

“You launched an unprovoked surprise attack on a peaceful nation. If we intended you harm, we could have simply struck back. Instead, we’re offering to help you. Surely that should be proof of our good intentions.”

Chrysalis gave a dry laugh. “Empty threats do not scare me, princess. You can’t ‘strike back’ against an enemy you can’t find.”

Rather than answer, Celestia raised her horn, glowing with magic. An instant later an illusionary image sprawled out in the center of the circular table, depicting a section of land in miniature. It showed a dry and barren land, cut through with canyons and jagged rocky formations. At the center of the image, tucked away in the folds of a canyon, were several towering spires. Sky did not remember having ever seen them before, but something about them seemed familiar.

“As you can see,” Celestia said, “we are quite well aware of where the main hive is. We have been for some time now.”

Sky glanced to his side; Nictis was staring at the image in wide-eyed horror. Looking back, he saw that Chrysalis was silently staring at the image as well, though her expression was completely neutral. After several long moments of staring, she turned to the gathered Equestrian changelings, eyes narrowing to a glare. Sky flinched back, the pounding of his heart loud in his ears as he stared back into those green eyes, but he sensed no anger. In fact, he couldn’t feel anything from her.

“It was not their doing,” Celestia said, and Sky gave silent thanks as Chrysalis turned her eyes back to the princess. “You should give them credit. They held the secrecy of the hive’s location as being too important to betray, and we did not pry. We did not need to. Once we knew there was something to find out there, and the general region to look in, it was only a matter of time. A pegasus flight spotted the spires over two months ago. If we had wanted to strike back, we were perfectly capable of doing so. We don’t want a war, Chrysalis, and neither do you.”

Chrysalis’s lips curled. “You don’t want the thousands of dead soldiers it would take to storm the hive,” she growled. “Not when you think you can destroy us with a few cheap words. But you misunderstand me, princess. You might be able to take the hive, but you’re a fool if you think that will be the end of us. My changelings will endure, hidden among your ponies, and they will remember. You will not know peace.”

“Even your trained Infiltrators are being uncovered. How do you think such a life would go for a laborer who’s never been among ponies before?” Celestia sadly shook her head. “You can’t want that. All it would bring is suffering for your subjects, and gain you nothing.”

“You overestimate your guards,” Chrysalis replied with a sneer. “And yourself. You run off a few changelings, and you think you’re accomplishing something. Hah! You couldn’t even sniff me out when I was hiding right under your nose, in the form of one of the few ponies close to you. It was pathetic.” She emphasized the statement with a dismissive snort.

“You did not fool everypony,” Celestia noted, tilting her head toward Twilight. “It only takes one pony to unravel everything.”

“Oh, yes. Little Twilight Sparkle.” Chrysalis fixed her eyes on the youngest princess. “I have to admit, you were… disappointing.”

Twilight met her glare with a somewhat smug smile. “I’m glad to disappoint you.”

Surprisingly, Chrysalis laughed at that. “Oh, I’m sure you would be! But you’ve got it wrong, little princess.” She bared her teeth in a grin; Sky noticed Celestia’s eyes narrowing faintly at the gesture. “I was disappointed in you. You see, while I was busy impersonating your brother’s tasty little bride, it seems someone just happened to make a threat on Canterlot. Such a wonderful coincidence, wasn’t it? Suddenly, everypony was too busy watching for an attack to think twice of Cadenza.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “All except you. Who would have expected that Celestia’s prized pupil would be so callous toward the fate of Canterlot itself that she’d ignore all of that in favor of fussing over the bride’s bad attitude. I suppose it was all my fault for expecting better of you.”

Twilight’s eyes had only just started to widen in response when Celestia’s hoof banged down on the table. Celestia stood, frowning. Even Luna’s amusement had vanished, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on the changeling queen.

When Celestia spoke, her voice was calm, but firm. “That is enough, Chrysalis.”

Sky had the urge to back away, half expecting the confrontation to come to blows, but Chrysalis simply smiled a sharp-toothed smile and shrugged. “I mean no disrespect,” she said, prompting a quiet snort from Twilight, “but you’re asking me to subject the hive to Equestria’s rule, and I’m not impressed with its rulers. Twilight is self-centered, disregarding the safety of your precious ponies to throw a fit when she doesn’t get her way. Cadenza has plenty of reason to hate changelings, little chance of fair treatment there. Oh, and let’s not forget your sister and her little temper tantrum.”

Celestia’s scowl deepened, though Sky noticed a hint of a smile creep into Luna’s expression, cold and dangerous. “You are wrong,” Celestia said, voice low. “Every single one of them has earned my trust time and again. They can be trusted to do what is right.”

“I don’t trust you,” Chrysalis replied with a scoff, “much less them. I’m not going to place the future of my hive in the hooves of these ponies, so if this is the best you have to offer, we may as well be done with it.”

Celestia glared at her for a few seconds before sitting again and speaking. “What do you want, Chrysalis? There must be some reason that you came here, some sort of arrangement you’ll be willing to accept.”

“What do I want?” Chrysalis grinned. “I want the hive to grow strong, strong enough that no other nation can threaten it. I want food for my subjects, enough to fill every changeling and more. And I want the hive to remain free, not squeezed under the hoof of some pony. Can you offer that, princess?”

“Equestria has more than enough food to feed your hive,” Celestia replied. “If you were an ally, we could join forces to protect each other. There’s quite a lot your hive could gain from friendship with Equestria.”

Chrysalis looked unimpressed. “All of which leaves the hive dependent on your goodwill, while you lure away my subjects with promises of love and luxury.”

“You are already dependent on our goodwill,” Luna interjected. “At least this way, you and your subjects will gain something for it.”

“And you’re still trying to threaten me,” Chrysalis said with a smirk. “So tell me, little princess, just what are you going to do if I refuse? Turn off the lights again?”

“That may be excessive,” Luna replied with a cold smile.

Celestia cut in. “If your hive lived in friendship with Equestria, we can provide more than just food and mutual protection. We can give assistance to improve the situation of all your subjects. Tools and technology to develop your industry. Medicine and comforts to improve the lives of your subjects.”

“Changelings are not so soft and weak as your ponies,” Chrysalis replied. “The betterment of the hive is the only comfort we need.”

“It seems your subjects would disagree,” Celestia noted.

The statement led to Chrysalis casting a sideways glare toward Sky and the other Equestrian changelings, but halfway into it her expression faltered. She hesitated, and for a moment a thoughtful look crossed her face. It was almost encouraging, Sky thought. Almost, except for the way the corners of her mouth crept up in a sly smirk.

Turning back to Celestia, Chrysalis’s reply was rather more calm and conversational. It bordered on polite, albeit with a fine sprinkling of smug superiority and resentment. “I might be persuaded to consider your proposal, depending on your conditions.”

Sky watched her, questioningly. Reactions around the table were mostly various degrees of surprised; mostly hopeful surprise, though a few looked more wary. Fluttershy--ever optimistic of others, Sky knew--looked entirely happy with the development, while Luna appeared particularly doubtful and distrusting.

Celestia, however, didn’t visibly react. “We have few conditions that would not also benefit your hive and subjects. Most are open to some degree of compromise, but there is one in particular that we must see fulfilled, regardless of what other arrangement are made.”

“Please, do tell,” Chrysalis practically purred; Sky once again faced the urge to back away from her.

“There are, by last count, thirty eight sapient beings held in cocoons within your hive. You will release them.”

“What?” Chrysalis snapped, the thin and momentary pleasantness stripped away as she turned a withering glare in Sky’s direction. She bared her teeth, quickly looking back to Celestia. “I will do no such thing. They are our food, and I will not see my hive wither with starvation for some petty comforts.”

“I am not asking you to starve your subjects,” Celestia said. “I am offering you a way of providing enough food that you will never need to take such cruel steps again.”

Chrysalis snorted derisively. “By making the hive dependent on your generosity. I might as well ask you to give up farming!”

“One way or another, they will be freed,” Celestia stated firmly. Her voice relaxed slightly as she continued. “It will be done soon, but it does not have to be immediate. Some of those changelings you keep glaring at convinced me to wait and give you a chance to do the right thing, assuring me that the beings held in your hive were in no immediate danger. I would be willing to wait, for a short time. That should be sufficient for you to see how much an agreement can aid your hive, and how unnecessary their imprisonment is.”

“My Infiltrators barely bring in enough love even with what we get from those cocoons. We can’t feed ourselves without them, and whatever assistance you think you can offer won’t change that.”

“The changelings living here seem to think differently,” Celestia said with a smile, her eyes turning to Sky. “Isn’t that right?”

Sky quickly wiped away a wide-eyed expression of surprise at being so unexpectedly thrown into the conversation. “Oh, um… yes. We--”

He was cut off by an angry glare and snarl from Chrysalis. “You have caused enough problems already, Azure. Be silent.”

Sky flinched back, a cold chill passing through him. “W-what?”

“Sigh-lent,” Chrysalis enunciated. “The opposite of what you’re doing now.”

“N-no, not… what did you call me?”

“Azure,” she growled. “Your name.”

Sky found himself trembling faintly as he inched back; the sound of the word brought back the sensation of old nightmares, imagery that was both familiar and frighteningly alien. He stumbled to quietly speak. “My name is Sky.”

“I’m not going to call you by that ridiculous pony name,” Chrysalis said, with a roll of her eyes. “Your name is Azure.”

“That’s not my name!” Sky choked back as loud as he could, which ended up being barely louder than a casual talking voice.

Chrysalis’s eyes returned to Sky, looking down on him with a tight frown. “Your name is Azure,” she repeated. “You are an Infiltrator of the hive, one my most experienced, as sad as that is. You were one of the Infiltrators assigned to gathering information in Canterlot prior to our invasion, and served as an adviser during the planning and execution. You used to be a very important changeling.”

“He still is,” Celestia cut in, while Sky did his best to keep from hyperventilating. “He advises me on matters relating to changelings, and as such acts as a representative to all the changelings of Equestria, and if you would bother listening to him for a moment instead of heaping scorn on him, you could learn quite a bit about what friendship with Equestria can mean for changelings.”

Sky heard the words, but they only dimly registered. His mind was still locked on what Chrysalis had said. His past was there, within his reach, and with it came all the fears that he had dealt with over the past year. That he was an Infiltrator… was no real surprise. Not really. Nictis had said it enough, and even if he never wanted to accept it, it fit. Even as painful as it was, he could deal with that. He knew he must have done some bad things in the past. He had likely lied to and tricked ponies, maybe even hurt them. As much as he hated what he must have done, he could deal with it. In some small way, he could make up for it.

But the sheer scope of what Chrysalis said was like a crushing weight set atop those hopes. The knowledge of participating in the invasion, of being a part of attacking innocent ponies for a needless cause, it had been troubling enough. Now he was being told that he might have been, in some part, responsible for everything that happened in it.

The weight of that bore down on him, thoughts of long-dead nightmares stirring up for the first time in months. The trembling grew despite his efforts to act normal, to hide away the turmoil that grew in him. The word “monster” echoed in his memory.

She could be lying, he knew, but it all felt far too plausible for comfort.

Hoofsteps sounded softly behind him. He knew who it was even before she placed a hoof on his shoulder, and he looked back to see Fluttershy’s soft and reassuring smile. He managed a weak smile in return, though the fragile expression lasted only a moment before fading. The other changelings looked on with concern and sympathy, despite their uncertainty; Nictis stood out from the rest, his sympathy flowing stronger, backed by a knowing sadness.

His eyes met Rainbow’s for just a moment, sensing the incredible awkwardness she was feeling. She shuffled her wings, giving him an unsure smile.

Fluttershy moved her hoof, slipping in behind him to give him a soft hug. It was strange that such a physical gesture should have more effect than the feelings of sympathy, but it was a familiar comfort. He had long since learned to trust Fluttershy’s judgment in this sort of thing.

It would have been more comfortable if Chrysalis would stop staring at him. At least the disgusted sneer had faded, though the neutral, almost thoughtful expression she wore now was no more comforting.

Celestia spoke up. “As you can see, ponies and changelings--”

Chrysalis didn’t look away as she cut the Princess off. “Do you ever get tired of the sound of your own voice?”

“Chrysalis...”

“That means ‘shut up,’” Chrysalis stated.

As Celestia rose to her hooves, the queen quickly added, “I’m not saying that to be insulting. You’ve already given me more than enough to think about for one day.”

Celestia stopped, the rigid expression that had taken hold softening, crossed with faint surprise and curiosity. “Is that so?”

“It is so,” Chrysalis said as she looked over Sky and Fluttershy one last time before rising and facing Celestia. “Enough that we will have to break from negotiations for the evening. I need some time to consider your offer.”

“Already?” Celestia asked, disapproval strong in her voice. “We only just began, and you’ve agreed to no more delays.”

“I will not be pressured into making an impulsive decision that could have such drastic consequences for my hive. If you want to negotiate, then I am going to need some time to decide whether I should even consider your offer. We can meet in the morning, once I’ve chosen the best course for the hive to take.”

Celestia frowned, silent for a moment before speaking. “You never planned on reaching an agreement with us, did you?”

Chrysalis snorted out a short laugh. “Of course not. The idea was ridiculous. I came because I wanted to see what sort of idiotic, sentimental drivel you’d spew. I figured it should be good for a laugh.” She snorted again, the disgusted sneer returning. “I never thought I might actually consider listening to any of it.”

“I think you may find that there are many benefits to peace and friendship, if you’re simply willing to listen,” Celestia said, prompting a faint groan from Chrysalis.

“Spare me,” the queen grunted as she turned away. She only took a single step before stopping, looking back to Sky and considering him for a moment. “...But I want Azure to come by my chambers later this evening. If he’s going to be speaking for the changelings living here, I would like to have some questions answered before I make any decisions.”

“You could at least refer to him by his chosen name,” Celestia pointed out.

“I could,” Chrysalis said, eyes still fixed on Sky. The silence stretched on for several seconds, until he finally swallowed and nodded in reply.

“Good,” she said, turning to leave.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Celestia asked, firmly.

Chrysalis came to a halt again, sighing. “Oh, what is it now, princess?”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed slightly at the tone, but let it pass. “You agreed to remove the agents you have in my city.”

“Oh, yes,” Chrysalis dryly replied. She paused to think a moment before speaking again. “I assume you will allow one of my soldiers to enter the city as a messenger?”

Celestia nodded. “With an escort, of course.”

“Of course,” Chrysalis said with a bitter snort, then in a more commanding voice, “Elytron.”

One of the soldiers, the same one who had shown up unarmed several times before, stepped up to her, his head bowed. “My queen?”

Chrysalis dipped her head, speaking softly in his ear for several seconds. Eventually she stopped, standing tall as he nodded in reply. “At once, my queen.” He immediately turned and trotted out, a few pegasus guards splitting off to follow.

When he had left, Chrysalis looked back to the rest of her soldiers, and frowned. Sky tensed as her horn lit with magic, mirrored by the glow that gripped the changeling soldiers’ spears. Royal Guard members shifted their grip on their spears as the changelings released their own without any sign of hesitation. “I suppose you’ll be wanting these, too,” Chrysalis said, as the collection of weapons floated over to her side. The magic vanished an instant later, sending them clattering to the ground.

Without another word, Chrysalis turned and left, followed by her sizable escort of soldiers and guards.

“...So I guess we’re done here,” Rainbow said, breaking the silence that followed. The comment prompted a rush of grumbling over what had just happened, which was soon interrupted by a clatter of hooves and laughter. Sky looked up to see Subtle practically dancing as she skipped up to the table, and managing to do so despite the thick bundle of folders clutched in one leg.

Celestia turned her head to Subtle as the earth pony approached. “What do you think, Miss Tea?”

“What do I think?” Subtle replied as she skipped up to the table and hopped up to sit on the edge. “I think that was perfect! All we need to do now is get our hooves on some of her remaining Infiltrators, and we’ll have even more leverage over her. Which reminds me.” She looked over to Twilight. “You’re really good at magic, right?”

Twilight blinked in surprise. “Oh, uh, I guess I’m pretty decent?” she replied modestly, which drew a look of amusement from Celestia.

Subtle had plopped the stack of folders down, flipping one open to pull out a few pages. “We had a couple unicorn experts look over this spell, trying to identify it,” she said as she set the pages before Twilight. “I’d like to get your opinion on it, first.”

“Oh, sure, I guess… wait, what?” Twilight was already looking down at the page with a doubtful expression. “But… you can’t actually cast like… the pattern is all…”

She blinked in surprise. “This is changeling magic.”

“You got that quick,” Subtle replied with a grin. “The unicorns I have observing Chrysalis’s chambers detected this spell a few times, and it wasn’t telekinesis, fire bolts, a fire portal, or shape-shifting, so they scribed down the details as best they could. You’ve probably studied changeling magic more than any other pony, so I thought you might have some insight into how it works.”

“Maybe,” Twilight said, attention returning to the pages before her. Sky could only barely make out any details from where he sat, and it all looked like meaningless scribbles. Familiar meaningless scribbles, at least, as Twilight had recorded notes that looked quite similar in their style when he had helped her with her studies into changeling magic.

“It’s very intricate and refined,” Twilight said, a hint of approval in her voice. Her hoof moved to indicate where her attention turned. “This part here, it looks similar to the directing portion of a fire portal in some ways, but it’s targeted by the spell itself. Like it seeks out a target, rather than being aimed at a location. Hmm… way too low-powered for a fire portal, though. The basic spell is so complex, but the targeted effect is so low on power and throughput.”

She idly tapped her hoof against the table as everyone looked on, her eyes darting from one part to the next. “Low power, but long range, and this part here... it’d put out magical energy, but it doesn’t manifest it into--” She stopped, eyes widening as she stared down at the pages. “...It’s a communication spell!”

Subtle was chuckling. “That right there took three of the brightest unicorns I know almost two hours, and they started knowing it was changeling magic. So, do you think you could cast it?”

“What?” Twilight said, then quickly shook her head. “No. No, changeling magic is completely different from unicorn magic. The energies and mental patterns are all wrong; they’re just physically incompatible. I could maybe use this as a framework to make a new spell that did the same thing, at least between unicorns, but this? I’d have to turn myself into a changeling or something before I could cast this.”

She paused, jokingly adding, “I, uh, don’t think I’m quite to that point in my studies.”

“In that case,” Subtle said, “do you think you could work out a way to track it?”

Twilight paused to consider that, her eyes scanning over the documents. “It’s hard to get changeling and unicorn magic to work together, but… yes, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Perfect!” Subtle replied with a grin. “Because that’s how we’re going to find her remaining Infiltrators.”

“You think she’s communicating with other changelings in Canterlot?” Twilight asked.

“Most likely,” Subtle said. “The timing is too perfect.”

Celestia rejoined the conversation, leaving Twilight to examine the spell. “How so?”

“The comparison of Chrysalis’s actions and whereabouts and when the spell was detected,” Subtle replied. “The most obvious being when it was cast immediately after Nictis spoke with her.”

Celestia frowned. “So she was lying after all.”

“Oh, let’s not be hasty,” Subtle said. “She might have just been informing her ‘backup plan’ of recent developments, and one of them might have chosen to act on their own.”

Celestia responded merely by raising an eyebrow, which prompted Subtle to laugh. “Of course she’s lying!” Subtle said, though she seemed to be grinning far too much for such a statement. “But that’s what she’ll claim if we tell her what we know.”

“Which is why we won’t tell her,” Luna said with a determined smile.

“Exactly,” Subtle replied with a quick point of her hoof. “This will give us our first solid lead toward tracking down the other Infiltrators Chrysalis has in Canterlot, because you know she has more than the six we know of. Plus you can use the knowledge of her communications as ammunition during negotiations if you need to get some extra concessions out of her.”

“So you think she truly intends to negotiate?” Celestia asked, sounding doubtful.

“Oh, absolutely,” Subtle said with a smile that could only be described as cheeky. “But that’s not the important question.”

A hint of a smile returned to Celestia’s lips as she humored the earth pony. “And what would that be?"

“The real question is how much she plans to hurt us with what she gets.”

Celestia sighed and nodded, the smile slipping away. “Sadly, I think you are right.”

“I must admit,” Luna said, “I am concerned by today’s developments. Queen Chrysalis has no interest in peace. She is only concerned about what she can get for herself.”

“Eh, at least she’s talking,” Rainbow pointed out, flopping back on her cushion.

Luna nodded, though her expression was grim. “She is, and there is still some small hope that seeing the benefits of whatever arrangement we reach might convince her of the benefits of peace, but I find it increasingly unlikely. I had hoped that the plight of her subjects might motivate her to discard some of her hostility, but it appears that hope was misplaced.”

“Changelings don’t value comfort,” Nictis said quietly. “Or at least, we’re not ‘supposed’ to. We’re supposed to just devote our lives to serving the hive, and there’s no room for luxuries in that.”

“At least we know some of her motivation, now,” Subtle said, still grinning. “I can’t be the only one who noticed. She was scornful of the idea of those so-called luxuries, right up until it was put in the context of why her subjects were abandoning her. That was the first time she seemed interested about anything you offered her. I think we might have found what motivated her to come here.”

Nictis slumped. “You may be right,” he grumbled.

“Everything about her behavior screams self-interest,” Subtle said. “She’s arrogant, temperamental, prideful, and possibly megalomaniacal. She may care somewhat for the well-being of the hive, but I suspect she may value what it gets her even more.”

A few of the changelings fidgeted, but none said a word. Twilight, however, sighed. “This is starting to sound more and more like a bad idea.”

“Maybe,” Subtle said with a shrug and a smile, “but it doesn’t mean it won’t work. That’s almost word-for-word how I described Discord before he was sent to Ponyville, and we saw how that went.”

Twilight exchanged a nervous glance with Fluttershy. “That was, erm… a rather narrow thing…”

Beside Sky, Nictis was frowning deeply, but he remained silent.

“On the plus side, she is rather less dangerous than him,” Subtle said. “Especially since we have him more-or-less on our side.”

With a faint shrug, Luna spoke. “In any case, it changes little. We knew she would have to be enticed into an agreement by what Equestria had to offer her. She may still be convinced. We’ve already surprised her, given her much to think on, and almost certainly caused her to alter her plans. It may just take a little longer than we had hoped.”

Subtle chuckled softly. “Maybe. I get the feeling I’m going to be very busy for the next few months.”

“I think we’ll have to focus on the next few hours, for now,” Celestia said, drawing a knowing smile and a nod from Subtle.

When she noticed the questioning looks leveled their way, Subtle clarified. “Chrysalis just set herself a couple deadlines. She’s going to have a very hard time justifying any further delays, so tomorrow morning is about as long as she can expect to delay. If she’s going to act overtly, there’s a good chance it’ll be before then, or at least, not long after. It’s even more likely that she would act before removing six of her own agents, so… if she’s going to do something unpleasant, it will probably be in the next hour or two.”

Nictis tensed, eyes wide. “You’re right.”

“Hmmph,” Luna grunted. “So much for getting any sleep before nightfall.”

A smile returned to Celestia’s face. “You can rest, and stand guard over the night. I’m sure we can handle any preparations for whatever Chrysalis may have planned.”

“That should already be taken care of,” Subtle said with a confident smile. “As soon as I heard Chrysalis agree to bring her agents in, I scrambled every resource I could get my hooves on. Also, I made several suggestions to Glimmer Shield that he took up. He called in extra guards, reinforced some patrols, and should be a good way through altering schedules to keep things unpredictable.”

Subtle then turned a very fake-innocent expression toward Celestia. “Also, he may have misinterpreted some of what I said and somehow come to the strange conclusion that it was all a direct order from you.”

Celestia shook her head, though the smile lingered. “You really shouldn’t do that,” she said with a hint of amusement.

“Time was of the essence, and I couldn’t just waltz in and tip off Chrysalis,” Subtle said with a shrug. “Though speaking of time, I should get to work.” She slid off the table and dropped onto her hooves before turning to the youngest princess. “So, Twilight, how long would it take you to work out a tracking spell for that?”

“Hmm?” Twilight said, looking up from the page she was scribbling out figures on. “Oh! Oh, that was easy. If you’ll give me just a few minutes, I think I can work out something that will tie into the communication spell’s scrying return, it should be a much more elegant solution.”

Subtle laughed softly. “Any solution is better than the none we have now. Think I can borrow you for a bit?” She looked over to Nictis. “And you, too?”

They both agreed and were soon following Subtle out. “I suppose I should be going, too,” Luna said, rising to her hooves.

Celestia rose as well, to share an affectionate nuzzle. “Sleep well, sister.”

“Just make sure to wake me if anything goes wrong, this time,” Luna chided, though she smiled as well.

Luna turned and walked away, but as she passed Sky, she paused. “I hope your conversation with Chrysalis goes well.”

“Thank you,” he replied with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

He was surprised when Luna lowered her head alongside his, speaking softly. “I understand your fears, Sky. You must remember, she has no hold over you now. You are who you choose to be.”

Sky gave Luna a rather questioning look, which she met with a confident smile before turning away and walking on.

“She’s right, you know,” Fluttershy quietly said, a foreleg still looped comfortingly around his shoulder. “Chrysalis might be big and mean and scary, but we’re all right here with you.”

“...Thanks,” Sky said, finally allowing a weak smile, which Fluttershy answered with a happy smile of her own.

“Of course,” she said, giving a reassuring squeeze. “That’s what friends are for.”

Chapter 6: Looking In

Chapter 6: Looking In

“Hey, Sky, wait up!”

Sky came to a halt, looking back down the large hall of the castle had had been walking along just in time for Rainbow Dash to land beside him. He gave a wan smile. “Hey, Rainbow.”

She folded her wings neatly, falling in beside him as he continued to slowly walk. Her smile was only a little more steady than his, reflecting the awkwardness he sensed from her. “So, uh… you’re going to talk with Chrysalis?”

He looked down the hall again; her chambers lay just around the next corner. “Yeah,” he replied, quietly.

“You want me to come with you?” When he looked back to her, Rainbow quickly added, “I mean, I don’t really have anything else to do, and it’s kind of boring just sitting around, so…”

Sky smiled, and this time it was full and genuine. “Sure, if you want.”

“Cool,” Rainbow replied with a nod, looking a little more confident than she had a few moments ago. “So, what do you think she wants to talk about, anyway?”

“I don’t know,” he said, smile fading again. “Probably the same load of horseapples she tried to pull with Nictis.

That prompted a snort from Rainbow.”If you want, I can just buck her snout in if she tries anything nasty. I’ll totally do it.”

Sky couldn’t help smiling at that. “We should probably try being a bit more diplomatic.”

“Pfft,” Rainbow succinctly replied, before adding, “If she wants to be treated diplomatically, maybe she should try being diplomatic.”

“I’m not sure if she really understands what being diplomatic is,” Sky said. “Or if she does, she just doesn’t care.”

“Well she better learn pretty quick,” Rainbow replied, flashing a grin that didn’t at all match the faint but steady concern he could still sense from her.

They arrived at the door to Chrysalis’s chambers just a minute later. Once again, there were three armored changelings standing guard at the door, though this time there were no weapons present. Curiously, none of the Royal Guards carried spears, either. Then again, with them being unicorns, spears were probably superfluous.

The changeling in charge was the same as before, the one Sky now knew was named Elytron. He stood at the head of their little formation, eying them critically as they approached. He had apparently made very good time in delivering his message.

Sky’s heart was starting to beat harder as he approached, the unpleasant feeling of adrenaline starting to build in anticipation of what lay beyond those doors. “I’m here to see Chrysalis,” he said, then added, “And this time, I was invited.”

Elytron scowled, but stepped aside, pushing open the door. He remained there as Sky started to enter, but then stepped in as Rainbow moved to follow. “Not you, pony,” he growled.

Rainbow’s expression hardened in an instant. “Back off, pal,” she growled back, eyes narrowed. “I’m with him.”

“No pony enters without the queen’s orders,” the guard replied, stepping forward to bring himself nose-to-nose with Rainbow.

“Oh yeah?” she said, stepping forward until their snouts met. “I’d like to see you try and stop me.”

“Rainbow…”

She drew back a few inches, looking past Elytron to Sky. “I’ll be okay,” he said.

Rainbow frowned, visibly wavering for a few seconds before finally snorting. “You’re lucky,” she said, poking Elytron in his armored chest; he looked completely unimpressed by the gesture. Stepping back, she addressed Sky again. “I’ll be out here. Just yell if you need somepony to come knock some heads together.”

To tell the truth, he would have felt a lot better if she’d been there with him, and he got the impression she knew it. Despite that, it was clear they weren’t going to let her in, at least not without Chrysalis’s permission. That thought made him pause a moment. “Maybe I can convince Chrysalis to let you come in, too?”

Elytron snorted, as if indicating his opinion on his prospects, while Rainbow gave a reluctant nod.

Sky returned the nod, reluctantly stepping into the room. Elytron followed, shutting the door harder than was really necessary, then grunting something unintelligible at Sky before continuing on through the room. Sky didn’t pay much attention to the rest of the room, which seemed to match what Nictis had to say about it, earlier. “So what’s your problem, anyway?” he asked.

The background hint of anger in the other changeling grew in response to his question, and he refused to even look at Sky as he walked on. “My problem is that I am dedicated to protecting the hive, and traitors like you only serve to weaken it for your own selfish pursuits. You’re a disgrace to our entire species.”

“Hey, I’m trying to help the hive, too,” Sky replied. “We don’t--”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Elytron growled.

Sky grumbled under his breath. “Yeah, ‘cause ignorance is doing you so much better.” Elytron bristled, giving off a fresh surge of anger, but he said nothing.

Once they had passed to the rear of the rather crowded main room and the fifteen other changelings in it, they reached the large doors leading to the bedroom. Elytron paused, rapping his hoof twice against the door before cracking it open and peeking his head inside. “My queen, Azure has arrived.”

Sky snorted, missing whatever reply Elytron received. The other changeling simply stepped back, jerking his nose toward the door. “Enter.”

He resisted the urge to shoulder past the soldier as he stepped through the doorway.

All the fear and uncertainty returned the instant he saw Chrysalis. She was standing before one of the windows, looking out of it contemplatively. He swallowed, walking a couple steps closer, until he found he couldn’t bring himself to approach any further. Alone in a room with her, the queen seemed even larger and more imposing than before. The adrenaline was flowing strong in a confused slurry of fear and excitement, and he had to focus to control the trembling that tried to take hold of his hooves.

He cringed a little as those acid-green eyes turned toward him, and the feeling of her emotions struck him. She was no longer unreadable, instead giving off a clear sensation of disapproval and irritation, but also that of curiosity, and a few lingering, lighter emotions that he couldn’t quite identify. “So,” she said, finally breaking the silence, “we have a few things to discuss, Azure.”

The irritation that had previously been so focused on Elytron returned in force, with a new target in mind. “Stop calling me that.”

The corners of her mouth crept upward. “And why shouldn’t I call you by your name?”

“Even if it was my name, it’s not now,” he replied, his own emotions warring between anger and fear in her presence. Finding anger the more palatable choice, he added, “If you want to talk so bad, the least you could do is call me by my real name.”

“I thought I was,” she said with a smirk.

Sky’s stance strengthened, his head rising defiantly. “We’re not your subjects to be bullied around any more. If you want something from us, you can at least pretend to show some respect.”

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes, anger rising for a moment, but it slowly died down again as a cold grin grew. “You will always be my subjects,” she said. “And speaking of respect, if a drone showed such disrespect back in the hive, he would be punished. Harshly. You should consider yourself lucky… Sky.”

Sky blinked, giving her a doubtful look, but said nothing.

She turned away, walking back to a large collection of cushions. “Now then, if we’re done with that pointless diversion, I have questions for Equestria’s chosen changeling representative.”

“Like what?” he asked, not even bothering to hide his skepticism.

“To start with, how much love are you all gathering?”

He frowned, eying her. “A lot.”

Chrysalis snorted as she sat, shooting him a glare. “Of course it’s a lot. That was obvious when so many drones started leaving to gorge themselves here. I was asking for specifics.”

“Well, it’s not like there’s some unit for measuring love,” Sky said, though the statement made him curious if some changeling had ever developed such a system. “Every one of us takes in enough to feed ourselves, even the newest arrivals. Ponies are very friendly once they get used to us. Nictis says I get enough energy from all my friends to easily feed every changeling in Ponyville and then some, and there are a few others that get about as much as I do.”

Chrysalis was nodding faintly. “...Decent, but not impressive. I would have expected more.”

“It’s more than enough for all of us,” Sky pointed out.

“But not any better than what a skilled Infiltrator could bring in. There are only, what, twenty, thirty changelings living in Ponyville?”

“Something like that,” Sky said, “but apart from Nictis, not a single one knew what it was like to be full before living there. Now they do.”

Chrysalis paused, considering that a moment. “That’s a little better,” she said. “Though it’s disgusting to see so much love selfishly hoarded and wasted like that.”

“It wouldn’t be wasted if more changelings came to Equestria,” Sky said.

“Or if you bothered to share,” Chrysalis countered. “You don’t even try. So much for caring about your hivemates.”

“Like you would have let us!” Sky snapped. “Last I heard, there were rumors that you were executing changelings you caught leaving the hive!”

“An exaggeration,” Chrysalis said with a wave of her hoof. “I merely discourage them from leaving. Thanks to the disloyalty of a few, some punishments have become necessary for the good of the hive.”

“The good of the hive?” Sky snorted angrily. “I’m starting to think Celestia cares more for the hive than you do.”

Chrysalis’s forehooves slammed down as she rose, her horn lit, and Sky wilted, abruptly reminded of how tiny he really was. “Watch it,” she growled, glaring down at him. “I am being lenient with you, but my patience has limits!”

Sky ducked his head slightly, remaining silent, while his heart pounded almost painfully hard.

“That’s better,” Chrysalis said, with a faint and momentary sneer. “Now then… where were we?”

The way she practically purred the question made Sky hesitate, but he eventually mumbled, “Something about the love we were gathering…”

“Ah, yes,” Chrysalis said. “Though I suppose calling it ‘love’ is exaggerating things, isn’t it?”

Sky hesitated, flicking his wings. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’re not gathering love,” she replied. “You’re gathering little bits of sympathy and friendship, love’s watered-down and second-rate substitute. Friendship won’t feed the hive.”

“It’s feeding all of us just fine,” Sky said, ears drooping a bit. “Besides, a few of us have found love, and the rest of us are… working on it.”

Chrysalis gave a disdainful look. “And you?”

Sky flicked his wings again. “I’m… still working on it.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “It’s been a year. When you were acting like a proper Infiltrator, it took you only a few days or weeks to start harvesting love. Now you’ve been here an entire year, and you still haven’t managed it.”

“That’s different,” Sky replied, which earned a derisive snort from Chrysalis.

“Of course it’s different!” she shot back. “That’s the point. Your way just isn’t working as well, and it’s time you wake up and recognize it.”

“This isn’t about food!”

“Of course it is,” Chrysalis replied. “That’s what love is to a changeling.”

“It can be a lot more than that,” Sky said. “If you’d ever loved some… someone, you might get it.”

Chrysalis gave a cold smile. “Then I hope I never do. Love makes ponies dumb. It makes them do stupid things, things that something like us can take advantage of. It’s a weakness the hive can not afford.”

Sky stared for a moment, blinking, before blurting out, “Love isn’t a weakness!”

“Oh, really?” Chrysalis replied, still smugly smiling. “Do tell.”

“How about all the friends I have?” Sky said. “Some of the most important ponies in Equestria consider me a friend, and are willing to do anything they can to help me. On top of that, they give me more energy than I could possibly use on my own, and they don’t even mind, because they want to help me!”

Chrysalis was again looking over to the window, as if he was no longer interesting. “I’m not hearing anything there that can’t be done just as easily by any Infiltrator,” she said. “Easier, even.”

“Because that’s working so well for your Infiltrators,” Sky shot back. “They steal some love, then get found out, and have to run away and start all over again. But us? Ponies know what we are, and what we’re doing, and they’re willing to help us. Your Infiltrators can’t do that.”

“Of course they can,” Chrysalis said, dismissively. “Infiltrators pretend to love ponies all the time, and there’s nothing that would stop them from doing that without a disguise. That doesn’t mean they have to actually love the pony in return.”

“But we don’t have to trick and manipulate them, either! They want to help us.” His ears drooped a bit as he added, quieter, “Besides, it’s nice to have others who actually like me, not just who I pretend to be.”

Chrysalis let out a scornful laugh. “Sentimental nonsense. How in the world did you ever become an Infiltrator?”

“Maybe I just understand ponies better than you do,” Sky grumbled.

“Or maybe you hit your head harder than I thought,” Chrysalis said, smirking. “If you understood ponies half as well as you thought, you would have been able to coax one into giving you their love by now.”

“I’m taking the time to do it right,” Sky shot back. “I’ve got all the food I need. I’m not pursuing love for the sake of food, I’m doing it because I actually care about her and--”

“Her?” Chrysalis cut in, eyes darting back to him.

Sky bristled, wings buzzing angrily. “That’s none of your business.”

“You are my subject, one of my Infiltrators, and are currently trying to convince me that your pursuit of love for a pony is anything other than a disgusting expression of sentimentality unbefitting of a changeling. It is absolutely my business!”

Sky grit his teeth, glaring at her. His first reaction was to refuse, dreading what a face-to-face meeting between Chrysalis and Rainbow Dash could easily devolve into… but then, Rainbow had asked to come with him. “...She’s waiting outside, actually. She wanted to come with me, but your guards stopped her.”

“Hmm,” Chrysalis mused, before looking past him to the door and calling out, “Elytron.”

Sky looked back as the door opened, and the soldier in question peeked in. “Yes, my queen?”

“Is Rainbow Dash waiting outside?”

Sky’s ears shot up as he snapped back around to Chrysalis, but she didn’t react to it. Behind him, Elytron answered, “She is, my queen.”

Chrysalis nodded. “Bring her in.”

“At once.”

The door clicked shut behind him, and Chrysalis’s gaze drifted back to Sky. On meeting his eyes, she smirked. “What? Are you really so surprised that I should keep track of my wayward subjects?”

“You better not be planning anything,” Sky said, voice wavering between angry and concerned.

“And you had better show more respect,” she countered, eyes narrowing again, though her smirk returned a moment later. “Besides, you’re an Infiltrator. It’s your job to gather love for the hive. Why would I try to sabotage that?”

Because you’re evil, he thought, even as another part of him instinctively quailed at even thinking that about her. “Just… please don’t,” he asked, quietly.

Chrysalis frowned, considering him for a moment. Then she snorted, turning away again. The silence lingered for a minute, until he caught the muffled sound of Rainbow’s voice through the door. She sounded angry, though he couldn’t make out any words until the door opened.

“--stuck up little dung beetle!” Rainbow said as she flew through the door, glaring back at whoever she was lashing out at. Elytron, most likely. She continued on until she was hovering beside Sky, leveling the same glare at Chrysalis for an instant before looking to Sky with a much less-hostile expression. “Everything okay here?”

“Pretty much, yeah,” Sky said with a faint smile.

Chrysalis, however, was eying Rainbow with a curious smile. “So, this is the pony my lost little Infiltrator has fallen in love with.”

Sky stiffened in alarm, eyes wide, and he felt the sudden awkwardness and worry in Rainbow at the statement. She covered it up well, however, as she fixed her glare on Chrysalis again. “What’s it to you, huh?”

“I am the queen of the changelings,” Chrysalis replied with a smug grin. “It’s up to me to make sure my subjects are fed. Sky here wants to convince me that his way of gathering love is better.” She let out a short chuckle. “So far, I’m not impressed.”

Rainbow didn’t look impressed, either. “Gathering love?” she asked, dryly. “Really?”

“Of course,” Chrysalis said. “Changelings feed on love. You’re basically a walking sack of food to him.”

“She’s not food!” Sky snapped.

“She’s a pony,” Chrysalis replied. “They will always be food, regardless of whatever ridiculous sentiments you attach to them.”

“He means I’m not just food,” Rainbow said. When Chrysalis looked back to her, the pegasus smirked. “What, did you think I’d be surprised? I did kinda notice he was a changeling, you know. So he gets some food from me, big deal. It’s not like it hurts me any.”

“It certainly could,” Chrysalis mused. “Not that I care. What I care about is the well-being of the hive. Sky here has been trying to convince me that his way of gathering love is better.” She leveled a condescending glare at Rainbow. “But after meeting you, I can see he’s wrong.”

Rainbow met her glare, flying closer to stay eye-to-eye with the larger queen. “And what the hay is that supposed to mean?” she snapped, to which Chrysalis responded with a sharp-toothed grin.

“You’re something of a hero among ponies, aren’t you?” Chrysalis said, sounding rather amused. “A pony so loyal, some ancient artifact of loyalty chose you as its bearer. Undoubtedly one of the most loyal ponies around, but as soon as you found out that one of your friends was actually a changeling, even you couldn’t see him the same as before.”

Rainbow went rigid for a second. Then she snarled, moving in until her nose was only inches from Chrysalis. “That’s a load of crap!”

“Is it?” Chrysalis said, her smile growing. “I heard how things were when you thought he was a pegasus. He thinks we can get love just as easily through honest means, but his prospects died the moment you saw what he really was. If you’re what passes for loyalty around here, then it’s clear we can never trust Equestria.”

Sky could see Rainbow bristling as Chrysalis spoke, a tremble of fury passing through her until she snapped. “That’s it!”

She had just started to draw a hoof back to strike when she was enveloped in a green glow and pulled back. “Rainbow! Stop!”

Rainbow Dash struggled furiously in an attempt to reach Chrysalis, and Sky grunted as he fought to hold her back with his magic. It lasted only a couple seconds before Rainbow relented, looking back and forth between Sky and Chrysalis. “Fine,” she spat. “You’re just lucky he’s here to stop me, or I’d kick your ugly flank all the way back to your hive.”

“I’m terrified,” Chrysalis dryly replied. “In any case, I think we’re done for now.”

“Well I’m not!” Rainbow snapped, though Sky was happy she didn’t try to lunge at Chrysalis again; holding her back was surprisingly draining. “I know what you did to Nictis and his friend. If you ever try anything like that with Sky, then I’ll show you just how loyal I really am!”

Chrysalis watched Rainbow for a couple seconds with a bored expression before finally speaking. “Done yet?”

Rainbow snorted, finally answering, “Yeah, I’m done,” she answered, though she still glared angrily.

Deciding that Rainbow had cooled off enough, Sky released his magic just as Chrysalis spoke again. “Good. Now get out.”

Rainbow growled something under her breath as she turned and flew toward the door, and after a moment’s hesitation, Sky’s wings buzzed to life as he flew after her. She flew right past Elytron, ignoring him and all the other changelings in the room as she went to the front doors, threw them open, and flew out. Sky followed quickly behind her; she wasn’t flying all-out, but her anger drove her on at a rather swift pace.

Soon her flight slowed as the angry tension faded from her body, and eventually she landed in the middle of the hall, her wings drooping. She glanced over to Sky as he landed as well, her expression dulled. “Sorry.”

They started to slowly walk, and he stepped in close to her. “Sorry for what?”

She hesitated, wings shuffling slightly; now that her anger had mostly faded, he could sense the awkwardness rising in her, among other jumbled emotions. “Eh, you know, going off like that.” She kicked her hoof against the floor as she walked. “The princesses would probably be pretty ticked if I ruined everything by kicking Chrysalis’s face in.”

“Eh,” Sky said with a weak shrug. As much as he wanted these talks to go well, he couldn’t really blame her. “You know, I kind of wanted to do the same thing, myself.”

Rainbow gave a short, humorless chuckle. “Some help I was, though. I went to try to help you out, and instead I just make things worse.”

“I think she’s trying to pick a fight or something,” Sky said, which provoked another angry snort from Rainbow.

“Well it’s working,” she grumbled, then shook her head. “Sorry, I just…” Her wings shuffled again for a moment, followed by her ears drooping. “Ugh. I’m going to go fly around a bit and cool off.”

She spread her wings and took off. Sky raised his wings as well, intending to fly after her, but instead he hesitated. As he watched her streak away, he let his wings slowly settle down to his back. He wanted to go flying after her, but the jumble of emotions he’d sensed were confusing. The one thing that was clear was that she had just taken off without waiting for a reply. She probably wanted to be alone for a bit.

With a sigh, he started to walk again. He should probably find one of the princesses, or maybe Subtle. Even with as short as his conversation with Chrysalis had been, they would probably want to hear about it.

And to tell the truth, he really had no idea what to do next.

Nictis frowned faintly as he slowly paced around the small tower room. With every step, he focused on the peculiarities of the movement: the added weight in his legs, the way the soft skin stretched and folded, the extra heft and flexibility of the feathered wings tucked neatly at his sides.

“What’s wrong?” Subtle asked, drawing his attention away from his pacing. She and Princess Twilight were seated at a fairly large table, one which was dominated by a large, highly-detailed map of Canterlot. Various books and scrolls were scattered around it for the princess’s studies, and Spike was in the process of adding a few more to the stack beside her.

“Nothing is wrong,” Nictis replied, looking back down to his hooves and the grey coat that covered his legs.

“Come on,” she said with a chuckle. “I thought Infiltrators were better at lying than that.”

Nictis shot her a scowl. “I’m not lying.”

“Being creative with the truth, then,” she said, holding a smile until Nictis sighed.

“Part of any good disguise is internalizing every detail of it,” Nictis said, slowly walking a couple more steps. “An Infiltrator has to be instinctively familiar with every peculiarity of the form they take. Any hesitation or mistake can give you away.” He came to a halt, again raising a hoof as he looked down at it. “It’s been half a year since the last time I tried to pass myself off as a pony, but already this body feels as natural as if I’ve had it all my life.”

“You spent almost ten years as Meadow Song,” Subtle pointed out. “That’s a lot of time to become familiar with it, and you didn’t really change much there. You just changed colors and swapped out the horn for a pair of wings.”

Nictis grumbled faintly as he turned to look at the mirror again. The mare that looked back certainly held many similarities with his long-held disguise. The new form had the same kind of lean elegance and grace, even if the details were different. Her coat was a pale gray, with a short and somewhat spiky silver mane, and a cutie mark depicting a falling meteor. “I’m trying to do good things,” he said, watching as the reflection moved exactly as he expected. “I’m trying to help changelings and ponies, but I’m always struggling at it. It’s hard, and half the time I don’t even know what I’m doing. The only thing I’m really good at is fooling ponies.”

“Normally I’d disagree with your assessment and point out how you’re wrong, but fortunately that particular skill you’re so good at is one we need.”

“Great,” Nictis grumbled. “So now I’ll be able to add ‘fooling my own kind’ on the short list of things I’m good at.”

Subtle shrugged. “Well, at least it’s for a good cause.”

“It was always for a good cause!” Nictis shot back, rather more sharply than he intended. He paused a moment before speaking again, softer. “Keeping everyling fed was a good cause. It’s just the methods that were wrong.”

“No argument, here,” Subtle said. “But if you’re worried about method, don’t. We’re not trying to trick some innocents, or even Infiltrators just looking for food. They aren’t here for food. They’re here as a threat, and they’ve already attacked ponies. You should know more than anyone what they could do.”

“I know,” Nictis said with a sigh. “It’s just… I know they already consider me a traitor, but I don’t like the idea of acting against the hive.”

Subtle shrugged. “Far as I’m concerned, you’re not. You’re doing a lot more to help the hive than they are.”

Nictis turned to glare at her for a few long seconds. Finally, he relented, relaxing slightly. “Can’t anyone just let me have a good sulk for once?”

With a broad grin, Subtle leaned back in her chair. “Sorry, no time for sulking. We’ve got a lot to do!”

“Which is why I’ve been pacing back and forth for the last hour,” he dryly remarked.

“Okay, we’ll have a lot to do soon,” she corrected with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “Patience.”

He shook his head, choosing not to reply further. Instead, he continued his slow pacing, despite how unnecessary it had proven. It’s not like there was anything better to do. Princess Twilight still had her nose buried in her books, offering no chance of conversation to pass the time; probably for the best, though, as he was rather uncomfortable talking with any of the princesses. The nearby Royal Guards--two pegasi in Subtle Tea’s service, and a pair of unicorns to protect the princess--didn’t seem to be very talkative types, at least not on-duty. That just left Subtle, and while she appeared relaxed and casual, there was a look to her eyes that told him she was deep in thought.

After a couple more minutes, the sound of wingbeats and the quiet clinking of armor announced the arrival of another Guard at the tower balcony. A moment later Thunder Chaser trotted in, his breathing coming just a bit harder than normal. He glanced around the room, then made his way to the map-and-book-laden table.

“Your Highness, Miss Tea.” He dipped his head to each in turn, though Princess Twilight looked the tiniest bit confused when she glanced up from her book. “Six changeling Infiltrators just turned themselves over at the main gate, about a minute ago.”

Subtle sat upright, suddenly very serious. “Well, so far, so good. What’s the situation down there?”

“All quiet,” he replied. “They were completely cooperative, barely even glared at us. They’re being escorted to Chrysalis’s chambers right now, under heavy guard, and messengers went out to every post to be on alert.”

“Good,” Subtle said with a nod. “Assuming they don’t try anything colossally stupid in the next few minutes, this seems like exactly the sort of thing that might prompt Chrysalis to send out another message. You ready to do some tracking, princess?”

“I think so,” Princess Twilight replied. “Yes.”

“Should be soon,” Subtle said before turning back to Thunder Chaser. “You’ll be with Feather and Autumn for now. If we get a good location from this, you’ll all be moving out immediately. We might have to act very quickly, which means you may not have time to link up with the rest of the Guard. As such, I’m putting Nictis as my second-in-command for this little job; if I’m unavailable, you’ll all be following his directions.”

Both Thunder and Nictis started to object, but Subtle silenced it with a wave of her hoof. “He knows the methods and tactics of the changelings we’re looking for more than anypony here, and his judgment is already key for this operation. This is just making it all official.”

Thunder Chaser hesitated, but nodded.

“Well then, everypony, get ready. It’s about time to get to work.”

Nictis had nothing to do, so he simply continued his slow pacing. Yes, it was useless, but it was still better than sitting around doing nothing. Meanwhile, Thunder joined the other Guards, and Princess Twilight reluctantly set aside her books to focus entirely on her magic. She had claimed that she had been maintaining a detection spell the entire time she had been reading--and given her apparent proficiency with magic, he didn’t doubt it--but now turned her full attention toward Chrysalis’s chambers, just a few floors below them.

The tension held even as the minutes dragged on. Almost ten had passed by the time Princess Twilight abruptly looked up. “That’s the spell. Spike!”

The young dragon leaped forward, already pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill, while the princess closed her eyes to focus. A moment later, she began rattling off a series of numbers, which Spike quickly wrote down.

As soon as the numbers stopped, she took the parchment and quill in her magic and scribbled out some mathematical formulas. It took only a few seconds before she turned to the map, snatching up a protractor and ruler. Lining them up, she jabbed her hoof down on the map. “There! The target was at those horizontal coordinates, and 232 feet below our--no, below Chrysalis’s position.”

Both Subtle and Nictis leaned over the map, looking to the spot indicated: a building in the middle of the lower part of the city. “How precise is this?” Subtle asked.

“I kind of shortcut some of the math by rounding,” Princess Twilight admitted with a nervous smile, “So it’s only within about three feet of accurate. Plus the target location was moving at first while I was taking numbers. I’d estimate their current position at about five feet south-southeast of that location, give or take about three feet.”

“So, precise,” Subtle noted. “On a secondary street near a main road, looks like a house or maybe a small store. Nictis, can you find your way there?”

Nictis was already looking over the area, noting landmarks. The map itself was incredibly detailed, almost like a drawing. “If the area looks anything like the map, yes.”

“Good. Get over there as quick as you can, keep an eye on it. I’ll leave it to your discretion whether you follow anyone leaving or keep watch. Go.”

She turned to address Thunder Chaser and the other Guards as Nictis kicked off of the ground and shot out the window, wings pumping hard. He shot out over the walls, receiving a few looks from the Guards, but none rose up in pursuit of a pegasus flying out of the castle.

He built up speed as he dove close to the rooftops, which whipped by at an uncomfortable speed. The pegasus form certainly seemed to be a faster flyer than his natural body, even if the wings were unpleasantly heavy, but fatigue was building quick. He made a mental note to base future disguises off somepony like Rainbow Dash if speed was going to be an issue; she and Sky were rather more suited to that sort of flying than he was.

As he approached the lower city he cut his descent, feathered wings spread wide to bleed off speed. His destination lay just ahead, easy enough to find; while not on one of the major streets, it lay near where two crossed, and had a small square nearby, landmarks that made finding his destination easy. He was further pleased to see that the area was fairly busy, with several small shops.

A slow arc brought him down over one of the streets, where a couple of two-story shops blocked line of sight from his target. With a quick flutter of wings, he slowed the final bit to land at a casual trot. Nopony paid him any mind, one nice advantage of the location. He had seen the dirty looks such a landing had brought Sky from the nobility and upper-class ponies living in the upper city--which is to say, dirtier than the usual looks he got for being a changeling. It wasn’t quite fair to say that they all looked down on such things, with only a portion of them making any fuss about it, but they did seem to have an unfortunate tendency toward snobbery.

Down in the lower city, however, nopony made any note of a single pegasus swooping down for a landing.

Nictis slowed to a casual walk just before rounding the corner, a faint and friendly smile on his disguise’s face. He looked around the street as he walked, taking in details of his target each time his gaze swept past it. It was a closed-down shop, slightly unusual for a moderately busy place like that, but not so much as to be suspicious.

Various questions immediately came to mind, with one in particular leaping to the front: had they lucked out in finding such a place, or had it been prepared for them? The size of the city made it likely that there would be a few places like that already in existence, but finding them might be problematic, and who knew when the owner might show up again? On the other hoof, it would make sense for any prior Infiltrators to establish some safe haven in the city, and if they were lucky, it might leave a trail of information that could be followed.

But for now, he pushed those questions to the back of his mind. They were worth considering, but it was something Subtle and her staff could look into later. Right now, he had his own mission.

His expression almost faltered at the thought. A mission. He turned the word over in his mind, considering it. It was all so familiar and unpleasantly comfortable. He had direction. He had a goal. He had something to apply his skills to, and part of him was excited to make use of them again.

He pushed that sensation down. Now is not the time to be emotional.

Spotting a nearby alleyway leading behind the building, he turned down it. The first step was to reconnoiter his target, to ensure noling could slip out without him noticing. Sure enough, the building had a back door leading out into the alley. That gave him two exits that he had to simultaneously keep an eye on.

He also couldn’t help but note that the alleys of Canterlot were easily the nicest and cleanest alleys he had ever seen.

As he left the alley, he took in the rest of the area. Now that he had found the building in question, he needed a way to observe it while remaining inconspicuous. Fortunately, one of the shops across the way was a small restaurant, with an open outdoor dining area that had a clear line of sight to the front door of the building, a clear view of one end of the alley, and was close enough to the other that he should catch anyone leaving it. It was a perfect excuse to loiter in the area without seeming suspicious, and to tell the truth, he could use a bit of food.

He ordered one of the smaller hayburgers and a drink. It was something he could finish off quickly, giving him a perfect excuse to get up and leave without looking out of the ordinary. He then took a seat and relaxed, acting as if he was simply a normal pegasus mare, enjoying a sunny and relaxing day. Nothing distinguished him from any of the other ponies around him, in either behavior or appearance.

He looked around, taking in the sights just as a tourist might. He didn’t immediately look over the building in question, instead letting his gaze wander, only taking in the details as his eyes passed by it.

There wasn’t much to see, which didn’t surprise him. It was a fairly typical two-story building, with white stone walls topped by a brown roof that stood somewhat mismatched against the more common blues and purples of neighboring buildings, but not enough to stand out. The windows were dark and shuttered, though without looking neglected or completely abandoned, with a simple sign in the front window declaring the property “sold.”

After taking in the details, he turned his attention to his newly arrived meal, keeping the building in the periphery of his senses. He only needed to know if someone came or went from the building, but at the moment, it appeared completely quiet.

One particular flicker of motion did draw his attention, but in the opposite direction: a trio of pegasus Guards had landed atop a roof a block away, the gray form of Thunder Chaser among them. With the increased Guard activity, they didn’t appear unusual in the slightest. Nictis shuffled his wings before turning back to his meal, figuring that would be signal enough that he had noticed their arrival.

As he ate, he considered the situation. For the most part, it was simple. He merely had to keep an eye on the building and anyone who came or left, and so long as he kept his attention up, that should be covered. A changeling in a pegasus disguise might slip out the back entrance and fly off, which he might not see past the roof, but the risk was small. In any case, there was little he could do about it on his own.

What he could do, however, was consider what precautions an unknown number of changeling Infiltrators might take. Observation from the windows of the building was possible, although with the way most of them were shuttered, the view from inside would be poor. That might be considered acceptable if they considered the risk to be low, but it seemed like poor planning to do so.

Nictis considered the various ponies gathered around, taking in details of the crowd whenever he looked around. A changeling or two posted out in the crowd, watching for potential threats, seemed like a sensible defense for a safe-haven used by several changelings. There was no telling how many Infiltrators might be involved, but it made sense to assume the worst.

The passing glances around the crowd showed nothing immediately out of the ordinary, but that was to be suspected. Instead, he merely kept tabs on what was going on. Anyling posted as security would be loitering, while trying to look like they weren’t, much as he was. It would take time, especially if they were any good; since none immediately stood out, any sentinels were either good or absent.

It was only a couple minutes after his arrival when the door of the shop opened, and a pair of false ponies stepped out.

One of the pair, disguised as a pegasus, seemed a touch on-edge. It was nothing too overt, but his eyes darted around alertly, as if looking for threats. The other, who appeared as a unicorn mare, seemed to be quite the opposite, bearing an uninterested look as if everything around was beneath her notice. She broke her dour look for only a moment as she lowered her head to her companion, whispering something to him. His glances immediately stopped, though his ears remained perked up and alert as they began to walk down the street.

Nictis casually took another bite of his hayburger, tamping down the nervous excitement that threatened to take hold. There was no need to rush. At their current pace it would take them well over a minute to reach the corner and slip out of sight, more than enough time to finish up his meal without rushing. It took only a couple more bites, and he rose. Even still, he made sure to take his time; he took a moment to neatly wipe his mouth on a napkin, neatly gathered up the trash and dropped it into a bin, and even gave a quick wave and call of thanks to the staff before stepping out into the street.

It was a risk following them, he knew. More changelings might leave from their safe-house, but it was a location they already knew about. Two potential Infiltrators leaving together was too notable to pass up; it represented not only a chance to apprehend a couple of Chrysalis’s agents, it provided an opportunity to learn more about their operation. Whatever their destination was, it must have some importance to them, whether it was some target or simply another safe refuge.

The pair had just gone around the corner by the time Nictis was following, but he didn’t worry. The long legs of his assumed form let him make good speed with a casual, but brisk, walk. Half a minute later, he had travelled far enough to see the pair once again. Nothing seemed obviously out of the ordinary about them, nothing to differentiate them from any of the ponies they walked among.

He followed, slowing his pace slightly to maintain distance. The pair was heading further into the city, weaving easily through the crowd, and passing right by the building that Thunder Chaser and the other Guards were perched on top of; the trio did their best to look as ordinary as possible. Occasionally, the pegasus would find an excuse to casually glance behind them, but there was nothing to see; Nictis was just another pony travelling in the same direction as them, not even taking notice of their presence. He had to ignore the feeling of exhilaration every time the false pegasus looked away without seeing him; there was a sense of pride in being able to fool another Infiltrator, a satisfaction in being able to do something he was unquestionably good at and, for the most part, free of guilt.

They continued on for some time, with nothing of significance occurring. For the moment, they were walking down a fairly well-traveled street, the kind of place where they could blend in easily as just another couple of ponies, but which also gave more cover for anypony tailing them.

As they continued on, Nictis “allowed” himself to be momentarily distracted by the storefronts and landmarks they passed. He only had to glance at them occasionally to keep tabs on them, and the less time he spent looking at them, the less chance he had of being discovered.

He had just finished with one of these “distractions” when he looked back to see a pair of undisguised changelings walking his way.

The sudden feeling of alarm passed as he spotted his quarry, still disguised, still walking along just like before. He felt like smacking himself; there may not be nearly as many changelings in Canterlot as in Ponyville, but it shouldn’t be such a strange thing to see them walking down the street. They even looked vaguely familiar.

It took a moment before he produced a name. Shale. That was the one who seemed to be leading the way, saying something that had the other laughing along with him. Nictis remembered him out in Ponyville a few months ago, helping the other changeling get accustomed to life among ponies. He’d eventually moved to Canterlot to take up a job opportunity with another changeling already living there. Nictis had only ever met the other changeling once, though he was pretty sure he was the one walking beside Shale. They’d probably be happy to see him, he thought, if not for his disguise.

Their happiness faded slightly as they walked past the two disguised changelings Nictis was following, uneasy glances meeting cold stares. Nictis could only imagine the emotions they must have sensed from the two. Nothing nice, given their reaction.

They continued on, and as the pair neared him, Nictis gave a friendly smile and nod. Both changelings returned the gesture, along with a feeling of thanks that they didn’t know he could sense. Nictis felt just a little guilty. It was, after all, a lie. He wasn’t really a pony, accepting and welcoming these changelings as they would any other pony. But then, the hostility they had just received had been a lie, as well; the pair he was following weren’t really ponies, either.

They continued on, making their way further into the city.

Several minutes later, the false pegasus glanced behind him again, but this time his gaze turned upward, holding a moment longer before turning back to his companion just a hair too quickly. Nictis mentally cursed, and resisted the urge to look back himself. He didn’t really need to, he had obviously spotted something suspicious, and that probably meant that Thunder Chaser or one of the other Guards had not been quite so discreet as they thought; while Nictis could blend into a crowd, golden-armored pegasi tended to stand out a bit.

Sure enough, the pair had broken their silence, which had held the entire time they had been walking, and were now talking quietly among themselves. It lasted only a few moments before they went silent again, neither of them glancing back.

As they entered an intersection with a tiny side street, the false unicorn nodded, and they split. Each trotted off in opposite directions down the side street, immediately slipping out of sight.

Nictis mentally cursed as he snapped his wings out, powerful strokes lifting him quickly into the sky and starling a few ponies by the sudden leap. As he passed the second-floor balconies he nosed over backwards and rolled level, instantly spotting the trio of pegasus Guards perched just a block back. He pumped his wings hard, speeding back to them.

“They’re alert!” he shouted as he banked into a sharp turn before them. “Follow me!”

With that he shot back toward the intersection, the Guards following quickly behind him. As they reached the intersection, he backwinged, coming to a momentary hover. “You two!” he called out, pointing back to the group following him, then to the side street. “Get the pegasus, he went that way! Thunder, follow me!”

With that, he powered into a short dive before rocketing along the street in the opposite direction. Several ponies looked up curiously at the sight of them flying by, but none were the unicorn he was looking for.

Several minutes later they flew back the way they came, but quite a bit slower. The disguised changeling had evaded them.

When they found the other two Guards, they discovered that the other changeling had not been so lucky. He was undisguised and pinned in the middle of the street, weighed down by the two pegasi. All were breathing heavily, and one of the pegasi--Nictis was pretty sure that was Autumn--had a hoof raised warningly over the changeling’s horn, a clear warning against using magic.

Nictis and Thunder Chaser landed in the circle of onlookers. Thunder bound right up to them, ready to help them restrain the changeling. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Autumn said, though he winced a little. “Just be careful with this guy. He kicks.”

The changeling didn’t respond. In fact, apart from the heavy breathing, he seemed perfectly calm. Even his emotions were calm, with only hints of anger and nervousness. His eyes were active, however, analyzing everything he could see.

“Be careful with him,” Nictis said, eying the changeling. “He’s looking for an opening.”

The changeling’s gaze turned to him, a hint of irritation flitting across his senses before vanishing again. Then he tried a new tactic: closing his eyes and slumping to the ground limply, remaining as passive as possible.

Thunder sighed. “Well, at least we got one of them. What now?”

Nictis shook his head. “I don’t know… I guess get him back to the castle, and then meet up with Subtle.”

Thunder nodded and turned back. “Autumn, see if you can find some pounders to help get him to the castle.”

“Got it,” Autumn replied and took to the sky, while Thunder took his place at the changeling’s head.

“Pounders?” Nictis asked with a raised eyebrow, which prompted a faint smirk from Thunder Chaser.

“Ground pounders,” he said, giving a couple gentle beats of his wings for emphasis. “Guards without these.”

“Cute,” Nictis dryly replied, refraining from rolling his eyes.

Fortunately, the changeling they had caught thought better of trying anything. Between the Guards holding him and the crowd of concerned onlookers, he must have decided there was nothing he could hope to do at the moment. Only a few minutes later, Autumn came trotting up to them with a half dozen other Royal Guards, mostly unicorns. There was also another pegasus. Nictis recognized her as Glimmer, the same Guard who had interrupted lunch the previous day.

As Thunder and the commander of the other team of Guards discussed what to do with their prisoner, Glimmer led Nictis off to the side to quietly speak with him where the other changeling couldn’t overhear.

“Subtle got Golden Aegis to assign a squad of Guards to raid that building she sent you to. They’re setting up two blocks south, but she wants to get your input before moving in. She also said she’d like Thunder’s team to join her, too.”

Nictis nodded, looking back to the other Guards. A couple unicorns had already surrounded the changeling, who was rising to his feet under their direction. “I guess we’re done here, anyway.”

Glimmer arced close over the roof of another store and dropped into the gap between buildings, with Nictis and the other Guards close on her tail. They had flown low over the rooftops, trying to balance speed with some measure of discretion. The gap she had led them to proved to be a tiny courtyard, a small back-lot between a few stores and houses, with a couple alleys leading off to the street. He backwinged quickly, cutting speed to carefully pick out a landing spot; the small courtyard was packed, with about twenty ponies gathered around. All but one were clad in the golden armor of the Royal Guard, and a half dozen carried spears.

The only pony not wearing armor was Subtle, who was already stepping up to Nictis as he landed. “You’ll want to drop your disguise for this,” she said with a wry smile.

He grunted, knowing what was coming next, and let his disguise drop, returning to his natural form in a flash of green that made a few nearby ponies twitch. “I really can’t wait to be done with these stupid scans,” he grumbled.

“Soon, hopefully,” Subtle said as she gave the Guards a nod. After the quick dispellings failed to reveal any changeling impostors, Subtle nodded. “Good. So what happened?”

“A pair of changelings left the building, so I followed,” Nictis said. “They spooked when they spotted one of the Guard following along. They split and ran. The Guards caught one, but the other got away.”

“We need to move quick, then, before he manages to alert them,” Subtle said, “At least this confirms it’s the right place. I didn’t even think about elevation until Sparkle mentioned it, and it’s surprisingly hard to find a topographical map of the city, even in the engineer’s office.” She quickly shook her head. “Anyway, not important. We’re planning to raid the building to capture any changelings hiding there. Any objections?”

Nictis frowned. Part of him objected strongly to the idea of helping to direct pony soldiers into capturing members of the hive, but he shook his head. “No.”

“Then how about tactical advice?” she asked. “I’m sure Aegis wants the best picture he can get before going in.”

Nictis’s frown deepened as he looked to the armored unicorn, who had turned his entire attention to the changeling. Nictis hesitated for a moment before speaking. “They’re probably Infiltrators, so their first reaction is going to be to flee rather than fight. They should only try to fight if they’re out of other options and cornered, and even then, they aren’t soldiers.”

He hesitated a moment as a thought occurred to him. “Although… they may also be determined to not be taken alive. At least when I was being trained, we were taught to die rather than be discovered or captured. It was all to preserve the secret of our existence, which doesn’t really matter any more, but still… they might be willing to fight to the death. They may even commit suicide to avoid capture.”

There were a few murmurs among the Guards, a few of them looking concerned at that news, while others looked shocked or disgusted.

“It was a long time ago,” Nictis added. “I can’t guarantee things are the same now. Actually… actually, I can’t guarantee much of anything. The idea of being captured alive was unthinkable back then, but so was an outright invasion. Some things must have changed since then. They might not even be Infiltrators. Chrysalis might have brought well-trained soldiers, instead.”

Aegis was nodding, though he didn’t look very happy with the news. “We’ll just have to be careful. Hit them quick and hard with disorienting and stunning spells.”

Turning to the Guards, Golden Aegis spoke louder. “Okay. Team one, you’re going in the front door. The blueprints put the stairway just inside and on the right. You’ll push up and clear the second floor. Team two, you go in the rear door and clear the first floor, then hit the stairway and go down to clear the basement. Weapons team.” He nodded to the collection of ponies carrying spears. “You will follow team one and hold in the entryway until called for support. Fliers, you lead the way and secure the sky and all airborne exits, then keep watch for any runners.”

He was met with various grunts and nods of acknowledgement. There were a few uncertain looks exchanged, but there was no hesitation in their movements as they formed up.

“We’re going in hard, before they get the chance to do anything stupid. Use concussion, flash, and stunning spells liberally. We don’t know if they’re going to fight back, so don’t give them the chance. Everypony ready?”

A chorus of “yes sir” answered him, and he began to lead them down the alley, toward the street. Subtle nudged Nictis. “You’re with me,” she said. “And you should disguise up again. Another flash of green followed, and he followed along in silence, ignoring the acidic feeling growing in his gut.

Aegis came to a halt just before the end of the alley, with Subtle and Nictis halting alongside him. The Guard captain paused to look back over his shoulder, watching the earth-bound Guards stacking up behind him, then up to where the pegasus Guards perched, wings tensed and ready for flight.

“Okay,” he said with a nod. “Let’s go.”

Silent but for the jingle of armor and the clopping of hooves, the Guard trotted forward.

Chapter 7: Captive

Chapter 7: Captive

The sun was slowly making its way toward the horizon as Twilight strolled out the main gate of the castle with Sky and an assortment of ponies and changelings following her. In addition to the pair of Royal Guards acting as an escort, she was accompanied by Rarity and Fluttershy. Sky, for his own part, had been joined by Skiris and Trip. The two followed along with slightly jittery movements despite their smiles, equal parts nervous anticipation and optimism.

“...And after that I have an invitation to Lady Prim’s art show,” Rarity was saying, “though I’ll have to keep the visit short if I’m going to attend Lord Star’s dinner party. The whole day is going to be simply hectic, but I think I shall manage well enough.”

Sky had been mostly quiet up until then, but spoke up now. “Weren’t you doing something about looking for signs of Infiltrators?” he asked. “Are you still going to have time with all those gatherings?”

To his surprise, Rarity laughed softly. “But of course! That’s the whole point, my dear. These little soirees are always filled with all manner of rumor, gossip, and scandal.” She shrugged slightly, flashing a playful smile. “True, most tend to be more on the order of who’s seeing who and various fashion faux pas rather than anything concerning the well-being of Equestria, but if there are any imposters among the elite of Canterlot, those seemingly insignificant mistakes are precisely the kind of thing that would give them away.”

She paused as they finished crossing the short drawbridge and stepped onto the street. For the most part, most ponies paid the group little attention, though a fair number of ponies paused to acknowledge Equestria’s youngest princess with a smile or kind word. Twilight returned the gestures gracefully, if still a bit shyly. Her attention was caught a moment later by the sight of a few dozen ponies gathered around a unicorn, who was using a small box as a dais as he addressed them. Sky couldn’t make out what he was saying, only that he sounded agitated, and that many of the ponies seemed similarly affected.

Rarity quickly spoke up again. “Though on that note, I can’t stay too long, there’s a charity dinner tonight that I especially wish to attend. Wouldn’t it have been much quicker to take one of the royal chariots? I know you’re not one for taking advantage of your new social standing, but it seems such a shame to let them go to waste.”

Twilight finally looked back to Rarity, allowing an awkward smile. “I know, but I’d rather walk. It’s been a while since I’ve just been out to see Canterlot, and I kind of miss it. Besides, I wouldn’t mind having a chance to talk with Shiny and Cadance before we have to get back to business.”

“You could always tell your guards to go slow,” Rarity teased. “I’m pretty sure that’s within your authority, now.”

“Well, sure,” Twilight said, chuckling. “But why bother with the chariot at all, then?”

“What’s the point in having nice things if you don’t make use of them once in a while?” Rarity said. “Not that I can really complain of having a nice walk through Canterlot. It is such a beautiful city.”

Rarity was grinning as she cast her gaze across the view before them, the city sloping down before them, cast in clean white, blue, and gold. Even the increased number of guards contributed to the view, their golden armor gleaming in the sunlight. Twilight merely smiled in response as they continued on.

“Should I really be here, then?” Sky asked. “I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your time with family.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “We’ll be fine, and, well… as much as I’d like to have a casual evening with them, we’ve got a lot we need to deal with fairly soon. Besides, you’re a friend.”

Sky smiled a little. “Thanks. But if you’re really wanting somepony to catch Cadance and your brother up on what’s happened, Nictis would probably have been better for it. I’ve got to admit, I’m a little lost on some of it. He’s better at understanding all that subterfuge stuff.”

“You’ll do fine,” Twilight said with a chuckle. “Besides, Nictis is busy helping Miss Tea. I think they’ll be out for a bit. You’ll do fine.”

“I guess,” Sky replied reluctantly. “I did see him back at the castle, just before I met up with you.” He frowned slightly. “Though he didn’t look very happy...”

Nictis grumbled as he plodded on down the castle hall, head hanging low.

“No need to grumble,” Subtle said lightly as she walked beside him on three legs, eyes darting quickly over the bundle of pages held precariously in the fourth. “Even if things didn’t turn out as decisively as we had hoped, this wasn’t without value.”

“It’s still disappointing,” Nictis muttered.

Subtle opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a loud metallic clang and a few startled yelps from the castle staff; they both looked back to at Thunder Chaser, who had apparently just kicked his own helmet down the hall. “What a complete waste of time!” he growled, while a few of the nearby staff glanced warily in their direction before hurrying along in their duties.

Behind Thunder Chaser, Autumn and Feather both held similarly disgruntled looks as they followed along, and he knew the feeling was shared by several other Guard members. They had been prepared for a fight, ready to go to action to protect Equestria from a potential threat. That anticipation had turned to ash at what their raid had discovered.

Nothing.

The tension in Thunder Chaser’s body slowly seeped away, his ears drooping. Finally he sighed and walked off after his abused helmet.

“It wasn’t a complete waste,” Subtle said as her eyes returned to her papers. “If nothing else, we know for sure that this was one of their safe havens. It’s given us something to track. Someling acquired this property for their use, and that gives us one more lead than we had this morning.”

Nictis grumbled, reluctantly adding, “And it removed that safe haven.”

“That too,” Subtle said with a nod.

Nictis frowned for a moment, and only reluctantly added, “And it also might make them more hesitant to take action. It’ll make them harder to track, but it may also keep them from accomplishing much.”

“We can hope,” Subtle said, turning a smile to him. “And we still have that one you all managed to capture out in the city. I’m not expecting much from an interrogation, but maybe we’ll luck out and you can get something useful out of him.”

That brought Nictis’s head up. “Me?” he asked, alarmed. “I’m not an interrogator. Don’t you have ponies that could do that better than me?”

Subtle laughed softly, a surprisingly genuine expression of amusement beside the disappointment they all felt. “And just how many hostile foreign agents do you think we’ve had to interrogate?” she asked lightly. “I’m sure there are a few investigators or the like who could do competently, and I suspect I could do well enough in a pinch, but I think this is just the sort of thing for a former Infiltrator.”

“Technically, I was never fully--”

“You know how they operate, you’re well-versed in how deception and manipulation work, meaning you understand how to recognize such behavior, and you can sense emotions.” When he hesitated, she chuckled. “You’re an ideal interrogator, especially when dealing with a changeling Infiltrator.”

“Except they think I’m a traitor,” he replied, looking away. “They’re going to be hostile to me the moment I show up.”

“Only if you let them know it’s you.”

He frowned at Subtle, who simply smiled in reply. They held their silent argument for several seconds, before Nictis finally sighed. “I was kind of hoping I’d be done with pretending to be a pony for the day,” he said, “but I guess you’re right.”

“Well, you don’t have to go in a disguise,” Subtle said, shrugging slightly. “I just think it could be a useful tactic.”

“No, you’re right.” Nictis kicked his hoof against the ground again. “I don’t know if it’ll help much, but I guess it’ll be worth a shot. Still…”

There was a surprising flash of sympathy from Subtle. “You don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable with it,” she said. “All things considered, I wouldn’t hold it against you, but I do think you’re probably the best suited to the task. And you know, I think this is something you’ll want to do yourself.”

He watched her warily for a few moments, but finally shook his head. “I’ll do it.”

“Well that’s good,” Subtle said, cheery once again, “because we’re almost there.”

Nictis snorted, though he couldn’t help a shadow of a smile. “That figures.”

“Oh dear,” Subtle said with a wry smile. “I hope that doesn’t mean I’m becoming predictable.”

Nictis found it hard to not smile, despite himself. Maybe it was Subtle’s amusement that managed to stir up a bit of humor at the situation, he reasoned to himself.

When he saw the pair of Royal Guard unicorns guarding a door ahead, any remnants of humor left him. Subtle quickened her pace just a touch, approaching them in the lead. “Sirs,” she said with a respectful nod to them. “How is the prisoner?”

“Secure and in good condition,” one Guard replied. “His magic has been disabled. Nothing else to report. He’s been quiet.”

“Sounds good,” she said before turning to Nictis. “Did you want to change before going in?”

Nictis sighed, reluctantly calling up his magic. A moment later he was replaced by the same gray pegasus he had masqueraded as previously.

Subtle nodded before turning back to the guard. “Okay. ‘Star Fall’ here will be interviewing the prisoner, if you’d please let her in.”

The guard nodded, without even a hint of hesitation at the abrupt change in appearance and the new name. “Of course,” he said, stepping up to the door. He opened it, giving a quick look inside; a hint of concern flashed across his face before he stepped aside to allow ‘Star’ to enter.

The door shut behind Nictis as he entered the small room. It was a simple space, stripped of all furniture and other items that might be misused by a prisoner. The room had no windows, the light being provided by a single glowing stone set in the ceiling--some sort of enchantment, Nictis was sure. Despite being relatively spartan compared to the rest of the castle, it was still fairly nice, with a couple plush sitting cushions set out on the polished stone floor.

Those cushions were currently unoccupied, however. Instead, the other changeling was curled up in the corner, sitting very still. His eyes were wide, fixed on the newcomer. As Nictis approached, he could just make out the faint stain of dried tears on the other changeling’s cheeks.

The changeling hastily raised a trembling foreleg to wipe at its eyes before speaking in a timid and shaking voice. “P-please don’t hurt me. I was just trying to get f-food…”

The trembling and apparent terror would have been truly pitiable if his emotions hadn’t been perfectly calm.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Nictis said patiently, before giving the other changeling a disapproving look. “So you can drop the act.”

There was only the faintest sensation of concern or frustration from the other changeling, too faint to make out clearly, and vanishing an instant later. “It’s n-not an act!” the changeling insisted, expression growing more fearful. “I-I never hurt anypony! I just want to help feed my siblings!”

Nictis responded with a frown. The changeling’s game was clear enough. It may well have worked on a pony; their sense of compassion may well have led them to replace suspicion with sympathy.

It was that same compassion that had led to ponies accepting changelings like Nictis, and he couldn’t help but find it infuriating that this changeling would be exploiting that, even as a small part of him admitted the value of such a tactic.

Likely sensing the momentary flash of frustration, the other changeling pressed harder. “We’ve just been so hungry,” he whined, curling up a little more. “I just wanted to help them. P-please…”

Even as his attempt to prey upon this apparent pony’s compassion failed to produce the desired results, the changeling’s emotions remained remarkably calm. Unfortunately, that calmness meant that Nictis’s secret advantage was essentially useless, and the other changeling’s attempts at emotional manipulation would be a constant hindrance to any actual conversation. He gave the other changeling a flat, disapproving look. An instant later, green flame flashed across him, revealing his true form, still holding the same expression.

“Oh,” the other changeling said, his pitiable and fearful expression immediately falling away. Only the faintest hints of emotions met Nictis’s senses, too faint to discern.

Nictis held the expression for a second. This was unfamiliar territory, and he had little idea of how to proceed. Time to improvise.

He raised his head as he stepped toward the changeling, eying him critically. “Not bad,” he said in a neutral tone. “It’s a clever enough of a tactic, exploiting ponies’ sympathies to distract and divert them. Unfortunately, you failed to account for the fact that there are several changelings who now call Equestria home.”

The other changeling hardly reacted. “Yes, I am aware that some have betrayed the hive, just as I’m aware of who you are.”

“Then you should also be aware that simply feigning emotion visually is no longer sufficient,” Nictis said. “A skilled Infiltrator doesn’t just pretend to show emotions externally, they know how to stir up those emotions within themselves, to create a more convincing act. It’s a skill that’s even more necessary, now that you may need to fool other changelings.”

He paused a moment, as if reconsidering the changeling before him. “Standards in the hive must have fallen since I was last there, but at least they haven’t fallen too far. Even if your ability to feign emotions is lacking, your ability to restrain your own feelings is admirable. In fact, that might prove very beneficial to both of us.”

“Unlikely,” was all that the other changeling said.

Nictis paused, considering the other changeling again. “What’s your name?”

The other changeling remained silent for a moment before finally replying, “Fade.”

“Okay, Fade,” Nictis said, seating himself in front of the changeling. “Unless the situation in the hive has gotten particularly strange since I left, you’re an Infiltrator, which suggests that you’re intelligent. You’ve shown creativity and adaptability in your methods. You’ve shown the ability to keep your emotions well in check, suggesting that you’re able to look at a situation logically instead of emotionally. All I want is for you to do that now.”

Fade remained silent, watching him impassively.

“Your tactics show that you know ponies can empathize with changelings,” Nictis said. “What would happen if we, the whole hive, tried to coexist with them?”

“I know some ponies who are very hostile to the idea,” Fade replied.

“And I’m sure you’ve encountered many more ponies who would go against them to support us,” Nictis countered. “Enough that you consider exploiting sympathy a valid tactic, even against those pledged to protect Equestria from threat. The guard that looked in, what did you sense from him?”

“Surprise, suspicion, concern, and sympathy,” Fade replied, mechanically. “From strongest to weakest.”

“I know some of the Royal Guard, and I’ve worked alongside several of them,” Nictis said. “They’ve dedicated themselves to protecting Equestria and all its subjects. They are the ponies who have to deal with hostile changelings. They even had to fight many of us a year ago. They have more reason than any to be hostile toward us, but they haven’t hesitated for a moment to extend their protection to changelings who are willing to live in peace alongside them. I’m sure you’ve noticed that.”

When Fade remained silent, Nictis spoke again. “You didn’t answer my question, though. What would happen if we try to coexist with them?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Fade replied. “It is not my place to decide the course of the hive.”

“You’re an Infiltrator,” Nictis said, sharply, but Fade cut him off before he could continue.

“And you’re not.”

Nictis remained silent for a long moment, staring at Fade. “No. Technically, I never finished my training, and I was never confirmed as an Infiltrator. But I studied under Princess Ceymi, one of the most skilled Infiltrators in recent history. I learned many things from her, and many more from a decade of experience among ponies. Do you know what the most important trait for an Infiltrator is?”

Fade remained silent, eying him doubtfully, so Nictis answered for him. “Adaptability. A lack of flexibility leads to weakness. The ability to adapt to any situation is what makes us strong. Our greatest defense was stripped from us when hundreds of changelings came plummeting out of the sky over Canterlot. Despite that, the hive is still clinging to the old ways of doing things, while refusing to even consider something new. So tell me, what good can come of this?”

“That’s not my responsibility,” Fade replied.

“You’re an Infiltrator,” Nictis repeated. “That means you’re expected to have initiative, to actually think through what you’re doing and act in the best interests of the hive. Do you really think it’s beneficial to the hive to taunt and provoke the leaders of the most powerful nation in the world?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think.”

“Even if that were true, that isn’t a reason to not think at all.” Nictis leaned forward, staring into the other changeling’s eyes. “You’re still avoiding the question. What would happen if the hive tried to coexist peacefully with ponies?”

Fade remained silent for a long moment, his eyes and mouth twitching a few times, as if fighting off the urge to snarl and glare. Finally, he spoke. “I don’t know.”

Nictis sat back, relaxing slightly. “How much time have you spent among ponies?”

There was a momentary hesitation before Fade answered. “Almost a year.”

“Not very long, but probably long enough to see how ponies really behave,” Nictis said. “And how old are you?”

There was a slightly longer hesitation. Even with the characteristic lack of distinct pupils, it was easy enough to see the faint movements of the other changeling’s eyes as Fade thought; while ponies seemed to make a big deal about the day they were born, it was generally considered little more than unimportant trivia in the hive. “About seventeen years,” he replied.

“You’re only barely younger than me,” Nictis said, surprised by the answer; Infiltrator training was extensive, but it seemed unusual for an Infiltrator of his age having less than a year of practical experience. He set that information aside for the moment and continued on. “Do you remember what was said about ponies when you were a nymph?”

Fade didn’t answer.

“I do,” Nictis said. “It was held as an absolute certainty that ponies would react with horror and hostility if they discovered our existence, that they would never tolerate something that fed on them. It was believed, beyond any doubt, that they would wipe us out.” He looked straight into Fade’s eyes. “You know that Chrysalis can be wrong. And you know that if she can be wrong once, she can be wrong again.”

Fade wavered slightly, anger teasing at Nictis’s senses, but paired with a lingering hint of concern. Both were blotted out a moment later, but Nictis spoke again before Fade could reply. “Look at what you’ve seen here in Equestria. Forget what you’ve been told, what do you think?”

The other changeling looked away, expression neutral as he thought. It was several seconds before he spoke again. “Ponies are easy to exploit. They’re too trusting, and too passive. They are ideal prey: full of love, vulnerable, and unwilling to strike back meaningfully.”

“You may find you’re wrong about their willingness to fight,” Nictis said, a slight bitterness to his tone. “Although I hope it doesn’t come to that. But you’re still limiting yourself to what you’ve been told about ponies. Think further.”

Fade snorted. “That is what I’ve observed,” he said. “Not what I was ‘told’.”

“But that’s not true,” Nictis said. “You’re still assuming them to be prey, as you were taught, rather than coming to that conclusion yourself.”

“They are our food,” Fade replied. “Of course they are prey.”

“But you’ve seen changelings living alongside ponies. We’ve been able to feed off ponies without treating them as prey. It’s shortsighted to assume they must be prey when you’ve seen otherwise.”

Fade’s eyes narrowed slightly, though Nictis saw the faint twitches of the other changeling’s eyes as he thought. “Your way seems… functional,” he reluctantly said, before quickly adding, “but it’s also vulnerable and inefficient.”

“Compared to the hive’s methods?” Nictis asked. “Every changeling who has come to Equestria has mentioned how tightly love was rationed. The hive may not be starving, but the supply of food has been strained, and it’s only going to get worse. Here, though, we don’t have to worry about that. We get all the love we could possibly need.”

“And it requires far more changelings devoted to gathering food than infiltration does,” Fade replied. “Hence, inefficient.”

“They may not all gather as much as an Infiltrator,” Nictis conceded, “but they can gather it passively, and without extensive training. They can do whatever they want with their time, and still gather food.”

Fade gave a faint shrug. “That doesn’t matter. The more changelings sent to Equestria, the fewer there are to work in the hive.”

“What if the whole hive was in Equestria?”

Fade bristled at the question, mouth opening before clamping shut again. He remained silent for several long seconds before slowly relaxing. “Then it would be even more vulnerable than before.”

“Vulnerable to what?” Nictis pressed. “You said you were convinced ponies weren’t willing to strike back.”

“And you said you believed they would,” Fade retorted.

It was Nictis’s turn to hesitate. “If necessary, to protect themselves… yes. But they’re not going to try to wipe us out or subjugate us. You know ponies desire peace, but you should also know they’ll act to protect themselves, and that’s why they may fight. They know how many innocents are held in the hive. Celestia wants to negotiate their release, but if that doesn’t work, Equestria will do anything they can to free them. You know what will happen then.”

Fade shook his head, but there was a hesitation to the movement, an uncertainty. “Ponies are too soft-hearted for that. They would not condemn an entire species to starvation.”

“You’re right,” Nictis said with a nod. “Which is why they have given us an alternative, a way that feeds changelings without the need for the imprisonment of innocents. If the hive refuses, and changelings starve, it will be the hive’s fault. Their consciences will be clear. They’ll be sad for the needless loss of life, and they’ll do everything they can to help those who come to them in peace, but they’ll know they did the right thing, even if it was hard.”

Fade’s eyes met Nictis’s, narrowing slightly in challenge. “So even you think they consider the lives of thousands of changelings to be less important than the lives of a few dozen ponies.”

Even with the grim subject, Nictis has to focus to avoid a feeling of smug satisfaction as Fade said exactly what he had hoped for. He did, however, allow a small smile. “I didn’t say ponies,” he pointed out. “I said innocents. They want all the captives freed. Pony, griffin, donkey, even changeling, it doesn’t matter to them. The princesses don’t want changelings to die, but they will not allow the hive to victimize innocents, not when there’s another way. They’ve given the hive another way. If changelings die, it will be because of Chrysalis’s stubbornness.”

There was a hesitant pause before Fade spoke again. “Do you really believe that?”

“I don’t want anyling to die,” Nictis said, “but… yes. More importantly, they believe it. Ponies are not a violent species, but they’ll protect those they see as innocent. They won’t hesitate to do what they believe is right.”

“Then they would be throwing away their lives,” Fade said. “Any assault on the hive would kill far more ponies than it would save.”

Nictis frowned. “You haven’t known many Royal Guard members if you think that would stop them.”

He could see the tips of Fade’s ears unconsciously droop just a hair. “...Then even more changelings will die.”

“If the hive doesn’t make peace with Equestria and free those it’s enslaved.” Nictis leaned in again, and Fade’s eyes widened slightly, surprise and suspicion mixing as he detected something he clearly hadn’t expected from Nictis: sympathy. “I know what many in the hive think of me, and I know what Chrysalis thinks of me, but I have not turned my back on the hive. I don’t want anyling to die, especially over something that can be easily avoided. You, you’re a sworn Infiltrator. It’s your duty not just to bring in food, but to protect the hive. If we are going to save the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of changelings, we need to ensure that Equestria and the hive come to a peaceful arrangement.”

Fade looked away. For a moment, he was silent. His mouth opened as if to say something, then shut again to silently think some more. The cycle repeated several times, and each time, his posture slackened faintly, his ears drooping just a little more.

Nictis found it particularly painful to watch.

Eventually, Fade spoke, though there was a rawness to his voice. “You are… correct,” he said, giving a slow shake of his head. “If we do not meet Equestria’s demands, we are going to face hard times. If the hive is going to survive… we must stand together. I can not turn away from the queen.”

Fade’s calm and emotionless focus was failing. Fear and grief began to seep through as he glanced back to Nictis. “I’m… sorry.”

Nictis sank slightly, sighing. “Isn’t there anything you could do to help?”

Fade shook his head again, the motion even weaker than before. “The most I could do is repeat what you’ve said,” he weakly replied, “but I can not act against the queen’s wishes. The hive will not survive being torn apart like that.”

Nictis reached out to place a hoof on Fade’s shoulder, which drew a moment of surprise from the other changeling. “If Chrysalis refuses peace, the hive may not survive anyway.”

Reluctantly, Fade turned away, his head hanging low. “I know.”

Nictis watched him silently for a moment before letting his hoof slip away, and rose to leave. Even if Fade wouldn’t help them, it felt wrong to just leave him like that; he particularly hated the calculating voice in the back of his mind, suggesting that letting the other changeling stew in his misery may make him more pliable in the future.

When he reached the door, he drew in a deep breath, and let out a long sigh. Then, taking on a mask of calm neutrality, he opened the door and stepped out.

Outside, Subtle was lying by one of the hallway walls, papers scattered about her as she pored over the information, while an aide stood nearby with yet more documents. The studying came to a momentary halt as she looked over to him. “That was quick. How’d it go?”

Nictis spoke without emotion. “He’s definitely an Infiltrator. He seems competent, but the details make me suspect the hive has had trouble producing enough Infiltrators. It sounds like he’s familiar, and has likely had contact, with some ponies who are opposed to the idea of changelings living freely in Equestria. And he seems convinced that Chrysalis will not agree to a peaceful solution.”

Subtle frowned. “Well that’s disappointing. I mean, it confirms some of our suspicions, sure. It tells us we might be on the right track, keeping an eye on the more discontent groups of ponies. It’s not as proactive as I’d like, but it’s something. Not that we’ll have any lack of unhappy ponies in the next couple days.”

“The Guard ceremony?”

“Among other things,” she replied. “Did you see the group of ponies gathered outside the castle?”

Nictis shook his head. “I noticed they were there, but no details. I was a little distracted.”

“Well, it seems we’ve got a little mini-protest thing going on.” She picked up one of the papers, eyes flitting across the page. “Apparently, there was a lot of talk saying that Chrysalis has Infiltrators taking over the castle and the Royal Guard under the guise of peace talks, and that her remaining free to roam the castle rather than being imprisoned is proof.”

“I imagine she wishes that was true,” Nictis grumbled.

“I bet,” Subtle said with a soft laugh. “Fortunately, it’s not the most practical plan. She might manage some sort of small-scale infiltration, but it would be short-lived. With the current security measures, they’d need to replace a few hundred members of the Guard for it to last more than an hour. Maybe a few dozen, if they knew the exact right ponies to impersonate. Even then, it’s just a matter of time before the deception would be discovered, and there’s little they could accomplish.”

When Nictis looked questioningly to her, she added, “Don’t worry, the Guard is taking every precaution to ensure that won’t happen. If any of her Infiltrators are as skilled as you, we can’t guarantee that they’ll be unable to replace somepony, but we can at least ensure that the deception is short-lived, and that the damage is minimal.”

“Unless they impersonate somepony outside the castle,” Nictis pointed out.

“Which reminds me,” Subtle said, her smile fading. Turning to her aide, she reached out for a bundle of documents. “Gimme.”

The aide awkwardly shuffled the load she was holding, until Subtle pulled out the folder she was grabbing at. Dropping it to the floor, she flipped it open, shuffling through the papers within until she pulled one from the stack.

“An hour ago, the Captain of the Guard received a complaint,” she said, eyes scanning across the page as she spoke. “The pony in question claimed he had been harassed by three Royal Guard pegasi. He said they had accused him of being a changeling, treated him very rudely, yelled at him, and at one point shoved him. The commander was going to look into it, but the captain had no names and only a vague description to go by.” She looked back up at Nictis. “Sometimes, some of the younger members of the Guard can be less than distinguished in their behavior, but if those changelings are trying to cause dissent, it’s possible these weren’t ponies at all. What do you think?”

Nictis slowly nodded. “Risky. It draws attention, and is particularly counterproductive if discovered. It’s… crude, but that also means it’s simple to execute.”

“Not terribly clever, either,” Subtle replied, her smile soon returning. “I suppose I shouldn’t complain too much, it’ll make our job easier if they’re exposing themselves so much. I just expected something… better.”

After a moment of thought, she asked, “You mentioned they might be having trouble training enough Infiltrators. I don’t suppose that their standards might have dropped enough that this is the best they can manage?”

Nictis hesitated before doubtfully replied, “It’s… possible.”

She thought a moment longer before shaking her head. “I suppose we shouldn’t be so optimistic.” She quickly swept her pile of papers into a more manageable stack. “I’ll have to speak with the captain. If they really are impersonating the Guard out in Canterlot, and in such numbers, we need to take advantage of it.”

As soon as she finished gathering the documents, she added them to the aide’s already-sizeable load. Turning back to Nictis, she asked, “Was there any other information you got from him?”

“Not exactly,” Nictis replied, which earned him a questioning look.

“Then… what, exactly?” Subtle asked.

“I think he wants to help us.”

“Really?” Subtle said, though he could clearly hear her doubt. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

Nictis frowned, hesitating a moment before answering. “I talked with him. He seems very calm and calculating, and I think I convinced him that peaceful coexistence can happen, and that it would be far better for the hive than the alternatives. Unfortunately, he seems convinced that Chrysalis would never accept such an arrangement, and that the hive will only survive if it sticks together. He’s not willing to take action for us, or betray the hive by giving up information. The only thing he’s willing to do is to tell other changelings the same thing I told him, and there’s some obvious problems with that.”

“Like how we’d have to let him go in order to talk to the other infiltrators,” Subtle said. “Does he expect us to do that?”

Nictis shook his head. “We hadn’t gotten that far.”

Subtle frowned, thinking for a moment. Nictis could feel the suspicion rising as she spoke again. “Do you trust him?”

“No,” Nictis replied. “But I do think he was being honest about this. He made it clear that he’d continue to do as he was ordered, so he wasn’t trying to sugar-coat it.”

Subtle continued to think for several more seconds before replying. “Too bad we don’t have any other changelings for him to try to convince,” she said, then shrugged, a hint of a smile returning. “But maybe we can fix that. Come on, let’s go talk to the captain.”

A faint bounce was returning to her step as she walked down the hall, her aide trailing behind her. Reluctantly, Nictis followed along, silent as conflicting thoughts and feelings ran through his mind.

The train station in Canterlot was a familiar sight for Sky. About once a month, he would travel to Canterlot for a day or two to fulfill his duties as the ‘Counselor on Changeling Affairs.’ Even so, while the sight was quite familiar to him, the sight of him was not so familiar to many of the ponies travelling through the station.

Fortunately, with all those regular trips, he’d gotten quite a bit of practice in looking as friendly as possible. He wore a soft smile, careful to not show his sharper teeth, walked in a casual and relaxed posture, and basically did all he could to appear as soft and non-threatening as hard chitin, long fangs, and a sharp-tipped horn could be.

Results were somewhat mixed, naturally.

While quite a few greeted Twilight, he easily drew more attention than the young princess. He made a point of smiling to anyone who showed interest, which also let him focus on picking out their emotions more clearly from the chaotic mix of the crowd. It was quite an improvement on his first visit--that is, his first post-invasion visit. Most of the onlookers were simply curious, if occasionally a bit cautious. Many of the travellers passing through the station had probably never seen a real, live, friendly changeling before laying eyes on him. A few were even eager and excited, smiling back and offering greetings as they passed.

It wasn’t all perfect, of course. While many reacted welcomingly, or at worst, indifferently, there were still quite a few less-pleasant reactions, as well. The clearest was the pair of upper-class unicorns who, on seeing him, stuck their noses a bit higher into the air, a visual representation of the disgust and disapproval they felt toward him. They didn’t even bother to acknowledge Princess Twilight as they passed by.

Their reaction didn’t really bother Sky, though. They probably reacted about the same to most other ponies, too.

Others were not quite as easy to dismiss, such as the nervous mother who quickly guided her child away, despite the colt’s excited interest.

“Looks like we’re just barely in time,” Twilight said, drawing his attention back as they neared the edge of the platform. “The train from the Crystal Empire should be here any moment, assuming it’s running on time.”

“I do hope it is,” Rarity replied, casting a quick glance up to the large clock hanging over the platform. “I would very much like to see your brother and Princess Cadance before I have to run off to all these other social engagements, and I’m not sure if I’ll have any free time over the next couple days.”

Fluttershy spoke up for what was probably the first time since leaving the castle. “Are you going to be there for dinner, tonight?”

“Oh, of course,” Rarity said, nodding. “And breakfast, too, but it’s quite a different thing getting a few words in over a meal than it is spending some time together without interruption. Why, I’ll probably even have to leave breakfast a little early for a fancy brunch gathering I plan to attend.”

“A day packed full of high-class social gatherings,” Twilight mused, flashing a smile. “I hope you’ll manage.”

Rarity sighed, dramatically lifting a hoof to her forehead. “It is a truly daunting task, but with the fate of Equestria in the balance, I shall persevere!” Her speech complete, she let her hoof return to the ground, a hint of a playful smirk crossing her lips while Twilight and Fluttershy giggled softly.

“Oh,” Twilight said, turning back to the tracks, “and here it comes.”

When Nictis had described his terror upon first seeing a train, Sky had laughed at the absurdity of it. The moment he saw the incoming train, however, he could perfectly understand the other changeling’s reaction. The crystalline monstrosity that came barreling down the tracks only superficially resembled the locomotives he had seen before. The lead vehicle combined a sleek and solid body with a massive, jagged prow that could probably toss other trains out of its way with casual ease. It was like some sort of heavily armored siege engine, one that spent its time hauling hundreds of tons of cargo when it wasn’t busy driving through castle walls.

Sky took a step back as the train sped toward the platform at an alarmingly high speed. Just as it seemed it was about to overrun the station, the brakes kicked in, bringing the train to a halt precisely on-target.

As he stood there blinking in surprise--a reaction shared by many of the other ponies within the station--a door opened, and a pair of guards clad in crystal armor stepped out. Following them came the rulers of the Crystal Empire.

“Twiley!”

Prince Shining Armor led the way past an amused Princess Cadance. He trotted forward, greeting Twilight with a hug.

“Good to see you, too,” she replied with a chuckle. After a moment she looked past him, smiling as she motions with her hoof. “And you, Cadance.”

Shining stepped back for a moment to let the two princesses exchange a quick hug. “It’s always so wonderful to see you, Twilight,” Princess Cadance said, her smile growing. “Even with the circumstances being what they are.”

“Right,” Twilight said with an awkward smile. “‘Fate of Equestria’ again, and all that.”

Cadance replied with a soft chuckle. “Not that there’s ever a bad reason to spend more time with my favorite sister-in-law, but we should really arrange to get together at some more peaceful time. Maybe a girls’ night out, without having to worry about affairs of state or the like.”

“I’d like that,” Twilight replied, her smile growing again.

Cadance turned to greet the rest of Twilight’s companions. “Rarity, Fluttershy, always a pleasure to see you.” There was the faintest hesitation before she continued. “Counselor Sky. And…” she trailed off, looking to the two changelings standing awkwardly behind him. Sky could see the faint unease in her expression, despite her efforts to hide it. Beside her, Shining was regarding him; he seemed fairly friendly, despite the faint, lingering concern.

Sky quickly turned to gesture to the other changelings in turn, rather than let the awkwardness linger. “This is Skiris and Trip.”

“Ah,” Cadance replied, with a hint of recognition in her voice. The two changelings hastily bowed to her.

Trip spoke, practically stumbling over himself as he did. “Princess Cadance. I… we… we wanted to come and say how sorry we are for our part in the attack and beg your forgiveness for--”

He came to a halt as Princess Cadance raised a hoof to cut him off. “Please, don’t,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve already had quite a few changelings who offered similar apologies, and as much as I appreciate the gesture, I also recognize that it wasn’t your decision to make. There’s no need to apologise.”

Skiris and Trip both stared in wide-eyed surprise as she motioned for them to rise, and quickly complied. Cadance hesitated for a moment before continuing. “In fact, I feel as if I owe the two of you an apology for my initial reaction.” She ignored the quick shaking of their heads as she continued. “I’ve met so many friendly changelings over the past year, but every time, the first thing I see is Queen Chrysalis’s face. I know it’s not fair to any of you, for the risks you’ve taken in parting ways with her, but my first encounter with your kind was… less than ideal.”

They both murmured apologies, but Cadance shook her head. “It’s kind of funny that I’ve spent so much time reassuring changelings who were apologizing to me. It’s practically become a little routine, by now. Would you like to hear it?”

Skiris was still staring wide-eyed, while Trip hastily nodded and said, “Yes, please.”

“We should probably talk on the way,” Shining pointed out. “Celestia is probably expecting us as soon as possible, and we’ve got a bit to catch up on.”

“Yes, of course,” Cadance replied with a sigh, then motioned for the pair of anxious changelings to follow; Sky simply looked amused, but held his tongue for the moment. They began to make their way through the crowd, and he couldn’t help but notice the number of raised eyebrows their procession gathered as Princess Cadance spoke with the pair of changelings following at her side.

“What Queen Chrysalis did was horrible, but I know that wasn’t your decision,” she said, giving a slow shake of her head. “I’ve heard of the teachings in the hive; how blind obedience and duty is revered, and how your knowledge of the outside world is limited to what you were taught, but what you were taught about ponies was wrong. I admit, I had some doubts at first, even with Twilight’s support, but not any more. Many changelings have taken the risk of leaving the hive once they learned the truth, and came to Equestria to seek forgiveness and a better life. I couldn’t call myself a princess if I couldn’t find it in me to forgive somepony who went to such lengths.”

She smiled, and this time there was no lingering unease to the expression. “In some ways, I find changelings fascinating. Some call me the Princess of Love; I’ve always had a connection to love, and have always done my best to help it flourish. If our first meeting had been on more friendly terms, I probably would have been thrilled to meet a species that can draw sustenance from love itself.”

With that, her smile turned sad. “But ponies aren’t the only thing the hive was wrong about. It’s wrong about love, too. Every changeling I’ve met told me that they were taught that love wasn’t for them, that it was something only ponies and other ‘prey’ should feel. Some even think that changelings are incapable of love, or that it’s a weakness, but they’re wrong. Your species needs love to survive, but you’ve been denied the chance to know what it really is. You’ve been denied the chance to ever experience it for yourself. It’s heartbreaking to think of.

“I know there are some who worry that changelings are monsters,” she said, pausing for a moment to look back to the two changelings. “But after seeing love find a place in the hearts of several changelings, I could never think that.”

Both Skiris and Trip looked as if they would be blushing, had they been ponies. Skiris seemed to have develop a sudden need to blink repeatedly, almost as if there was something in his eye, while Trip quietly replied, “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Cadance replied with a nod. There was a moment of silence as they passed through the doors of the station, making their way into the street. Cadance chuckled softly, speaking with a more casual tone. “Actually, I’m glad to finally meet the two of you.”

Trip stumbled. “Y-you are?” His eyes widened. “Wait, you’ve heard of us?”

“Some of the first changelings to live in Equestria? You may not be as famous as Sky, but you’re known. I also had a bit of a personal interest, after hearing how close you two were. Hearing about you was one of the things that gave me hope.”

They both looked surprised, ears pinned back as Trip protested, “We’re not really, erm… special.”

“I’ve heard how the hive’s teachings look on things like friendship,” Cadance replied, a hint of darkness in her voice that vanished in an instant. “But then Sky told me of the pair of you. How one of you was injured, and the other refused to return to the hive alone. It was encouraging to hear of such friendship growing between changelings, even without the influence of ponies. I was kind of disappointed that you were never with Sky on the few occasions I ran into him in Canterlot.”

She smiled as the pair of changelings shuffled along in awkward silence, although they were both smiling. Sky let the silence linger for a couple seconds before speaking. “Aaand I told you so.”

Skiris and Trip managed to look even more awkward, shrinking back as they nervously chuckled. Cadance was merely amused as she looked back to Sky. “I take it they’ve been worrying about meeting me?”

“Just a bit,” Sky said with a nod.

Cadance chuckled softly, and shook her head. “Well, there’s no need to worry, you have nothing to fear from me.” Her expression relaxed slightly. “But I understand. Lots of ponies fear things, even when they know they don’t need to. I know I have. It’s been a rather unusual year.” She shook her head, giving a small chuckle. “Though I think Shining’s had a harder time of it than I have.”

Shining Armor chuckled nervously, though Sky thought it sounded a little forced. “Eh, maybe a little. I’m responsible for keeping a lot of ponies safe, so it’s hard to not be a little paranoid. I can’t help but worry that Chrysalis might send some Infiltrators posing as friendly changelings instead of ponies.” He gave a wry smile before lightly bumping his shoulder against Twilight’s. “But I think I’ve learned to trust Twiley’s judgement over my own when it comes to changelings.”

She blushed slightly and nudged him back as he continued. “Fortunately, it’s been pretty quiet in the Crystal Empire. The preparations for the games are about all that we’ve had to worry about.”

“So I’m afraid we don’t have much in the way of exciting stories, lately,” Cadance said as she smiled to Twilight. “Knowing you and your friends, though, I’ll bet you’ve got a few to share.”

“I might have a few,” Twilight replied, returning the smile.

The rest of the trip was filled with stories and laughter as Twilight told her sister-in-law and brother of her and her friends’ latest adventures, misadventures, and silliness. Rarity and Fluttershy chimed in to add a few extra details. Mostly Rarity. Sky simply listened in, remaining silent except for the few occasions when a story involved him--or in one case, Rainbow. This was a time for Twilight and her family, and he didn’t want to intrude on it.

Instead, he found himself watching Cadance and Shining Armor. This wasn’t the first time he had met them, and it was certainly less awkward than their first meeting. Not that he could blame them; they had about the worst possible introduction to changelings.

In fact, Sky could sympathize quite a bit with that.

He could also sympathize with the subtle glances Cadance cast to the towers of the castle they were making their way toward, the happy expression fading for just an instant. Each time, the smile returned a moment later as she looked back to Twilight, but the glances grew more frequent as the castle drew nearer.

As they approached the gate itself, Rarity spoke up. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I really must be going. Fate of Equestria and all that.”

After saying their goodbyes and parting ways, Cadance looked over to Twilight. “‘Fate of Equestria,’ hmm?”

This prompted a laugh from Twilight. “Oh! That, right. There was some concern that some changeling Infiltrators might be hiding in the city, so Rarity is spending her time mingling among the elite of Canterlot to see if anypony stands out as suspicious.”

“That must be a tough job,” Cadance said with a smile, “but I’m sure she’ll find a way to manage.”

“I’m sure!” Twilight agreed, laughing again.

Cadance let her laugh a moment, even though her own smile was slowly fading.

Shining seemed to notice this as well, and stepped in. “Though on that note, we should probably get down to business.”

“Yes,” Cadance agreed, her smile fading away to nothing. “I’m actually looking forward to the chance to face Chrysalis again on even terms, but we should probably know what we’re walking into.”

“Yeah,” Twilight replied with a hint of sadness as the relaxed and friendly conversation came to an end. “That’s part of why I asked Sky to come along. Between the two of us, we should be able to fill you both in on everything that’s happened.”

“That sounds good,” Cadance replied, before turning to Sky.

He hesitated, suddenly finding himself at the center of everypony’s attention. “Well, uh… where should I start?”

“Might as well start from the beginning,” Cadance said as a stern, almost grim expression took hold. “What has Chrysalis done this time?”

Chapter 8: Rising Sun Reunion

Chapter 8: Rising Sun Reunion

Nictis trudged through the door to his chambers, hooves scraping on the ground as he blindly made his way to the closest chair and, with a lazy flicker of his wings, planted his face into the plush cushion.

It was not a terribly dignified position, but he really couldn’t care any less. He ended up with his hindquarters resting atop the armrest, the front edge of which was wedged into his inner thigh in a way that would probably be very uncomfortable if not for his carapace. His forelegs were laid back beneath him, and his snout was buried in the back corner of the seat. It would have certainly been more comfortable to get up and sit properly, but that involved getting up and moving again, and he really didn’t feel like that. The only concession he did give was to make sure he wasn’t putting weight on the compass worn around his neck, which had flipped up upon landing to rest just under his chin.

He only finally realized that the room had been a bit more colorful than he remembered it when he heard Thunder Chaser’s voice. “Are… you okay?”

Nictis grumbled into the cushion, his voice muffled. “I hate Chrysalis.”

There was a soft snicker that he recognized as Cotton even before she spoke. “Rough day, huh?”

Nictis answered first with a groan, but soon clarified. “I just spent half the day disguised as a pony to help hunt changelings, flew all over the city on a wild goose chase, probably got half the Guard angry with me for wasting their time, and may have just crushed the spirit of another changeling by convincing him that everything and everyling he cares about is doomed.”

He gave lazy little swing with a hind leg in a gesture of… something, he wasn’t quite sure what. “And that’s on top of Chrysalis considering me a target and messing with everyone I know. Oh, and Princess Cadance and her husband just showed up in town, so that’s lovely. I’m really looking forward to being stuck in a room with them all day.”

A moment later he frowned into the cushion. “...Which is kind of ironic, when I’m possibly the only changeling in Equestria who didn’t have a hoof in crashing their wedding.”

Cotton’s snickering returned. “Really? Princess Cadance? You’re scared of her?”

“No,” he grumbled, finally drawing enough energy to lift himself up a little, just far enough to turn his head to face her, before slumping down into the chair again. He could see little from where he was, but there was an impressive array of cookies, cupcakes, muffins, pastries, and all sorts of other sweets set out on the coffee table, with Cotton Candy smirking at him across it. The fading bruise made the expression ever so slightly lopsided, not that she seemed to care. “...No, I’m not scared of her. It’s just that I know it’s going to be awkward. I’ve only run into her once before, and she didn’t seem very pleasant.”

“Seriously?” Cotton asked, who was just about laughing at this point. “The same princess that makes Celestia look like a stick in the mud? The one you hear about doing silly dances or singing because she’s in a particularly good mood? The one who enjoys playing games and spending time with foals? That Cadance?”

“Yes, that Cadance,” Nictis grumpily replied. “It was months ago, but she was definitely not pleased to see me. Even if that wasn’t the case, I’m still going to be stuck in a room with her and Chrysalis, and that’s probably going to be the least friendly place in Equestria.”

“Sooo, you’re saying you could use some cheering up tonight?”

He frowned in reply, but he soon found it fading. There was something almost infectious about her happiness, coupled with the soft feeling of caring sympathy. He even allowed a thin smile. “I suppose I could.”

“Good!” Cotton replied, grinning widely as she stepped off to the side. “But first you’ll have to sit up and socialize. Ending a party all sprawled out like that might be all well and good, but you have to work your way there, you can’t just start that way.”

Nictis couldn’t quite help grumbling a little, but he complied, hefting himself up to sit more-or-less properly, the dangling compass clicking softly against his chest. With the change in posture he could take in more of the room, and saw that the coffee table had hardly been the only change. The large dining table on the other end of the room was absolutely laden with cakes, snacks, and a pair of punch bowls, as well as a small wooden keg of unknown contents. A record player had been brought in, as well as a second table with more food, and there were even some streamers scattered about.

The others were gathered around, too. Spark was sitting on the couch, blushing as he cast nervous glances toward Cotton, and Bigs was seated beside him, as doubtful as ever. Thunder had claimed one of the chairs, his expression and emotions as unreadable as they had been earlier. Only Cotton was smiling as she trotted happily over to a chair and flopped down on it almost as gracelessly as Nictis had, though she at least remained upright.

It wasn’t a very promising start for a party. Nictis tried to think of something to say, to break the tension. He cast his gaze around the room again, giving a weak smile. “Do you think you brought enough food?”

Cotton laughed softly, waving a forehoof in the air. “I think we’ll manage. That Pinkie Pie is a monster in the kitchen! I was just planning on making some cookies and maybe a few snacks, but we got to cooking, and it just kind of snowballed!”

“Well… it all looks great,” Nictis said. It seemed the appropriate thing to say. Though really, it did look pretty good, and it had been quite a while since the small hayburger around noon.

“Feel free to have as much as you want, we’ve got plenty to go around.” Cottons horn lit up as she reached out with her magic, and the record player started to play a cheery, upbeat tune. “And with that, let the Rising Sun Reunion Party begin!”

Nictis glanced around, silently noting that the announcement had no notable effect on the other ponies. He almost started to make some comment about how food was sounding good, but caught himself before he did; there were still a few ponies who grew a little uneasy when changelings mentioned anything about food, and he knew Spark had good reason for it.

Instead, he rose to make his way over to one of the sweets-laden tables. “I have to admit, I’m still rather new to this whole ‘party’ thing.” Small-talk seemed like a good way to lighten the mood, hopefully. The more friendly talking, the less silent worrying, right? It wasn’t manipulative; it was just being friendly. “I suppose I’ve been to a fair number now. Pinkie Pie has thrown a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party for every changeling that’s shown up, but I usually just hang around in the background as support.”

He paused halfway through loading up a paper plate with a random assortment of treats. “Well, except for my own welcoming party, but I spent a good portion of that locked in a closet, so it hardly counts for much.”

There was another soft snicker from Cotton in response. “And why were you locked in a closet?”

Nictis froze up for a second, some fancy looking pastry hovering over his plate for a moment before he finished moving it into place. “I… may have had a slight panic attack…”

When he looked over, Cotton had a hoof over her mouth, which did nothing to hide the growing smile. “Really?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly with suppressed laughter. “You were scared of a party?”

“No,” Nictis quickly replied as he finished loading his plate, and more hesitantly added, “I was scared of ponies.”

That amused her even more. “While they were throwing you a party.”

“I know now that nothing bad was going to happen,” he said, making his way back over to his chair and sitting again, rather more gracefully than the first time. “But I’d just spent a few months running and hiding, and this was the first time I’d ever been undisguised and exposed around a bunch of ponies without them chasing me around and trying to catch me and do who-knows-what. And then one of the other guests cheerily mentioned that she’d been brainwashed and mind-controlled by Queen Chrysalis. To me, an undisguised changeling. So… yeah, it was just a bit much all at once.”

“Sounds like you need to relax some, Niccy.” She dropped her hoof to flash him a smile. “Let’s just have a fun night, hang out, chat, play some games, and eat our way to a sugar coma.”

“I’ll try,” he offered, which made her chuckle.

“I never imagined you’d be such a party newbie,” she said, her magic snagging a cookie as she snickered. “Secret-agent superspy, and you have a panic attack at a party thrown in your honor.”

Nictis let out a short, amused snort, and noted with some relief that Thunder Chaser had finally cracked a smile, a hint of amusement finally creeping into his senses.

Cotton had rolled out of her chair to happily trot over to one of the tables. “I’m getting drinks. You guys want punch, or should I break out the cider?”

After a round of requests for punch, she started pouring out drinks. “So, if this is a reunion party, we should get things started by catching up with what everypony’s been doing since we last saw each other. Who’s first?”

When she was met with nothing more than a few murmured half-replies, she rolled her eyes, though she seemed amused as well. “I guess I’ll go first, even if it’s not that interesting. So, let’s see. The folks that adopted me were in the Royal Engineer Corps, and I kinda fell in love with it. Been going all around Equestria, helped build a dam and a few bridges. Our team even helped extend the rail lines when the Crystal Empire showed up.”

She passed out drinks before reclaiming her chair. “Other than that… well, I get a lot of free time between projects, so I get to go around to all the best party places and just have a good time.” She shrugged. “Got a lot of fun stories from that, but nothing much important.

The others were quiet when she finished. Nictis kept himself occupied eating a muffin, which was possibly the closest thing to normal food among the broad selection of treats--though he’d met several ponies he was pretty sure lived on a diet of pure sweets. Thunder and Bigs both sipped from their drinks, while Spark just fiddled with his, rolling it between his hooves.

Cotton finally shrugged and gestured to Bigs. “Well, how about you? I’ve kind of been curious about what happened to you, especially how you and Spark became friends.” She smiled. “No offense or anything, but I didn’t really see that one coming.”

“Oh,” Bigs replied, giving an awkward glance to his side, where Spark had started to take a very long drink of punch, which conveniently allowed him to avoid meeting the gaze of anyone else. “Right. Well, I know I was kinda… I was a jerk at the orphanage, sure, but I kinda sympathized with the guy, you know?”

He made a very clear point of not looking at Nictis as he said that.

Bigs thought for a moment before speaking again. “And, I don’t know, I guess I wanted to make up for what I’d done. Besides, it’d be nice to finally have a friend.”

“What, you didn’t have any?” Cotton asked, sounding both amused and a little surprised. “You always seemed popular enough back at Rising Sun.” The instant she had said that, she waved a hoof. “I mean… not popular, exactly, but you didn’t seem to have any problem making friends.”

“Those weren’t friends,” he bitterly replied. “They were just a bunch of stuck-up jerks, who just hung out around their own type because nopony else wanted to be around them. I ran into Boulder about a year ago, actually.” He gestured to Thunder Chaser. “He joined the Guard, too. Probably a good thing for me. From the look he gave me, I bet he would have decked me if he weren’t in uniform.”

“Really?” Cotton asked, genuinely surprised. “He was probably the least jerkish of the group. Why would he do that?”

Bigs snorted quietly. “Because he started hating me, too. He was always quiet, but he got real distant after Nictis stole that filly’s birthday cake and planted it in my room.”

Nictis’s ears drooped back as he focused extra hard on the muffin he was eating.

“He didn’t say anything,” Bigs continued, “but I think he was disgusted at the idea of me supposedly doing that. I guess that means he might have turned out okay.” He shrugged. “Never heard from Cloud Burst after she left. I think she couldn’t wait to get as far from there as possible.”

“I saw her,” Thunder Chaser said. “She tried to join the Guard, too. She didn’t last long. Got booted out.”

“Yeah, that’s about what I’d expect,” Bigs replied with a dry snort of a laugh that was devoid of any humor. “Anyway, I guess I got a little distant when I was just abandoned by the ponies I thought were my friends. Just figured… I don’t need ponies like that, and I certainly didn’t want to be like them.”

He paused to fiddle with his cup, finally taking another sip before continuing. “Anyway, after the guards ran off Nictis, Spark was still there in the alley, all alone. I never really cared much about him, but I guess I knew what he was going through, you know? Losing someone he thought of as a friend. That, and we had a common source for our problems.”

This time he did glance at Nictis.

“And I guess I felt a little guilty,” he continued. “I mean, it wasn’t really my fault that Meadow was really some changeling imposter, but I’m the one who exposed him for what he was, and now Spark was all sad because of it, and I sort of knew how he felt. So I just… well, tried being nice to him. Guess it worked.”

Spark spoke up, though his voice was slightly muffled by the now-empty cup he was still holding up to his lips. “I kind of hated you for a while,” he said; the statement didn’t surprise Nictis at first, until Spark looked at Bigs instead of him. “More than just the orphanage stuff. I kept thinking that if you hadn’t shown up, maybe Meadow wouldn’t have left. It wouldn’t have changed anything, but… I don’t know.” He looked down to his empty cup, now cradled between his hooves, and mumbled, “Kept thinking that maybe I’d still be happy if I just didn’t know.”

Nictis cringed at the thought that Spark had been so hurt that he might have preferred a lie, simply to avoid knowing how hurt he was. The thought had barely formed before he spoke. “No.”

Everypony looked over to him, clearly not expecting the response from him. The reflexive urge to retreat from the sudden attention tugged at him, but he resisted. “That’s… not fair to him.” He hazarded a glance at Bigs--and tried to not let it turn into a glare--before looking back to Spark. “He may be a jerk, but he doesn’t deserve the blame for that. Heck, for a while I wanted to blame him. I kept thinking that, if not for him, things wouldn’t have gone the way they had. But that wasn’t fair, either. It wasn’t his fault. I just made mistake after mistake, and eventually it caught up with me.”

Bigs was looking at him questioningly, and still radiated doubt. “Thank you, I think…”

Nictis snorted, though only faintly. Slowly, the momentary flash of irritation faded, until Nictis finally sighed, looking to Spark again. “Though in a way, I’m glad you found out. I wish it had happened differently, but you deserved to know the truth. I made a promise to myself, when I decided to stay with you instead of returning to the hive: no new lies. I didn’t like lying and hiding things from you, even if I thought they were necessary, back then. And who knows, maybe if I hadn’t been uncovered, and after Sky showed that ponies and changelings could live together, maybe I could have built up the courage to tell you the truth.”

In the moment of silence that followed, he could feel the familiar jumble of emotions rising in Spark, but the mix was different; the concern and sadness were still there, but they seemed reduced. It wasn’t perfect, but it was an improvement.

The pause in the conversation was drawing a bit too long as he began to think of something to say to stave off the awkward silence, but to his surprise, Bigs beat him to it. “Anyway, as for what I’ve been up to, I’ve been working in the Manechester city council. I’m a junior member at the moment, but that might be changing next year. I like the job, I get to do something important and worthwhile, but I guess it’s a little boring to talk about. Mostly paperwork.” He glanced around. “So who’s next?”

Cotton shrugged. “Guess we know most of what Niccy has been up to, at least once he moved to Manechester.” She looked over to him. “Kind of curious about what you’ve been up to before and since, though.”

“Not a whole lot to tell, I suppose,” Nictis replied, looking down to his plate of treats. “After I left the orphanage, I spent some time in Manehattan, trying to make do there. I didn’t really have much of an idea how to live on my own, though. Ended up having to steal bits to get by.”

“Wait,” Cotton said, her eyes gone wide with surprise. “Was that you? That whole string of mysterious burglaries? I heard about that!”

Nictis sank slightly in his chair. “Yeah.”

“Huh,” Cotton replied, blinking for a moment before speaking again, quieter, and unable to help a quick glance toward Thunder Chaser. “Should, um… should you really be telling us this?”

“No more lies, right?” He sighed, shaking his head. “Anyway, Celestia already knows all about it, and I guess there’s the whole amnesty thing, too.”

“Oh.” Cotton stared for a few seconds before cracking a smile. “So, secret-agent superspy and master thief. That’s kind of cool, Niccy.”

“It’s not exactly a profession I’d like to get back into,” Nictis said with a frown.

“Nah, I get that,” Cotton replied with a wave of her hoof. “Anyway, enough interruptions, what else?”

“Well… after Manehattan, I tried getting back to the hive, though I did it in probably the dumbest way I could. I almost starved to death before I made it back into Equestria. Wasn’t too long after that when Spark invited me to move in with him, and I jumped at the opportunity.”

Cotton nodded. “So how about after you left?”

Nictis hesitated, casting a glance over at Spark. “Well… not much to tell. Got chased out of a couple towns when they found out I was a changeling, though that was kind of my fault. I didn’t care enough to do a good job of being convincing. Ended up in Baltimare, sleeping in an alley and getting just enough contact with ponies to live on. I had a hard time getting close to ponies, or even pretending to.” He shrugged. “And that’s basically it.”

“What about Ponyville?” Cotton asked, grinning at him.

He shrugged, frowning slightly. “That… that took a while to get used to. It was kind of scary at first. Still, I suppose it hasn’t been so bad. It helped a lot once other changelings started showing up. Most of them were scared or confused when they first showed up. It was kind of nice to be able to help them out, to be able to do something useful again.”

“Sounds a lot like your job in Manechester, too,” Cotton pointed out, her grin growing a touch wider.

Hesitantly, Nictis replied, “I suppose, in a way.”

Cotton chuckled softly before looking around again. “Okay then, who’s next?”

There was a quick glance between Thunder Chaser and Spark, and the former immediately spoke up. “I guess that’d be me.”

Thunder finished off his drink, setting it on the edge of the coffee table. “Not that there’s much to tell. Nearly got my leg ripped off protecting somepony from a bear, decided that seemed like a good thing to do with my life, and joined the guard. So I spend a lot of time standing around or flying patrols, and every now and then we get to go in after some disaster or something and help ponies.” He paused, silent for a moment, and then simply shrugged. Only Bigs looked uncertain at the abbreviated tale, being the only one who had not heard the story of how Thunder had joined the guard.

Curiosity poked at Nictis’s mind, though it took a force of will to speak. “So…” He hesitated, considering his words once he had committed himself to speaking. “...I’m sorry, but I was wondering what it was like when Chrysalis attacked.”

Thunder frowned, though he didn’t seem upset at Nictis for the question. “It was a mess,” he eventually said. “Pure chaos. We thought we were ready for anything, but then we’re getting attacked by some strange and… well, no offense, but, kind of creepy-looking creatures.” He paused a moment to look at Nictis, who simply nodded slightly, before continuing. “Anyway, we had no idea what changelings were or what they were capable of. We did about as well as we could. Individual units gave a good fight, but there was no coordination. Any form of higher command was taken out in the first few moments of the attack, so we were all on our own. That let them just swarm all over us as they pleased.”

“I see,” Nictis said, giving a small frown. “That… makes a disappointing amount of sense.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Thunder Chaser replied, a touch of irritation growing clear in Nictis’s senses.

“Just that I always thought the invasion was the most idiotic thing imaginable,” Nictis said. “We’re changelings. We don’t invade. Our strengths are subtlety and versatility, not head-on force.” He shook his head. “You know, when I first saw that newspaper, with the headline declaring a changeling attack on Canterlot, and a picture of the queen splashed across the page, I didn’t want to believe that it was possible. Our secrecy was one of our most important needs, a need that was drilled into our heads from the moment we hatched. The idea that the queen herself would just throw that away in some risky attack on a vastly more powerful nation was just… beyond imagination.”

His frown deepened. “I thought she must have gone insane, or something equally severe. It’s... kind of disturbing to think that such a horribly bad idea might have been conducted with some degree of competency.”

After a moment of silence, Nictis asked, “How did you fare?”

“Well enough,” Thunder said with a shrug of his shoulders. The hostility that had just started to grow had faded again. “Got a couple bruised ribs and a sprained wing before they managed to get me with that green gunk. Gave better than I got, at least.” A hint of a smile grew on his face. “No offense, but most of your former hive-mates kind of sucked at fighting.”

“Like I said, we’re not much for head-on fighting,” Nictis said, with a wry and short-lived smile. He felt it best not to mention that most of the changelings he had fought had probably not even been proper soldiers.

Thunder looked to be thinking on something for a few moments before shaking his head. “Anyway, that’s what I’ve been up to.”

He was just starting to gesture to Spark when Cotton leaned over, flashing a sly grin. “Aw, come on. Aren’t you at least going to tell us about your coltfriend?”

Thunder glowered back, a hint of color touching his cheeks. “Why do you always have to ask that every time we see each other?”

Cotton giggled as she scooted around in her chair, looking back at him upside-down. “Because it gets you flustered, and it’s funny to see you flustered!”

As Thunder groaned, Spark cut in. “So, um, I guess it’s my turn.”

“Yes,” Thunder grunted. “Thank you.”

“Well, okay,” Spark said; now that all the attention in the room had turned to him, he couldn’t help fidgeting a bit, his eyes turning down. “Although… well, I guess everyone here already knows all about what I’ve been up to since the orphanage.”

“What about recently?” Cotton prompted, still giggling at Thunder’s expense. “Anything new going on?”

He shrugged, eyes fixed on the floor. “Um… not really, no. I haven’t done much, other than working at my dad’s shop. I mean, you know, my adoptive dad.”

Though part of him still leaned toward cautious silence, Nictis spoke up. “What about Songbird?”

Anxiety and nervousness met his question, and Spark’s ears drooped. “I, uh… haven’t really gotten much work done on it lately.”

To Nictis’s surprise, Bigs raised a hoof, placing it gently on Spark’s shoulder. “What he means is he hasn’t worked on his flying machine for almost a year now.”

Nictis blinked in surprise, looking first to Bigs, who looked oddly concerned for Spark, and then to Spark himself, whose ears had drooped even further. “You haven’t? But… why? Why would…?”

He trailed off as Spark’s anxiety rose, mixed with sorrow, regret, and even embarrassment. “Because,” Spark quietly murmured, “it always made me think of Meadow. Or… you. Whatever…”

Nictis felt as he’d been metaphorically kicked in the gut. His expression fell as he leaned forward, nearly knocking his forgotten plate of treats onto the floor. “But it’s such an incredible thing you built! It’s amazing, revolutionary even, and I know how much you loved working on it. Please, don’t stop working on it because of me. Not that. Even if you have to rename it or… or something… please.”

Spark finally looked up, meeting Nictis’s eyes. There was a moment of silence as he searched for the right words. “...I don’t think it’s going to be a problem any more.”

He smiled; it was small and fragile, but it was there. More significantly, Nictis could sense the faintest feeling of affection starting to peek out through the jumble of more negative emotions. Soon he was mirroring the smile, and trying to ignore the acidic tinge of adrenaline that was suddenly coursing through him.

The silence lasted for a few seconds before Cotton’s voice cut in. “You two make such a cute couple,” she said, which resulted in both pony and changeling taking on identical embarrassed expressions. She snickered at the reaction, rolling out of her chair to land on her hooves. “Well, come on. It’s time to load up on sugar and party all night! We’re going to have to work hard to put a dent in all these treats, so let’s get started!”

Her horn lit up to nudge the volume slider of the record player, bumping it up from a soft background sound to a loud-but-not-too-loud level. Spark and Nictis exchanged glances as everypony else stood to gather up some food, and Spark soon joined them. Nictis stayed back, munching on a fritter, one of the many treats he had already grabbed.

Cotton was strutting as she moved, which quickly elevated to swaying her hips to the music, her tail flicking with each movement. Soon she was dancing from hoof to hoof, bobbing her head in time to the music between bites of the cookie floating alongside her. Nictis watched in a combination of amusement and disappointment as she did her best to enjoy herself. She was clearly having some fun with it, but he could sense the faint sensations of worrying creeping out past her happiness. He caught the glances she took of the other ponies, none of which were joining in with her.

Which meant it was up to him to step in, again.

Hoping that a more lighthearted conversation might brighten the mood, he spoke up with the first thing to come to mind, doing his best to adopt a casual, friendly tone. “You know, Cotton, I never did figure out the whole ‘dancing’ thing.”

She looked back to him with a hint of surprise, and then laughed softly. “What’s to figure out? Secret-agent superspy’s never danced before?”

“I have. Kind of. I think.” He shrugged, shaking his head. “In Manehattan, I got by hanging out at clubs and such, and a bunch of ponies there were dancing. I copied them as best I could, but I never really got what was really going on. It was like everypony was doing their own thing and just moving randomly.”

Cotton was laughing even more. “Well, yeah, that’s kind of the whole point!” She emphasized the statement by hopping, twirling around before landing neatly on her hooves and immediately going back into bobbing and swaying to the music. “You just get up and have fun moving around to the music like you’ve got nothing to care about! It’s all about cutting loose and having fun expressing yourself. There’s no right or wrong, so long as everypony’s enjoying themselves.”

Hesitantly, Nictis rose from his seat. Her advice contrasted with years of experience in social structures and interactions; but then again, ponies didn’t always make sense. “Well… aren’t you worried somepony might think you look, erm… goofy?”

“Pfft, hay no!” Cotton laughed. “The goofier the dance, the happier the pony! They’re the ones who just get the most caught-up in the movement and music. They’re just having fun, without worrying if other ponies think they should or not. Goofy dancing is the best dancing!”

He approached slowly, determined to do something in an attempt to lighten the tension in the room, but despite his previous encounters with dancing, he found himself at a loss at how to start. Fortunately, Cotton seemed just as determined, reaching out to bump up the volume a bit more before swinging around to hip-check him playfully. “C’mon, Niccy, show us whatcha got!”

Nictis shifted his weight from one forehoof to the other, roughly in time to the music, while trying to ignore the rising sense of embarrassment that tried to hold him back.

Come on, he thought as he forced himself to move with a little more energy. I’ve lived as an Infiltrator for a decade. I’ve put myself at the center of attention without embarrassment countless times. I can handle a little dancing!

He looked to Cotton, who grinned back at him. The worry he had sensed from her was diminished, and he ignored what remained. Instead, he focused on the happiness and friendly affection that grew with his movements. He started to bob his head to the music, his rear hooves joining in with the movements of the front ones. As he danced alongside Cotton, he found that he no longer had to force his smile. In fact, there was something strangely fun about it.

They danced alone for a couple minutes, with Cotton snatching a couple bites to eat as she moved. Surprisingly, it was Spark who first joined in; he was full of reluctance and embarrassment, but he managed a weak smile. His movements were similarly small and restrained, though under Cotton’s encouragement he slowly loosened up.

Nictis did find it slightly odd when he spotted a faint smile from Bigs, watching Spark starting to dance. It vanished again the moment he noticed Nictis looking at him.

It wasn’t long before the demands of social interactions brought Thunder Chaser and Big Shot over as well. The two seemed rather more reluctant, if less nervous about the affair. Nictis did his best to smile to them--even Bigs, although he hoped the expression didn’t come across as smug; that would only make things more awkward. Fortunately, the stallion seemed content to mostly ignore him.

Cotton, the ‘party veteran’, cheered them on, and to Nictis’s surprise, the mood that had started so frigidly began to warm up. She laughed and talked and celebrated alongside them, and steadily her excited happiness caught on. Little whispers of concern kept poking at Nictis, but seeing Spark loosening up and dancing--in what Nictis could only describe as a genuinely goofy fashion--made it easy to bury those concerns, if only for a moment.

Actually, it was somewhat amusing watching them all dancing away, each of them in their own way. Cotton seemed to be the most in-tune with the music, swaying to the rhythm with plenty of hip and tail movement. Bigs was more stompy and controlled. Thunder Chaser still seemed a little reluctant, but the times he did relax saw him spread his wings, rearing up on his hind legs, and at one point even hovering for a bit to dance mid-air.

Spark had started with such conservative movements, but the growing happiness soon changed that. He even turned a genuinely affectionate smile to Nictis, who couldn’t help but grin back; for a moment, there was no more fear or sadness. Before long, Spark was dancing with an eager enthusiasm; wild, erratic, and uncontrolled, simply enjoying the moment.

And as they danced, Cotton caught Nictis’s eye just long enough to share a flash of happiness and a conspiratorial wink.

The sound of the music filtered through the door and windows of the suite as Nictis stepped up to the edge of the balcony. He had excused himself to get a bit of fresh air; as enjoyable as the party was turning out, it was still a bit much all at once. That, and he really could use a break to catch his breath.

He’d just reared up and crossed his forelegs across the balcony rail when the muffled sound of music grew loud and clear, only to be muffled again a moment later with the sound of the door shutting. He looked back to see Thunder Chaser walk up. The pony’s emotions were still mostly unreadable, but lightly accented with faint feelings of displeasure and doubt.

“Hey,” Thunder said. “I wanted to talk with you.”

Nictis just nodded, looking back out over the balcony edge again. The sky was slowly turning amber as the evening grew late, casting its colors across the city below and highlighting the forms of several pegasi flying around the city. Thunder came to a stop beside him, looking out to the sky for a while before finally speaking.

“I really don’t know what to think of you.”

And there goes the happy feeling. Nictis wasn’t sure what to say, so he just nodded again.

“I mean, I’m not sure if I should hit you or help you,” Thunder said. “I know Celestia gave amnesty to all the changelings that came to live in Equestria, and I’m okay with that, but…”

He trailed off, shaking his head, and Nictis sighed. “Yeah.”

Thunder remained silent for several seconds, his wings shuffling faintly before he finally spoke again. “You know, Meadow was like a role model to a lot of ponies back at the orphanage.”

Nictis just nodded.

“A bunch of them saw somepony that was always helping others, always friendly, always liked by everypony, and they wanted to be like her.” Thunder snorted bitterly. “Then it was like, hey, she’s actually some sort of back-stabbing, emotion-eating monster and you were her food. Surprise.”

Nictis slouched, ears drooping as he rested his chin on his forelegs. “I know.”

He could feel Thunder’s frustration boiling under the surface.

“For what it’s worth,” Nictis quietly said, “I started looking at her as a role model, too.”

Thunder stopped his shuffling, his tone neutral, if perhaps a bit doubtful. “Really?”

“Yeah. Not at first, of course. After I’d been here a while.” He looked over his shoulder to the windows behind him, even though they were blocked off by curtains. “After I decided to stay with Spark.” He turned back, again resting his chin on his forelegs. “Meadow was hard-working, respected, and devoted to something more than herself. She was what Spark loved. I wanted to be like that. Better that than being a back-stabbing, emotion-eating monster.”

Thunder eyed him warily.

“Actually,” Nictis said, “I guess you were kind of like a role model, too.” When Thunder looked more suspicious, he shook his head. “Well, maybe not a role model, exactly, but you were one of the first ponies I could really respect.”

“And why’s that?” Thunder asked, sounding only slightly doubtful.

“Changelings make a big deal about duty and responsibility,” Nictis said with a shrug. “In the hive, your worth is measured--”

“Yeah, I know about all that,” Thunder said irritably, which brought a quick, quizzical look from Nictis.

“You do?”

“Yeah,” Thunder said. “Recruit Chirrup volunteered what little free time he had to teach the Guard all he could about changelings. He was pretty thorough. Pretty clear on all the ‘duty’ and ‘purpose’ stuff, too.”

“Oh,” Nictis said, pausing for a moment. “So, you know what the changelings in the hive are taught about ponies?”

“Nothing flattering,” Thunder darkly replied.

“And did he share what the hive teaches about the Royal Guard, itself?”

Thunder paused for a moment to think, finally replying, “Not much, no. Just that we were supposed to be this giant threat to their existence.”

Nictis nodded faintly. “He got the softer version of it, then. Like most changelings, he wasn’t expected to leave the hive. Those of us who did, we were told more. We were taught that the Guard had some of the worst and most dangerous ponies in existence. Ruthless killers who probably took the job just for the chance at some violence, who’d think nothing of stomping out our entire species.” He gestured to Thunder, trying to ignore the hint of outrage at the unfavorable depiction of the Guard. “Do you remember how odd I was acting when I first met you, here in Canterlot?”

“Vaguely,” Thunder replied. “Though I guess your explanation about being worried for me was a lie, wasn’t it?”

Nictis frowned. “Yeah. Mostly. At first I was a bit freaked out that you were in the Guard, worrying that I might be in danger, but… well, it was you. I knew you, sort of. You weren’t some ruthless killer. You were you, and I kind of liked you. It was a bit of a struggle to try and get the two images to mesh in my mind. And then when you explained why you joined the guard, you were talking about protecting others, putting the good of other ponies before yourself, even being willing to risk your life if it meant saving somepony. Even from a purely changeling perspective, I could respect that.”

Nictis looked back to Thunder Chaser. “That’s around when my opinion on ponies was changing the most, because of stuff like that. I started getting past a bunch of the preconceptions, and finding things about ponies that I could actually respect. When I decided that I would be staying in Equestria, well… that’s what I wanted to be like.”

He gave a vague wave of his hoof. “That’s why I started to enjoy my job so much. Sure, I always liked that it got me plenty of positive emotions to feed on, but that’s not the same thing as liking the work itself. When I gave up on returning to the hive, I needed a new purpose, and that was part of it. It was something I could be proud of, I guess.”

The wary and displeased feeling from Thunder remained. “Only part?”

Nictis sighed, deflating. “Spark had a… a bad night, and I spent it comforting him. It was the night that I finally consciously admitted that I loved him, that he could be my purpose. I couldn’t tell him everything about myself, but I could support him, protect him.” He closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the railing with a dull thump. “Fouled that up, didn’t I?”

Thunder considered that for several seconds. The emotions wavered, starting to show cracks, but then hardened again. “Then why did you leave?”

Nictis sagged further, slouching against the railing. “Because I was scared, and… and I was hurting him. I love him more than anything in the world, I’d do anything to protect him, but I was the one who hurt him.” He opened his eyes again, looking to Thunder Chaser, who was staring back at him. “Can you imagine how awful it is to love someone so much, and actually feel their sense of betrayal? How just being there is making them miserable? His happiness was the most important thing to me, even more important my own. I thought that, if I was making him suffer, then I needed to go.”

Thunder held his gaze for several seconds before looking away. The silence stretched on, punctuated only with the muffled beat of music, until Thunder finally spoke. “You shouldn’t have run.”

“If I could go back and change just one thing, it’d be leaving him.” Nictis gestured toward the door with his nose. “If I hadn’t panicked, if I hadn’t been so worried about my own safety, maybe I could have found a way to explain things calmly, gently. Instead, I mucked it all up. I thought leaving would be for the better. The ‘pony’ that had hurt him so badly was gone, so maybe he could move on with his life, find something better. Instead, I just made it worse.”

“Yeah,” Thunder said, nodding, though his emotions had softened; it no longer carried the tone of accusation, merely agreement. “And now?”

“Now?” Nictis paused, mulling over the situation. “I don’t know. But seeing him smiling, dancing, actually feeling happy again?” A small, weak smile took hold. “It gives me hope that he’ll be okay.”

“It was nice to see,” Thunder replied. The emotions churned again, and finally he added, “Just don’t mess it all up again. That’d make the hit-or-help decision a lot easier.”

Nictis snorted softly, giving a wry and half-hearted smile. “I’ll try,” he said. The smile soon faded. “But to be honest, I’m not sure I can. I don’t know what I’m doing. Manipulation, deceit, that I can do, but being honest? That’s hard, and a little scary.” He shook his head. “I’m trying, but… sometimes I fail.”

Thunder snorted, thumping a hoof against the ground. “Are you kidding me? How is telling the truth so hard to do?”

“The truth can be painful,” Nictis said, “but a lie can be whatever I want it to be.”

Thunder was silent for several seconds after that reply. “That’s… pretty messed up, Nictis. I’d thought that after all the problems your lies caused, you’d know that telling the truth is better.”

“Didn’t say better. Just easier.”

Thunder frowned, finally replying, “I thought changelings were supposed to follow through even when things were hard?” Nictis grunted faintly as he continued. “You want to do things right, get it so that ponies here trust you? Spill the beans. Start telling the truth even if--especially if it’s hard. You can start right now: what kind of lies have you been telling?”

Nictis shrugged. “All the little lies pony society vocally condemns while silently insisting upon. ‘Yes, it’s a nice day out.’ ‘Yes, that dress makes you look pretty.’ ‘No, that--’”

“Oh come on!” Thunder blurted. “That stuff doesn’t even count! Everypony does that. I mean real lies.”

“Where do you think the big lies start?”

“You know what I mean,” Thunder replied. “The lies that try to fool ponies about something serious, not stupid little white lies. Come on. Since you stepped out and started living without the disguise, what’s the absolute worst lie you’ve told?”

Nictis leaned his head back. Eventually he asked, “Do you remember hearing about Gray and Misty?”

When Thunder hesitantly shook his head, he instead asked, “Do you remember the story of how I came to the Orphanage?”

“Yeah. Something about your mother dying from a manticore, and a couple of… relatives, I think, brought you there a few days later.”

Nictis nodded. “That couple was Gray and Misty. I told them a slightly different story. It was a bit of a risk, now that I think on it, but it’s one of the few things that didn’t bite me in the flank later on. I told them that it was their daughter that died to a manticore, that I was a young friend of hers, and that she had been taking care of me recently. That’s the kind of cold calculation that an Infiltrator is taught to use: the emotional devastation left them vulnerable to further manipulations, and the connection to their daughter gave them a sense of responsibility to me.”

Thunder kept his expression neutral, despite the feeling of disgust that crept up. “So which story was true?”

“Neither,” Nictis replied. “And both. The one who died to the manticore was Princess Ceymi, probably the most experienced Infiltrator in the hive and, technically speaking, my mother. One of her disguises was a pony named Starry Eyes. It was the form of a pony she had come across, already deceased, in the Everfree Forest. She was Gray and Misty’s daughter.

“So naturally, when they find out that the child their daughter had supposedly been caring for had actually been a changeling, they start wondering what other lies they’d been told. They came to Ponyville a couple weeks after I started living there. It was spectacularly awkward. They tried to skirt around it, but before long they asked about Starry. So I told them. I told them how she had really died, how the daughter they had known for more than a decade had actually been a changeling imposter.

“I got to watch them go through the loss of their daughter a second time. The first time, I hadn’t cared. I thought of ponies as nothing but prey. If anything, I’d felt proud of being able to twist around their emotions despite my incomplete training. This time, though…

He shook his head, sighing slightly. “Afterward, they asked about Ceymi, so I described her some. I was a little vague, but I described her honestly, faults and all. Eventually, they asked what Ceymi had really thought of them; if any of it had ever been true.”

Nictis was silent for a moment before continuing. “I couldn’t do it. I wanted to be honest, but they were hurting so much already, and I knew that I might be able to alleviate just a bit of that pain by twisting the truth. So I told them that some of the happiest moments of her life had been the time she had spent with them.

“I tried to excuse it to myself with how it was technically true, but I knew better. Ceymi herself had taught me that the best lies are the ones that are true, and the truth was that she despised ponies. She had told me that some of the happiest moments of her life had been with Gray and Misty, but it hadn’t been a cheerful story about a couple she liked. It was a cautionary tale, warning of the corrupting temptation of pony life and luxury.”

Nictis finally shrugged, gesturing around with a hoof. “Guess she was right, in a way.”

Thunder shuffled his wings, silently watching Nictis for a while before finally turning to sit beside him. “I think they deserve the truth,” he said, slowly. “But if that’s the worst lie you’ve told since coming out, that isn’t so bad.”

Nictis grunted faintly, giving a lopsided smile. “Thanks.”

They sat in silence for a minute; an odd hint of unease slowly worked its way through Thunder’s emotions, until the stallion finally spoke up. “My turn, I guess.”

He reached up to flick back a few stray mane-hairs and shuffled his wings again. “So there’s this other guard named Lightning Strike, and he--”

“So he’s your coltfriend?”

Thunder Chaser’s head jerked back in surprise, followed by him shooting Nictis a glare. “What, you too? It’s bad enough that Cotton’s always asking that.”

“Uh-huh,” Nictis dryly replied, rolling his eyes. “You know she keeps it up because she thinks it’s funny. You could stop it just by telling her the truth.”

“The truth is that I don’t have a coltfriend,” Thunder grunted. A moment later, and rather quieter, he added, “Technically.”

At Nictis’s flat and unbelieving expression, he shuffled his wings again and clarified. “Strictly speaking it’s true, since we haven’t really made it official or anything.”

Nictis stared at him for a second before snorting softly. “Wow. That’s the kind of splitting-hairs that even an Infiltrator might be proud of.”

“Hey now,” Thunder said, as a mix of embarrassment and humor rose to the surface. “Let’s not get nasty.”

Nictis snorted again, segueing into a faint chuckle that quickly died off again. “So why are you telling me?”

Thunder’s emotions churned, and Nictis sensed embarrassment, or something much like it. “I don’t know.”

“And… why aren’t you telling Cotton?”

Thunder just shrugged again, prompting Nictis to sigh. “You know, I’m probably not the best one to be giving advice on the subject of honesty and openness, but it seems like a pointless secret to keep.” He looked over to Thunder again. “Besides, you know Cotton will stop pestering you once you tell her.”

“I know,” Thunder grumbled. “And I’ll tell her once we’ve got things a bit more settled.” He paused, then frowned at Nictis, raising a hoof warningly. “And don’t you dare tell her, either.”

“I think I’ll be able to keep a secret,” Nictis said, allowing a small smile, which seemed to mollify Thunder Chaser enough for him to set his hoof down again. “So… Lightning Strike? Don’t suppose there’s any relation to Feather Strike?”

“He’s Feather’s younger brother,” Thunder said, quickly adding, “And don’t you dare tell him, either! In fact, don’t tell anypony.”

“Tell nopony,” Nictis said with a nod.

“Or any changeling, for that matter!”

“I’m not going to tell anyone,” Nictis said, the faint smile growing a little more.

“Okay, good,” Thunder said with a nod. He stayed there for a moment before rising to his hooves again and giving a small smile of his own. “Well then, should we get back to the party?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Nictis replied as he rose as well, following Thunder back to the door.

He only made it a couple steps before his hooves faltered. “Wait.” He turned to Thunder, fixing him with a flat look, though the expression was undermined by a hint of a smirk. “Thunder and Lightning? Seriously?”

Thunder looked back with a questioning expression. “What?”

“Ponies,” Nictis grunted with a roll of his eyes, stepping past Thunder to open the door.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Nictis shook his wings out and laid them smoothly along his back before rolling onto his side atop the couch cushion. He pushed lightly with his magic to send a half-eaten cupcake floating over to rest on yet another plate of treats, while he noted yet again that the evening was not going at all as he had expected.

“I’m not really sure how I could describe it,” he said, idly tapping a hoof against the edge of the cushion while Spark, lying across a chair, watched him with an intense curiosity. “It’s somewhat like trying to describe the color red to somepony who’s never seen. I’m not even sure just what sense it’s most comparable to. I suppose it’s tempting to draw a connection to taste, since we can feed on emotions, but it seems like a poor comparison.” He shrugged. “Plus, it makes it sound like I’m licking all over everypony’s emotions, and that’s just kind of weird.”

There were a few snickers at that, even from Spark.

“It’s handy, in any case. Among changelings, there’s a lot of communication going on with emotions, since we don’t have to rely on clumsy things like words and expressions to convey them. Actually, it makes me feel a little sorry for ponies. I know you do well enough, but to me it seems akin to going through life half blind and half deaf. Sure, our emotion-sensing comes with a rather severe limitation in solitary endurance and magical power, but since I came to Equestria, that’s rarely been an issue. The advantages certainly seem well worth it.”

The cupcake floated back over in his magic as he took another small bite while Spark spoke, with only a hint of awkwardness stirring in the background. “So what’s it like to feed on emotions, then?”

“Hmm.” It took a few moments of contemplation before Nictis answered. “It’s energizing. Not like having a bunch of sugar or coffee or the like, though. It’s more like… well, have you ever woken up after a particularly good sleep, and you just feel energetic and eager to face the day? It’s kind of like that.”

Spark nodded in reply. “And… is each emotion different?”

“They ‘taste’ different, though I’m not sure how to describe it other than to say that the more positive the emotion, the better. Not that it’s stopped a lot of ponies from trying to come up with all sorts of weird comparisons, though none of them are close. I once had some mare come up to me, absolutely convinced that despair tasted like cheap, burnt coffee. I don’t know where she got that from.”

He shrugged. “And they all give different amounts of energy. The affection of a good friend gives more than the courtesy of a casual acquaintance, for example, though it’d be hard for a changeling to not find enough friendly ponies to survive.”

Cotton chose then to chime in. “So if more positive emotions are better, what’s love like?”

Nictis hesitated as a faint sense of awkwardness rose from Spark. “It’s… beautiful is the only word I can think of to describe it. There’s something wonderful about it, and nothing else quite compares. Feeling such an incredible thing directed at me, specifically, was such an amazing and exciting thing.” He glanced over to Spark. “Especially considering who it was coming from.”

The awkwardness grew, as well as embarrassment and a hint of sadness, but Spark held a determined smile.

“I wish you could feel it like I could,” Nictis said with a weak smile. “Even if it was just for a little bit. I wish I could show you that.” His smile slowly faded, a nervous tension growing in his gut as he continued. “I… I don’t know if we can ever go back to the way things were before, or if I can ever make up for what I did to you, but… I do love you. I have for years. I know you can’t sense it like I can, so I can only convey it through words and actions. I want to show you how much I love you, if… if you’d be willing to have me again…”

Embarrassment had taken a commanding hold of Spark’s emotions, a blush quickly spreading across the pony’s face. “I-I don’t know,” he stammered.

He must have seen some sign of Nictis’s disappointment, as he quickly spoke up again. “I mean, I kind of like you. Tonight’s been… actually, it’s been a lot of fun, and you seem really nice and all. I’d, um… I’d like it if we could be friends, but…” His embarrassment was growing by the moment, and his cheeks were thoroughly red as his forehooves fidgeted with each other, his voice growing quieter with each word. “I don’t think, uh… I’m not really, you know, into, um… stallions…”

It took a moment before Nictis managed a weak “Oh,” though it was lost behind Cotton’s reply.

“Seriously?” she groaned, and Nictis looked over to see she had her face buried in the side-rest of her chair. A moment later she looked up, fixing Spark with a very clear ‘are you crazy?’ expression. “Nevermind everything else, that’s the problem?”

“Cotton,” Nictis warningly intoned, giving her a sharp look before turning back to Spark. “Sorry. I know changelings and ponies look at stuff like that differently, but… well, I am a changeling. I can change that...”

There was a momentary flicker of interest, though it was quickly obliterated under a wave of embarrassment and, curiously, guilt. “I know, but… that’s different. It’s not really real. It doesn’t seem right, or, um… fair, to make you pretend to be something else.”

“I’d be fine with it,” Nictis said, scooting forward; thankfully, Spark didn’t draw back at the motion. “Truly. I was prepared to spend the rest of my life as a unicorn if it meant spending it with you.”

Spark hesitated, little glimmers of hope peeking out through his emotions. “I don’t know… maybe…” His nervousness shot up, and he shook his head. “It still doesn’t seem right,” he said. “Even if you can change what you look like, it doesn’t really change what’s underneath it all.”

“Think about it,” Cotton said. “Niccy can change everything. I mean, heck, you don’t seem to have a problem with him being a completely different species with all sorts of different biology and stuff, so what does it matter if sometimes he has a--”

“Cotton!” Both Nictis and Bigs blurted, followed by an exchange of confused glances between each other.

Cotton held up a hoof defensively. “Sorry! Sorry.” Quietly she added, “I’m just saying, I can see a lot of advantages to the situation.”

Nictis rolled his eyes, while Bigs spoke up again. “Well good for you, but this isn’t about what you want.”

Cotton’s ears perked up. “I don’t mean it like that,” she quickly said. “I just mean, I remember how cute those two were together. I remember how wildly in love with each other they were, even back when Nictis was still being all clueless about love.”

Nictis shot her an annoyed glance, but again Bigs spoke first. “Except the Meadow that Spark knew wasn’t real. That’s kind of important.”

“Bigs,” Nictis groaned, a hoof pressed against the bridge of his muzzle. “Just… please stop saying stuff I agree with, you’re making this confusing.”

There was a flash of uncertain irritation from Bigs, which Nictis ignored. Instead, he let his hoof drop and turned to look back at Spark, who still fidgeted anxiously. Spark returned the look, the sensation of guilt growing stronger. Somewhere in the background, Nictis could make out a growing fear, faint for not being directed at him. The happy mood that had grown throughout the party had vanished, and Spark’s discomfort was growing with every moment.

Nictis weighed his options, and reluctantly came to a decision.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said, ears drooping a bit. “I just want you to be happy. I hope you might someday consider me worthy, but I don’t want to push you into something you’re not comfortable with, so… until then...” He hesitantly extended a hoof, offering it to Spark. “Friends?”

Spark looked to the offered hoof, cautiously considering it before slowly reaching out. The guilty feeling grew, backed by a growing sadness and an odd glimmer of affection. Finally, he took Nictis’s hoof and gave it a weak shake. “Friends.”

They shared their half-hearted smiles, and did their best to at least appear to be enjoying the rest of the party. Spark even put on a fairly convincing show of it, transparent only to the changeling who could feel the worry and doubt that clung to the pony’s mind.

But at the same time, Nictis couldn’t help holding out a glimmer of hope. After a lifetime of lies and deception, it wasn’t hard to tell when somepony wasn’t being entirely honest.

Even though he may have more contact with the princesses than the average citizen of Equestria, Sky still found it a significant event to be in the presence of every one of them at the same time. All four princesses of Equestria had gathered together, to discuss the important matter of Queen Chrysalis and her hive. Sky had been invited along, followed by his small “staff”--even Cara, who had declared that he should be brave and go along with him, and looked to have spent most of the evening trying to convince himself that he hadn’t made a horrible mistake; he nearly wilted any time Princess Cadance looked his way. Despite the general seriousness of the situation, the evening had been remarkably pleasant. While there had been quite a few grim looks shared among the princesses, the evening had been interspersed with more light-hearted and friendly conversation.

All that had ended for the moment, as every pony and changeling watched the eldest two princesses walking to the balcony outside the room, framed by the fading evening sky. Celestia raised her horn, aglow in her magic; a moment later the sky faded as the sun sank smoothly below the horizon.

As Celestia’s magic winked out, Luna stepped forward, her own horn glowing as the moon rose, and the swiftly darkening skies began to reveal the sea of stars beyond. As the glow of her own magic went out, the two sisters simply stood there, smiling a moment.

Sky watched with fascination. It hardly mattered that he had seen them perform the same transition several times before, it was just as impressive and beautiful as the first time he had seen it. There was something powerful and enduring about the moment; such a feat could have easily been terrifying, but from the two royal sisters, there was something comforting about it.

After a couple seconds, Celestia dipped her head, sharing a brief nuzzle with her sister before they both turned back to the gathering, stepping in from the balcony. Her eyes turned first to Princess Cadance. “As lovely as it has been to catch up with you, I think it’s about time we should turn in. Tomorrow promises to be an interesting day.”

“No doubt,” Cadance replied with a soft chuckle, turning to nuzzle Shining Armor for a moment before rising to her hooves. “We could use some rest. It’s been a long day.”

“Rest well,” Luna said, giving a nod to Cadance before turning to Celestia. “And you, too, Sister.”

The royal sisters embraced for a moment before Celestia turned away, giving a few final goodbyes as she made her way to the door. Several of the others also rose to leave as well. Sky, however, remained in place; ever since his own nightmares had faded, he had fewer opportunities to speak with Luna, and this seemed like a good opportunity.

Meanwhile, Luna had turned to the pony who stood just inside the doorway, some member of the castle staff who had been waiting patiently since before the two princesses had transitioned day to night. “Speak.”

The somewhat elderly earth pony stepped forward, bowing his head. “Your Highness,” he said, his tone precise and professional. “There was a small incident that should be brought to your attention. A couple of the service staff have been admitted to the infirmary, purely as a precautionary measure, after having being forcibly drained of emotional energy.”

There was a sharp crack of a metal-shod hoof striking the stone floor, and Sky looked over to see Celestia halted in mid-stride with a surprised expression. “What?”

Luna simply held up a hoof for a moment, as if commanding silence, her expression grim. “Explain.”

The pony nodded. “The two were assigned to bring dinner to Chrysalis and her embassy. They were serving Chrysalis herself when she began forcibly feeding on them. They recognized the symptoms of heavy emotion drain and immediately objected. When they did, they say that Chrysalis seemed surprised, and then offended. She reportedly claimed that she assumed the servants were part of the offered food, and threw them out when they said they were not. When it was discovered what had happened, they were sent to the infirmary to be given a checkup. They had performed only the most preliminary tests by the time I had been dispatched, but it appears that they have not suffered any injury beyond moderate fatigue.”

Celestia was shaking her head, jaw tight. “That is enough. We have shown Chrysalis more than enough patience, but she seems determined to play her petty games. It is time to show her the consequences of her actions. It is time for Chrysalis and her followers to be expelled from Equestria.”

Again, Luna held up a hoof, though her expression hinted at amusement. “That may not be necessary.”

“I have shown her leniency, and she shows only hostility in reply,” Celestia said, shaking her head. “I will not continue to stand by while our subjects are preyed upon.”

“Of course you will not,” Luna agreed with a nod, and then turned away. “You shall lie down and sleep, sister. I shall resolve this matter.”

A flash of surprise crossed Celestia’s face before she stepped up beside Luna. “There is nothing to resolve, Luna. She has been warned against attacking our subjects already, and now she dares to do so directly? The longer we allow this to go, the more of our subjects she will harm. How long until she harms one more seriously, or worse? We have already discussed this; she will be expelled from Equestria, and she should be grateful that we don’t do more.”

“She is but a petulant child, flailing and lashing out to see just how far she can go before being struck down.” She turned back to Celestia, placing a hoof on the elder princess’s chest. “Rest, dear sister. Watching over the night is my responsibility, and I am quite capable of handling whatever petty antics Chrysalis wishes to try. As troubling as her behavior is, this is not so severe that we can not find a more rationed response. By the time you raise the sun in the morning, I assure you, we shall not have to worry about this manner of mischief again.”

Celestia stared down at her sister. Her expression was hard and laced with doubt, but after several seconds, it began to melt. “What do you intend to do?”

Luna leaned up to nuzzle her sister again. “Fear not,” she said, and stepped back, a cold smile forming. “We shall simply meet with her, and make it excruciatingly clear why she does not want us as enemies.”

For a few moments, Celestia was silent, thinking. The doubtful look remained, though softened. Eventually, she nodded. “Very well. You can try to sway her.” A hint of the earlier fire returned. “But if things have not improved by morning, she will be removed immediately.”

“Agreed,” Luna replied. “Now go, sleep.”

Sky could see a moment of reluctance in Celestia, but a moment later she smiled and nodded again. Soon she was leaving, and most of the others gathered there followed her. Again, Sky remained behind.

He watched as Luna walked over to the balcony again, looking to the darkened sky with a sharp smile that he could only think to describe as “predatory”. It made it a little difficult for him to stand and approach her, but he did so anyway.

The moment he reached her side, she turned to look at him, all hints of sharpness gone in an instant. “Ah, Sky. I assume you wished to speak with me?”

“Yes,” he replied with a nod.

“Come,” she said, turning and walking from the window as he paced alongside her. “There is much for me to do, so we shall speak as we travel. I feel that tonight shall be a most interesting night.”

Chapter 9: The Diplomatic Process

Chapter 9: The Diplomatic Process

Almost twenty changelings now made the main room of the suite their temporary home. There was more than enough room for all of them, despite the restlessness that had taken hold. Lacking any tasks to occupy their time, they alternated between resting and busywork; armor had been polished time and again, several soldiers sparred with each other, and weapons had been honed to perfection.

Chrysalis slowly strode through the chamber, overseeing her small collection of drones for a moment before retiring to her own chambers. Those who were working continued on, diligently. Those who were resting but not asleep bowed their heads to her, but said nothing.

Satisfied with her short inspection, she turned back to her own room.

Just as she was about to open the large door, there was a thunderous crash from the far side of the room, followed by a voice that was just as loud. “Chrysalis!”

Chrysalis snapped her head around to see that the large double doors had been thrown open so violently that they had cracked. Between them, in the open doorway, stood the dark-blue form of Celestia’s younger sister, Princess Luna. Her eyes were fixed on Chrysalis, narrowing faintly as a cold grin formed. Fury and excitement met the queen’s senses. There were no signs of the soldiers who had been standing guard outside their room.

The alicorn stalked forward, her mane flowing out behind her. “We have come to speak with you.”

All around the room, changelings scrambled into place, snatching up whatever weapons they had available before lining up between their queen and the approaching alicorn. Chrysalis looked around at the gathering soldiers, and returned a smug smile. “I don’t feel much like talking. Why don’t you come back later?”

“You do not need to talk,” Luna said, her grin growing, “but you will listen.”

The light shining in through the windows grew weak. From every nook and cranny, the faint shadows in the room swiftly deepened. They leaked out like water, seeping out from the edges of the room and pooling together. They swirled along the walls and spread from every corner, consuming the light.

Luna continued to advance, even as the changeling soldiers leveled weapons and charged their horns. Her mane spread, meeting the oncoming darkness until they appeared to be one and the same. The darkness surged like a physical entity, a fog of darkness that swiftly filled the room. Already the outermost soldiers were fading from sight, obscured by the twisting shadows.

As Luna approached the closest soldier, indifferent to the sharp spears leveled her way, the final light faded, the shadows consuming everything.

There was absolutely no light; Chrysalis could see nothing. She could hear nothing. The unnatural darkness seemed to consume sound just as readily as light. Even her own breathing was muffled and distant.

She stepped back, finding that even the feel of the polished stone floor felt oddly indistinct. She lit her horn, pushing her magic to light up as bright as she could, but it did not even reach the short distance to her own eyes.

There was nothing.

Then something caught Chrysalis’s eyes. For a moment she couldn’t be sure she had seen anything, but the faint light slowly grew, burning through the fog of darkness. Soon she could make out that there were two points of light. A few moments later she could make them out more clearly: they were eyes, glowing white in the darkness, and moving toward her.

Slowly, light began to seep back into the room. It was as if her eyes were adjusting to the dark; the swirling shadows were gone, the haze of darkness burning away to reveal the room that it had hidden away.

Princess Luna advanced through the empty room, unopposed. Chrysalis looked about, but the only sign of her soldiers were their weapons, lying abandoned on the floor.

Chrysalis bared her teeth as she turned back to Luna, meeting those glowing eyes. “How dare you!” She snarled, her horn charging again. “You treacherous--”

“No,” Luna said, her voice firm and powerful, and Chrysalis’s magic winked out.

The queen staggered back a step, her eyes gone wide. She instinctively looked up to her horn. That had been no simple counterspell. Her magic hadn’t been locked away, unable to be used. It was simply gone. She couldn’t have even levitated a feather or performed the most simple shape-shifting. She couldn’t even sense the emotions coming from the pony standing right in front of her.

Her gaze dropped back down to meet Luna’s glowing eyes; somehow, the smaller princess seemed to have grown more imposing, an effect that grew further as she spread her wings.

Luna grinned as she stepped right up to the queen, her voice cold, but amused. “What’s wrong, Chrysalis? Isn’t this what you have strived for all this time? Didn’t you want us to be enemies? I thought you would be happy to have it finally come to this.”

Chrysalis almost stepped back again as Luna’s face came close to hers. The abrupt loss of her magic weighed heavily on her, but she kept her voice steady. “I will not be intimidated--”

“You are a fool,” Luna boomed out, the final word punctuated by a deep crack of thunder piercing through the windows; outside, the sky had become darkened by swirling storm clouds. Chrysalis flinched back at the barrage of sound, ears pinned back against the noise. “You poke and sting at a giant with no concept of what it shall do if you rouse its wrath. You are in our domain, now. We wield powers that you have never imagined, yet you come into our kingdom, to the heart of our power, and foolishly try to provoke us. We have shown you leniency before now, but that time is at an end!”

Luna’s mane flared with power as she declared, “There will be peace between the hive and Equestria. The only choice you now possess is whether you shall remain a part of it, or if we shall remove you.”

Chrysalis’s eyes widened, then narrowed as anger coursed through her. “You will never take my hive, princess.”

“And what, precisely, will you do to stop us?” Luna smugly replied, though at least her voice had returned to a somewhat more normal volume. “I could crush you where you stand, and there is not a single thing you could do about it. You can not win a fight against Equestria, Chrysalis.” She turned her head, looking back to the empty room behind her. “If you truly cared about your subjects--”

Chrysalis moved, fueled by anger and desperation. When the princess looked away, Chrysalis lowered her head and lunged forward, sinking her jagged horn into Luna’s chest.

And then she stumbled on, nearly falling onto her face as the expected resistance never appeared. She spun around as soon as she regained her balance; shadows swirled angrily where Luna had stood moments before, and an instant later several tendrils of darkness shot out. Chrysalis let out a cry of outrage--and certainly not at all from fear--as those tendrils ensnared her and hauled her off her hooves. Her back met the wall hard enough to knock the breath from her.

The shadows coalesced, reforming into Princess Luna; her horn was lit, holding Chrysalis in place as she stepped up. “A fair effort, Chrysalis, but foolish and short-sighted as ever.” She lowered her head slightly, tilting her horn toward the queen. “Would you like me to return the gesture?”

Chrysalis barred her teeth, ignoring the hammering in her chest as her eyes fixed on the tip of Luna’s horn. “Let go of me!” she snarled, kicking out against the magic holding her.

Surprisingly, the magical grip vanished, and Chrysalis fell to her hooves. After a moment to regain her balance, she stood up, eyes narrowed on the irritating princess, who simply stood there with her infuriatingly smug smile. For a moment, neither said anything. Chrysalis tried to slow her breathing, to still the rage that demanded retribution; it seemed clear enough that trying to attack again would achieve nothing useful, but Luna was still waiting expectantly.

Eventually, Chrysalis hissed, “What do you want?”

“I want to be done with your little games,” Luna replied. “It was vaguely amusing at first, but your transgressions can not be so simply overlooked any more. Time and again you show yourself to be selfish, petty, egotistical, and short-sighted. Further, you have shown an unrelenting callousness and hostility, demonstrating your willingness to harm our subjects without necessity, and all the while, you have resisted any efforts to aid your own subjects.”

The princess raised a hoof and slammed it to the ground, sending out a spiderweb of cracks, and echoed by another rattling boom of thunder. “You will choose, Chrysalis. You can either work for peace to the benefit of your subjects, or we shall remove you and take up the responsibilities of caring for them ourselves.”

Chrysalis practically growled. “I already told you, princess, you will never take my hive.”

“Then you had best start working for peace so we have any reason to let you keep it,” Luna said. “I hope that I have made it abundantly clear that, if you instead choose to continue this infantile provocation, we are more than capable of dealing with you. We can always find someone more suited to leading the hive. Perhaps Counselor Sky could use a promotion? He has done well enough for the changelings in Equestria. Or perhaps one of your princesses will be more amenable to accepting peaceful relations and less likely to let her ego and fantasies of revenge get in the way of her duty to her subjects?”

Chrysalis bristled, almost snapping back at her, but forced herself to remain silent.

“Better,” Luna said. “No more testing your boundaries, Chrysalis. No more provocation. And absolutely, under no circumstances, will you cause harm to another one of our subjects, pony or not. Understood?”

Chrysalis replied through gritted teeth, face contorting into a sneer. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed, the glow of power growing brighter. “I am perfectly aware of what you dream, Chrysalis. I know of the fantasies you held as you traveled here. I have seen your dreams of Canterlot burning.” She stepped forward, her face moving close, and Chrysalis cringed back. “I’ve seen your desire for retribution. I’ve watched you reveling in the destruction of our city and the death of those we have sworn to protect.”

The princess reared back, wings spread for balance, and her voice boomed out once again. “Know now that these dreams shall never come to pass. We shall do whatever it takes to preserve the safety of our subjects, and all other innocents, even if it means your destruction!”

The statement made, Luna dropped back to all fours again, leaving a fresh pattern of cracks in the stone floor. “Do you understand?” She demanded, fixing Chrysalis with narrowed eyes and a savage grin, as if challenging her to say no.

“...Yes,” Chrysalis quietly hissed, even as her body tried to shudder with held-in anger.

“Good,” Luna replied, the glow from her eyes winking out. “Then you will give us no further reason to question allowing you to have any say in the future of Equestria or the changeling hive.”

The princess turned to leave, and Chrysalis had to fight the urge to attack her exposed back; after all, it would probably go no better than the last attempt, and likely much worse. Luna only made it a step before she hesitated, as if just remembering something. She looked back over her shoulder with an amused smile and said, “I understand that my sister has been extending you invitations to dine with us, correct?”

“Yes,” Chrysalis replied, with only a small hint of the bitterness she felt reaching her voice.

“Then you will start showing some courtesy and attend when invited. Agreed?”

Chrysalis nearly snapped out a refusal, but reluctantly gave a tiny nod.

“Good,” Luna said with a nod. “Then you will attend breakfast with us, and at least try to act like a civil and responsible national leader. In fact, breakfast should be starting in, oh, ten minutes.” She flashed a smile. “You wouldn’t want to be rude by showing up late, so wake up.”

Chrysalis jerked as her eyes opened to the sight of one of the pillows laying beside her and the soft glow of the morning sun creeping past the edges of the curtain beyond. She rolled onto her back with a grunt, the plush bedding shifting around her as her head sank back into her pillow. For a moment she just stared up at the ceiling, controlling her breathing as she ignored the pounding of her heartbeat.

Slowly her expression hardened, and with a snarl and a flash of magic she tore away the thick blankets. An instant later she was on her hooves, a growl building in the back of her throat as she stormed over to the door and threw it open.

“Elytron!”

The castle’s cooks made some of the highest quality meals one could find, and in an impressive variety. The spread prepared for the princesses and their guests was truly impressive, but then, it always was. Sky wouldn’t say that he was entirely used to dining with the princesses--except possibly Twilight--but he had the occasion several times, mostly thanks to his official duties. These less-formal meals were the best, in his experience: more casual and relaxed, and often served as a buffet rather than fixed courses, letting everyone choose exactly what they wanted. As usual, Sky chose a bit of most everything, enjoying the variety to be had. He even sampled a couple of the meat dishes that the cooks had prepared due to the larger number of changeling guests. They were still strange after the entirely vegetarian diet he had grown used to, but he had to admit, they were pretty tasty.

Despite the wonderful food, there were several distractions that made the meal unusual, even exempting how unusual dining with all four of Equestria’s princesses might be considered, otherwise.

Nictis was probably the least significant of these distractions, though still concerning. Something was off about him. He seemed lethargic and without focus. When they had gotten food, he had stared at his own plate for a while, looking faintly nauseous for a moment, and picking unenthusiastically at his food since then. The few times Sky had spoken to him, it took a few moments before Nictis reacted, and he seemed slightly confused, as if he had just woken up.

Another distraction was Rainbow Dash. Sky hadn’t really seen her since their meeting with Chrysalis the previous day. He’d been tempted to go looking for her when she didn’t show up for dinner, but had eventually decided not to. She had finally shown up again for breakfast, but he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. She seemed almost as withdrawn as Nictis despite the occasional short-lived attempts to join in the conversation, and the emotions he could feel directed toward him were more jumbled than usual, and mostly dominated by awkwardness.

A third distraction came just as the meal was about to start, when Princess Cadance whispered a few words to her husband before rising and walking over to the small collection of changelings. She smiled as she stepped up to them, looking over the five of them. “Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?”

Nervous looks were exchanged, and the wide-eyed expression Cara wore suggested that he was seriously considering hiding under the table again. Nictis didn’t seem to react at all. The silence lasted until Trip glanced over to Sky, who gave a tiny nod in reply, and Trip looked back to her to reply, “Of course! Um… have a seat!”

“Thank you,” Cadance replied with a friendly smile, and everyling shifted their positions slightly so that she could sit among them. “I was hoping I might get the chance to chat with all of you, maybe get to know you a little better. I haven’t had the opportunity to talk with many of the changelings now living in Equestria. You all live in Ponyville?”

While most of the changelings were nervous and hesitant to reply at first, the genuine interest and friendly feelings from the princess soon began to calm them, and before long they were talking happily about their lives in Ponyville, their interests, and all manner of friendly conversation.

Sky missed most of the conversation, however, as his attention was caught up in other distractions, and in particular, a fourth one: Princess Luna, who had shown up for breakfast with a happy smile and a bounce to her step. She was no more vocal than usual, although Sky had caught a moment of humming as she had approached the table. She simply seemed a little more animated, and exceptionally cheerful as she loaded up her plate with enough food to look thoroughly undignified beside her sister’s own plate.

Celestia had smiled at seeing her sister so happy, though Sky noted the way her brow raised a moment later, turning the look slightly suspicious. “I take it your night went well?”

“Exceptionally,” Luna replied, flashing her a smug smile.

“And your discussion with Chrysalis?” Celestia asked, the happy-but-suspicious expression swinging a bit more toward suspicious, but Luna simply waved it off with a gesture of her hoof.

“It went exactly as I had anticipated,” Luna replied simply, smiling as she levitated up a pastry and took a bite.

Celestia looked only halfway satisfied with that answer, a look that promised the conversation would be continued later, but she did not pry further at the moment. Luna took no note of this, continuing on with her meal with an energetic happiness.

The meal continued on for a couple peaceful minutes of casual conversation before the door was thrown open in the grip of vivid green magic, and several shouts echoed from the doorway.

Just outside the door stood five changeling soldiers, headed by Chrysalis. Chrysalis herself was snarling at one of the two unicorn guards who had closed in on her, their horns lit with readied magic. “I was invited, you dolts!”

Around the room, everyone reacted differently. Most of the changelings cringed back, while Twilight and her friends glared at the queen, ready for trouble; Rainbow Dash practically bristled, her wings flaring out, and Sky was almost surprised that she didn’t charge in.

Luna merely took another bite and looked on with a pleased smile.

Celestia, on the other hoof, stood up, her wings spread wide. “Chrysalis! What are you doing?”

The queen turned to face Celestia with a sour expression. “I’m attempting to accept your invitation, only to be accosted by your guards when I try to enter. That’s a rather mixed message, don’t you think?”

“My invitation did not include barging past my guards,” Celestia said, her eyes narrowing faintly.

“If I was barging past them, I wouldn’t have stopped when they started yelling,” Chrysalis replied. “Your sister insisted that I join you for breakfast, but apparently she neglected to tell your guards to expect me.”

Luna cut in, her voice calm and her tone surprisingly friendly, even though her smile seemed just a bit too sharp. “You should show a little more civility in how you interact with ponies, Chrysalis. I know you’re used to having everyling in your hive following your directions, but you are a guest, and you should show a little more respect and courtesy to your hosts and their subordinates.”

Chrysalis glared back at her. Her lips curled back into the start of a sneer, though after a moment the expression softened to one of mild irritation. “Noted,” she darkly replied.

Sky caught the glance Celestia cast toward her sister, though she looked back just before Chrysalis addressed her; the queen’s voice had only the faintest hint of mockery as she asked, “May I enter?”

Celestia was silent for a second before answering. “You may, but your guards will wait outside.”

The unicorn guards stepped back as Chrysalis stepped into the room, casting a disapproving glance around. “Not that there would be much room for them, anyway. I expected something grander.” She turned her head, addressing the five changeling soldiers that followed her; Sky noted that Elytron was again at their head. “You will remain outside unless I call for you.”

Elytron’s expression tightened. “My queen, are you--”

“Go,” Chrysalis commanded, walking further into the room.

“Yes, my queen,” Elytron said after her, bowing his head even though she would not see the gesture. With that he turned around, and the changeling soldiers stood back as the doors closed again.

The moment the door shut, Celestia opened her mouth, but Luna was already speaking. “Come, Chrysalis. We have reserved a seat for you by our side, so we may converse over our meal.”

“Of course,” Chrysalis grumbled as she stalked toward the table. Her advance hesitated for a moment as her gaze shifted to Cadance, sitting amongst the small gathering of changelings. The queen’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Cadance stared back, her earlier smiles and light-hearted behavior swept away by the cold stare she had leveled at Chrysalis.

Meanwhile, most of the changelings tried to hide their awkwardness to varying degrees of success; Sky was at least somewhat amused--and a little pleased--to note that Cara had instinctively inched closer to Cadance. A few seats down, Shining Armor sat very still, the perfect picture of an alert guard, ready for anything.

Chrysalis opened her mouth as if to say something, but evidently thought better of it. Instead, she snorted and broke off the silent matchup by looking away, continuing on to the seat offered her.

“I’ve been inviting you to join us since you arrived,” Celestia said, and though she hid the tone well, Sky could still hear the suspicion behind her words. “What changed your mind?”

Chrysalis scowled in reply. “I had been under the impression that an invitation implied choice. Your sister decided to make it clear that it did not.”

“Nonsense,” Luna replied with a chuckle and a wave of her hoof. “I simply clarified what that choice was.”

The statement earned a quiet grumble from the queen in reply.

There was a hardness to Celestia’s words as she spoke. “I trust she also clarified what will and will not be tolerated in the future?”

“Excessively so,” Chrysalis growled. Several of the room’s occupants twitched as her wings flicked to life, lifting her into the air. Seeing her looming over him, Sky was abruptly reminded of how huge she was, and how comparatively tiny and insignificant he was. It was a relief when she landed atop the cushion she had been offered, and sat; sitting near Celestia and Luna went a long way in making Chrysalis seem less gigantic by comparison.

As soon as she had settled in, Chrysalis spoke with a somewhat bitter tone. “Even though I expected it, the hypocrisy is disgusting.”

Celestia’s jaw was tight, but she kept her voice remarkably even. “What hypocrisy do you have any grounds to complain of? We have been far more tolerant than you deserve, especially after you take advantage of our hospitality and leniency to engage in thinly veiled attacks on our subjects.”

To Sky’s surprise, Chrysalis dipped her muzzle, turning away slightly. She grimaced, teeth bared for a moment as she slowly reined herself in. When she spoke, her voice held only a faint tone of irritation. “If you’re speaking of last night, that was a… mistaken assumption.” Her face contorted for a moment before she added, “I apologize.”

Just about everyone in the room stared in silent surprise at what they heard.

Except Luna; in the ensuing moment of silence, Sky could make out the happy tune she was humming as she continued eating.

The silence was broken when Chrysalis snorted, looking away and grumbling, “Though the whole thing could have been avoided if they had remembered that changelings feed on emotions and clarified which foods were actually being offered.”

“If they had intended to offer you that,” Celestia said, “you would not have had to forcibly drain them.”

Chrysalis turned her glare back to Celestia. “No offense, princess, but I don’t think you could find a single pony who actually likes me. I need to feed, unless you’re hoping I’ll just starve to death and solve your problem for you.”

“You could try actually being likeable,” Celestia replied, and Sky was a little surprised that anypony could make that statement without sounding obviously sarcastic. “It’s worked well for other changelings.”

“I’m sure I’ll have starved long before that happens,” Chrysalis said with a roll of her eyes. “And to answer your earlier question, what I have to complain of is how you make all these demands for my ‘good behavior,’ while meanwhile I get assaulted in my own chambers and have my mind invaded by your sister.”

Luna swallowed her last bite. “Strictly speaking, it was a shared dream-space, so I did not technically--”

“I don’t care,” Chrysalis groaned. She looked like she was going to say more, but Celestia spoke first.

“What was this about being assaulted?”

Chrysalis gestured toward the gathering of ponies near Twilight. “The colorful one attacked me,” she said, and Rainbow Dash bristled. “If not for Sky’s intervention, she would have struck me, for what little good it would have done her.”

Sky’s anger was tripped up for a moment as he realized she had addressed him by the correct name. On the other end of the table, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were sharing a hushed conversation, with Dash looking particularly irritated.

Celestia spoke again. “And why would she attack you?”

“Because she has a large but fragile ego,” Chrysalis replied, with a hint of a grin. “I wasn’t impressed with her, and she took offense.”

Sky quickly cut in. “Chrysalis insulted her the entire time she was there. She was trying to provoke Dash.”

“Is that true?” Celestia asked, while Luna turned a thin, smug smile toward the queen.

“No,” Chrysalis said, though the hint of smugness had vanished. “She was presented as some example of ponies and changelings coexisting, and I was critical of the many faults I found with that.”

“You didn’t even talk with her,” Sky said, his meal forgotten as he glared at the queen. “The only reason you brought her in was to insult her to her face!”

His glare was mirrored by Chrysalis. “And her first response was to attack me.”

“Chrysalis,” Celestia said in a warning tone, and the queen’s glare vanished as she quickly turned back. Celestia glanced over to the other side. Past her, Twilight and Rainbow continued to talk in hushed tones. Rainbow’s ears had drooped at some point, her posture sagged, and she was not quite meeting Twilight’s eyes, though hints of fiery anger still peeked out around the edges.

Looking back to Chrysalis, Celestia spoke again. “It seems Twilight has impressed upon Rainbow Dash how inappropriate it was to attempt to attack someone over words.” In the short pause, Chrysalis started to reply--no doubt with something smug--but Celestia cut her off. “But it’s also inappropriate to provoke others. You’ve been doing that since you got here, and it is time it stops.”

Chrysalis remained silent, though she looked away, her muzzle dipping slightly.

“‘Tis polite to reply when spoken to,” Luna lightly chided, her smile growing a bit more when Chrysalis groaned.

“Fine,” the queen bitterly replied. “I’ll try to coddle your ponies’ fragile little feelings.”

“Now try again,” Luna said, “but more politely.”

Chrysalis glared at her, fighting back a snarl. When she finally replied, her voice sounded forced. “I’ll be nice.”

“Better,” Luna replied with a nod, returning to her food.

Celestia looked at both Chrysalis and Luna with the same doubtful expression, but finally gave a silent sigh. “We can save any further discussions on the matter of our negotiations until this evening’s talks. We have a few other matters that will demand our attention this morning--”

“The Royal Guard ceremony?” Chrysalis asked, giving a small smile when Celestia leveled a suspicious and disapproving look her way. “What? I consider it important to keep up on current events, especially ones that involve my subjects.”

Luna leaned over between bites. “‘Tis also impolite to interrupt,” she said, quietly, earning another roll of the eyes from Chrysalis.

“As I was saying,” Celestia continued, “we have other matters we must attend to this morning. I hope you can occupy yourself peacefully until then?”

“Actually,” Chrysalis replied with a thin smile, “I was hoping I might be able to attend this ceremony myself.”

Celestia was silent for a long moment before replying. “I do not think that would be appropriate.”

“And why not?” Chrysalis said, the smile growing a little more. “I would think you would like that. A nice public display of cooperation and friendship, hmm?”

The sharp-toothed smile did not convey any sense of friendship.

“After the hostility that you have shown before now, it would send a mixed message, at best,” Celestia replied. “If you truly wish to make a public show of cooperation, we can arrange for other appearances that may be less divisive.”

“I suppose,” Chrysalis said, though the growing smile had vanished along with any feigned enthusiasm. “At the very least, I wish to speak with Chirrup before the ceremony.”

“You may speak with him after, should he choose to meet with you,” Celestia said. She forestalled any further objections by adding, “I am familiar with Chirrup, and I know how important this day is to him. I am also aware of how you have behaved every time you’ve met with one of the changelings living in Equestria. I will not spoil this day for him by subjecting him to that.”

A shadow of a grimace passed across Chrysalis’s face, vanishing as fast as it came. “I can promise that I’ll be on my best behavior,” she said, gesturing with a hoof as if to indicate herself and how ‘polite’ she was being.

“And for that reason, I shall ask him if he wishes to speak with you,” Celestia said, “after the ceremony is over. In any case, he and the other recruits are likely caught up in the preparations for the ceremony today, and unlikely to have much time to spare for visitors.”

Chrysalis started to snarl, though she restrained the expression into a small grimace. She took a second before replying with a grumble. “Fine.”

Celestia paused a moment, eying Chrysalis; the doubtful expression remained, though Sky thought it looked a little softer. “If you’re interested in showing that you, personally, can coexist with ponies, rather than being an opponent of peace, then perhaps you can start by showing that we can share a simple meal without your usual hostility.”

“Save the speeches, princess,” Chrysalis replied. The usual tone of derision was absent. Instead, she sounded tired. “I’ve already decided to accept the offer of peaceful relations with Equestria, even if we still have some fine details to work out, so you don’t need to waste more time trying to convince me.”

The statement did nothing to alleviate the doubtful look Celestia still leveled at her. “Is that so?”

Chrysalis nodded. “Of course. The hive could benefit from the technology and development we could gain from Equestria.” She gave a dismissive wave of her hoof. “But as you said, we can save further discussion until our talks this evening. For now we can have that ‘peaceful’ meal.”

She finally turned her attention to the food laid out on the table, her attention quickly shifting down the table to where the other changelings sat. Her horn lit up as she levitated one of the dishes made specifically for the changeling guests, which consisted of sausage, thin slices of potatoes, and a variety of spices. Sky had to admit it was rather tasty, and was a little disappointed to see the whole dish deposited before Chrysalis. He also had to wonder if she had selected it out of expectation that it would taste good, or because she thought that eating meat might disturb the ponies around her.

The way she plucked a piece of sausage from the mix and popped it into her mouth with a satisfied grin made him think the latter. If that was her expectation, however, it was pretty well doomed to failure. It had, after all, been ponies who had offered those dishes. Even Cadance, sitting in the middle of the small gathering of changelings, seemed completely unconcerned by it. It wasn’t long before Chrysalis’s grin faded.

Slowly, the mood relaxed and casual conversations picked up again, despite the occasional glimpses toward the dark queen sitting silently in their midst.

Eventually the meal came to an end, and ponies and changelings began to rise and depart. Rarity was the first.

“I do hate to simply dash off like this,” she said apologetically, “but I have so many commitments to attend to today. If I hurry, I should be merely fashionably late to the brunch gathering.” She paused to bow to Celestia and Luna. “Thank you so much for the honor of sharing such a wonderful meal.”

“You’re very welcome, of course,” Celestia replied, while Luna gave a smile and a nod.

“Yes, a lovely meal,” Chrysalis replied rather more darkly, as she too rose. “Should I assume that I’m ‘invited’ to dinner, as well?”

“We would love to have you there,” Luna replied cheerily.

Celestia looked more wary. “You are welcome to come, if you like. The gesture would be appreciated.”

“Of course,” Chrysalis grumbled, her wings flicking to life as she took a short flight over the table before landing and strolling away. “In that case, I’ll see you at the negotiations. Goodbye.”

The room was silent as she walked out, the doors shutting behind her.

“I think that went well,” Luna said with a happy smile.

Celestia sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. “What did you do?”

Luna’s smile grew a bit more. “I simply had a short conversation with her as to why, exactly, she should not antagonize us any further.”

“In her dream.”

“Of course,” Luna replied. “‘Twas the simplest and most thorough way of informing her of the consequences of being our enemy, without actually bringing harm to her guardians.”

Celestia’s expression grew disapproving. “You attacked her in her dream?”

Luna shrugged. “Only after she attempted to impale me upon her horn.”

The remaining occupants of the room looked to Princess Luna with wide eyes; even Celestia seemed alarmed by the statement. “She attacked you?”

“I suppose some of my actions could have been considered provocative,” Luna replied thoughtfully, but then smiled again. “In any case, I believe I have thoroughly convinced her of the futility of attempting such a thing ever again, and not just on an individual scale. She knows now that, should she remain an opponent to peace, we are perfectly willing and capable of removing her in order to do so.”

Celestia frowned. “I’m not certain this will produce the effect you desire. She may be willing to play along, but I doubt this will convince her to end her plotting.”

“Oh, of course not,” Luna said with a wave of her hoof. “I imagine she is still considering whatever unpleasantness she had been considering before, although she now knows the consequences they may bring her. What it will do is end her petty provocations and infantile hostility during our negotiations, which should give you an unimpeded opportunity to convince her of the benefits of a friendly coexistence with Equestria.”

Celestia was silent for a moment, still frowning. “I suppose we shall see,” she finally said, to which Luna smiled again. “Though I think I shall have to speak with Miss Tea. I fear she may be very busy, soon.”

Sky was distracted from any further conversation as Princess Cadance rose. “Well, thank you for the pleasant conversation,” she said, looking around the group of changelings. “Perhaps we could talk again some time when we don’t have so many distractions.”

“I’d like that,” Trip replied, and the other changelings nodded with varying degrees of enthusiasm--except Nictis, who made a vaguely affirmative grunt while still staring down at his half-finished plate of salad.

As Cadance rejoined her husband, Sky leaned over to Nictis. “Hey, you okay?”

Nictis continued to stare for a second before speaking. “I ate about eighty pounds of sugar and got maybe three hours of sleep.” He unenthusiastically levitated up a single piece of lettuce and chewed on it for a moment before groaning faintly and pushing the plate away. “I’ll be fine. Probably.”

Sky smiled slightly, placing a hoof on Nictis’s shoulder, even though the gesture wasn’t really necessary. “Well, sounds like there’s not much to do until tonight. Maybe you should get some sleep.”

“No,” Nictis replied, straightening slightly. “Miss Tea wanted me to help out trying to prevent anything from going wrong at the ceremony today, and I’m not going to let her down.”

“Well… good luck with that.”

Nictis grunted again.

Celestia and Luna were saying a few parting words, and the rest of the gathering was starting to make their way out. Sky gave Nictis a final pat on the shoulder before rising to his hooves and making his way to the door. There he paused a moment, looking out after Rainbow Dash, who was slowly making her way down the hall.

He could feel his heart beating faster as he took a deep breath, let it out, and then nearly yelped as Cadance’s voice spoke up right beside him.

“You know,” she said, amusement filling her voice, “my offer of help still stands.”

Sky’s head had whipped around to her smiling face, with Shining Armor standing just behind her. She glanced down the hall, and he followed her gaze, finding a certain rainbow-patterned tail.

If it were possible, Sky was sure he’d be blushing. “Oh, um, I… thanks, but… well, I think I’m good. Actually, last night I was talking with Luna about, um…”

Cadance raised an eyebrow, though she laughed playfully. “So instead of asking the ‘Princess of Love’ for relationship advice, you asked Luna?”

He shuffled his wings, ears pinning back. “Well, you were going to bed, and she was there… and besides, Luna knows ponies pretty well. She can give good advice.”

Cadance was shaking her head, still smiling. “Sorry, I mean no disrespect to Princess Luna. She has many talents, but I don’t think she’s entirely gotten used to how things have changed while she was away.” Sparing another glance down the hall, she asked, “What did she say?”

“Well… there was some talk about fear and doubt and such, and how that was getting in the way.” He shrugged awkwardly. “Basically, she told me that I should try to put all that aside and just go after her instead of worrying about it.”

Cadance’s smile vanished. “Huh.” After a moment, a wry smile crept across her muzzle. “I’m not sure if I should be pleased for Luna or concerned for myself that she offered the same advice I would have.”

At Sky’s questioning look, she chuckled. “No, I think that she gave you excellent advice. I suppose I shouldn’t be so surprised. She does understand how fear can change a pony. Or changeling, I suppose.” She gestured down the hall, and Sky felt a faint lurch as he realized Rainbow had already passed around the corner. “So, what do you plan to do?”

“Um… I don’t know,” he said. “Planning kind of feels like worry about it, I guess. I was kind of thinking I’d just wing it.”

Cadance nodded, her smile growing a bit. “Given the mare you’re dealing with, that’s probably a good idea.”

Shining Armor, who had been silent until then, allowed a soft chuckle, while Sky smiled at the princess. “Thanks.” He glanced down the hall, then back to her. “Though you know, I’ve always kind of wondered, why do you want to help me? I doubt many ponies get a princess trying to help them out like that.”

Cadance laughed softly. “Oh, I might play at being a matchmaker occasionally.”

“Occasionally,” Shining Armor echoed with a playful smirk, to which Cadance responded with a smile and a brush of her wing against his side.

“Occasionally,” she repeated. “It’s always such a joy to see love blossom between two ponies. Besides, is it so strange that I’d like the idea that changelings could become so close to ponies, instead of being enemies?”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Sky said. “But I think I’ll manage. If you really wanted to help a changeling with that, maybe you could talk to Nictis? I think he could use the help a lot more.”

Cadance’s smile faltered for a moment. “I’ll consider it,” she replied, the cheerful tone sounding just the faintest bit forced. When his expression turned questioning, she quickly gestured down the hall with her nose. “She’s getting away.”

“Oh, right!” Sky blurted, leaping forward on reflex. He made a whole two steps before skittering to a halt and looking back. “I mean, goodbye!” He wavered back and forth a moment. “Sorry. Thanks!”

Cadance was smiling as she made a shooing gesture with one hoof.

“Right! I’m going. Thanks!”

He galloped for a few steps before taking to the air, careening around the corner with a buzz of wings. He had to round a second corner before he caught sight of Rainbow, and dove in to land. He came in too hot, hooves sliding across the floor for a couple pony-lengths to end up just past Rainbow.

“Hey,” he said, recovering from the landing and falling in to walk beside her as if nothing had happened.

“Hey,” she replied, with a faint flash of amusement. “‘Sup?”

“Oh, you know, not much,” he said, immediately wanting to smack himself for the horrible reply. “I mean, there isn’t really anything going on until later, so we’ve kind of got the morning free. You want to go out and do something?”

The words “go out” echoed in his mind the moment he said them, accompanied by an abrupt nervousness at the unintended phrasing.

“Eh,” Rainbow replied with a shrug. Her ear flicked a moment later, accompanied by a subtle hitch in her step and a flicker of what seemed to be guilt or regret; it was too quick and subtle for him to get a good feel of it, and he was immediately distracted from the thought as she looked over to him. “Actually, yeah, that sounds good. What’d you have in mind?”

“Hadn’t really gotten that far,” Sky admitted with a shrug. “Fly around, hang out, maybe get some drinks or something.”

“Sure, why not?” Rainbow replied, giving a smile. “A bit of flying around, some drinks to cool down, sounds good. Where to?”

Sky shrugged. “Sunflower’s?”

Dash rolled her eyes, though the expression was at least accompanied by amusement. “You always want to go there. Let’s try something else. I’ve heard of a couple places around here that are supposed to be pretty cool. Sound good?”

“Sure,” Sky said with a quick flicker of his wings. “I’m always up for trying something new.”

The two of them continued on with just a bit more of a bounce to their step, making their way steadily toward the nearest exit.

As they stepped out into one of the castle’s many courtyards, Dash looked up, wings held loosely at her side as her smile faded. “So… Chrysalis...”

“Yeah,” Sky replied, frowning slightly.

“Is it just me, or is her playing ‘nice’ kinda… creepy.”

Sky snorted. “Oh yeah.”

“Like she’s planning something really nasty?”

“Yep,” Sky replied with a nod.

Rainbow Dash nodded as well, silent for a moment before turning a faint smirk to him. “Think we’re going to end up kicking her flank before this is all over?”

A smile crept across Sky’s muzzle. “Maybe.”

Rainbow grinned a little more at that, looking back up to the sky for a few seconds. Finally, she nodded, spread her wings, and took off, and Sky followed after her.

Chapter 10: Public Image

Chapter 10: Public Image

Sky pulled a tight barrel roll as he bled off speed, followed by a strong back-winging to bring himself in to a perfect landing just moments behind Rainbow Dash.

She spared him an amused glance before looking back to the building they had landed directly in front of, while ignoring a couple upper-class unicorns who were showing their disapproval at the pair’s energetic arrival. “Yeah, this is the place,” she said, looking back to Sky. “Feel like some drinks?”

“Sure,” he replied, struggling to hide how hard he was breathing. “Drinks sound good.”

“Cool,” Dash said, before leading the way in.

The outside of the place--Sky hadn’t caught a name--had looked much like many of the other Canterlot buildings, with the addition of outdoor tables that seemed to be the common style for restaurants and cafes. As they stepped inside, however, it replaced the clean white, gold, and purples of the city for rich, polished wood. It almost seemed larger inside than it did from outside, with the high ceiling, and the exposed rafters and supports seemed as much artistic as architectural.

There weren’t many ponies around at the moment, leaving the large space feeling a little quiet and empty, though not too much so. Naturally, several of the ponies looked their way--or more specifically, his way. The pony behind the bar was one of them; he paused in his cleaning to look at them with a momentary flash of concern and doubt, but he followed it up with a nod in greeting. Sky returned the gesture with a weak smile, following Dash to a table.

Rainbow casually plopped down on a cushion, and Sky followed suit rather more heavily. “All right,” she said, snatching up one of the menus sitting on the table. “I heard this place is supposed to have some really good ciders, so let’s--”

She abruptly sat upright, wings spreading reflexively. “They’ve got Sweet Apple Acres cider? How the hay do they get that? I live next to AJ and I don’t even--oh, they’re sold out. Of course they are.”

Sky chuckled. “I’m sure there are plenty of other ciders that are… almost as good.”

“Don’t let AJ hear you say that,” Dash grumbled, followed by a frown aimed at the menu. “Oh, it’s just cider they make here with Sweet Apple Acres apples, not the real stuff. Meh. That’s, like… false advertising or something.”

The soft clop of hooves announced the arrival of a waiter, a unicorn wearing a professional smile that probably would have been convincing to another pony. “Good morning. What can I get for you today?”

Dash grumbled something unintelligible as she looked over the menu, so the waiter turned to Sky, instead. He quickly looked to the list of ciders, finding an impressive list of about twenty different names. Ignoring the question buzzing in the back of his mind--how many ways are there of turning apples into cider?--he plucked one name out of the list. “Big Apple cider?”

He also did his best to ignore the price listed beside it. Six bits seemed a bit much for cider, and the one he had picked was on the low end.

The waiter nodded, writing the order down on a small pad before looking to Rainbow Dash. “And for you?”

“Eh,” she replied, looking over the list a moment more before tossing the menu down. “I guess I’ll try the High Tree.”

The waiter nodded and headed off to get their drinks.

“Well, time to see if these fancy Canterlot ponies can make a good drink,” Dash said as she lay on her side and stretched. “How much time do we have until that ceremony, anyway?”

“Uh, I don’t know,” Sky admitted as he looked around for a clock. “Was kind of busy just keeping up with you. Ah, looks like we’ve got… about two hours until it starts, though we should show up a little early.”

“Cool, we’ve got some time to kick back and relax, then.”

They managed only a few more moments of small-talk before the waiter returned with their drinks. Dash eyed her drink with a critical eye. “Well, might as well give this a try,” she said, and picked up the mug; Sky raised his own as well, and they tapped their mugs together before taking a drink.

It was pretty good, Sky thought. Nice and smooth, with a crisp, sweet taste. Not the best he’d had, but still, pretty good. Rainbow seemed to have similar thoughts. “Eh, not bad,” she said with a shrug, and threw back a longer drink.

An errant thought crossed Sky’s mind. I’m in a pub, sharing a drink with Rainbow Dash. It took only a moment to follow that thought further along, accompanied by a shot of nervous tension, but he pushed past it. It’s just a joke, right?

“Does this mean we’re on a date?”

Dash snorted into her mug, followed up by coughing. “Dag ed, Sky!” she called out, cider dripping from her muzzle as she quickly wiped at it with a hoof. “Ugh, gob ed ub my node!”

Sky snickered and reached out with his magic to snatch up a napkin, offering it to her. She thanked him with a light punch to the shoulder. “Totally worth it,” he said.

After giving a few more snorts to clear her nose and wiping her muzzle dry, she tossed the napkin onto the table. “Great. Now everything’s going to smell like apples for the rest of the day,” she grumbled, though there wasn’t any anger behind the statement.

“Does it smell as good as it tastes?”

“No,” Dash replied, then paused. “Although the rest of this place suddenly smells better.”

“See?” Sky said, half-hiding a grin behind his mug. “I’m helping.”

Rainbow snorted again. “I don’t need your help drinking cider, thanks.”

“I don’t know,” Sky said. “I’m not the one who just tried snorting a mug of cider.”

Dash pointed her mug at him, smirking. “You’re going to be wearing this mug of cider if you keep that up.”

He paused a moment, considering the threat, and shrugged. “Eh. Chitin is easy to dry.”

Dash snickered softly before adding, “And I’ll make you buy its replacement.”

“Okay, okay,” he replied with a laugh, holding his hooves up. “I’ll play nice.”

“Yeah, I thought so,” Dash said with a smug grin, finally taking another drink.

He smiled and took a drink as well. With all the business and tension in the castle, it was nice to have the opportunity to just relax for a while. It was even better that he was able to do so with Rainbow Dash.

Although, even if it had been a joke, Sky couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed that she hadn’t answered his question.

“...And the whole thing came down, right on the snack table,” Dash was saying, waving a hoof for emphasis as she chuckled. Sky hardly even noticed. He was slumped over, forelegs crossed on the edge of the table with his chin resting atop them. At the moment, he was casting a glance over to the unicorn couple who were walking to the front door, their half-finished meal forgotten.

“So then Pinkie says… hey, Sky, you listening?”

Sky’s head jerked up as he turned back to see Rainbow looking at him. It took just a second for his brain to reorient itself. “I’m pretty sure that’s not what she said.”

His response drew a feeling of amusement and a hint of a smile, but they vanished almost immediately. “Come on, Sky, I know what’s going on. Just ignore them.”

He blinked. “Ignore who?”

“You know what I’m talking about,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, I saw those two giving you the stink-eye, and the ones before that. Don’t let ‘em get to you.”

Sky slumped again, grumbling. “I’m trying, but it’s not so easy. I get to feel all the fear and disgust and dislike. Yeah, most of the time I ignore it, but it just gets a bit much sometimes.”

“Eh, don’t let a bunch of stuffy stuck-up snobs get to you,” Dash said with a shrug. “I’m probably pretty unpopular with them, too.” She chuckled, poking him in the shoulder. “Heck, you should have seen them freak out when we tagged along with Rarity to some fancy so-called party. They just can’t handle anything even remotely awesome!”

“I just thought I’d make more progress. I mean, look at Ponyville! Nopony really cared that I was a changeling after a month or two. Here, that seems like all some ponies can see.”

“Yeah, well, they don’t see as much of you as we do in Ponyville,” Dash pointed out. “I mean, you know, other than the whole invasion thing.”

“Thanks,” Sky grunted. “That’s helping.”

She waved a hoof. “Eh, you know what I mean. You guys didn’t get the best introduction, that’s all. They don’t get to see changelings going around, just being normal. We do.”

“Still, sometimes I feel like I’d rather go around looking like a pony, just so I can avoid it all for a while.”

Dash’s expression contorted for a moment, as if she just bit into something bitter. It faded away again as she looked at him. A touch of concern reached his senses, followed up by her shifting to sit on the cushion beside him. “Hey. This is really bugging you, huh?”

He was considering how to reply to that when a flash of amusement reached him, leaving Dash smirking. “Heh, bugging.”

Sky glared at her. “Seriously?” he grumbled; the grumpy reply was somewhat spoiled by the hint of a smile forcing its way into his expression, which left Rainbow snickering.

“Okay, seriously,” Dash said, doing a passable job of hiding her amusement. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t let other ponies get to you. You’re always going to have ponies that don’t like something about you, no matter how awesome you are, so you just have to keep going and show everypony else that they’re wrong.” She paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “I’m sure Twilight would come up with something sappy about being true to yourself and not changing to fit other ponies’ expectations, but… well, actually, I guess that’d probably be pretty good advice.”

She shrugged. “You just need to keep going, show everypony how awesome you can be, and how wrong those other ponies are. That’s all. Ponies just need to get to know you. You’re kind of a cool guy.”

He almost lurched when Rainbow supplemented her words by draping a wing across his back. The smile that had been fighting its way onto his face claimed more ground, even as the gesture sent his heart-rate soaring. He quickly took another long drink from his mug to distract him from the sensation of her wing resting atop his. Dash, meanwhile, didn’t seem to notice the reaction the gesture had produced.

Setting his mug down again, he gave a smirk. “I don’t think ‘being awesome’ is going to work as well for me as it does for you.”

“Trust me,” she said, grinning. “I know cool.”

An instant later her wing snapped back to her side, paired with a flash of embarrassment.

“Eh,” he replied, trying to ignore the wing’s sudden absence. “I mean, it’s not like I’m ashamed of being a changeling. Some of the things I’ve done, maybe, but that’s different. Anypony who thinks there’s something wrong with any of us just because we’re changelings, well…” He silently gestured with his hoof for a moment, trying to find the words, and eventually just blurted out, “Well, they’re just dumb!”

“There you go,” Dash said with a chuckle, thumping her mug against his before they both took another drink.

There was something satisfying about the little outburst, that tiny bit of fiery indignation. Cathartic, even. It seemed like a very Rainbow Dash sort of thing, and the thought of that brought out a bit of a thrill. When he finished his drink, he thumped the mug down a bit harder as he continued on, a little louder.

“And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with being a changeling. I like being a changeling! I mean, yeah, sure, I’ve got to spend time around friendly ponies a couple times a month or I starve. Whoop-de-doo. And yeah, my magic isn’t as versatile as a unicorn’s, and I can’t fly as well as some pegasi, but you know what? I can do both, and I can turn into whatever I want! I’m like… I’m like a mini alicorn-bug or something.”

Dash chuckled behind her mug. “I don’t know, ‘Princess Sky’ doesn’t really suit you.”

He snorted out a laugh, playfully thumping her on the shoulder before continuing. “And heck, changelings have the whole ‘exotic’ thing going for us. I mean, look at me. All sleek and smooth, with a nice glossy black shell and natural armor.” He thumped his hoof against his chest, producing a satisfyingly sharp sound before declaring, with a perfect lack of modesty, “I’m kind of awesome!”

Rainbow Dash laughed, adding, “I might even go as far as ‘pretty awesome’.”

Sky grinned, hooking a foreleg around her shoulder to give a squeeze; she stiffened slightly in response, a sense of surprise and embarrassment reaching his senses, but she hadn’t pulled away. He silently marked that down as progress. Still, something nagged at the back of his mind. “I feel like I’m forgetting something, though.”

There was a pause before Rainbow replied, sounding only slightly awkward. “Emotion sensing, maybe?” she asked; an instant later, the sense of embarrassment doubled.

He was pretty sure she was faintly blushing, but he made a point to not look, and let his leg slip from her shoulders. “Oh yeah! I keep forgetting about that. See, I’m even more awesome than I thought I was!”

Fortunately, that brought out another chuckle from Dash, much to Sky’s relief; for a moment it had seemed like he might have gone a little too far. His gaze landed on his mug, and after a moment of consideration he pushed it away. “Okay, I think that’s enough cider. I’m not even feeling buzzed and I’m already acting goofy. I don’t want to know what I’d do if I got properly drunk.”

Dash went silent with a sense of confusion, which was soon replaced by a smirk and a growing sense of amusement as she looked at him. His ears reflexively pinned back under that look. “...What?”

Her smirk grew a little more. “Big Apple cider isn’t alcoholic.”

He blinked a couple times. The silence that followed was finally broken by the sound of Sky’s head thumping down on the table, accompanied by a muffled groan and Dash’s laughter. “Man, Sky,” she said, nudging him in the side. “I know some ponies can’t handle their cider, but I’ve never seen it that bad before!”

The sense of amusement was contagious, and he soon found himself chuckling a little as well. He eventually raised his head enough to give the mug a glare, and after a couple seconds consideration, reached out for it. “Well, I guess that means I can risk a little more,” he said, sitting up a little more properly again to drain the rest of the mug.

Dash managed to control her snickering enough to get them another round of drinks, which they clunked together before sharing a drink. Sky even managed to push aside his embarrassment to just enjoy the moment. It was so much like…

It only took a couple seconds before Dash noticed his smile slipping, prompting a sigh from her. “Oh, boy. What now?”

“Sorry,” he said, ears drooping a bit. “Was just thinking…”

She nudged him. “Well? Come on, spit it out.”

He sighed, his wings fidgeting a moment before he replied. “I was just thinking how nice this is. Kind of like... well, kind of like before you found out I was a changeling.”

The first response he felt was surprise, but he was surprised himself when the emotion that followed was anger. “The hay does that have to do with anything?” she snapped back, wings loosening at her sides. “What, is this about what Chrysalis said?”

He winced a little at that, especially when a glance to the side showed that a few of the other patrons in the restaurant had looked their way, either at the raised tone of voice or the name she had just said. “No,” he said, ears pinning back. “I mean, not really. Kind of?”

To his concern, the anger was growing. “Don’t tell me you buy into her load of horseapples!” she said, eyes narrowing slightly. “You really think I care about that?”

He opened his mouth, expecting some sort of rational reply to find its way out, but nothing came.

“Seriously?” she said, and she stood to thump him squarely in the center of the chest. “You really think I’m going to care about what someone is instead of what they’re like? Come on. My best friend in flight school was a griffin, and they don’t exactly have the best reputation, either.” Her expression soured. “Though I guess she didn’t really help that in the end, did she?” She shook her head before focusing on him again. “And I know I told you about Strongheart and her tribe, right? I was taking up their side even when it looked like everything was going to end in them fighting with ponies. It didn’t matter who was what, it was about who was right. I don’t give a flying feather that you’re a changeling!” She snorted and sat back heavily. “Heck, if anything, it’s kind of cool.”

Sky wilted under the feel of her emotions, head sagging a bit. “Sorry. It’s just… well, if it isn’t that, then why have things been so different since then?”

The anger winked out in an instant, abruptly replaced by awkwardness. “Oh,” Dash said, blinking. She scratched at the back of her head with one hoof. “Well, uh… it wasn’t because you were a changeling. It...” Her wings shuffled as she struggled for words. “Well, you know, you did kind of attack Canterlot.”

Sky frowned a little. “Yeah, a couple months earlier. From what I remember, you kind of knew that.”

“Sure, but…” Her wings fidgeted again. “There’s a difference between knowing and, you know… knowing.” She quickly waved a hoof, changing course again. “And besides, there was the whole Infiltrator thing, too!”

His frown deepened. “You didn’t even know what an Infiltrator was back then. Heck, we didn’t even know for sure that I was one until a couple days ago.”

“Well I knew what a spy was!” she shot back, anger flickering to life for a moment before being snuffed out by a flash of regret. “Sorry. It’s just… well, what if you were still working with Chrysalis? What if none of it had been real, and you were trying to take advantage of… of us? And, well, seeing you without your disguise… I don’t know, it just got me thinking, you know?”

He gave a tiny nod. “I guess that makes sense, but that was a long time ago. You don’t still think that, do you?”

“No!” she replied quickly, ears drooping. “Of course not! I didn’t-I don’t… I-I mean, it just got me thinking about everything, and…”

She trailed off, looking down to the table as she struggled for words. “It just… you know…” Finally she grunted, folded her forelegs on the table, and buried her face in them. “Ugh. It was all just simpler, then.”

“Yeah,” he quietly agreed. He started to slouch, but then forced himself to sit upright again. “But you know, I’m not about to back down from something just because it’s hard. Especially not when it’s hard.” He reached out and nudged Rainbow Dash in the side. “And I don’t think you’re the type to do so, either.”

Dash looked up, and though her voice was quiet, there was a hardness in her eyes. “I haven’t backed down from a challenge in my life.”

He couldn’t help smiling at that. “That’s one of the things I like about you.”

That comment brought out a small smile from Dash as well, until a wary look crossed her face. “You aren’t going to make this all weird and sappy, are you?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Nah, I don’t care so much for all that.”

“Okay,” Dash said with a nod, pushing herself upright again. “Good. ‘Cause all that mushy romance stuff is really Rarity’s thing, not mine.”

“No mushy stuff,” he said, even as the word ‘romance’ sent a thrill through him, a hint of adrenaline teasing at his nerves. He picked up his mug, holding it out as if offering a toast. “Just us, hanging out and being awesome together.”

Dash picked up her own mug as well, though she paused as a hint of a smirk started to form. “Okay, points for the use of ‘awesome’, but that’s maybe the tiniest bit sappy.”

He snorted out a soft laugh. “Oh, shut up and drink, fuzz-butt.”

Dash’s smirk turned into a grin as she finally thumped her mug against his. “You’re on, bug-breath.”

They shared a long drink, and as soon as the mugs came down again, Sky slipped his foreleg around Rainbow Dash’s shoulder again. This time, there was no surprise, just a slight self-conscious embarrassment and uncertainty.

A moment later, he felt her wing rest gently against his back.

He quickly took another drink to stave off what he was sure would be a completely goofy grin, but he hardly noticed the taste of the cider. His attention was firmly focused on the friendly affection he could sense from her. It didn’t really feel any different than before, but he savored it all the same.

It was some moments later when he noticed the rising tension in her body. For an instant he worried that it was because of him, but the emotions he could sense coming his way hadn’t changed. He glanced over to her and saw her ears folded back, her jaw tight.

“I swear,” she said in a low growl, “if that stallion keeps staring at us, I’m going to go over there and buck his face in.”

She glanced to the side, and he followed her gaze to find a light-gray earth pony sitting alone, across another table. His expression was hard and almost unreadable, but Sky could sense disapproval and mild disgust. He didn’t so much as blink when Sky looked over, continuing to stare.

Dash lasted only a couple more seconds before her wing snapped back to her side and she called out, “Hey, you! You got a problem?”

The stallion replied simply. “Yes.”

Dash seemed frozen in place, her eyes wide. It lasted only an instant before she shot out from under Sky’s foreleg in a flurry of wings, flying straight up to the stallion’s table. “You should mind your own business, pal!”

“I am,” the stallion replied, a smile forming.

Sky had lept up after Rainbow, and landed beside her. “Come on, Dash, let’s just go.”

“No way,” she replied, swiping a hoof in his direction before glaring at the stallion again. “Somepony needs to teach this creep some manners!”

“You should listen to your coltfriend,” the stallion said.

Dash looked livid. “What’s your problem, anyway? she growled. “You got a problem with changelings and ponies being friends?”

“Maybe,” he replied, looking to Sky.

Something about the look and emotions felt subtly off to Sky. It wasn’t wrong, exactly, but it seemed incomplete. The more he focused on them, the more off they felt. If he had to describe it in words, he’d have to say they felt shallow, hollow even. It was as if they weren’t true.

A nervous tension passed through him at the thought. An instant later, he felt a faint waver in the stallion’s emotions; a subtle bit of alarm and irritation, but there was something more that he couldn’t quite sniff out.

“Dash…”

She didn’t seem to hear him. When the stallion had looked to Sky, she had shifted to the side, getting between them. “Hey! You got a problem with him, you’re going to have to deal with me, first!”

He almost had a grasp on whatever emotion was dangling at the edge of his senses when the sense of disapproval and disgust vanished. An instant later, the stallion’s expression went neutral, any any sense of the remaining emotions vanished, blocked off.

Sky quickly stepped up, putting a hoof on Dash’s side. “Dash, he’s--”

The false pony’s eyes flashed green, magical fire dancing across his forehead as his hooves struck the underside of the table, flipping it up in their faces. A flash of green lit up the wall behind the table, launching it at them like a missile.

Rainbow’s reactions were just a split second faster than his own; she immediately lunged to the side, throwing her shoulder into Sky. Even that wasn’t quick enough to avoid the wooden projectile. The table slammed into the pair of them, with Rainbow taking the brunt of it. They tumbled back, crashing into their own table and sending their drinks flying.

The impact didn’t slow her down any. The instant their tumble slowed, she sprang up, wings lifting her into the air. Sky came out of the roll on his hooves, wings snapping up.

Where the stallion had been sitting was now vacant but for the receding upper edge of a sphere of green magic. An instant later, all that remained were a few licks of flame.

That, and a few dozen screaming ponies making a stampede for the exit.

Dash’s hooves slammed down on the ground right where the fire portal had been, almost as if she expected to follow. Her head darted back and forth for a moment before turning back and shouting over the sounds of panic. “Sky, you okay?”

“I’m armored, remember?” He trotted up beside her, movements sharp and twitchy with adrenaline. “You’re not. You okay?”

“I’m good,” she replied, looking back to where they had landed. The table-turned-projectile was smouldering, with a broad, circular scorch mark where the other changeling’s bolt of magic had struck it. Her expression turned to a grimace. “If we find that guy again, I’m going to pound his face flat.”

Sky looked around quickly at the rapidly emptying room. “We need to contact the Guard,” he said, but Dash snorted angrily.

“We can take this creep!” She said, springing into the air again. “Come on, let’s go! Your fire-warp-thingy has limited range, so he can’t have gotten far!”

She started to dart toward the nearest window, but Sky lept up in front of her. “Dash, we only knew he was there because he drew attention to himself. He’s already in a new disguise by now, and if he wanted to attack us, we wouldn’t know it until it happened. We need to contact the Guard! At the very least, we need to let Subtle know what happened. She might be able to figure something out from this. He wouldn’t have shown himself if it wasn’t for a purpose.”

Rainbow wavered, looking between him and the window. “You sure about that?”

“I can’t think of many reasons one of Chrysalis’s Infiltrators would approach us like that,” he replied. “And I can’t think of any that are good.”

Still, Rainbow hesitated. “...Okay, what’s the worst case we’re talking about?”

Sky’s expression hardened. “Worst case is one of us gets a bolt of magic through the back from some random Canterlot unicorn.”

Even he was surprised at how cold and blunt that had come out. “Though… I don’t think that’s likely,” he clarified, ears drooping a bit.

Rainbow had blanched at what he said, and now looked around the room; no ponies were visible, save for a couple curious faces peeking in one of the windows. “Yeah… yeah, okay, let’s go find some guards.”

Several shouts sounded outside, and seconds later a dozen armored ponies poured into the room.

“Well that was easy,” Dash said with a nervous chuckle as the Guard closed in.

Nictis rested a green foreleg on the windowsill as he looked down the street below. The small hotel room gave a good view of the fortified wall surrounding the Guard barracks and parade grounds. The main gate was just a block away. The ceremony wasn’t for a couple hours yet, but already a sizeable crowd had gathered. A few ponies had brought signs, though currently most of them were set against the wall for later, and a small, makeshift stage had been setup. A pony stood atop it, gesturing as he spoke out across the crowd, though he was too distant for Nictis to understand what he was saying.

Subtle’s voice came from behind, where she sat neatly on a cushion, sipping from a cup of tea. “So, Jade Dancer, what do you think?”

Nictis snorted softly at the assumed name. “I think it’s a bad sign that there is already such a crowd. At least I won’t stand out.” With so many ponies, a single earth pony mare wouldn’t draw any attention.

“Some of the complaints have resonated with various parts of the populace,” Subtle said. “It’s easy to exploit ponies’ fears, and some have made quite the career of it.” She set her cup down. “With Chrysalis in town, changelings have been on everypony’s minds, and ponies have been worrying.”

“She does have that effect,” Nictis dryly noted. He eyed the gathering again, watching the speaker gesticulating. “This seems fairly well-organized. Do you know who that stallion is? The brown earth pony on the stage that’s speaking right now?”

Subtle approached the window, though she made a point of standing beside it where she couldn’t be seen; it wouldn’t do his masquerade any favors if any hidden changelings saw him with Equestria’s self-proclaimed spymaster. “Ah, yes, the chief organizer of this protest, and many others like it. The Guard has had quite a few run-ins with Rabble Rouser in the past, so we’ve got quite a bit of information on him.”

She set a thick folder on the table beside him, but he didn’t look at it. Instead, he was giving a tired look to Subtle, who simply smiled and shrugged. “He comes from a very interesting family.”

He sighed and shook his head, finally looking down as he flipped open the folder. He immediately frowned when presented with several pictures, including one of a crossed torch and pitchfork. “Is that seriously his cutie mark?”

“He claims a talent for nocturnal farming,” Subtle replied. “Though, so far as we can find, nopony has ever seen him anywhere in the vicinity of a farm, much less having ever worked on one.”

Nictis started to open his mouth to reply, but forced himself to stop, and just sighed instead. “Yeah, sure, why not?” he grumbled, shaking his head as he started to flip through the records. None of it seemed terribly useful. There was little in the way of personal information. He was single, practically estranged from his family, and had only a thin smattering of casual friends. His job history was completely scattershot, with brief employments that all ended with him quitting to find something more suiting. It seemed he had recently found that, as a writer for some small-time publication called “The Horse’s Mouth”. Some helpful individual had scrawled a note in the margin, colorfully labelling it a “crackpot lunatic conspiracy-theorist tabloid rag.”

Most of the documents simply recorded various run-ins with the Guard and a history of complaints and protests against all variety of subjects, with no apparent rhyme or reason. Objections to grain subsidies followed numerous complaints about spring-time rain schedules, which followed a protest over the name and status of the Crystal Empire as a part of Equestria. “I’m not seeing any obvious pattern, here.”

“There isn’t one,” she said with a shrug.

“Great.” He flipped the folder shut and turned to look out the window again. “It would be easier if there was some moral reason for his actions, but this sounds more like he’s in it for attention.”

Subtle nodded. “That’s been our impression as well. He’s something of an opportunist.” She held up a hoof as she quickly added, “But that isn’t to say his arguments are poorly formed. Several times some expert in whatever topic he’s complaining on will try to confront him, but it almost always goes poorly. They may have more technical knowledge or in-depth experience, but he knows how to turn an argument.”

Nictis grunted.

“Actually, in a way, he’s probably the closest I’ve seen to a pony Infiltrator,” Subtle said as she turned and sat back against the wall beside him. “In a social-interaction sense, at least. He changes positions like the upper crust change hats, but when he takes up an argument, he pursues it like he’s held it his whole life.” She gave a short laugh. “While he might not take it quite so literally as you changelings do, he does thrive on the attention it gets him.”

“Which means he’s going to continue on with the protest regardless of what we say,” Nictis concluded. “It’s not about being right or wrong, it’s just about attention.”

“Yep,” Subtle said. “But in the end, he’s not really important to today, apart from being a focal point. If we’re correct, and the changelings are trying to agitate things, I would think it’s unlikely he would have been replaced. How about you?”

“No point,” he replied. “He’s doing exactly what they would want to achieve that goal, and impersonation always carries an increased risk of discovery. I don’t see it happening, not when they could impersonate much less-visible ponies and influence him that way.”

“Exactly what I thought,” Subtle replied. “Sadly, the same goes for the other ponies who helped organize the protest. They seem to be driven more by conviction, each having voiced concerns about changelings in the past, even if some have grown more pronounced as of late.”

“Which means we have no real leads.”

“Nope,” Subtle said, smiling at him. “Which is why we’ve got our own changeling Infiltrator here to sniff them out.”

“Don’t get your hopes up too much,” he replied. “Infiltrators are well-practiced at hiding their intentions. Even if there are changelings out there, I may not be able to find them.”

“No, but you still might,” Subtle said. “We’ve got several ponies working on other leads, and every little bit helps. Don’t worry.”

She stood again. “Though on that note, I should go. I was halfway through a small mountain of financial records, and I still need to check up on last night’s burglary.”

“Burglary?” Nictis asked, ears perking up.

“Yep. There was a mysterious theft overnight at the House of Enchanted Comics that bears a striking resemblance to a series of burglaries in Manehattan about half a decade ago.” She turned a smile back to him. “Though since you don’t seem to be the comic book type, I guess I’ll have to work a little harder to find whoever is responsible.”

Nictis’s ears drooped again. “Oh. Um… good luck.

“Thanks. You know where Feather Strike’s team is stationed, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” she said with a nod as she walked to the door. “Good luck out there, and I’ll see you when it’s over.”

He nodded as well, and turned back to the window. After a minute of looking out over the street below, he took up the small saddlebags he’d been given and walked out as well.

While Subtle likely had exited out the back of the hotel to avoid being seen, he had no such concerns as he walked out the front. After all, Jade Dancer was a tourist visiting the city, and the hotel was where she was staying. Now, she was stepping out to see what the gathering crowd outside her window was all about.

Nictis made sure to give every impression that the green mare was simply curious about the odd gathering. His ears perked up, eyes darting about as he approached. His movements were smooth, slowing as he got closer to the bulk of the crowd, giving the slightest suggestion of reserved curiosity. He even thought back to his own first visit to Canterlot, recalling the sense of awe and excitement and holding it in his mind.

As he approached, he could finally start to make out what the stallion on stage was saying.

“--not just about trust, but commitment!” he called out to the crowd. “The Royal Guard needs commitment. They are the ponies we rely on for safety and security, and they need ponies who will stand strong in the face of adversity and hardship. The worst thing that could happen to the Guard is for them to be filled with members who will simply give up and leave when the pressure is on, to let down all of Equestria for their own safety and comfort.”

There were murmurs from the crowd as Nictis made his way deeper. The ponies around the edge were somewhat spaced out and mostly looked as curious as Nictis looked. Those closer in appeared more aligned with Rabble Rouser’s message, listening with rapt attention.

“But now, now they’ve got a recruit who’s done just that.” Rabble gestured to the gate as he called out. “The reason that changeling is even in Equestria is the same reason given by so many other changelings: because they were unhappy with their lives back home, because their duties there were hard. He’s abandoned his home and his people when he found his duty to them to be too much, and now he asks us to entrust him with an even more important position here! How can we put so much trust in a changeling that’s already proven he’ll abandon his duties when something better comes along?”

Rabble raised a hoof to gesture to the crowd, prompting several of the ponies there to call out in agreement. Nictis slipped in among them, still several pony-lengths from the stage.

“It may not take very long, either,” Rabble continued. “Right now, their queen is in talks with our princesses, receiving pledges of aid and development for her hive in exchange for halting her attacks on the ponies of Equestria. How long will it take until he sees the improvements made there, improvements that we are paying for, and decides he’d rather return to his home and family instead of remaining in service to some foreign ruler?”

Nictis carefully maintained his expression, keeping his surprise buried. That shouldn’t be common knowledge, he thought. Chrysalis hadn’t stated an intent to accept such a deal until just a couple hours ago, and hardly anypony would even know that Celestia had offered aid. How could he have heard of that?

Of course, the implications were clear enough: if no pony had told him, some changeling may have.

“By allowing him to become a part of a trusted and vital part of Equestria, we are inviting treachery in the place we can least afford it. And this, this assumes that this changeling--a member of a species and culture that reveres deception--is being honest! As if their evil queen hasn’t thought of slipping in one of her spies under the guise of a ‘peaceful’ changeling! A single changeling brought down all of Canterlot’s defenses! What do you think she’ll do now, when given such a golden opportunity? Even if this changeling isn’t a spy, how long do you think it’ll be until she sends one who is?”

All around Nictis, ponies were murmuring. Even after a year had passed, none were going to forget the invasion of their own city. A few even called out their agreement, sending a few more murmurs through the crowd.

“It’s not a question of ‘if,’ but ‘when.’ The queen may be here, making offers of peace, but her every action shows that she has no peaceful intentions! She’ll use any peace to keep herself safe while she infiltrates Equestria with her spies.” He reared up, a hoof pointing toward the castle. “Even now, while she talks of peace with our princesses, she has agents moving to strike us in the back! They’ve broken into homes, but they haven’t stopped there. Ponies have been attacked, right under the nose of the Guard! Some ponies have even been whisked away to the castle in an attempt to protect them!”

Nictis resisted the urge to bristle at this stallion using what happened to Spark in such a way, but only just.

Rabble returned to all four hooves, sweeping his gaze over the crowd. “Already, we have changeling spies roaming free in our fine city, acting with impunity. The Guard has launched a massive campaign. They’ve mobilizing their full force, raided suspected hideouts, questioned random citizens, and chased suspected spies through the streets. And what have they gotten for their effort?”

He stomped his hoof. “One changeling. After all their efforts, after encountering multiple known changeling spies, they’ve managed to capture only a single one of them. Already, the Guard is struggling and failing to keep ponies safe from the changeling queen’s spies. How much worse will it be when the Guard itself is infiltrated by the spies they’re struggling to find? Spies that they naively welcome in with open hooves.

“Make no mistake, if we allow changelings of unproven loyalty to join the Royal Guard, Queen Chrysalis will take advantage of the opportunity to strike us where we are most vulnerable. And from there, where does it go? Do we allow her spies to control our businesses? To run our cities? To whisper in the ears of the princesses themselves?”

The crowd called out again, its voice growing more unified. Some looked around at the crowd, expressions ranging from concern and doubt to grim satisfaction; some of the latter might be changelings, or they might just be ponies who agreed with Rabble, happy to see they weren’t alone. He made a note of them, just in case.

Sadly, as an anonymous member of the crowd, none of the emotions were directed at him, and what little he could sense beyond that largely melded into the rest of the crowd; his sense was all but useless.

Rabble Rouser stepped up to the edge of the stage, one leg raised dramatically. “The fact is, if this happens, we are inviting our own ruin. We are giving Queen Chrysalis the opportunity to sink her fangs into the neck of our great nation, an opportunity she can not possibly pass up. For the good of Equestria, and of ponies everywhere, we can not allow this to pass!”

He finished his statement with a stomp of his hoof, and the crowd cheered out again. A few ponies at the edges of the crowd slipped away, but most seemed to be held in rapt attention. Rabble Rouser stood silently, his face grim, but his perked ears and proud bearing showing his satisfaction.

As the calls of the crowd died down, his ears swivelled to the sound of a voice calling. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear that over the crowd,” he said, giving a small but friendly smile. “Could you speak up?”

The crowd quieted as a white unicorn took a hesitant half-step forward. “I was asking… well, what about the changelings who aren’t spies?”

He was starting to say more, but Rabble spoke first. “I’m not going to take some speciesist position that changelings need to be banned from society or anything like that, but we can’t be so naive as to assume that their queen won’t take advantage of our acceptance. If these changelings want us to trust them, they need to spend the time and effort to prove that they’re trustworthy, and that won’t come quick or easy.”

Rabble looked back out over the crowd. “You know, there’s one thing every changeling that’s come to Equestria has talked about, and that’s how important duty is to a changeling. According to them, duty is everything. It’s their reason for existing. It’s what gives them meaning. It’s the most important aspect of their entire culture. So what’s more likely? That every single one of the changelings that have come to Equestria have shunned the duty that they describe as the most important aspect of their lives? Or that some of them have held true to their culture of lies and deception, and are secretly still following their duty to their evil queen?”

The crowd called out again, almost as loud as before. Still, there was little he could discern about the individual ponies. A few more on the outskirts began to slip away, while it seemed a few more of the ponies were caught up with the crowd, adding their voices to the mix. He wasn’t making any progress just being an anonymous observer, but seeing the crowd’s attention shifting to the unicorn who had spoken up presented a different method.

It took only a few moments of consideration, and as the crowd quieted down again, he stepped forward and called out, “He’s right!”

A few of the closest ponies looked over at the green mare who had just called out, as did Rabble. Nictis channeled the unease he felt at what he was going to say into an apparent discomfort at being the center of attention, letting the ears of his disguise droop a bit. He did his best to ignore the near-overwhelming feeling that what he was about to say was utterly wrong. “I’ve known a changeling. They… they can’t be trusted!”

Rabble smiled a little, likely intended to be comforting, but Nictis could tell there was only a faint satisfaction behind it. “Why don’t you tell us about this changeling?”

Nictis let his ears droop a bit more, giving a nervous glance around at the crowd, whose attention had quickly shifted to him. Any one of them could be a changeling, he thought. One little mistake, and everything will be ruined. I can’t mess this up.

He clung to that thought, focusing on the nervousness it encouraged, the fear of failure. He imagined every single peering eye to be hiding the solid pale-blue of a changeling Infiltrator, a dangerous enemy, ready to pounce on even the slightest failure. They were not something for him to hunt down; they were an enemy to be feared, and every single step could be the one that undid everything he worked for. He pretended, for the moment, that he didn’t know that there was at most a handful of changelings out there, that the guard wasn’t there to provide safety if something went wrong, that failure wouldn’t result in everything going wrong.

He lied to himself, and did his best to believe.

“One of my friends, they had a coltfriend,” he said, his voice growing a bit quieter now that he was the focus of attention. “He was perfect. Handsome, strong, smart, and incredibly clever. Of course, he wasn’t really a pony.”

He had to hesitate for a moment to brace himself for what he had to say. “When my friend found out… they were devastated. This changeling even told her that he had been manipulating and using them for years.”

I did that.

“He said that my friend had been nothing but a source of food, a convenient meal and… and easy prey, because of their insecurities.”

I did that.

Nictis swallowed, his throat having grown tight. “After the changeling was uncovered, my friend found out all the things it had done. How it had sabotaged her life to leave her vulnerable, so they’d go to it for comfort. That bug practically taunted her, making sure she knew that perfect, happy relationship she thought she had was nothing but a lie, that the only one who ever wanted to be with her only wanted her for a good meal.”

I did that.

“He ruined her life.”

His watering eyes forced him to blink a few times, sending a few tears rolling down his cheeks. The sympathy from the crowd continued to grow, though it was spoiled by the occasional mixed feeling of satisfaction of the ponies whose views on changelings had just been confirmed.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Rabble said, his voice still loud enough to be heard by the crowd, but softened to convey more sympathy than he felt. “What happened to this changeling that took advantage of your friend?”

“I don’t know,” Nictis said, voice full of sorrow. He started to push back on the feelings of sorrow, to force them out, but it was a slow process. The hardest part of giving off convincing emotions was that they had to be true, to an extent; he had to truly feel what he was trying to convey, and that was a pain that was slow to fade. “He left. Maybe he’s back in their hive.” He forced a bit of firmness into his voice, his expression hardening a bit. “Maybe he found some other pony to trick and manipulate. Or maybe he’s posing as one of those ‘friendly’ changelings that we’re just trusting to suddenly be behaved. We c-can’t just trust them all.”

Part of him quailed at promoting that argument, one that flew in the face of what he had worked for all this time. He took ahold of the faint irritation and focused on it, adding a bit of fire to his words as he stepped forward and turned toward the crowd. “And that’s not all,” he called out, as he blinked the last of the tears from his eyes. “He’s right, we can’t just trust them like this. Some of them are always going to be loyal to their queen.”

Several members of the crowd called out in support, and he could feel Rabble’s satisfaction.

Nictis stomped a hoof. “There’s only one way we can ever trust them,” he said, letting his ears pin back even as he raised his head in what he hoped look like a hesitant but defiant pose. “If their ‘duty’ to their queen is going to make them see us as enemies, then we need to get rid of Chrysalis and put the whole hive under Equestrian rule!”

The crowd voiced its support again. The emotions he could feel ranged all over the place. There were some that felt uncertain or even disapproving, particularly along the edge of the crowd where a few more ponies left, only to be replaced by more curiosity seekers. Others were supportive, or happy to hear their own feelings expressed by the false mare. Some of the louder ponies even felt excited.

And one silver unicorn halfway into the crowd was suddenly very alarmed.

Gotcha.

Nictis held himself in an unsteadily proud stance. That satisfaction you’re feeling is nothing more than a distraught mare happy to have the support of the crowd, he thought, making a point to avoid looking directly at the alarmed unicorn, taking only a quick pass as he looked around at the crowd. The sweep of his gaze also caught the sight of Thunder Chaser and Feather Strike perched atop a nearby building. To most, they were just two more Royal Guard members out of the many that were stationed around Canterlot, though he knew the rest of their team would be lurking below in some alley, ready to move in if he needed them.

“Thank you,” Rabble said, stepping up to the edge of the stage. “I’m sure that was difficult for you, and I’m sorry for what happened to your friend, but I hope some good may finally come of it. Ponies need to hear about events such as these, so that we can prevent this from ever happening to another pony.”

“Th-thank you,” Nictis replied, letting the confidence he showed finally slip away, and shyly turned back to listen with the rest of the crowd.

“There are many stories like that throughout Equestria,” Rabble Rouser called out. “I’ve brought a few others to speak. Some have similar tales of betrayal. Others are experts who can tell you just how dangerous these changeling spies can be, and how they hope to exploit our sympathies to weaken us.”

Soon Rabble was introducing other ponies, though Nictis only paid half a mind to the speeches. His attention was caught up with the suspected changeling a short ways off. He made a point of never looking at the silver unicorn, keeping track of him in the periphery of his vision, or using some excuse--scratching at his ear, or accidentally bumping against a neighbor--to get a slightly more direct look. For their part, the unicorn didn’t look at him, either, though some feeling of concern lingered.

Soon Rabble Rouser gave a different pony the stage and stepped off the back, where a few other ponies converged on him. They were all smiling, no doubt offering friendly congratulations on how well the speech went. One, a dark-blue pegasus mare, even placed a hoof on his shoulder.

When Rabble turned to her, their smiles grew just the tiniest bit. It took Nictis some effort to not show his surprise. They might have been somewhat quiet about it, but there was clearly some affection between the two. He wasn’t looking so “single” after all; alarm bells were going off in Nictis’s head as he scrutinized the pegasus, but there was no sign of anything out of the ordinary.

It took a moment before he realized he’d lost track of the silver unicorn.

Nictis faked another itch, using it as an excuse to shift his gaze as he scratched it. The stealthy glance revealed nothing. He considered his options for a moment before finally discarding subtlety, raising his head to look more directly. The unicorn was gone, but a few moments later he caught sight of their hindquarters, the stallion walking quickly down the street.

Suppressing a grumble, Nictis quickly made his way through the crowd. Few of the ponies even noticed, focused more on the pony on stage.

Ahead of him, the silver unicorn had left the crowd and had picked up the pace to a casual trot.

Nictis looked directly at Thunder and Feather, not making even the slightest attempt at being subtle. Thunder’s ears immediately perked up. Nictis looked pointedly at the retreating unicorn, then back to the two pegasi. Thunder glanced to the unicorn, then back, and Nictis nodded.

Thunder nudged Feather and said a few words, and the other Guard nodded. A moment later, Thunder dropped back behind the roof, no doubt off to alert the rest of the team.

Nictis returned all of his attention to the suspected changeling, matching his pace. All the while, Nictis hoped that he wouldn’t look back; there was no hope that he wouldn’t recognize Nictis’s disguise trotting along in the same direction as him.

They’d gotten almost halfway down the street before the silver unicorn looked back, and their eyes met. Nictis didn’t even bother looking away. Instead, he stared right back as a shot of concern met his senses. There was no point in trying to disguise his action, no possible way that he could hide his presence or make it seem a natural coincidence.

Plus, there was some advantage to this “pony” being more distracted by the pony pursuing him rather than the ponies moving in ahead of him. Thunder emerged from an alley ahead of them, leading several other Guards, and they nimbly made their way through the ponies walking down the street. The moments of distraction allowed them to close most of the distance before the silver unicorn looked forward and spotted them.

“Excuse me, sir,” the lead Guard said. “We need to speak with you.”

Nictis could see the tension that went through the false unicorn’s body, the little shift to the side as he quickly evaluated his chances of fleeing. A moment later he recentered, a slightly confused smile showing on his face as he came to a halt, a friendly gesture even as a hind hoof shifted forward, legs tightening slightly; a disarming gesture of peace as he prepared to fight.

Nictis could see the Guards weren’t fooled. While their professional and calm expressions held, they weren’t going to fall for such a simple deception. Pegasi held their wings loose, unicorns tilted their horns forward a touch, and earth ponies planted their hooves, ready to spring forward.

As the silver unicorn greeted the Guard with a friendly welcome, Nictis could see the exact moment of the attack coming. He knew the Guards didn’t need his help, they could see what was coming, but a part of Nictis saw an opportunity to repair some of the damage he might have caused earlier, to send his own message.

As the silver unicorn’s horn lit in a vivid green, Nictis had already started his change. His disguise burned away, and the instant the fiery magic revealed his own curved horn, a new spell took hold. The false pony’s head was enveloped in a green aura and yanked back. Whatever spell he had been preparing was broken by the sudden force that yanked him back hard enough to lift his forelegs off the ground. An instant later a pair of stunning spells struck him in the chest, followed by an armored earth pony slamming into him and driving him into the ground.

The combinations of impacts left their target nearly senseless, but Nictis took a step forward to place a hoof on the disguised changeling’s head, his horn lit with magic and ready to disrupt any spell he might try to cast, though his lack of coordinated movement and wordless groan suggested he was no longer any threat. A few moments later one of the unicorns got a clear enough of an angle to fire off some dispelling magic, and the disguise was stripped away to reveal a changeling drone.

Nictis allowed a grim smile, and finally stepped back to make way for the rest of the Guard closing in on the fallen changeling.

Hooves struck the ground beside Nictis, followed by a shout from Feather Strike. “Stand down! He’s with us!”

His head snapped around to see the backside of Feather Strike, his wings spread protectively, and beyond that a pair of confused unicorn Guards skidding to a halt, their horns still lit with magic.

While Feather talked down the other Royal Guards, the rest of the team with him handled the captured changeling. His magic was sealed as a precaution, though it seemed likely that it was unnecessary. Since being taken down, the changeling had managed nothing more than a few groans and a weak and uncoordinated attempt to move a foreleg, the stunning spells having done their work quite well. Soon they were working out how to transport their new prisoner back to the castle.

A voice filtered out over the crowd. “And you can see now how they hide among us, telling their lies and deceiving ponies until the moment they strike from behind!”

Nictis looked back to see that Rabble Rouser had retaken the stage, a hoof pointed in Nictis’s direction as he called out to the crowd with newfound vigor. Nictis grunted and turned away, but not before casting a quick glance behind the stage and noting the absence of a certain dark-blue pegasus.

I suppose that would be too easy, he silently grumbled to himself.

As the Guards were lifting a nearly senseless changeling onto the back of one of their earth pony members, Nictis took the opportunity to fish his necklace from his saddlebags. He slipped it on, somehow feeling a little better with the tiny compass resting against his chest.

A flash of color above caught Nictis’s attention. He looked up to spot Rainbow Dash and Sky flying swiftly over the rooftops, trailed by a pair of pegasus Guards. He frowned; the last thing they needed right now was the Guards chasing yet another changeling through the city. The frown faded as he noted the armored pegasi were making no attempt to close in, instead holding formation with the two.

Rainbow Dash looked his way, then quickly prodded Sky in the side and pointed down to Nictis. The two of them turned sharply and came barreling down at him, the armored pegasi following them making the turn with slightly less precision.

It was only as they closed in that Nictis could make out their concerned and anxious expressions.

He sighed as the pair came in for a high-speed landing, quite certain that they were about to make his day a good deal more complicated.

Chapter 11: Black and Gold

Chapter 11: Black and Gold

The booming voice of Sergeant Ironshod echoed off the thick stone walls surrounding the Royal Guard barracks. The grounds were a buzz of activity. The recent mobilization saw the compound filled with members of the Guard, all busy carrying out their work, exercising, or practicing their skills. Most paid little attention to Sergeant Ironshod’s orders; his words were not for them, but for the recruits who hustled to follow his directions.

At his final command, the recruits hurried into lines before their sergeant. In moments they were in formation, golden armor gleaming in the sun. They stood tall and motionless as the sergeant slowly worked his way along the line, looking each recruit in the face as he passed. Most were white, with a fair number of grays, two browns, and a single glossy black. Chirrup stood out in the group, the only changeling in sight, but the firm and stoic expression he held was identical to that of the ponies by his side.

“Good,” Sergeant Ironshod said, stepping back to look over the whole group again. “The ceremony takes place in three hours. You have the rest of the morning to yourselves. Rest up, get your kit presentable, and assemble in two hours, thirty minutes. Don’t be late.” He let the last statement linger for a few seconds before snapping out, “Dismissed!”

There was an audible release of breath as the recruits turned and trotted to their barracks, grim expressions quickly replaced with eager grins. As they entered the barracks, the progression slowed, with many of the ponies pausing to slap each other on the back and give congratulations.

A few pegasi took to the air rather than negotiate their way through the crowd of bodies blocking the way. Chirrup, however, picked his way through the group rather than taking the quicker route. They weren’t supposed to fly in the barracks, after all. Sure, the rule was generally not enforced, but it was still a rule, and so he followed it.

Slipping past the knot of ponies, he trotted over to his bunk to start stripping off his armor, laying them out in an orderly fashion. The helm was set at one end, with the peytral, flanchard, and croupier arrayed out neatly beside it, and the sollerets lined up in front of the helm. He silently repeated the fancy names, doing his best to ignore how plain “helm” sounded among them; after making the mistake of asking one of the armorers about the subject and getting a lengthy lecture on differences between a champron, a criniere, and a combined helm, followed by that armorer getting into a heated argument with another armorer who disagreed, Chirrup had dropped the matter.

His horn lit up as he opened his personal chest, extracting a can of armor polish and a well-used cloth. Sitting on the edge of his cot, he dabbed the cloth into the polish, then set it to his golden armor, slowly working over every inch of metal.

The buzz of activity inside the barracks slowly faded as he worked, as many of the other recruits left. Several others were engaged in similar maintenance, but most had trickled out, the knot of cheerful ponies slowly dwindling. The final group finally made their way back to the exit after stripping off their own armor, when one of the pegasi, Fire Storm, called out to him.

“Hey, Chirrup!” he called out. “We’re hitting the mess before the whole ceremony kicks off. You want to come?”

He looked up, pausing to flash a smile to the stallion. “Thanks, but I’ve got to finish this up. Want to look my best and all.”

“You polish that any more, and you’re going to wear a hole clean through the plate,” Fire Storm said with a chuckle. “You’re at least coming with us tonight, right? First time we can go out on the town in months, and I’m in the mood to do some celebrating!”

“You bet!” Chirrup replied, grinning, and siphoned off just the tiniest bit of the happy energy the other recruit was offering.

Soon they had left, and Chirrup turned back to his armor. In truth, he would have loved to go with them right then, but he had a responsibility, and that came first. Right now, his responsibility was to present himself as well as possible; he was to represent not just the Royal Guard, but his fellow changelings as well.

He lifted the polishing cloth in his magic, and paused. He couldn’t resist the urge to glance around the barracks before floating the cloth over to his chest, moving it in neat circles that brought out a pleasant, glossy sheen.

Ironshod’s voice cut across the barracks. “Polish! You’ve got a visitor!”

Chirrup dropped the cloth as he looked over. The sergeant stood just inside the entrance, with another earth pony standing beside him. They may have both been of the same race, but they couldn’t be more unalike. Ironshod was a large and powerfully built pony, while the other pony was on the small and lean side. While Ironshod had the bright white coat and close-trimmed blue mane and tail that was so common among ponies who found their way into the Guard, the other had one of the darkest gray coats Chirrup had seen on a pony, with an unkempt and fiery-orange mane and tail. Where the Guard instructor stood tall, his stance sure and strong, the smaller pony seemed much more timid in his movements, and his eyes wandered around rapidly until they came across Chirrup.

Despite the timid appearance of the pony, there wasn’t any real sense of fear from him, just a feeling of anxiety.

Ironshod looked down to the other pony, said a couple quiet words before gesturing to Chirrup, and then turned to leave the barracks again. The smaller pony only glanced at him for a moment before looking back to Chirrup. It was a couple seconds before he started walking, approaching the changeling recruit.

Chirrup watched the pony with growing curiosity. The pony was clearly not a member of the Guard, and didn’t look like the sort he would normally expect to be working at the castle. That meant he was probably a civilian, but he had no idea why a civilian would be there in the Guard barracks, much less why that civilian would be looking for him.

Nervousness did seep out faintly from the pony as he approached, likely not helped by Chirrup’s appearance. While Chirrup was still, in his opinion, attractively sleek and slim, he was a bit larger than average. Some ponies seemed a bit more intimidated by it. Just as annoyingly, some ponies didn’t even notice the difference.

The pony hesitated just a few steps away, turning away slightly and rubbing one foreleg against the other. The turn revealed the edge of the pony’s cutie mark, and as Chirrup saw the gears there, he realized who the pony was.

“You’re Spark Wheel, aren’t you?” Chirrup asked, ears perking up in surprise.

Spark’s ears pinned back in response, a hint of alarm meeting’s Chirrup’s senses. “You know who I am?”

“I think almost every Equestrian changeling knows who you are,” Chirrup said, which provoked yet more anxiety from the pony. “I know Nictis likes you, and since just about every changeling in Equestria knows him, we know about you, too.”

Only when he had finished did he notice just how uncomfortable Spark had become, as well as realizing why. “Oh. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Spark quickly replied, giving a shake of his head, though his discomfort held strong.

Chirrup couldn’t think of anything to say in reply, so he went with a standard fall-back. He smiled and held out his hoof. “Anyway, I’m Chirrup--er, Recruit Chirrup.” His smile faltered slightly. “Though… I guess if you’re here for me, you already knew that. Heh.”

Spark looked to his hoof for a moment before raising his own and giving a gentle shake. At least Chirrup sensed no fear from him, although the anxiety seemed slow to fade. Then Spark halted, ears perking again. “Why did that other guy call you Polish?”

“Oh, that.” Chirrup shook his head. “The Royal Guard has high standards for appearance. We’re supposed to put our best effort into making ourselves look presentable even with all the hard training. Some of the others thought it was funny when I used some armor polish on my shell, so I got a nickname.”

Spark made a faint huffing sound that might generously be interpreted as a weak chuckle, and the corner of his mouth might have twitched upward just slightly. In any case, Chirrup could feel the sense of amusement, although it was very faint. “Actually, that’s what I was doing before you showed up,” he added.

“Oh,” Spark replied, one hoof moving back in preparation to turn around. “I, uh, guess I should go and let you get back to that, then.”

“I can do this and talk at the same time,” Chirrup said as he picked up the polishing cloth again, then cocked his head curiously. “Um, actually, why did you want to talk to me?”

“One of my friends is in the Guard,” Spark said. “He mentioned to me once how you’d taught them a lot about changelings, about this… sense of duty or something. I, uh…” He rubbed at his leg again. “Well, I was hoping you could explain some things to me.”

“Of course,” Chirrup replied as he started to rub the cloth along his shoulder. “What did you want to know?”

Spark took a long, deep breath, as if to steady himself, before asking, “What was it like to leave the hive?”

The cloth halted as Chirrup blinked. “Wow. You go right for the throat, don’t you?”

“Sorry,” Spark quickly replied. “I didn’t--”

“It’s okay,” Chirrup interrupted with a wave of his hoof. “I dealt with that a long time ago.” The cloth resumed its motion as he replied, “Leaving the hive was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was all scared that I was making a mistake, and I felt bad for leaving all my hive-mates, like I was abandoning them. I still thought I was doing the right thing, but I was worried that I wasn’t, you know?”

“I guess,” Spark replied doubtfully.

“Took me a couple weeks to really settle down from that,” Chirrup said with a shrug, his attention shifting to his leg as he worked the cloth down the chitinous limb. “Sky and Nictis helped a lot.” He paused in his polishing to gesture a hoof toward Spark. “That’s where I first heard your name, too, when Nictis explained why he had stayed in Equestria. Anyway, they kind of helped me see that I really could have a place here.”

If anything, Spark looked even more uncomfortable. “So, um… what did he say about me?”

“Not much. Just that you were the reason he stayed in Equestria so long, and that he found a purpose through you. It wasn’t until later that he mentioned the bad stuff. I guess he must have been thinking about it a lot, because he seemed kinda sad most of the time.”

Spark looked at him curiously. “What kind of ‘purpose’ could I be?”

“I asked him the same thing,” Chirrup replied. “I never really thought of that kind of thing before, but I guess that’s because I didn’t have to. He had a lot of time to think on it, though. He said that we were used to having everything structured and organized. We grew up knowing that everyling had their place, an important purpose that would help the hive. Fulfilling that purpose was the way a changeling could be important. Then we end up here, and all of that is gone. It was disorienting and scary. I felt useless, and I didn’t even really get why until he explained things.

“Anyway, he went through the same thing, but I guess he had to figure it all out himself. He said you were the first pony he could connect with as something more than a source of food. He said that the longer he spent around you, the more important you became to him. He liked seeing you happy, and being able to help you. You were something he could be happy to commit himself to. Eventually he decided that his duty to you was more important than his duty to the hive, so he gave up on ever going home so that he could be with you.”

“His duty,” Spark said, slouching slightly. “So he stayed because of some sense of responsibility instead of any feelings for me?”

“Um… yes?” Chirrup paused in his polishing. “I mean, he did feel strongly about you, but it’s duty that’s supposed to guide us.” He scratched at the back of his head. “Though I guess he felt that duty to you because of how he felt about you and how you felt about him, so I guess it’s both? I don’t know, it’s weird and complicated.”

Spark nodded faintly, though he said nothing.

“Sorry, I’m not as good at explaining things as he is.” A moment later Chirrup’s ears perked up. “Actually, I remember something he told me that might help explain it. It was back when he was teaching me about ponies, since you guys are kind of… well, you’re very different from changelings. Anyway, he told me how much those marks on your flank mean.”

Spark followed Chirrup’s gesture to look at his own flank and the pair of gears emblazoned upon it.

“He said that a lot of a pony’s identity comes from their cutie mark.” A small frown crossed Chirrup’s face as he again scratched at his head. “Er, although he kind of made it sound like it was the other way around, too. I don’t know, it’s weird, but the point is, it’s important, right?”

Spark nodded, turning to look back at him.

“Right,” Chirrup said with a nod of his own. “Well, he also said that a pony’s cutie mark is a lot like a changeling’s duty, that it’s what defines us. So him leaving the hive to stay with you, it was like a pony giving up his cutie mark to be with another pony.”

Spark sat down on the bare floor, his gaze growing distant. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Chirrup said. He paused a moment as he finished one leg, moving the polishing cloth to the next. “That’s why I was so terrified coming here, at first, and I at least knew there were other changelings that I’d be helping. He didn’t even have that.”

“So…” Spark shifted his hooves. “If… if it’s such a big deal, how come so many changelings have come here?”

Chirrup shrugged. “Everyling gives a different answer. You’d have to ask them.”

“How about you?”

Chirrup looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t know, I never could really describe it very well. I mean, heck, I used to hate the changelings who left. I thought they were abandoning the hive just because they were selfish. But other changelings started whispering about it, trying to figure out what was going on. A few talked about how maybe they were right. I even started having these dreams of living a happy, easy life among ponies. Not just myself, but the whole hive. I guess… well, I figured that maybe they weren’t there just because they were selfish. Maybe it was because they wanted to lead the whole hive into something better.”

He shrugged again, returning his attention to his polishing. “Soon as I thought that, I figured I needed to join them. So I did.”

At least the sensation of doubt the statement produced was mild. “Just like that?” Spark asked.

“Well… basically, yeah. It took a few days to convince myself to actually do it, sure, but once that thought was in my head, it just didn’t want to go away. I guess it was because all I was doing there was helping to keep the hive where it already was, but if I came here, maybe I could help make it better.” He flashed a smile to Spark. “Ends up I was right, too.”

Spark was silent, though at least the doubt faded away.

“So what else did you want to ask?” Chirrup said.

“Eh,” Spark replied with a faint shrug, his gaze distant again. “I don’t know.”

This earned a questioning look from Chirrup. “I kind of assumed that you’d have more questions, if you came looking for me.”

Spark rubbed a hoof along his foreleg again. “Actually, I was kind of… sent here.”

“Sent?” Chirrup asked. “By who?”

“Princess Twilight,” he replied. When Chirrup continued to look at him for a few seconds, he continued. “She was talking with another princess, Princess Cadance, but when she saw me, they came over to talk. I guess she recognized me. She seems nice. Talked with me, even though she’s a princess. She even complimented me on… on something I made.” An awkward smile showed for a moment before fading again. “Eventually she asked about Nictis. I… well, she told me that the best way to approach a problem is to start by gathering information, so she suggested I try to learn more about changelings and, um… him. Actually, first she suggested one of the changelings that lived with him in Ponyville, but then she said you might be a less-biased source, and I remembered what my friend had said about you, so she magicked up a scroll and quill and wrote up a letter that told the guards here to let me see you.”

Chirrup considered the words for a moment. “I guess I should take that as a compliment.”

“I guess,” Spark echoed, sounding uncertain.

“Okay,” Chirrup said. “So, you want to know more about Nictis?”

Spark nodded, and Chirrup continued. “Well, what do you want to know?”

“I… I don’t know,” Spark replied, ears drooping. “I had a bunch of questions and ideas when I was coming here, but they seem kind of silly now. Heck, I think I know the answer to most of them, anyway. I still worry about some things, but… I just don’t know.”

“Um,” Chirrup said, drawing the word out as he tried to find a reply. “So, you’re worried about him?”

“No,” Spark quickly replied, though his ears drooped as he said it. “I mean, it’s not like I think he’s after me just for food. Seems like way too much effort for that. There has to be easier ways of getting food.”

Chirrup nodded. “Yeah, we’re pretty well-fed.”

“And it’s not like I’m worried it’s all just an act,” Spark said. He was no longer looking at Chirrup, instead staring off at the nearby wall. “I mean, maybe I was at first. He was quiet and sad. Kind of shy and reserved, too. It was like the exact opposite of Meadow.”

“That was his name as a pony, right?”

Spark nodded. “When I first met him… er, met him again? He seemed so different. Last night, though, we just hung out and had some fun, and… it reminded me of how he acted as Meadow.”

“Let me guess,” Chirrup said, a smile growing. “He got distracted enough that he actually let himself have some fun for a change instead of just moping around like usual?”

“I guess so,” Spark replied, ears drooping further. “But I’ve also been thinking, I have seen Meadow acting like Nictis has been. I didn’t know until a lot later that it was when he was trying to decide between going home or staying here, and… and I didn’t even know how big of a deal that was.”

Uncertain of what to say, Chirrup simply nodded.

Spark remained silent for a long time after that, though his ears slowly crept upwards. He was just staring off into space, but a quick glance showed Chirrup that his gaze was constantly shifting in tiny jumps, lost deep in thought.

Eventually Spark stood. The previous slouch and hesitation was gone. “I should go,” he said. It was a simple statement of fact, not the prior nervous shyness. His gaze refocused as he looked to Chirrup again. “Thanks.”

“Glad to help?” Chirrup replied uncertainly, which Spark answered with a smile, a nod, and a pleasant offering of appreciation. A moment later the pony turned and trotted off. Chirrup watched him go in silence, and finally shook his head and turned back to his work. He hoped that whatever the pony had gotten from the conversation was something good, but he couldn’t really dwell on it. Right now he had more important things to do.

“...So remember, everypony stand tall and strong. Today, you join the Royal Guard, so you will show the princesses that you have the discipline they expect.”

Ironshod continued to call out to the group of recruits, a few dozen strong, as they quickly donned their armor. Chirrup only barely listened, just enough to catch if Ironshod gave them any new instructions, but for the most part he was simply telling them what they should already know. Words of encouragement, most likely, for the recruits who found themselves both excited and nervous as the moment of their very public ceremony approached. Grins regularly broke the professional and stoic expressions expected of the Guard, and quite a few hooves were shaking as they worked.

Chirrup perfectly understood how they felt. Fortunately, he could keep his hooves firmly on the ground where they wouldn’t shake, using his magic to adjust his armor. He gave a few more tugs on the straps and made sure everything sat precisely where it was supposed to. After a few moments, he turned to the recruit beside him. “Hey, Guiding Light? Does my armor look right?”

The unicorn glanced up from his own armor, pausing a moment to look over Chirrup. “Yeah, looks good, Polish.” A flash of amusement followed the words. “Nice and shiny.”

Chirrup snorted. “Thanks.”

Several other recruits were having a slightly harder time of it. Fire Storm was trying to grasp the final strap in his teeth, though he only succeeded in turning himself around a few times. When he finally noticed Chirrup’s attention he flashed an awkward smile. “Hey, Chirrup. A little help here?”

“Of course,” Chirrup quickly replied, his horn lighting again to pull at the troublesome strap, and after a moment of consideration, adjusting a couple of the others as well. When he was satisfied, Fire Storm gave a couple experimental beats of his wings before nodding in approval.

“Thanks,” Fire Storm said. “Figures that the armor made for ponies with wings needs extra straps that are a pain to get to without magic. You have no idea how lucky you are to have both.”

“Now if only I could get armor designed for a changeling instead of a pony,” Chirrup replied, though he smiled as he said it. “The new helm still doesn’t fit quite right, and I’d almost want to go around shapeshifted just so I can rest my wings comfortably.”

“Feathers are better anyway,” Fire said, swatting at Chirrup’s side with a wing.

“Pfft, no way,” Chirrup replied. “All that preening? Ugh. Pegasi are high-maintenance.”

Fire Storm burst out laughing, almost dropping his helmet in the process. “Oh, yeah, that’s pretty good coming from somepony who spends half an hour each day polishing himself!”

“It’s ten minutes at most,” Chirrup countered, and when that fed the pony’s amusement--and drew a few snickers from nearby recruits--he added, “and it’s not every day, either. Besides, you spend longer drying off after a shower!”

“Eh, I can do other stuff while I dry off, but--” Fire Storm halted, amusement vanishing as he looked past Chirrup, and slightly up. “Hey, is that Rainbow Dash?”

Chirrup turned to look as well. It wasn’t hard to spot the mare in question. She was spectacularly unsubtle in appearance, and at the moment was flaring for a landing just outside the group of Guard recruits. Chirrup’s eye was immediately caught instead by Sky, who appeared to be leading the way, having landed just before she did. The pair were in turn followed by a trio of pegasus Guards. He immediately recognized Sergeant Thunder Chaser and Sergeant Feather Strike. The third he didn’t recognize immediately, though he looked familiar enough that he was certain they had met at some point.

“I guess they’re here for me,” Chirrup said. He was just turning to approach them when Fire Storm grabbed him around the barrel.

“Wait!” He said in a hushed voice. “Do you actually know Rainbow Dash? I-I mean, I know most of you changelings came through Ponyville, and I know she lives around there too, but, you know, did you actually meet her?”

Chirrup frowned as he pushed back, but Fire’s grip held tight. “Uh… a few times. She’s a friend of a friend, I guess.”

“Cool, cool,” Fire replied, nodding eagerly as a grin quickly took hold. “You think you could do me a huge favor and introduce me?”

Chirrup raised a brow questioningly. “Introduce you? Can’t you introduce yourself?”

Fire’s eyes went wide. “What? No, no, no. I can’t do that, it… it’s one of those social-custom-whatchamathingies. If I just go up to her and start talking, it weird, right? But if I get a friend to introduce me…” He grinned, nodding eagerly to Chirrup, whose expression of skepticism had grown even further.

“I’m not really a friend, just--”

“Okay, someone she knows,” Fire said. “Trust me, this is how pony stuff works, okay?”

“Okay,” Chirrup hesitantly replied, which drew a broad grin from Fire as he finally released his grasp. As they started to walk through the crowd of recruits toward the mare in question, Chirrup couldn’t help looking over at Fire Storm. “I know I might not really get all of this ‘pony stuff’ yet, but this still seems a little weird. If you haven’t met Rainbow Dash, why the interest?”

“Are you kidding?” Fire replied with an excited beat of his wings. “She’s famous! She’s probably the best flier in Equestria. She’s saved the world, like, ten times already. She’s in the Wonderbolts Academy. And the sonic rainboom! She’s the only pony who has ever done it!” He emitted a gleeful sound that Chirrup understood was only referred to as a giggle when coming from a mare. “I even heard they formed the Wonderbolt Reserves just so they could fast-track her into the Wonderbolts! Any pegasus worth their feathers would give their right wing for a chance to date her!”

“To what?”

Fire didn’t seem to hear him, a distant look in his eyes. “Do you think she’d like a stallion in uniform?”

“Uh,” was all Chirrup could reply with. He glanced over to Dash again, who was pacing behind Sky. She was tense and scowling, her eyes sweeping about, ears perked up and alert. “The armor might be a good idea,” he offered.

“Chirrup!” Sky called out and waved, just in case he had missed the only other changeling in sight. Chirrup picked up the pace to a casual trot as the slipped out of the crowd. He reflexively drew himself up and held his head high, taking to the ‘friendly guard’ act that had been drilled into them so many times; it was much like the ‘stoic guard’ act, except they were allowed to show that they actually felt emotion. He supposed that was useful when ponies couldn’t sense such things themselves.

He came to a halt just before Sky, giving a hint of a smile and a nod to the other changeling. “Counselor.”

The feelings coming from Sky flashed through surprise and confusion before striking amusement, the corner of his mouth rising slightly. “Recruit.” The amusement faded as he continued. “Sorry I haven’t been over to visit sooner. I’ve been a bit distracted with what’s been going on.”

“I understand, sir,” Chirrup replied. “I imagine you must have been busy, lately.”

“Yeah, you could say that,” Sky said with a nod, before gesturing past Chirrup. “And who is this?”

“Oh, yes,” Chirrup said as he glanced back to his fellow recruit. “This is Recruit Fire Storm. Fire Storm, this is Counselor Sky, and Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus flicked her ears at the sound of her name, but otherwise continued her pacing and scowling. “Fire here asked me to introduce him to Rainbow.”

That brought her to a halt, as well as provoking a sudden surprised and embarrassed feeling from Fire Storm. Her head snapped around, abruptly focusing her eyes on him.

Fire Storm gave a soft laugh that sounded oddly nervous. “Ah, heh, I, uh, wanted to tell you that I’m a really big fan and all…”

He trailed off to a nervous smile, while Rainbow Dash blinked, as if in surprise. Her expression softened slightly, though not quite so far as to produce a smile. “Oh. Oh, right. Yeah, uh, always cool to meet a fan and all.”

Chirrup looked back and forth between them. Despite the mare’s words, she didn’t seem particularly happy. In fact, she looked a little uneasy, or perhaps distracted. It was hard to tell when her emotions weren’t focused on him, as she seemed rather indifferent to his presence. Fire Storm, on the other hoof, was looking significantly more awkward, despite his best effort to smile. While he had previous seemed so eager to be introduced, now he seemed incapable of saying whatever he had hoped to say, instead replying with a weak, “Um, yeah,” and a nervous chuckle.

Or in other words, they were both doing strange ‘pony stuff’ that he really didn’t quite understand, no matter how much he tried to wrap his head around it. So instead, he turned to someone who might actually know, in order to make sense of it.

“Sir,” he said, looking to Sky. “May I ask a question?”

A questioning look flashed across Sky’s face before vanishing again. “Sure, go ahead.”

“What does it mean to date a pony?”

He suspected he had said something wrong when he was hit by a sudden flare of alarm from Fire Storm and a feeling of scrutiny from Rainbow Dash. Fire Storm even emitted a brief sound so much like that of a pony being choked that Chirrup looked over to make sure he wasn’t being attacked. He was not, thankfully, though his ears were pinned back and his face was flushed, and he had taken a half-step back. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was looking between Sky and Chirrup.

Then she looked to Fire Storm. For a moment she looked bewildered, her mouth opening and shutting. Then her scowl returned, fixing him with a momentary glare before turning away. “Guh. Nope, not dealing with this today,” she grumbled as she walked off, followed by some muttering about “Colts.”

Meanwhile, Fire Storm seemed to have deflated. “I, uh… I should go.” He turned and trudged back to the rest of the recruits, kicking a hoof against the ground. He too was muttering as he went, though he seemed to just be repeating the word “stupid” over and over.

Chirrup glanced back-and-forth between the retreating ponies before turning back to Sky. “I just did something wrong again, didn’t I?”

“No,” Sky replied, though after a momentary awkward look he added, “Not exactly.”

Another pause, another glance back at the other ponies. “So what just happened?”

“Um,” was all Sky replied with for a moment. “Well, I’m guessing your friend was hoping to ask Dash out, or something like that.”

“Ask her out of what?”

Sky stared at him for several long seconds, head tilted ever so slightly to the side. Oddly, a sense of amusement flowed from his escorts, and Sergeant Feather Strike was trying and failing to hide a smile. Eventually Sky spoke. “Out on a date,” he said, slowly, almost cautiously. “It’s something you do with a pony you really like.”

“Oh,” Chirrup said. “The other recruits have spoken quite a bit about things to do with ponies they like, but I never heard anything about a date before.”

Feather Strike let out a choked snort, his smile growing a bit more, while Sky felt somewhat uncomfortable. Thunder Chaser, however, had adopted the same hoof-on-snout gesture that Ironshod had on the rare occasions when one of the recruits had done something spectacularly stupid. Chirrup felt his ears pinning back at having apparently provoked that reaction from another pony. Fortunately, he sensed no irritation from the sergeant, and a moment later the pony let his hoof drop again to contribute a few words to the conversation.

“Recruit, if you are looking for social guidance, I suggest you ignore your fellow recruits and younger Guard members, and look to the more veteran members who have more experience in such things.”

“Yes, sir,” Chirrup quickly replied. Then, almost as an afterthought, he asked, “Does this mean what Fire Storm did was wrong?”

“No,” Sky said.

“Yes,” replied Thunder Chaser.

There was a momentary pause as Sky glanced back, with Thunder Chaser returning a firm look, before the other changeling spoke again.

“Not… wrong-wrong,” Sky said, “but… wrong in the sense that it was probably a bit short-sighted and impulsive, and probably not going to work in the long run.”

“And also incredibly improper,” Thunder Chaser added. “A member of the Royal Guard is expected to be professional, not flirting with civilians while on-duty.”

Sky glanced back again. “Uh, I suppose there’s that, too. But even aside from that, trying to date somepony, it takes a lot more work. I know some ponies, especially younger ponies, can be a little impulsive, but he doesn’t even know Rainbow Dash beyond reputation, I’m assuming. It’s something that…”

Sky trailed off and again glanced back before giving Chirrup a lopsided smile. “Um, actually, maybe we could talk about this later? It’s kind of a complicated subject, and I’m afraid we’ve got a very busy day ahead of us. If you’re interested, maybe I could teach you more about it, once things have settled down?”

“I’d like that,” Chirrup replied, grinning at the sudden prospect of learning advanced friendship techniques.

“Okay, good,” Sky said with a nod. “So anyway, back to why we’re here. I wanted to at least say hello and wish you luck before the ceremony. Nictis and I are going to be here to see it, and there are a few others from the Ponyville house that might be showing up, too. I’m looking forward to seeing you become a full Guard.”

“Thank you, sir,” Chirrup said, grinning even more.

Sky’s smile faded. “Though there was another reason I wanted to talk with you. I didn’t want to say anything at first, since I know how important this day is for you, but Nictis and I talked about it and agreed that you should know what’s going on.”

“Sir?”

“Some of Chrysalis’s Infiltrators have been very active today. They’ve been trying to incite unrest among the populace, and there’s the possibility some may go further. Dash and I were attacked by another changeling not too long ago. We don’t know what he was trying to accomplish, especially since the attack was… odd. Maybe it was a warning or something, but we’re a little concerned it might go further than that. You’re a bit of a popular figure, and if Chrysalis starts sending Infiltrators to attack Equestrians, you might be a target.” Sky flicked his wings, regret touching Chirrup’s senses. “I don’t want to make this more awkward for you, but you may want to keep your guard… I mean, keep an eye out, just in case.”

Chirrup was quiet a moment, until his smile returned. “Don’t worry about me, sir. I knew that joining the Guard would put me in more danger, and I’m happy to accept it. If they spend time coming after me instead of someone else, then I’ve done my job.”

There was a sense of approval from Sky’s escorts, and Chirrup held his head a little higher at the silent encouragement. Sky seemed less certain, but he nodded anyway. “Okay, then. We should probably go for now, but I’ll see you at the ceremony. And Chirrup?” Sky smiled. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir,” Chirrup replied, his grin growing wider.

As Sky stepped back to speak with Rainbow Dash, Chirrup glanced back to the ponies escorting him. It took a moment before he recognized an opportunity. He stepped forward, looking to Sergeant Feather Strike, the closest of the Guards. “Sir? May I ask a question?”

The Sergeant nodded. “Go ahead, Recruit.”

“I heard that you were in a special team that was helping to track down Infiltrators and stop--”

“Where did you hear about that?” Feather Strike cut in, with a sudden burst of concern and disapproval. Chirrup cringed and barely kept himself from stepping back.

“A couple of Guards were talking about it,” he quickly replied, “and one asked me if I knew anything about it.”

He stood stock still as Feather Strike eyed him for several long seconds before relaxing ever so slightly. “That isn’t supposed to be widespread information. Have you talked to anyone else about this?”

“No, sir.”

“Good,” Feather Strike said, relaxing just a tiny bit more. “We need every advantage we can get in dealing with these Infiltrators, and the less they know about what we’re doing, the better. I’m afraid I can’t say any more than that.”

“Oh, no, I’m not asking for that, sir,” Chirrup said quickly. “I was just hoping that, since you’re a part of the group, you might ask Captain Aegis to let me join you. As I see it, you’re the ones who are doing the most to protect the rest of Equestria from Queen Chrysalis. I want to be a part of that.”

His words were met with unease as Feather Strike glanced to the other Guards before looking back. “I’m afraid I don’t have the authority to make such decisions,” he replied.

“I know, sir,” Chirrup said. “I was just hoping you could try to convince him. I… I want to prove myself, sir. I know some ponies don’t trust me, but I want to show them that I’m just as devoted to protecting Equestria as any other member of the Guard. I want to do everything I can, and I can do a lot more to help if I’m a part of your team.”

Feather considered that a moment before slowly shaking his head. “I don’t think it’s going to happen, recruit. I was there when your name was brought up. Our team needs subtlety right now, and while it was pointed out that you can disguise yourself to look like any other member of the Guard, Captain Aegis and the princesses decided it would be better to have you in a role where you’re more visible, working alongside ponies.”

“I… I know that it’ll help other changelings, just being seen serving in the Guard, but I don’t want to just be there for show. Equestria’s the best thing that’s ever happened for us.” He straightened his posture again, retaking the strong stance that had faltered ever so slightly under Feather Strike’s attention. “I signed up for the Guard because it was the best way I could repay Equestria for everything it’s doing for us. It’s my duty to give all that I can.”

“It’s also the duty of a Guard to follow legal orders, regardless of his personal opinion on them.”

There was no anger behind Feather Strike’s words, but Chirrup’s eyes widened, ears pinning back. “Y-yes, sir! I didn’t mean to say otherwise. I’ll follow my orders, of course, sir. I just… I just wanted to see if they might be reconsidered. Not that I have any problem with the orders if they stand, sir. I just wanted to make sure it was considered.”

“It was,” Feather Strike replied, though after a moment he relaxed slightly. “I’ll pass your concerns on to Captain Aegis, but I wouldn’t expect any change.”

“Thank you, sir.”

There was another moment of considered silence before Feather Strike spoke again. “Your current orders will have you assigned to Sergeant Close Quarters’ unit, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Chirrup replied with a sharp nod.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, Captain Aegis called on his unit to support us when we needed a larger force, and he’s likely to do so again. If you’re really that eager to go up against your former hive-mates, you may get the opportunity soon enough.”

Chirrup considered that for a long moment before finally giving a nod. “That’ll do,” he said. “Thank you, sir.”

Feather nodded before turning back to Sky, and Chirrup excused himself. Within moments they were flying away, and Chirrup smiled faintly before making his way back to the rest of the Recruits.

One hoof followed another in precisely measured steps, keeping himself in time to the rhythmic beat of hooves and subtle clinking of armor echoing around him. Chirrup stared straight forward as he marched, following the recruit before him just as the next recruit in line followed him. Two by two, they emerged from the shade of the gateway, sunlight glinting off the polished armor.

He blinked as the light hit his eyes, but he kept his expression neutral, his eyes fixed straight ahead. He didn’t need to look around to know that the parade grounds were packed. The wave of emotion that washed over him as he emerged was beyond anything he had experienced before, and even in the periphery of his vision he could see that there were hundreds of ponies in attendance, possibly more. Even at a distance, the sense of emotion was tremendous, with hundreds of ponies turning their attention to him. It produced a sea of emotion, all mixed together, but if he had to pick a single feeling to describe it all, it would be curiosity.

It was perhaps a tiny bit intimidating, being under the eyes of so many ponies, but he shook the feeling off as they continued on.

They marched out into the parade grounds in two even lines, while Sergeant Ironshod marched beside the lead recruits. When they had reached the middle of the grounds, he called out; immediately, the right-hand line came to a halt, every hoof thumping the ground in unison. Chirrup’s line continued on for a few more seconds before Ironshod called out again. Chirrup came to a halt, bringing his hooves even in time with the other recruits.

Another call, and the recruits all turned, punctuated by the beat of hooves, and Chirrup’s line took a step forward to come even with the other line.

Before Chirrup stood the stands that overlooked the parade grounds. Normally used for tournaments and other such displays, they were supposedly more than large enough for any public event. A graduation ceremony, which he had been told would normally just draw relatives and certain public figures, should have had space for everypony involved, with plenty of room to spare. That day, however, the stands were packed to capacity. More ponies crowded around the sides, and some pegasi had even been allowed to move a few small clouds in to perch upon.

But all of that was in the periphery. The one part that drew Chirrup’s attention was the raised box in the center in which, along with a few other ponies and changelings, sat the four princesses of Equestria.

A sergeant stepped forward from Princess Celestia’s side; Chirrup would have expected Golden Aegis to be there, but the Captain was nowhere to be seen. A moment later the sergeant gave another sharp call. The sound of hooves striking stone and spear shafts meeting armor echoed from the ramparts and across the parade grounds as the members of the Royal Guard drew themselves to attention.

The sound of the crowd dropped away as Princess Celestia stood, her great white wings unfolding. She paused to give a smile and nod to the sergeant before stepping up to the edge of the royal box. Her sister, Princess Luna, also stepped up, though her wings remained at her side, and the pair of them looked out over the recruits arrayed before them. Then Celestia spoke.

“The Royal Guard has a long tradition,” she said, and though her voice held the same gentle tone as if she were speaking to someone standing beside her, her words carried clearly across the parade grounds. “From the very founding of Equestria, there have been those who have dedicated themselves to the protection of others. Individuals who sought out danger not for their own glory, but for the good of those around them. They came in all shapes and sizes, from great warriors of incredible skill, to common ponies, determined to do what they could.

“But despite their courage, they were still just individuals. In Equestria’s darkest times, they faced impossible challenges. It was in these times that these heroic individuals were brought together to form the first Guard. Before, they had shown courage in the face of danger and a selfless drive to help others. In those dark and trying times, they demonstrated the greatest truth of our kingdom: that we are all greater when we stand together.

“While the Guard has changed names over the many centuries, that truth has held. Many generations have passed through the ranks of the Guard over that time, all carrying on the same spirit as those founding heroes, and all carrying on the grand tradition of those who preceded them.

“It is the very first of those traditions that bring us here today, for it is one that began the very moment the first Guard was formed: the oath that marks the transition from determined citizen to member of the Guard.”

Chirrup’s heart beat faster as Princess Celestia turned and made her way down toward the parade grounds, followed by Princess Luna and the same Sergeant from before, who now carried a small box in his magic. Together they approached the recruits, heading for the end of the line off to his right. Chirrup had to force himself to keep his eyes straight forward instead of watching her. Discipline, he reminded himself.

To his right, Princess Celestia spoke to the first recruit, beginning the slow progress down the line. One by one, she spoke to each recruit, and each time, the words she spoke were different.

He fought down the urge to fidget, or to look over to watch her progress. Instead, he focused on the stands ahead of him. Hundreds of curious eyes looked back, watching the whole process. Right in the middle, sitting near the Princesses Cadance and Twilight Sparkle, were Nictis and Sky, with a few other familiar changelings and ponies sitting beside and behind them. Sky was smiling, though he occasionally glanced around anxiously or exchanged a few quick words with one of his neighbors. Most frequent of these was Nictis, who sagged in his seat, looking thoroughly exhausted.

At least it gave him something else to focus on. Even though Princess Celestia spoke only briefly with each recruit, there were still a fair number of them, and Chirrup was most of the way down the line.

Another pony had casually trotted into the raised central box, a yellow-and-purple earth pony mare. She exchanged a surprisingly informal nod with the princesses before skipping over and practically flopping herself down to sit between Sky and Nictis. She then started chatting away as if they were all best friends. He was curious just what they were saying, especially with Sky looking unusually serious.

Whatever they were saying was interrupted when the mare gestured back out toward the parade grounds, interrupting their conversation as Sky looked out to him. Chirrup realized with a lurch that Princess Celestia had just stepped up beside him.

His heart pounded as she spoke with the recruit to his side. He didn’t even hear exactly what was said. He was too focused on making sure that he stood tall and still, despite the adrenaline that was flowing through him.

Then she stood before him, towering tall and majestic, with that seemingly impossible mane flowing in a nonexistent breeze. Face to face, the strength of her emotions stood out clearly from the crowd. The sense of kindness and compassion was pure and amazing, the kind that few ponies could hope to compare to, and it made this already-spectacular creature even more impressive. He had heard ponies describe her as “radiant”, but he had decided that they didn’t know the half of it. The amount of power her emotions suggested was awe-inspiring. In any other being, they would have been terrifying, and it was perhaps a little intimidating, but there was an incredible comfort to them, as well.

The faint murmuring of the crowd, which had hung in the background since the oaths had started, quieted.

Princess Celestia smiled down at him, and spoke. “Recruit Chirrup.”

He kneeled and bowed his head, exactly as he had been instructed. He had to fight to keep his voice even. “Your Highness.”

Her voice was soft in tone, but Chirrup could feel the weight of every word. “Do you swear to uphold your duty, to serve in the protection of your fellow Equestrians, to aid the innocent, both in Equestria and beyond, and to bring honor to the Guard through your actions?”

“I do,” he replied.

“Rise.”

He did, standing at attention once again, focusing to make sure every point of his posture was perfect. Princess Celestia’s horn was lit in a pale golden glow as she floated over a star emblem from the box the Sergeant was carrying. “Then I accept and welcome you as a member of the Royal Guard, Guard Chirrup.”

She affixed the emblem to the center of his peytral. It was a small thing, but he could swear he felt the weight of it. “Thank you, Your Highness,” he said, struggling to keep from grinning. He was only mostly successful.

Princess Celestia smiled and gave a tiny nod, a flourish of happiness and other positive emotions touching his senses before she moved on to the next recruit. Having such emotions offered so freely, and to him, directly, felt even more accepting and welcoming than her words.

He refrained from drawing on any of them, of course. While he was certain there were no regulations on such matters--he had asked once, out of curiosity--it felt inappropriate for a Guard to feed upon his own princess.

After Princess Celestia came Princess Luna. She nodded to him as well, offering congratulations. The emotional energy coming from her was quite impressive as well, though also significantly different. There was still the sense of compassion, but there was also a surprising sense of happiness and even pride. There was also something else, something he couldn’t quite get a good grasp on, but it reminded him of Sky.

Then she had moved on as well. He remained, standing tall and proud. His eyes landed on Sky and Nictis, who were both smiling, as were the other changelings gathered nearby. Even the strange mare sitting with them smiled, though she looked more thoughtful than the others.

The sounds of the crowd had resumed, and he knew many of the ponies there were talking about him. Most of them had likely only came because of him, because they were curious about the changeling that wanted to be a Guard. Because they wanted to see the first changeling to join the Royal Guard. Because today was something significant, something important.

He stood there proudly, wearing the faintest of smiles on an otherwise stoic expression, and let them see.

Chapter 12: Foresight

Chapter 12: Foresight

The sound of the band still echoed from behind, muffled by the thick stone walls as Celestia led the way out from the parade grounds. Unlike most of those that attended the ceremony, who left through the main gate of the Guard compound and into the city itself, they passed through a smaller gate that lead into the castle proper.

As the sound of music faded, silence had fallen over the group. Sky glanced over to Celestia once again. She had greeted many ponies on the way out, but now she was quiet, wearing her usual serene smile. Even Twilight and Cadance said nothing, which was quite possibly the first time he had ever seen the two of them in close proximity and not talking, save for the occasional official function.

It wasn’t that there was nothing to say, of course. There were quite a few things Sky wanted to talk about, once they were at a place they could speak privately. Judging from the silence of the rest of the group--broken by the occasional cheerful humming from Subtle--the others felt the same way.

Rainbow was particularly antsy. She’d been tense and on-edge since the attack, and he knew the silence must have been wearing on her. At the moment, she stalked along beside him, wearing a tight grimace, her eyes narrowed.

Nictis trudged along on the other side of Sky, a similar expression taking hold each time he glanced toward the elder princesses. They had just entered the castle itself when Nictis turned not to Celestia, but Luna, and broke the silence that lingered over them. “Do you even sleep?”

The entire group turned to look at him. Luna’s pace slowed for just a moment, eyebrow raised questioningly, but then she smiled. “I think I should find it quite disappointing if I did not have the opportunity to wander the dreamlands myself, when my duties are fulfilled. Everypony needs dreams, young changeling.”

Nictis appeared unamused. “I know you don’t sleep at night.”

“Of course not,” Luna replied, raising her head. “It is my duty to watch over the night, and it is a duty I take most seriously. Nightmares are not the only danger that seeks to prey upon our subjects at night. It would be irresponsible of me to interrupt my vigil with sleep.”

Celestia chuckled softly, shaking her head. “It’s not quite so dramatic,” she said, smiling. “Current events aside.”

“Oh, I suppose not,” Luna said in a more conversational tone, before her head came up again. “In fact, with most of the administration handled during the day and fewer ponies around at night, things can be a little too uneventful around here at times.” She glanced back to Nictis, who was frowning as he walked. “And to answer you further, I catch naps where I can. I just had a quite refreshing nap, in fact. Perhaps you may wish to do so, yourself.”

“Too busy,” Nictis grumbled. “You’re not the only one with ‘duties’ to take care of.”

Sky winced and turned to Nictis. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

He was met with a flash of irritation. “What’s wrong is that a lack of sleep is making me irritable and impairing my self-control, leading me to an irrational resentment of somepony who seems like she should be just as tired as me, but is not.” A quick glance showed that Luna didn’t appear offended by the remark, instead wearing a surprisingly neutral expression. Sky doubted Nictis even noticed that, however, as he continued on. “And on top of that, there’s the irritation that I’ve apparently become so soft. It used to be that a few hours of sleep on a cold, bare rock was all I’d need for the day, maybe even two. Now I spend several hours sleeping in a nice plush bed, and I’m wiped out by mid-day. It’s pathetic.”

“I disagree,” Luna said with a toss of her head. “It merely shows that you have not had the need of making do with such little rest, and lacking in something that is completely unnecessary can hardly be considered pathetic.”

Nictis grumbled something incomprehensible.

Celestia chimed in as well. “You shouldn’t worry about becoming soft,” she said. “Over the last several months, you’ve helped many changelings find friendship and even love, and you’ve helped to make Equestria a safer place. I don’t see any weakness in getting a decent night’s sleep in exchange for what you’ve done, nor could anyone find fault with you taking a nap when it’s needed.”

“No,” Nictis said. “I’m not putting my own comfort ahead of something that could affect the entire nation. It’s not like I need a lot of sleep for talking.”

A smile played at Luna’s lips. “We could make it an order,” she mused out loud, though that earned a snort from Nictis.

“Oh, yes, because I’ve got such a good track record of following orders,” he grumbled. He was just opening his mouth to say more, but he never got a chance; Sky rolled his eyes, lit his horn, and touched it to the back of Nictis’s head. Whatever he had meant to say came out in a startled sound somewhere between a chirp and a squawk, as he jerked away. Sky kept the magic flowing until Nictis turned and delivered a firm punch to Sky’s shoulder--Rainbow tensed, wings rising to alert--before rubbing at the back of his head. “Dang it, Sky! You know how weird that feels!”

“Uh-huh,” Sky said with a growing smile. “Feel any better?”

Nictis glared back for a second before his head drooped again, and he reluctantly sighed, “Yes.” Sky could still sense a little irritation as the other changeling resumed walking, but there was also a sense of appreciation.

“Better than coffee,” Sky quipped, smiling smugly.

“Well, if that’s resolved,” Celestia said as she stopped at a large door, “I can tell Miss Tea has some things she wishes to discuss, and this room should give us enough privacy.”

They filed in, the accompanying guards shutting the door behind them to stand watch outside. The room itself had many cushions and couches, along with a few tables. Everyone had soon claimed comfy seats, except Subtle, who had hopped up to sit on the edge of the table. Three of the princesses sat together on a trio of cushions. Twilight instead sat with her friends, though it was a slightly smaller group than usual; Rarity was out in the city, Pinkie Pie had vanished early in the morning, and Fluttershy had quietly declined, saying she had some things she wanted to take care of. Once they had all settled in, Celestia gave Subtle a nod. “Go ahead.”

“Well, first off, I have to apologize for Golden Aegis’s absence. That was my fault. My team and I had been poring over all sorts of property records, public statements, trade histories, city records, and financial information, and I needed him to double-check my findings.”

She smiled, leaving the statement hanging there for a moment before Celestia finally indulged her. “And what exactly did you find that needed a Captain of the Royal Guard to investigate?”

“Well, somepony had to lead the raid on the safe-house we uncovered.” She happily tapped her forehooves together. “We even caught two of Chrysalis’s Infiltrators in the process!”

“Well done,” Celestia said with a nod. “I have to wonder how many more agents Chrysalis has in Canterlot. If training Infiltrators is as lengthy a process as I’ve been lead to believe, losing four of them must be quite the setback.”

“One can hope,” Subtle replied. “And I see you heard about Nictis’s success, too. I hear that was quite the show. I also hear Rabble Rouser got pretty fired up about a changeling infiltrating his rally. Or, sorry, two changelings.”

Nictis’s head snapped over to Subtle. “Speaking of which, your intelligence on him was wrong.”

Subtle blinked in surprise, her posture straightening alertly. “Really? What did you find?”

“The information you gave me listed him as being single and with no close friends,” Nictis said, “but there was a mare at his speech who appeared to be very close to him.”

Subtle frowned. “Huh. Are you… hmm.” She shook her head. “...I’m surprised we missed that. Do you have any idea who she is?”

“A disguised changeling.”

Subtle stared at him for a full two seconds before bursting out in laughter.

Nictis grimaced slightly, but said nothing. Subtle eventually reined in her laughing enough to get a few words out. “Oh, oh wow. That’s hilarious!” She wiped a hoof across her cheek. “I can’t wait to see his expression when that comes out! That’s going to be such a mess.” Her words lost any sense of amusement by the end of the sentence, though she was still fighting off the giggles even as Princess Celestia politely cleared her throat. “Ah, yes. Well, I’m afraid that’s the end of the good news. Well, mostly good news, anyway. Heh.”

Celestia nodded, giving a little sigh. “Of course. What’s the bad news?”

Sky stiffened slightly as Subtle pointed a hoof to him. “Your turn.”

“Uh, yeah,” he said, shifting his seat as he tried to relax again. “Thanks. Uh… there was another attack.”

“So I’ve heard,” Celestia replied, her voice having lost any signs of humor. A moment later her expression tightened faintly. “You were the one attacked?”

“And Rainbow Dash,” he said. “It was weird, though. He attacked us, but he didn’t really try to hurt us.”

Dash’s wings flared. “He threw a table at us!”

“Instead of using a lethal spell,” Sky countered. “And he wasn’t even trying to be subtle. It was almost like he wanted us to know he was a changeling, except he ran the moment we did. If he’d wanted to hurt us he could have jumped us at any time.”

“Hmm,” Subtle mused, tapping a hoof to her chin. “Clearly his goal wasn’t to kill or seriously injure.” She tilted her head toward Nictis. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas?”

He shook his head, but said nothing.

“Fear is a powerful motivator,” Luna said. “Perhaps he was hoping to provoke a certain response.”

“Or maybe it was a distraction?” Cadance proposed.

There was the sound of hooves from the opposite direction as Twilight stepped up to him. “If we’re going to figure out what he was trying to do, we need to know exactly what happened.”

Sky nodded. “Well, okay. Dash and I had stopped for drinks…”

He left out the details of their conversation, skipping forward to when Dash noticed the supposed pony staring at them. He described their confrontation, the increasingly odd feelings, how he realized that it was actually a changeling just a moment before his eyes flashed green and--

“Green?” Nictis and Subtle blurted out simultaneously, followed by a surprised look to each other. A moment later Subtle leaped from the table, hooves skittering on the floor for a moment before bolting for the door. “Feather! Message! Now!”

“Wha?” was all Sky managed to get out before Nictis’s hooves grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him nose-to-nose with the other changeling.

“Are you certain that their eyes flashed green?” Nictis demanded. “Absolutely certain?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Sky said, pulling back against Nictis’s grip to no effect. “Why?”

Nictis’s expression tightened with a growing sense of irritation and incredulity. “Drones have blue eyes, Sky.”

“Oh,” Sky replied. A moment later his ears dropped, eyes widening a touch. “Oh.”

Nictis had released him, his hooves suddenly busy covering his face. He made a few sputters before wildly gesturing toward Sky with his hooves, angrily blurting out, “How in the world did you ever become an Infiltrator?”

“Hey!” Sky snapped back, pulling away. “Sorry if I’ve kind of forgotten a few things since then!”

“What, you forgot what color--”

“That’s enough,” Twilight said, stepping between them. “Let’s focus. Drones don’t have green eyes, but Chrysalis does. What about the--”

The door banged open, and Subtle poked her head in. “Nictis! Changeling princesses. Green eyes?”

“Yes,” he grunted.

“Okay, good!”

The door thumped shut again, and everyone looked back to Twilight.

“...Right,” she said, nodding. “So it was either Chrysalis or one of her princesses. I suppose the most worrying would be if Chrysalis is getting around Canterlot without us knowing.”

Luna stepped up beside Twilight. “I expect that is what Miss Tea is investigating at the moment. It would explain her haste.”

Twilight nodded. “Let’s say she has that handled, then. The other possibility is that Chrysalis has one--no, at least one of her princesses in Canterlot. What does that mean for us, and what can we do about it?”

Naturally, the group’s attention turned to Nictis, who in turn stood there silently for a moment before grumbling and rolling his eyes. “Okay, okay.” He sat down again, staring at the floor between them as he thought. “Well, it’s probably not more than one. There were very few princesses in the hive, and it sounds like that hasn’t changed since I left. Back then, there was only one princess who left the hive on anything even remotely resembling a regular basis, and that was because she led and trained the Infiltrators. I assume her replacement is the one we’re dealing with, and if so, she’s probably one of the most capable Infiltrators Chrysalis has.”

He paused before adding, “Although given the competency of the Infiltrators we have seen, that’s probably not saying much.”

Sky snorted faintly, but said nothing.

Luna gave Nictis an appraising look. “You are not impressed with their ability?”

“No,” Nictis said, eyes narrowing. “Chrysalis is incompetent as an Infiltrator, judging by everything I’ve heard of her attempted invasion. Possibly incompetent in general. Most of the Infiltrators we’ve found were discovered because of mistakes they’ve made. They’re undisciplined and unskilled. Fade is the only one we found for reasons other than his own mistakes, and he’s easily the most competent Infiltrator we’ve seen. Even then, I’d only rank him around the level of the other nymphs I trained with, and the very few of them that would have become Infiltrators still had years of training ahead of them.”

He smirked distastefully. “I would have loved to see Princess Ceymi turned loose on what passes for an Infiltrator nowadays. She’d tear them apart. Then again, she wouldn’t have let things get to this state. There probably wouldn’t have even been an invasion if she was still around.”

Celestia finally looked up from her silence, looking to Nictis. “And you would still be living a life of deception and betrayal, while those changelings who now call Equestria home would still be living in a dark hole in the ground.”

Nictis winced, eyes drifting down to the floor again.

“I understand that she was something of a role model to you,” Celestia said, “but the past can not be changed.” Her tone softened as she continued. “A good teacher must also know when to learn from their own students. The old ways of infiltration are dying, as I’m sure you’ve noted yourself. Chrysalis seeks to cling to a past that she herself threw away, while you and your peers have taken what had once been seen as an apocalyptic event and turned it into an unprecedented opportunity. If Ceymi were still alive, I would hope she would be proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

Nictis didn’t reply, his expression blank as he continued to stare at nothing.

“I hate to change the subject to something even more negative,” Luna carefully said, “but I believe we may not wish to dismiss the competency of our foe so readily. Even if those we have seen are of dubious talent, it would be presumptuous to assume they are representative of their ability as a whole..”

“Of course,” Twilight groaned, a hoof moving to the bridge of her muzzle. When she got several questioning looks, she sighed, letting her hoof drop again. “The Infiltrators we’ve caught in the past are supposedly of questionable competency, which contributed to us catching them. If they were more skilled, we may not have caught them. But if we never caught them, we wouldn’t have them as a datapoint for figuring out general competency. We’ve got a self-selecting sample group of less-competent Infiltrators, but it doesn’t say anything about the overall competency of the hive’s Infiltrators as a whole. Fade is the only datapoint we have that doesn’t belong to that group, but we have no idea where he falls in the spectrum of Infiltrator competency, either.”

Nictis sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. Well, Chrysalis said Sky was one of their more experienced Infiltrators.” Sky was surprised by the feeling of awkwardness and apology that crept up in the other changeling’s feelings as Nictis glanced his way, and it was only then that he realized just how angry he was getting, himself. The realization snuffed out that anger like a candle, leaving Sky blinking, and just a little unsettled.

Why am I getting so worked up over this?

“...But,” Nictis continued, “since he doesn’t really remember much of anything from that time, it doesn’t really tell us anything about where he ranked.” He was silent for another moment before giving a little sigh, and quietly added, “Probably fairly well up there, though.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Sky muttered, though he could feel the irritation threatening to rise again.

“Anyway, this whole thing just seems like a bad idea,” Nictis said, shaking his head. “If there is a good reason for such a half-hearted attack, I can’t think of it. Maybe the changeling who did it is just a complete blithering idiot and still thinks that applying threats like that is going to work after it failed last time, but it seemed too hesitant and reluctant for that to make much sense. Unless they were somehow such an idiot that they thought it was a good idea, but still smart enough to realize it would be damaging to Chrysalis’s negotiations.”

“Such as they are,” Luna said. “She seems quite content to damage her own chances through open hostility.”

Nictis grunted. “True enough. Still, I would think even she would know better after how the last time went, and especially after your little ‘chat’ with her.”

That drew a hint of a smile from Luna.

It was Cadance who spoke next, after a few moments of quiet consideration. “What exactly were you doing before this happened?”

Sky blinked, caught off-guard by the question. “Oh, well…” He glanced over to Rainbow Dash. “We were just sitting there, having some drinks and talking.”

“Just talking?”

Sky hesitated, looking to her soft smile, then glanced once again at Rainbow Dash. “Well, we were kind of resting our wings on each other. It just seemed more comfortable and friendly…”

As he trailed off, Rainbow grumbled something and looked away, still looking as wound-up and bothered over the attack as she had earlier, though Sky thought he caught a hint of a blush. He was pretty sure he’d be doing the same if he were a pony, and was once again thankful for the different physiology. As for Cadance, her smile grew a bit brighter, though it only lasted a moment before fading again. “Is it possible this changeling doesn’t like the sight of a changeling and a pony being such close friends?”

“Of course it is,” Nictis said. “That’s pretty much the default opinion on pony-changeling relations. If you mean that as a motivation to prompt this… encounter? Maybe. It would explain a few things, like why they didn’t attack outright, and why they allowed a confrontation to develop. Still, I would expect better of a changeling princess than to let such emotions get in the way of things.” He then frowned. “Though I expected better of the changeling queen, and we saw how well expectation and reality lined up there…”

The doors opened again as Subtle entered, kicking the doors shut behind her and seizing the momentary pause in the conversation to speak up. “I just sent a messenger to have the team around Chrysalis’s chambers double-check all of their security for any possible way changelings might slip in or out. I also sent instructions that they’ll be dispelling Chrysalis and her guards any time they leave. Obviously, we know they’re changelings, but we want to make sure they’re the right changelings. I hope that wasn’t overstepping?”

That last comment was directed to Princess Celestia, who shook her head, though she remained silent. Subtle continued. “Also, Sky, Nictis? I’d like one of you to do your fire-portal trick in Chrysalis’s chambers at some point, just to make sure they haven’t done anything to obscure magical scans. It seems unlikely, but best to be thorough. They won’t appreciate you just popping in unannounced, so maybe one of you could deliver the message when it’s time for talks, and do it on the way out?”

“I’ll do it,” Nictis immediately answered. “Portaling out seems like a wonderfully curt way of ending a conversation with her.” That response drew a smile from Subtle, and Sky managed a short snort of amusement. It did sound like it could be amusing, even if it meant meeting Chrysalis face-to-face and alone.

“Good,” Subtle replied. “And that just leaves one little thing that occured to me. Nictis, what exactly does it mean when a changeling’s eyes flash like that?”

Nictis frowned, eyeing her for a moment before replying. “It could be a few different things, I suppose. It tends to happen when a changeling’s emotions spike suddenly, if they’re not careful to control it, and sometimes in response to using or preparing a significant amount of magic. And it’s occasionally used as a signal, or even a form of intimidation.”

“And how much thought would an Infiltrator give it?”

“Fairly little,” Nictis said. “It’s generally reflexive and insignificant. It might deserve a little more thought now that ponies could use it as a means of identification, but it was always avoided in general. Even when ponies didn’t know what changelings were, they still would think it was strange, and an Infiltrator doesn’t want to be strange. Strange things draw interest.”

Subtle was nodding. “So they’re likely to be conscious of the risk of being revealed,” she said, “but how likely are they to be conscious of what color they’re showing?”

Nictis frowned, but didn’t immediately answer. Subtle’s smile grew at his silence, and a moment later she stepped up to stand in the middle of the group. “Right now, knowledge is our strongest shield. They’ve just given us a very useful piece of knowledge, and better yet, there may be the possibility that they don’t even realize it. We’re likely dealing with a changeling princess, and even if she realizes what she showed us, it’s possible Chrysalis does not. At least, not yet. What we need now is a way to take advantage of this, preferably in a way that doesn’t give up that secret.”

Celestia looked up, finally speaking again. “That is easy enough,” she said, with a firmness to her voice. “We will give Chrysalis the opportunity to explain this attack. She says she is willing to work toward peace. Now she will have to prove it.”

“Would be nice,” Subtle said. “In the meantime, I’ve got some more security measures to oversee, and plenty of digging to do. We’ve already uncovered a bit of these Infiltrators’ resources here in Canterlot, and it’s likely to lead to more. If there’s a changeling princess here in Canterlot, I’d very much like to meet her.”

She nodded and turned to walk off as Nictis spoke up. “Subtle, this is still a princess we’re talking about, and likely the leader of their Infiltrators. It’s probably a bit optimistic to hope she doesn’t realize what she showed us.”

“Oh, no,” Subtle replied with a chuckle as she continued on. “That’s not the optimistic scenario.”

Nictis frowned, but said nothing. Seeing that no further answer was coming, Sky spoke up. “Then what is?”

Subtle stopped, pressing a hoof to the door as she looked back over her shoulder. “The optimistic scenario,” she said with a sharp smile, “is that she wants us to know.”

The familiar feeling of the world moving around him faded as Nictis felt the floor grow solid beneath his hooves. The last wisps of green fire flickered from existence as he checked his position. His eyes skipped over the princesses, guards, and the other ponies and changelings before finding what he was looking for; the empty cushion set right beside the area vacated for his return trip.

He promptly flopped down onto it, sighing deeply as he sunk into the plush comfort. “Well, that was immensely satisfying.”

“Your visit went well?” Luna inquired, and he vaguely waved a hoof in her direction.

“I’ve contributed my part to International Irritate Chrysalis Day,” he said, half muffled by the cushion. “Whose turn is it now? Sky’s?”

He heard the other changeling snort softly in amusement.

Subtle’s voice came from somewhere off to his side. “Well, this thing seems to be working fine,” she said, and he rolled over to see her holding a wooden frame holding three small crystals. One of the crystals was vibrating and emitting a faint purple glow until she tapped a hoof against it; he couldn’t help but notice that Princess Twilight was watching it quite intently, a small smile on her face. “Still, I should probably make myself scarce,” Subtle continued. “Just in case.”

“And just what is ‘this thing?’” Nictis asked, looking at it as best he could without committing to the effort of lifting his head from the very comfy cushion.

“Just a little thing I dug up up for communication,” she answered, her smile growing. “Nothing so fancy as what Chrysalis was doing, but it’s something simple and easy. Each of these are magically bound with another crystal. Activate one, and the other lights up like that. That one meant that the unicorns monitoring Chrysalis’s chambers detected certain kinds of magic from inside it, such as a fire-portal. So, test successful.”

She tucked it into the small saddlebags at her side. “It was an idea I’d come up with some time ago. It seemed like the perfect way for agents to send messages back and forth, even if the quality of them is generally so low that ranges are rather limited. I even came up with a whole series of codes to use with them, but we’ve never really had the opportunity--”

“Miss Tea,” Celestia gently interrupted, with a soft smile. “You should probably hurry if you don’t want to be here when Chrysalis arrives.”

“She shouldn’t have left yet,” Subtle replied with a quick glance back to her saddlebags, but then shook her head and chuckled. “Well, assuming they’re all working. Right! Story time later.” She grinned to Nictis, then gave an elaborate and exaggerated bow toward the gathered princesses. “Your Highnesses.”

She then turned and walked to the rear door of the chamber. There was a distinct bounce to her step. At least somebody is having a good day, Nictis thought.

The others talked some, but none of it registered with him. He tuned it out, just soaking in the comfort of where he lay. His rest seemed all too short, over in what could have been a moment or an hour, as his ears picked up a faint sound past the drone of conversation: the sound of hooves meeting the stone floor outside with a bit too much weight, and a bit too spaced out, to have been a normal pony.

He was just pushing himself upright as the doors swung open, allowing Chrysalis to enter. All traces of fatigue were swept away as he took on a carefully neutral mask, sitting firm and upright; he would not show her any weakness.

She spared him only a momentary glance and a fleeting sense of irritation before looking back to Celestia. The princess was standing, grim-faced, her wings raised. Princess Luna stood beside her, devoid of the amusement she had shown earlier. In fact, everyone in the room shared the same general expression of disapproval, all focused on the Chrysalis.

The queen came to a halt, frowning. “Oh, what now?”

Celestia’s spoke with an even, firm tone. “Once again, your changelings have attacked my subjects. Here you say you finally want peace, but out there your agents still work against Equestria. Explain this.”

Chrysalis’s lips curled, baring her sharp teeth. She took a moment to look around the room at the expectant and disapproving faces before focusing her gaze on Celestia again. Her eyes narrowed as she stalked forward. “And how, precisely, do you expect me to explain something I know nothing about?”

“We are not fools,” Celestia retorted, her eyes narrowing as well. “We were not so naive as to assume the few Infiltrators you called in were all you had under your command in Canterlot. We knew you had more out there. What’s more, we know you have been in contact with them.”

Chrysalis’s glare deepened as Celestia continued. “We have captured some of your Infiltrators. We don’t know how you’ve been getting messages in and out of the castle, but it’s undeniable that you have. So you will explain exactly why changelings under your direct command have carried out yet another attack on my subjects.”

Some little voice in the back of Nictis’s mind became very obsessed over the fact that Celestia had just told a blatant lie. Another little voice approvingly noted that she had told it well.

“If that’s what happened, I would like to know myself,” Chrysalis spat back. “Yes, of course I kept some Infiltrators out of your grasp. I wasn’t going to hand over all of them when I was still uncertain of this whole ‘negotiation’ nonsense, but having them attack your precious little ponies would be counterproductive. I ordered them to avoid any form of violence except in the most desperate of times, so unless you’re complaining of my subjects defending themselves against yours, they acted against my explicit orders.”

“So again you claim to be unable to control your own Infiltrators.”

Chrysalis bit back a snarl, jerking a hoof to the side to make a sweeping gesture toward Nictis, Sky, and the other changelings. “Equestria seems to have that effect on my subjects.”

Celestia stared straight into Chrysalis’s eyes. “That should tell you something,” she said, just a hint softer than her previous tone.

It was answered by a dismissive snort. Chrysalis looked away, grimacing in anger for a moment. She then glanced to Luna before focusing on Celestia again. This time, she spoke a little more levelly. “What do you want, Celestia?”

“You’ve said several times that you desire peace, but all the lies you have told have made your words meaningless. Instead, you will have to show it through your actions, and you will start by bringing in every single one of the changelings you have hidden in Canterlot.”

Chrysalis snarled, but the expression faded quickly. Still, she remained silent for several seconds before replying. “Very well. It’s not as if they’d make much difference, anyway. Will that satisfy you?”

“If you follow through, and bring in every one of your changelings here in Canterlot,” Celestia said, “it will be a start.”

Chrysalis turned away, a bit of a strut returning to her step as she walked a couple steps. She again held her head high, and a hint of a smug smile contrasted with the earlier anger. “Well, I can’t promise all of them. There are probably still a few Infiltrators operating independently in Canterlot, and there is no way of directly contacting them.”

“Then you will put in the effort to find them,” Celestia said, and Luna followed up.

“Because if we should uncover them ourselves,” Luna said, “it will look as if you were lying yet again. I would hope we need not illustrate the consequences of such an event.”

Chrysalis paused to frown at the darker alicorn, but the smug smile returned quickly. “Very well. If you want me to track them down, you’ll need to permit a few more of my changelings out to act as messengers. I think four should be able to manage, unless you could be persuaded to allow more out.”

“Four,” Celestia said, “and they will all have a full Royal Guard escort.”

“Whatever makes you feel better,” Chrysalis said with a roll of her eyes. “Now then, if that’s out of the way, I assume it’s time for more of your ‘talks?’”

Celestia’s wings settled at her side again, though she remained standing. Nictis was surprised how calm and gentle her tone was, as the words that followed could have easily been delivered as a harsh rebuke. “There is little point in continuing negotiations until we have resolved this matter, one way or the other. You may return to your chambers. The Guards outside will receive the messengers you select and see them escorted into the city. Once you have recalled all of your agents, we can discuss what comes next.”

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes slightly, a frown crossing her muzzle again. “Fine,” she replied. “But I’d rather not waste the rest of the evening just because you don’t feel like talking. I want to speak with these Infiltrators you’ve captured.”

Celestia gave a long, thoughtful look before speaking. “I think we can do that. You may speak with them, individually, but not alone. They will be returned to the hive at a later date, but for now they are prisoners, and somepony will have to accompany you.” She paused to gesture to the side. “I believe Nictis would be ideal.”

His first reaction was to grimace at the prospect of spending that much time around Chrysalis, but he managed to hide the expression before the queen had looked at him. It was only a small consolation that she looked no more thrilled at the prospect than he did. She eyed him for only a moment before turning back to Celestia. “I’m also still waiting to speak with Chirrup.”

“The graduation ceremony only recently finished,” Celestia said, shaking her head. “He will be notified of your request this evening, and I am sure you will receive your reply shortly after that.”

“Oh, of course,” Chrysalis bitterly replied. “I have to do everything immediately, or else, but go ahead and take your time with anything I ask for.”

Celestia sighed. In the moment of quiet this allowed, Princess Cadance spoke out. “Are you really trying to play the victim in all this?”

“Oh, you must be enjoying this,” Chrysalis said, sneering at Cadance. “Is that why you came here, for some pathetic sense of vengeance? Were you hoping to see me humiliated, now that you’ve got all the better princesses backing you up?”

Celestia’s wings rose again. “Chrysalis,” she warned, but Cadance waved a hoof in her direction.

“No,” she said. “It’s fine.”

Princess Cadance stood, facing Chrysalis. Nictis caught all the subtle details an untrained eye might have missed: the faint hesitation before she moved, the barely perceptible waver of her hoof, the tightness in her jaw and neck. She stepped forward, and though she barely came up to Chrysalis’s chest, she stood her ground before the smugly smiling queen. Behind her, Shining Armor remained sitting, though tensed and ready to leap to her aid.

“I have no desire to see you humiliated,” Cadance said; any hint of the casual and friendly tone of earlier was gone, though it didn’t go so far as to sound angry. “The only thing I want is to make sure you don’t hurt anypony else, ever again. I see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna giving you every opportunity to become something better, and then I see you spitting in their faces. You don’t even appreciate how lenient they’ve been. As far as I can see, Equestria would be better off with you removed from power.” A faint scowl crossed her face as she gestured toward the very quiet changelings sitting nearby. “And for that matter, so would your hive.”

Chrysalis snorted in reply. “The only reason I’m even considering this peace is for the sake of the hive.”

“Only because of what it gets you,” Cadance said, eyes narrowing. “You’re losing control, aren’t you? Your subjects are fleeing from your hive to take their chances with a nation you’ve told them is their enemy. Your grip over them is failing. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To keep more of your power from slipping through your hooves?”

“I am here for the good of the hive,” Chrysalis growled. “The traitors who fled for their own selfish desires only weaken it, and they will be dealt with in time.”

“Dealt with?” Cadance echoed, her expression tightening. “Listen to yourself! Your species lives off love, but you’re full of nothing but hatred. It’s no wonder that they’ve been leaving you when you can’t show them what they need so much.”

“We consume love, little princess. We don’t roll around in it like you ponies. I’ve kept the hive fed, despite the hardships we’ve endured.”

“Yes, you’ve kept them fed,” Cadance replied. “Barely. And that’s it. There’s more to being a good ruler than doing the bare minimum for your subjects. They’ve gotten a glimpse of how much better things could be. You could be a responsible ruler, helping your subjects to prosper. Instead, you’re content to be nothing but a petty tyrant.” Her wings spread, eyes narrowing further. “As far as I’m concerned, Equestria should do everything it can to keep you from power. If you’re so determined to be nothing but a monster, then that’s how you should be treated.”

“A monster?” Chrysalis said, though it wasn’t said with any anger. Instead, it was said with amusement, which soon turned into a giggling laugh. “That’s what changelings are, little princess. I would have thought you of all ponies would have understood that.”

“You’re the only one acting like a monster here,” Cadance shot back, again sweeping a hoof toward the nearby changelings. “You could do to learn from their example.”

“And which one would you be referring to? The one who abused orphan foals for years?” Chrysalis leaned in with a sharp-toothed grin, while several ponies--including all the other princesses--tensed. “Or do you mean the one who uncovered Canterlot’s weaknesses, planned out how to dismantle the Royal Guard, and helped to find the best time and place to replace a certain soon-to-be-wed princess?”

Beside him, Sky went rigid. Cadance did the same, eyes darting toward them before fixing her gaze on Chrysalis again. There was a distinct pause before she spoke again, quieter than before. “At least they’re trying.”

Chrysalis laughed again as she turned away. “I’m here, talking peace, aren’t I?”

Nictis snorted. Judging from the range of emotions that flashed across Cadance’s face, she had a similar opinion of the queen’s statement. “But you don’t want peace, do you?” Cadance finally said, her tone darkened. “You just want what it gets you, and as soon as you have that, you’ll just go back to your old ways.”

“Mmm,” Chrysalis hummed in amusement before looking smugly over her shoulder. “But that’s not so different from them, is it?” she asked, tilting her head toward the watching changelings. “‘Sky’ just needs to remember who he really is to turn his back on all this ridiculous sentimentality. Nictis doesn’t even need that much.”

Nictis nearly flinched when she looked straight at him, but he kept his expression fixed, meeting her smug grin with an icy calm expression. “Oh, yes,” Chrysalis said, “I see those little glares you give me. I can feel all that anger and hatred in you. I know what’s in there. It would take such a tiny push to get you to abandon this act and show them what a real monster is.”

A trembling built in his limbs, that familiar twinge of adrenaline growing despite his attempts to deny the anger. His jaw tightened, and there was a hint of a growl behind his voice. “If you really think that’s true, then you should probably stop pushing me.”

She simply grinned at him for a moment before turning the smug expression back to Cadance. “See?”

Cadance met the grin with a glare of her own, her head rising defiantly. “I see more than you do, Chrysalis. You can’t even see the difference, can you? Sure, they may be capable of doing horrible things. Many ponies are, too. The difference is that they’re seeking a way to live without hurting others, while you enjoy it.”

Unsurprisingly, that drew another soft chuckle from Chrysalis. “I’ve always thought it was important to enjoy what you do.”

Luna cut in, her voice sharp. “Then you had best find something new to enjoy, Chrysalis, for those days are at an end.”

“Oh, relax,” Chrysalis replied with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “I’m perfectly willing to give this whole peace thing a chance. If it ends up being better for my hive, then you’ll have no problems from me.”

The sharp smile she flashed at the end of the statement was less than encouraging.

“We had best not,” Luna replied, her head held high, “I need not remind you that we have alternatives.”

Any amusement vanished from Chrysalis, replaced with a dark scowl. “Not that it seems to stop you,” she noted with a soft growl.

Celestia finally spoke again. “That’s enough for now. Chrysalis?” The queen turned to face her, glaring back at Celestia’s calm but firm expression. “You may return to your chambers. A messenger will be sent for you when it’s time for those meetings you requested.”

Chrysalis replied with a derisive snort. “Don’t take too long about it,” she said as she turned and walked to the door.

“Chrysalis.” Luna’s voice cut across the distance, bringing the queen to a halt once again. The princess gave a thin smile. “We are allowing the interviews you requested as a favor to you, one we are under no obligation to fulfill. You should show some gratitude that we are allowing it.”

Chrysalis glared back at her, silent for several seconds. Eventually her lips curled back in a snarl as she growled, “Thank you.”

She then turned, threw the doors open, and stalked out.

As soon as the pair of Royal Guards had shut the door again, Cadance let out an aggravated groan, flopping down on her cushion in a rather un-princessly fashion. “I still can’t believe she can be so… so sadistic! How can anyone live off love but be so completely devoid of it?”

Shining Armor hooked a leg comfortingly around his wife, sharing a quick nuzzle.

Nictis was looking down at his hoof, willing the last faint trembles of adrenaline away while silently grumbling to himself. He hadn’t even noticed Sky had moved until he heard his voice near the young princess and her husband.

“Princess Cadance,” Sky said, his voice full of anxiety. “I-I don’t know if what she said is true, but--”

“Don’t,” Cadance replied, sharply, though her tone immediately softened. “Just… don’t listen to her. Don’t give her that. I don’t care if it’s true or not, she’s just trying to hurt us, and I’m not going to let her.”

Nictis snorted softly to himself, a feeling of irritation growing in him until he finally looked over to the oldest princess. “Do you really think this is going to work, Celestia?” he growled. “You know she’s just going to do the same thing she did before. She’ll call in a few of her Infiltrators and swear that it’s all of them, while the rest keep doing whatever it is they’ve been doing.”

“Yes,” Celestia sighed. “I know.”

“Then what’s the point of all of this?” Nictis snapped. The tremble that had started earlier had returned. “You already know she needs to be stripped of her power or she’ll just stab you in the back once she gets what she wants. What, are we just wasting our time here so you feel more justified when you do it?”

“Nictis!” Luna sharply called out, fixing him with a disapproving glare as he flinched back. “You are addressing a princess of Equestria. You have been invited to speak on these matters, but you will show some respect.”

Nictis’s mouth moved silently for a few seconds, his mind scrambled through a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions. It took far longer than he liked before finally settling on a simple reply, his voice subdued and slightly shaky. “Sorry.” His head drooped, eyes falling to the floor. His heart beat loudly in his ears.

He heard Celestia’s quiet voice. “It’s alright, Luna,” she said to her sister. This was followed by the quiet sound of shifting movement, and then the sound of metal-clad hoof-steps. Nictis looked up past the golden shoes to see Celestia standing there before him, and had to push down on the sudden tension that shot through him.

She considered him silently for a moment before speaking. “You and Chrysalis are much alike.”

His ears pinned back, while the feeling of tension made good progress towards full-on fear. “We’re nothing alike,” he insisted, a hint of indignation mixed in with the faint tremble of his voice.

Celestia shook her head. “You have your differences, yes,” she said. “But I’ve read of how you conducted yourself when you first came to Equestria,” she said, calmly. “Twilight Sparkle was thorough in her interviews and in her documentation. You lied and schemed. You manipulated ponies, preying on them. You hurt ponies, some in ways that have still not healed. On top of it all, you took pride in these things. Ponies were nothing but tools to be used for your own goals. You enjoyed your successes, and you enjoyed your dominance over your prey. You took pride in your ability to hurt those you wanted to, and you enjoyed it. You were, quite simply, a sadist.”

Her words were calm and gentle, but he found himself trembling nonetheless. He wanted to object, but even as the words came to mind, he dismissed them. He couldn’t bring himself to honestly justify those acts. Nor could he bring himself to put on an act of calm to cover up growing discomfort and guilt. Instead, he just bowed his head.

“That has changed,” Celestia said, “but it was not something that happened quickly. You lived among ponies, without any other changelings to reinforce the views of your hive, with your trained talent at understanding the mentality of others, and still it was years before you were willing to consider what was right before your eyes. If that younger you were here now, I expect his reaction would be little different from Chrysalis.”

Hesitantly, regretfully, shakily, Nictis nodded.

“Everypony has done something they regret,” Celestia said, offering a faint smile. “We make mistakes, even horrible ones, but we can move beyond these things. You are one more proof of that.”

She turned back, returning to her cushion. “I do not expect that Chrysalis could come to value friendship with ponies any more readily than you did,” she said as she sat. “While your example gives hope, I honestly don’t know if she will ever be swayed. I am not blind to her aggression, and I will not allow it to continue, but I will not simply cast her aside. There is some small hope that she might learn, but that hope can only diminish if I must strip her hive from her.

“What I do know is that this is worth trying. Both Equestria and the changeling hive will benefit from peace, but the change will surely cause disruptions in the hive. It could benefit from a strong leader, one they would recognize and follow. While we may not convince her of the value of friendship here, we may be able to convince her to engage with us through peaceful means, and that would be good enough.”

Nictis swallowed around a lump in his throat, taking a moment to prepare so that his voice wouldn’t sound strained. “What I said before still stands. She’ll just use peace as an opportunity to grow stronger, and then she’ll turn on us.”

“Oh, I’m well aware of that,” Celestia replied, a hint of a smile flickering across her features. “Her change of heart was rather transparent, and I expect that she’s already scheming at how she can turn our gifts against us. We will have to be wary, but it is a threat we know the source of. Eventually, Chrysalis will wish to strike us, but I doubt she will try anything before she is fully prepared. Her previous attempt threw the entire population of her hive against Canterlot in a surprise attack, one made by an enemy we had no understanding of and whose capabilities we did not know, and it failed. It was a narrow failure, but it was a failure nonetheless, and now her advantage is gone.

“Instead, I expect her to wait. She’ll let us help improve her infrastructure and industry. The hive is small, and I expect we can bring its standards up to something approaching Equestria’s in just a few years. After that will come a population boom. Changelings grow faster than ponies, so it wouldn’t take long for her to swell her numbers. Within twenty years, she may be able to support an army rivaling the active Royal Guard in numbers, and backed with at least some semblance of industry and a large number of spies.”

Several of those gathered in the room were looking to Celestia with expressions of concern and skepticism. Nictis was not one of those; instead, his expression simply turned thoughtful as he looked down at the floor again. The words that followed were no surprise to him.

“I have seen many times just how long twenty years can be for ponies,” Celestia said. “I imagine it is no different for changelings. In the time it takes for Chrysalis to turn our generosity into a weapon, the hive will have seen twenty years of peace, living with ponies. Twenty years of mingling, as ponies help improve their lives and bring them food. Eventually, much of the hive will have never even known a time when ponies and changelings didn’t live together.

“Chrysalis will finally have the power she wants, and she’ll be completely incapable of using it.”

A thoughtful silence followed, lasting several seconds before Luna spoke. “And if we are very fortunate, perhaps a few decades of amicable coexistence might sway Chrysalis, herself.” There was another pause, and Nictis could practically hear the smile in her voice. “I suppose I ought to deal with her somewhat more gently, in that case.”

“No,” Celestia replied. “She needs a strong hoof to restrain her from doing something more drastic, something that would bring more harm to our subjects and force us to remove her. We must make sure she knows the consequences her actions will bring, and that we are both willing and capable of dealing with her if she does not behave.”

“Mmm,” Luna mused for a moment, and when she spoke, there was a touch of amusement behind her words. “So you’re saying I was right?”

Celestia’s reply was a single soft chuckle.

Nictis finally looked back up to the princess. “I’m still worried that you’re being too optimistic.”

“Don’t be,” Subtle said from right behind him, prompting a sudden feeling of self-irritation that he allowed himself to show a flinch of surprise. She gave him a sense of amusement as she stepped up beside him, smiling. “Optimism and wariness aren’t exactly contradictory, you know. We’ll be keeping a good, close eye on Chrysalis and everything she does.” Her smile turned into a full-on grin. “And I can probably hire on a good number of changelings in that time. Maybe I can even get you to train them up!”

His response was to frown at the thought, which only seemed to amuse her more.

“We can discuss your staff at another time,” Celestia softly interjected. “For now, I’d like you to question the newest changelings you’ve captured. When you’re done with that, you can invite Chrysalis to talk with them. Perhaps we can learn something from their meeting.”

Subtle was beaming. “My thoughts exactly, princess!”

Princess Celestia nodded, returning the smile before turning to the side. “I also have an important task for you, Twilight,” she said, earning an eager smile from the younger princess.

Subtle nudged Nictis lightly. “Come on, we shouldn’t keep the princess waiting.”

Nictis grumbled, slowly pushing himself back up to his hooves and trudging alongside Subtle.

“I’ll see if we can’t get some coffee or strong tea or something,” Subtle said, still sounding far too energetic for Nictis’s tastes. “And I’m sure I’ve got some spare love if that’d do better for you.”

He frowned, looking at her with his eyes narrowed critically. “You sound way too comfortable saying that.”

“The greatest armor against fear is knowledge,” Subtle said in a serious, if slightly over-dramatic, tone. Then she shrugged, speaking normally again. “Or so Cloak would say, on the rare occasion you could actually get him to speak more than two words in a row. I don’t know if he thought that up himself or if he was quoting somepony else, but either way…”

He followed along silently for a moment before his frown finally faded. “Okay, I kind of like that one.”

“I thought you might,” Subtle replied as they reached the doors. She opened it, turning to look back at him. The sharpness had returned to her smile. “Now then, let’s get to work.”

Chapter 14: Bughunt

Chapter 14: Bughunt

Nictis silently followed alongside Chrysalis as they made their way through the grand castle halls. The queen had once again lapsed into silence, a grim frown crossing her features. The expression didn’t even change at the sight of a couple castle staff quickly vacating the hallway ahead of them. Nictis found himself uncertain whether he should be pleased that she wasn’t taking joy in their fear of her, or worried that she had something nastier in mind.

So, naturally, he worried.

He was also not the only changeling to be uncertain of the current situation. The changelings who followed behind them still held contempt for him, but after seeing their queen talking with him at such lengths, and with such an unusual lack of hostility, they seemed confused as to how much they were supposed to hate him.

They turned a corner, and the doors to the Solstice Hall came into sight. Nictis only barely caught the tightening of Chrysalis’s jaw as they approached.

The unicorns standing to either side of the door raised their heads at their approach, horns lighting up as the two great doors opened.

Whatever conversation might have been underway in the room immediately came to a halt as every eye turned to them. It was the same group as their previous meeting, minus Princess Luna, and without Fluttershy and Cara sitting off in the background. All were seated around the grand table, and they all looked on at the newcomers with varying degrees of harshness.

Nictis once again reflected on how much he hated making an entrance beside Chrysalis. It was far too easy to imagine the reaction directed toward himself.

Celestia’s gaze was not so much harsh as it was piercing. She stood, wings settled loosely at her side. “I was starting to wonder if you were coming.”

Chrysalis came to a halt, her lips curling back before forcing a more neutral expression, though her eyes were still narrowed. “I had to stop by your cozy little prison again,” she said, and Nictis noted that only the faintest hint of a growl entered her tone. “One of the changelings you’ve taken had worked alongside Princess Chittri. Your ponies didn’t want to release him into my care, so I had to take the time to question him thoroughly.”

Nictis chimed in. “When we captured one of the Infiltrators, Fade, he had been in the company of another changeling, who escaped. That other changeling was, apparently, Princess Chittri.”

Celestia nodded to him, then looked back to Chrysalis. “Do you bring us any information that may aid us in finding your wayward princess?”

“Yes,” Chrysalis answered. “But first I have something I want to say.”

“I’m listening,” Celestia said.

There was a moment of silence as Chrysalis’s jaw tightened again, but she eventually spoke again. “I understand that the behavior of my subordinate has shown poorly upon my hive and myself,” she said, and Nictis was a little surprised that she only showed the faintest grimace of distaste at the words. “I would like to… apologize for that.”

She stood there in rigid silence, while Celestia watched her.

Finally, Celestia spoke again. “Thank you.” Chrysalis’s grimace remained, but Celestia quickly continued on. “What information have you brought us?”

The tension faded from Chrysalis as she spoke. “I can provide the location of every safe haven within Canterlot, the names of the ponies that have been scrutinized for possible impersonation, and every resource we have acquired that could still be at her disposal.”

Celestia nodded, and gestured to a large cushion opposite herself. “Please, sit.”

As they both sat, Celestia spoke again. “Oh, yes. I’m afraid we’ll have to excuse Nictis.” Turning to him, she said, “It seems you have a couple guests waiting for you.”

She finished with a tilt of her head, indicating the side door.

Nictis’s ears perked up, curious and alarmed in equal measures. Despite the mystery, Celestia’s intent was clear. “I suppose I shouldn’t keep them waiting?”

She smiled and nodded, and he returned the gesture. “Princess.”

After a moment’s thought, he repeated the nod to Chrysalis, turned, and walked from the table. Opening the side door revealed a small and relatively simple hall, the kind that servants might use to go from space to space. Even as he was shutting the door behind him, he could hear a familiar voice coming from the door at the end of the hall; he hesitated a moment before continuing on.

As he neared the door, he started making out words.

“...Actually not a resin, except in the more colloquial sense. True resins are plant-derived. Technically speaking, it’s a wax. An exceptional one at that, thanks to the magical energies it’s infused with during its creation. It’s fascinating stuff, and completely outclasses other animal-secreted substances like beeswax. Changelings can build towers out of the stuff, and it’s--oh, hi Nictis!”

Nictis halted in the open doorway as his name was spoken. Subtle stood to one side, looking quite amused, but it was the other pony who had been speaking: a blue unicorn mare who beamed happily at him.

He hesitated for just a moment, a pause that was just long enough for Subtle to raise an eyebrow. “Hello, Glitterbug.”

It was no surprise to see that she was laden with a bulging pair of saddlebags, the flaps stretched tight over the tops of several books, scrolls, and other academic supplies. A worn, wheeled suitcase, with a wasp emblem across the front, lay nearby, and he had a feeling it was full of more books.

“Sorry I didn’t get here earlier,” Glitterbug said, still grinning. “It’s hard to book tickets at the last moment, but as soon as I heard about what was going on here, I had to come! What an opportunity!”

She actually giggled and clopped her hooves together, though the weight of her saddlebags caused her to stumble and almost fall, turning the last of the giggles into something rather more self-conscious.

Nictis shook himself from his hesitation and stepped forward, approaching the mares and ignoring the small collection of other ponies nearby, who seemed rather amused by their exchange. “I didn’t realize you were going to be here. As for opportunities, if you mean for studying, I’m not sure there’s much of an opportunity here.”

“Are you kidding?” Glitterbug laughed. “I get to be the first pony to make detailed scientific observations of a changeling queen’s physiology! And maybe a changeling princess’s, too!”

Nictis frowned. “I don’t think Chrysalis is going to let a pony poke and prod--” He jerked slightly as he belatedly connected what she said, his expression turning incredulous. “How do you…?” He looked to Subtle. “How does she…?”

“Because I told her,” Subtle replied with a sly smile and a clear dose of amusement.

“Miss Tea has been telling me all about what’s gone on,” Glitterbug said. “I wish I hadn’t missed so much time, I’ve got so much to catch up on!”

Nictis cocked his head to the side, looking questioningly at Subtle. “Isn’t some of this supposed to be… secret?”

“It is,” Subtle replied, still smiling. “But when Celestia was notified of her arrival, she thought it would be an excellent idea to invite her to the talks. Our understanding of changeling drones may be fairly complete, and Glitterbug’s fine work contributed greatly to that, but our understanding of the queen and princesses is rather limited. I, for one, wouldn’t mind knowing a little more.”

Nictis considered that for a moment. “That is true,” he said, though with a reluctant tone. “But as I was saying, I don’t think Chrysalis is going to let you poke and prod at her.”

“Oh, I don’t need to do a full physical inspection. I mean, it’d be neat--and if you could convince her, I’d love you forever!--but it’s not necessary. I can get basic details from sufficient observation. I’ve also finally gotten decent at that magic-ray imaging spell, so I should be able to document internal physiology in adequate detail. She can’t really object to me casting a few completely harmless spells her way, can she?”

“Yes,” Nictis flatly replied, though she didn’t seem to make note of his answer.

“I might need her to answer a few questions, too,” Glitterbug mused, then grinned again. “Oh, I can’t wait!” She turned back to Subtle. “Okay, what else do I need to know before going in? Where were we?”

“Actually,” Subtle said while holding up a hoof, “I’m afraid that I’ll have to get somepony to fill in for me. If Nictis is here, that means we need to get going. We’ve got something important coming up.” Nictis’s ears perked up at that, while Subtle looked back to the nearby group of ponies. “Quill, could you finish briefing Glitterbug?”

Returning her attention to Glitterbug, she offered her hoof, which the other mare shook. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Glitterbug,” Subtle said with a smile and a nod, which the other pony mirrored.

“And you, Miss Tea.”

Subtle then looked to Nictis and gestured to the opposite door. He nodded and followed her out.

“Quite an interesting friend you have there,” she said as soon as the door had shut.

“That is a very diplomatic way of phrasing that,” he replied, which drew a chuckle from her.

“I mean it in a good way,” Subtle said. A sly smile crept across her face. “Though she did tell me you’ve always been a little grumpy that she figured out what you were.”

Nictis just grunted, earning another chuckle from Subtle.

“Anyway,” he said, changing the subject, “you’ve obviously got something planned. What’s going on?”

She led him through a final door, entering a simple and unadorned room that was currently occupied by almost a dozen ponies. With the exception of Thunder Chaser and Feather Strike, all were unicorns, and several of them were gathered around a familiar, highly detailed map of Canterlot. A few looked up and nodded before returning to their work, while a couple were already concentrating on spells, their eyes closed and attentions distant from the world around them.

“Good news,” Subtle said, her smile growing just a little more. “You get to play pony again.”

“Oh, joy,” Nictis grumbled.

Once Nictis had left the room, Celestia’s attention returned to the queen. “So, Queen Chrysalis. Before we get further into the information you have for us, I would like to know something about the changeling we are pursuing. What can you tell us about Princess Chittri?”

Chrysalis finished shifting her position to lay comfortably on her cushion, and grimaced in disgust at the name. “You mean besides her being a treacherous and unreliable wretch?” she replied, followed by an angry snort.

“Anger will not help us find her,” Celestia calmly noted. “What we need now is--”

She was cut off by a loud groan from Chrysalis. “Oh, save the condescending lectures, princess. Of course, you’re so enlightened and divine and perfect, and we should all be just like you!” She leaned forward, baring her teeth in a sneer. “After all, I’m sure if you were betrayed by somepony close to you, you wouldn’t feel a thing, would you?”

Sky’s ears flattened back against his skull, eyes widening. The shift in Celestia’s expression was more subtle, but the hardness in her eyes and the set of her jaw were clear, and a sudden tension passed through the room. Beside him, Rainbow’s wings raised ever so slightly against his side, tense and ready for flight.

The silence lasted only a moment before Chrysalis sat back, breaking away from the exchanged glares to look over to the window. “Anyway... Princess Chittri...”

The room relaxed very slightly as she changed tack. Chrysalis frowned in silence for a couple more seconds before her lips started to curl again. “I should have seen this coming,” she muttered, turning back to Celestia. “She was always a sneaky one. I liked that about her. She was clever, calculating, and delightfully ruthless.” A hint of a smile appeared at that, but it faded quickly. “That’s why I assigned her to lead my elite troops when she matured. That’s why she seemed perfect to take charge of my Infiltrators after her predecessor disappeared before having trained a replacement. I favored her.”

Her voice turned to a growl. “I never imagined she would betray her hive and queen like this. She must have been planning this, maybe from the beginning. It was her idea to recruit new Infiltrators from the more promising changelings elsewhere in the hive, especially the Elites she had commanded. She built my Infiltrators back up from their losses.” She snorted. “And now she’s turning them against me.”

Sky noticed the faint twitch of Celestia’s ears. Whatever anger had been provoked by the queen’s earlier words had evidently faded, as she spoke quietly and calmly once again. “Your Infiltrators have turned on you?”

“Most of them remain loyal,” Chrysalis replied, wings flicking in agitation. “But some of those who accompanied her into Canterlot remain with her.”

“That would have been good to know earlier,” Celestia pointed out.

“I didn’t know, earlier!” Chrysalis snapped, then drew her head back, clearly biting back whatever she had been about to say. She finally looked away, bitterly grumbling, “I gave her goals, and she uses the Infiltrators to achieve them. I didn’t know how many Infiltrators she had brought to Canterlot.”

“I see,” Celestia said. “But you do now?”

“I may not have demanded details on everything she did,” Chrysalis said, before turning to look back to the changelings who still stood neatly behind her, “but those who remained loyal to me have informed me of what they have seen.”

Celestia nodded. “And how many of your Infiltrators remain with her?”

“From Canterlot?” Chrysalis’s jaw tightened. “Four. Elsewhere?” She shrugged, and seemed to sag slightly.

“It will be harder for four changelings to hide than just one,” Celestia noted. “Although the damage they could cause to my subjects is greater.”

“I could care less about your ponies,” Chrysalis quietly growled.

To his side, Twilight muttered something under her breath. Celestia was more clear in her response. “But you do have as much interest in catching her as we do.”

“Of course I do!” she snapped, then withdrew again, speaking in a more even but somewhat forced tone. “That’s why I’m here, princess. You wanted us to cooperate, so congratulations. You get your wish. Was it everything you hoped for?”

“We’re working toward the same goal,” Celestia patiently explained. “It would go much smoother if you didn’t insist on treating us as enemies.”

Chrysalis groaned softly, rolling her eyes. “If it’ll stop the incessant lecturing,” she muttered. Then, more clearly, she said, “Very well. What do you need, Celestia?”

“You said that you could tell us of the safe havens she has in Canterlot,” Celestia said. “That would be a good place to start.”

“Assuming she’s even in Canterlot,” Chrysalis grumbled, though she turned to look back. “Crag.”

One of the changelings stepped forward, horn lit as he levitated over a scroll. Chrysalis took it in her own magic and laid it out on the table. “There you go, princess. Every safe haven we’ve established in your precious little city. I hope you recognize how significant this is.”

Sky had to give her credit; she nearly managed to suppress the bitterness she must have felt over turning that over. Assuming, of course, that it was anywhere near complete.

“I do. Thank you,” Celestia said as she slid the scroll over to herself. Her eyes darted over it for only a moment before lifting it up to present it to Twilight as well. The two princesses looked over the document for several seconds.

“I don’t recognize any of these addresses off the top of my head,” Twilight said. “Although I suppose that--”

“That it wouldn’t be a very good hiding place if it was well known?” Chrysalis interrupted, levelling a flat glare at the young princess.

“Yeah, that,” Twilight muttered, keeping her focus squarely on the document before her. A moment later she said, “We should get some copies out to certain ponies, this could be very important information.”

“On it!” Spike said, hopping forward with a scroll and quill he had pulled from… well, actually, Sky wasn’t sure where he had been hiding them, but the resourceful young dragon always seemed to have them close at hoof. Or, claw. Whatever.

Sky’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud thump halfway around the table, and he looked up to see a very unexpected arrival: Glitterbug stood there, looking over her saddlebags, the contents of which were spilled out across the top of the table. She smiled nervously to the group of ponies and changelings looking at her, pulling the mess of books and papers into a neater stack. “Heh, sorry.”

Spotting Sky, she gave a quick wave, then pulled out one of her notebooks and a set of pencils. She didn’t seem to notice the irritated glare Chrysalis had leveled her way.

The glare only lasted a second before Chrysalis looked back to Celestia. “So there. What else do you need?”

Celestia considered the question for a moment. “You think Chittri has betrayed you. If she has, what might she try next? Where would she go, and what would she do?”

“She said she was returning to the hive,” Chrysalis said, dismissively, though she then grinned, a predatory gleam in her eyes. “I wish she would. My soldiers will be waiting for her.”

“And if she does not?” Celestia prompted.

“If she’s smart, she’ll run off to some other city or town and disappear.” Her eyes narrowed. “If she’s ambitious, she’ll stay here and try to find a way to finish things. She couldn’t make you get rid of me, so she’ll have to take matters into her own hooves.”

“How would she go about doing that?”

“How would I know?” Chrysalis replied. “She’s clever, I’m sure she could think up a dozen different ways to try to kill me, for all the good it will do her. What I do know is that she’ll do anything she can to achieve her goals.” She gave a toothy grin. “She’d burn your whole city to the ground if she thought it would help.”

Naturally, Celestia was less than amused. “Then you had best help us stop her,” she said, and Chrysalis’s grin faded with an annoyed grumble.

“Yes, yes, we wouldn’t want your precious…”

Her voice trailed off as she cast a glance to her side to glare at Glitterbug again. The mare didn’t even seem to notice as she murmured quietly to herself; to one side, her magic held a quill that seemed to be writing down everything she said--though whether it was responding to her words or she was simply talking to herself Sky didn’t know--while she focused herself on scribbling out a sketch, only looking up occasionally for reference.

Chrysalis snorted faintly and looked back to Celestia. “What I mean is, I intend to do everything I can to help catch her. I have decided on the hive’s course, and she is working against that. I will make sure she...”

Again, her voice trailed off, lips curling. She resumed with growl to her words. “I will make sure… I... what is wrong with that pony?”

She finished by again glaring at Glitterbug, who obliviously continued her doodles.

Celestia wore a knowing smile. “Are you really so shocked that there are ponies who do not immediately despise you?”

“Oh,” Chrysalis dryly replied. “So she’s mentally deficient.”

Sky thought it was a particularly unfortunate time for Glitterbug to notice that she was now the center of attention. She looked up, glancing in confusion between Chrysalis and Celestia. “Huh?”

“Far from it,” Celestia said. “Glitterbug is quite the brilliant young mare, and has made the study of changelings a focus of hers.”

Glitterbug had perked up at Celestia’s words, and smiled warmly at Chrysalis, taking the attention as an invitation to talk. “I’m happy to meet you, Queen Chrysalis. I’m a student of arthropodology, and I’m absolutely fascinated by your species.”

Chrysalis looked for a moment like she had bitten into something vile, and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “...Why?”

“Changelings are a unique species,” Glitterbug replied. “Even aside from your innate magics and ecological niche, there are very few insectoid megafauna in the world, and certainly no other sapient ones.”

She continued to smile at the queen, who stared back at her as if the pony had sprouted a second head. Several seconds later, Chrysalis finally blinked, and then frowned. “I am not some insect for you to study.”

“Oh, no, of course not,” Glitterbug quickly replied.

Chrysalis was just turning away when Glitterbug continued. “You’re a bug.”

That comment was answered with bared teeth and a harsh glare, to which Glitterbug quickly raised a hoof. “I mean, in the colloquial sense, as an informal term for certain land invertebrates, like most arthropods,” she clarified. “Not ‘true bugs’. Which are insects. Which you aren’t.” She bit her lip as the queen continued to stare, a hoof fidgeting with her notebook before she added, “Although changeling taxonomy hasn’t been entirely settled just yet, so you might eventually be classified as something other than an arthropod, but that’s currently the favored choice.”

Her words trailed off as she continued to endure the queen’s glare, ending with her biting her lip again in silence.

Cadance broke the silence, and Sky saw she wore an expression much like the queen’s. “You know, everything would probably go a lot easier if you weren’t so hostile to ponies who are actually trying to be friendly to you.”

Chrysalis returned the look. “At least my way got her to stop babbling.”

“Cadance is right,” Celestia said, and Sky though she sounded surprisingly patient. “If you would set aside your pride and anger for a moment, you might finally see what strength there is in friendship. As a species that--”

“No!” Chrysalis snapped. “Not another one of your friendship lectures. I’m sick of your friendship lectures! You--” She cut herself off again, a hoof moving to her face as she quietly growled under her breath. After several seconds, she took a deep breath, exhaled, and let her hoof drop sharply to the table.

“We’re getting distracted,” she said, her voice icy, and she stared at Celestia with hard eyes and a barely restrained glare. “We should be focusing on how you plan to catch Princess Chittri.”

Celestia regarded her for a long moment before finally nodding. “Very well. To start with, I want you to send her a message.”

“I could send out another messenger,” Chrysalis said, “but I wouldn’t count on--”

“You’ve already caused enough problems for yourself with your attempts to deceive us,” Celestia said, and Sky winced at the hint of fire behind her words. “You should consider the repercussions very carefully if you are going to insist that is the only way you have of getting a message to her.”

Chrysalis grit her teeth, glaring at Celestia for several long seconds. Celestia met her gaze, and the two rulers stared at each other, unblinking.

Finally, Chrysalis’s lips pulled back in a look of disgust. “...I have a spell,” she quietly growled, her head drawing back as if to signal the end of their unspoken contest. “It is difficult and draining, but if Chittri is not completely ignoring me, I can deliver your message.”

Celestia nodded, her expression relaxing. “Thank you. And I think this message should come from you. If her reasons for disobeying you are as you think, I expect she would be even less inclined to obey me. In fact, I think it’s best she did not even know that we are aware of your spell.”

“Of course,” Chrysalis growled. “So what do you want my message to be?”

“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy,” Celestia said. “Repeating your order to return to you should be sufficient. Perhaps we might be lucky and this is all just a big misunderstanding.”

Chrysalis scoffed. “You are far too optimistic, princess. But fine, I’ll do it. The sooner I get my hooves on her…”

“If she obeys, I should remind you that your treatment of your subjects will color any future dealings between Equestria and your hive.”

“And ponies think I make too many threats,” Chrysalis replied with a roll of her eyes. “Fine. Just be quiet for once and let me cast.”

In the silence that followed, Chrysalis closed her eyes, a vivid green glow arcing along her horn. Sky watched, feeling as if his chitin was crawling. He half expecting the room to be suddenly engulfed in green flames, or to be covered in the dark shadow of an attacking horde, descending upon them at their queen’s command.

He nearly jumped at the gentle touch across his back, only to find that Rainbow had shifted her wing to rest across his back. He was surprised when he noticed the feelings of concern in her, and only then recognized how hard his heart was beating, or how he’d scooted back several inches from Chrysalis.

It was many more seconds before the magic winked out and Chrysalis opened her eyes. “Well, that was as productive as I expected,” she dryly said, before looking to Celestia. “She said she was very sorry, but no.” Chrysalis snorted. “I hope you have some better plan.”

“It was worth a try,” Celestia said. “And yes, I do. To start with, I want to know all about those ponies you say she had scouted out. If we know what resources she has available to her, we’ll have a better idea of what moves she might try to make…”

Nictis continued to frown, turning the small golden compass over in his hooves, the chain dangling from it. All around him, ponies worked furiously, sliding abacus beads, writing out formulas, and calling out to each other.

“T-plus-ten,” one said, hovering a pencil over the map. “Plot 3… there. That’s it.”

Subtle and Nictis both leaned over the map. A cluster of dots, connected in roughly parallel groups of three, were gathered together at the edge of a building.

“Think you can find it?” Subtle asked.

Nictis’s eyes darted across the map, then back. “It’s not even a quarter of a mile away,” he said. “You could probably see it from the castle walls.”

“Probably,” she said. “Well?”

He sighed, finally dropping the compass into the bit-pouch that now hung around his neck. A flash of green changed his appearance to that of a dark-brown pegasus mare, with a short and even darker-brown mane and tail. “Yeah,” he grumbled, and a part of him became unreasonably annoyed that the female voice didn’t grumble as well as his natural voice did. “I can find it.”

“Good,” Subtle said. “You get going. Thunder Chaser? Tell Golden Aegis of the location, then join with his unit. I’m going to dig up everything I can find on the place.”

Nictis nodded, and turned away. Opening the window, he leaped through, feathered wings biting into the air as he soared out, away from the city. He barely cleared the walls before rolling, the world spinning upside down, and he arced down. By the time he leveled out again, he had passed a good portion of the city. Then it was just a simple matter of turning and flying back over it, coming at his destination from the opposite direction.

It was a bit more complex in terms of navigation, but he wasn’t worried much about losing his way; the building in question was set along one side of a large square, just beside the main road leading up to the castle. It was about as far from a secluded hiding spot as possible.

The edge of the square came into view. He nosed down, gliding down to the street below and aiming to land just outside the square, where he wouldn’t be seen from his destination. A small gap in the crowd served as a landing spot, though a few upper-class noses were turned up at his arrival. He in turn gave them exactly as much attention as they deserved, and casually walked on down the street without a second glance.

About ten seconds later he made his way past the corner of a fancy restaurant, and nearly stumbled to a stop. Long-trained instincts kicked in, keeping him moving without visible reaction toward the nearby cafe, where he could sit and wait, monitoring the building the changeling princess had been tracked to. Inside, his mind was scrambling, trying to figure out what to do with a scenario that had already started to turn against him.

His destination was a store, an open store, with numerous customers.

Inwardly, Nictis cursed his luck. Any of them could be the changeling they were looking for, assuming she hadn’t left in the short time it took him to arrive there. It wasn’t a small shop, either; it was a sizable store, displaying all manners of high fashion that seemed to attract quite a number of wealthy ponies. Another two unicorn mares were entering at that very moment.

This wasn’t like the safe-house he had watched over. There, anypony leaving was likely to be a changeling. Here, he didn’t even know if she was still inside. She might have already left, before he had arrived. He could watch for hours, but the most he could do is observe what ponies left during that time, and hope that might remain useful information later on.

It took only a moment’s more thought before he turned. Rather than continuing on to the cafe, he turned and approached the store.

He paused at the door to make way for a pegasus mare exiting the store, who gave a happy smile and nod to her fellow feathered “pony”, and entered after her.

Inside, he was greeted by the sight of a large and classy store, absolutely packed with all manners of fashion. He only had a moment to take it in before he was greeted in a different way.

“Welcome to Madam Magnifique’s Emporium,” a chipper young unicorn mare said, stepping up to him from the nearby counter. She wore an eager smile that seemed far too large for the more casual pleasantry of her emotions, as well as a sleek, close-fitting dress that Nictis supposed was intended to be both alluring and professional at the same time; the dark gray color contrasted nicely with her light gray coat, it rode snugly on her hips, emphasizing her curves, and yet it covered her well enough to avoid any suggestion of impropriety.

He almost missed when she started talking again, mentally reprimanding himself for the lapse in attention. “We have the best selection of the most desirable fashions to be found,” she said, “and I’m sure we’ll be able to find something that you’ll absolutely love.”

She lifted a leg to sweep a hoof across the front of the store, and Nictis used the excuse to let his gaze sweep around, but he was not looking at the dresses. Nine other ponies were currently scattered about the store, including the mare who had greeted him. All were unicorns, except for an earth pony couple in the back. Unsurprisingly, none seemed immediately suspicious.

“Is there something in particular you’re looking for?” the mare asked, drawing his attention back to her.

Yes, do you have any changeling princesses in stock? The thought drew out a soft chuckle before he tamped it down to focus on his role. The mare was just starting to draw a curious look at his reaction, and he quickly spoke up to divert her. “Sorry, just a little nervous. I haven’t really gone dress shopping before, not really, but I want to look my best…”

He trailed off, giving a shy smile, and as he hoped, the mare grinned in reply. “That is our specialty. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Nictis paused with false consideration before replying, “I think I’d like to just look around at first. Can I come to you if I have any questions?”

“Of course!” she said, nodding. “Just let me know if you need anything at all, and I’ll be happy to help.”

Once she had returned to the counter, he was free to look around the store a bit more freely.

The store itself was expansive. He’d been in Rarity’s boutique, thanks to Sky, but what had seemed a bit extravagant in Ponyville seemed somewhat humble in Canterlot. The entire front was dominated by the extensive display of elegant dresses, artificial plumage styled to draw attention to the wearer. Behind that lay all manner of accessories, ranging from fancy saddle-bags with other ponies’ names stitched into them, to great golden necklaces and tiaras emblazoned with gemstones, all intended to catch the eye while displaying one’s social position and wealth for all to see. There was even a small section in the back with a variety of mane- and coat-care products to beautify a pony’s own body, with a large collection of makeup to hide any remaining flaws. All the tools to subtly mislead and sway the opinions of others.

It was a veritable arsenal of upper-class social manipulation.

And scattered throughout that arsenal were six potential changelings; it seemed fairly safe to assume the two unicorns that entered just before him were not changelings, and the store clerk seemed unlikely as well--and if she was a changeling, significantly less likely to be leaving as soon as the customers.

He slowly walked by the dresses, pretending to admire the different designs, while he was actually positioning himself so he’d be looking almost directly at different customers with each dress. It was awkward, he noted. The pupils in pony eyes were so large and distinct, and the reaction to somepony looking at them so instinctively ingrained, that it made subtle glances at close range remarkably difficult. It would have been much easier in his natural form with its more subtle eye features--except for the obvious problem with that, of course.

So he mostly observed in his peripheral vision, and only glanced when he was absolutely certain nopony was looking at him. He didn’t want to give an imposter any clue that there was someone there looking for them.

Nearby, a somewhat older mare used her magic to turn one of the dresses on display to view it from a different angle. The pale blue hue struck her from the list of possible changelings.

A graceful, well-dressed, but aloof unicorn further back in the store raised his suspicions after she dismissed the clerk in the same haughty tone he’d been hearing from Chrysalis. She eventually snatched up a set of designer horseshoes in her magic, the pink aura marking her as simply a rich pony with far too high of an opinion of themselves.

Another unicorn carried over a small bundle to the counter in her magic before passing over a sizable collection of bits, which the clerk took in her own magic; the yellow and purple magics cleared them from suspicion.

The final unicorn was one of only two stallions in the store, and the cold thrill of adrenaline teased at Nictis’s senses as he picked up a necklace, his horn lighting up green. He tamped the feeling down as best he could, noting that it seemed much too pale of a green. Changeling magic was a very vivid green, fairly rare among ponies.

Probably not a changeling, Nictis thought. Shouldn’t be too hard to make sure.

A quick glance over the nearby merchandise found a particularly sleek dress near the stallion. Nictis walked quickly up to it, making sure he postured himself just right as he gave a soft and girly squee of joy. The sound and movement drew the stallion’s attention, just as Nictis had hoped.

His disguise might not have been the most beautiful of forms he’d created, but it was still a slim and athletic pegasus with immaculate grooming, and was at that moment swaying “her” hips quite happily in his direction. Nictis ran a hoof over the dress, giving a good act of admiring it, and acting as oblivious to his attention as possible.

There was a faint flicker of amusement and approval from the stallion before his attention returned to the jewelry before him.

Yeah, probably not a changeling, Nictis concluded. He expected something a little more predatory from an Infiltrator.

Which left only the pair of earth ponies, a mare and a stallion. The pair stood shoulder-to-shoulder, talking quietly as they looked over a couple dresses. Unfortunately, he was too far away to pick out any words.

Nictis continued the act of admiring the dress long enough to be convincing before finally moving on, though he threw a final, longing glance back in case anyone was watching. Moving slowly along the row of fancy saddles and leggings, he drew closer to the pair. The mare was looking at a short and sleek dark-blue dress, a hoof lifted to lightly stroke the sheer fabric, while the stallion at her side was focused much more on her.

Nictis paused beside a collection of rather fancied-up saddles, just close enough to make out their quiet words. “...And it’s so exotic,” the mare said, her voice full of nervous excitement. “Do you think I’d look good in it?”

“Absolutely,” the stallion replied. “Though I’m probably a poor judge, love. I think you’ll look amazing in anything, but that’s because I’ll only be seeing the mare underneath it.”

In the corner of his vision, Nictis could see the stallion lean in closer to nuzzle at her cheek. The quiet words that followed were barely audible from where he stood. “And I’ll just have to use my imagination for whatever I can’t see.”

The mare squeaked softly, a hoof lifting to cover her mouth; Nictis didn’t look over, but he was fairly certain she had just blushed. A moment later she broke out in giggles.

Okay, probably not changelings, Nictis thought. It’d be pretty pointless for a pair of changelings to put on such a lengthy act, and it seemed unlikely that a changeling princess would be spending time on a lengthy courtship when she was in the midst of a potential coup. Maybe if one of those ponies was somepony important, but that seemed like a long shot.

Despite the likeliness that they were just a pair of amorous ponies, he still took a moment to take in their appearance. He then spent another minute browsing through the store--the earth pony couple continuing their quiet murmuring and nuzzling--before finally leaving.

Outside, he spread his wings and took to the sky again, his eyes quickly scanning about. Circling upward, he soon spotted exactly what he was looking for: a sizable group of guards in a nearby street, many of which were unloading from several chariots. He winged over and dove toward them, quickly picking out the form of Golden Aegis.

He back-winged hard, coming in for a quick landing beside the Guard captain, who immediately cast a glance to his disguise’s cutie mark.

“Captain,” he said, giving a nod. “We’re going to have to change plans, the--”

Golden Aegis raised a hoof, silencing him. “You’ll want to drop the disguise for this.”

Nictis paused, blinked, and then nodded. “Good,” he said, and with a flash of green, his disguise burnt away.

A tingle passed through him as the captain cast his spell, and then nodded when no change occurred. “Okay. You were saying?”

“We need to change plans,” Nictis said. “The location we got isn’t a safe-house, it’s a busy store, and it looks like the one we’re seeking has already left.”

Golden Aegis frowned. “Are you certain?”

“As certain as I can be,” Nictis said. “There are a couple ponies who I couldn’t conclusively rule out, but the chances of them being a changeling Infiltrator are slim.”

“I’d like to be more certain,” Aegis said. “We’ll need to go and check them properly.”

Nictis held up a hoof. “I agree, but not there.”

“Why?”

“Because,” Nictis said, “while I’m pretty certain the changeling we’re looking for isn’t in that store, it doesn’t tell us anything about where she really is. She could still be nearby, and if she sees a squad of the Royal Guard march into the place she just left, that will alert her. She’ll know she’s been compromised somehow, and the most reasonable response would be to abandon all existing resources as unsafe.” He blinked, then added, “Assuming she hasn’t already.”

Golden Aegis’s ears perked up at that addition. “You think she might have done that?”

“It’s quite possible,” Nictis said, frowning. “If this is really a coup attempt, and she knows Chrysalis is still in the picture, it would be reasonable to assume she would take precautions against the queen striking back. She might not expect Chrysalis to cooperate with us, but she’d likely expect some move against her.”

The captain grunted. “So you’re saying we just got a list of every single place an Infiltrator might be hiding, and it’s already completely useless?”

“It… may be so, yes.”

“Great.” The captain looked over the gathered soldiers for several seconds before turning back to Nictis. “Then we should check those ponies you’re not so sure on. What did they look like?”

“I still think it would be a mistake to rush in there,” Nictis said. “Better to intercept them out in the street some ways away. Nothing Chrysalis could give us would lead to tracking her down in some random store. If she thinks there’s a possibility she’s been found out through some other means, she’ll put even more effort into covering her tracks.”

Golden Aegis considered the argument for a moment before nodding. “Noted. What did they look like?”

“Two earth ponies,” Nictis said. “The mare was light brown with a starburst cutie mark. The stallion was yellow with a musical note for a cutie mark. They wore nothing, though the mare may be purchasing a dress. It’s only been a minute or two, they’re unlikely to have left yet.”

“Blaze!” Aegis called out, and a young pegasus stepped forward. “Up on the roof. See if they’re out on the street, otherwise wait for them to leave. Hammer!” A burly earth pony stepped forward, snapping rigidly to attention. “Your team will remain here, and Blaze will guide you in. Try to keep things low key, but make sure your team is ready to disable either pony immediately if anything happens. Our target can teleport, so you’ll only have an instant to disable them if they decide to hoof it. Questions?”

“No sir!” both ponies replied, followed by the pegasus shooting upward to the roof.

“Everypony else!” he continued. “Mount up, get ready to move.”

As the remaining Guard ponies climbed back into the chariots, Golden Aegis returned to his attention to Nictis. “And you should probably find Miss Tea. I’m sure she’ll have some new task for you, with how much of a mess this is turning into.”

“I’m sure,” Nictis replied, his wings already buzzing to life, and he gave a parting nod to the captain. Even if the safe-houses were likely to be abandoned, it would be careless to not keep an eye on them. Then, there was all the digging into how those were acquired, as well as investigating the previously-cocooned ponies for any potential information.

A sigh escaped his lips as he ascended over the rooftops. As the closest thing Subtle had to her own personal Infiltrator, he had the feeling he was going to be a very busy part of her plans.

Sky watched silently as the late-evening sky steadily turned a deep golden-red, the light of day fading away. The golden glow around Celestia’s horn winked out as the day came to an end. A moment later it was answered with the blue glow of Luna’s horn, her moon smoothly and steadily rising into the darkening night sky.

Her magic vanished, casting the moon free, and the two sisters remained standing, silently watching out the window.

It was Luna who spoke first, her voice quiet as she spoke to her sister, barely reaching Sky’s ears. “I find it distinctly ironic that our subjects’ greater acceptance of the night should make my task that much more difficult.”

Celestia looked to her sister, offering a smile. “I’m sorry?”

Luna gave a quiet chuckle, then shook her head. “I do not mean to complain,” she said, the humor quickly fading. “I do like it much more this way. It is simply unfortunate that the greater number of ponies dreaming during the day may be inadvertently helping to hide those who should not be sleeping at all. I am afraid my search may take some time, assuming there is anything to be found.”

“If there is, there are none better equipped to find them than you,” Celestia said. Her smile eventually faded. “I take it there were no nightmares to investigate?”

“Nothing of consequence,” Luna replied. “If there are any cocooned ponies dreaming within Canterlot, they are at peace.”

“At least there is that,” Celestia said as they both turned to return to the table. Sky’s attention returned there as well, to the last remnants of their dinner, and to Rarity’s continuing tale.

“Of course, normally one of Fancy Pants’s parties would be the best possible place to dig up all of the best gossip,” Rarity said, a glimmer in her eye. “He always has the most important ponies in Canterlot in attendance, after all.” She gave an exaggerated sigh. “Sadly, it was not to be. Somepony had started up the rumor that Fancy and Fleur were embroiled in some dramatic fight and were sure to separate. Again. Those rumors crop up every few months, I hear. Somepony probably saw them disagree over which hors d’oeuvre was the best and decided they’d found some irreconcilable conflict that was driving them apart.”

She chuckled softly, taking another sip of her drink. “It’s complete rubbish, of course, but it dominated the gossip circles all party. It was still a spectacular and prestigious party, and I made a point to enjoy myself, but I have to admit, I felt just a tiny bit disappointed in it all.”

The grin that followed the statement was almost completely hidden behind her glass. “Right up until somepony came walking in from the street, stepped right up to Lord Lineal Heritage XIII, and started giving orders.” She snickered softly, then gave a wave of her hoof. “Oh, nopony heard what the pony said, he leaned in close to say it, but the look on Lord Heritage’s face! At first he looked completely outraged that some stranger would come up and interrupt him, but it only took a couple words before his expression turned to shock. Even more, he tried to ask the pony a few things, but the pony cut him off!”

Rarity shook her head. “Now, I wasn’t surprised at all when Lord Heritage recoiled as if he were slapped, but the look he gave afterward! He actually looked around at all the other ponies, and I swear, for just a moment, I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. And as if that wasn’t strange enough, he turns back, nods, and just follows along with this other pony. He doesn’t acknowledge anypony on the way. Why, he even outright ignored his wife, and I can tell you, those two are normally inseparable!

“But it didn’t end there,” she continued, grinning playfully as she looked around at her audience. All her friends were listening in with interest--even Rainbow, who Sky knew would normally find her stories of high society to be utterly boring--and now that the princesses had returned from their duty, they were politely listening in as well. “Why, everypony’s already shocked enough by this, but then the two of them go right up to Merry Hearth, and then Lord North Star. Just a few words to each, and they’re following along, too.”

She took another sip before setting her glass down. “Of course, the entire place is in an uproar when they leave. I feel a little sorry for Fancy Pants, but at least it distracted everypony from their previous rumors. As for me, well, I have to admit I was glad to have found something suspicious in all my searching.”

She crossed her forelegs atop the table, sighing softly. “And then I get back to the castle, and find out that what I’ve learned is already useless. I was so excited that I might have uncovered some changeling spies, only to arrive here and be told they turned themselves in already.”

Applejack looked to Celestia. “Any of them ponies the ones who showed up in the hospital?”

Rarity’s head jerked up at that. “In the hospital? Oh, my, I didn’t hear about that! I hope nopony was badly hurt?”

“They will be fine,” Celestia said. “They, and several other ponies, have been brought in suffering from varying degrees of magic exhaustion. They all were missing days of time, and some even vaguely remember being attacked by changelings.”

Luna said, “In addition, almost all of the victims are ponies of wealth, influence, and power.”

“I recognize those names,” Twilight said, her ears having perked up. “North Star spent a good amount of time teaching the more advanced magic classes in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and he’s a significant patron of the sciences. I hear he’s done some great things for magical research. The other names… they seem familiar, I just can’t quite place them.”

“Lord Lineal Heritage is one of the more influential members of the nobility,” Celestia said, “while Merry Hearth and her husband are very successful businessponies and philanthropists. Most of the others were similarly influential individuals, or the partners of ponies who are. Of all the ponies who were abducted, only Miss Green Grass was not, but seeing as she is the head of the castle groundskeepers, her abduction is just as concerning.”

Several alarmed expressions met that statement, but Celestia calmed them. “It would have been even more concerning had she not been out sick the past few days, a time that appears to match up with when she was replaced. It seems the changeling who replaced her did not wish to test its disguise by entering the castle grounds..”

“Seems like they planned to do something here, though,” Sky noted, and Celestia nodded.

“Indeed, though that isn’t surprising,” she said. “I had considered that Queen Chrysalis might wish to strike us here, in the castle. It also seems to me that Princess Chittri may wish to, as well.”

He frowned just a little. “Do you think Chrysalis is right? That Chittri might try to… attack her?”

“Possibly,” Celestia said, and he frowned a little more that her words didn’t really answer anything. “Queen Chrysalis is furious, and I would not be surprised if her anger is leading her to make assumptions. It’s unfortunate, as she knows Princess Chittri better than any other here. We can only speculate as to Chittri’s intentions, but I can think of little reason for her to remain in Canterlot otherwise.”

Sky nodded slightly as he considered that, then turned back to where Nictis had retreated at the conclusion of the meal. “What do you--”

He blinked, going silent when he saw Nictis was not sitting there. Instead, the other changeling had slumped to his side atop the cushion. His eyes were closed and his mouth open as he lay in a rather awkward position, folded over sideways with one foreleg poking out behind his back. A bit of drool had puddled at the corner of his mouth.

Celestia smiled. “Seems our questions will have to wait. I believe he’s more than earned some rest.”

Sky chuckled softly. “Yeah, probably.”

A loud yawn drew everyone’s attention back to Applejack, who covered any hint of embarrassment with a chuckle. “Reckon he’s got the right idea, though. Ah’m plum tuckered.”

“I agree,” Rarity said. “If I haven’t found any hints of this ‘Princess Chittri’ individual by now, I doubt one more engagement would discover something. I’m half tempted to make my apologies and turn in early. High society is such a wonderful thing, but it can be positively exhausting!”

A few of her friends snickered at that, including Sky. It was Applejack who spoke up. “Yeah, them hoity-toity types can be right tiring. A whole day around them? Hoowee, how do you manage?”

Rarity mirrored Applejack’s sly smile. “Practice, darling. And how about yourself? I know you’re not the most comfortable in high-society affairs, but I’m curious what has you so worn out after a day in the luxury of Canterlot Castle?”

She was answered with a snort. “Ah just spent most of the day around Chrysalis, listenin’ to her going on like a stuck pig. Sure, Ah get why she’s so upset, but she’s about as easy to be around as a pack of timber wolves, and probably even more dangerous.”

“She was very angry,” Fluttershy noted, just loud enough to be heard. “I mean, not that I can really blame her.”

“Well I can,” Dash replied with an angry jerk of her wings. “She’s been nothing but trouble since she got here, but as soon as things start getting a little difficult for her, she throws a tantrum.”

Fluttershy’s ears drooped. “She’s not very nice,” she said, in what Sky felt was a spectacular understatement. She nervously poked at her plate with a hoof. “But I still feel a little bad for her. Her own daughter turned on her. I can’t imagine how horrible that must be.”

There was a quiet lull that followed her comment, broken by a soft snort of amusement from Sky’s other side. He turned to where the other changelings were sitting, and saw Trip looking back to the still-sleeping changeling behind him. Trip flashed an awkward smile. “Sorry. Was just thinking this is where Nictis should wake up just to say ‘changelings don’t think that way’, or something.”

The changeling in question uttered a faint chittering in his sleep.

“Maybe not,” Twilight said, drawing Sky’s attention back, “but just because changelings don’t have the same kind of familial connections that ponies do doesn’t mean they didn’t have some kind of connection. Chrysalis even implied they were close.”

Rarity hummed softly for a moment. “I think Fluttershy may be right,” she said. “Clearly Chittri’s betrayal hurt Chrysalis.”

“Good,” Rainbow snapped. “She’s earned it.”

“Her behavior may have been most unfitting,” Rarity said, “but sometimes we must set aside some unpleasantness to pursue what truly matters. If we are to convince Chrysalis to become anything more than an ally in name only, with her mind set to our downfall, it seems we should show a little empathy toward her.”

“Well said,” Celestia said with a smile and a nod. “After all, we’ve recently seen how well a little bit of compassion can sway even the most disharmonious of minds.”

“What, Discord?” Rainbow said, and snorted out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, we’re really in trouble if he’s the good example.”

Fluttershy’s head came up. “He’s been doing a lot better, lately.”

“And while it was the threat of force that initially kept him from misbehaving,” Celestia said, “it was the compassion and friendship Fluttershy showed him that lead to him changing his ways. Similarly, we can not simply force Chrysalis to change her nature. Change like that has to come from within. The most we can do is plant the seed.”

“Well,” Applejack said, “at least we’ve got someone else for her to be angry at, now.”

Twilight tapped her hoof to her chin. “Well… we could try having Fluttershy talk with her. She’s done wonders with the changelings coming to ponyville.”

Fluttershy sat there with wide eyes, her ears pinned back against her skull. Her only reply was a nearly inaudible squeak.

“I don’t think it will be quite that simple,” Celestia said. “Discord was indifferent to the harm he caused to ponies, seeing us as nothing more than playthings. Fluttershy’s friendship gave him a pony he actually cared something about. It was a small change that brought about a much more profound one.” She frowned. “The problem with Chrysalis runs much deeper. She enjoys the harm she causes. It will take more than one friendly pony to give her something she enjoys more.”

“S-so I don’t have to go?” Fluttershy asked, shrinking down meekly.

“Not alone,” Celestia said, favoring the shy pony with a comforting smile. “She may see compassion as weakness, but we know better. We have shown her strength and resolution in the face of her aggression. Now we have a common goal, an opportunity to not only show her the value of cooperation, but to show how strength and compassion can coexist in harmony.”

“Do you think it will work?” Twilight asked.

“I am doubtful,” Celestia said. “But I don’t think we would be who we are if we were not willing to try.”

A few thoughtful nods followed her words, before the calm was broken as a loud snore tore through the silence, only to abruptly cut off with a clatter of dishes as Pinkie Pie snapped upright, sleepily blurting out “Surprise!”

They all stared at her, surrounded with the remains of dozens of desserts. She stared back at them, blinking a few times. “Oh,” she finally said with a weak giggle. “Um… false alarm!”

“You okay there, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, despite her chuckles.

“Yeah,” Pinkie said, wavering a little. “Just really tired. I was having a really nice dream, too!”

“Why are you so tired, anyhow? We ain’t seen hide nor hair of you since breakfast.”

Pinkie grinned. “It’s a seee-cret!” This was immediately followed by a loud yawn. “Woo. I think I better get to bed before I nod off again. I’m pooped!” She immediately froze, blinked, and then snorted out with laughter. Without another word, she got up and staggered off, giggling the whole way.

“...Well, okay then,” Applejack finally said, shaking her head. “Reckon she’s got the right idea, though.”

The sentiment was shared around the table. The ponies wished each other goodnight, while a sleeping baby dragon was gently levitated onto Twilight’s back.

Then Rainbow looked over to him, her wing brushing against his side as she started to extend it, before snapping back to her side with a flare of anxiety. “So, uh, guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He smiled back, a little uneasily, and slipped a foreleg around her shoulder to give an awkward sideways hug. “Goodnight, Dash.”

The pegasus stiffened, though there was a hint of excitement behind the anxiety. He was pretty sure a blush was starting to form when she leaped up. “Well, I need to get to bed!” she called out as her wings snapped out, carrying her up into the air. “Later!”

With that she flew out of the room, leaving behind several confused ponies and one quietly giggling Rarity.

A few more goodbyes were said as everyone started to make their way out; all but Sky, who remained sitting there for a few more moments with a smile on his face, before finally looking back to the sleeping form of Nictis.

A dull haze of nothingness slowly faded away as the world seemed to rock faintly. For a moment, everything was still again, and then the world rocked again. The sensation resolved itself to a feeling of pressure, and slowly it became clear that it was a pressure applied to his shoulder. There was a noise, too, an indecipherable jumble of sound that repeated a few times before finally becoming clear.

“Nictis.”

He blinked his eyes, random lights and colors assaulting his senses. He turned his head to the source of the sound, feeling something soft shifting beneath him, and was met with the sight of a dark blur. Several more blinks, and the blur cleared to reveal a smiling changeling.

“Wake up,” Sky said, softly. “It’s time to go to bed.”

Nictis blinked several more times as the words processed. “Oh, good,” he said, voice dry and thick with sleep. “I wouldn’t want to miss that, would I?”

Sky chuckled softly as he stepped back, and Nictis groaned. A few moments later he sluggishly pushed himself up into a sitting position. He let out a loud yawn as he stretched, followed by rubbing at his face--which was quickly replaced with pulling a disgusted expression as he wiped his cheek dry. “Ugh.”

He then turned a frown to Sky. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.”

The other changeling stifled his chuckles, though the sense of amusement didn’t fade at all. “Come on, lets get you somewhere a little more comfy.”

“I can do that myself,” Nictis grumbled as he pushed himself unsteadily up to his hooves. “And where I was was perfectly comfortable.”

“Mmmhmm,” was Sky’s only reply as Nictis slowly trudged his way to the door. They walked along in silence down the quiet halls, a few voices faintly echoing from the distance, likely Twilight and her friends making their way to their own beds.

They continued on like that for a couple minutes, the sounds fading out one by one, until they finally reached the door to Sky’s room.

Another trickle of amusement teased at his senses. “Think you’ll make it to your room all safe and sound?” Sky asked with a smile.

Nictis snorted, looking down the hall to the very next door. “Yeah, I think I can make it on my own.”

There was a soft chuckle from Sky as he opened the door to his own room, and Nictis continued walking. Despite his own tone, he was mostly sure he’d felt a little thankful toward the other changeling for the gesture, however unnecessary it might have been. If not, he could always say something in the morning.

Reaching his own door, Nictis stopped. He stared at the doorknob. Fatigue mounted, and he continued to stare. After many long seconds, he finally lit his horn and opened the door.

It was something of a relief that the room beyond was dark, lit only by the faintest light. A single lamp was set on one of the end tables, turned down as low as it could go. A faint feeling of anxiety emanated from the bundled-up form lying on the couch near the light. Spark lay still, as if pretending to sleep.

Nictis suppressed a sigh as he stepped in, quietly shutting the door behind him. He picked out the sleeping forms of Big Shot and Cotton Candy--the latter snoring softly--and quietly circled around.

He had nearly reached the door leading to the bedroom when the anxiety he felt from Spark started to grow rapidly. He heard a blanket being pulled away, followed by a soft hissing sound and a set of hooves alighting on the carpeted floor.

Nictis stopped and looked back to see Spark freeing himself of his last blanket before creeping over to him. “Nictis?”

He nodded as Spark drew closer.

The pony came to a halt just before him. “I, um…” He rubbed one foreleg along the other as he glanced back at the sleeping ponies. Then he turned back, gesturing to the door.

Nictis quickly nodded, opening the door, and they shuffled through. On the other side, Spark stood silently, trembling faintly, while Nictis reached out with his magic. The room flickered with green for a moment before the lamp lit up, spreading a golden glow.

He looked back to see Spark looking up at his horn, and then quickly looking away. The pony drew in a deep breath, sighed, and finally spoke. “So, um…”

The anxiety wasn’t going away, but Nictis was at least comforted that there wasn’t any fear of him mixed in there. Not that it seemed to be making it any easier for him to speak.

“Is everything okay?” Nictis asked.

“Oh, y-yeah,” Spark replied, and to Nictis’s surprise, there was a flash of embarrassment. That was curious. That, and… appreciation? Nictis couldn’t be certain, it was so weak, but there was certainly something there.

The pony shook his head. “No, I just wanted to talk to you,” he said, again lifting a forehoof to rub at the other foreleg.

“Okay,” Nictis softly replied, ignoring the alarm bells that were sounding in the back of his mind. He sat on his haunches. “What did you want to talk about?”

Spark seemed to have a hard time looking at him, his gaze off toward the side of the room. “Well… I’ve just been spending a lot of time thinking, today. There wasn’t much else to do.” There was a flicker of a smile, vanishing an instant later, though he did finally meet Nictis’s eyes. “I… I actually had a lot of fun last night, and it was nice to just relax, but…”

A weight dropped in Nictis’s stomach at those words, though he was uncertain just what to make of the hint of happiness behind them.

Spark fidgeted a little more, drawing another breath before continuing. “...Well, it’s been a long time since… you know. And a lot’s happened since then. I just thought… well, maybe we could do something together. Just the two of us. Catch up on everything…”

He ended with a smile. It was a frail thing, but it held. Nictis stared back, eyes wide and ears perked in surprise. He found himself smiling as well, and had to struggle a bit to keep it from growing too toothy. He swallowed, which was made difficult by the tightness in his throat. “I’d like that,” he said, his voice quiet. “I’d really, really like that.”

His words were met with a sensation of happiness that was mirrored in Spark’s growing smile, though the sense of anxiety grew a little as well. “I’m not really sure what to do, though,” Spark said. “I mean, I don’t really know Canterlot all that well, and it seems like we should do something special, since it’s been so long and all. Maybe… you have an idea?”

Nictis almost chuckled at the hopeful sensation. As for “special” things, however, he had little idea what to suggest. He hardly knew Canterlot any more than Spark did. “I don’t know. If we were back in Manechester, I’d suggest going for a flight. I’ve… well, I’ve really missed doing that with you.”

Spark looked off to the side, thinking for a moment. “Well… I might not be able to borrow my parents’ airship, but we might be able to rent one. Or a balloon or something.”

This time, Nictis did chuckle. “I was actually thinking of Songbird, but that sounds good, too.”

Spark was silent.

For an instant, Nictis worried he had made a mistake, but there was nothing in Spark’s emotions to suggest that. Instead, the pony’s ears had perked up as he stared off into space. He absentmindedly tapped the floor a couple times, eyes shifting in little jumps as he thought. “There should be a morning train to Manechester,” he finally said in a quiet tone, as if thinking out loud. “It should get there around noon, maybe early afternoon. I’d want to take a couple hours to do checkups and maintenance. Then flying back, that wouldn’t take long.”

He looked back to Nictis. “I could be back with Songbird by tomorrow evening.”

“You don’t have to--”

“No, no,” Spark said with a grin. “I like that idea. It’s a good idea.”

Nictis hesitated, torn between happiness and worry. “I like the idea, too,” he said. “I’m just a little worried.”

“Don’t worry,” Spark said. “I’ll be thorough when I check out Songbird. Nothing will go wrong.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

Spark gave him a questioning look, which lasted all of a second before vanishing. “You’re worried about that other changeling.”

Nictis nodded, and Spark frowned slightly. It was painful to feel that happiness slipping away.

Spark considered that for a few moments before speaking again. “Do you think he’d try something in public?”

“Probably not,” Nictis said. “I don’t even know if there’s any reason for him to go after you, now, but there’s still the chance.”

Spark’s ears drooped as he mulled that over, but perked up again a moment later. “I can’t just hide in here for the rest of my life. I’ll have to go out again sometime, and this seems like a good reason.” He smiled, and as much as Nictis wanted to encourage caution, the simple gesture tore at his resolve.

“Okay,” he said, and Spark’s smile grew even more. “But please, be careful.”

“I will!” Spark eagerly replied. “If it makes you feel any better, I can ask Bigs to come along. He’d probably be glad to, especially since he’d get to ride along on the flight back. He’s been wanting to fly on it for a while now.”

It really didn’t, but Nictis didn’t say so. “Okay. I…” He trailed off, finding a smile already working its way back into his expression. “...I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Spark grinned. There was no anxiety, just a sense of happiness, and even affection. “Me too,” he said. A few moments later, the embarrassed tension started to return. “Well, uh… I should get to sleep. I guess I’ll be getting up a bit early, now.”

Nictis was caught by surprise by a yawn, raising a hoof to cover his mouth and many sharp teeth, and he was relieved when the action failed to prompt any unease. “Oof. Yeah, sleep would be good. It’s been a long day.”

“Okay,” Spark said, moving to the door. “Sweet dreams, Nictis. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You too, Spark,” he replied, matching Spark’s grin with his own. “Goodnight.”

There was a final feeling of happiness before Spark slipped through the door, shutting it behind him. Nictis heaved a deep, relieved sigh, then wiped at his cheek. For some reason, it had gotten damp again.

He turned, making his way over to the large, plush bed. His magic reached out one last time to turn off the lamp, and he crawled into bed.

Despite the excitement, he fell asleep in moments, a content smile on his face.

Chapter 15: Dawn

Chapter 15: Dawn

Nictis woke up to something that was distinctly unusual.

He was smiling.

He lay there, basking in the happy feeling, as the early morning sunlight filtering in through the windows slowly grew brighter. He slowly stretched out under the thick, downy blanket before relaxing again into the soft comfort of the plush bed. It really was amazingly luxurious, perfectly suited to the great palace, but those thoughts were in the background.

The majority of his focus was on the last moments of the previous night, replaying it over and over again. Spark was going out of his way, returning to a project he had all but abandoned, and committing to several hours of work, all to do something special with Nictis.

Nictis sighed happily, closing his eyes. There would be plenty of time for anxiety and double-guessing himself and worrying about ruining everything later on. For now, he was just happy with the fact that there was a possibility.

No, not just a possibility. Spark wasn’t just willing to give him a chance. He was putting forward an effort to reach out to Nictis. Better yet, there had been some real happiness at the prospect, even a hint of excitement.

Nictis grinned, enjoying the luxury of happiness.

As tempting as it was to lay there all day, nestled in the soft comfort of the bed and basking in the good mood, he knew he couldn’t stay. Eventually he pushed back the blanket, stretching out one last time before rolling to the side of the bed and getting up.

His first destination was the bathroom. While changelings might not have the coats of hair that ponies did, coats that tended to need excessive amounts of care in his opinion, he still put a good deal of attention into his appearance. He might not go as far as Sky did, with his occasional spa visits and shell-polish, but there was still that analytical part that knew a good appearance was handy in social interactions.

He paused for a moment at the thought that, if there was ever a time to consider stepping things up, this was a good one. Sky would tease him relentlessly--a fair reaction to his own occasional needling--but it might well be worth it.

Filing that thought away for later, he continued on to the bath. With a couple twists, the giant tub started to fill with water. Once he had tested the stream to make sure the temperature was right, he started to turn away, only to stop as his gaze swept over the row of bottles sitting at one end of the tub. He considered them for several seconds before chuckling and shaking his head. He reached out with his magic, grabbing one of the bottles and pouring some of its contents into the water. Then he set the bottle back and left the room.

He kept his morning exercise light and simple, focusing more on stretching than actually working out. By the time he was feeling warmed up and loose, he returned to the bath. Stopping the flow of water, he slid in, parting the thick foam of bubbles as he sank into the wonderful warmth.

It was all perfectly ridiculous, and he couldn’t help snickering to himself. He even raised a hoof to push around some of the foam, which clung to his carapace like sticky little clouds. The soft white bubbles contrasted with hard black chitin and filled in the holes in his legs, which brought out another chuckle. He amused himself with lazily pushing the foam around for a bit before turning his attention to cleaning.

Getting clean didn’t take long, even with his rather idle and lazy handling of it, and he soon lay back to just enjoy the pleasant warmth and the soft touch of the bubbles.

While he was content to take his time, there was still the more disciplined part of his mind that insisted he not waste his entire morning on frivolities. He eventually gave in, rising out of the water and shaking off the last of the bubbles clinging to him, but he made sure to do it slowly and lazily, as if to spite that more logical part of himself.

He chuckled again at that thought, and continued to take his time as he slowly dried himself, making sure to reach every single nook and crevice.

Once he was was thoroughly dry, he returned to the side of his bed and levitated over his compass necklace. For a moment he just held it there, looking over the simple compass and the thin twist of plain wire attaching it to the fine golden chain. He raised a hoof, gently tilting the compass as it dangled from the chain, watching the little needle swing and wobble around. With a smile, he slipped the chain around his neck, letting the compass settle gently at his chest, and headed out.

Entering the front room, he immediately noted the absence of Sparks and Bigs, though their belongings were still there. Only Cotton Candy remained, lounging on the couch as she ate breakfast from a large tray of pastries. She looked over as the door opened, flashing a smile as casually waving a hoof.

“Hey, he lives,” she said with a chuckle, then stopped. Her smile faded for a moment before returning, with a mischievous narrowing of her eyes. “And smiling, too. Did we get the wrong changeling?”

“Hah, hah,” he dryly replied, though his smile remained, and Cotton laughed softly.

“So,” she continued, levitating a pastry beside her. “I’m guessing this good mood has something to do with Spark’s little outing?”

“Maybe,” he replied, and didn’t even bother trying to hide his growing smile.

“Going to share what that’s all about?” she asked. “I didn’t get much from them. Sparky just woke me up, told me he’d be back this evening, and took off with Bigs. Haven’t seen him so happy and excited in a while. So what’s up?”

“He’s going back to Manechester,” he replied, waiting just long enough for Cotton to get a questioning look before continuing. “He’s flying back in Songbird.”

Her ears perked up, followed by a big grin. “Oh, cool! How’d you talk him into that?”

“I didn’t,” he said, shrugging. “ Not exactly. I just mentioned that I liked flying in it. He wanted to do something special with just the two of us, and he decided that sounded like a good idea.”

“Special?” Cotton echoed, her grin growing even more. The pastry dropped back to the table as she hopped up and bound over to him with a loud, high-pitched giggle, and wrapped him in a powerful hug. “Oh my goodness, you’re going on a date! This is so perfect! You two are going to be so cute together!”

Nictis grunted from within her tight grip. “Not a date,” was all he managed, though that at least got Cotton to release him.

“He got up before the sun to travel halfway across Equestria to bring an amazing one-of-a-kind machine back so he could spend some special time alone with you,” she chided. “It’s totally a date.”

“Manechester isn’t halfway across--oof!”

Cotton thumped him on the chest, smirking. “Bad Niccy, no technicalities. It’s a date.”

Nictis made a show of rubbing where she had hit him, though they both knew it hadn’t been hard enough to cause any harm. “It… might be a date,” he admitted, earning another enthusiastic giggle from Cotton. “But it might not,” he hastily added. “I… I just don’t want to go into this expecting too much.”

“Oh, come on,” she teased, sliding up beside him to slip a foreleg over his shoulders. “I saw how excited Sparks was. Show a little enthusiasm!”

“I am enthusiastic,” he said, softly smiling again. “I’m beyond happy that he’s even willing to consider me a friend, much less to do this. I just don’t want to get my hopes up too much. Even if he’s excited, I know he’s still nervous, too. I don’t want to push him too hard.”

Cotton leaned against him. “What, pushing harder than taking you on a romantic flight in a flying machine he named after you?”

“It’s not explicitly romantic,” he countered, though his smile grew a bit more, and she laughed.

“You are the most amazingly pessimistic individual I know,” she said through her laughs. Shaking her head, she removed the foreleg from around his shoulder to look at him more head-on. “It’s a date, it’s romantic, and the two of you are going to do great together. I mean, think about it. Sparks isn’t exactly the most outgoing of ponies, but he’s doing all of this for you? He’s got it all figured out.”

All the objections and worries echoed in the back of his mind, yet he found himself unable to resist the idiotic grin taking over his expression. Cotton giggled at the expression, then reached up to pat him firmly on the head. “Don’t worry, he’s a smart kid.”

“Kid?” he said, his grin turning into more of a smirk. “You know he’s about four years older than me, right?”

“Yes,” Cotton replied, speaking with a very prim-and-proper tone, “and you are very mature for your age.” She then broke out in giggles again. “Just, you know, trust him. He may not be some fancy Infiltrator, but he knows what he’s doing well enough.”

“I know,” he said, his expression relaxing to a soft smile once again. “I do trust him. I don’t know how tonight is going to turn out, and I don’t want to set my expectations too high, but…” His smile faded for a moment, then came back even stronger. “...But I haven’t felt so full of hope in a long, long time.”

Cotton smiled as she considered him for several seconds. Finally, she nodded. “Just tell me you’re not going to be worrying about it all day long, ‘kay?”

He found himself chuckling without really meaning to, and nodded back. “You know, I think I can do that.”

She leaned in, wrapping him in a tight hug. “Good,” she quietly said, holding him firmly for several seconds before releasing him again. “Now, I’ll bet you’ve probably got a pretty busy day ahead of yourself, don’t you? More ambasador-y stuff?”

“Something like that,” he replied. “Still quite a bit of negotiations to handle, and I think we’re finally getting through to Chrysalis. I’ll probably be busy with her for most of the day.”

It took him a moment to realize he’d said all that without the slightest hint of grumpiness. That realization was almost enough to make him frown in concern over the oddity of not dreading a day spent alongside Chrysalis.

But only almost.

“Well, I guess you’d better get going, then,” Cotton replied as she turned and flopped back down on the couch. “Sounds like you’ve got a big day ahead of you.” Then she waggled a hoof. “Oh, and all that negotiation stuff, too.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Thanks. And what about you?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” she said, plucking another pastry from the large tray. “I’m hooking up with Pinkie Pie in a bit, and we’ll probably be busy all day long.”

Nictis hesitated for a moment. “Busy with what?”

“Can’t tell you; it’s a surprise.” She punctuated the statement by popping the pastry into her mouth, grinning at him as she chewed.

He eventually shook his head. “Okay, then. Have fun.”

“Mmmhmm!”

He turned to head out, and was just opening the door when Cotton called out. “Hey, Nictis.”

Looking back over his shoulder, he asked, “Yeah?”

“It’s good to have you back.”

He paused, seeing the soft smile she was giving him. Behind it, he could feel the friendly affection, happiness, maybe even a hint of pride in him. It was a warm, comforting sensation that ran deep.

He couldn’t conjure up the words to properly reply to the display of emotions. Instead, he smiled softly and nodded.

Judging by the way her smile grew, and the pleased feeling from her, it was enough.

After shutting the door behind himself, he stepped up to the door directly across from his, and knocked. He got a response almost immediately, as Trip opened it with a questioning look that immediately turned to a smile and friendly recognition. “Hey, Nictis! Come on in!”

“Thank you,” he replied, stepping into the room as Trip held the door open with his magic. Skiris was seated nearby, looking up from his book to give Nictis a nod. Cara was lying on a couch further in the room, seemingly oblivious to them.

Nictis was about to speak when he sensed a concerning flash of amusement from Trip. The other changeling was smirking.

“Are you Sky, trying to play a trick on us?”

“No,” Nictis replied, his smile dropping away as he raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Why would you think that?”

The sense of amusement grew even stronger. “Because you were smiling for at least ten seconds straight.”

Nictis snorted, though it came out halfway to a laugh. “I can be in a good mood, too,” he said, his smile already returning.

“I don’t know,” Trip teased. “Seems a little suspicious to me.” The sense of suspicion, however, had already faded, and he gave up the act a moment later. “So what has you so happy?”

“Well,” he said, his smile returning, “Spark and I have plans for tonight.”

He almost chuckled at the flash of surprise that crossed Trip’s face. Then the other changeling laughed, suddenly leaping into the air with a buzz of wings. “All right, Nictis! I knew you could do it!”

“I didn’t,” Nictis said, bringing out a confused look from the hovering changeling. “Spark did,” he clarified. “It was his idea.”

“Even better!” Trip said, wobbling a bit in his excitement. Nearby, Skiris was looking up with a smile, quietly radiating happiness every bit as strong as his more excited friend. Trip buzzed over to perch atop the back of Skiris’s chair. “We should do something to celebrate! Where’s Pinkie Pie? She’s always throwing parties for stuff like this!”

“Sorry,” Nictis said. “She’s already busy. She has some big sur--”

He stopped, expression blank as he blinked a couple times. Then he groaned, raising a hoof to the bridge of his snout. “...She’s going to throw us a surprise party, isn’t she?” When Trip looked questioning again--although rather happy at the prospect of another Pinkie party--he added, “She’s been working with another friend of mine on some secret surprise project the last couple of days. I think we just figured out what it is.”

“The last couple of days,” Trip repeated, sounding awed by the thought, and grinned even more. “This is going to be the best party ever.”

Nictis snorted softly with laughter, letting his hoof return to the ground. Despite the concerns that rattled around in the back of his mind--mainly, “What if she overdoes it?”--he still smiled at the idea. Still, he couldn’t help expressing a little bit of caution. “I just hope she waits until we’re sure there’s something to celebrate.”

“Don’t worry!” Trip said, springboarding off the back of the chair to land with a buzz of wings beside Nictis. “There’ll be something to celebrate. You know it.”

All sorts of arguments flashed through his mind, but he paid them no attention. “Thanks,” was all he said, knowing the feeling of appreciation said more than his words could.

Trip chuckled, bouncing and buzzing his wings with each step as he skittered around in excitement. Skiris finally set his book down, smiling to Nictis while ignoring Trip’s antics. “So what brings you around? Just sharing the good news?”

“No,” Nictis said, then paused a moment before smiling again. “Well, yeah, maybe a little, but I also wanted to check up on all of you. I don’t really remember much from dinner last night.”

“Not much happened,” Skiris said with a shrug. “Except Celestia wants us to be nice to Chrysalis, I guess.”

“I guess she thought the same thing I did,” Nictis mused, and finally nodded. “Anyway, is everything good, here? Do you need help with anything?”

“No,” Skiris replied with a shake of his head. “Trip and I are doing well.”

Nictis caught the absence of Cara’s name in the statement, and the way Skiris inclined his head toward the other changeling. Nictis nodded slightly before walking to the back of the room.

Cara was lying on his back atop the couch, legs resting close against his body, hooves up, and Nictis saw then that the other changeling was floating a small green ball just above his chest. It was only as he approached that he saw that the ball was actually a lump of semi-congealed changeling spit. Cara was staring at it, his magic slowly rolling, squishing, and rounding the waxy substance with no discernable purpose.

“Hey,” Nictis quietly said as he approached. Cara blinked, looking over to him as if noticing him for the first time. “How are you doing? Is everything going well?”

“Oh,” Cara replied, then nodded, his attention turning back to the green lump. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Nictis watched him for a few moments, uncertain of what to make of the reaction. “So, what are you doing?” he cautiously asked.

Cara’s magic turned the lump of goo, rolling it into a ball again. “Oh, just… thinking.”

“Thinking about what?”

“Um…” Cara glanced over to Nictis, then back to the lump he was levitating. “Just… some stuff I’m trying to figure out.”

He could feel a faint appreciation from Cara over the concern, but also a growing embarrassment. Nictis nodded slowly. “Anything I could help with?”

The question was met with silence, the ball slowly rotating in Cara’s magic. “I don’t think so,” Cara finally said. “I think I need to work this out myself.”

“If you’re sure,” Nictis hesitantly said, knowing Cara could sense his concern. “Just remember, if you ever need to talk about something or need some help, we’re all here for you.”

A smile crossed Cara’s muzzle, appreciation touching Nictis’s senses. “Thanks.”

Nictis nodded and walked back, while Cara returned to staring at the ball, his magic pressing down to squeeze it into a flat circle.

“So,” Nictis said, “I’m guessing breakfast should be starting up soon. Are you all coming?”

“Of course!” Trip replied.

Skiris nodded. “Yes.”

Cara said nothing.

Nictis looked back, speaking again. “Cara?”

The other changeling blinked, looking over, but said nothing. Nictis added, “Are you coming to breakfast?”

“Oh!” Cara replied with a faint start. He looked around uncertainly, as if searching for something, then looked back to the green goo held in his magic. His horn glowed a bit more brightly, and the goo’s color rapidly darkened to a greenish-black as it solidified into a disk of hardened wax. Still holding it, he rolled off the couch and walked over. “Yeah, I’ll come.”

A few moments later, Nictis led the small group of changelings on towards breakfast.

Their procession halted almost as soon as it had begun; as soon as they started down the hall, they came across Rainbow Dash and Sky, who were holding a conversation in the doorway of Sky’s room. That conversation came to an abrupt halt as they both looked over to the oncoming group, a flash of embarrassment mirrored by an exchange of awkward glances.

Sky recovered before Nictis could even question their reaction, speaking up cheerfully. “Good morning!”

Nictis couldn’t help chuckling a little. The act might have convinced a pony, but the only pony there was the only one Sky wasn’t trying to fool.

Then Sky’s awkwardness turned to curiosity, and a few moments later, amusement. “Okay,” he said, slowly. “You’re not Skiris, since he’s standing right there, so who are you, and what have you done with Nictis?”

Nictis’s chuckle ended with a snort and a roll of his eyes. “Yeah, this is going to get old quick.”

Sky’s emotions instantly flashed to a feeling of regret, but Nictis smiled and cut off the imminent--and unnecessary--verbal apology. “Things are going well with Spark. We’ve even got plans tonight.”

Sky grinned, his ears perking up and all sense of regret forgotten. “That’s great! See, I told you not to worry so much.”

“It’s too early for that,” Nictis said. “It’s progress, but it’s not a sure thing.” Still, his smile grew. “It is nice to be able to feel a little more optimistic about things, though.”

“Just a little, hmm?” Sky teased, and Trip snickered quietly.

“Yes, just a little,” Nictis repeated, despite the happy buzz of excitement that urged his body to motion. He did his best to remain calm and controlled, only shuffling his wings a bit. “Anyway, right now I’m more curious what has you two acting so awkward.”

Sky’s head drew back, and he cast a quick glance to Rainbow Dash before looking to Nictis again. “Oh, uh, nothing much, really. Just… talking…”

Nictis allowed the silence to drag on for a couple seconds, simply smiling and staring at Sky.

Surprisingly, it was Rainbow who broke the silence. She drew in a deep breath, as if to steady herself, sighed, and spoke. “I was just apologizing for kinda ditching him last night.”

Sky was quick to counter her. “I told you, there wasn’t anything wrong. You didn’t ditch me.”

“Yeah, I did,” she grumbled, looking away for a moment. “I just got freaked out and ran away.” She huffed quietly, setting her jaw and standing a little taller. “Well, I’m not going to be the kind of pony who bails on her friends just because things get a little… awkward.”

Sky gave Nictis a quick glance; Nictis wasn’t sure if it was intended as a request for intervention, but he spoke anyway. “Awkward how?”

Rainbow’s stance weakened a little. “Uh… well, Sky kinda hugged me at dinner, last night. I mean, that’s okay and all, but everypony was staring--”

“They weren’t staring,” Sky said.

“--And I just took off.” Rainbow huffed, flicking her tail.

Nictis nodded. “So, you’re embarrassed to be seen together with Sky?”

“What?” Rainbow’s head jerked back like she’d been slapped, her wings spread high. “No!” Then she blinked. “I mean... yeah, that’s kinda-not-exactly why I freaked out and bolted, but then I realized just how dumb I was being. It’s not like Rarity and those stupid, mushy romance stories she’s always telling me about. There’s no sappy nonsense. Sky’s pretty awesome, I’m pretty awesome, so we’re just both being awesome together. If other ponies can’t see that, it’s just because they’re not awesome enough to see how awesome we are, so why should I care what they think?”

She grinned proudly at the end of her statement. A moment later the expression slipped as she cast a glance to Sky. “Did that make sense?”

“I agree with everything you just said,” Sky said, smiling slyly. “Especially the part where you called me pretty awesome.”

They both snickered, and Nictis smiled. For once, the subtle little shadow of envy didn’t creep into his thoughts. It was refreshing to just be happy for his friend.

It also made it quite a bit easier to help him out.

“Being awesome together, hmm?” Nictis said, smiling playfully. “Does that mean you two are officially a couple?”

A flash of panic crossed Rainbow’s features, wide-eyed, as if suddenly finding herself in the path of a runaway train. It lasted only a moment before she blinked it away and looked to Sky. No words were exchanged as she looked to his smiling face, but slowly her expression softened, and she smiled.

“Eh, you know what?” she said, turning back to Nictis as her smile turned to a defiant grin, and this time when her head drew back, it was to strike a proud pose. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.”

Beside her, Sky’s wings buzzed happily, and he hopped over to loop a leg around her shoulder and give a squeeze. To her credit, there was only the faintest of tensing and a subtle color to her cheeks at the gesture, and a moment later she draped a wing across his back.

“Finally,” Nictis said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, though he was still smiling. “If you took any longer, we’d have to start up a betting pool on when the two of you would finally admit it.”

Dash chuckled nervously, the color on her cheeks growing a little.

He considered this for a second before speaking again. “Still, I have to admit you figured it out a lot quicker than I did. I didn’t know anything about love when I first came here. I thought it was all sappy and mushy nonsense, too. It took me years to realize it wasn’t about that stuff.”

Sky chuckled. “I think you might have a slightly different viewpoint on love, Nictis.”

Nictis was surprised when his first response was to laugh. “True!” he said, his chuckles dying down to a soft smile. “But I think that’s given me a better picture of it as a whole. It’s all about being with someone you admire, who you enjoy being with. Someone where both of you are better for being with the other.” He shrugged. “Whether you spend that time being sappy or being awesome is up to the couple involved.”

“I think I’ll stick to being awesome,” Rainbow Dash said, flashing a grin. “It’s what I’m best at.”

She and Sky both chuckled at this, joined by a few of the listening changelings.

“Anyway,” Nictis said, “we should probably get going if we’re going to get to breakfast in time.”

Several voices were raised in agreement, and soon the procession of five changelings and one pony were making their way down the hall. Dash and Sky chatted back and forth, with the occasional interjection by one of the others changelings. Nictis mostly stayed quiet, but at least this time he was smiling in his silence.

Most of the ponies had already arrived by the time they entered. Greetings were exchanged, and most hurried to the available seats, lured by the glorious scents already wafting through the air.

Nictis, however, set his sights on Celestia. He stepped up to where she sat, stopped, and bowed. “Princess Celestia, I’m sorry for the short notice, but I was hoping that you might be willing to excuse me this evening.”

Her smile was as gentle as ever, but the focus of her emotions were radiant and beautiful, a soft pleasantness that defied any simple categorization. “Of course,” she said, without hesitation. “I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of such an important moment for you.”

He didn’t question how she knew. Of course she knew. Instead, he bowed his head a little lower. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

She nodded to him, and he rose, starting to turn away before another thought struck him. “...Also, I was wondering if there might be some place in the castle grounds where my friend might be able to land a flying machine. It’s a very small one, but there aren’t many good places to land within the city.”

Celestia opened her mouth to reply, but it was a different princess who spoke first.

“Wait, do you mean Spark Wheel’s machine? Songbird?” Princess Twilight Sparkle asked, her ears suddenly perked up and food forgotten.

Nictis hesitated, glancing back to Celestia, who merely smiled back at him. “Um, yes,” he said. “I do.”

His confirmation produced a grin from the young princess, who then immediately looked over to Celestia. “Could he use the Guard’s chariot landing? I’d love the opportunity to see Songbird first-hoof. I only know of a few heavier-than-air flying machines, and I hear Spark Wheel’s is the most advanced by far!”

Celestia nodded to her, and Nictis swore he could see a hint of amusement behind her smile. “I think that would be a wonderful idea,” she answered before turning back to him. “Let your friend know that he is welcome to land at the castle. I will make sure the Royal Guard is informed.”

Again, he bowed his head. “Thank you.”

“You are quite welcome,” she replied, with a soft, warm chuckle. He took the opportunity to bask one last time in the feel of her emotions--and then drew in the tiniest bit of them. Part of him still balked at the act, some primordial fear of this being that held such immense love and power within it. In some ways, it almost seemed disrespectful, not to mention the dangers of provoking such a powerful being. At the same time, though, she had offered them freely, knowing he was quite capable of feeding on them.

So he took in a tiny sliver of the immense bounty she offered, and hoped that his own emotions could ever be even a fraction as wonderful.

With a pleasantly full belly and a fresh dose of emotional energy--mostly thanks to Sky--Nictis practically pranced down the hall toward Chrysalis’s chambers. He might have plans for the evening, but there was still some work that could be done before then, and to tell the truth, he did need some way to pass the time. He was, of course, quite aware of the oddness of being in such a good mood while going to meet with her.

But to be quite honest, he simply didn’t care.

He nodded to Elytron as he approached the door, smiling. He must be dedicated, Nictis noted. I’ve hardly ever not seen him standing guard here. “Good morning,” Nictis said, ignoring the intense suspicion coming from the other changeling. “May I come in?”

Elytron considered him for a few moments, irritation growing. Finally, he nodded sharply, and opened the door. “Follow me,” he growled, and Nictis did so.

The increasingly packed front room was a veritable gauntlet of changelings who all seemed at a complete loss as to how to react to him. Where their questionably aligned status had tampered their feelings of disgust and irritation at his presence, the sight of him smiling, and his own lack of irritation or hostility, cast their reactions entirely into chaos. There were flashes of anger, confusion, curiosity, and disgust, all varying wildly in strength. There might have even been an undercurrent of more positive feelings, hidden somewhere under the rest of it all.

For his own part, he tried to keep his feelings as upbeat as possible. They’re not my enemy, he reminded himself. They are here for the good of the hive, as am I. I’m here to help them, they just don’t realize it yet. His gaze swept over the glares and looks of curiosity tracking him as he passed through the room, and as he waited at the door to Chrysalis’s room once Elytron had slipped inside.

Noling said anything, and after a few moments, most had returned to their own tasks. A few were maintaining their armor. Most were simply resting, having nothing better to do.

Finally Elytron emerged again, and motioned for him to enter.

Chrysalis’s room felt much more spacious for its lack of occupants, though her presence did much to make up for that. She was just standing as he entered, her gaze turning to him, and she came to a halt.

Her eyes narrowed faintly. “Did Celestia send some other changeling to me, today? I don’t remember Nictis being so cheery.”

His smile vanished instantly. “Yeah, this is getting really old,” he grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

“Ah,” Chrysalis said, smiling a cold smile. “That’s better.”

“For your information,” Nictis said, “I’m in a good mood because Spark and I are going on a date tonight.” He found his smile returning as he spoke, even though the irritation tried to linger. “And before you say anything, it was his idea.”

It was Chrysalis’s turn to roll her eyes. “I don’t need to hear about you playing with your food,” she said with a wave of her hoof. “Now then, I assume you’re here to show me to the negotiations, correct?”

Nictis sighed. “Yes.”

Chrysalis smiled as she walked past him to the door. “Then let’s stop this sentimental nonsense and get to work.”

A sharp reply rattled around in the back of Nictis’s mind, but with his mood it failed to find purchase. He turned to follow along beside her, and spoke in a more conversational tone. “I’d suggest not dismissing it as nonsense, Your Highness.” He caught the twitch of her ear and the sideways glance his way at the polite-sounding and seemingly non-sarcastic use of the honorific. There was a short pause as they passed through the doorway, before he continued. “If nothing else, it demonstrates what we have been telling you. It’s perfectly possible for changelings and ponies to coexist in a way that benefits both.”

“Yes, yes,” she replied. “Ponies are gullible and trusting. That’s hardly news.”

“Gullible,” Nictis echoed. “So you think I tricked him?”

Chrysalis cast a glare his way. “I think this pony you’re obsessed over is an idiot if he trusts a changeling who has happily betrayed and hurt him.”

Nictis nodded. “So you think he’s wrong?”

Chrysalis broke the glare with a sigh and another roll of her eyes. “So he’s a lucky idiot,” she growled, while Elytron fell in behind them with a pair of soldiers.

Nictis waited until their procession had exited into the hall before speaking again.

“I don’t think you understand ponies as well as you think.”

Chrysalis shot him a quick, unreadable glance, but said nothing.

“Ponies aren’t stupid,” Nictis said. “Especially not Spark. He isn’t blindly trusting my word that I’ve changed. He was hurt, so he was rightfully worried about me, but he’s seen me going well out of my way to make amends. He’s asked around, looking for any information that could help him make clear sense of the situation.”

“It wasn’t ignorance that’s convinced him to give me a chance,” he said, his smile returning.

“How touching,” Chrysalis dryly replied. “He’s still an idiot. At least you get something out of having the little walking buffet around. He’s going through all that for love he can’t even detect, much less feed on.” She snorted. “Ponies are such stupid creatures.”

Nictis looked to her, his smile fading away as he studied her expression. Finally, he spoke.

“Have you ever been loved?”

“Hah!” Chrysalis replied, a grin quickly growing. “In fact, I have. You might have even heard of it. Shining Armor’s love was the most delicious feast I’ve had in a long time, and I put it to far better use than Cadenza ever could.”

“No,” Nictis said with a shake of his head. “You may have fed on his love, but it was a love of Princess Cadance, not you. Have you ever been loved?”

She sighed quietly. “Fine. Yes, I have, by every changeling of the hive.” She cast a glance his way, smirking. “Well, every changeling who hasn’t ran away from their duties for their own selfish pursuits.”

“No,” Nictis repeated. “Admired, respected, maybe even held in awe, yes, but that’s not love. They may admire you for your position, but has anyone ever loved you for who you really are?”

“Who I really am?” Chrysalis repeated with clear amusement, her grin growing sharper. “When it comes to that, I’ve always found it better to be feared.”

He stared calmly back at her sharp-toothed grin. “I doubt you’d feel that way if you’d ever experienced what it’s actually like to be loved.”

Her grin grew, even as she looked away from him. “Then I am very glad I’ve never indulged in such nonsense.”

Nictis watched her in silence as they continued down the hall. Normally he might have scowled at her dismissal. Instead, despite her attitude, his good mood remained surprisingly intact.

“You know,” he said, a hint of a smile returning, “I almost can’t believe I’m going to say this, but... I hope that, someday, you find someone to love.”

He was unsurprised when she turned a look of distaste his way, as if he had suddenly turned into some raving maniac, but he just shrugged in response.

“You’ve spent far too long around these insipid ponies,” Chrysalis finally said. “I have no use for love, except as food. As much as I’d love to have some walking feedbags around for when I’m feeling like a snack, I don’t think you’ll find any ponies lining up for the job.” She followed the remark with a dry chuckle. “Well, not voluntarily.”

“I never said it had to be a pony,” Nictis noted. “Although, who knows? There are some rather strange ponies out there.” He paused. “You might have some luck there if you were less hostile to them. Other changelings have managed as much with less to offer.”

“Ah,” Chrysalis replied, once again fixing her glare on him. “I was wondering where you were going with this nonsense.” She shook her head before raising it proudly. “I may be willing to accept peace with these ponies, but I am not going to coddle the pathetic creatures. The only love I need is food, so you can stop wasting both of our time trying to convince me otherwise.”

“I would think you’d give me more credit than that. I know that deeply held beliefs take time to change, and I know better than to think I can change your views with a single short conversation.” He shrugged. “There is no ulterior motive, here. I’m just in a good mood and felt like being friendly.”

“Well, you can stop it,” Chrysalis said. “I hear enough about this friendship nonsense from Celestia. I have no use for friendship.”

“But ponies do,” Nictis pointed out. “And right now, Celestia is about one minor incident away from removing you from power and replacing you with someone who is willing to be a friend.”

Chrysalis growled, glaring straight ahead as she continued to walk. Nictis continued. “If you were to act more friendly, she’d likely give you more leeway. At the very least, she’d be less tempted to see you replaced.”

“She wouldn’t like what happens if she tried,” Chrysalis growled, though her expression slowly softened. “Still, I suppose you’re not entirely incorrect. I can play along for now.” She cast a sideways glance to him. “Just don’t get any ideas about playing matchmaker.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t even know where to start with that,” Nictis said. “Not to sound rude, but you’re kind of a hard sell. Sure, ‘rules her own kingdom’ and ‘great magical power’ are big pluses, not to mention the whole ‘can change into anything she wants’ bit, but the ‘hates all ponies, including you’ thing is probably a bit of a deal breaker for most.”

Chrysalis snorted softly. “Only ‘most?’”

Nictis shrugged. “Like I said, there are some strange ponies out there.”

Chrysalis laughed. Granted, it was more of a cold and superior laugh, but it was still a laugh. Nictis smiled, while focusing on not giving away any feeling of satisfaction at the reaction.

The laugh quickly died down, Chrysalis’s expression souring as she shook her head. “Enough of this nonsense. We have more important things to deal with, like catching Chittri.”

“That’s being taken care of,” Nictis said. “Not that there’s much to do right now. We’re in the quiet phase of counter-infiltration, digging up information and tracking down leads. Celestia has some very talented ponies working on that right now. She’s quickly running out of places to hide.”

It was an exaggeration, but only a small one.

“Wonderful,” Chrysalis dryly replied. “So what, exactly, am I supposed to help with?”

“For finding Chittri?” Nictis asked. “Nothing.”

“What?” Chrysalis snapped, glaring at him. “Then why am I wasting my time meeting with her?”

“Because Princess Celestia doesn’t want to waste any time, either. We’ll be continuing negotiations while her ponies track down Princess Chittri.”

“Oh, wonderful,” Chrysalis replied with a tired sigh. “This again.”

“Don’t worry,” Nictis said, smiling. “I think you might find this a little more interesting.”

“...So you can see from the individual efficiency comparisons, despite the initial setup and the need for maintenance, the use of carts and other hauling tools increases the per-pony--or per-changeling--hauling efficiency by an order of magnitude. Mining carts with rails are even better. You could accomplish all the hive’s transportation of goods with a tenth the number of workers or less.”

Twilight paused to push the sheet in front of Chrysalis, who set down the ones she was already holding to look at the new one. “Uh-huh.”

“In fact, the expectation is that you’d find similar improvements in most aspects of the hive,” Twilight continued, still smiling as she set down another sheet. “Mining, agriculture, maintenance. Proper tools and education will require some investment, but will result in being able to fill all the existing labor needs of the hive with a fraction of the workers.”

Chrysalis slowly nodded, eyes scanning across the page. “Uh-huh.”

“Better yet, these improvements should free up a substantial number of workers to focus on new industries.” Another sheet came down. “With the aid of materials and education from Equestria, the hive’s industry should be fully modernized and largely self-sufficient within a decade or so.”

Chrysalis continued to look over the sheet, her eyes remaining there even as she quietly asked, “And you are certain of this?”

Twilight nodded. “These predictions come from Lug Nut and Iron Bolt. They’re a couple of brilliant industrialists I met with to discuss plans for economic aid to the hive. They spent a lot of time going over the details to make their conclusions as accurate as possible. Between the changeling work ethic and versatility, they even noted that their estimates might be conservative.”

“Uh-huh,” Chrysalis replied again, eyes continuing to dart across the papers before her.

Nictis smirked as he watched the two talking in what was almost a friendly fashion.

Almost, though he knew better than to think of it quite so simply. Twilight had slipped back into what he recognized as her lecturing mode, which she seemed to engage in happily regardless of who she was lecturing. Chrysalis may have lost her condescending attitude once the predicted effects of Equestria’s assistance were detailed, but he could practically see the gears turning as her eyes darted across the pages before her, pages that detailed just how powerful the hive could be. No doubt she was imagining how large the hive could grow, and how many drones she could free up from other works to take up more militant occupations.

And all you have to do is let a swarm of ponies into the hive, he noted. Building up your infrastructure, working alongside your drones, maybe even feeding them with friendship…

He smiled a little at the thought, casting a glance to his side. Celestia sat back from the conversation, wearing a pleasant smile as she watched. She had stepped back to let Twilight take charge for this part of the negotiation. In fact, he was pretty sure he read a subtle hint of pride in her expression as she watched her protege at work.

A loud yawn from behind him drew his attention to Rainbow Dash, who finished up by spreading her wings and lifting off the ground. “Yeah, as fun as it is watching Twi go full egghead on somepony… well, it’s really not. We’re going to go flying.”

Sky chuckled and shook his head, but got up and excused himself, anyway.

Nictis drew in a deep breath and let it out again. Time to do this.

He stood as well, giving Celestia a quick nod. “Excuse me.” She nodded back, and he trotted after the retreating pair. “Wait a moment.”

They both stopped and looked back at him. Sky looked curious, but Rainbow let out a groan. “Oh, come on. Twi’s got this, we’re not even helping.”

Nictis quickly shook his head. “It’s not about that. I just have something I wanted to ask.” He looked to Sky, mouth opening, and then he stopped. For a second, he just stood there.

Finally, he lifted a hoof, poking Sky in the chest. “Okay, you don’t get to laugh at me for this.”

Sky blinked, cocking his head to the side. “Uh…”

“Either of you,” Nictis continued, gesturing toward Dash before turning his attention back to Sky. “Because I know you frequent the spa in Ponyville. In fact, you visit it so regularly that I expect you’ve found one in Canterlot for your many visits. That means there’s probably some spa here that’s at least familiar with taking care of changelings.”

Sky blinked again, a smile creeping onto his face. “And you want to know where it is?” he asked, a faint hint of humor in his voice mirroring the rapidly growing feeling Nictis could sense from him.

Nictis kept his response as neutral as possible. “Yes.” He also ignored Rainbow’s snickering.

Sky remained silent a moment longer, just to stretch out the moment, but finally answered. “Yeah, I know a place. Sunflower recommended it to me. It’s called ‘The Mane Event’, and it’s just two blocks up the street from her cafe.”

“Thanks,” Nictis said, his wings buzzing to life to lift his hooves off the ground. “I’m pretty sure I can find that.”

“Good luck,” Sky replied, the humor slowly fading, the feeling behind that smile quickly turning to happiness for him.

Nictis paused for a moment before returning the smile and a quick feeling of appreciation, then turned and flew off.

Four hours later, Nictis sat quietly beside a grand, open window overlooking the castle grounds, reading through a large folder of forms. It was busywork, really, just something to keep himself occupied. Subtle had some very talented ponies poring through all the records and paperwork already, ponies who knew much better what to look for, but it gave him some sense of helping. With the queen preoccupied with planning the hive’s future industrial development and no further sign of her wayward princess, there was little for him to do. That left him free to do whatever he wanted.

As much as he was looking forward to that freedom, he had eagerly taken up the task of double-checking the paperwork Subtle’s ponies were going over. It gave him something--anything!--to think of other than obsessing over the near future.

Occasionally, his attention would be drawn to his hoof or leg, and the fresh, glossy sheen. The spa ponies certainly did a good job, and seemed only the slightest bit surprised when it had been a different changeling walking in their door. While he’d probably never admit it to anyone else, there was something nice about the look. It was subtle enough, yet still satisfying. He hadn’t felt properly proud of his appearance in quite some time. Not since Meadow Song.

He focused even harder on the papers before him.

Eventually that focus faltered again, and he looked out over the skyline of Canterlot, the sun-warmed roofs and spires contrasting with the distant land far beyond and below them. A streak of rainbow color spiraled upwards from between a pair of towers, with a much more subtle black spot following in its wake. Dash and Sky had switched from racing to a display of aerobatics, where they were a little more closely matched. Sky wasn’t nearly as quick as her, but he was doing well enough at matching her stunts.

He watched as the pair of distant figures passed through loops and spins, occasionally pausing to meet up again before moving on to a new set of stunts. Nictis continued to watch, the papers momentarily forgotten. He couldn’t help smiling at the sight.

As the pair paused again, there was something different. Instead of the animated gestures, Rainbow Dash had gone still, a hoof lifted over her eyes to shade them from the sun. Something had caught her attention, and when she pointed one of her hooves, Nictis’s eyes followed it. For a moment he didn’t see anything.

Then he caught a faint glimmer of sunlight reflecting off metal, just above the horizon.

His heart beat hard in his chest, the prickling surge of excitement passing through his body. He flipped the folder shut, floating it over with his magic to set among the stack of other papers. “Subtle, I have to go.”

She looked over from the ponies she was speaking with, and flashed a smile. “Good luck.”

He returned the smile. Then his wings snapped up, his hooves pushed off from the balcony, and he flew toward the rapidly growing dot on the horizon.

Chapter 16: On Steel Wings

Chapter 16: On Steel Wings

Nictis banked around in a shallow climb. The whole way, his head was turned to track Songbird. The fiery orange vessel shone brightly in the afternoon sun as it soared through the sky, the nose pitching up as it bled off speed. Tightening his turn, he matched speed just as he came up alongside it. Spark’s goggled head tracked his movements the whole time, holding Songbird level as Nictis slid up beside it.

His hooves finally contacted the side of the vehicle, clinging to it while one leg hooked over the edge of the body beside Spark. The earth pony gave a flicker of concern, but to Nictis’s relief, was grinning. Nictis felt his own smile returning just at the sight of it, but he quickly returned to business. He pointed with a free hoof, calling out over the loud hum of the propellers. “We’ve got a landing spot cleared out for you in-town! Follow me!”

Wings buzzing again, he let go. With a short dive for speed, he pulled ahead, and a glance back showed him Songbird banking gently to follow.

He continued to glance back on occasion as he made his way toward the castle. Each glance showed that Spark was easily matching his maneuvers; while it might not have been precision formation flying, it was still impressive enough for a machine of that size.

They continued to slow as they approached the castle itself, and Nictis noted they were already drawing some attention. A fair number of pegasi were flying about, and quite a few of them paused at the sight of the odd flying machine. Some even flew over to it, trailing behind or circling around to get a better look. Before long, they were trailing a couple dozen curious onlookers.

As they rounded the outermost tower of the castle, the onlookers were joined by a pair of pegasus guards. The guards swooped down from their patrol and immediately fell into formation with Songbird, flanking the flying craft.

Just ahead lay a round, open terrace. Unlike many of the structures jutting out from the side of the castle and the city itself, it was a clear and unobstructed space, an open expanse of white marble with golden trim. There were a couple of the Guard’s chariots set to one side, and a good number of Royal Guards gathered about, though if they had been doing anything before, it had come to a halt at the sight of what was approaching.

Nictis continued to slow, gliding in at a shallow angle until he touched down at a casual trot. He continued on to the back edge of the terrace, making sure Spark had plenty of room. A pair of unicorn guards were already approaching him, but their attention was entirely on Songbird. They stopped beside him, seemingly content to simply watch for the moment.

As Songbird slowed, it turned slightly to the side. Spark made the final approach at an angle, his head leaning out over the rim of the fuselage to keep his eyes on the ground. The nose bobbed and the stubby wings wobbled as he made corrections. As it reached the center of the terrace, it wavered one final time, then eased down to the stone surface. There was a momentary grind of metal on stone as it came to a halt, and then the hum of the propellers quickly wound down.

The craft had hardly touched down before Nictis was trotting up, with the guards following at a more sedate pace. Spark was climbing out as he arrived, and paused to push his goggles up onto his helmet. “They’re really letting me park this at the castle?”

Nictis laughed. “Seems you’ve caught the attention of one of the princesses,” he said. “She seemed quite excited at the opportunity to see Songbird.”

“Oh,” Spark said, blinking a couple times.

“Don’t worry. It’s Princess Twilight Sparkle. You’ll probably like her.” He considered it for a moment before giving a faint chuckle. “She’s kind of a nerd when it comes to fancy science stuff.”

Sensing a sudden feeling of disapproving irritation from one of the guards behind him--but notably, only one--he turned his head to look back over his shoulder. “What? It’s true.”

Looking back again, he saw Spark looking at him with his head cocked slightly to the side and wearing a questioning expression, but with a faint smile and, best of all, a sense of happiness.

A grunt drew their attention back up to Songbird, where Bigs was climbing out from the rear seat. It was an awkward position, constricted by the root of the wings, and the stallion wobbled a little as he clambered over the back of the front seat and hopped down. He landed heavily, sighed, and slowly drew himself back up.

When he realized he was the center of attention, he gave a weak smile. “That was an… exciting ride, but I think I’m a bit happier with my hooves on solid ground for the moment.”

Spark looked down, thumping a hoof on the stone surface. “Does this really count? Aren’t we still hanging over a thousand-foot cliff?”

Bigs’s ear flicked at that, though he said, “Close enough.” The smile was already fading, especially as his eyes settled on Nictis.

“Excuse me.”

They all turned to look back at the pair of guards, one of which--a Sergeant, Nictis noted--was looking back and forth between an open scroll and, of all things, Nictis’s legs. The other guard spoke. “Sorry about this, sirs, but we need to perform a quick check for security purposes. Do any of you have any enchantments that might react poorly to dispelling magic?”

“Well that’s rather more polite,” Nictis noted before shaking his head like the others. As that guard began casting, Nictis glanced back to the one holding the scroll. “Mind if I ask what that is?”

The guard didn’t even pause in his examination as he spoke. “Came from your boss. It’s a brief description of known changelings and their identifying physical features, namely leg-holes. Guess someone figured it hardly did any good to keep changelings out of their disguises if half the Guard couldn’t tell you apart, anyway.”

Normally, Nictis would feel a combination of indignation and resignation at the reminder that some ponies somehow couldn’t readily tell changelings apart, but he instead found himself smirking. “I find a certain measure of irony in hearing that from a member of the Guard.”

The Sergeant didn’t reply, though there was a faint hint of amusement as the pony tucked his scroll back into his armor. A quick glance to his partner received an “all clear” nod, and he in turn nodded to them. “We’ll get out of your manes. The princesses have given permission to keep your craft here during your stay in Canterlot. Just make sure you don’t obstruct the Guard’s operations, and be careful of other ponies in the vicinity when you depart or return. You seem to have attracted several onlookers, and I’d rather not have any injuries.”

Spark was blushing faintly, ears pinned back. “Yes, sir,” he said, and looked back out over the edge of the platform where several curious pegasi were still flying by. The pair of guards turned and walked off, while Spark quietly said, “I kind of forgot how much attention this thing draws.”

“Well-earned attention,” Nictis said with a grin. “Your machine is pretty exceptional.”

Spark radiated a few whiffs of embarrassment, but he gave a weak smile as he looked back up at it. “I guess it is a little unusual.” His smile grew a little more as his eyes traced along the curve of the vehicle’s body. “Forgot how much I liked flying her, too.”

With a quick glance back to Bigs he added, “Sorry about that.”

Bigs just shook his head, though Nictis noted the motion was slightly stiff; his legs were still rather rigidly set, and he wobbled just a tiny bit as his head moved. “It’s fine. I’m just not used to how that thing moves.”

“Motion sickness?” Nictis asked, earning a flash of irritation and a sharp reply from the pony.

“I’m fine.”

“Sorry,” Nictis reflexively replied, his smile vanishing. For a moment, he’d managed to forget who he’d been talking to. Yet even with the reminder and the rising emotion, the good mood still held sway. “If it’s any consolation, I was terrified the first time I rode in it.”

Unfortunately, this earned a sudden surge of anger as Bigs glared back at him. “I wasn’t scared.”

Nictis nearly winced at the reply, with at least a little part of his pride stinging at having his intentions fail so notably. “Sorry,” he repeated; he allowed his ears to droop a bit, once again reminded of how much simpler it was to deal with other changelings. “I didn’t mean to imply…”

Bigs pointedly looked away, though the flared emotions were already fading, replaced instead with a feeling of suspicion. More interesting to Nictis, however, was the feeling lingering behind that: a sense of shame that wavered uncertainly in the background.

After a few moments, Bigs looked back, though his eyes avoided Nictis on their way to Spark. “I better get going if you’re going to get any flying done. Just don’t get into any trouble, okay?”

Spark quickly hid his questioning expression, replying with a smile. “Sure. See you later, then.”

Bigs turned away, eyes lingering on Nictis for only an instant--an instant Nictis read as “and don’t you cause any trouble”--before walking away.

Watching him go, Nictis remained silent. Despite the good mood, which still held strong, he found himself completely uncertain of what to say or do. The silence that followed was increasingly awkward.

Fortunately, it also didn’t last long. Spark broke the silence after only a few moments.

“You were scared of flying?”

Nictis blinked, looking back to Spark. There was no pain or accusation behind the words, merely a pure curiosity. Nictis could almost laugh at the unexpected course of the conversation, and even started to smile a little.

“Yeah, I was,” he said. “Not that it was a criticism of you. I trust you, and what you built. It’s just that I used to find Equestrian technology to be rather terrifying, at first.” He gave a weak, self-deprecating laugh. “Heck, the first time I encountered a train I had a minor existential crisis.”

Spark stared at him, blinking a couple time. “Really? A train?”

Nictis couldn’t help chuckling at that. “Yes, really. The hive doesn’t have anything like that, and at the time...” He halted, the smile slipping, but he forced himself to continue. “At the time, I still thought ponies were my enemy. A train was a massive, metal behemoth that could travel faster than I can gallop, and carry tons of material while doing so. It was so much beyond what the hive had, and ponies treated it so casually.” He shrugged. “It took a long time to get used to. The first time I rode in Songbird, I was still a bit uneasy around new machines.”

Spark considered that for a moment, looking off into space. “Probably didn’t help that the first flight crashed.”

Nictis snorted out an unexpected laugh, quickly raising a hoof to his snout. “If it’s any consolation, it was less scary than my first trip in an airship.”

Spark chuckled softly, probably amused at the idea of someone being scared of such a relatively mundane and sedate method of flying. Then the pony gestured to Nictis’s side. “But couldn’t you just fly to safety if something went wrong? You’ve got wings.”

The laugh died on Nictis’s lips. He looked back to his own wings, then slowly shook his head. “No,” he said, his voice subdued. Then he hesitated, ears perking up. “Actually, I… I don’t know.”

He sat down, frowning slightly as he thought, a hoof rising to brush against his compass. “...The first time I flew, no. I couldn’t. I had a duty to the hive, and that meant keeping our secrets. I couldn’t put my own life before my duty. After I turned away from the hive…”

He looked down to his compass, drawing in a deep breath and slowly letting it back out. He was still trying to find the right words when Spark spoke.

“You really would have died for your… duty?”

“Yes,” Nictis replied, quietly. “It’s just how changelings are. It’s how we’re raised. We’re taught to find worth in a purpose greater than ourselves.”

He would have continued, but Spark wasn’t paying attention any more. From the moment Nictis had said yes, a great anxiety had grown in the pony, eyes staring off at nothing, making quick little hops as if watching his own thoughts. For a moment, Nictis thought he had said something horribly wrong, but there was no sadness or proper fear in the reaction, just the powerful sense of anxiety; it wasn’t bad, just important.

Spark blinked a couple times and looked over to Nictis. For just a moment, his eyes seemed to be searching, but the expression quickly softened, with just a hint of a smile starting to form.

Then he blinked again, as if only now realizing Nictis could see his reaction this whole time. “Right!” he blurted, looking one way, then the other, and finally up to Songbird. “I need to do some maintenance,” he said, giving an awkward smile. “I mean, because we’re going flying. I need to check up on a few parts before we go flying. We’re still going flying, aren’t we?”

Despite the tension--or perhaps because of it--Nictis gave a soft chuckle. “I hope so.”

“Right,” Spark said with a nod, and started to climb up the flying machine. “Okay, I need to get to work, then. Shouldn’t take more than an hour to make sure everything’s working.”

“Can I help?”

Spark’s hoof slipped, though his other foreleg was hooked over the edge of the body and saved him from a fall. He looked back to Nictis with a surprised expression. “You want to help?”

Nictis smiled. “I always enjoyed working alongside you,” he said, his wings buzzing as he lifted up to land atop Songbird’s body and offered Spark a hoof. Spark looked at it for a second--a second Nictis spent contemplating how different the chitinous, hole-riddled leg must have seemed to him--before reaching out and taking it.

Hauling himself up, Spark stood atop the flying machine, and finally showed a smile again. “If you want to, sure.”

“I do,” Nictis replied, then gave a weak chuckle. “Even if my skills still haven’t gotten past passing tools and lifting heavy objects.”

To his delight, Spark chuckled at that. “I think we can still make that work,” he said, then gestured with his nose to the back of the vehicle. “Can you fetch the tool set from the back? I need to get these panels off so I can get at the transmission. Something was squeaking in the starboard drivetrain.”

“On it,” Nictis said with a grin, wings buzzing to life again as they both got to work.

Maintenance was done. The tools were securely strapped inside the rear fuselage. Nictis was securely strapped in as well, giving a few final tugs on the safety harness that held him in the rear seat. Just in front of him sat Spark, still radiating the happiness and affection that had been growing since they had gotten to work.

“Okay,” Spark called out, “hit the other one!”

Nictis glanced back again, his magic wrapping the second motor switch in an aura of green as he flipped it. The right-side motor hummed faintly as it came to life, quickly matching the tune of its twin.

Settling back into his seat, he called out. “Got it.” After a moment of consideration, he added, “Shouldn’t you set up something so you can do that from up there?”

“Eventually,” Spark called back. “It’s on the list of things to do, I just never got around to it. I never really needed it since you were always--”

Spark abruptly went silent. Nictis waited anxiously, automatically thinking up all the ways the conversation could turn bad, until Spark looked back over his shoulder. To Nictis’s relief, he was smiling, even if the expression was a little awkward. “...well, since you were always there.”

Nictis held his gaze, a grin quickly spreading across his face. Then Spark turned back to his controls; Nictis might have felt just a little bad about the rapidly rising embarrassment, if not for the happiness that came along with it.

“A-anyway,” Spark quickly said as he shook off the embarrassment, “you all ready to go?”

Nictis’s magic enveloped his own goggles, pulling them down from the front of the helmet and setting them in place over his eyes. Both items were the same ones that Spark had made for Meadow Song, and while they no longer fit quite so perfectly, they were still sufficient. “All strapped in and secure,” Nictis said before leaning around, looking back along the sides of the craft, and then straight upward. “We’re clear all around.”

“Okay,” Spark replied, and took a deep, calming breath. “Let’s do it.”

Nictis saw Spark’s shoulders shift against the straps as he moved the control levers, and the hum of the fans grew louder. Songbird lifted from the ground, gently pressing him down into his seat, and pitched forward. The wind slowly picked up as they gained speed, then banked around in a slow turn.

Canterlot had always seemed a little smaller from the air, but never quite as small as it did then. Even as Spark flew them around the great towers and terraces of the city, distance seemed to fall away. Everything felt small, except for Songbird and its pilot.

After they’d made a circuit around the city, Spark called back. “Everything good back there?”

“Yeah!” he replied, only then realizing that he was grinning.

A short distance away, a pair of pegasi had paused in their flight to watch the strange, orange machine buzzing through the sky. As Nictis looked around, he saw more and more pony faces tracking their flight.

He called out to Spark. “Looks like Songbird’s drawing a crowd again!”

In the front seat, Spark leaned over, peering over the edge to see the ponies looking up at them. Everywhere they looked, there were ponies stopping and looking out at them. Most paused for only a few moments before returning to what they were doing, but quite a few stayed and watched.

Nictis called out again. “What do you think? Should we give them a show?”

Spark looked back, and quickly grinned before settling back into his seat, shoulders jerking as he tugged on a couple straps. “You ready back there?”

Nictis’s hooves dropped to his sides. The proportions were all subtly off, and the seat and harness didn’t fit the same way it used to, but his hooves found their place exactly where he remembered. Gripping the frame, he called out, “Ready!”

“All right. Hang on!”

Songbird lurched to the side, the whole world rolling around him. An instant later he was thrown into his seat as the fans roared beside him, pushing him downward, only “down” was now “up.” The ground filled the view above him. The roar of the wind grew overpowering as they pitched downward, gaining speed at a tremendous rate until they were flying straight downward, paralleling one of the great waterfalls flowing from the city.

The turn continued, keeping him pinned in the seat as the flying machine continued to pitch up toward the horizon, and past it. Behind the deep roar of the fans and the creaking of the metal frame, Nictis could hear Spark letting out a growling grunt.

The moment they were pointed straight up, the turn stopped, and Spark’s grunt turned into a gasp as the weight lifted from their bodies. The fans’ roar turned to a softer hum as they tore upward past Canterlot’s ramparts like an arrow shot into the sky.

The wind died down as their speed faded. The force that had been pressing Nictis down into his seat started to slowly bring him up against the straps, his compass lifting up from his chest.

Spark laughed and cheered as their flight reached its peak, floating in a single instant of weightlessness, and Nictis joined him.

The late-evening sun sent glittering flashes of light through the sheet of water as Songbird took a graceful turn between the waterfall and the sheer cliff face behind it. As they flew out from beneath the castle, Spark entered a gentle climb, soaring up past the city once again.

Nictis slowly relaxed his grip again, though he kept his hooves in place. He sighed softly, a broad grin still plastered on his face. The aerobatics show had eventually given way to a slightly more relaxed--but hardly sedate--flight around the city and mountain, skimming the cliffs and tree-tops, and every moment of it had been wonderful.

It occurred to him that this might have been close to what Sky enjoyed so much about flying. Close, but so much more amazing.

In the front seat, Spark huffed out a sigh, and banked into a gentle, climbing turn. His head leaned to the side, peering over the edge at the side of the mountain they were flying up alongside, searching for something.

After several seconds, he tightened the turn, and Songbird’s nose slid around into a shallow dive. As they completed a slow, descending circle, Nictis finally saw what Spark had been looking for: a small, level clearing framed by trees and brush, on the slopes above Canterlot. Songbird wavered slightly from side to side as they lined up. They came in mostly level, slowing steadily until Songbird neatly settled down onto the uneven grass.

Spark looked around, waiting a moment before calling out, “Okay, shut it down.”

Nictis flipped the switches, and the hum of the motors quickly died down. He unbuckled himself and removed the goggles and helmet, and pulled himself up and out. His leg trembled slightly as he pushed against the frame, and it was only then that he realized he was still breathing harder than normal.

Jumping down from the front of the vehicle, Spark stumbled. He quickly shook himself off. “Whew. Yeah, it’s time for a bit of a break.”

“Sounds good to me,” Nictis said as he hopped down beside him. Even with a quick flutter of his wings to soften the landing, his legs wobbled a bit beneath him. “I forgot how exhausting all those aerobatics can be. I wasn’t even doing anything!”

Spark chuckled back at him. “Sorry about that. I might have gone a little overboard. I forgot how much fun it is to fly.”

“Nothing to apologize for,” Nictis replied with a chuckle. “It’s well worth it.”

Spark led the way to a nearby grassy mound and flopped down with a groan. He lay sprawled out, while Nictis sat much more neatly beside him.

As his breathing slowed, Spark’s eyes wandered to Nictis’s side. “...Did you like Songbird because it let you fly again?”

Nictis fanned his wings out, looking back at them. After a moment’s consideration, he shook his head. “No. Flying on my own is nice, but it’s really just a convenience. I could do almost everything it could with magic, and considerably more. When I had to choose one or the other, it was an easy choice. The only times I made use of a pegasus guise was for travel.” He inclined his head toward the resting machine. “I might not be scared of Equestrian technology any more, but it’s never lost that sense of awe. Your little flying machine is something amazing, even by Equestrian standards.”

Spark smiled, and lay back again.

They sat there, relaxing in a comfortable silence as the sun steadily made its way to the horizon.

When the sky started to darken, Spark finally pushed himself back up to a sitting position, watching the sunset.

The anxiety from earlier was beginning to mount, Nictis noted. It was slow at first, but it grew with every moment of silence. As the sun finally disappeared below the horizon and the moon rose to take its place in the starry sky, Spark opened his mouth to speak.

Then he shut it again, embarrassed, and awkwardly rubbed a hoof along his foreleg. He tried again a moment later, to no more success, and glanced nervously around the darkened clearing.

Nictis quietly watched Spark’s silent struggle for a moment before mentally bracing himself.

I really hope this isn’t a bad idea.

He raised his head, letting his magic flow up into his horn, and then let it pour out in a pale-green glow.

Spark went still, staring up at his horn. Nictis gave a soft smile that he hoped might look comforting, and Spark took it in for a moment before looking around the clearing, softly lit in the glow of changeling magic. Eventually, he gave a small smile.

“You know,” Spark said, his voice small but steady, “it’s actually not that creepy.”

A look of confusion crossed Nictis’s face for just a moment, before being replaced with a grin. Spark’s smile grew as well, and more significantly, the feelings of nervousness were diminished.

Spark looked away again as his smile faded, eyes returning to the faint glow on the horizon where the sun had disappeared. “I…” He hesitated, but having started, it was easier to continue. “I’m… glad we got to do this.”

Nictis nodded, but remained silent. Spark had been working up to more than that, he was sure.

Spark drew in a deep breath and sighed before continuing. “When I was suggesting doing something, I’d thought maybe walking around Canterlot, going to a restaurant, stuff like that.” His smile returned, soft and pleasant. “This was a lot better.”

“Yeah,” Nictis said, smiling and nodding again. “I like this a lot more.”

“Good,” Spark replied, with a little flare of happiness. “I really wanted this to be something special, because…”

He trailed off, embarrassment rising again, but he pushed through it. “...Because I know how… important all this is to you. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking on it, trying to work things out. I didn’t really get just how much it meant, but… I think I do, now.”

Another deep, steadying breath. “I know… I know that you really do care for me. That you really do love me. I…”

Spark looked down at his hooves, fidgeting with them, while the sense of anxiety grew even faster than before. “...I don’t know if I can feel the same way about you...”

An icy dagger sunk in Nictis’s gut, but he kept himself still against the sudden wave of fear and despair that threatened to well up. If not for the experience of an Infiltrator, he might have given in right there; instead, he focused on reason, on noting the implied “but” at the end of the statement…

...And on the flurry of nervous excitement, happiness, and affection flowing from Spark as he looked back with a smile. “...But I’d like to try.”

Nictis blinked. Then he blinked again, only his vision returned blurry. All the training and experience fell away like discarded armor as the tears came, and he wrapped Spark tightly in trembling limbs; there was no surge of fear as Spark embraced him in return, and Nictis wept softly in joy.

Then Spark nuzzled gently up along the edge of his jaw, and Nictis lost it. He choked out a loud, happy sob as he returned the nuzzles, holding himself close against Spark. The trembling only grew worse as he grinned in near-delirious joy and relief, blinking away tears.

In the periphery of his vision he caught a flicker of green flame.

His sob of joy turned into an anguished gasp as he tore away from Spark’s grip, spinning to face whatever threat might come and pouring more magic into his horn. Even with the clearing lit up as bright as day, he saw nothing.

Behind him, Spark had staggered back in surprise. “Nictis?”

Nictis didn’t dare turn away. Instead, he took a cautious step backward, until his tail brushed against Spark. Nictis risked a quick glance toward their landing spot. “Spark, get to Songbird, quickly.”

He could feel the surprise turning to alarm and fear. “N-Nictis?”

Nictis flinched, reflexively looking back, only to see the same pony that stood at the end of the alley, wearing the same expression of shock and fear. A shudder passed through him as he turned back to where he had seen the flame, heart pounding in his ears.

I’m scaring him again.

Fear, desperation, even anger threatened to rise up in him, but that one thought brought things into focus. All those emotions fell behind the icy calm of calculation.

He spoke again, his voice calm and firm. “There’s another changeling out there, and it’s not a friendly one. We need to get out of here.”

Spark hesitated, but the fear was no longer focused on him. There was still uncertainty, but as he turned to hurry toward Songbird, even that faded.

Nictis continued to back up, head swivelling around to scan for threats.

Nothing showed. There was no sound from the clearing except the faint rustle of wind in the leaves and Spark’s hooves clambering over the metal body of Songbird. Nictis continued to back up, keeping his horn charged and ready for the slightest threat, but still nothing came.

Songbird hummed to life, followed by the rustles and thumps of Spark climbing back to the front seat and the jingle of buckles. Moments later he felt the rush of air as the fans built up speed.

Spark called out. “Nictis, get in!”

“Go!” Nictis replied, still watching for danger. “I’ll follow you.”

“Nictis!”

He winced at the hint of pain and desperation, even as a little voice in the back of his head screamed at him: don’t leave him again!

He had turned and leaped into the air before he’d even consciously made the decision to move. Another part of his mind complained that he was leaving them vulnerable, that he should have insisted Spark go first, but he didn’t hesitate. A quick buzz of his wings lifted him atop Songbird, and he fell into the rear seat. “Go!”

There was only just enough time to grab onto the loose harness before the fans roared and he was pushed down into the seat. Moments later, he was thrown upward, catching glimpses of ground and sky at very unnatural angles as he clung to the harness, quickly reaching out with his magic to snatch the helmet that went tumbling out past him. The wind roared in his ears, and a moment later he was thrown against the seat again as Songbird shuddered, pulling up from the sudden, hard dive down the cliff face.

Nictis pulled himself around as soon as they leveled out and managed to slip the harness around himself. He finally let the built-up power in his horn disperse, the glow quickly fading. Peering back behind them, the cliffs receded into the darkness. There was nothing.

Then he caught the distant flicker of green fire tracing a circle, rising up, and collapsing in on itself until no trace of it remained.

Nictis slowly sat back, heaving a deep sigh as the tremble returned to his limbs. Adrenaline demanded action, but he sat there as still as possible, breathing deep, calming breaths.

They had already descended to the level of Canterlot before Spark began bleeding speed. Nictis gripped tightly as they came in to land, overshot, and then drifted back and wavered in a series of over-corrections before finally dropping to the ground. Nictis winced a little at the sound of metal grinding on stone and ignored the dirty look the nearby pair of guards directed their way.

In the front seat, Spark sat silently for several seconds before weakly raising his hooves and fumbling with his helmet. He slid it off, letting it fall to thump against the floor of the vehicle. “Uh… yeah, you can… you can turn it off, now.”

Nictis flicked the switches off as he stripped off his hastily donned harness, clambering up atop Songbird to peer into the front seat. Spark looked up at him, wobbling a bit, but to Nictis’s relief, gave a weak smile. There was no mistaking the exhaustion, now that the adrenaline had faded.

“Come on,” Nictis said with a soft smile, and offered his hoof. “Let’s get you down.”

Spark slowly undid his harness and shakily pushed himself up. “I can--”

His leg almost gave out from under him. He wavered for a moment, then sighed softly, nodding.

Nictis slid in, wrapping his forelegs around Spark’s barrel, and gently lifted him up. His wings carried the pair of them up from Songbird, drifting over to descend beside it.

By now, they had caught the attention of the nearby guards, who were walking over. “Is everything okay there?” one called out.

“I think so,” Nictis said as he lowered Spark to the ground. He landed beside Spark, to give the tired pony something to lean on.

The moment he did, Spark’s hoof came up and shoved him away.

Nictis staggered back in shock, only to switch to concern as Spark fell back against Songbird and heaved. After the first heave failed to produce anything, he heaved again, and then a third time, after which he coughed and finally spit up a bit of fluid.

Spark wobbled and sat down heavily, groaning. “Ugh. I don’t feel so good…”

Both the guard’s closed in. “Are you okay, sir? What’s wrong?” The other guard was silent, but Nictis caught the sudden surge of suspicion. He almost grimaced at that, but he could hardly blame him. Extreme exhaustion was the primary symptom of being fed upon too heavily by a changeling, it would likely be irresponsible to not suspect it. He might even suspect it himself, if he had allowed himself to feed on Spark at all.

The thought of another changeling feeding on him crossed his mind, but he couldn’t imagine any way that could have been done with him there the whole time.

No, this was something else. Was it a reaction to what had just happened? He’d known of other ponies who reacted poorly to fear and stress, but he’d never thought of Spark that way. After all, this was a pony who enjoyed pulling the occasional stunt in an experimental flying machine of his own design. For that matter, he’d seen Spark in situations that were at least as scary as this.

A moment later Nictis stopped, and slowly relaxed. “Spark, when was the last time you ate?”

Spark coughed and spit again, but paused at Nictis’s question, while the guards looked back and forth between the two. “Um… this morning, before I left for home.”

Nictis sighed, but gave a soft smile. Stepping in close, he reached out with his magic, helping Spark up to his hooves. “Come on, let’s get you to the kitchens.”

“I guess I could get something to eat,” Spark quietly replied as they started to walk. He staggered for a moment before catching himself, and finally leaned softly into Nictis’s side.

The guards had relaxed, and parted to let them through, though the one who had been speaking before stayed close. “Do you need any help there?”

“I think we’ll manage,” Nictis replied, and nodded to him. “Thank you.”

The guards both nodded in reply before returning to their posts, and Nictis and Spark continued on. As they walked, Nictis couldn’t help focusing on the feel of Spark’s coat brushing against him as he helped support the tired pony. The feel of the soft hair against smooth chitin was still strange, but he welcomed it.

A little part of him felt bad to be feeling happy while Spark was feeling so poorly, but he knew a quick bite to eat and a good rest would solve that.

Behind all that exhaustion, there was a lingering feeling of concern which Spark finally gave voice to. His words came slowly, weighed down with exhaustion. “...Did the other changeling want to hurt you because you left the hive?”

Nictis looked over to Spark, surprised. Spark felt concerned, yes, but it was concern for him. Slowly, he smiled, leaning his head in alongside Spark’s. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Maybe.”

The two of them continued on in silence for a while before Spark finally managed a reply. “That sucks.”

Nictis couldn’t help it; he chuckled, and gently nuzzled Spark’s cheek. “It’s okay,” he said. “I made the right choice.”

Spark didn’t say anything, but Nictis didn’t need him to. He could feel the sense of happiness those words brought.

Just an hour later, with their late-night meals disposed of, Spark was already seeming better. He was still tired, but there were no more bouts of nausea. He was walking fine, without needing to lean against Nictis for support.

Not that it kept him from walking close enough that his coat was regularly brushing against Nictis most of the way. He only backed off when a friendly nod from one of the castle maids kicked off a short bout of embarrassment, but it had faded again by the time they reached Nictis’s quarters.

“Okay,” Nictis said as they stopped before the door. “This time, I’m taking the couch. You get the bed.”

Spark was already shaking his head. “I’m not taking your bed.”

That just made Nictis chuckle. “Okay, first off, it’s not my bed, it’s the castle’s. I guess that means it’s technically Celestia’s bed. And second, you know I always win this argument.”

“Yeah,” Spark groaned, despite the smile that was creeping up on his face. “‘Cause you cheat.”

“Yep,” Nictis proudly replied, then shrugged. “I also grew up sleeping on bare rock, so a fancy couch is still on the luxurious side for me. I’ll be fine, but you seem like you could use a more comfortable night’s rest right now.”

Spark wavered for a moment, before finally sighing and nodding. “Okay, fine.”

Nictis opened the door, and the pair of them crept into the darkened room. He paused just long enough to snatch up a lamp in his magic, then they slipped into the bedroom.

The light from Nictis’s horn brightened again as he walked over to the nightstand, placing the lamp on it. A moment of concentration lit the wick, and he adjusted it to a faint, gentle glow, before letting the light from his horn die.

Spark was sitting on the edge of the bed when he had finished, quietly regarding him. Anxiety bubbled beneath the surface once again, but this time Spark cut it off by quickly speaking. “I’m sorry if I’m being a bit awkward about all this.”

Nictis gave a gentle smile. “It’s okay.”

“No, seriously,” Spark said, with surprising sincerity. “It’s just, I know… I know you’re the same. I know it’s…”

He trailed off as he failed to find the words he was looking for, eyes dropping to his hooves again. Finally he took a deep breath, looked up again, and spoke.

“It’s just that it can be hard to remember that it’s always been you. I know it, but when I look at you, there’s nothing that’s familiar. And then you say something, or do something, and… it’s Meadow. Like the kind of thing that’s kinda sorta almost sweet and sappy, but it isn’t really, because it’s just… nice.”

Nictis carefully sat beside him. “I’m sorry,” he said, and shook his head before Spark could counter him. “No, you have nothing to apologize for. All of this was my fault. I knew how you felt about me, but I was still too stubbornly paranoid to trust you with the truth when I should have known better. When everything came crumbling down, I ran away like a coward and left you alone. I love you more than anything else in the world, but then I left you to hurt alone because I was too afraid. You deserve so much more than I gave to you. I just hope that I can somehow make it up to you.”

Spark was silent for a moment, though he managed to surprise Nictis when a flicker of humor slipped up past the sadness. “...Yeah, like that.”

Nictis gave a single, soft chuckle, though the smile died almost immediately.

The silence stretched on for several seconds before Spark drew in a deep breath and let it out. Once again, the anxiety was rising. “Could I see Meadow one more time?”

Nictis looked to him, ears pinning back. Spark was looking back with a sad, pleading expression, and Nictis could feel his throat tighten a bit just at the sight of it. “...Are you sure?”

Spark nodded, nervousness peaking once again. Nictis sighed and mentally braced himself. He closed his eyes, focusing on the pony he had lived as for so long, and green flames rushed over him.

Meadow Song opened her eyes. She found Spark blinking against the flash of light, and offered a sad smile as their eyes met.

Spark had gone still, staring at her. His emotions were in a turmoil, but she could sense the feelings of sadness and loss as clear as day.

With a shaking hoof, Spark reached up. It moved close, hesitating as if uncertain that she was really there, and then closed that last little gap to touch her on the cheek. She leaned lightly into the touch, her soft coat brushing gently along his hoof.

Finally, it slipped away again. His gaze remained, slowly wandering across her features. He swallowed, speaking in a whisper. “Could you… say something?”

She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to say.

It was the only thing she could say.

“I love you.”

Spark trembled. Inside him, the turmoil flared up; happiness and sadness, affection and anger, hope and fear. He swallowed, blinking back tears. Finally, he nodded. “O-okay. Okay, you can turn back.”

Meadow nodded softly, and called up the flames of her magic once again.

When Nictis looked to Spark again, the warring emotions had mostly faded into the background. Spark was looking at him, only this time he was really looking. His eyes traced slowly and intently over Nictis’s features, and Nictis could only imagine how alien the sight must have been; the flickering lamplight reflecting on his glossy carapace, the long fangs, the sharp, curved horn, and those pupil-less eyes that almost seemed to glow in the darkness.

He took in all of those features, and the anxiety and fear continued to grow.

Then Spark drew in a deep breath, wrapped his forelegs around Nictis’s shoulders, and kissed him.

Caught off-guard, Nictis only barely kept himself from pulling back in surprise. He returned the kiss out of pure instinct for a moment, until his brain finally caught up again; with a surge of relief, he wrapped his own forelegs around Spark and held him close. The fear and anxiety he had sensed flowed away as they shared the kiss, until it had almost entirely vanished.

After several seconds, Spark broke the kiss. It wasn’t abrupt, like pulling away. He just tilted his head, and their lips slowly moved apart. They remained there, muzzles resting softly against each other as their eyes met once again.

Spark raised his hoof. It still trembled, but it didn’t hesitate as he touched Nictis’s cheek. He slowly ran the hoof back, gliding softly along the smooth carapace. Their chests pressed against each other with each breath, hair and chitin contrasting each other.

Nictis could feel Spark’s heart pounding away with each breath.

Finally, Spark let his hoof slide away, inching back a tiny bit. Nictis relaxed his hold, his forelegs sliding away. The silence that followed was a comforting, pleasant one, and both were smiling softly.

Finally, a bit of humor bubbled up in Spark. “The… teeth might take a while to get used to.”

Nicits chuckled, a hoof rising to stroke gently at Spark’s side. Humor was good.

The implication that he intended to take the time to get used to it was even better.

They remained there for a few minutes, until Spark finally let out a soft sigh, his muzzle drawing back a bit as they parted. He smiled, a hint of blush coloring his cheeks. “I should probably get to sleep.”

“Of course,” Nictis replied, sliding off the edge of the bed. He stroked his hoof along Spark’s side once more. “Sweet dreams.”

The blush grew a bit stronger. “You too.”

Finally, Nictis stepped away. He paused when he reached the door, savoring the feeling of happiness and affection, and looking back to catch Spark’s eyes one last time. Then he opened the door and stepped out.

As the doors shut behind him, he let out a soft, happy sigh before walking again.

He walked right past the couches. He was almost to the door out when he heard a rustle of cloth sliding back, followed by Big’s voice, quiet but firm.

“You want to tell me why Spark came back looking so drained?”

A small part of him wanted to be irritated at the suspicion leveled his way, but it was a tiny urge beside the happiness of the evening. “Because he’s been so caught up in what he was doing that he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since this morning.”

In the darkness, he saw Big’s eyes look off as he thought back. “Oh,” he finally replied, before lying down and pulling the blanket back over himself once again. The suspicion died off. In fact, there was just a touch of guilty embarrassment lingering in the aftermath.

Nictis hesitated. It was time to go see Subtle or one of her ponies, to pass on the knowledge of what had happened out on those mountain slopes, but that little voice was back.

After a moment of debate, he sighed. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

Bigs stirred to look back at him, suspicion returning rapidly, but Nictis cut him off before he even spoke. “Oh, no, I’m not even going to pretend that I like you. I don’t. But I know I was excessively harsh with you, before. I might have been able to say I didn’t know better at the time, but I do now, and I regret the way I handled things back then. So, I’m sorry.”

Bigs didn’t say anything. He simply stared at him in the darkness. Finally, he grunted and rolled over again. The irritation diminished slightly, though it still rumbled around in the background.

Probably the best I’m going to get, Nictis thought.

From another couch, Cotton’s voice quietly reached out. “So how was your date?”

Slowly, his grin returned. “...It was perfect.”

Chapter 17: Lost and Found

Chapter 17: Lost and Found

The early morning sun shone softly through the windows of Sky’s quarters, announcing the dawn of another day. He finished a long stretch and buzzed his wings for a moment to loosen up, then reached out with his magic to pick up his necklace. Slipping it on, so the cloud-shaped sapphire rested against his chest, he set off to begin the day.

He had only gotten to the door out of his chambers when he halted, looking down. Someone had slipped an envelope under the door. Picking it up, he found that it was unlabeled, and contained a single piece of folded paper within.

Unfolding that paper, he saw that it contained only two lines:

Sky and Nictis

143 Clover Lane

He frowned, turning the page over, but that was all the letter contained. He continued to read those lines a few more times before finally sighing. He hadn’t even left the room, and already things were getting interesting.

He stepped out the door and went straight to Nictis’s. The faint sound of talking leaked out past the door as he stepped up and knocked, and several seconds later the door opened to reveal the same energetic pink unicorn mare he’d met a few days before.

“Oh, hi!” Cotton Candy said, her eyes glancing down to his chest for an instant. “Counselor Sky, right? You must be here for Niccy.”

“Yeah,” he replied, a grin forming. “I’m here for Niccy.”

She giggled and opened the door all the way. “Come on in! We’re just hanging out and chatting, can always use some more company!”

Inside were a couple more ponies Sky hadn’t met before, but recognized immediately from Nictis’s stories. The big white stallion, at that moment casting a questioning look his way, was surely Big Shot. On the opposite couch sat a pony that could only be Spark Wheel. Dark-gray coat, fiery mane, golden eyes, and of course, the pair of gears for a cutie mark. Nictis had described the pony enough times that Sky probably would have probably immediately recognized him in a crowd of random strangers. It was even easier when he was sitting right next to Nictis.

And grinning, Sky noted. So was Nictis. It looked like a perfect happy moment, one he thought Nictis truly deserved, and he suddenly worried that he was about to disrupt that.

Nictis looked over, calling out, “Hey, Sky!” The grin was already fading, however, with a hint of concern; Sky may have been smiling, but the other changeling could tell something more was up. “Why do I have the feeling my day is about to be made a lot more complicated?”

Sky couldn’t help a dry chuckle. “Because you’re a clever changeling,” he said, floating the letter over. “Somepony slipped this under my door.”

Taking the letter in his magic, Nictis looked at it, and frowned. Then he continued looking at it, staring for many times longer than it actually took to read. “Yeah,” he dryly said. “This doesn’t sound at all like a trap.”

Spark’s grin had disappeared as well, and now his ears perked up alertly. “A trap? What?”

Sky, on the other hand, simply nodded. “It does seem rather suspicious.”

“Very,” Nictis said, still mulling over the letter. “Anything else?”

“Just the envelope it came in,” Sky said, floating it over. “Blank.”

Nictis took it in his magic and looked over it anyway, flipping it over and peering inside it.

Spark had leaned in beside Nictis. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “What’s it say?”

“It just has Sky and my names, followed by an address.” Nictis folded the letter and passed it and the envelope back to Sky.

Spark sat back, wearing a frown identical to Nictis’s. “...Think it’s the same changeling as last night?”

“That would be my guess,” Nictis replied. He even smiled a bit, probably in wry humor, Sky thought. “Especially since they tried the same thing with Sky, earlier.”

“The same--you were attacked?” Sky asked, stepping forward, and feeling rather unhappy that he only now heard about this.

Nictis must have noticed that feeling, as he returned a more comforting sensation in return. “No,” he said, “they never got that far.”

Spark leaned forward, wearing a look of concern as he addressed Nictis. “You’re not going, are you?”

“Sure I am,” Nictis replied. “Sky, myself…” He smiled. “And a few dozen Royal Guards.”

Sky watched silently as the pair looked to each other. There seemed to be a silent communication between Nictis’s soft smile and Spark’s worried expression. After a few moments, the worried look faded, and before long a hint of a smile started to appear.

Then Spark’s ears pinned back, a faint blush crossing his cheeks. “Just, uh, you know… be careful and all that.”

Nictis chuckled softly, reaching up to touch a hoof to Spark’s side; Sky found himself smiling at the sight. “Don’t worry,” Nictis said. “Hopefully we can deal with this and be back quickly. The negotiations with Chrysalis have mostly calmed down, so I’m hoping I can get some more free time.”

Spark was smiling quite broadly at that. “I’d like that.”

They hugged. There was no hesitation in their happy embrace. Sky wasn’t the only one smiling at the scene, either. Cotton Candy was sprawled lazily across a nearby chair, looking on with an almost giddy grin.

Big Shot’s expression was much more neutral, watching the pair of them as if he were evaluating the situation.

They exchanged gentle nuzzles and drew back, and Spark blushed again. Nictis chuckled softly, a hoof pressing comfortingly to Spark’s shoulder. “I’ll see you later, then.”

When Spark nodded, Nictis drew in a breath, sighed, and slid off the couch. The smile slipped away. “Okay, Sky. Let’s see what’s going wrong now.”

Sky managed to stay silent until they had exited into the hall. “Sooo… last night went well?”

The contemplative frown that had taken hold of Nictis’s expression melted away, a soft smile taking its place. “Yeah.”

Sky smiled a bit more as well, nudging Nictis’s shoulder with his own. “And to turn your own little question around on you, does that mean you two are officially a couple?”

He was answered with a soft snort of laughter and a surge of happiness from the other changeling. Nictis turned his head to smile to Sky. “Yeah, I think so.”

Sky grinned, wings lifting him up to give Nictis a tight hug as the other changeling continued walking. The feeling of Nictis’s happiness was wonderful, and he savored the rarely felt and well-deserved emotion.

Eventually Nictis playfully shoved back with his shoulder. “Okay, okay, enough,” he said, though the tone was lighthearted. “Let’s just find Subtle and get this taken care of so I can get back, all right?”

“Right!” Sky said as he let go of Nictis. He couldn’t help doing a quick loop before dropping to the ground again, walking with a distinct bounce to his step.

It was about two hours later when the pair of them stepped out of the small alley and onto Clover Lane. It had taken only a few minutes to find Subtle, but there had been so much to do afterward. Records were dug up, plans were made, and guards were briefed.

The house that had been the subject of so much planning and speculation lay just before them. It looked like an ordinary house, a simple little two-story building with all the usual flourishes of architecture a Canterlot house tended to have.

“So, what do you think is going to happen?” Sky asked, mostly so they weren’t walking in complete silence.

“Maybe we’ll find a nice pony that’s going to give us some useful information,” Nictis replied. “More likely, it’s a trap.”

A soft grunt sounded behind them, Golden Aegis’s only contribution to their conversation. Apart from the soft clinking of his armor, he followed in silence. He was the only member of the Guard accompanying them at the moment, but Sky knew that could change in an instant.

They turned off the street, walking up a short walkway that crossed the diminutive front lawn, and stepped up to the front door. Pausing, the pair of changelings considered the door for a long moment, before Nictis looked to Sky and inclined his head toward the door.

Sky sighed, reached up, and firmly knocked.

He jerked his hoof back and froze as the first knock pushed the door open several inches, creaking softly as it moved. After a couple seconds of silence, and a quick glance to Nictis, he reached out again and pushed on the door, slowly swinging it all the way open until they could see into the vacant entryway. Doorways led off to other rooms, and a staircase led up to the second floor. There was no sign or sound of any occupants.

Sky was considering calling out, but halted himself as Nictis took a step back. “Yeahhhh,” the other changeling quietly grumbled, then look to Golden Aegis, giving a quick nod.

Nodding in return, the Guard captain stepped back and gave a sharp motion with his hoof. Moments later, a dozen Guard members trotted around the corner, hustling to meet up with their captain. Above, a few armored ponies--and one armored changeling, Sky noted happily--flew past, taking station above the suspicious house.

As the lead ponies of the ground-bound Guard approached, Golden Aegis stepped off to the side to meet them, speaking in hushed tones. “Quick and quiet entry. Go loud on any contact.”

The three leading ponies nodded, turning back to pass the word along. Moments later they split into two groups. Four of the guards, the only ones bearing spears, stepped back to the center of the lawn and turned back-to-back, keeping eyes in every direction. The rest quickly lined up beside the door, shoulders-to-flank, silent except for the quiet clinking of metal when they touched.

Sky joined Nictis behind Golden Aegis, where he would hopefully be out of the way.

A few quick nods were exchanged, finishing with one from Golden Aegis. The moment he did, the line of ponies flowed into the house. The first half split off through one of the doorways, no doubt following a path planned out with the blueprints Subtle had dug up. The other half went up the stairway, disappearing out of sight above.

The four with spears moved, as well. The instant the last guard had passed through the doorway, the spear-bearer that had been facing the house turned and thumped a hoof twice on the flank of the pony behind him. Together, the four of them turned and moved into the house, fanning out in the entryway.

Golden Aegis stepped inside after them, and Sky cautiously followed.

Inside, it looked like a completely normal house. There were the usual decorations: a few empty vases, some houseplants, even a few framed photos, mostly showing the same pair of smiling unicorns.

The sudden thumping of hooves directly above him caused Sky to flinch back, baring his teeth, even reflexively pushing a bit of magic into his horn as he looked up. There was nothing to see, though, and the muffled thumps continued as the guards upstairs passed above them. The ones downstairs emerged from the opposite side they had disappeared, having completed their circuit of the house. The lead pony halted at the door below the stairs, and they lined up shoulder-to-flank once again.

The moment the last one was in position, the lead pony threw open the door, and they poured through it, descending into the basement.

The upstairs team was just starting back down the stairs, rather more relaxed than when they had gone up, when one of the unicorns that had gone downstairs returned, horn glowing.

“Sir, we’ve found a pony!”

Sky found it rather concerning how the unicorn’s eyes had flicked over to him and Nictis.

Whether Aegis noticed or not, he looked back to them as well. “Come on,” he said, then turned and followed the other guard.

Exchanging glances, Sky and Nictis followed.

The stairway down into the basement was narrow and dark, lit only by the horns of the unicorns leading the way. A small part of Sky almost expected the basement to be some dank and decrepit pit, but of course, it was dry, clean, and well-maintained, as was fitting for a home in Canterlot.

Reaching the end of the stairway, they emerged into the basement, and he immediately saw the pony they had found.

She was a tall, lean, and elegant-looking unicorn mare, reminiscent of Nictis’s favored disguise. Unlike Meadow Song, however, this pony had a pale white coat, and a cutie mark of three symbols that Sky couldn’t quite place. They looked somewhat like stylized half-peeled cobs of corn.

She was also suspended upside-down in a changeling cocoon.

Another unicorn guard was crouched beside the cocoon, horn lit as he examined the apparently unconscious mare. On seeing their arrival, he nodded to Golden Aegis. “She seems to be in good condition. No obvious injuries, and her lifesigns are stable.”

Golden Aegis nodded, and looked to Nictis. “Looks like this would be your area of expertise.”

Nictis’s ear flicked, and Sky thought he saw a hint of a grimace. “I’ve barely even seen a cocooned pony before,” Nictis replied as he stepped up to the cocoon. His eyes narrowed as he peered in at the pony inside. “Though I’m familiar with the basics. If she’s in good condition, she should be perfectly safe, but we should probably get her out. Especially if we want to figure out why we’re here.”

Aegis nodded again. “Do it.”

Nictis ducked his head, then brought it back up, stabbing his horn into the bottom edge of the cocoon. Fluid gushed out as he tore a hole in the clear membrane. He stepped back, muzzle dripping, as the pony sunk downward. Sky and the nearby guard added their magic to Nictis’s as they gently slid the pony through the hole, floating her away from the cocoon and the expanding puddle in the center of the room before gently setting her on the ground.

The unicorn guard who had examined her before crouched beside her again, quickly repeating his scans, while Nictis and Sky stood on her opposite side, watching.

She looked to be in good shape, if rather messy. Her coat was ragged and unkempt, while her matted mane lay plastered wetly to her side, and she was thoroughly soaked by the fluids she had been suspended in, but she appeared to be in good health.

“Will she wake up on her own?” Aegis asked, and Nictis nodded.

“Yes. How long it takes will depend on how long she’s been in the cocoon, and how deeply they put her under, but she should start regaining consciousness at any moment.” A couple seconds later he frowned, a flicker of magic wicking away the remaining fluid from his face before a much larger wave of green fire washed over him. Sky gave a questioning look when the flames revealed the form of Meadow Song.

“She was abducted by changelings,” Nictis said in his disguise’s soft, feminine voice. “She may not like waking to the sight of a couple changelings looming over her.”

Sky frowned, but he nodded. His own magic flared as he took the old, familiar disguise of an orange pegasus.

The unconscious pony took a breath, but halted halfway into it as a sudden fit of coughing racked her body. Nictis knelt down, gently rolling her to the side. The coughs soon turned to retches, the wet sound filling the room as more of the fluids drained from her mouth. Soon the retches turned to coughing again, which in turned died off as well. “She had to clear the fluids from her lungs,” Nictis explained, lifting his hooves from her shoulder as he sat back. “She should be waking up soon, though I can’t say how coherent she will be.”

The phlegmy sounds of her breathing slowly cleared up, until she was resting peacefully. That lasted only a second before one of her forelegs twitched, followed by a soft groan. After a few almost inaudible murmurs, her foreleg moved again, and her eyes cracked open.

Nictis placed a hoof gently on her shoulder, speaking in a soft, reassuring voice. “It’s time to wake up.”

Her barely-open eyes blinked repeatedly as her head lifted. Her eyes were open only just enough to see her unfocused gaze as she looked around. Finally she spoke, in a voice that likely would have been quite beautiful if not for being so weak and slurred. “Why… why is everypony in my bedroom?”

“It’s okay,” the unicorn guard helpfully said as he finished his scans. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

“I’m not worried,” she mumbled, head wobbling. Then Sky saw her eyes widen a bit, her legs tensing. “Why would I be worried?” She weakly demanded. “What should I be worried about?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Nictis cooed as he gently stroked a hoof along her shoulder. “You’ve just been asleep for a while.”

“Oh,” she replied, relaxing as she looked up at him, though she had difficulty focusing her eyes. Her expression turned confused. “Why am I wet and sticky?”

“We’ll get you cleaned up soon,” Nictis assured her.

“Oh,” she replied again. “Thank you.” She lifted a shaky hoof, blinking several times as she tried to focus on it. “I’m not bleeding, am I? Am I dying?”

Nictis smiled down at her. “No, you’re not.”

“Oh,” she said yet again. “Good.”

She let the hoof drop again as she looked slowly around. She stopped when she got to Sky, alternating between squinting and opening her eyes as much as she could, which admittedly, wasn’t much at the moment. Her expression turned to one of confusion as she studied his face as best she could, then his necklace, and finally his flank, before looking back to his face. “...Counselor Sky?”

Sky’s ears stood up in surprise. After exchanging a quick glance with Nictis, he nodded. “Yes… though I’m surprised you recognized me.”

She let her head fall back to the ground, raising a hoof to cover a yawn. “Oh, yes,” she blearily replied, giving a tired wave of her hoof. When she looked back, her eyes seemed a bit more focused, and her words weren’t slurred together quite as badly. “I make a point to know all the important ponies in Canterlot. Couldn’t… urgh.” She rubbed at her eyes a moment, groaning softly, before continuing. “I couldn’t get by in high society without knowing all the important names and faces, after all. Though I’m a little confused. Why are you… wearing your pony face?”

Sky gave an awkward smile. “Ah. We, uh… given the circumstances, we thought you might be uncomfortable waking up to a couple of changelings.”

“Nonsense,” she replied with another wave of her hoof. “Cepha has been around long enough that I am quite used to it.”

Cepha. That was a name Sky recognized. Cepha had moved to Canterlot to take up a job offered by one of Rarity’s friends, Fancy Pants. Suddenly, Sky knew who this mare was. “You must be Fleur de Lis.”

He also glanced back to her flank. So that’s what those look like.

“I am,” she replied with a weak smile. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Counselor Sky, though I would have preferred to meet you under different--” She stopped and looked around, blinking. “Actually, I’m not quite certain what the ‘circumstances’ are at the moment.”

Nictis reluctantly answered. “You had been put in a changeling cocoon. We just found and released you.”

Fleur’s ears perked up, and she blinked a few times as she processed the statement. She eventually raised a sodden hoof, peering at it. “...I suppose that explains this,” she said. Then her eyes widened as she planted her hooves on the floor, pushing herself up weakly. “Oh, my goodness, I’m sorry you had to see me in such a disgraceful state!”

Nicits and Sky both stepped in to help her to a sitting position, while reassuring her that it was perfectly okay. Once upright, she wobbled a little, but stayed up on her own, her blurry-eyed attention turned to Nictis. “You...” Her eyes dipped down to his necklace. “...must be Nictis.”

“I am,” he replied with a nod. Seeing that she was mostly stable, he stepped back, transforming back to his natural form. To her credit, Fleur didn’t flinch back at the flash of green flames, merely blinking some more at the brightness. She continued to stare at him for a few seconds before her attention slowly drifted away. After another moment of silence she shook her head, blinked, and looked down at herself, eyes widening again.

“No,” she said. “No, no. This will not do. I… I must fix this.” Her horn lit up, and Nictis moved in again, raising a hoof to her side.

“Easy,” he said, his tone gentle despite the complete change in voice. “You should be gentle with your magic until you’re fully recovered.”

“I have more than enough for this,” Fleur replied, attempting to wave off his concerns, though she aborted the gesture as the lack of support made her wobble further. Returning her hoof to the ground, she focused instead on her magic, the weak glow around her horn wavering significantly. Soon a shimmer appeared around her head, sweeping back over her body.

The change was dramatic, as all the moisture was wicked away and her hair quickly groomed in the magic’s wake. It was no professional job--Sky saw plenty of those during his spa trips--but it was a remarkable improvement.

“There, at least I’m somewhat presentable. That--” She wobbled further, groaning as her head drooped. “Oh. Oh my, that took more out of me than I expected. I… I may need to rest a moment.”

“Take your time,” Sky said, blinking in surprise at his own voice. He shed his disguise in a flash. “There, that’s better.”

Seeing that she was recovering nicely, Aegis stepped up and removed his helmet. “Missis Fleur de Lis,” he said as he bowed his head. “I am Captain Golden Aegis of Their Highnesses’ Royal Guard. Counselor Sky and Nictis are aiding in certain investigations, and I’m sure they will have some questions for you regarding what happened. For the moment, however, once you’ve recovered enough to travel, I would like to take you to Canterlot General, just as a precaution.”

“Of course, thank you,” she replied with a gentle smile, though her nodding head still wavered wearily. At least her gaze was more focused, and it quickly returned to looking around, finally settling on the deflated cocoon in the center of the room. “Where am I? And… how long was I in that… thing?”

“You’re still in Canterlot,” Sky told her, “in a house in the upper city. As for how long, we’re not certain.”

“A few days, most likely,” Nictis added. “Possibly a week.”

Sky noted he didn’t ask for recent events that might pin that time down. Apparently it wasn’t time for questions just yet.

“A few…” She blinked silently for a couple seconds before her eyes widened with a sudden intake of breath. “I must return home!” she declared, lurching up to her hooves. Her legs wobbled drunkenly, hooves sliding a bit on the damp floor. Both Sky and Aegis moved in to help before she could fall, but Sky was closer, stepping in close to her side to offer support. She mumbled a weak “Thank you” in reply as she leaned against him, and began the laborious process of walking.

The slick floor produced a few slips and skids, and the narrow staircase made for slow progress, but her weight steadily lifted from his shoulder as they made their way up. On reaching the entryway, she halted, weight lifting entirely as she stood on her own. She raised her head, eyes closed as she took a couple deep breaths, and opened them, her eyes focused once again. “Okay. Let us go.”

Her steps were slow and careful, but her legs were no longer wobbling whenever she put any weight on them. One hoof after the next, Fleur de Lis walked out the front door.

A small crowd had gathered a respectful distance back, undoubtedly drawn in by the sight of the Royal Guard raiding a house in their neighborhood. While not a main street, there were several dozen ponies curiously watching, with more passing by.

Sky saw Fleur de Lis’s jaw tense for just a moment before relaxing and putting on a pleasant smile.

As they made their way to the street, Golden Aegis called back. While a few of the guards remained at the house, the rest quickly fell into formation. A couple even moved forward to clear the way, though the thin crowd parted on its own, ponies murmuring among themselves.

Sky could feel a hint of embarrassment from Fleur, though she made no outward sign of it.

“Fleur de Lis!” A unicorn stepped out from the crowd. He was short of breath but trying to hide it, and held a notepad and pencil in his magic. “Quick Word, from the Canterlot Times. Can you tell us what’s happened here?”

“Oh, nothing to worry about,” she replied, turning her smile to him. Her tone was almost playful, with no sign of the fatigue that had filled her voice earlier. “I’d love to stay and talk all about it, but at the moment I want nothing more than to go home and rest. Perhaps we can talk later?”

“Any comment at all that might tell us what’s going on?” he pressed.

Golden Aegis took the opportunity to step in. “We can’t comment in too much detail, as this is part of an ongoing investigation. We believe Fleur de Lis was the intended victim of a crime, but I’m afraid that’s all we can say at the moment.” The murmurs intensified at the news, though there were no further interruptions. Quick Word simply scribbled in his pad for a moment before galloping off.

Once they had passed the crowd, Fleur’s smile vanished, a faint tingling of fear reaching Sky’s senses. Her pace picked up smoothly, and before long they were travelling at a brisk walk.

Fortunately, they didn’t have far to go. After only a few blocks, they approached the gate of a sizable estate. As Fleur’s magic opened it, she finally cast aside the pretense of elegance and broke into a trot. The sense of fear had grown stronger, and her eyes were wide, fixed on the front door of the large house.

Sky and Nictis stayed right on her heels, the guards hustling along after them.

Fleur threw open the front doors as she rushed in, calling out, “Fancy!”

The stallion in question turned from the housekeeper he had been talking with, and the smile on his face vanished as he looked between her and the Royal Guard escort, all quickly filing into the grand entryway. “Fleur? What’s wrong?”

She stepped forward, looking ready to run to him, but then halted again. “Fancy? Is it really you?”

With a confused expression, he approached. “Hmm? Of course it… is…” His eyes widened a bit, ears standing up alertly.

Golden Aegis stepped up. “Sir, I’d like to perform a simple dispelling, for everypony’s safety.”

Fancy Pants blinked a couple times at him before finally nodding. “Y-yes. Yes, of course.”

With a nod, Golden Aegis’s horn lit up, sending a faint flicker of magic across Fancy Pants. He followed up with a moment of consideration before turning the same spell on Fleur de Lis, to no more effect. Finally, he nodded.

With a relieved sigh, Fleur stepped forward, wrapping her forelegs tightly around a shocked Fancy Pants, who lifted a single foreleg to return the gesture with. He seemed too stunned to speak for a moment, but he finally managed. “What happened…?”

When Fleur didn’t speak up, Sky stepped forward. “We found her in a cocoon. She’d been abducted by a changeling we’re trying to track down.”

“A cocoon?” Fancy Pants repeated, then turned his head to Fleur. “You mean… it wasn’t you?”

Fleur shook her head, burying her muzzle against his neck, and with a relieved sigh Fancy Pants wrapped his other foreleg around her as well, the pair of them sitting as they hugged. “Oh… oh thank Celestia you’re okay. I’m sorry. I should have known something was wrong. I should have seen…”

They were gathering a crowd, once again. Several more household staff turned up, including the changeling Sky recognized as Cepha. Their eyes met for a moment, giving a little flash of friendly recognition before their attention returned to Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis. All of them looked concerned, though none approached the couple

The housekeeper Fancy had been talking to, a brown earth pony mare, went straight to Cepha. After whispering a few words, Cepha’s expression turned to one of shock, a hoof moving up to his mouth. That reaction caught the attention of several others, and after a bit of prompting, he turned and whispered to them, many of whom reacted in the same way.

When the pair finally parted, Fleur was smiling, and that was all it took for Fancy Pants to smile again, as well.

Nictis quietly spoke up. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping you could answer a few questions. They might help find the changeling responsible for this.”

Fleur quickly wiped a hoof across her cheek before nodding. “Yes. Yes, of course. I’d be quite happy to help.”

“In that case, do you have any idea when you were abducted?”

After a moment of consideration, she shook her head. “I don’t know. I think I remember… going to bed the night of Bell Toll’s gathering.”

“A week ago,” Fancy Pants said. “Of course.” He brushed a hoof along the side of her neck. “I’m so sorry, my dear. I should have known… no, I did know something was wrong, I just never imagined…”

“What was wrong?” Nictis asked.

Fancy was quiet for a moment, continuing to stroke gently along Fleur’s neck. “Fleur has always been such a lighthearted, playful, and utterly charming mare. She is the most delightful pony I have ever had the good fortune of knowing.” The couple shared a smile, until Fancy Pants reluctantly turned to Nictis, his expression growing more serious. “That… impostor… I knew there was something wrong. She knew just how to act, but there was something cold in there. It was subtle at first, but it was there.”

He sighed, shaking his head, and again looked to Fleur. “I am sorry, my dear. I feel so ashamed that I should mistake that impostor for you.”

Fleur leaned in, nuzzling into his neck. “No need for shame, dear.”

“If you don’t mind,” Nictis said, “what do you mean by ‘cold?’”

“At first, I thought she was just feeling down,” Fancy Pants replied, shaking his head. “Fleur’s always been friendly with everypony, but this Fleur… she was distant at times, mostly with the staff. Especially with Cepha.”

He glanced back to the changeling, who nodded faintly in return, before looking back to Nictis. “In fact, she voiced a few concerns about changelings that seemed particularly unusual, all things considered. They were always voiced in such mild ways, and she quickly retracted them, but it was enough to be concerning.”

He shook his head again. “It was all little stuff, here and there, but it was worrying. Other ponies were noticing, too.” He turned a smile to Fleur. “It’s such a relief to have you back.”

She giggled softly. “It’s a relief to be back.”

His expression softened, looking to her with a touch of concern. “You are well, then?”

“As well as can be expected for sleeping a whole week,” she replied as she rose, standing far more elegantly than she had before. “Although I must say,” she added with a playful smirk, “it was a far more exhausting experience than I would have expected.”

Fancy’s smile turned into a full grin at that, while she put on a mock-concerned expression. “Although I’ve missed a whole week of grooming and aerobics, and I’m sure I’m hopelessly out of touch for current events by now.”

“It has been an interesting week,” Fancy Pants said. A moment later he looked back to Sky, Nictis, and the squad of guards standing in his entryway. “Oh, dear.” He quickly stood, offering a smile. “I’m afraid I’m not being a very gracious host, am I? You’ve done so much for Fleur and myself, and here I am neglecting you.”

One of the servants, a dark-red unicorn stallion, quickly stepped up. “Sir, shall I bring refreshments for your guests?”

“Yes, thank you, Cherry. That would be excellent,” Fancy Pants said with a smile and a nod.

Cherry nodded, turned, and trotted off.

“Now then,” Fancy Pants said, looking over the small crowd gathered before him, “Words can not express just how much this means to me. I want to thank you, all of you, for finding and rescuing my wife. Fleur de Lis means everything to me. If there is ever anything I can do for any of you, you need merely ask.”

Fleur leaned in against his side, smiling. “And I, as well. Thank you all.”

“We were glad to help,” Golden Aegis replied. “The opportunity to aid the ponies of Equestria is what drew all of us to the Guard.”

“And that sort of dedication should be rewarded, I think,” Fancy Pants said with a grin. “Now, I imagine you have more questions you need to ask. Let us go to the sitting room; we may as well be comfortable while we do this, yes?”

A few more of the household staff were arriving, and Cherry made his return. He froze for a moment upon stepping into the hall, looking to the guards in surprise, then concern, before continuing toward Fancy Pants.

A chill passed through Sky at the same instant a buzzing of wings exploded beside him. He looked up to see Nictis shoot up into the air, a foreleg jabbing out toward the ponies before them. “Check all of them!” he shouted. “Sky! Chirrup! Thunder! Follow me!”

Sky was moving before Nicits had even said his name. In an instant they had blown past Cherry, passing through the doorway the startled pony had just stepped out of.

Nictis and Sky swerved and darted down the hallway, pausing just long enough to peer into a small storage room along the side of the hall before continuing on. They burst into the kitchen, the pair of armored Royal Guard fliers charging in after them.

Sky darted to the side and around an oven, while Nictis swept right over the large central table. They crossed paths again on the other side of the room, flying through the only other door and into a large pantry. Again they split, hurtling down different aisles, until they reached the door on the far side.

Nictis threw the door open with his magic, and the four of them flew out into the backyard of the estate.

Sky immediately pulled up, shooting up above the roof before pulling a tight loop into a hover. He quickly scanned all around, adrenaline pumping, his body demanding action. He was unsurprised when he found nothing suspicious. After a few moments he pitched back, pulling another loop to shoot straight down to Nictis.

As he pulled level, Thunder Chaser drew up close to the pair of them. “So, Niccy,” he asked, “was that what I think it was?”

“She was here!” Nictis growled. “She was right there, in a room with a dozen guards and two Infiltrators, and we didn’t have a clue!”

“Yeah,” Sky replied with a grimace. “But why?”

Nictis’s snarl disappeared, and after a moment’s consideration, he nodded. “Let’s get back to the others.”

At a much more relaxed pace, they returned the way they came. When they emerged again in the entry hall, the unicorns of the Guard were checking over the last of the household staff, who were talking anxiously among themselves.

Nictis flew over to Golden Aegis and landed beside him. “Apologies if I overstepped. I felt time was of the essence.”

Aegis nodded; he didn’t look pleased, but neither did he look upset. “I understand. We’ve been placed at Miss Tea’s disposal, and I understand that she has appointed you to act in her stead when she is absent.”

“All the same, I’ll try to avoid doing that in the future, if possible.”

Meanwhile, Sky approached the gathered ponies. He was just opening his mouth to speak when Cherry turned to him, urgently asking, “Was that a changeling?”

Sky shut his mouth, blinked, and opened it to reply, only to be cut off again.

“I mean, a different changeling,” Cherry clarified. “Because he looked just like Cepha, but when I arrived here, I found Cepha already waiting for me.”

Sky shut his mouth again, and simply stared at the pony for a couple seconds before replying. “Why don’t you just tell me what happened, um… Cherry, was it?”

“Yes,” the pony replied with a nod.

Nictis stepped up beside Sky, asking, “Do you have a last name?”

“Yes, of course I do,” Cherry replied with a tight frown.

After a moment, he added, “It’s Bouquet.”

“Cherry Bouquet,” Nictis said. “And what happened?”

“Cepha--that is, somepony who looked just like Cepha--came into the kitchen and told me that Fancy Pants wanted to speak with me right away in the entry hall.” He frowned again. “I hadn’t expected to see half the Royal Guard in here, or to be almost run over by a pair of angry changelings.”

Surprisingly, it was Cepha himself who responded, stepping up and placing a hoof gently on Cherry’s shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on them,” he said. “They were just trying to catch that other changeling. He’s probably the same one who abducted Fleur de Lis, after all.”

Cherry was silent for a moment, but finally nodded to Cepha. “Okay.” To Sky and Nictis, he continued, “Anyway, after talking to me, he continued on into the pantry. I didn’t consider why he might be going there, I just put down what I was doing and came out to see what Fancy Pants wanted.”

“Thank you,” Sky said, and Nictis nodded as well.

Several guards were trotting off in pairs as Sky and Nictis returned to Fancy Pants. The stallion greeted them with a smile, though they could feel the concern he was feeling. “I assume you must have some questions you wish to ask us?”

“We do,” Nictis said, and Fancy nodded.

“Come,” he said, indicating one of the large double doors leading out of the main hall. “Let’s sit and talk, while these fine ponies finish their search.

The room he led them was spacious, with several chairs, cushions, and couches. Bookcases lined three walls, interrupted by the occasional picture or statue, while the fourth was filled by large windows that looked out over the thin slice of city between them and the open sky beyond.

Fleur laid herself out on one of the couches, giving a good appearance of elegance, though nobody missed the faint, relieved sigh as she relaxed. “Nothing to worry about,” she assured them with a smile. “My legs took an entire week off, and they’re rather unhappy about going straight back to work. Nothing a bit of exercise won’t cure, I’m sure.”

The rest of them sat as Nictis addressed Fancy Pants. “You said the changeling who impersonated Fleur voiced unusual concerns about changelings. Could you clarify?”

“Yes, of course,” Fancy said. “That’s one thing that has me perplexed. She kept bringing up little concerns and doubts. She’d muse about the possibility of some changeling being a spy, or question if they were just being nice to coax out some food.”

Fancy gestured a hoof toward Nictis. “She always had something to say about you, any time your name came up in the news, and I’m afraid it was never favorable.” He shook his head. “It was particularly strange, since Fleur was the one who had encouraged me to hire on Cepha in the first place, and she had never once had a complaint of him.”

“Cepha’s been doing well, then?” Sky asked.

“Quite well,” Fancy replied. “I dare say he’s one of my better hires. I was a little reluctant to hire him, of course. It was nothing against his species, but a question of ability. Managing a mining team and managing a household staff are rather different jobs, after all. Still, it seems having a natural empath with an interest in keeping ponies happy can do wonders for morale. Merry Hearth left some big horseshoes to fill with her retirement, and he still has a fair bit to learn, but I couldn’t be happier with the results.”

Fleur chuckled softly. “I’ve dealt with many a show manager in the past. I know from experience just how much difference a bit of empathy can make.”

“You see?” Fancy said with a chuckle, though it faded quickly. “I really should have known something was wrong. Even Cepha came to me, worried that he’d done something to disappoint Fleur. When I asked her about it later… she didn’t say anything directly against him, but what she did say implied the same kinds of doubts.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “It simply doesn’t make sense to me. Why would a changeling impersonate my wife, and then try to convince me changelings were untrustworthy?”

“Chrysalis is upset with the number of changelings leaving the hive,” Nictis replied. “It seems she was trying to stem the tide by encouraging anti-changeling sentiments in Equestria.”

Fancy Pants frowned, considering that for a moment. “That strikes me as a rather backwards way of solving the problem.”

“I would have said ‘moronic,’ myself,” Nictis said. “But it fits with her worldview and her pride. Fortunately, the negotiations seem to have diverted her attention toward a much more satisfying solution.”

“Negotiations?” Fleur asked, cocking an eyebrow. “What’s this, now?”

Sky chuckled softly. “It’s been a busy week. We’re working out the final details of a peace agreement with Chrysalis. It’s mostly just hammering out the fine details, now, but it should benefit both Equestria and the hive.”

“Of course, Chrysalis is probably only going along with it because she sees it as a way to more power,” Nictis said with a faint grimace.

“I see,” Fleur de Lis said, looking off thoughtfully. “It appears I have some catching up to do.”

Nictis turned his attention back to Fancy Pants. “Well… I suppose the next step will be to go over everything this false Fleur de Lis did. Everywhere she went, what she did and who she talked with, all of that. The more we know about this changeling and what they were doing, the better.”

“That may take a while,” Fancy replied. “While the past week was not exceptional, we were still rather busy. Quite a few engagements and all.” He considered it for a few moments before smiling and rising to his hooves. “Let me bring Cepha in, and I will fetch us some parchment and quills. There’s quite a bit to go over, and I’ll be quite happy to record everything we can remember, if it might offer some opportunity to discover what this impostor is up to.”

“She’s playing us,” Nictis grumbled.

“Seems that way,” Subtle agreed from where she sat, perched on the edge of the large table. Nictis paced back and forth between her and where Sky sat on a cushion. The grand Canterlot Castle architecture made the large room feel particularly empty with only the three of them present. “The question is, why?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Nictis replied. He turned, finally coming to a halt. “She’s been fishing for reactions. She instigates a confrontation with Sky and Rainbow Dash, but then doesn’t attack--”

“She threw a table at us.”

“--She shows up at Spark and my outing but does nothing except let us know she was there, she sends Sky a letter leading us to a cocooned pony, and then sends a pony to us that she’d just been impersonating just to let us know she was there. I can only think of two reasons she’d do that.”

He sat, lifting a forehoof. “One, she’s trying to distract us from something. Not something immediate, since most of these events didn’t cause much disruption, but they could be attempts to throw us off her actual plan.”

“Eh, I doubt that,” Sky said. “Seems a bit reckless. If Dash or I had been a little quicker, we might have grabbed her, and it’s not like we had the slightest clue what she was doing before then.”

“And giving up Fleur de Lis seems to be giving up a strategic resource,” Subtle added. “Both a source of food and power, and a position alongside an influential pony. If she could guarantee some gain for it, I might see it as a possibility, but you just handed me a complete log of all her activities this week, thanks to this. This cost her, and I doubt any skilled Infiltrator would accept such a cost without getting something out of it.”

Sky smirked. “Well, we are going on Chrysalis’s word that she’s skilled.”

Nictis snorted softly in amusement before lowering his hoof to raise the other. “Two, our reactions were what she was after.”

Subtle silently nodded.

“Just to see how we reacted at the time?” Sky asked. “Because the only change that came outside of that has been the Royal Guard escorts Dash has been complaining about.”

“I understand she wasn’t terribly happy of that decision,” Subtle noted.

“She dubbed them the ‘no fun patrol’ and spent the entire evening losing them in the city,” Sky replied, grinning.

“I understand the guards weren’t too happy with the decision, either,” Subtle added with a matching grin. “I even hear some guards were considering using that job as a punishment for slacking pegasi.”

“Yes, Sky,” Nictis cut in, “I think it was to see our reaction. It’s the only thing that makes even partial sense to me, though I’m still not sure what that gets her.”

“Know your enemy,” Subtle said with a shrug.

“Yes,” Nictis said. “But what does she know from it? What was she looking for, and how does that help us?”

“Well,” Sky said, idly tapping a hoof on his knee, “she’s not just going after pony-and-changeling pairs, any more, but she’s still been targeting couples.”

Nictis frowned.

“Three times is looking like a pattern,” Subtle said, nodding.

“Yeah,” Nictis agreed. “Setting Fleur de Lis free didn’t, but it led directly into an encounter that did. Then again, there was a changeling involved there, too. He just wasn’t as centrally involved.”

“Hmm,” Subtle mused, as the room descended into silence. It only lasted a couple seconds before she suddenly spoke up again. “Oh! That reminds me, I tracked that letter you were given, Sky. Went through five different sets of hooves before we found where it started. Ends up, it was handed to one of the guards at the main gate by none other than Fleur de Lis herself.”

“Of course it was her,” Nictis grumbled.

Sky just shrugged. “It was probably too optimistic to expect anything more.”

“I know,” Nictis said. “What about the house we found her in?”

“Found out some more about the couple that owns it,” Subtle said. “They work for Fancy Pants, too, just not at his estate. They’re both on vacation to the Crystal Empire. Doubt there’s anything more there, but I sent a message north to make sure they’re okay.”

They went silent again. Nobody moved, all thinking away, until Subtle shrugged. “Well, we need more information, and it’s not going to magically show up just by wishing for it.” She lifted a thick stack of parchments. “You two go relax. I’ve got some reading to do. Some of these entries look promising.”

Sky’s ears perked up. “Think anything will lead to her?”

“Nah,” Subtle replied. “She had to know we’d learn all this, so she’s almost certainly distanced herself from anything we’d find. It won’t lead us to her, but it may tell us what she’s been doing.”

“And I get the impression it’s not going to be quite as simple as Chrysalis thinks it is.” Nictis sighed as he stood up. “Well, if that’s it… I think I’ll go see what Spark is up to. I was hoping I could spend some more time with him, and I doubt I’m going to be very productive sitting around, stewing on partial information.”

“Oh, yeah,” Subtle said. “If you wanted to get out of the castle for a while, you might be able to hook up with Skiris, Trip, and Cara. They arranged to head out to see the city and get some food. Guards are all ready and everything.”

“Maybe,” Nictis said, though he frowned a little. “I’m not sure that hanging out with a bunch of changelings is really what he’s looking for.” Still, he considered it. “Where were they planning on going?”

“Where else do visiting changelings go for food and drinks?” she replied with a grin and a gesture toward Sky.

“I really should ask Sunflower if I can get a cut of all the business I send her way,” Sky said, grinning. “Or maybe just a free drink.”

Nictis gave an amused snort. “Yeah. Maybe. I’ll see what Spark thinks.”

Sky chuckled, then looked back to Subtle. “Hey, speaking of which--”

“Last I checked, Rainbow Dash was listening to Twilight and Chrysalis hammer out the final details of the negotiations,” Subtle replied, still grinning. “And by ‘listening,’ I mean ‘annoying them with her snoring.’”

“Hah! Thanks, Subtle,” Sky said as he took to the air. “You’re kinda awesome.”

She chuckled and waved the stack of parchments. “You two go have fun. I’m going to get busy reading. So many secrets. And don’t you worry, I’ll give you a call if I come across anything juicy.”

They said goodbye, and the pair of changelings headed to the door, while Subtle turned her attention to the parchments. “Okay, princess. Let’s see what you’ve been up to.”

Chapter 18: Surprise

Chapter 18: Surprise

The walk to the Solstice Hall was short, and Sky arrived hardly a minute after leaving Subtle and Nictis. To his surprise, Glitterbug was not in the room with them. Instead, she was in the hall, sitting back against a wall, her papers and books laid out around her. She looked up from her journal as he approached, and paused in her writing to give a half-smile that lacked any happiness behind it.

“How come you’re out here?” Sky asked as he stepped up, halting just past the spread of books. “I’d think you’d be in there studying Chrysalis, still.”

“She threw me out,” Glitterbug replied with a sigh before rubbing her shoulder. “And I mean, literally threw me out. Well, more of a toss. She tossed me out of the room. Literally.”

Sky raised an eyebrow at that. “Seriously? I’m surprised Twilight let her do that.”

“I heard Princess Twilight yelling something at her before the doors shut. I don’t think she was very happy with it, either.”

Sky frowned, looking to the doors and the matched pair of pony and changeling guards standing impassively beside them. “Why did she throw you out, anyway?”

Glitterbug shrugged, turning her attention back to her journal. “I don’t know. It was going about as well as ever. You know, I ask a question, she growls and mutters and gives some bitter, sarcastic reply, repeat. I think she just doesn’t like me.”

Sky gave a short chuckle. “I don’t think she likes anyone.”

“I guess so,” she said. “Though at least she was tolerating me, before that. Got a good amount of information on the physiology and behavior of changeling queens and princesses. I just wish she would have answered me when I asked about changeling reproductive habits, instead of throwing me out. My studies are very incomplete on the subject.”

Sky tried his best to suppress his amusement with a hoof over his face, but the snickering rather ruined the attempt.

“Oh, what?” Glitterbug said with a hint of indignation. “I approached the subject with tact. It was a detached, scientific inquiry. It’s not as if I asked for a demonstration.”

The snicker turned into a snorted laugh, while Glitterbug frowned and glared at him. So did the nearby changeling guard, for that matter.

“Okay, okay,” Sky finally managed, setting his hoof down, though he was still grinning. “I was going to head in. You can come too. Chrysalis doesn’t have the authority to tell anyone where they can or can’t go in Celestia’s castle.”

“I’d like to give it a try,” she said, glancing over to the door and the glaring changeling beside it. “I’d just rather not get thrown again. Or tossed, for that matter.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” Sky said with a chuckle. “If Twilight yelled at her for doing it once, I don’t think she’ll tolerate Chrysalis doing it a second time.”

Glitterbug quickly gathered up her books and papers as she stood. She sighed as she did so, but Sky saw a bit of a grin returning.

Sky led the way, ignoring the glaring changeling guard. As they entered, he was surprised to see Chrysalis and Twilight both looking rather relaxed, while behind them, Spike sat with scroll and quill, scribbling away. The changeling queen was kicked back, taking a long sip from a large glass.

Lowering the glass, she looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking as if she were holding a casual conversation. “The most important would probably be Chara. She is in charge of overseeing my military.” She turned a cruel grin to Twilight, who appeared completely unfazed by it. “She has a special loathing for ponies that I find so delightful. It’s why I left her in charge of my hive while I was away. I knew she’d be ruthless in repaying you ponies for any treachery you might attempt. I’m sure she’ll be displeased with the idea of peace, but I expect she’ll appreciate what we gain from it.”

Sky caught Twilight’s eye, raising an eyebrow questioningly at Chrysalis’s cheerful tone. Twilight replied with a hint of a smile and shrug before returning her attention to the queen.

“Princess Indress will be the one most directly involved in all this. She organizes my workers. She’s a very practical sort, always focused on her duties. She’s never cared about politics or scheming, or really anything outside her work. Remind you of somepony?”

Twilight replied with a surprisingly calm smile. “Once upon a time, perhaps.”

“Uh-huh,” Chrysalis said, her smile disappearing when Twilight didn’t rise to her bait. “Anyway, she’ll be quite happy just seeing these predictions. She’s always been pestering me for more workers; this should please her. Hmm, though I may have to speak with Princess Cocoon about stepping up breeding.”

Twilight blinked. “Wait, seriously?” She gave Chrysalis a critical eye. “Princess Cocoon?”

“You try coming up with unique names for a few thousand spawn,” Chrysalis replied with a scowl. “I wasn’t feeling particularly creative that day, not that she’s ever complained of it.”

Sky made his way to the array of cushions set along one of the walls, and made himself comfortable beside Rainbow Dash. She, in turn, snorted and smacked her lips a couple times before snoring some more.

“Come to think of it,” Chrysalis continued, “she might be getting a bit of a promotion, so to speak. If these agreements bring as much improvement to my hive as you think they will, I’ll need to make some more princesses just for breeding purposes.”

“You make it sound so charming,” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes.

Chrysalis grinned and started to say something to Twilight, but cut herself off as Glitterbug set her books on the table. The pony gave the queen a cautious smile. “Well, since we seem to be talking about changeling breeding habits anyway--”

“No,” Chrysalis said with a groan, and was about to say something more--most likely something unpleasant and acidic, Sky thought--when Dash gave a particularly good snore and brought the conversation to a halt.

Sky reached out, nudging her lightly in the side. She responded with a muttering groan, rolling onto her side as if to protect the spot he’d touched. Finally, she nuzzled into the cushion before going still again, her snoring replaced with quiet, murmured breaths.

When he saw Twilight’s questioning look, he smiled and quietly replied, “Lots of post-flight naps.”

She smiled and nodded before turning back to Chrysalis. “Okay, I think we’ve let ourselves be distracted long enough. We still need to work out a lot of these details. I’m sure you’re concerned with how you’ll feed your growing hive, so perhaps we should start with finding an arrangement that gets your subjects the love they need to live, without harming Equestria’s subjects. I’ve had a few proposals worked out, and I think you’ll find these acceptable…”

Sky settled back as the princess and queen resumed their talks. It might not be the most interesting way to pass the time, but there was something nice in seeing progress being made.

Nictis took a long, deep breath, the cool wind softly washing over him, teasing at his ears and frill. He leaned forward, forelegs crossed atop the overlook wall, to look down into the valley far, far below. He took a short sip from the raspberry smoothie he had gotten from Sunflower’s Cafe. It was a bit of nostalgia; the same drink, the same view, and at least some of the same company. He would have felt guilty about trying to use that nostalgia as leverage, if it hadn’t been Spark who had guided him there.

Beside him, Spark did the same, though his hooves gripped the edge tightly in comparison to Nictis’s relaxed posture. He eyed the drop for a few seconds before inching back a bit, until his eyes were barely peeking over the edge. “Is it weird that I’m fine with heights when I’m flying, but this is kind of unnerving?”

“Nah,” Nictis said. “The mind is pretty bad about being logical with stuff like that. Having the perception of control makes things a lot easier to handle.”

Spark nodded thoughtfully, eyes slowly tracking along the river far below before eventually turning to Nictis. “I guess you know that stuff from your, um… Infiltrator training?”

Nictis’s ears immediately drooped. “Oh… yeah. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Spark quietly replied. “I mean, we can’t just pretend it’s not there.”

“Yeah,” Nictis agreed, though his expression sank further at it. “It just kind of makes things awkward.”

“Ehh.” Spark shrugged half-heartedly. “Kinda, I suppose, but… well, not really. It’s be a lot more awkward if we tried to avoid it, right?”

Nictis considered that for a moment before giving a single, soft chuckle, a smile slowly returning to his face. “Have I mentioned recently that I like how smart you are?”

That earned a short chuckle from Spark. “Besides, look on the bright side, right? I bet you’ve got a lot of stories you weren’t able to share before.”

“I actually shared a good number of them,” Nictis said. “I just had to change a few of the little details. But, yeah… I guess there’s still a lot I never told.”

Spark nodded. “I’d like to hear about it, some time.”

Nictis smiled, looking to Spark. “I’d be glad to, whenever you want. And… thank you, for giving me a second chance.”

Spark returned the smile. “Of course.”

With a soft sigh, Nictis returned to looking out over the valley below. “...All those times I said you were a better pony than me, they were all true. I really should have known to trust in you instead of running away.”

Spark’s smile faltered. “Nictis, you don’t have to apologize for that.”

There was a faint mix of nervousness and sadness coming from Spark, growing by the moment as he looked away. Nictis tried offering a faint smile. “But I want to. I shouldn’t have left you alone to deal with that. It wasn’t fair.”

“I told you to go.”

Nictis froze, staring back at Spark, whose ears had folded back. “That’s not…”

He went silent again when Spark turned back to him. “If I had told you to stay, would you?”

Silence was his only answer; Nictis tried to reply, but every time he started to find words, they died on his tongue.

Spark gave a weak smile. “You would have, wouldn’t you?”

Slowly, reluctantly, Nictis nodded, but a weight grew in his stomach. “...Are you giving me another chance because you feel guilty?”

“No,” Spark replied. “There was a period where I blamed myself for what happened, but I got over that.” The feelings of turmoil were quickly fading, replaced by a soft glow of affection. “No, I’m giving us a second chance because I think you deserve it, and the more I get to know you, the more I like you.”

Spark scooted closer, leaning gently into Nictis’s side. “So how about we just say mistakes were made, and move on from there?”

Nictis looked over to Spark’s smiling face. It took only a moment before he was smiling as well, and he leaned in to rest his head gently beside Spark’s. “You really are a good pony, Spark.”

“You too,” Spark softly murmured, nuzzling gently. “Or… you know what I mean.”

Nictis just chuckled.

“Well, looks like you two love-bugs are doing well!”

Spark jumped slightly, ears pinning back and cheeks flushing as he looked over to Trip. The changeling was walking casually atop the overlook wall with a carefree grin, his own drink floating alongside him.

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Spark quickly replied, blushing further, though he leaned into Nictis’s side once more.

“Never mind him,” Skiris said, showing a hint of a smirk. He walked alongside Trip, taking the much more mundane option of walking on the street. “He gets a bit silly when he’s had too much sugar.”

“That wasn’t even silly,” Trip protested. He quickly took a sip of his drink before declaring, “This is silly!” and falling off the wall.

Spark jerked in surprise as the changeling dropped out of sight, but a moment later Trip looped back up and landed atop the wall again. He grinned. “See?”

Nictis, however, noticed the grin looked somewhat forced, and his eyes shifted to the other changeling’s cup as Trip took another sip. “And I see you even managed to save some of your drink.”

“Yep,” Trip replied, hopping down from the wall. “...I didn’t really think that one through all the way.”

“Hence, silly,” Skiris dryly noted before floating his own cup over. “You want some of mine?”

That earned a happy chirp of thanks as Trip slipped in alongside him, giving a quick, affectionate nuzzle, before snatching the straw in his mouth and taking a long draw.

“Hey!” Skiris objected, any outrage muffled under his laugh. “I said some, not all!”

Trip relented, skipping a few steps away. “All is some,” he retorted with a chuckle, and turned to Nictis. “Isn’t that right, oh expert of all things words?”

Nictis gave a dry chuckle, rolling his eyes. “Technically, he is correct.”

“See?” Trip replied, turning back to Skiris, only to be met with the sound of a straw slurping in an emptied cup.

Skiris just grinned around the straw.

“Oh, that’s no fair!” Trip laughed.

Nictis could feel Spark chuckling silently beside him, and he smiled as well.

“You can always ask Cara if he’ll share,” Skiris said. “He’s hardly touched his.”

Nictis looked the other way, where the two quieter members of the group waited. Cara was sitting on his haunches, not noticing the attention as he remained focused on the chunk of dried wax he’d been carrying around. Every now and then his horn would light a bit brighter as he burned away a bit of it. The result was a misshapen lump of wax in the rough shape of a very fat X.

At least it kept him distracted from all the ponies around him. He was much more calm than his last outing into the city.

Just past Cara stood Bigs, who had quietly insisted on coming along, but had said almost nothing the whole time. Nictis still wasn’t sure what to think of it. He wasn’t feeling any hostility or suspicion, but Bigs was still there, keeping a wary eye on things.

“Eh, I’m good,” Trip said with a shrug, and downed the scant remains of his own drink. “So, what’s the plan now? Back to the castle before it rains?”

Nictis looked up, where scattered teams of pegasi were pushing around a few light clouds. “The showers aren’t scheduled until after sunset,” he said, leaning over to give Spark a gentle nuzzle. It just felt like the right thing to do, for some reason. Spark even leaned into it, though Nictis thought he might be blushing a little more.

“Still,” he said, “I suppose I should go check in and see if anything’s come up.”

“Let’s go, then!” Trip called out, hopping over the pair with a buzz of his wings. Landing on the opposite side, he grinned. “You said you were going to show us that flying machine of yours, right?”

“Sure!” Spark replied, and they all started to make their way back to the castle.

Skiris took a minor detour to nudge Cara and break him from his concentration before he got left behind.

Walking along the winding, busy streets of Canterlot, Nictis noted that there was one rather nice benefit of changelings being on everypony’s mind, lately. Few ponies made any note of the small group of changelings walking down the street. It was becoming normal. Sure, there were a few glances and feelings of concern or suspicion, even the rare sensation of anger or fear, but they were much less frequent than they had been.

Either that, or the difference in his mood was altering his perception, but he didn’t particularly care at the moment.

As they approached the castle, the soft clinking of their escorts’ armor drew closer. The guards had been content to trail from a reasonable distance and stay out of the way, but now they were closing ranks, and two of the four moved ahead to lead the way. Any questions Nictis had as to the reason behind the change in behavior became rapidly apparent as the gate came into view; a small crowd was gathered to the side, their attention focused on a makeshift stage and its occupant, Rabble Rouser.

Nictis suppressed a sigh, though he noted that the crowd was much smaller than the last one the stallion had attracted.

They were almost to the gate itself when Rabble Rouser noticed them. “Like that one!” he called out, the eyes of the crowd following his pointing hoof. “A professional liar and rampant thief, one who has nearly killed multiple ponies and subjected an orphan to years of abuse.”

Nictis put on a mask of calm, refusing to show any reaction. It was difficult, the heat of anger threatening to send a tremble down his limbs, but he held. He had the training and experience for it.

Spark, however, did not. He raised his head to angrily shout past Nictis. “Hey! You shut up!”

Nictis had to turn away from Rabble Rouser to hide his smirk. Sure, it might not be the most constructive comment to add, but it was immensely satisfying. Still, he quietly murmured, “Spark, don’t bother with him.”

“See?” Rabble Rouser called out to the crowd. “Even after years of abuse, he’s still tricked that poor colt into thinking he cares. How can we trust something like that?”

His rhetoric was getting more extreme, Nictis noted. Judging from the number of ponies murmuring in discontent and even walking away from the gathering, the crowd had noticed too.

Spark had lowered his head again, speaking to Nictis in the same quiet volume he had used. “Shouldn’t we say something? I mean, aren’t you supposed to be trained for all that talky stuff?”

“Yeah,” Nictis said, giving a small, uneven smile. “I was trained to treat conversations like a battle, and in any battle, you have to recognize when not to fight.”

Rabble Rouser continued to speak, but the view of him was abruptly blocked out by a white coat. It wasn’t one of the guards, however. Bigs had stepped up between him and Rabble Rouser. The pony walked along beside them, his eyes fixed forward.

“Still seems like we should say something,” Spark grumbled.

“The first rule of any battle,” Nictis replied, “is to never fight on someone else’s terms.”

They finally passed through the gate and out of sight of the crowd, while Spark looked at him in consideration. Finally, he nodded. “Okay. I guess you know what you’re talking about.” He looked ahead again, though a moment later he blinked and quickly added, “I hope that didn’t sound bad. I didn’t mean it that way.”

Nictis chuckled faintly, and offered a smile. “It’s okay.”

Soon it was time to part ways once again. “I’m going to go check in with the princesses,” Nictis said, stopping to face Spark. “I might be busy for a while, but hopefully I’ll be able to catch up with you soon.”

“I’ll probably be out at that Guard landing,” Spark said with a grin. “They want to see Songbird, so we’ll probably be there for a while.”

“Hopefully I’ll see you there,” Nictis said. “Just don’t wait too long for me. I don’t know how long this will take.”

“Okay,” Spark replied. His ears flicked backwards, and he shuffled his hooves. Then he quickly leaned in and placed a kiss on Nictis’s nose. “See you later!”

Spark turned and retreated with the small following of changelings, his cheeks burning red.

Nictis remained standing there as Spark left, a soft smile on his face as he watched the pony go. It was so nice to see Spark happy, but he couldn’t help worrying a bit. Spark wasn’t a very outgoing pony, but he was putting in quite the effort. Is he trying to compensate for feelings of guilt? Nictis pondered. Or is he playing it up to try to convince himself? Is he trying to make up for lost time, or clinging on out of a fear of loss? Or… am I just worrying too much again?

He kept mulling over those thoughts, well after his smile had faded. He didn’t like the worry, but he couldn’t entirely help it where Spark was concerned.

It also helped to distract him from the white stallion who still stood silently beside him.

Eventually that silence was broken by a sigh, and Bigs turned his head. “Nictis.” When he turned to face the pony, Bigs took a slow breath and spoke again. “Just… don’t mess this up.”

Nictis slowly nodded, and Bigs turned away, walking after Spark.

After a few steps, Nictis called out. “Bigs.”

The stallion halted, looking back over his shoulder.

“Thank you,” Nictis said. “For looking after him.”

Big Shot considered him for a moment before nodding, and continued on his way.

With a sigh, Nictis turned as well, heading off in search of Miss Tea.

Negotiations had, evidently, been fruitful. Nictis shifted atop his cushion, mentally insisting that it was due to being uncomfortable rather than impatient. As glad as he was that negotiations were going well, Princess Twilight Sparkle seemed almost ecstatic about it, and had wasted no effort to share every bit of that good news with all of them. He could sympathize with her a bit, as it was her first major, soon-to-be-successful treaty with a (debatably) major power, though he’d sympathize a bit more if it hadn’t taken almost two hours to recap.

Beside and behind him, he heard Rainbow Dash quietly murmur to Sky, “This is the short version?” Sky’s snickering quickly followed her words.

Nictis found it odd to be slightly envious of Spike at the moment. The young dragon had made excellent use of the fact that he’d been present for all of the negotiations to excuse himself from the recap. He’d disappeared for a quick bite to eat, and had yet to return.

“...And the final concern was over Equestrian influence over the hive’s industry,” Twilight continued. “She was rather hostile to the idea of us having so much control, even though it’s inevitable in the near-term; we’ll be building most of it, after all, and training her workers will take time. Still, we were able to come to a suitable arrangement for education, with a special arrangement for Princess Indress--her economic manager, so to speak--to study economics and industry here in Equestria. That way, our presence can be steadily stepped back as they’re able to take more responsibility.”

Subtle was nodding along as she had through most of it, though she stopped and smiled at that point. “Let me get this straight,” she said, and Nictis thought she looked particularly mischievous at that moment. “You got Chrysalis to agree to send one of the hive’s most influential princesses abroad to study, where she’ll be immersed in foreign culture, likely for years.”

Twilight blinked a couple times at her assessment. “I didn’t exactly phrase it that way, but… yeah, I guess I did.”

Chuckling, Subtle nodded again. “Well, this keeps getting better! Anything else?”

“Well, we still need to work out the last food issues,” Twilight said. “I got her to accept releasing the prisoners she’s holding, so long as we can guarantee her subjects will remain fed through their absence. We laid a bit of preliminary work on that, discussing the possibility of some sort of extraterritorial presence. Kind of like an embassy, but as a home for love-gatherers to coexist openly. We haven’t discussed many of the fine details of how that would work, or the laws that would apply to her gatherers. I’ve given preliminary approval to the basic concept, but I really need to talk with Princess Celestia about it before I can commit to anything more.” She paused, looking around the room. “Speaking of which, where is she?”

“Celestia and Luna do have a government to run,” Subtle teased. “They’re probably in the throne room. Although given the time, they may have moved to the dining room for a bite to eat before sunset.”

“Ah,” Twilight said, and nodded, a smile forming. “That’s sounding pretty good, right about now.”

“Well then, I’ll be brief about our own activities,” Subtle replied, and Nictis felt a great deal of satisfaction in her grin, as if she had read his own mind on how drawn-out the meeting had been.

She had just turned to reach for the stack of documents they had acquired earlier in the day when she froze, a faint, momentary buzz sounding through the chamber. Her gaze had turned to the small wooden frame sitting beside her, holding the three magic signalling crystals. As Nictis looked at it, the crystal in the middle lit with a green glow, emitting a faint buzz as it vibrated in its frame.

Subtle set her hoof down on the table, frowning. “Well that’s concerning.”

Twilight’s ears shot up. “What? What’s concerning?”

“I gave that crystal’s counterpart to the guards watching over Chrysalis’s chambers,” Subtle replied, “and told them to activate it if there was a ‘problem.’”

Nictis really didn’t like the emphasis on that last word.

“What kind of problem?” Twilight demanded.

Subtle looked up for a moment to think. “I believe my exact words were, ‘in case of fire, angry queens, or full-scale changeling invasion’.” She looked over to Twilight with a wry smile. “We should probably alert the Guard.”

“We’ll go check it out!” Rainbow called out as she and Sky both leapt into the air.

“Wait!” Twilight shouted, and they both halted in mid-air. She had stood, her wings spread, but she remained on the ground. “Gather around me!” she called out, her horn glowing bright before turning to Subtle. “Miss Tea, alert the Guard! I’m going to investigate the problem myself!”

Nictis quickly stepped up to Twilight’s side as Dash and Sky landed opposite her. He caught Subtle’s quick nod before the mare turned away, but he didn’t see what happened next. He was interrupted as Twilight’s horn flared brightly, the sensation of powerful magic tore through him, and--

For a single instant, the universe ceased to exist.

Reality reasserted itself like a buck to the chest. Nictis staggered in a daze, dropping to a knee for a moment before pushing himself up. He’d expected the teleportation--Twilight was well known for that rare ability--but he hadn’t expected it to be so abrupt. It was nothing like a fire-portal. He was there, and then he was here, and he couldn’t quite account for the nothingness between the two.

Blinking away his dazzled vision, and suppressing the faint bout of nausea as his body reoriented itself, he shakily turned to look around and ascertain where, precisely, “here” was. He recognized the hallway almost immediately; Princess Twilight had ripped them out of space and time to plunge them back just outside Chrysalis’s chambers. The guards were still there, but Nictis immediately noted unusual details of their presence. They, changeling and pony alike, stood shoulder to shoulder, staring in past the blown-open doors to the carnage beyond.

Inside, the air was clouded with colorful debris. Streamers practically dripped from every surface. Changelings staggered in a daze as they tried to make sense of the chaos that had been unleashed among them. One particularly unlucky changeling was being supported by a pair of his companions, receiving firm pats on the back as he coughed up copious quantities of confetti. The instrument of his misfortune, a stubby blue cannon, lay abandoned just beyond the doors.

And amidst the dazed and confused changelings pronked a particular pink earth pony, followed by a similarly colored unicorn and a series of overladen serving carts. Loud and upbeat music played over the scene.

There was a soft sputter from Twilight as she wound up for the inevitable shout. “Pinkie!”

“Heya Twi!” Pinkie shouted and waved mid-hop. She was rising into the air again to continue when the back doors of the room slammed open to reveal a furious Chrysalis.

“Will you keep it… down… out...” Her shouting trailed off into a moment of shocked silence. Nictis could see her expression flash through surprised, to confused, and finally all the way to cold fury. She glared at the bouncing pink pony, who grinned and waved as she plonked colorful party hats on everyling she passed, at Cotton Candy, who was busy cheerfully distributing slices of cake and cups of punch to confused changelings, and finally at the purple princess gawking at the spectacle from the doorway.

Twilight noticed her gaze as well, and quickly waved her hooves. “I had nothing to do with this!”

“Yeppers!” Pinkie called out as she bounced closer to Chrysalis. “It was my idea! Well, Cotton here helped, she’s a great cook, but the idea was all mine!”

Cotton gave a quick smile and nod toward the queen before making her way to the still-coughing changeling with a large cup of punch. The changeling’s companions glared at her, but he grabbed the cup, downing it in one go before giving a couple more coughs.

Chrysalis turned her glare back to Pinkie Pie, snarling. “What do you think you’re doing in here? Get--”

She jerked her head back as Pinkie bounced up nose-to-nose with her. “It’s called a party!” Pinkie declared, grinning enthusiastically. “I know you don’t have them back in your hive, and that’s kind of sad, so I wanted to throw you a party because maybe you and your kids wouldn’t be all grumpy-pants all the time if you had a bit of fun! And hey, we’re all supposed to be friends soon, and this is the kind of thing friends do!”

“I am not your friend!” Chrysalis spat back, but her snarling expression turned to one of shock as Pinkie abruptly slipped up next to the queen, standing on her hind legs as she draped a foreleg around Chrysalis’s neck, acting for all the world as if they were best buds.

“I know, I know,” Pinkie said, sounding momentarily sincere. “We’re still working on that part.” Then she swept her other hoof around the room, giggling. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t throw you the best party I can! Come on, Chrissy, time to have some fun!”

‘Chrissy’ bristled, rage overcoming the shock of having her personal space so thoroughly invaded. “Get off of me!” she snapped, and had started to lift a hoof when the pink pony bounced away. “And we are not here for fun!”

Pinkie giggled, bouncing in front of her once again. “Don’t be a silly filly!” she replied. “That’s my job! And everyone deserves fun! But you’ve all been gloomy and grumpy the whole time you’ve been here. You needed some cheering up, and that’s exactly what I’m best at!”

She stood on her hind legs, with her forelegs spread. She beamed proudly at Chrysalis, who glared back, quite un-cheered.

Twilight quietly sighed, muttered to herself, and pushed her way past the gawking guards. Nictis, Sky, and Rainbow Dash followed close on her heels. The changelings were starting to shake off their shock and react; some had set aside the offered treats and removed their party hats, others sat very still as they waited to see exactly how the confrontation would unfold, and some surreptitiously snuck bites of cake and gulps of punch when their queen’s attention was diverted from them.

Chrysalis’s horn lit up, ready to unleash her magic on the pink pest. “Get! Out! We do not need ‘cheering up,’ and we won’t have you in here playing whatever ridiculous tricks you’re trying to pull!”

Pinkie dropped back to all fours, though she smiled with surprising warmth at the queen. “No tricks, Chrissy. I know you were all meany-pants last time you were here, but I don’t hold that against you. Nopony’s ever thrown a party for you, and I know that would make me all grumpy. I know how dull life can be without any fun. So I thought I could throw you a party, so you could have something to be happy about! I mean, we’re all supposed to be friends, now, so what better way of showing it?”

“Let me put this in a way your delusional little pea-brain can understand,” Chrysalis growled. “You ponies might be useful to us, but we are not friends. We do not need friends.”

“Wellll, you kinda do,” Pinkie replied. “I mean, you all live on love and friendship, and parties are the best way of sharing those!” Then she reached back, yanking one of the serving carts over in front of Chrysalis. “Plus, we made you a cake!”

Said cake towered higher than a pony stood, multi-tiered and covered in chocolate frosting, with frosting flowers of teal on the lower tiers and bright green on the top.

Chrysalis’s magic winked out in surprise as she stared at the sudden intrusion into their conversation. She stared at it, as if baffled by the entire scene.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Pinkie pushed the cart just enough to the side to look back at Chrysalis. “I didn’t know if you’d like chocolate, so I also made a whole bunch of other cakes, too. You want a slice?”

Chrysalis continued to stare, blinking a couple times, before noticing that Twilight had made her way up to them. “What is this?” the queen hissed.

“This is Pinkie Pie,” Twilight sighed.

The snarl that started to take hold on Chrysalis’s face was halted as Pinkie thrust a plate with an excessively large slice of cake between them. “And this is my Super-Chocolatey Triple-Chocolate Chocolate Cake! Try some!”

Again, Chrysalis drew her head back, leveling a contemptuous sneer. “Get that away from me.”

“Oh, okay!” Pinkie set the plate back on the serving cart, then gestured a hoof toward the others. “I’ve got plenty of other cakes if you’ve got a favorite flavor. There’s a nice lemon cake with vanilla frosting, and a really tasty chocolate almond cake, and a big carrot cake, and we’ll have even more once the others get here with the rest of the goods!”

Chrysalis went still; she and Twilight spoke at the exact same moment. “Others?”

“Hoowee!”

They all looked past Pinkie’s grinning face--with Chrysalis and Twilight exchanging an awkward glance before promptly ignoring the other--to look to the doorway. Applejack stood there with an eyebrow raised and a chain of serving-carts hitched behind her. “Uh, you sure you got the right room there, Pinkie?”

“Yupperoonie!” Pinkie called back, bouncing into the air as she called back. “Bring it all in, we’ve got a lot of no-partying to make up for!”

“Alright then,” Applejack replied dubiously before pulling the line of carts. “’Scuse me,” she said to the gathered guards as she made her way by them. They still looked completely lost, and simply stepped aside. Elytron was looking to his queen with a desperate expression, gesturing to the ponies and shrugging as if completely lost on what to do. She didn’t seem to notice.

Spike was sitting on the last cart as it pulled in, and he hopped off to walk over to Twilight. “Wow, Pinkie sure went all-out for this one!”

“Sure did,” Applejack agreed as she pulled up and stopped, kicking her harness free. “Oh, howdy Twi, Dash. Didn’t expect to see y’all here, too.”

“Enough!” Chrysalis bellowed, drawing all attention back to the furious queen. “I’m willing to tolerate peace with you ponies, but I will not waste my time with such foalish and pointless pursuits! I am not some child to be won over by your deranged antics. Now take these carts and get out!”

“Aww,” Pinkie said, with one of the most expressive pouts Nictis had ever witnessed. “But don’t you want your kids to have fun?”

“I could care less!” Chrysalis snapped back.

Twilight muttered something, and Chrysalis’s ear twitched. At first, Nictis thought it had been in response to Twilight’s mutter, but instead he saw her gaze snap up to the crowd of changelings in the room. Several more were setting aside the cups and plates they’d been given. A few looked rather dejected, even wincing away when the queen looked their way.

He also saw an opportunity.

Stepping up to her side, he turned so his back was to the rest of the room to shield his words. He spoke quietly, making an attempt at discretion despite their difference in height. “Queen Chrysalis.”

She immediately turned her glare upon him, and he almost winced back at the fury behind the gaze. Unlike before, she made no attempt to hide her feelings of rage and contempt. Despite the unspoken threat her emotions conveyed, he continued. “I understand much of your motivation in coming to these peace talks is the number of your subjects who have fled to Equestria, seeking a better life. The hive is about to experience the greatest growth in power that it has ever seen. Putting even a tiny fraction of that into improving your subjects’ lives would eliminate the entire reason to leave.”

Chrysalis gave a short growl, though it died quickly as she looked back over the gathered changelings. Most looked to the floor or bowed their heads; few met her gaze.

Nictis gave one more push. “Think of how much ponies look up to Celestia.” Chrysalis bared her teeth at the name. “Think of how much love you could have if they looked to you like that, too.”

Her snarl disappeared, though she continued to slowly sweep her hard gaze across the room. Eventually her gaze wavered, and finally she rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she grumbled, turning away. “You can have your pathetic little party. Just keep it quiet.”

She hadn’t even managed a whole step toward her bedroom before Pinkie bounced up beside her. “Silly Chrissy, you--”

“Stop calling me that!”

Pinkie giggled at the snarling reaction. “Aww, okay, but it makes such a good nickname!”

Chrysalis grunted and turned away again, but Pinkie wasn’t done yet. “What I mean to say is that you can’t go, Queenie. You’re the guest of honor!”

“I don’t care,” Chrysalis grumbled, continuing on.

“But aren’t you going to stay for your gifts?”

Chrysalis halted, her expression stony. A long moment of silence passed before she let out an almost-inaudible sigh. “Dare I even ask?”

“Oh, oh, dare!” Pinkie said, bouncing. “Dares are fun!”

The next sigh was much more audible. “Fine.” Chrysalis turned her head to look back at the bouncing pink mare. “What do you mean, ‘gifts?’”

Pinkie’s bouncing stopped as she stepped up next to Chrysalis. “Oh, wow, you really are a party newbie, huh?” Chrysalis’s lips curled back, ready to snap something at her, but Pinkie quickly continued on. “This party is for you, silly! Of course you get presents! It can be hard finding good gifts for someone you don’t know, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. We all put our heads together and pitched in to get you some gifts to show you that you’re welcome. I really hope you like them!”

Chrysalis glanced over to Twilight, and Nictis couldn’t decide if the look was one of anger or--as strange as the thought was--a silent plea for help. Even more strangely, he could sympathize with her. He still remembered his first Pinkie Party.

Twilight didn’t seem to know how to take the look, either. She simply gave a lopsided smile and shrugged. With that, Chrysalis groaned. “Let’s get this idiocy over with.”

“Yes!” Pinkie shouted, pumping a hoof in the air before spinning around and calling out, “Alright everyone, the party is back on!”

“Woohoo!” called out Cotton Candy, Spike, and absolutely nobody else.

Some of the changelings did retrieve their treats, however.

As Pinkie herded a grumbling Chrysalis over to a heap of cushions, Twilight turned to Applejack and Spike. “Okay, Pinkie planning a surprise party makes sense, but you two?”

Spike held up his claws. “Hey, I had nothing to do with it! I just went to the kitchen for a snack, and she and that Cotton mare were bundling things up. She invited me to come along, and hey, you can’t just say ‘no’ to a Pinkie Party!”

Twilight frowned at his response, then looked to Applejack. “And you?”

“Heck, Twi,” Applejack said with a shrug. “Ah’ve been feeling a bit like a fifth wheel ‘round here. Canterlot’s nice and all, but there ain’t been much for me to do. So when Pinkie came up to me, askin’ me to help out with a little shindig she was plannin’, I lept at the opportunity. Ah just never did find out who it was for ‘till I got here…”

“Oh,” Twilight said, her expression softening immediately. “Sorry. I hadn’t realized you were feeling so…”

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Applejack replied, smiling. “Never been much of a city filly, after all. It’s just good to find something to help out with, yah know?”

Twilight smiled as well, though her reply was cut off by Chrysalis’s voice.

“Absolutely not!”

They all looked back to see Pinkie retrieving a dented party hat and pleading with the queen. “C’mon, it’s a party hat! This is a party! You don’t want to be a party-pooper, do you?”

Chrysalis glared flatly at her. “Yes.”

“Pinkie!” Twilight called out, a giggle starting to enter her voice before she quickly covered her mouth with a hoof.

The mare in question hopped and spun to face her. “Yeah, Twi?”

Twilight lowered her hoof, and though a smile teased at the corners of her mouth, she spoke much more evenly. “Seeing as this is Chrysalis’s first party, maybe you should go a little easy on her, instead of just diving in head-first.”

There was a long pause as Pinkie looked up thoughtfully, humming and tapping a hoof on her chin. Finally, she nodded. “You might be right, Twilight. Okay, we can save party hats for your next party--” Chrysalis rolled her eyes “--and get right to the cake and gifts!”

Then she bounded off again, stopping to give a few encouraging words to some of the changelings along her way to a serving cart bearing a surprising number of gift boxes. Twilight watched her go, giving another soft giggle.

“I see you’re enjoying yourself,” Chrysalis dryly noted as she shifted to make herself more comfortable atop her makeshift throne of cushions. “And to think, ponies say I’m sadistic when I laugh at the misfortune of others.”

“Sorry,” Twilight said, though the remark didn’t wipe away her smile. “I just find this all rather familiar.” An uneasy moment of silence passed before she added, “If it’s any consolation, I think you’re handling your first Pinkie Party better than I did.”

“How wonderful,” Chrysalis replied with a roll of her eyes. “Yet another way you’ve fallen short.”

Twilight’s smile vanished. She didn’t look offended, or at least, not much, but she did go quiet. She opened her mouth to reply, but then changed her mind, shook her head, and walked off.

Nictis sighed. Still, he could count this as some degree of progress.

“Well, this has to be the strangest Pinkie Party I’ve been to,” Rainbow Dash said, and Nictis glanced back to see her hovering beside Sky and smirking. “I’m going to go grab us some cake.”

As she flew over to gather up some treats, Nictis stepped up to Sky. “Well,” he said, lingering on that word for a few seconds. “...Pinkie is insane, but I think this might actually work.”

“Yeah,” Sky said, chuckling. “Dash is right, though, this may be the strangest party ever.” His grin kept growing bigger and bigger as he looked over to Nictis. “Kind of makes me wonder how it could possibly get any more strange.”

Nictis winced. “Don’t say stuff like that.”

An instant later, he heard Trip’s voice. “Uh, are we at the right room?”

Nictis reached out and thumped Sky firmly on the shoulder. Sky flopped back on a cushion, legs in the air as he laughed. “Ahaha! I knew it! I knew it!”

Leaving the laughing changeling behind, Nictis lifted into the air, arcing over the row of serving carts, couches, and gathered changelings, to reach the door. Sure enough, the entire group had come. Trip and Skiris were skeptically gazing in through the doorway, while Cara stood very still behind them, and behind him, Spark and Bigs looked on in confusion.

Trip’s expression had brightened up the moment he saw Nictis. “Hey! I guess we’re in the right place after all!”

“I guess,” Nictis cautiously replied. He desperately wanted to know why they were here--in particular, why Spark was here--but it seemed rude to ask that so bluntly. “I wasn’t expecting any of this. How did you end up here?”

His answer came in the form of a small piece of paper floated over in Skiris’s magic. “Pinkie left an invitation on our door with directions to a party. Didn’t realize who else would be here.”

“This is great, though,” Trip said, with quite a bit more enthusiasm than the other changeling. “Does this mean we’re all on the same side, now?”

Nictis glanced to his side, where Elytron sat. The changeling soldier appeared to have resigned himself to defeat and was simply sitting there, a hoof resting over his face. “...Kind of?”

Elytron jerked back as a slice of cake was thrust in front of him. “And some for you guys, too,” Cotton said, grinning around at the guards as she passed out more cake and punch. “Come on in, the party’s just getting started! Hi, Sparks!”

Uncertain mumbles ranged back and forth among the guards, until about half the ponies and changelings shrugged, accepted the offered treats, and stepped inside.

“Look at the size of that cake!” Trip said in an awestruck voice, and took to the air. Skiris sighed and followed after him, producing a soft chirp of alarm from Cara before he, too, followed.

The pounding of hooves caught Nictis’s attention, and he looked down the hall to see a dozen Royal Guard members rushing down the hallway toward him. Somewhere behind him he heard Twilight utter a remark, and with a flash of light she teleported out to inform the alarmed guards of the situation.

Nictis shook his head and sighed, then turned to Spark. “Hey there.”

“Hey,” Spark quietly replied, staring into the room. “So, um… this is…” His eyes finally landed on Chrysalis, who was at that moment giving a disdainful frown at the bow-laden yellow box Pinkie held before her. “...Weird.”

“Yeah, quite a bit,” Nictis agreed. Even Bigs grunted in agreement.

Spark skeptically looked around the room. Cotton had finished passing around snacks, and was going around to various changelings, happily encouraging them to enjoy the party. It was meeting with fairly limited success.

“So… should we go in?”

Nictis looked back to Spark. “If you want to.”

Spark hesitated, eyes roaming some more, but they inevitably returned to Chrysalis. After a couple seconds, he smiled. “Yeah. If nothing else, we can at least show her that she’s wrong about you and me.”

“I appreciate the sentiment,” Nictis said with a chuckle, “But we don’t have to do that if you’d be more comfortable leaving.”

Spark considered it, biting his lip for a moment before finally shaking his head and smiling again. “Nah. I’ll stay. I shouldn’t just run away because it’s a little awkward.”

The instant after he said it, Spark went rigid, ears pinning back, and a panicked sensation flooded Nictis’s senses. “W-wait! That sounds horrible! I-I didn’t mean--”

He was silenced by the soft touch of Nictis’s hoof on his shoulder and a soft, if slightly amused, smile. “It’s okay, Spark.” When the emotions didn’t immediately fade, he continued. “Don’t worry about accidentally offending me. One of the advantages of being a changeling is that it’s hard to take a comment the wrong way when you can feel the emotion behind it.”

The panic vanished as Spark blinked, and after a second he smiled again. “Oh. Yeah, I guess that would make things a lot easier, huh?”

“It can,” Nictis said with a chuckle. “It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty useful at times.”

Spark nodded, looking back to the room yet again. Cotton had, apparently, found a couple of the more outgoing changelings to engage with. That, or they were hoping to get a bit of a meal out of the interaction. Rainbow Dash was chatting with a couple soldiers, who looked slightly skeptical of the situation, but were actually talking with her. Trip was trying to do the same, though the normally energetic changeling was rather more awkward in addressing his former hive-mates. Cara, meanwhile, had taken up an inconspicuous spot against the wall, though he had at least found a slice of cake and a party hat.

Even Glitterbug showed up, looking positively giddy, though she remained far more focused on writing notes than cake and games.

It seemed the icy mood in the room was slowly starting to thaw.

Spark drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Well, I guess we should get in there.” He chuckled nervously. “I mean, I’ve already been to one awkward party this week, and it turned out pretty good. How bad could this be?”

Nictis winced, but chuckled as well. “I’d really rather not find out.”

With a final chuckle, they stepped inside to join in the party.

“A party?”

The soft morning light filtered past the scattered clouds and in through the windows of the royal dining room as the large group of ponies gathered around the expansive table. The room was crowded once again, with four princesses, half a dozen ponies, a similar number of changelings, and one young dragon. Nictis only picked lightly at the spread; though he had slept far better than after the last party, he was still pretty full.

Celestia gave her sister a questioning look as Luna continued to sip from her cup. Finally, the younger princess lowered her cup, giving a hint of a smile. “Indeed.”

“A surprise party?” Celestia clarified. “And she tolerated this?”

“I believe that’s an excellent choice of words to describe her reaction, as I understand it.”

Celestia continued to stare in silence for a moment. Then she gave a soft snicker, and finally chuckled. “I wish I could have seen that. Who would have thought?” She turned a sly smile toward Pinkie Pie. “I hope next time I might warrant an invitation?”

Luna raised her cup again to hide her growing smile. “You did have to sleep, sister. Do not feel too envious; I did not receive an invitation, either.”

“Sorry, princesses!” Pinkie said around a mouthful of muffin. “The room was packed full already. It barely had room for everyone.” She swallowed and leaned over, raising a hoof to shield her mouth as she stage-whispered, “Plus, I don’t think Chrissy likes you!”

“Pinkie!” Twilight objected. “Chrysalis doesn’t like anypony.” Judging by the snort of amusement from Cadance, she agreed.

Celestia merely laughed, however. “Well, if there is ever a next time, perhaps she’ll tolerate my presence, as well.” She shook her head slowly, smiling brightly. “I’m still surprised you managed to pull that off. How in the world did you get her to go along with it?”

Twilight snorted softly, though at least she was smiling. “Pinkie can be very stubborn when it comes to parties.”

“Aw, she just took a bit of convincing,” Pinkie said. “And a bit of cake. And lots of gifts. She acted all grumpy, but I could tell she kiiind of liked it.”

The skeptical looks from the others who had attended the party said otherwise.

“What? She did!” Pinkie insisted. “Sure, she wasn’t all super excited or anything, but she was softening up! I caught her starting to smile a couple times.”

Nictis sighed softly. “There’s a difference between smirking and smiling, Pinkie.”

“Well, she still had plenty of treats, and she hung on to a few of the gifts we gave her. She was even nice enough to give some of her own gifts to her subjects!”

“You mean the gifts that she tossed aside because they were ‘beneath her?’” Nictis asked, but Pinkie just waved a hoof dismissively.

“Aw, she was just playing that whole ‘proud queen’ thing she does. She still hung onto the ones she liked.”

“I am curious,” Cadance said, “what kinds of gifts did she hang on to?”

“Let’s see,” Pinkie said, thinking for a moment. “The first was this necklace with a big crystal in it. I was going to get something like an emerald, because changelings seem to all like green a lot for some reason, but then I saw this crystal one that reminded me a lot of the Crystal Heart, and I thought, hey, that’s perfect! The Crystal Heart is all about love and stuff, so maybe she’d like that.”

Shining Armor shook his head, sighing. “You know, we’ve found changelings checking out the Crystal Heart twice, now.”

“See?” Pinkie said, pointing to him. “I knew she’d like it! And she did!”

Cadance was looking at her skeptically. “You bought the queen of the changelings jewelry?”

“Well, yeah,” Pinkie replied. “She’s a queen, and what high-status mare doesn’t like getting a fancy necklace?”

Rarity sighed, but couldn’t help nodding along in agreement. Most of the other ponies just rolled their eyes.

“She also liked the stuffed dolls of the princesses--”

Twilight’s head drew back. “What?”

“I was a little unsure of that one,” Pinkie said, and shrugged. “I thought she might take it the wrong way, but I guess it worked out because she kept them. I was kind of worried she was going to damage the one of Cadance, though. She was holding it way too tight.”

The real Cadance sighed. “Of course she was.”

“And I thought she liked the Canterlot snowglobe at first, but she tossed it aside. It’s too bad it broke, it was really pretty.”

Twilight shook her head before looking to Celestia. “It was one of those ones that has the dome modeled after the shield bubble. Purple-tinted glass and all.”

There was a soft groan from Shining Armor, who rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “And she broke it. Of course she did.”

Pinkie looked thoughtful once again. “Hmm, she did seem amused when it broke,” she said, which elicited another quiet groan. “But anyway, she can’t have hated the party. I got her to agree to more!”

That drew remarks of surprise from everyone gathered. “Is that so?” Celestia asked, her voice full of amusement despite the skeptically raised eyebrow.

“Yeppers! When the party was winding down, I asked her when I could come to the hive and throw a big bash there, and she told me she’d get back to me about it! How cool is that?”

Twilight shook her head, barely suppressing a chuckle. “Pinkie, that’s basically a polite way of saying ‘no’.”

“Exactly!” Pinkie gave a smug smile. “She was polite! She didn’t even sneer when she said it!”

Twilight stopped, merely blinking in response.

“I think I’m getting through to her. Nopony can resist a Pinkie Party, and now, no changeling can! And I will make sure nobody has to live without parties ever again!” She placed a hoof over her heart as she declared, “I will not rest until I’ve brought the magic and joy of parties to every changeling in the hive!”

A resounding silence met her declaration. Skeptical and concerned glances were exchanged, while Pinkie continued to look on with a look of determination. The silence was eventually broken when Cadance leaned over to Shining Armor, softly murmuring, “Is it bad if I feel just a little bit sorry for Chrysalis right now?”

Shining snickered softly, a reaction that quickly spread around the table as it grew to soft chuckles and laughs.

“This has certainly been the brightest morning this past week has seen,” Celestia finally said, and gently nudged Twilight with her wing. “Though if the castle ends up hosting another surprise party for a visiting head of state, I hope you’ll inform your fellow princesses,” she teased, and flashed a sly smile. “I’m not entirely above crashing the occasional party, if it’s for a good cause.”

Twilight blushed furiously. “I’m sorry! I just got so caught up in what was going on and making sure things didn’t turn into a disaster.”

Celestia giggled softly at the younger princess’s reaction. “It must have been one heck of a party.”

“That’s… one way of putting it,” Twilight admitted, chuckling a little.

Celestia let that linger for a moment before speaking again. “In a slight change of topic, I understand the negotiations are going well?”

“Oh, yes!” Twilight said, her ears springing up as her embarrassment was forgotten. “Sorry, I was going to talk to you about it last night, but then all the craziness happened, and you were already asleep by the time it was all over. Sorry.”

“Nothing to worry about,” Celestia reassured her. “Let us enjoy our meal, and you can tell me all about your progress.”

Soon the group fell into smaller conversations as ponies and changelings turned to their meals.

Those conversations did not last long; they were interrupted hardly a minute later as the doors were thrown open, and a Royal Guard pegasus trotted in. He was breathing hard, his wings hung at his side, and he quickly tore off his helmet before bowing deeply. “Your Highnesses!”

Every ear stood alert at the urgency in his voice. The royal sisters both stood, their wings held loosely. Celestia spoke for them both. “Please, speak.”

The guard stood, holding his helmet. “I bring grave news from the city, Your Highnesses.” His gaze shifted uneasily, taking a moment to meet her gaze.

“There has been a murder.”

Chapter 19: Sudden but Inevitable

Chapter 19: Sudden but Inevitable

Turbulent, icy winds tugged at Sky as he flew swiftly, keeping pace with Princess Luna and the rapidly growing pack of guards. The Princess of the Night was grim faced, her wings carrying her at an impressive speed, and with her flew a chill darkness.

Weather pegasi, who moments earlier were rounding up the last of the clouds from the previous night’s showers, now scattered as a dark storm gathered. Sky could feel the tingle of electricity growing in the air even as Luna dove toward the city below.

A blinding flash ahead of them made Sky look away for a moment. When he looked back again, a brilliant flare of light showed over their destination. Celestia had teleported in ahead of them, the glow of her power radiating out over the city as she descended.

As they flew past the final roof-top, Luna back-winged, bringing her flight to a stop, and dropped to the street below. There was a flash and peal of thunder as her hooves struck ground, cracking several of the cobblestones, and she rose up to a proud, commanding stance, her wings held high. Sky landed just behind her, with Nictis and Rainbow Dash landing a moment later.

Celestia’s radiance had almost faded by the time Luna stepped up beside her. She wore similarly stern expressions as the guards bowed and greeted them. There were more than a dozen guards already gathered on the small, quiet back street, and dozens more were landing behind them.

Soon, those guards were ushering them into the small house. Sky hesitated for a moment before following the princesses in, and the others followed behind him; Luna had told them to come with her, and he was not about to stop now.

The stench of smoke hit his nose the moment he stepped into the entryway. Stepping through to the living room, they found it cluttered with the charred remains of several pieces of furniture. The wall of the room was badly charred in several places, and a thin haze of smoke clung to the air.

Finally, the princesses came to a halt, staring down at the unmoving form of a changeling.

Sky felt a chill pass through him at the sight. The changeling’s mouth lay slightly open, his eyes relaxed, calm, and unblinking. The only sign of violence was the complete lack of motion, and the small hole burned in the dorsal plate of his carapace, just above and behind his left wing.

Beside him, Dash inhaled sharply, her wings tensing.

“It was the smoke that drew the neighbors’ attention,” said the guard that had lead them in. “Some of the fires were still smouldering when we got here. Green flames.”

Nictis slowly stepped up beside Sky. He was staring at the fallen changeling. Hesitantly, he lowered his head until he was looking closely at the wound. A guard told him to not disturb the body, but he shook his head, and Celestia merely looked to him. After several seconds, he drew back. “It looks like he was killed by changeling magic.”

“He was,” Celestia stated, and Sky only then noticed that her horn was still glowing. “This wound was inflicted by changeling fire.”

Nictis nodded, his eyes fixed on the body. “...Then why did they leave him for us to find? Infiltrators burn evidence into ash, but he was left intact.”

Celestia looked to the guard who had led them in. “Sergeant, who is leading this investigation?”

The guard quickly lowered his head in a bow. “Apologies, Your Highness. We’re having difficulty locating any investigators who are experienced with such a crime.”

Nictis was still staring, breathing in carefully controlled breaths. He didn’t even seem to notice the feelings of concern sent his way until Sky spoke. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Nictis replied, though his tone was hollow and distant.

“You don’t sound--”

“This is far from the first time I’ve seen a dead changeling,” Nictis replied, turning his head away, though his movement was somewhat abrupt, almost twitchy. Sky looked away, to give him a moment. Rainbow Dash, he saw, had relaxed slightly, though it was easy enough to see that she was bothered by the scene. Still, she didn’t fixate, her eyes slowly wandering around, though inevitably returning back to the body.

Nictis’s ears perked up, and he turned back to the body, eying it carefully.

“What is it?” Sky asked.

Nictis was silent as he moved up to the downed changeling once again, slowly circling. As he did, Sky became acutely aware that they had the attention of every single pony in the room.

After a full circle, Nictis crouched down beside the body, his head lowered almost to the floor as he peered close. “...I don’t think he was in a fight,” he quietly said. “I don’t want to disturb him, in case there’s any information we can glean from his position, but I don’t see any signs of a struggle.”

Luna spoke out. “Dusk Wing.”

Sky barely restrained himself from jerking back as a pony stepped up beside him. He couldn’t help it; Luna’s personal guard were still a rare sight, enough that he still found it intensely unusual to see a pony with cat-like eyes and leathery wings.

The irony in his reaction didn’t help the feeling of shame at the situation, either.

“Your Highness?” Dusk Wing said, bowing his head.

“Find somepony to bring a camera in here,” Luna said. “Requisition one, if you must. We want everything in this room to be documented thoroughly.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

He turned and hurried out the door.

When Sky looked back, he saw that Nictis had retreated away from the body, though he was still fixated on it. Sky sighed quietly, and looked to his other side. Rainbow Dash was slowly looking around the room, eyes lingering on each detail as they passed over the destroyed furniture and pock-marked walls.

Sky paused, frowning.

After a second, he lifted his wings, but quickly thought better of it; there was too much ash and dust to kick up by flying. Instead, he kept his hooves on the ground as he moved to the doorway to the next room. It led to a dining room, completely intact except for a single toppled stool. Walking back the way he came, he double-checked the entryway. Apart from a small spot where fire had burned through the wall in the living room, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

While he did so, he noted that Celestia was watching him. Returning, he met her gaze. “It looks like there was quite a fight in here, but nothing in the other rooms. It started and ended here.”

Celestia nodded, while Nictis’s ear twitched. “I don’t think he was part of that fight,” Nictis quietly noted. He tore his eyes away from the body to look toward the princesses. “He shows no sign of a fight, and was shot in the back at a shallow angle. I think he was either ambushed, or he was killed by someone he didn’t consider a threat.”

“Then there were at least two others,” Sky said, slowly looking around at the room. His eyes paused on one of the scorch marks along the outer wall, burnt through enough to get a tiny window to the outside. His ears perked up, and he quickly looked over each scorched section of wall. “Maybe three.”

Celestia was slowly nodding as she looked around as well, while Luna looked to Sky. “What do you see?”

“They’re different,” Sky replied. “The burns on the walls, the craters, they’re different sizes. Different powers. Look.” He gestured to the back wall of the room. “Those are all smaller than the others, and all on one side of the room, like a changeling throwing bolts from over there, near the entryway.”

“Must have been a heck of a fight,” Dash said. “That many spells in such a small space.”

Sky darted over to stand behind where the dead changeling had fallen. “That one,” he said pointing to the outer wall, then turned to point to the one beside the entryway door, “and that one, were much more powerful, enough to burn all the way through the wall. It looks like they were cast from here, probably by the same changeling that killed him.”

Nictis was slowly nodding as Sky looked over to another smoking crater high up on the wall, almost to the ceiling. “That one looks about the same size,” Sky noted, “but it looks like they were firing up at somepony who was flying, or maybe they were lying on the ground.”

He looked at the hole it had left, and tracked his eyes back along the path the bolt must have travelled. “And it looks like it came from that couch,” he said, pointing to the burnt-out mess of fabric and springs. “Which is also where the most powerful bolt struck.”

Even from there, he could see the scorched crater in the floor and the opening of a hole beneath the couch that was significantly larger than those in the wall. Nictis walked around him, moving to the couch.

“You have a keen eye,” Luna noted. Even after his regular visits with the princesses, he still felt a little thrill at the praise. “Is it uncommon for a changeling to vary the power of such a spell?”

“I think so,” Sky said, with only a slight hesitation. “If you’re in a fight, it’s much more important to form and release the spell quickly, rather than fine-tuning the power of it. I’d expect it to generally be consistent. Well, unless they consciously decide to go for more power, or they’re running out of magic.”

Luna nodded. “You seem quite knowledgeable in this form of combat magic.”

“Oh,” Sky said, shuffling his hooves. “Not really. It’s pretty basic magic. Most changelings know how to use it.”

“Fighting’s kind of like flying,” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s why they had us practicing maneuvers so much at the Academy. When things get rough, you don’t always have time to think and change stuff up, so you practice all these different tricks until they’re reflexive. That way, you don’t have to think about what you do, you just do it. I mean, I figure it’s kind of the same way for magic, right?”

Sky nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Most of the time I use magic, I’m not really thinking about it. It just happens.”

Nictis had bent down near the couch, but then suddenly drew back, shaking his hoof and looking down at the ashes with a shocked expression.

“Still hot?” Sky asked.

Nictis slowly shook his head. “...I think this was another changeling.”

Sky blinked, then placed his hooves on the singed coffee table to peer down where Nictis was looking. There was plenty of ash and debris from the burnt-out couch, but he noted the large heap near the center, extending out into the space between the couch and coffee table. “...Or a pony,” he cautiously noted. “Either way, that’s a lot of ash.”

Luna peered at it, as well. “Could those fire-bolts have done this?”

Celestia was already shaking her head when Nictis answered. “No,” he said, wiping his hoof off on what remained of the arm-rest. “But... Infiltrators are taught to incinerate evidence so thoroughly that there’s nothing but ash left. That ash is too fine to be the result of a regular fire.”

Looking back to the body laid out on the floor, Sky asked, “So why didn’t they do the same to him?”

They all regarded the unmoving changeling.

After several second, Nictis turned away. “They must have left him for us. Maybe he’s someling important.”

Celestia spoke; despite her grim face, her voice was soft. “Once the scene has been investigated, we should find out. Chrysalis or one of her followers may be able to tell us who he was.” She paused for a moment before adding, “Unless she had something to do with this.”

“Not her,” Nictis said, turning back to look up to Celestia. “We captured a few Infiltrators. Fade seems competent and willing to answer questions. We should ask him if he knows who this is before giving Chrysalis any information.”

Celestia nodded. “Then once we are done here, I will have his body brought back to the castle. I hope you are able to find some answers.”

Nictis nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good,” she said, and looked to Dash. “Could you find Miss Tea for me? Let her know what we have discussed here.”

“Miss Tea?” Dash asked, before recognition struck. “Oh, Subtle, yeah! You got it, princess!” She threw a quick salute, then gave a Sky a nod before trotting out of the room.

Celestia’s eyes drifted to the pile of ash, lingering for a moment before turning to leave as well, with Luna following along behind her. Sky stayed, slowly looking around the room as he imagined the fight that must have taken place here.

It wasn’t long until Nictis huffed out a breath and walked out of the room.

Sky hesitated for just a moment before following.

He found Nictis in the entryway, sitting on the bottom of the stairway. His posture was slack, and he seemed to just be staring down at the floor. He didn’t react at all to Sky’s approach until he spoke.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” Nictis dully replied. “I’ll be fine.”

Sky sat on the step beside him. “Bad memories?”

Nictis sighed, and nodded.

“Sorry,” Sky said, though he knew the feelings of sympathy would be more meaningful than anything he could say. “It’s just… worrying to see you like this.”

Appreciation met his senses. Nictis was silent for a long time before speaking, “Normally, I’d just put it all away in the background and keep going. I had to do that for years. Hide away my own feelings to show only what I needed to show. I guess lately I’ve been enjoying the freedom of not needing to do that anymore.” He gave a soft huff of amusement, a hint of a smile forming. “...For certain and rather generous definitions of ‘enjoy.’”

Sky smiled back, extending a wing to rest gently across Nictis’s back.

It was almost half an hour before the living room had been thoroughly photographed and notes made of every detail of the room and the changeling within it. The guards brought a cart with a canvas cover to the door, and discreetly placed the changeling within.

Sky and Nictis stepped out of the house to a day that was considerably brighter and warmer than when they arrived. The wild clouds that had gathered in the wake of Luna’s dramatic entrance had been quickly cleared by the hardworking weather ponies, leaving the sky clear.

The return trip was mostly uneventful, despite multiple guard checks. Four times they were stopped and scanned, and each time the sergeant leading them had to quietly inform the guards of their cargo. Each time, one of the guards peeked into the cart to ensure their cargo was what they claimed it was, and each time they nodded grimly to their companions when they cleared it to continue on. Security was tight.

They ended their journey in a Guard barracks. Rather than taking the body through the castle, Fade had been brought there to meet with them. The changeling was lying in a small room, and looked to Sky and Nictis with a measure of curiosity as they entered.

Nictis led the way, stepping forward. “Hello, Fade. How have you been?”

Fade’s tone was perfectly neutral. “As well as can be expected, given the circumstances. I assume you’re here to ask more questions?”

“Of course,” Nictis said, nodding. “Well, I have one bit of good news. Chrysalis is following through on her word, and is working out the final details of a peaceful arrangement between Equestria and the hive. You should be returned soon.”

Fade relaxed ever so slightly, and nodded. “That is good to hear,” he said, a hint of appreciation peeking out past the otherwise neutral emotions. It vanished a moment later. “But I assume that is only a lead-in to something else.”

Nictis gave a wry smile, and nodded. “It is. Unfortunately, it’s not as pleasant of news. We… found a changeling this morning. He’s been killed, and it looks as if it was done by another changeling.”

Fade’s expression remained fixed, his emotions carefully measured. “It seems your peace isn’t working out.”

“The peace is not in jeopardy,” Nictis replied. “Not unless Chrysalis is killing her own changelings here in Canterlot, and while I wouldn’t put it past her, circumstances make that seem extremely unlikely.”

“But not impossible,” Fade noted, eyes fixed on Nictis. “What, exactly, do you expect of me?”

“The changeling who died, we hoped you might recognize him. We don’t even know who he is.”

Fade’s head tilted slightly as he considered them. “...And you don’t want to ask Chrysalis, because you don’t want her to know that you have discovered this.”

Nictis gave a small smile. “However unlikely it is that she’s involved, we can’t entirely rule out the possibility.”

Fade looked away. For several seconds, he simply stared at the wall, silent, thinking. Finally, he nodded. “I will see if I recognize him. I can’t promise I will tell you any more than that.”

“Thank you,” Nictis said, and nodded to Sky.

Sky returned to the door, pushing it open. Lighting his horn, he lifted the sheet-covered litter, floating it into the room. He set it down beside Fade, and pulled back the sheet.

Fade sat there for a few moments before looking over. He looked completely disinterested at first, but as he drew in a breath and exhaled, his expression slowly slackened, ears steadily drooping. His eyes strayed downward to the wound, lingering on it for a long moment. Then he looked away from the body, staring at the wall again.

Nictis and Sky waited as Fade lay there, silent.

Finally, the other changeling spoke, his voice quiet and heavy. “His name is Sapphire. He was an Infiltrator. One of the good ones, too.”

Sky drew his head back, eyes widening. “Oh, no.”

Nicits’s ears had pinned back, and he looked to Sky with a pained expression. “Cara.”

“What’s that?” Fade asked, a flicker of irritation forming.

Nictis sighed, looking to the body anew. “Cara is a friend of ours,” he said, quietly. “He’d told of us an Infiltrator named Sapphire. They knew each other since they were nymphs. Sapphire was the reason he came to Equestria.”

The feeling of irritation grew, and Fade’s expression grew rigid. “Sapphire was loyal. He may have questioned established ideas, but he did so to seek better ways of doing things. He would not betray his queen and jeopardize the future of the hive for some princess’s ambition!”

Nictis stood his ground, unmoved in the face of the outburst. “And if that is so, then the truth must be something else. We don’t know why he was there, just that he was, and that another changeling killed him. The circumstance and reason is what we’re trying to figure out.”

Fade held his gaze for a few seconds before slowly relaxing and looking away. Inevitably, his eyes returned to Sapphire. When he finally spoke again, his voice was perfectly calm. “...Apologies. These past few days have been very unusual, and I believe it’s wearing on me.”

“I understand,” Nictis said. “Believe me, I do.”

Fade eyed him a moment before nodding. “So… what now?”

“I don’t know,” Nictis replied with a shrug, and sat down beside Fade. “Is there anything else you can think of that might help?”

Fade sighed, but considered the question. Eventually, however, he shook his head. “I have no idea why he would be there. It’s possible he was there against his will, though I can’t think of why Chittri would hold him. I certainly can’t think of any reason Sapphire would betray Chrysalis, especially when she’s arranging for peace. And I can’t think of why Chittri would kill him, and then leave him for you to find.”

“She does seem to be testing our reactions,” Nictis noted.

“Actually,” Sky said, “I don’t think she killed him.”

Both the other changelings looked at him, and he continued. “The spell-strike on the floor. It seems likely that the most powerful spell was Chittri’s, right? And if that’s so, it looks much more like she killed the changeling that killed Sapphire.”

“...That just raises more questions,” Nictis muttered.

“Not that disloyalty among traitors should be surprising,” Fade noted. At least he said it without a hint of condescension, whether he meant to imply anything or not.

“Depends entirely on their reasons,” Nictis said. “But something certainly went wrong.”

“Yes,” Fade said. “But I don’t think we’re going to be able to figure out what that was, not with what we have.”

A smile spread across Nictis’s face. “We?”

He and Fade looked to each other. After a moment, Fade looked away, sighing, and gave a weak shrug.

Eventually, their attention returned to Sapphire.

“...I guess we should get going,” Nictis finally said. “I’ll try to let you know if we find anything out.”

Fade nodded. “Thank you.”

Nictis stood as Sky replaced the sheet, levitating the litter once again. Together, they exited into the hall.

“Well,” Sky said, and Nictis nodded, but neither could find anything to say.

Eventually, Sky spoke again. “You should find Subtle, let her know what he said. I’m going to go talk with Cara.”

Nictis nodded. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Sky sighed. “I… I think I might want to find Fluttershy, too. I might need help on this one.”

“That would probably be a good idea,” Nictis said.

They lapsed into silence once again, looking down at the sheet-covered form.

Finally, Sky raised a hoof, placing it on Nictis’s shoulder. No words were exchanged, just the feelings of sympathy and support, and they parted ways.

Quite some time later, Sky opened the door to the Solstice Hall and stepped inside. The room was rather full. All four princesses were present, as were all of Twilight’s friends, save for Fluttershy. Nictis sat quietly beside Glitterbug. Subtle sat on the edge of the table, talking with Celestia and Luna.

Trip followed him in, shutting the door behind them. Skiris had elected to stay with Cara, but Trip had insisted on accompanying Sky.

Sky made his way around the room to slip into place beside Nictis. The other changeling looked to him with a weary expression. “How’s Cara doing?”

“He took it hard,” Sky replied. “He wouldn’t accept it at first, but he broke down pretty badly once he did. Fluttershy calmed him down, but he’s really torn up.”

Nictis slowly nodded. “It’s barely a week since he left the hive,” he said, quietly. “A lot’s happened to him.”

“Yeah.” Sky looked around the room, seeing many concerned faces. “So, what have I missed?”

“We’re waiting for Chrysalis to show up,” Nictis said, voice low. “Celestia and Luna decided it’s time to inform her of what happened, and… well, you’ll see.”

Sky frowned at him. “Really? You’re going to just dangle that out there to taunt me?”

A flickering sense of amusement played against Sky’s senses. “Eh, sometimes it’s nice to have a sense of the dramatic,” Nictis said. “Trust me, this should be good.”

Sky stared for several seconds. “You’re kind of evil, Niccy.”

A snicker from behind Sky drew his attention to Rainbow Dash, who was walking up to him. “Yeah, just a bit, but that’s what you get for missing out on all the boring talky stuff,” she said with a smirk.

“You do know I was comforting someone whose friend just died, right?” Sky asked, and the smirk immediately vanished.

“Err… yeah, sorry,” Dash said, awkwardly scratching at the back of her head.

Sky’s shoulders slumped at the sight. “Yeah, uh… that came out a little more harsh than I meant. Sorry. You were just trying to lighten the mood a bit.”

“And apparently doing a pretty bad job of it,” Dash replied, which drew a small smile from Sky. That prompted a small smile from her, as well. She sat down next to him, a wing resting gently along his side. “So, I guess we could tell you, if you really want.”

Sky considered it for a bit, but finally gave a soft snort of amusement and shook his head. “Eh, why spoil the surprise?” He leaned over and gave a quick nuzzle at her cheek, which immediately flushed red. He couldn’t help snickering a bit as she fluffed her wings and shifted her position, trying to pretend that absolutely nothing had happened.

Eventually, they settled in to wait, watching the ongoing discussion. Many words were exchanged, but little was said; it was mostly the same speculation on motives that they had already gone over before, with no resolution in sight.

It was, strangely, a relief when the doors opened to reveal Chrysalis. She strode in wearing an expression of tired irritation. Just a few steps into the room, she halted at the sight of the grim faces waiting her. “Oh, wonderful,” she said, frowning. “And just what did I do this time?”

Celestia stood, slowly spreading her wings. “We have found one of your wayward Infiltrators,” she said, her voice somber. “A changeling named Sapphire. He was killed.”

Chrysalis continued to frown at her for several seconds before speaking again. “I suppose you expect me to thank you?”

Celestia blinked, clearly surprised by the response. “Of course not.”

“Good,” Chrysalis replied. “Because I was almost tempted to.”

“Yeah, this is starting well,” Nictis muttered.

“But only ‘almost,’” Chrysalis said, a cold smile replacing her frown. “As happy as I am to hear that one of those traitors has died, I’m not going to thank you for taking the opportunity from me.”

Celestia’s expression had grown hard, her eyes narrowing. “We did not kill him,” she said. “It appears he was slain by his companions.”

“Ah,” Chrysalis replied. “And here I thought you were just being hypocritical again. Still, no matter. One traitor down, four more to go. I suppose it’s too optimistic to expect the rest to turn on each other and finish the job.”

“Chrysalis,” Celestia said, a warning tone to her voice. “We will not allow more loss of life to take place. We have called you here not to celebrate, but as a courtesy, to inform you of what has happened.”

“That’s too bad. For a moment it looked like you might have actually grown a spine,” Chrysalis said, which prompted Glitterbug to murmur something about a pseudo-spine as she continued writing in her journal. “I would think someone as old as you would understand the occasional need for violence, but very well. We wouldn’t want to hurt your fragile pony sensibilities. So, you’ve informed me of the traitor’s death. Is there any other good news you plan on sharing, or are you still as lost as you were yesterday?”

“Actually,” Celestia said, a hint of a smile appearing, “we may be very close to ending this.”

Luna stood then, her pose confident and regal as she stepped up to the table. “When Princess Chittri left your service, she also abandoned every resource you would have knowledge of. She had to find new places to hide, and she used what resources she had gathered to find them. Unfortunately for her, events have transpired which have given us clues as to her activities, and we have ponies who are very adept at uncovering patterns.”

Sky noticed that Subtle had, at some point, slipped away from the conversation, and now sat unobtrusively against the back wall.

“The safe houses she had chosen had one thing in common: their owners were all on vacation, leaving their homes empty. A bit more digging turned up a certain travel agency and ticket seller, whose records she had gained access to. Those records pointed to seven potential safe houses, two of which she had already used.

“Ten minutes ago, the Royal Guard raided these properties. One was occupied. Three changelings were waiting for our guards, and surrendered without a fight.” Luna smiled. “Princess Chittri is now alone.”

Chrysalis’s ears had perked up at the news, and she mulled over it for several seconds. “That is good,” she said, “but don’t go patting yourself on the back so soon. You still haven’t caught her, and it sounds like this was your only lead.”

“Which is precisely why we have been proactive in the matter,” Luna replied, her smile growing a bit sharper; despite the flat herbivorous teeth, Sky thought there was a predatory hint to her expression. “She must find a new hiding place, and we have taken the initiative to find the best places before she can. If she gives the slightest misstep, she will give herself away.”

She was met with a scoff. “So you’re counting on her being careless enough to walk right into your hooves? And here I was thinking Celestia was the naive one. All Chittri needs to do is impersonate a pony and laugh as you stare at a bunch of empty houses.”

Luna turned, and Sky almost lurched; he thought the look was directed at him until Nictis stood. “An impersonation requires much more than a physical disguise. That will only fool the most casual of acquaintances. Acquiring the knowledge necessary to convincingly impersonate a target at any length can take days, if not weeks. The difficulty is even greater when those around the target are aware of the possibility of impersonation. Between the actions of your impersonation, the news of the murder of a changeling Infiltrator, and the knowledge that the rogue changeling responsible remains free, the possibility is likely to be at the front of everypony’s minds.”

“Which also stresses the importance of resolving this quickly,” Celestia said. “Paranoia can produce terrible things.”

Chrysalis snorted softly. “Oh, yes, don’t want to scare your poor little ponies,” she said, leveling a cold smile at Celestia. “Though if this is your hope, maybe they should be scared. You couldn’t even sniff out an imposter when I was right under your nose.”

“When ponies had no idea changelings existed,” Nictis pointed out. “And I should note that the flaws in your impersonation inevitably led to your discovery. Chittri will be faced with all of the disadvantages, yet none of the advantages. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible for her to find some safe haven, but the odds are stacked greatly against her. If she is in any way competent, she must know this.”

“Which is why,” Celestia said with a smile, “we must press this advantage. Her options are running out, so we will present her a new option. We would like you to contact her, and offer her leniency in exchange for turning herself in.”

“Never,” Chrysalis spat.

Celestia shook her head. “The offer is nothing more than you have already promised, Queen Chrysalis. I know you desire a far worse outcome for her than we will permit. All I am asking of you is to inform her of the arrangement we have already made.”

Chrysalis glared at her for several long seconds. Finally, she snorted, looking away. “Oh, fine. It’s still pointless.” She raised her head, horn glowing green, and held it there.

Nothing happened.

Eventually, the glow faded away, and she looked back to Celestia. “And she’s still not answering. Congratulations, Celestia, you’ve wasted a little bit more of my time and magic.”

“It was worth a try,” Celestia said with a shrug, seemingly unbothered by the failure.

Sky, however, was looking over to where Subtle sat, the pony’s attention turned to the small crystals she held in her hoof. After a few seconds, she sighed, looked over to him and Nictis, and shook her head.

“Funny how all your clever ideas are ‘worth a try’ when they all end up failing,” Chrysalis said with a roll of her eyes.

“You’re welcome to offer suggestions,” Celestia replied, “though I expect it’s all going to be moot soon enough.”

“You want my ideas?” Chrysalis said, giving a sharp-toothed grin. “Stop wasting time with these soft-hearted tactics. Take your guards, and sweep through this whole forsaken little city you love so much. March from one side of the city to the other, check every nook and crevice, every pony, and keep going until you’ve scoured the whole place clean.”

Nictis gave a sharp snort of amusement. “To find a foe who can fire-portal to avoid a slow, predictable advance like that.”

“Oh, please,” Chrysalis scoffed. “I know you’ve been tracking my communication spell. Are you really going to claim you can do that, but you can’t track a fire-portal as it’s being cast?”

“Assuming she portals somewhere we can catch her,” Nictis said. “She could go outside the city and fly off before we arrive, or into a previously cleared neighborhood and take up a pony guise.”

“Then round up everypony in the area!” Chrysalis snapped. “This isn’t that complicated!”

A tapping drew everyone’s attention to the doors, which stood open; Fleur de Lis stood there, giving a slightly embarrassed smile as she lowered her hoof to the ground. “Is this a bad time?”

Celestia offered a smile. “Ah, Fleur de Lis. A pleasure to see you again, and I am glad to see you in good health, but I’m afraid we are a bit preoccupied. I’m sorry, I had told Miss Primrose to hold all visitors until this evening--”

“Unless it were particularly important, yes,” Fleur replied with a smile. “And I believe it is.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

Accepting this as an invitation, Fleur strode gracefully into the room, though she gave Queen Chrysalis a wary glance and a wide berth. “Indeed. While I may have become a bit more deeply involved in certain events than I would have preferred, I believe I may be able to offer some measure of assistance, if you’d allow it.”

Celestia nodded. “Perhaps. What kind of assistance did you have in mind?”

Fleur paused, her smile fading. She drew in a breath and sighed, closing her eyes. There was the faintest tremble in her leg as she bowed down so low that her nose and horn touched the ground. “I offer my life, loyalty, and service to Equestria and its princesses, to be used in whatever manner you see fit.”

Sky leaped up to his hooves, as did several others around the room. Celestia’s expression, however, hadn’t changed at all.

“To begin with,” Celestia said, “you may dispense with the disguise.”

Green flames traced slowly up along the pristine white legs, burning away the soft coat to reveal the black, holed limbs beneath. The pony disguise was steadily stripped away to reveal a form every bit as lean and elegant, one that was clearly no drone. The fires revealed the teal mane and tail, as straight and simple as the queen’s, though shorter. The same flames finally died out at the point of her horn, also shorter than the queen’s, but with a very similar jagged pattern.

“You!” Chrysalis snarled, her horn lighting up with her own green fire.

Celestia’s expression hardly changed as she looked to the queen. “Chrysalis, stop. You will not strike her or anyone else within my kingdom. Equestria holds complete jurisdiction here; we have already agreed on this.”

Chrysalis held her glare, teeth bared. After a few tense moments she growled; the glow of her horn flickered out, and she raised her head to sneer back at Celestia. “And just what do you plan on doing with this filth?” she spat.

“I will ask her to explain herself,” Celestia said, “and then we shall decide.”

“More weak-willed nonsense,” Chrysalis growled. “Just be warned, princess. If you decide to offer some mockery of justice, the hive will not forget the insult.”

Celestia merely turned back to the changeling princess before her, who had not moved throughout the exchange. She hadn’t even opened her eyes. “Rise,” Celestia said.

The princess smoothly rose, moving with remarkable grace, Sky thought. She stood tall and confident, and only then opened her eyes; the same piercing, fiery green eyes as Chrysalis. She met Celestia’s gaze with a calm, even expression, rather than the haughty sneer of the queen.

Celestia considered her for several moments before speaking again. “I assume you are Princess Chittri, then?”

She dipped her muzzle slightly. “I am.”

“You have led us on quite a chase,” Celestia noted, her wings tucking neatly at her sides. “You have betrayed your sovereign, assaulted several of our subjects, and put the peace we have been working toward in jeopardy.”

“I have.”

“Why?”

“For many reasons,” Princess Chittri replied. Despite the seriousness of the situation and the attention focused on her, her voice remained perfectly calm. “Each act had its own reason behind it, which I felt, at the time, justified my actions.”

Chrysalis scoffed. “You can’t justify treason,” she growled, though she remained silent when Celestia fixed her with a look.

When Celestia looked back to Chittri, she asked, “And what were those reasons?”

There was several seconds of silent consideration before Chittri finally spoke. “My Infiltrators had told me much of Equestria’s treatment of changelings. We had mostly dismissed it as a trick, as Queen Chrysalis had declared it, but the evidence continued to mount. The idea that we might have a mistaken image of a population we were so deeply involved with infiltrating disturbed me. It was dangerous to our Infiltrators, and also very intriguing for its implications.

“I brought up these concerns with Queen Chrysalis, but she dismissed them out-of-hoof. I accepted her conclusion, but the reports continued to come in.

“I was pleased when she declared that I would accompany her to Canterlot. My excursions among ponies had been limited in scope before then. Never before had I the opportunity to conduct such an extensive infiltration of an urban center. I hoped that, here in the heart of your kingdom, I might be able to get a better understanding of things. I carried out Queen Chrysalis’s orders, but I also conducted my own operations. For that, I must admit one additional crime committed of my own volition that you did not mention: the abduction and impersonation of Fleur de Lis.”

Celestia nodded, as if mentally adding to the tally.

“I gathered data for several days, all of it seemingly confirming the reports I had received. I found Fleur de Lis’s mate to be particularly intriguing. I made cautious attempts to further Queen Chrysalis’s goal of increasing tensions through him--” Chrysalis bristled, baring her teeth “--but even though his love for Fleur was intense, even the most gentle of attempts pained him.

“I may have been able to doubt the reports of Infiltrators interpreting events that I was not present for, but I could see for certain that this was no trick. I informed Queen Chrysalis of my analysis, but she dismissed it as readily as we had both dismissed the reports of my Infiltrators. It left me uncertain of how to proceed.” Her eyes left Celestia for the first time since opening, darting over to look toward Nictis. It was the first change in her expression since she had began talking. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how hard it can be to accept that what you’ve been taught your whole life is nothing but a lie.”

Her eyes immediately returned to Celestia. “So I continued to investigate, putting aside the assumptions taught in the hive. I acquired a better view on the nature of ponies than I ever had before. Unfortunately, Queen Chrysalis’s plans called for a premature end to those investigations.”

She paused, a hint of a frown touching her lips for a moment before she continued. “We had discussed many plans before coming to Canterlot. There were many secondary and emergency plans, to account for any possibility. One was a measure of last resort. Queen Chrysalis would arrange to recall her Infiltrators from the city of Canterlot and bring them to the castle, as a sign of peace. Once there, we would strike from within, using shock and confusion to capture or eliminate the princesses and any other ponies of authority.”

“That is enough!” Chrysalis snarled, her horn lighting up once again, but she jerked back as Celestia stepped between them.

“That is enough,” Celestia said, much more calmly. “The knowledge that you sought to bring us harm is hardly news, yet we have still been willing to negotiate with you. If you can not calm yourself, then we will have to remove you from this room until we have finished.”

Chrysalis glared back at her, though the glow of her horn faded once more. “We’ll see, princess.”

Celestia turned back to Chittri, giving her a nod to continue. Chrysalis, however, glared at the back of Celestia’s head as if she were strongly considering striking her. Then again, with Luna’s hawkish gaze and small but eager smile, Sky doubted Chrysalis would get the opportunity.

Chittri relaxed almost imperceptibly. So she wasn’t completely emotionless, Sky noted. She had tensed up at the angry outburst from the queen; she simply hid it well. “It was a risky plan,” she continued. “We knew even before coming here that it was a plan of last resort. It would take days for our army to arrive in force, and we would be attacking a foe that was alert and aware of our presence. After my time here in the city, observing ponies, I recognized that it would be completely futile. Even if we were to take out all four princesses, I suspected it would not be enough to break Equestria.

“When Queen Chrysalis gave the command to bring every changeling in the city to her, I believed she intended to carry out that plan. I voiced my concerns, but she curtly dismissed them, and refused to answer when I inquired as to her intentions. I believed she was about to take us down a path that would likely end in our destruction.”

She paused then, her expression faltering ever so slightly. Hesitantly, she turned to Chrysalis, bowing her head. “I misjudged you and your intentions. For that, I apologize.”

Chrysalis simply snorted dismissively and turned away.

Chittri’s eyes drifted down, ears drooping just a touch. Then she blinked, her calm expression returning as she turned back to Celestia. “I drew my most trusted Infiltrators to me, ones who had all started seeing the truth. I wanted to be absolutely certain, so I set out to gather more information. I had to know for sure if ponies were really as willing to accept changelings as they seemed. And so, I attacked your subjects.”

She bowed her head. “I did not intend them harm, though I had to make it appear as if I did. It was not their pain I sought, but their reaction.”

Celestia frowned a little, but didn’t interrupt.

Raising her head again, Chittri continued. “I started with Rainbow Dash and… Sky.” The corner of her mouth crept upward. “Rainbow Dash is held up by some as an exemplar of loyalty, and I wished to test how far that loyalty extended.”

“You could have asked,” Dash called out. “You know, instead of throwing a freaking table at us!”

“My apologies,” Chittri said, inclining her head. “Fear has a way of showing one’s true self. I know anyone can put on an act, but when you force someone to react on instinct, you strip away the layers of logic and conscious decision, and we can see the reality of what lies beneath.” That hint of a smile returned. “And what I saw was a pony who threw herself in harm’s way to protect a changeling she cared for.”

Rainbow Dash scowled, though Sky felt her wings shift in discomfort. “Yeah, so what? I’d do the same for any of my friends.”

Surprisingly, there was no more restraint in Chittri’s expression; she smiled openly, inclining her head a bit more. “And that speaks even more to the quality of your character.”

Dash simply sat there and frowned, seemingly uncertain of how to take that.

“Next was Spark and Nictis,” Chittri said, her smile lingering faintly. “I had to get close, to see just how true their relationship was. They have had a tumultuous past, but I could see they both care profoundly for each other. And I saw that, when threatened, they both tried to protect the other in their own way. Despite the pain they’ve experienced, they are still willing to trust each other.”

Nictis had gone completely still. He wasn’t angry. Actually, Sky wasn’t certain exactly what the other changeling was feeling. Then again, that might have been the point.

“And while I wouldn’t count Fleur de Lis and Fancy Pants’s reunion to be an attack, it is of a similar vein. After impersonating her for a week, I wished to see how their reunion went. I was not disappointed.”

Celestia slowly nodded. “You seem to have had good intentions for much of what you’ve done,” she noted, “but you have still caused quite a bit of harm through your actions, harm that could have easily been avoided. There’s also the matter of what happened to Sapphire.”

The remains of Chittri’s smile faded away, her expression softening. “Sapphire… was my fault.” Her expression hardened again. “But I did not kill him. He was struck down by a changeling named Gloom, who I slew in turn.”

Sky noticed that Chrysalis had gone very rigid, a look of alarm crossing her expression.

“Who was Gloom,” Celestia asked, “and why did he kill Sapphire?”

“He was one of three specially trained assassins,” Chittri replied, while Chrysalis glared at her with a look of murderous fury. “Eclipse, Umbra, and Gloom. They were one of Queen Chrysalis’s contingency plans, in the event that the hive and Equestria were to engage in hostilities. Each one was trained to assassinate a specific pony: the Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Twilight Sparkle, respectively.”

Sky could have sworn the temperature in the room plummeted several degrees.

Chrysalis seemed to notice the reaction, too. “Oh, what? So I had backup plans. It’s not like you didn’t have plans for getting rid of me, as you’ve made a point of reminding me so many times!”

Cadance gave a faint snort, glaring flatly at Chrysalis. “I’m not sure if I should be relieved or insulted to not be included on that list, but both of those are probably expecting too much of you.”

Chrysalis sneered back at her. “Oh, don’t you worry, princess. I was planning on dealing with you myself.”

“Chrysalis, stop it.” Rather than sounding angry, Celestia merely sounded tired. “It’s no surprise that you would stoop to such low measures, though I should stress that our peace agreement will demand the end of any such plotting.”

“Of course,” Chrysalis growled.

“What I want to know now,” Celestia said, a hint of heat entering her voice, “is why your assassins have killed someone here in my city.”

“As would I,” Chrysalis replied, turning a sharp glare on Princess Chittri. “Because I sure as tartarus didn’t authorize them to leave the hive!”

“And that is one of the multiple reasons I have come here today,” Chittri calmly replied.

Celestia frowned. “Go on.”

“First,” Chittri said, bowing her head to Celestia, “I came to offer myself up in atonement for the mistakes I have made. I was sincere in my pledge to you, Princess Celestia. I will serve you in any way you desire, and accept any punishment you should offer. I do this not out of hope for mercy, but with the hope that I can repair any damage I have caused to the hive and Equestria through my actions.”

She raised her head again to meet Celestia’s gaze. “My second reason is because of the growing difficulty of remaining hidden. Every action I took resulted in two more options being closed to me. You had a very clever pony stalking my every move.” She gave a smile, small but sly. “Perhaps when we’re done with this, you could allow me to talk with them somewhere private? I think it would be quite interesting to sit down and discuss the opposing sides of our little engagement over a friendly cup of tea.”

Sitting at the back wall, Subtle’s expression tightened, as if she was unable to decide if the scene was humorous or horrifying. The emotions Sky sensed seemed mostly in the former.

“And the third reason,” Chittri continued, “is the same reason that the assassins had come here. Gloom did not come here to kill me, or my Infiltrators. He came expecting me to help him.” She turned to look to Chrysalis. “It seems I am not the only princess of the hive who has betrayed you.”

Chrysalis stared at her, fury and alarm conflicting in her emotions. “What?!”

“Princess Chara has seized control of the hive,” Chittri calmly replied, “And sent the assassins to acquire my aid in eliminating the princesses and yourself.”

Twilight leaped to her hooves. “Don’t you think you could have told us that a bit earlier?!”

“My apologies, princess,” Chittri said with a bow of her head, though she was smiling again. “But Infiltrators are taught that information is a weapon, and like all weapons, it can be hard to resist the occasional dramatic flourish.”

“Enough!” Chrysalis snapped, and took a step toward Chittri. “Explain. Now!”

For once, Celestia said nothing at Chrysalis’s outburst, though she kept a close eye on her.

Chittri seemed unfazed, although Sky thought she stood a little more rigidly at the queen’s approach. “We met Gloom last night. He and the other assassins had been prowling the city looking for us, and we met almost by accident. If either of us had been less perceptive, we might have never noticed each other.

“I led him to one of the homes I had secured, and he demanded to know what has been happening. I informed him of events as neutrally as possible. At first, I left out my parting of ways with Queen Chrysalis, but then he hinted at the subject, as if trying to convince me to do so. I took the chance of revealing my betrayal, and it paid off; he was pleased. He said that Princess Chara had heard of Queen Chrysalis’s plans to accept peace with Equestria, and was convinced that she had been corrupted. She believes that peace with ponies will lead to the hive being little more than a second-rate territory of Equestria, or worse, that the hive will be completely destroyed, consumed by Equestria.”

Chrysalis stared at her, tense and furious, though with the way her eyes darted in thought, she seemed uncertain of where to direct that rage.

“I pressed him for information,” Chittri said. “As it turns out, Chara fully expected me to help her. I suppose I had done plenty to give her that impression.”

Chrysalis finally let out an angry snort. “I guess traitors recognize their own kind.”

“No,” Chittri said. “It was not a question of loyalty, but of ideology and ideals. She thought I was of a like mind on ponies. She loathes them, considers them worth nothing but the bit of love one can suck out of them. I, of course, fostered the impression that I shared those views.” She gave a small smile. “I have long since learned that the easiest way to improve someone’s impression of you is to support their opinions.”

Chrysalis reined in her fury to level a skeptical look her way. “And I suppose you did the same to me, didn’t you?”

Chittri’s smile grew a fraction. “Of course not.”

Chrysalis was silent for several seconds before coldly growling, “Get on with the story.”

“Once I had gotten all I could through subtle means,” Chittri said, “I tried more direct methods. I pushed too far. At some point, he realized my intentions. He struck Sapphire in the back and turned on me. We were able to subdue him for a while, but he broke free again and tried to kill me, so I struck him down.

“The other assassins fled. Eclipse was wounded by Lazuli, but he and Umbra escaped the city. From what I was able to get out of Gloom, their mission had been dependent on my support; without the aid of local Infiltrators to get them into place, their chances of success were minimal. Therefore, they are almost certainly returning to the hive, to inform Princess Chara that she does not have the support of the Infiltrators that she had expected.”

Chittri inclined her head after the last word, as if signifying that her story was complete.

After a couple seconds, Chrysalis wheeled around with an angry snarl, stomping her hooves as she stormed off several paces. While the queen stewed in her fury, Celestia spoke. “What will Princess Chara do now?”

“She is an extremist,” Chittri replied. “She has all of the fury and ruthlessness of Queen Chrysalis, but she lacks her degree of pride. She would rather see the hive dispersed and hidden than to have it subjected to an Equestrian hegemony, and she will kill any number of ponies it takes in order to do so. I expect the first of those deaths will occur the moment Eclipse and Umbra return to the hive.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “And why do you think that?”

Chittri considered a moment before replying. “Before we left, Princess Chara had offered Queen Chrysalis some ideas of how to pressure Equestria. One was the suggestion that queen Chrysalis go to the feeding chamber, select the most worn out and depleted pony, and behead them. She suggested bringing their head here to present to you, as a clear demonstration of what will happen should Equestria try to subjugate the hive. When I say that she is ruthless, that is the kind of ruthlessness I mean.”

Celestia slowly drew her head back, eyes narrowing further. There was a fire to her expression, and after a moment, she turned to look at Chrysalis. “Is this true?”

“Yes,” Chrysalis hissed, and then noticing Celestia’s expression, rolled her eyes. “I obviously said no, didn’t I?”

Celestia continued to glare for a moment before looking away and calling out. “Guards!”

The doors opened almost immediately, the two armored unicorns stepping in.

“Find Captain Aegis,” Celestia commanded. “Tell him to report to me immediately; lives are at stake.”

As the guards bowed and hurried off to carry out her order, Chittri spoke. “As impressive as your army can be, I am afraid they may be a bit too much of a blunt instrument. Princess Chara will execute the prisoners she holds if the battle turns against her. She may have many talents, but bluffing is not one of them.”

“We do not plan on launching a full-scale invasion,” Celestia said.

“Yes,” Luna agreed. “We have many skilled ponies who could conduct a rescue operation.”

“I do not doubt the skill of your ponies,” Chittri said, “nor their courage. However, a rescue operation would require detailed knowledge, meticulous planning, and perfect execution. If the hive has even the slightest knowledge that they are being attacked, ponies will die. What you need is subtlety.” She inclined her head slightly. “And it seems to me that, when it comes to subtlety, you have a better option at hoof.”

“You want us to send you?” Celestia asked, an eyebrow raised skeptically.

“No,” Chittri said. “I’m suggesting that you have the bulk of the hive’s Infiltrators here, within your castle. Changelings who have trained, many for their whole lives, in the arts of deception, impersonation, and infiltration. If you need a team to slip into the depths of the hive and extract the prisoners within, without a single changeling in the hive knowing, they are the ones you should send.”

Then she gave a faint, sly smile. “Though I would be immodest enough to claim that my skill would likely benefit such an endeavor.”

Chrysalis had stopped her raging, and instead stood still, staring at Chittri as she mulled over what was just said. Celestia, meanwhile, exchanged a look with Luna, who was wearing an amused smile. “It does seem like an ideal solution,” the younger sister said.

Celestia considered it a moment longer before looking to Chrysalis. “Would you agree to this?”

“To rescuing your ponies from my own subjects?” Chrysalis sharply replied. “No. But I will gladly send them to deal with Chara.”

Chittri nodded to the queen. “Rescuing the prisoners would be essentially pointless if Chara remains in control. With no reason to remain in the hive, she could flee with those whose loyalty she has obtained. She would become a festering problem. Instead of killing a few dozen in a day, she might have years. Any mission that starts with the rescue of those prisoners would need to end with her capture.”

Chrysalis glared at Chittri, but finally looked back to Celestia. “Fine. I never should have gotten involved with you stupid ponies. It’s been nothing but one disaster after another. I just want to be done with it. Just don’t pretend like you’re doing me a favor by letting me take care of my own problem while you sit around being useless.”

“On the contrary,” Chittri said, earning a sharp glare from Chrysalis once again. “Equestria can offer the most vital piece of this mission: transportation. The team would have to arrive well before these assassins do. It will be a long and gruelling flight, and they will need to arrive in good enough condition to carry out their mission. Eclipse and Umbra have no such restriction; so long as they arrive at the hive, it does not matter how exhausted they are.”

Celestia nodded. “I could offer the Royal Guard’s chariots to carry the team, and capable fliers to pull them.”

“A kind offer,” Chittri said, “though I’m afraid it would not be sufficient. These assassins were chosen from among the best the hive had to offer, and are in peak physical condition. They will fly swiftly and without rest until they reach their destination. Eclipse may have been injured, but I do not expect it to slow him much. Even if it did, Umbra may fly ahead. It is unlikely that your chariots would be able to reach the hive before one of them arrives with their warning, and even if they could, there would not be enough time to conduct the rescue.” The sly smile had returned. “But once again, I would offer that you have a better option.”

A few confused looks were exchanged as ponies tried to figure out what she meant. Then Rainbow Dash spoke out. “Oh, yeah! Twilight can totally use her cheater magic to teleport everyone like she did last night!”

“Rainbow!” Twilight objected, looking alarmed at the very thought. “The hive is hundreds of miles away. I’d have to take dozens of smaller jumps, maybe more. I’d still be lucky to make it that far on my own. There’s no way I could take others, too!”

Chittri’s sly smile held. “I was thinking of an option that would be significantly less draining,” she said, and inclined her head to the side, eyes turning to Nictis.

Nictis blinked in surprise, then bristled, his wings buzzing angrily. “No!”

Chittri’s smile grew. “It would--”

“No!” Nictis shouted, stepping forward. “You are not pulling that!”

“Your dedication to Spark Wheel’s safety is admirable,” Chittri said, “but you know there is only one method of transportation that could reach the hive quicker than a swift flier.”

Twilight looked questioningly at Chittri. “You’re talking about his flying machine?”

“I am,” Chittri replied with a nod. “A fast, tireless machine. It flew from Manechester to here in a couple of hours. It could reach the hive hours before Eclipse and Umbra, giving the infiltration team enough time to conduct their mission.”

“It can’t carry a team,” Nictis growled. “It only has two seats.”

“I got a good, close look at the machine,” Chittri said. “It has ample open space within the frame. Currently it’s used to hold a small amount of cargo, but it could hold much more. There should be room for a team of at least half a dozen changelings. More, if they’re not terribly concerned with comfort.”

Nictis hissed, but did not argue with her.

Chittri tilted her head, and changed tactics. “Shouldn’t he be allowed make his own decision?”

“Don’t!” Nictis snarled, and Sky saw a tremble of rage go through him. “Don’t even try to do that.”

Celestia stepped over to him, lowering her head. Her voice was soft and gentle. “Nictis.” He went silent as he looked up to her. “I understand the desire to protect the ones you care for, but we must take care not to smother them with that protection. You will not do him any favors by refusing him this choice.”

Nictis slowly shook his head. “No, I… I won’t… I won’t ask him.” He shuddered, eyes sinking to the floor. His voice was suddenly weak. “...Someone else can.”

Sky felt the feeling of desperation directed his way, and he spoke up. “I’ll ask him, if you’d like?”

Nictis didn’t look up. He simply nodded.

Celestia nodded as well. “Thank you.” Rising to her full height once more, she slowly looked around the room; she looked over Princess Chittri, Queen Chrysalis, the other princesses of Equestria, and the scattering of ponies and changelings. Then she turned her gaze back to Nictis. “There is one more favor I would like to ask of you, if you are willing.”

Nictis looked up again, blinking a couple times; Sky saw the hint of moisture at the corners of his eyes, though the other changeling held his expression firm and neutral.

Celestia offered a small smile. “I hear from many sources that you are among the most talented Infiltrators alive, and the most talented of those who claim loyalty to Equestria. I would like you to lead this mission.”

Nictis’s eyes widened.

“Will you accept this responsibility?”

Nictis stared for several seconds, his mouth creeping open. Finally, he swallowed, took a deep breath, and put on a calm, controlled expression. “I will.”

“I will not,” Chrysalis cut in. “You do not have authority over my Infiltrators, princess.”

“There are enough changelings living in Equestria to form a capable team, especially if the Infiltrators who followed Princess Chittri still follow her.” Chrysalis’s eyes widened, but her oncoming furious reply was held off as Celestia raised a hoof. “But I have a better idea. A compromise. A team selected from among the best changelings of both our nations. We each have our own goals; I propose that we work toward those goals, together.”

Chrysalis shut her mouth, regarding Celestia with a suspicious eye. After a moment, she gave an angry snort, and nodded, baring her teeth in a cold smile. “Very well, princess. I accept.”

A moment later her smile faltered. She blinked, then leveled a flat glare at Celestia. “You just had to make this another of your stupid friendship lessons, didn’t you?”

Celestia smiled, a hint of laughter coloring her voice. “We all have our weaknesses, Queen Chrysalis.”

Chapter 20: A Call to Arms

Chapter 20: A Call to Arms

Nictis sat back against the wall of the castle’s hall, his eyes closed. Part of him objected to just sitting there, doing nothing. He had a goal, a mission. There was still much that he needed to take care of.

The rest of him argued that there was no point in rushing into the rest if he didn’t even have the answer to the most vital question, the one that determined if there was any point to it at all.

He could still hear the rattle outside, faintly echoing through the window at the end of the hall. The Royal Guard was mobilizing. He’d gotten only the most basic of details, but it seemed Celestia was pulling out all the stops. The entirety of the Guard’s chariot fleet was being deployed, loaded with ponies that would serve as the first hooves on the ground in case anything went wrong. They would not be capable of assaulting the hive, but they might prevent Princess Chara from escaping. The rest of the Guard was loading onto airships, many borrowed from private citizens. They would take even longer to arrive, but would provide enough to start a proper siege.

Not that it was likely to be of help to the prisoners that lay deep in the hive.

The door clicked open, snapping him out of his thoughts. He had just gotten to his hooves when Spark came trotting out, an excited grin on his face. Sky followed along behind him, and on seeing Nictis, gave an awkward grimace and a shrug.

“So, this is real?” Spark blurted out as he came to a stop just before Nictis. Each question came out more excited than the last. “We’re flying a rescue mission? With Songbird?”

Nictis almost winced at the enthusiasm. “If you want to,” he cautiously asked, but Spark just grinned even more.

“Oh my gosh,” he said, dancing from one hoof to the other in excitement. The emotion came from him in a flood, enough to almost entirely wash out the nervousness behind it. “That’s just… that’s like the most awesome thing ever! And we get to help!” He let out a loud laugh, which made Nictis feel more than a little uncomfortable.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, placing a hoof gently on Spark’s shoulder, and the pony immediately stopped his dancing.

“Yeah, fine!” he said, a bit too quickly, then took several deep breaths. “Okay, yeah. A bit excited. I mean, I’m going to be flying a rescue mission to save a whole bunch of ponies for the princesses! This is just…” He trailed off, continuing to breathe deeply as he practically jittered in excitement.

Nictis gave Sky a sharp glare, and the other changeling shrugged again, with an apologetic feeling to him. “He asked.”

“I need to check on Songbird!” Spark blurted, and started trotting--no, galloping-- down the hall.

“Spark, wait!” Nictis called out, starting to follow after him. In his excitement, Spark kept going, and Nictis stopped, turning to give Sky a sharp look. “Just… get everyling to meet up at the Guard chariot landing. I’m going to be there with Spark. We’ll get things worked out there. Okay?”

“Got it,” Sky meekly replied, and Nictis took to the air to fly after Spark.

When Sky finally returned to his own quarters, he walked into an excited conversation. Or at least, it was excited on one half of the conversation. Trip was buzzing around Skiris, a couple hooves touching the back of the other changeling’s chair as he hovered and bobbed back and forth. “But it’s, like, hero stuff! Riding in to the rescue!”

Cara sat quietly near the back of the room, his back toward them.

“They want Infiltrators,” Skiris pointed out, though he smiled. “Not former miners.”

“Yeah, so? Oh, hey Sky!” Trip looked between the two of them and grinned. “I mean, Sky’s going, too. Aren’t you?”

“What? Why? I’m not--” he stopped and blinked. “Well, I mean, I guess I am an Infiltrator. But I think there are better choices.”

Trip just waved a hoof dismissively. “Nah! Niccy’s in charge, you know he’ll bring you along.”

Sky couldn’t help a sharp laugh. “Hah, me? ‘The worst changeling ever?’ Really?”

“Well, sure,” Trip said, shrugging. “But he trusts you.”

Skiris nodded.

“Uh…” Sky looked at them. “Huh. I hadn’t even thought of that. But anyway, we can’t all go, or there won’t be enough room for everyone.”

Trip shrugged, flittering over to hover between Sky and Skiris. “Sure, but who else is he going to take? Maybe Chittri, since she’s an Infiltrator and seems like she’s… probably on our side. So even then, that’s just three, plenty of room for Skiris and me to tag along. We can help.”

Sky sighed. “You’ll have to talk to Nictis. He’s the one in charge.”

Trip zipped back to Skiris’s side, hooking a hoof under the other changeling’s foreleg. “Come on, let’s go find Nictis before everyling takes off without us!”

Skiris relented, sliding off the chair and onto his hooves. “Do you even know where you’re dragging me?”

Trip paused, blinked, and looked to Sky.

“The Royal Guard chariot landing,” Sky said. “I was just coming to check on Cara before heading over, myself.”

Cara’s ear twitched, the first reaction he’d given since Sky arrived, and turned to look back at them. Faint tracks of dried tears discolored the carapace of his cheeks. The sorrow still lingered, but it had diminished.

“Hey there,” Sky said, his voice gentle. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay,” Cara replied, his voice quiet and raw. A faint trickle of appreciation flowed Sky’s way. The other changeling swallowed, and spoke again. “Is what they’re saying… is it right? You’re going on a rescue mission?”

“Yes.” The real answer was a bit more complicated, since Sky didn’t know if he, specifically, was going, but that seemed inconsequential at the moment.

Cara looked away again, his gaze dropping to something held in his hooves. He took a deep breath and exhaled. A feeling of determination rose up, and his horn lit with magic, lifting a simple loop of string over his head and around his neck. Then he stood; his leg trembled slightly as he started, but he stilled it. He rose up, head held high as he turned to face Sky squarely. He planted his hooves, standing tall and firm, and met Sky’s gaze.

Dangling against his chest, on the thin loop of string, was the piece of wax he had been carrying around, carefully carved into the shape of a butterfly.

Behind him, Sky heard Trip give a happy chitter. Sky himself smiled as he looked at the pendant. “You know,” Sky said, a hoof slowly rising to his own necklace, “the symbols some of us have chosen to wear, they may not be what a cutie mark is for a pony, but they always seem to mean something.” He gestured to the butterfly, his smile growing. “What does yours mean?”

Cara’s pose weakened a touch, his head dipping as he looked down to his own necklace, and raised a hoof to touch it. His voice was still quiet and raw, but it didn’t waver “It’s… Fluttershy. I want to be brave like her.”

Sky’s smile softened, and he gave a tiny nod. Behind him, Trip quietly said, “Fluttershy? I’d have thought more like Rainbow Dash or something.”

“I know that Fluttershy… she gets scared. Of everything. Just like me.” Cara swallowed again, and lowered his hoof to the ground. He raised his head again, and stood straight and firm. “...But when it comes to helping her friends, she doesn’t let her fears stop her. I want to be like that. And I want to go with you.”

Sky hesitated, but despite the reaction, Cara’s look of determination didn’t waver. A moment later, he nodded. “It’s up to Nictis. He’s the one putting together the team. Just keep in mind, our ride doesn’t have a lot of room, so… don’t get your hopes up too high.”

Cara nodded, with only the faintest hint of hesitation to the motion. “Okay. Let’s go ask him.”

Sky considered him for a moment longer before nodding and turning to the other changelings. “Well, okay then. Let’s go see what Nictis says.”

Nictis sighed, setting the map down to look around the chariot landing and the crowd of black forms along its edge. Several dozen changelings waited there, with only the occasional murmur among them. Chrysalis and Chittri both stood tall, apart from the crowd. The former appeared to be doing everything she could to not notice that the latter existed, which Nictis was silently thankful for. The last thing he wanted to be worrying about was some spat between the queen and one of her princesses.

Or at least, not that princess. He had plenty of other things to worry about for this one.

Slightly removed from the crowd stood a lone changeling in golden armor, standing with the stoic poise of the Royal Guard, and ignoring the occasional dirty look directed his way by some of Chrysalis’s subjects.

It looked like there were only a few more changelings yet to arrive. Sky still hadn’t returned from his rounds, for one. The captured Infiltrators were also absent, though they shouldn’t be much longer. Celestia had decided that, given the change in circumstances and the event of formal cooperation between Equestria and Queen Chrysalis, it was an appropriate time to return them. Soon everyling would be there, and it would be time to get this whole mission underway.

In other words, he needed to stop delaying and take care of things.

So he stood up and turned away from the table, with its map and papers, and walked toward Songbird.

Rounding the nose of the machine, he found Spark on a stool, a wrench clasped in his teeth as he tugged on some bolts in the starboard fan. As focused on his work as he was, he didn’t notice Nictis’s approach until he was standing next to the stool. “Oh, hey,” he said, voice only barely muffled by the tool he held. The feeling of excitement had faded to a much more gentle level, which allowed the nervousness and uncertainty to shine through a bit more clearly.

“Hey,” Nictis replied, giving an uneven smile. “Are you feeling alright?”

Spark spit the wrench out into his hooves, flashing an awkward smile of his own. “Uh, yeah, I kinda got a little excited there, huh? It’s just, this is all, you know…” He gestured toward Songbird and the changelings beyond, looked around aimlessly for a moment, and finally settled on shrugging.

“You’re nervous,” Nictis noted, and Spark shrugged again.

“Well, yeah,” Spark admitted. “This is just so… out there. I don’t even know if I know what to think about it. It’s just… weird! I never thought I’d end up doing something like this.” He let out a sudden, nervous laugh. “I mean, yeah, sure, I might have had some silly daydreams of using a flying machine I’d built to come swooping in to the rescue and save the day, but I didn’t really think it would actually happen!”

Nictis nodded, slowly. “You know, you don’t have to do this.”

Spark’s smile vanished, the nervous excitement fading. “Yes I do,” he said, voice suddenly quiet. “Ponies’ lives are at risk, right?”

Hesitantly, Nictis nodded.

Spark sighed, ears drooping a little. “So yes, I have to do this. All I have to do to save some lives is fly for a few hours and drop off some changelings. How could I say no?”

“You don’t sound happy about it,” Nictis said.

“I’m just nervous,” Spark said. “Ponies could die if anything goes wrong. You’re leading a bunch of changelings on some covert mission in hostile territory. Heck, I don’t even know if one of the changelings I’m going to be flying over isn’t the same one who choked me while wearing your face!” He shook his head, the little flicker of anger fading as quick as it came. “But I have to do this. I want to do this.”

Nictis slowly smiled, placing a hoof lightly on Spark’s side. “You’re a good pony, Spark.”

“Thanks,” Spark quietly replied. After a moment of silence, he gave a weak chuckle, a smile slowly creeping across his face. “Besides, most of the bits that went into Songbird were the ones you saved up to get home. Seems only fitting that she gets to help you make that trip.”

Nictis blinked, but after a moment gave a faint chuckle. “It’s not my home any more, but… I like the thought.”

Spark smiled a bit more, and Nictis finally leaned in and hugged him.

Eventually they drew apart again. Nictis sighed, and got back to business. “So, is Songbird ready?”

“Yep,” Spark said, twirling his wrench. “Heck, she was ready before I got out here, but it’s always good to be sure. Plus… I really needed to do something with my hooves. I think I’d go crazy if I was trying to sit still.”

Nictis laughed softly, giving Spark a final pat on the shoulder. “I’ve got to get the rest of this organized. We’ll probably be taking off pretty soon. If there’s anything you need to take care of before we go, better get to it quickly.”

“I’ll be ready,” Spark said, flashing a smile. Returning it, Nictis finally walked back to the waiting pack of changelings.

The few stragglers had arrived during his distraction, including a few he hadn’t expected to see. He wasn’t too surprised to see Trip and Skiris accompanying Sky. Cara, however, was rather unexpected. He almost didn’t recognize the changeling at first glance. His bearing and demeanor was completely different, and while there was still a hint of hesitation in his steps, he carried himself tall and defiant, a far cry from the timid changeling he had last seen. Nictis expected to feel anger fuelling such a change, but instead only found a sense of determination.

Then Nictis saw the symbol hanging against Cara’s chest, and his smile returned. He caught Sky’s glance, and the other changeling gave a smile and a nod.

A quick glance around the crowd brought him back to the more important matter at hoof. He drew in a deep breath, let it out, and spoke.

“Queen Chrysalis, Princess Chittri. Could you both come here, please?”

They did, though Chrysalis scowled slightly as she did so. “What is it?” she demanded upon approaching him.

“Are you both capable of assuming the form of a regular changeling drone?”

“Yes,” Chittri answered.

Chrysalis, however, snorted at the question. “And why in the world would I do something so degrading?”

“Because I would like you both along for this mission,” Nictis said, “but that would be useless if you’re recognized the moment another changeling lays eyes on us.”

Chrysalis glared at him for a moment. “Hmmph. Yes, I am capable of doing that.”

“Good,” Nictis said. “We’re also limited on how much Songbird can carry, and you’re both too large to bring along, otherwise.”

Chittri nodded, while Chrysalis simply looked away.

“Now then,” Nictis continued, “we need a team. This isn’t going to be a standard infiltration and replacement. It’s going to be a raid. We’re going to have to move fast once we arrive. At most, we’ll have a few hours. That means using infiltration tactics as a method of delaying suspicion and isolating individuals, and more aggressive methods to expedite our progress. There will almost certainly be some measure of fighting, but we have to keep it quiet; we won’t survive a fight with the whole hive. For that reason, I want to build a team that’s a mix of Infiltrators and soldiers.”

“That sounds ideal,” Chittri said, earning her a silent glare from Chrysalis.

“Good. We should be able to fit a team of about eight on Songbird, so long as we don’t mind it being packed in pretty tight, but I don’t think that will be much of an issue for…”

He trailed off; the princesses of Equestria had arrived, along with the youngest princess’s friends. Twilight Sparkle had broken from the group and was approaching him. “Princess,” he said, bowing his head.

“Hello, Nictis,” Twilight said. “Sorry to interrupt, but we had a request of you.”

“We?” Nictis noted with a raised eyebrow. “As in royal we, or you and the other princesses?”

That earned a small laugh from Twilight. “As in, myself and the other princesses.” She paused, giving a playful smile. “Although I suppose that’s a royal we in some sense. Anyway, yes, my request. We were discussing things, and we decided that, if it’s at all possible to arrange, it would be a good idea if I came along, too.”

“You?” Nictis asked, still eying her skeptically. “I mean no offense, princess, but this is a mission that requires stealth. An alicorn pony is not very discreet, especially within the hive.”

“I wasn’t planning on sneaking in with you,” she said, with no sense of offense at his reply. “But we discussed it, and I believe I could offer quite a bit of support for your mission.”

After a moment of silent consideration, Nictis asked, “What kind of support?”

“First,” Twilight said, and Nictis could almost hear the mental checkmark, “the initial wave of Royal Guard reinforcements will be many hours behind you. They won’t be able to come to your aid if something goes wrong, but I could. I may not have the experience of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but I’ve been in my fair share of dangerous situations. I’ve even fought changelings before. If things escalate, I can provide support and assistance.

“Second, I can teleport. I know your fire-portal spell is fairly uncommon among changelings, and you’ll have to move a lot of ponies quickly. I may not be able to make a teleportation trip across half of Equestria, but I can easily teleport several ponies a couple of miles, and cut down the amount of time you’ll be exposed within the hive.

“Third, while I may not have the same skill at shields as my brother, I am still quite capable. With the hive being a network of tunnels, I can focus my shield on those smaller areas to completely cut off routes in and out, buy you extra time, and hold off any attackers.

“And fourth… some of these ponies may be traumatized by their experience. They might benefit from seeing a friendly pony’s face when they’re freed from their captivity.”

She ended her response with a proud smile, and Nictis thought for a moment before looking over to Princess Chittri.

Chittri was frowning. “For your fourth argument, I should point out that many of the captives will be shocked enough to find that there is a second alicorn, let alone a fourth.” Her frown turned to a faint smile. “The other three arguments, however, appear quite well-reasoned. It may offer greater flexibility if things do not go to plan. If Songbird has room to accommodate you without diminishing the size of our team, I believe it would be worth doing so.”

Chrysalis merely snickered. “Well, this is sure to be a fun trip.”

“Very well,” Nictis said with a nod. “Hopefully we’ll have enough room.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said, nodding back. “Also, Princess Celestia would like to have a quick word with you once you have everything ready to go.”

“Then I guess we’d better get the rest of the team organized.” Nictis looked out again before calling out. “Sky, come over here.”

When Sky stepped up, Nictis asked, “Would you be willing to come with us?”

“Uh, yeah,” Sky said, giving a lopsided smile. “If you want me to.”

“Good,” Nictis said, nodding again. “Then that’s four. We could bring Fade, he seems pretty competent.” A quick glance to Chittri earned a nod of affirmation. “Elytron and Chirrup seem ideal picks for more combat-oriented changelings.”

The changelings in question were ushered over as Nictis thought carefully on the remaining names. That thought was interrupted by the approach of hooves and a voice stating, with only the barest hint of shakiness, “I want to volunteer.”

Nictis looked up to see Cara standing before him, head held high. Trip and Skiris followed, the former quickly adding, “Us too!”

“Sorry,” Nictis said with a slow shake of his head. “We’re very limited on space. We need the most skilled changelings we can find--”

“I can help,” Cara said, and Nictis blinked in surprise; not just because Cara had interrupted him, but because the interruption had been calm, rather than an angry outburst. “I might not be an Infiltrator, but… you don’t need a whole team of Infiltrators. You’re not all going to be talking, right?”

“We may not all be talking,” Nictis admitted, “but we still have to blend in. We need to not be noticed.”

“I’ve got a lot of practice at not being noticed,” Cara said, his voice quieting a bit.

Nictis had to give a little snort of amusement, but he quickly wiped away the smile that accompanied it. “This is serious, Cara. Mistakes could cost lives.”

A wing suddenly interjected itself between them, cutting them off. Nictis looked to its owner, to see Chittri wearing the coldest expression he had seen from her. The way she glared down her nose at Cara, that slow, confident strut as she stepped in close to the smaller changeling, it was almost as if Princess Ceymi had returned to life before his eyes.

“Sapphire is dead,” Chittri said, contempt lacing her words. To Cara’s credit, only a faint twitch of his eye betrayed the verbal jab’s effect.

“Chittri,” Nictis started to say, but she ignored him.

“He died in my service,” Chittri continued, her eyes narrowing to a hard glare, her teeth flashing sharply with each word. “He gave his life in defense of the hive. Now you want to throw away what he died for, all for what? Grief over his loss? Personal validation?”

Cara swallowed, and replied, quietly, “No.”

Chittri lowered her head to glare at Cara, eye-to-eye. She snarled. “You could get every one of us killed for some pathetic quest for revenge.”

Nictis stepped up. “Chittri!”

Cara drew his head back only a hair, meeting her gaze with only the faintest sign of reluctance. Nictis could see that he was struggling to stay there, his body rigid, and there was a slight waver to his voice as he spoke. “This has nothing to do with Sapphire. I want to go because lives are at risk, and I want to help.”

“Help,” Chittri said, the word dripping with venom. “What help will you be? You couldn’t even handle living in the hive without running away.”

“Chittri!” Nictis snapped. “That’s enough!”

Cara visibly trembled at her words, head drawing back. Then he swallowed, straightening his posture once again in the face of the princess’s glare. “I’m not running away anymore. Not when I can help my friends.”

The pair stared at each other, Chittri’s cold glare meeting Cara’s shaky but determined eyes.

Then Chittri blinked, and her furious expression instantly vanished. She rose back to her full height, and turned a playful smile to Nictis. “I like him,” she said, sounding both pleased and amused. “I approve.”

As she turned to walk back, Cara shuddered for a moment, relaxing slightly despite his rapid breathing.

Nictis relaxed as well, sighing. He gave Cara a questioning look, and was answered with a single quick nod. Seeing that Cara was okay, he looked back to Chittri. “You approve?”

“I do,” Chittri said. “Fear can be overcome, but a determination to see a task through is a much more difficult and vital thing. I do not think for a moment that he will be as deceptive as an Infiltrator, nor as capable in a fight as a soldier, but I have learned to appreciate a dedication to doing what is right. Besides, we have enough Infiltrators and soldiers already.”

Nictis mulled the statement over. “I’d still prefer another changeling capable in a fight.”

“I can fight,” Cara said.

Chittri, however, shrugged. “We are hardly lacking for combat ability or experience. Elytron and Chirrup both appear to be quite capable on their own. Fade and Sky were soldiers before becoming Infiltrators.” Sky’s ears perked up at this tidbit. “Queen Chrysalis is the most powerful changeling alive.” The smug snort from the queen was likely tempered by the compliment’s source. “And I served as the head of the Elite Guard, prior to becoming the head of the Infiltrators. We have an abundance of changelings skilled in stealth, deception, and combat. We could hardly ask for a better skillset.”

Nictis looked back to Cara, who had puffed himself up once again. Behind him, Trip grinned, pointing a hoof at Cara and nodding emphatically.

Finally, Nictis relented. “Fine,” he said, trying to ignore the lingering concern that he was making a mistake. “You can come.”

“Thank you,” Cara said, smiling in relief. His rigid posture softened into something much more natural, yet no less proud and determined.

With a sigh, Nictis looked around the assembled group before settling on Elytron. “We’ll need more sets of armor,” Nictis said. “They’ll be useful in a fight, as well as the possibility of blending in as a guard patrol. Could you fetch us two… wait.” He looked over to Cara, hesitating for a moment before asking, “Are you sure you’re up for a fight?”

“Yes,” Cara said, with a nod.

“...Three sets of armor.”

Elytron eyed him for a moment before nodding, and headed off toward the larger crowd of changelings. Nictis looked back to the group. “Sky, Chirrup, and Cara, you’ll each get a set of armor when he’s back. I’m going to go talk with Celestia, then go over the flight plan with Spark, and then we’ll be underway as soon as everyling’s ready. Okay?”

Everyone quickly agreed, except for Chirrup, who looked slightly conflicted but eventually nodded. Satisfied, Nictis took up the map in his magic and walked over to where Celestia waited.

He noted right away that she was watching Chittri, and only looked away as he drew nearer. “What was that outburst about?” she asked.

Nictis sighed. “Princess Chittri decided to test Cara before giving her approval. I agree with the sentiment, though I disapprove of the method.”

“Hmm,” Celestia mused. “I wanted to ask you, as an Infiltrator… do you trust her?”

“Not even remotely,” Nictis replied, frowning. “But I think our goals are aligned. It’s the only course that really makes sense to me.”

Celestia slowly nodded. “I am inclined to believe that she does mean to aid us,” she said. “I suspect there may be more to it, but I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter.”

Nictis looked back. Chittri was walking a short distance away from the rest of the group, with Sky alongside her. “...I can see three possible scenarios,” Nictis said. “The first is that she is making her own play for power. The second is that she is aligned with Princess Chara, and using the truth as bait. And the third is that she is sincere.

“If she’s trying to seize power for herself, this seems the least efficient route for it. It’s extremely overt, and the delay in taking action weakens her position. If she were trying to do so, she’d need to eliminate Chrysalis. It would make far more sense to assassinate her immediately. Waiting serves no purpose. Luring her back to the hive makes even less sense, since she’ll be at her most alert.”

“It would get her out of the castle,” Celestia pointed out.

“That hardly matters,” Nictis said with a dismissive shake of his head. “I could have assassinated her easily. A quick fire-portal into her chamber’s bathroom, step out, and put a bolt of magic through her skull as she sleeps. The job would be done before the guards at the door even got the notice of the intrusion. Getting an assassin into the castle isn’t a problem. Chittri managed to bypass even the heightened security to get in and talk to you, but she wouldn’t even need to do that. All she would have needed to do is have one of the Infiltrators following her come in with the rest, pretending to be loyal to Chrysalis, only to slip away in the middle of the night.

“There’s also the possibility that she’s wanting to use Chrysalis to get rid of Chara, but given that Chittri leads a group that’s highly skilled in deception and even assassination, it has to be the riskiest method of doing so. Especially since she’d then have to assassinate Chrysalis herself, who would be the harder target.”

Celestia frowned as she considered this, and finally nodded. “And the second?”

“Largely the same objections as the first,” Nictis replied. “It’s possible she and Chara might consider a trap, but it seems an awkward and inefficient way of doing so. It’s also getting Equestria involved in her coup, and there’s an entire army heading toward the hive. Chara might be foolish enough to consider it, if what Chittri says is accurate, but I can’t imagine any Infiltrator being so. Especially not with one of the princesses going along. If she tries anything like that, it would mean war, and she must know how poorly that would go.

“Which leaves us with the third possibility: she’s been telling us the truth, or at least part of it, and she intends to help us retrieve the prisoners and capture Chara. Beyond that, I couldn’t say.”

Celestia nodded. “That was my impression, as well. Still, it is good to hear you are in agreement.” She gave a faint chuckle. “Though I am amused that neither of us seem to give any consideration toward her and Chrysalis working together.”

Nictis gave a short chuckle. “I’m fairly certain Chrysalis is incapable of acting well enough to pull that off.”

“As am I,” Celestia said. “And I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, for the moment, as I have for other changelings in the past.” Her eyes glanced toward him, the smile holding for a moment before fading as she continued. “Still, I can’t help but be concerned, especially with Twilight Sparkle accompanying you.” She looked over at the younger alicorn, the smile swiftly fading. “And I do still have one question that remains unanswered: why did she incinerate Gloom?”

Nictis looked back to Chittri, who was smiling as she watched Sky walking off. “I should ask her.”

“Probably a good idea,” Celestia mused before looking back to him. “Be careful with her.”

“I will,” Nictis said, bowing his head, and with a quick farewell, turned toward Princess Chittri.

Sky had managed to hold out a whole thirty seconds before giving in to curiosity. “Princess Chittri?” he quietly asked as he stepped up beside her. “Could I ask you some questions?”

She regarded him with a carefully neutral expression, though a hint of amusement played at his senses. “You wish to know about yourself,” she said, more of a statement than a question.

Sky swallowed, and nodded.

“I doubt there is much of importance that I could tell you which you did not already know,” Chittri said, though she turned away from the group. He stayed beside her as she walked a few paces away, giving them some semblance of privacy.

“But you led the Infiltrators,” Sky pointed out. “You must have known me, right?”

“Oh, I knew you,” she replied. “I knew you quite well, in fact.” She tilted her head, watching him for a moment. “What do you remember of the hive?”

Sky’s ears drooped a touch. “Not much. Bits and pieces, like walking down a tunnel, and… fighting, I think. But nothing distinct.” He looked up with a sense of hope. “You seem familiar, though.”

“I should,” she said. She remained silent for several seconds, eyes looking off in the distance as she thought. Finally, she spoke. “You went by the name Azure, back then. You had been considered for Infiltrator training when you were young, but you were rejected. You had a good mind for it, and were quite dedicated, but you were also too inquisitive and empathizing. It was believed that you did not have the mental fortitude to endure a long-term infiltration.

“Instead, you were placed into the ranks of the scouts. Your athleticism, talent for flight, and the mentality that had originally brought you consideration for the position of Infiltrator soon saw you brought into the ranks of the Elite Guard. They’re something like the military equivalent of the Infiltrators, soldiers talented in stealth, trickery, sabotage, and ambush. I trained you for the role myself.”

There was a momentary pause, a faint flicker of a frown, before Chittri continued. “When I was assigned to lead the Infiltrators and recover from the loss of Princess Ceymi, you were among the first batch of changelings I brought into the Infiltrators. I trained you as best I could. In fact, you were one of the most capable of my agents. Despite the concerns over your mental fortitude, you remained steadfast and loyal, and I began to consider you as an ideal Infiltrator.”

Again, that frown appeared. “It was concerning when you disappeared in the wake of the Canterlot disaster. It was not uncommon for Infiltrators to disappear without any sign of their fate, but to lose one of my most prized agents stung. Then, months later, I discovered that you had not been slain or captured. You were living with ponies, openly. You had cast aside your duties to the hive to live a luxurious life. Worse yet, you spoke of treason, of wishing for changelings to leave the hive to live in Equestria.”

Sky’s ears drooped further. “But--”

“I contemplated assassination,” Chittri said, and Sky’s expression tightened. “Queen Chrysalis approved of the idea, of course. But I held off. There was the possibility that more of my missing Infiltrators had remained in Equestria, in secret, for reasons much like yours. So I waited. I gathered information, monitored your activities, and tried to make sense of it all. When other changelings joined you, I investigated them, as well.

“And then changelings started leaving the hive. Our secrecy, the shield that had protected us for centuries, has been cast aside, and now our population is bleeding out, and you are at the heart of it all. You have started a cascade that threatens to topple our most long-standing traditions, and have brought us to the situation we now find ourselves in.”

She bowed her head, a sly smile playing across her muzzle. “And for that, I thank you.”

Sky blinked. “...You do?”

“Absolutely,” she said, raising her head again to smile down at him. “We will not become a hollow extension of Equestria as Queen Chrysalis may fear, but we will change. That is inevitable, but we are changelings. Change is what we are. We adapt. The hive will change. We will grow. We will become greater than we have ever been before, and you will have played a key part in bringing us to that better future. I could not be more proud of you.”

Sky stared up at her, taking in that gentle smile. His throat was surprisingly tight. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Chittri said. “If not for the influence of you and others like you, I fear what could have been.”

“I wasn’t the only one,” Sky said, smiling slightly. “There are plenty of others who have helped.”

Chittri nodded, that hint of slyness returning to her smile. “I am aware. In fact, I find it to be amusing. Azure, Turquoise, Sapphire, Lazuli; just a few months ago, I would have been concerned that so many of my progeny had turned away from tradition and the queen, and yet, now I find myself following in your hoofsteps.”

“You’re--” Sky cut himself off, staring for a moment before finding his voice again. “I never really thought about anything like that, before.”

“I’m not surprised,” Chittri said with a hint of amusement. “It is more of a pony sort of thing.” Her eyes flicked to the side. “Elytron has returned with your armor. Wear it well.”

Back at the table Nictis had gathered them at, Elytron was laying out three sets of midnight-blue armor.

“I’ll do my best,” Sky said, giving Chittri a final nod before walking back to the group.

Chittri was still watching with a faint smile as Nictis reached her. “You have concerns?” she said, without looking to him.

“Of course.”

She nodded, and turned to face him, but said nothing.

Nictis considered her carefully. There were no hostile emotions to be sensed, but that meant nothing. Everything she did or said could be an act. Even asking her a question seemed largely pointless, but he was just as much interested in how she answered as what the answer was.

So he asked, “Why did you burn Gloom?”

There was a momentary flash of a smile, small and wry, but it vanished almost immediately. “I suppose I could claim it was habit,” she said, “but that’s not true. The truth is, I did not want you to see the body.”

Her eyes glanced over to the group of changelings Nictis had assembled, landing on Cara. “Sapphire’s death was clean. Neat. Gloom’s… was not. The spell that slew him tore through the couch he was on and left a deep crater in the floor below. I am sure you can imagine how much effect it could have on the changeling body.”

Nictis grimaced. He could imagine quite well, in fact.

“You see,” she said. “It would be prejudicial enough for Princess Celestia to know that I was involved with the death of two changelings. A pile of ashes wouldn’t hide what I did, but it would at least soften the blow.”

“And Sapphire? Why leave him?”

She gave a faint chuckle, short and dry. “Because his remains provide at least some evidence that what I say is true, a commodity that is far too rare at present.”

Nictis slowly nodded. “But not nearly enough to be convincing.”

“Of course,” Chittri said. “I’d try to argue my case, but I think we both know that it would be pointless. Anything I say could be a lie.”

“Yes.”

Chittri nodded, giving a small, sad smile. “Then I shall have to hope my actions may speak for me.”

Nictis considered her for several seconds before finally nodding in return and departing, no more certain of her than he had been before their conversation.

The armors set before Sky, Chirrup, and Cara were simple, consisting of just a helmet and peytral. Nonetheless, they seemed to be of great concern for two of their number.

Sky noted that Chirrup was simply staring down at the set before him, wearing a small frown. Princess Twilight seemed to be the only other to make note of his reaction. “Is there something wrong?”

Chirrup looked up. “No, Your Highness. I’m just… conflicted.”

“How so?” she asked, stepping up to the changeling guard.

“I’ve worked hard to earn this armor,” he said, raising a hoof to his golden peytral. “It seems wrong to discard it to wear what’s now a foreign armor.”

Twilight smiled. “What you’ve earned is far more than a set of armor, Chirrup. Your armor is only a symbol of that; one which will be waiting for you to reclaim, once we return.”

He looked down to the armor, and then back to her, giving a quick nod. “Thank you, Your Highness.” As she chuckled softly at the reply, Chirrup began to solemnly remove his armor.

Sky chuckled quietly. “That was very Celestia of you.”

She blushed ever so faintly, shuffling her wings. “Well, I did study under her for a few years.”

Beside him, Cara was having a very opposite reaction to the armor presented to him. His eyes were wide, and he lifted the peytral with a sense of awe and respect. Sky donned his own set with rather less consideration, holding his necklace out of the way as he strapped on the peytral and slipped the helmet over his head.

When Cara lifted the helmet, he hesitated, taking a slow, deep breath before reverently sliding it over his horn and down onto his head. After a moment of stillness, he gave a faint smile, looking to Sky, and they exchanged a silent nod.

Turning his attention back to his own armor, Sky gave a quick shake of his head and rolled his shoulders. The armor held securely in place, and didn’t restrict his movements in the slightest. It was also quite lightweight. It was almost as if he was wearing nothing at all.

“Not bad,” came a voice from behind him, and he turned to see Rainbow grinning at him. “Even if you look a bit too much like one of Chrysalis’s goons.”

“Well, that is the point,” Sky said with a chuckle. They both ignored Elytron’s dirty look.

A hum drew their attention to Songbird, the sound growing louder as the fans started to spin. Sky’s smile faded. “Looks like it’s about time for us to get going.”

“Yeah,” Dash said, stepping up to slip a foreleg around his shoulder. “Just don’t go kicking too much flank without me, okay? Flying in to the rescue is supposed to be my job!”

He laughed. “You can get the next one.”

“Good,” Dash said. “Or at least save a few for us. There are still a couple chariots waiting, so we’ll all be riding in with Celestia.”

“Hopefully we’ll all be done by then,” Sky said. “Still, it’ll be good to see you there.”

“Hey, at least this way I’ll get to see a bit of the hive, too.”

Eventually, she let her leg slip from around his shoulders. “So, um… well, I know you’ve done it plenty before, just because… well, you kinda need to, being a changeling and all, we just never really talked about it, and…” She reached up, scratching uneasily at the back of her head. “Um, do you need, like, a meal before you go or something?”

Sky smiled, nudging her gently with his shoulder. “I’m good, but thanks.” He leaned in close, speaking softly. “Maybe when we get back.”

Then he planted a kiss right on the tip of her nose.

Her wings snapped forward to cover her nose with a pair of primary feathers, which mostly hid her brilliant blushing. He, meanwhile, took a couple steps back, snickering. It took her a few moments before she tucked her wings back, pretending as if the lingering blush weren’t there. She glared at him, though the effect was thoroughly undermined by the grin she was struggling against. “Oh, I’m going to prank the heck out of you when we get back.”

Sky laughed.

With a buzz of wings, Nictis landed lightly atop the table. “Okay, everyone, we’re all set to go. Time to get loaded up.”

Cara quickly said goodbye to Fluttershy, who he had been talking to, and hurried back to rejoin the group. He jerked to a halt as Princess Chittri lit up in green flames. When the flames receded, she looked like a common drone. A very common drone, for that matter, with the kind of insignificant and forgettable appearance that would be hard to pick out from a crowd of other changelings.

Queen Chrysalis, however, muttered irritably to herself before transforming. Her disguise was much less subtle. In fact, it stood out as immediately wrong. Drones did not have manes, or green eyes with slit pupils, or jagged horns. They also weren’t female.

Nictis looked at her disguise with clear distaste. “Chrysalis, the point of a disguise is to blend in.”

“No,” Chrysalis replied with a sharp glare, “right now the point is size. When we get to the hive, then we can focus on blending in.”

Nictis frowned, but evidently didn’t feel like fighting her on that. Instead, he fluttered over to Twilight. “Princess, you can take the seat behind Spark Wheel.”

“That’s okay,” Twilight replied with a smile. “That’s your seat, isn’t it?”

“Usually,” Nictis said. “But I’m happy to give it up. It’ll probably be much more comfortable than squeezing in the back with everyling else.”

“Thank you for the concern,” Twilight said, “but I’m sure I’ll be fine. Besides, I was looking forward to the opportunity to talk with Princess Chittri.”

Nictis hesitated a moment, but finally gave a shrug. “As you wish.”

One by one, the assembled changelings approached the rear of Songbird. The space in the body directly behind the seats and motors was open on the top, giving a small space for cargo, or in this case, passengers. The toolbox that had resided inside was instead sitting along the nearby castle wall, but there was still little room. By the time even half of them were inside, it was clear that it would be a cramped flight. Chests and hips were pressed together, faces uncomfortably close, with no room for legs to move, much less stretch out.

Twilight was the last in, sliding down along the divider that separated them from the motors and transmission. “Well, this is going to be cozy,” she mused, and after a few moments, gave up trying to slip her wings in at her sides. There simply wasn’t any room.

Nictis hovered above them, frowning. “Everyone set, then?”

A few changelings grunted in the affirmative, and Nictis slipped off to the side, diving under the fans, and popping up again near the front of the craft to take his seat.

Celestia approached to stand a short distance away, smiling. “One last thing,” she said, loud and clear enough to be heard by everyone around despite the hum of the flying machine. “I won’t keep you long. I know some of us were enemies just a short time ago, but I want to thank you all for what you’re doing today. You have set aside the differences that would divide us, so that we can work together for the benefit of both our people.” She bowed her head, a gesture that was echoed by the Equestrian changelings as best as they could in those cramped conditions. Even Princess Chittri mimicked the gesture.

Stepping back, Celestia added, “Fly fast and true.”

The hum of the fans changed, growing deeper as they bit into the air. The volume grew quickly, and Sky could feel the whole vehicle shift slightly beneath him. There was a faint scrape of metal, and he felt the weight of his body diminish as the vehicle moved. Flight instinct screamed that the movement was all wrong as he went down; instead of lifting, the vehicle pitched backward, the tail end banging down against the landing with a jarring impact.

The roar of the engines immediately diminished, and freed of its lift, the vehicle pitched forward again to slam down onto its skids, and the small cargo bay became a miniature tidal wave of changelings. The impact lifted Sky from where he sat, throwing him forward to faceplant into the side of Twilight’s chest. Then gravity reasserted itself over momentum, and he dropped down to land awkwardly atop Elytron.

Drone-Chrysalis snarled as she shoved Cara off of her. “Well that was an auspicious start,” she growled. “Thank you so much for all the help, Equestria.”

Hooves thumped down on the tail-end of the body, and Sky looked back to see Rainbow Dash standing there, looking on with concern. “Everyone okay in there?”

“Yeah, great,” Sky said, finally managing to push himself enough to the side to get off of a thoroughly irritated Elytron.

Another clatter of hooves announced Spark’s arrival, clamboring over the center of the transmission to look in on them. After making sure everyone was okay, he apologized. “Sorry, guys. It’s just way too much weight too far back. It’s just too imbalanced, I can’t get her into trim.”

He heard Nictis’s voice come from Spark’s other side. “How much weight do we need to lose?”

“I’m not sure,” Spark said. “Probably about... half of it.”

There were a few groans. Instead of complaining, however, Sky tried to focus on solving the problem. “Is there any way we can fix this?”

Spark looked over the length of Songbird, then down at the transmission beneath his hooves. “Uh, if I had a full machine shop and half a day I could move the whole flight assembly back three or four feet, but I don’t think that’s really an option right now.”

Chrysalis snorted. “We can always ditch some of the extra weight,” she said, looking pointedly at Twilight.

Fade spoke up. “Maybe we could hang off the sides? It’ll be tiring, but it’d be balanced.”

“What about up front?” Sky asked. “If we opened one of the body panels, could a couple of us squeeze in, in front of your seat?”

Sky jerked as green fire flashed beside him. He turned, and then looked down. Beside him, Cara pushed back the suddenly too-large helmet to look back up with the wide, bright eyes of a small changeling nymph.

There was a moment of silence before Princess Chittri chuckled, and a moment later she transformed as well. “It seems the issue of mass is easily solved,” she said, though in a very young male voice.

With that, the rest quickly transformed. Even Chrysalis eventually relented, with plenty of dark muttering; Sky found it incredibly difficult to not laugh, though, when that muttering was coming from a tiny female nymph.

Not only had the weight problem been solved, but there was now plenty of room for everyone. It was almost comfortable.

Then he heard a snicker. Looking up, he saw Dash still looking in from the tail of the craft, grinning down at them. “You guys have to be, like... the cutest, least threatening commando team ever!” she said, and burst out laughing.

“That’s it,” Chrysalis snarled in a way-too-adorable voice before transforming back to her previous guise. “I’m drawing the line at drones.”

Dash took to the air again, swooping in to hover beside where Sky sat. “Now, don’t keep little Sky up too late,” she teased, reaching in to noogie him, despite the helmet. “He gets all cwanky if he doesn’t get enough sweep!”

Sky groaned, pulling his loose helmet down to cover his face. “I’m not sure if I deserve this,” he said, which just made Rainbow laugh more.

He could hear the faint clunking of Spark’s hooves as the pony made his way back to the pilot seat. “Okay, everyone!” Spark called back. “Let’s try this again!”

Once again, the volume grew to a steady roar. As the weight started to lift, Songbird started to pitch back once again, but this time it recovered, and with a faint scrape, the skids lifted from the ground. Songbird slowly turned, then continued to pitch forward, smoothly accelerating away.

Sky slid off the much-too-large helmet, rising up on his hind legs to peer over the side, the wind rapidly growing to a roar as they built up speed. Rainbow Dash was flying alongside them, keeping pace. She grinned as she caught his eye, and finally gave a salute before peeling away, circling back toward the city.

They soared out over the valley, the city steadily falling away behind them.

Sky turned and sat again, his back resting against the wall of the vehicle, and sighed.

Across from him, the nymph form of Princess Chittri sighed as well, before looking over to Twilight with a scarily adorable smile. “I must say, Your Highness, I am glad that you have accompanied us. I had figured Princess Celestia would prefer to have at least one pony of authority on this endeavor. I am glad she sent one who might provide an enlightening conversation, without being…” Chittri made a show of carefully considering her words. “...As terrifying as your fellow princesses.”

“Terrifying?” Twilight echoed, looking surprised, and Chittri shook her head.

“I mean no disrespect, Your Highness. It is not a critique of your capability, nor do I intend it as a criticism of your peers. You have personally confronted entities that some would describe as gods, and have overcome many great terrors. One could hardly consider any of the alicorns to be insignificant, but you are possibly the most relatable of the four.”

“Oh,” Twilight said. Her wings shuffled at her side.

“I apologize,” Chittri said, bowing her head. “I did not intend to make you uncomfortable. It is simply that ponies see them--and you--much differently than an outsider does. While ponies look up to their princesses with adoration, feeling secure in their presence, to others you are forces of nature. Only a foolish individual would not regard such beings with some degree of fear.”

Chrysalis snorted quietly. “Or you’re simply a coward, trying to excuse your pathetic behavior.”

Twilight cast Chrysalis a glance before looking back to Chittri. “I know many changelings look to Celestia with fear when they first come to Equestria, but they’ve all seen that she isn’t somepony to fear. She’s a wise and gentle ruler who cares for all of her subjects, pony or not.”

“Oh, I know she is,” Chittri replied, “and that is why she terrifies me.”

Frowning, Twilight asked, “Why would that make you fear her?”

“The other princesses are obvious,” Chittri said. “Princess Cadance can sway the mind on a whim, an insidious power in the wrong hooves. Princess Luna has twice cast the world into darkness, and can haunt our dreams in the most literal sense. But Princess Celestia…”

Chittri was silent for several seconds before a hint of a smile crept onto her face. “I hope that, once this has been finished, Your Highness might grace me with the opportunity to peruse your library. I would very much like the opportunity to relax and simply read, without such pressing matters demanding my attention. You see, I have become rather fond of Equestrian literature. As an Infiltrator, I prize myself on my ability to wield words as weapons, yet ponies have taken those words and turned them into an artform. They give them a poetic flourish, delivering more impact with just a few words than others might say with a hundred.

“There are many elegant phrases ponies have concocted, as beautiful in their simplicity as they are powerful in their depth. I enjoy many of them, and always enjoy when the opportunity presents itself for them to be of use. There is one in particular that comes to mind, at the moment.” Chittri laid her head back against the side of the vessel. “Beware the wrath of a kind mare.”

Twilight frowned, but remained silent.

“The Princesses of Equestria are great in power, but that is not what gives me pause. It is the strength of your convictions, your certainty that what you do is right, and your devotion towards caring for your subjects. Princess Celestia is a kind ruler, yes. She also has an unshakable dedication to doing what she sees as right.” Chittri slowly shook her head. “Once she knew of the risk to the prisoners held within the hive, there was not a force on this world that could prevent Celestia from seeing them free. We will bend to her will, or we will break. She would do this not out of hatred, but because she cares, and that is why she terrifies me.”

Twilight remained still, thinking on that for several seconds. “...But she’s right,” she said, a sense of caution to her words. “They need to be freed.”

It was Chittri’s turn to think a moment, though she did so with a thoughtful smile. “You are very much like her. Perhaps I underestimate you.”

Chrysalis groaned, her head thumping against the side of Songbird as she leaned back. “This is going to be a long trip.”

Sky hung over the edge of the craft, forelegs and head resting against the metal side as he watched the ground far below. Twilight and Chittri had gone quiet some time ago, leaving only the sound of the wind whipping by to fill the gap, and he kept himself occupied watching Songbird’s shadow sweeping swiftly across the terrain below.

The forest was gone. It had seemed like an unending ocean of green, rippling with hills and mottled by clearings and stretches of wetlands. Even from high in the sky, the dark wilderness of the Everfree Forest had stood out clearly. He could imagine any number of mysteries lurking in the darkness beneath that canopy.

Eventually, even that mighty sea had ended. The canopy grew sparse, then disappeared entirely. Now Songbird’s shadow swept across the barren terrain below, cracked through with canyons and studded with rocky hills. It was impressive in its own way, though the difference was striking. Whereas the Everfree Forest had been teeming with life, hardly anything lived within the Badlands.

The final fringes of the Everfree had faded over the horizon when Songbird pitched down. Nictis climbed up to shout past the transmission, “We’re not far out, now. Be ready to move as soon as we touch down. Those of you with symbols should give them to Princess Twilight.”

A compass on a golden chain floated back in a field of green magic, lowering to Twilight’s waiting hooves. Sky passed his sapphire cloud pendant over as well. Cara, however, seemed particularly reluctant. He stared down at the simple butterfly hanging on its string, holding it for several long seconds before gingerly handing it over. Twilight took it gently, offering a warm smile. “I’ll keep it safe for you.”

Cara smiled weakly in return.

Sky leaned out over the edge again, looking forward. He could see Nictis giving his map a quick scan before leaning up behind Spark, pointing a hoof as he gave directions. Songbird rolled slightly to the side as they continued to descend, lining up between a pair of rocky hills. Before long the peaks of those hills were looming above them. Songbird slowed as they descended, but only slightly. Soon the nimble little flying machine was weaving through canyons, around rocky outcroppings, and even flying under a great stone arch.

Then they turned the corner of a canyon to find a dead end, shadowed with overcropping rocks high above. Spark yawed the vehicle around, sweeping into a gentle turn as he shed the rest of their speed. With a final balancing wobble, the skids touched down.

Sky scooped up his discarded armor and clambered up onto the side of the craft. His magic flashed, stripping away his disguise, and his wings buzzed to life.

And for some reason, he couldn’t help but give an eager little smile.

Chapter 21: The Hive

Chapter 21: The Hive

Nictis leaned with agonizing slowness, creeping out along the edge of the canyon wall. He exposed only a narrowed eye as he peered around the corner. Despite the sheer rock walls shielding him from the scorching heat of the sun, there were only soft shadows within the pale rocks of the chasm. So he moved slowly, carefully, to avoid drawing eyes to his movement. Finally, he gave a quiet murmur to the changelings waiting behind him. “I see it.”

The spires of the hive lay just down the canyon, nestled between high rocky walls. A few changelings could be seen, several armored forms standing at the openings near each spire’s top. It was a sight he hadn’t seen in a decade, but it was immediately familiar. What was less familiar was the small number of changelings who flew over the canyons: scouts and lookouts, patrolling for any signs of intrusion.

His gaze dropped from the spires to a narrow crevice halfway down the canyon. Despite the brightness of the hot, cloudless day, which cast a soft glow off the pale stone, the small opening pierced the rocky wall deeply enough to offer dark shadows within. From where he stood, it appeared to be just another crack or fold of rock, suggesting nothing special, but the knowledge Chittri and Elytron had shared told him differently. “How well guarded are these hidden exits?”

Chittri slid up beside him, though she stayed well out of sight. “They usually have two guards, a short distance inside the entrance. Whether Chara has altered this, I do not know.”

“And how frequently are they used?”

“Using these tunnels is very much frowned upon,” Chittri said. “They are to remain secret, and secrecy is hard to maintain if they are in common use. Unless Chara has seen cause to change this, our entrance would be very suspect.”

Nictis sighed, and withdrew from the corner as slowly as he had peeked out. “So, little chance of bluffing our way past, but far fewer changelings around than if we tried to approach the spires themselves. Also much less likely to have travelling changelings come across the scene.” He mulled over the options before looking to Elytron. “What do you think the guards’ response will be to a suspicious patrol showing up?”

Elytron frowned at him a moment; the sense of contempt still lingered, but he seemed to be ignoring it for now. “My guess would be that they would insist we remain there while one goes back to find a superior officer. What happens then depends on how paranoid that officer is.”

“Given that Princess Chara has led a coup,” Chittri said, “and that she has told others that Queen Chrysalis has been corrupted by Equestria, I expect they will be quite paranoid, indeed.”

On the opposite side of her, Chrysalis--now wearing a much more natural-looking drone disguise--snorted in amusement and flashed a sharp-toothed grin. “She’s right to be paranoid,” she growled, “even if she’s wrong about the reason.”

“Then I’d expect the officer’s response to be a much larger force of soldiers to secure us for questioning,” Elytron concluded.

“Right,” Nictis said. “Persuasion is unlikely, but we’ll give it a try. If it goes badly, at least we can bind them without them being found soon. There are four of us who can fire-portal, so we’ll be pairing up; Elytron with Queen Chrysalis, Fade with Princess Chittri, Chirrup with Sky, and Cara with myself. Stick with your partner. Cara and I will go first, in case we’re confronted right away. I want the other pairs following as soon as there’s room for your entrance.”

Several nods of affirmation were given, and a few peeked out just far enough to see the crevice they would be portalling to. Several lit up in fire as they donned fresh disguises, with slight tweaks to their appearance to ensure they weren’t recognized.

“Now then, I’ll try to talk our way through, but I doubt it’ll work. If I say the words… ‘excuse me,’ that means we’re fighting. If I say that, I want Elytron and Chirrup to make their way close to the guard nearest them and strike the moment you’re both in range. If there’s more than two, Sky and Cara will be next up, and if there’s more than that, everyling piles in. Good?”

More nods.

“Okay,” Nictis said, and drew a deep breath. The familiar tingle of adrenaline teased at the edge of his senses. “Let’s go.”

Cara stepped in close beside him as Nictis called up his magic. Fire flashed around their hooves before surging upward and pulling them down. Everything twisted around them, and then the fires receded, leaving them in the darkened crevice. A quick glance back saw drone-Chittri’s head barely peeking around the rock, waiting for her turn to go. He nodded, then turned and trotted back into the cave entrance, with Cara sticking close to his side.

Another flash of green announced the next pair’s arrival as he stepped up to a turn in the cave, but he held back, waiting. Already, it was getting hard to see. The cool darkness of the cave was quite the contrast to the blinding light and oppressive heat of the Badlands. Slowly, the details of the rocky wall he was facing grew clearer as his eyes adjusted to the dim light.

After two more flashes, he looked back, gave a quick nod, and started to walk.

The cave twisted around, forming a narrow path that forced them to duck to squeeze through before widening into a small but passable tunnel. As soon as he was through, he could see the faint glow of green coming from around the next corner. After waiting a moment to ensure everyling had gathered up, he walked calmly forward.

Rounding the next corner, he found a small chamber had been carved into the rock, likely to serve as a guard station. A bit of glowing fungus clung to a stalactite in the center of the room, faintly illuminating the three changelings lying there, only one of which wore armor. All three scrambled to their hooves at their entrance, feelings of alarm and suspicion immediately hitting Nictis’s senses.

“Hey!” the armored changeling called out. “What are you doing? Noling’s supposed to come through here!”

“Just taking a shortcut,” Nictis replied, with every ounce of weariness he could summon. He kept walking past the guards, though he slowed his pace. “It’s been way too long of a day, and I don’t want to hike my way through half the hive. It’s just this once, okay?”

“No, it’s not okay!” the guard replied, a hint of anger kindling under the surface. “Rules are rules, and I’m not breaking them just because you’re feeling lazy. Now you stop right there!”

Nictis came to a dead halt. So much for talking, he mused. Then he turned toward the armored guard, eyes narrowing angrily. “Excuse me? Who do you think you are?” He demanded angrily as he stepped forward. “We’ve been on patrol for more than twenty four hours, and I’m not in the mood to waste time on--”

The guard had withdrawn half a step at the angry retort, while his companions looked on in concern; all were focused on the angry changeling at the head of the team, rather than those who followed him. The closest of those companions was the first to pay for his inattention as Elytron fired a blast of magic into his side, throwing him off his hooves. The second changeling had only enough time to flinch back before Chirrup’s hind hooves slammed into his side, sending him crashing into a wall; Chirrup followed up with a bolt of magic to ensure the guard was unconscious.

As for the armored changeling, he jerked and looked back to see what the commotion was, just as Nictis charged his horn. Neither had time to act, however, as Sky shoulder-checked the guard. The blow sent him staggering, while Sky lifted up and bucked down on the guard’s helmet so hard that his head bounced against the rocky floor with a loud crack.

The guard managed a weak, gurgling groan as he tried to roll to his side, but he was too badly dazed to put up a fight. Sky reared up in mid-air, horn lighting bright before spiking a powerful stunning bolt down into the guard’s chest; he was, evidently, not taking any chances.

Nictis looked over the three downed changelings. He couldn’t even call it a fight, it had been over so quickly. “Bind them, tuck them in the back corner.” He paused as he eyed the one Elytron stood over. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“No,” Elytron said. “It is not my place to decide if they live or die.”

As others began to bind the disabled guards with coughed-up lumps of sticky goo, Nictis cast a glance to Chrysalis. The false drone looked down her nose at the fallen changelings with a haughty glare, though she soon noticed Nictis’s attention, as well as the silent yet questioning look from Elytron. Eventually, she shrugged. “Chara has misled them. They will be given the opportunity to reaffirm their loyalty to their queen.”

The growing grin gave Nictis a good idea of what she would have rather done with them, but at least she seemed to be playing along for the moment.

As the unconscious guards were bundled into the corner and secured in place, Nictis flew over to the stalactite, carefully scraping away at a bit of the luminescent fungus from one side. When he was finished, the chamber was only slightly darker, but the corner containing the guards was cast into shadows. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

“Okay,” he said. “We’re on a bit more of a time limit, now. Being pessimistic and assuming those guards to be particularly healthy, I’d say we have no more than an hour before they regain consciousness and escape their bonds. We need to either be done or have them under guard by then.”

“It shouldn’t take that long,” Chittri said. “Our path leads through the fungal farms, and noling will think twice of a group of guards passing through.”

“You’re up, then,” Nictis said. “Lead the way.”

Chittri bowed her head a moment, then set off at a casual trot, and they followed. “When we get to the central chamber, fly close behind me. So long as we do nothing unusual, we should not draw any suspicion.”

A few quiet grunts of agreement followed before they went silent again.

The air soon grew damp and musty, a fetid smell meeting their noses. As the smell grew, so did the warmth. By the time they emerged into a large, dim chamber, it was as warm as the air outside but humid and stagnant. The smell was the worst part, though. Even a decade later, Nictis immediately remembered why he avoided the tunnels that passed through the various fungal farms. The presence of the thousands of changelings within the hive made the air thick enough without the overpowering stench of all the dung and rot that fed the farms.

They followed Chittri as she made her way through the chamber to one of the exits, the dark, waxy surface muffling their steps after the bare stone of the tunnel. Several changelings fluttered about, tending to their business without a second look to the eight changelings that passed by them. Nictis silently thanked their focus toward their work.

A quick glance back showed that the team was holding up well. Other than a couple wary looks, noling seemed nervous or suspicious. Even Cara was holding it together quite well, though Nictis saw he was breathing a little too fast to appear properly calm. He was probably going to be exhausted by the end of this.

They exited the chamber into a tunnel which twisted around in a slow curve. It was well used, likely patched up many times over its life judging by the thick coating over every surface. Not a single inch of bare stone was to be seen. Several offshoots led into more fungal farms, and as they proceeded, the tunnel grew increasingly choked by traffic. Fortunately, it didn’t impede their progress, as the various workers squeezed to the side to make way for the column of soldiers marching through. There were no questioning looks, or suspicion, or even annoyance at having to move out of the way. They simply made room and went about their duties.

After a couple minutes, they reached a larger tunnel, filled with even more traffic. Again, the workers made way for them. They even passed a squad of soldiers headed in the opposite direction. The changeling at the head of the formation didn’t even look their way.

They soon came to the end of that tunnel, emerging from the wall of a grand chamber. The center was dominated by a huge, jagged spire. It was pock-marked with ledges, the grandest of which stood near its pinnacle, and all of it was bare stone. From atop the spire, the queen could watch as hundreds of changelings flew from one of the many holes and chasms in the chamber only to fly to another, hurrying about their business.

Nictis could practically feel Chrysalis bristling at the thought of some other changeling perched up there in her place.

That would have to wait, however. Chittri’s wings buzzed to life as she stepped over the edge, and they quickly followed suit. Rather than heading toward the peak of the huge spire, she led them toward its base.

Amidst the hundreds of changelings flying back and forth across the chamber, noling noticed just eight more.

They landed on a small ledge, leading into an empty tunnel. Sky took advantage of the lack of other changelings to step up beside Nictis. “I remember this place,” he quietly hissed, casting a glance back to the chamber behind them.

Nictis nodded. “If there’s any one place you should remember, it would be that chamber. That, or the feeding pool.”

Chittri let out a soft, chittering hiss, drawing their attention as she glanced back. “This tunnel should not be vacant. Be wary; something is wrong.”

They fanned out as they continued down the tunnel. Nictis kept a careful eye on Chittri, while doing his best to not feel suspicious. It was hard, though; Nictis remembered this place quite well. It was one of the three tunnels leading into the feeding chamber, a place every changeling would visit every few days. Changelings came and went every minute of the day, filling these tunnels with a steady trickle of traffic even at the slowest of times. To see none was concerning.

As they moved down the tunnel, the sense of wrongness grew. The other detail he remembered of this part of the hive was the soft glow of the great pool that lay at the heart of the hive, like a beacon calling changelings to feed.

That glow never came.

The tunnel sloped downward, widening, and finally opened into the side of the chamber. The pool was there, as was the tunnel leading to where the hive’s prisoners were held, but it was missing one important thing.

The pool was dark, only the faintest shimmer of green visible in the dim cavern.

Chrysalis stared at the pool with wide eyes. “What… what has she done?” she said with a growing snarl.

Nictis winced and quickly looked around, but there was no need to fear her being overheard. The chamber was entirely vacant. There were no changelings feeding, no guards. On the plus side, there was also no ambush waiting for them. “I wonder what else she’s done. I hope she hasn’t moved the prisoners.”

“A concerning thought,” Chittri said.

“There is no love here,” Chrysalis hissed. “I’d say the whole hive starving is a lot more concerning!”

“We can take care of that easily enough, once the prisoners are free,” Nictis said. “Even if she’s squandered all that love instead of just moving it somewhere else, the starvation of the hive will be a matter of days. The prisoners only have hours. We need to focus on one task at a time.”

Chrysalis snarled, looking ready to argue, but instead looked away. “Very well. Just make it quick.”

Nictis nodded and retook the lead. “We don’t know what’s been going on, so this might get messy,” he said as he made his way toward the opposite tunnel entrance. “We might need to act fast, so remember your pairings from before. Those are your teams. Chrysalis, Chittri, Sky, and myself lead their teams, and I’ll address teams by their leader. Good?”

A few quiet affirmations later, they reached the rear tunnel. It descended a short distance before opening into another large, long chamber, but one Nictis was happy to see was not vacant. Along the sides of the room were dozens of cocoons. He didn’t take the time to count just yet, but it appeared to be about the right number on first glance. There were also a pair of changelings standing among the cocoons on one side, chatting quietly, though they quickly returned to tending the cocoons upon seeing that visitors had arrived.

At the back of the room, four armored changelings stood guard around the entrance of another tunnel; a tunnel that, from everyling’s descriptions, led only to a couple of unused chambers. They had been intended to hold more cocoons, in the event the hive ever took more prisoners.

Of course, there was no reason to guard some empty chambers, right?

As they walked into the chamber, Nictis turned his head to whisper. “Chrysalis, Chittri. Hang back. Fight starts, detain the workers, hold the entrance.”

The two royals-in-disguise slowed to a stop, their partners halting beside them. Nictis turned his head the other way, whispering to the changelings still following him. “Strike the moment I say ‘go.’”

The walk across the long chamber was agonizingly slow.

The guard on the far left was looking past them, curiously eying the four changelings who had remained behind, but there was no clear suspicion just yet. The guard beside him moved forward half a step as they drew close, as if he were in charge. Nictis gave him a nod. Inwardly, he tried to think of the changeling before him as a close sibling, a companion in arms. Anything but a target he was about to take out.

The other changeling’s emotions were still, without a hint of suspicion at his deception. “Here for the prisoners?” he asked, returning Nictis’s nod.

“Yes,” Nictis answered simply, as the distance between them rapidly narrowed.

“Which ones do you want?”

Nictis gave him an uneven smile. “Go.”

The other changeling’s expression turned questioning, his mouth opening, but he was unable to ask anything before Chirrup slammed a bolt of magic into his face.

Chaos erupted.

The guard on the left was quick to act; he and Nictis both immediately charged their horns, but neither had the opportunity to fire. Rather than taking the time to charge a second bolt, Chirrup had charged the moment the word had gone out; he ducked his head and slammed his shoulder into the other changeling, driving him into the wall, and they both collapsed in a furious tangle of limbs.

A quick glance the other way was just in time to see Cara thrown off his hooves, green fire burning out against his peytral. The changeling who flung the spell found himself charged by Sky, and the pair of them rolled across the ground, kicking and wrestling.

The fourth changeling lay nearby, sprawled out and motionless by the time Nictis had even glanced his way.

Nictis stepped back, gaze jerking from one side to the other, waiting for an opportunity to strike without risk of hitting one of his companions.

The fight between Chirrup and his opponent ended up being thoroughly one-sided. The difference in strength was clear, particularly as Chirrup rolled over and threw the other changeling into the wall once again. Nictis immediately loosed his spell, scoring only a glancing hit. Chirrup’s was true, slamming into the guard’s exposed underbelly.

A yell brought Nictis’s attention back to the other pair of struggling changelings just in time to see Cara rejoin the fray. He charged in, slamming into the other changeling and ripping him away from Sky with the force of the impact. They tumbled, but Cara kept ahold of the other changeling from behind. The guard could do little to protect himself as Sky and Nictis both struck, and he fell limp from Cara’s grasp.

Immediate concerns dealt with, Nictis looked back. Both workers were cowering on the ground, with drone-Chrysalis and Elytron looming over them. Chrysalis had a hoof on one worker’s back, her teeth bared threateningly. Chittri and Fade both lingered closer to the entrance.

Then Cara laughed, quiet and nervous. “I love this armor,” he said, forehooves pressing to his chest, and let out another shaky laugh, though there was little humor in it. Nictis could see the deep gouge and scorch marks where the other changeling’s spell had stuck.

That had not been a stunning blow.

Hooves clattered on the stone floor of the tunnel, and Nictis snapped around in time to see a fifth guard scrambling to a halt as he rounded the corner of the tunnel before them. The other changeling’s reaction was remarkably quick. He had hardly caught sight of the scene before his horn lit up, a circle of flames erupting around his hooves.

Unfortunately for him, Chirrup was quicker, and a stunning spell was much simpler than a fire-portal. The flames hadn’t even started to rise before the changeling reeled back and collapsed, his spell sputtering out.

Yelps of surprise echoed from around the corner.

“Move in!” Nictis called out, his wings buzzing to life as he charged forward, intent on preserving the momentum of surprise.

They rounded the corner, passed through--of all things--a crude and opened door, and came screeching to a halt.

The chamber beyond was filled with changelings. There must have been near a hundred of them, maybe more.

The nearest changelings staggered back, yelling out in surprise, and giving off a flash of fear. In fact, the entire room was laced with uncertainty and despair.

Nictis hovered there, staring out at the crowd. They stared back, but apart from the few that had stepped back at his entrance, none moved.

The guard had not been referring to cocooned ponies.

Nictis quickly turned, moving close to Sky to whisper into the other changeling’s ear. “Get Chrysalis and Chittri, tell them to come here, now, then take their place.”

Sky quickly nodded and shot off, and after a moment’s hesitation, Chirrup followed.

Nictis landed, returning to slowly looking around the crowd. Many lowered their gaze as he looked at them. Others held their ground, despite the nervousness they felt. A very few returned sensations of defiance, though weak, and usually cloaked behind fear or regret.

His gaze lingered on one of the defiant ones, and it suddenly struck him that he knew this changeling. A faint confusion met him as the other changeling sensed his surprise.

“Lockbar?” Nictis asked. Of all the changelings in the hive, possibly the only drone as widely recognized as the queen was the changeling who oversaw the feeding pool. It may have been ten years since Nictis last laid eyes on him, and he might have looked much older than he used to, but Nictis was certain this was the same changeling.

Reluctantly, Lockbar rose to his hooves, while the changelings on either side inched back. He was favoring one leg, expression tightening for a moment when he moved it. His voice was reluctant and surprisingly weak. “Yes?”

As obvious as the answer was, Nictis had to ask. “You’re a prisoner?”

Lockbar hesitated, glancing past Nictis to the tunnel beyond, where four more changelings were stepping over the unconscious guard as they entered. The older changeling clearly understood that something was very wrong. “...Yes.”

That realization was starting to spread among the crowd as the newcomers looked around with varying degrees of comprehension.

“Why?” Nictis asked.

Lockbar eyed him. There was suspicion in the older changeling’s emotions, but no hostility. “Princess Chara,” he said, emphasizing the first word, “insisted on removing the love we had stored in the feeding pools. She wanted to keep it herself. I told her it was a bad idea, but when I tried to make my case, she had the soldiers seize me.” He limped forward a step. “And why would you not know any of this?”

Nictis smiled, small but sly. “Because we were in Equestria when this happened.”

Lockbar’s gaze darted back to the fallen guard before returning to Nictis and the small group of changelings gathered around him. A sudden sense of hope flared up. “So… what Chara said about Queen Chrysalis…”

Nictis started to reply, but drone-Chrysalis interrupted him with a loud snarl. “Lies.” She stepped forward, eyes narrowed. “And the time for this charade is over.”

Fire burst forth from the queen as she shed her disguise. The nearest changelings reared back in surprise, followed by throwing themselves to the ground to bow before her.

Queen Chrysalis towered over them. “Chara thought she could steal my hive away the moment I looked away. She will regret betraying her queen and hive!”

Nictis sighed quietly, but he supposed it hardly mattered. If they were discovered now, Chrysalis’s presence wouldn’t make a difference.

Chrysalis took another step forward, her hooves placed just in front of Lockbar, who had quickly bowed before her despite the difficulty his leg seemed to be giving him. “Lockbar. What has that traitor done with the love we had stored? Where is it?”

“My queen,” he said, eyes clenched shut as he pressed his muzzle to the ground before her hooves. “She drained it herself. She may have stored some of it in… in your chambers, but I think she’s holding most of it herself. She didn’t want anyone to use it against her, and… and I think she wanted to be ready to confront you.”

“As if she could hope to stand up against me,” Chrysalis replied. “I’ll enjoy teaching her just how wrong she is. Now rise! We will crush this cowardly traitor, and reclaim what is mine!”

Changelings who had been bowing rose to their hooves, wings raised and eyes lighting up with hope, but Nictis saw that many of the movements were sluggish and weak. Lockbar was not the only one who seemed impaired, and though his expression had brightened at his queen’s declaration, he voiced his concern. “My queen, I’m afraid most of us are injured and hungry. We haven’t had anything to eat or drink since I arrived. I will gladly give my life for the hive, but I fear we may not be able to offer as much as we should.”

Chrysalis looked over the crowd, frowning; she could see it, too. A hundred love-starved changelings were hardly a force to retake the hive, especially if the soldiers felt any degree of loyalty to the princess who had led them for so long.

Nictis took advantage of her pause to step in and offer an alternative. “Queen Chrysalis,” he said, bowing his head a little. “Chara is still unaware of our presence, and even if she has drained all of the hive’s love, it’s unlikely she could stand against you.” A little ego-padding never hurt, he thought. “We don’t need a full-scale battle. All we need is to isolate her, and I believe I can make that happen.”

She stared down at him, emotions unreadable, but finally drew her head back to a commanding pose, a faint crack of a smile appearing. “Do it.”

Nictis nodded, then turned to Elytron. “Run back to Sky. Tell him to fire-portal out to Twilight Sparkle, and bring her back here. Stand guard while he’s gone.”

Elytron cast a quick glance to Chrysalis, who gave him a sharp nod, though her smile had turned to a frown.

As Elytron flew off, Nictis noticed Lockbar’s questioning look. Though he apparently didn’t dare to speak up, Nictis decided to answer the question he was sure was on the other changeling’s mind. “In case you don’t recognize the name, yes, Twilight Sparkle is a pony.” He smiled, making sure it was a good, sharp-toothed, predatory smile. “Equestria was willing to give many concessions to ensure peace, including sending some of their own to assist Queen Chrysalis in disposing of this traitorous princess.”

“Yes,” Chrysalis quickly said, adopting a haughty sneer as she rolled with his statement. “The pathetic cowards were so desperate for peace, they’ve offered up more than we could have possibly expected.” She gave an amused snort. “The fools.”

The looks of concern quickly faded from the nearby changelings, replaced with smiles. Nictis, however, had to suppress a smirk. She’s not entirely incompetent, he thought to himself. At least she can act like herself.

He shook off the thought. “Next… I’ll need the armor from one of those guards,” he said, looking back to the tunnel, before turning back to Lockbar. “And I need to know everything Chara has done since Queen Chrysalis left the hive.”

Nictis sped out of the tunnel, wings beating at the air as he lifted off in a vertical climb. He shot up along the side of the great central spire of the hive, the lightweight armor hardly slowing him at all. Naturally, several changelings looked on, some with momentary flashes of concern, but no suspicion. After all, he wasn’t some well-known traitor infiltrating the hive. No, he was a common soldier, stationed to guard the prisoners. He wasn’t anything to worry about.

What that common soldier was doing flying at high speed, panting, with a look of near-panic on his face, that might have been something to worry about.

Nictis focused on his breathing. He was a little winded, but he made sure to pant hard and frantically.

As he cleared the edge of the largest ledge, he pitched over, landing heavily. His quick entrance gave him only a brief window to appreciate the sight of the place. It was essentially unchanged from his memories, even if it felt a little less grand. The view of the grand chamber was commanding, and the open space funneled back to a raised point, as if to draw all attention to the throne that sat there. Many armored changelings stood on the platform. Several of them jerked in surprise, the nearest gripping their spears at his sudden intrusion. He ignored them. Instead, he looked to the throne, and Chara.

When he did so, Nictis was silently thankful for Lockbar’s information. Surprises were bad for Infiltrators. They led to vulnerabilities and mistakes. If he hadn’t known what to expect, he may well have drawn suspicion from the surprise the sight brought him. It was simply wrong.

It was a well-known, unspoken rule: you never, ever disguise yourself as the queen.

Chara was laid out across the throne, lounging there as if there was no question that it belonged to her. She looked very much like Chrysalis, but differed in subtle details. Her horn was a little more jagged, her wings a little longer, her body, while still lithe, was a little stronger. Hardly surprising, of course, when one can sculpt their appearance however one sees fit.

He bowed deeply, as she cast a haughty glare his way, his nose touching the ground. “Q-Queen Chara,” he said, avoiding reflecting on how weird that sounded. “There’s a pony at the feeding pool!”

A momentary flash of confusion crossed the false queen’s face. The soldier she had just been talking to went stiff, any sign of irritation at being interrupted vanishing at the news. Then the queen’s expression hardened, and she spoke. Her voice was deeper than Chrysalis’s, but had the same resonant tones to it, and the same hint of fire behind them. “Explain.”

“She showed up out of nowhere,” Nictis quickly said. “She grabbed us all in her magic, then let me go. She told me to go and tell you she wanted to talk with you.”

“With me,” Chara mused, and slowly rose from the throne. She walked toward him with a slow, confident strut, looking down on him with a contemptuous sneer. “Do you mean to tell me that some pony broke into my hive and disabled five of my soldiers, and you couldn’t do anything about it?”

“We tried to fight her!” Nictis said, coloring his speech with a good amount of fear and a hint of panic. “She shielded herself against our spells and held us in place with her magic. We couldn’t touch her. She was too strong!”

She continued to glare at him for several seconds before giving a contemptuous snort and looking back. “Guards, come. It’s time to dispose of an uninvited guest.”

Nictis didn’t even have to feign relief when her glare left him. So far, things were going according to plan.

Chara’s wings spread, lifting her from the ledge. Behind her, the guards snapped a quick salute before lifting off as well. There were more than he had initially noticed; by the time they all took to the air there were about twenty of them, all armored and bearing spears.

He rose and flew along with them, following Chara. More soldiers rose up from nearby alcoves, and the guard had soon doubled in number. It wasn’t a huge force, but it was more than enough to defeat the weakened prisoners that followed Chrysalis.

Downward they flew, the normal traffic of the hive scattering to make way. The small swarm swooped into the tunnel at the spire’s base, and soon emerged into the large chamber that held the depleted feeding pools.

Across the room, by the rear tunnel, stood Princess Twilight Sparkle. She stood tall and confident, her wings spread in regal display, her expression firm, but not harsh. She eyed the force flying toward her without any apparent emotion.

Around her lay six changelings, four in armor, their hooves bound together and muzzles held shut in faint purple auras.

The swarm of soldiers spread out behind Chara as she slowed, and Nictis weaved to end up just off her flank. From there he could see the grin that had formed, her eyes locked on the solitary pony.

Still good, Nictis thought to himself. And still time to teleport everyone out if things take a turn.

By the time they were halfway across the pool, Chara had slowed to a casual glide, descending toward the rocky shore. Her soldiers followed her lead, spread out loosely as they followed. Several seconds later, her hooves touched down. “Well, well,” she said, speaking slowly. “Princess. Twilight. Sparkle.”

Twilight gave a tiny nod, her eyes locked with the much larger changeling’s. “Princess Chara.”

“That’s Queen Chara now, little pony,” she said, a hint of a growl creeping up behind those words, though it vanished as quickly as it came. “And just what is Celestia’s whelp doing here in my hive, hmm? You’re not all alone, are you?”

“I thought it would be better if we spoke face-to-face before we got any other ponies involved,” Twilight said. “As for what brings me, I want to discuss the innocents you have cocooned back there. I want you to release them.”

“Mmm. No.” Chara grinned as she advanced a step, and Twilight took a half-step back. “In fact, I think I’ll add one more. You should make a nice hostage. I’m sure Celestia wouldn’t want to risk anything happening to her precious little student.”

“You should know that won’t stop her,” Twilight replied. “In fact, it will only make her work harder to dispose of you. But I’m willing to offer the opportunity to negotiate a way to resolve our differences.”

“Oh, is that so?” Chara said, laughing softly as she advanced another step. “Well, go on, let’s hear your ‘offer.’”

Twilight nodded. “First--”

The moment she opened her mouth, Chara’s horn lit up in a blazing light and she loosed a beam of magic straight at Twilight. Twilight was only just able to cast her own spell in time, and the area lit up with a brilliant green glow as the beams clashed. It was a short struggle, holding even for only a second before Chara’s beam overpowered Twilight’s, throwing the pony off her hooves and into the wall of the tunnel entrance.

“Hmm, what was that, little pony?” Chara taunted as she stalked forward, her head held low and a savage grin crossing her face. Her horn continued to glow brightly, ready to unleash a second blast. “I didn’t quite catch that. Care to repeat yourself?”

Twilight groaned as she rolled onto her back. A moment later, the groan turned to a weak chuckle.

Chara chuckled as well, though hers was much colder and crueler. “Oh, I’m glad you’re enjoying this as much as I am,” she said, stepping up to loom over her, and the princess’s chuckles grew hoarse as the false queen pressed a hoof down on her throat. “I always wanted to take down one of Equestria’s princesses. I have to say, though, I’m rather disappointed in you.”

Nictis jerked back as the purple barrier snapped into existence right in front of his face. He bit back a grumble of complaint; even knowing it would happen, he didn’t like the idea of being trapped on the outside of Twilight’s shield, not when Chara was on the other side of it.

Chara’s eyes glanced to the side before returning to Twilight. Her words were muffled by the shield, but Nictis could still make them out. “Do you really think that’s going to help you?” she asked, and Nictis saw her twist the hoof against Twilight’s neck before lifting it up over her head. “Now why don’t you drop your little spell before I tear off your ugly little--”

She stopped and blinked once, her hoof drawing back from the horn.

A horn that was not lit up with magic.

“Gotcha,” the fake Twilight said with a grin, and fired a blast of green magic.

For all the good it did. Chara blocked the beam easily, holding it at bay as she drew back, snarling.

She did not block the second beam, however, which slammed into her side and sent her staggering before she refocused and sent back a powerful blast of her own magic. The beam from the former “defeated guard” imploded as Chara’s spell smashed into his face, throwing him back.

Despite the small victory, the other disguised changelings quickly added their own magic, blasting away at the false queen. Chara scurried back a couple steps as she warded off the series of blasts.

All around Nictis, the changeling soldiers went wild, snarling and smashing at the shield.

Within moments Chara was holding off four beams, then five, then--

The sixth beam tore out from the tunnel and sliced through her divided defense as if it wasn’t even there. The powerful spell threw Chara into the inner wall of the shield, the whole dome flickering with the force of the impact. As all the beams of magic winked out, Chara fell limply to the ground.

The changeling soldiers all halted as Queen Chrysalis strode confidently from the tunnel entrance, her narrow-eyed glare locked on the downed pretender. Behind her followed the real Twilight Sparkle, her horn lit with magic.

Twilight’s copycat groaned a little as she stood. She flashed a weak smile to the original. “Well that hurt.” A flash of fire stripped away the disguise to reveal Sky, who immediately winced and raised a hoof to rub at the side of his chest. Other changelings removed their simple disguises of the captured guards and workers to reveal their natural forms, including Elytron, who seemed hardly fazed by the missing fang and cracked and bloody muzzle he had received from Chara’s spell.

Even through the dome, Nictis could hear Chrysalis’s faint growl. Twilight--the real one, that is--obviously noted it, as well. “Remember, Chrysalis, don’t--”

“Be silent!” Chrysalis snarled, and Twilight cringed. Chrysalis continued on to where Chara lay. The false queen was just starting to stir when Chrysalis placed her hoof against her neck, just as Chara had done to the false Twilight just moments earlier. Chrysalis, however, didn’t speak. Instead, her horn lit up, her mouth open in a savage grin; Chara’s eyes snapped open as she gave a weak, choked cry.

Nictis knew what was happening, and it sent a shiver crawling through him.

Chrysalis was feeding on her.

Chara started to move, twisting under Chrysalis’s hoof in a dazed struggle, desperate to cling to the love she held, but the queen was too strong for her, especially in her current state. Chara cried out as her grasp failed. Chrysalis drew the love from her, so much that wisps of green energy flickered and flowed from Chara’s horn, mouth, even her eyes, all to the waiting queen.

Chara’s writhing grew frantic, letting loose an agonizing scream as her disguise failed.

“Chrysalis!” Twilight shouted, hurrying up beside them, but the queen ignored her, continuing to feed.

Then it abruptly stopped. The wisps of magic vanished, and Chrysalis removed her hoof from the smaller changeling’s neck. Chara’s screams ended, turning to weak, pitiful groans as she slowly curled up at Chrysalis’s hooves.

Through the dome, Nictis could just faintly hear Chrysalis’s words. “Don’t worry, little princess, she’s not going to die.” She chuckled, low and dark, before speaking louder, so that everyone could hear. “She will live, with her title and position stripped from her. She will serve as a common drone, performing the most menial tasks I can find for her. I want her to live a long life, so she can remember the cost of her treachery for every moment of it.”

It was a rather sinister way of phrasing what Nictis considered a remarkably lenient sentence, considering who was giving it.

Twilight looked a little concerned, no doubt pondering what those “menial tasks” might be, but eventually nodded. “Okay.”

Chrysalis turned away from her defeated foe, slowly strolling back the way she came, her eyes settling on Chittri. “Which leaves just one more matter to resolve.”

Chittri bowed her head. “I--”

With a flash, Chrysalis called up her magic--and grabbed Twilight, yanking the young alicorn off her hooves and slamming her back against the cave wall.

Several changelings yelled in surprise, and the shield shattered as Twilight’s concentration was broken with the impact. Sky and Chirrup both dropped into fighting stances, their horns lighting with magic, and yelled out to Chrysalis.

“Ah ah ah,” Chrysalis chided, placing her forehooves on Twilights chest, and lowering her glowing horn just above the alicorn’s head. “You wouldn’t want anything unfortunate to happen to her, now would you?”

Elytron had already spun around to face Sky and Chirrup, ready to defend his queen despite his injury. Fade half-turned, looking uncertain as to who he was supposed to be fighting.

Chittri just stood tall again, her stance relaxed, but her eyes swept across the scene in front of her.

Nictis silently cursed as he slipped to the side. Even with the shield gone, most of the soldiers remained where they were. They seemed lost as to what was going on, so they stood still, awaiting orders. Nictis, however, suffered no such confusion. With the shield no longer in his way, he slipped to the side, stalking around Chrysalis. Her attention was turned to Sky and company, leaving him plenty of room to sneak around behind her.

Unfortunately, this still put him right next to all of Chrysalis’s soldiers, who would almost certainly strike him down if he acted against her.

Twilight struggled against Chrysalis’s hooves, but when she lit her horn, Chrysalis simply slapped her own, larger horn against it, earning a sharp yelp from Twilight. “Chrysalis!” Twilight cried out, struggling some more. “We had a de--urk!”

A little move of one of Chrysalis’s hooves cut off Twilight’s words as it slid up to her throat, pinning her head back against the stone wall. Chrysalis pressed her face in close to Twilight’s, giving her a savage, sharp-toothed grin, and Twilight twisted to try and pull away from those fangs.

“Ahhh. Isn’t this just perfect,” Chrysalis cooed, giving a short, quiet little giggle that Nictis could only describe as sadistic. “I have my hive back, my throne back… and Princess Twilight Sparkle, helpless at my hooves. How could this day get any better?”

Nictis had a perfect shot at Chrysalis’s back. He could take her by surprise… but then what? They were still in the heart of her hive. They might be able to slip out in the chaos, but it would be messy.

He held back, waiting to see if a better opportunity presented itself. Right now, he was just another soldier in the crowd. At least, he was to everyone except Chittri, who was still simply standing there, unreadable.

Twilight grasped at the queen’s forelegs, wings uselessly beating back against the rock behind her. “Let me go! When Celestia--”

Chrysalis pushed a bit more, turning Twilight’s words into weak, choking gasps. “Celestia’s not here,” Chrysalis taunted, her voice cruelly playful. “But you are. I’ve got you all to myself.” She moved a little closer, their faces almost touching despite Twilight’s struggles. “And I want you to remember every single moment of this, princess. I want you to remember...”

Her muzzle moved, right up next to Twilight’s ear. As Nictis crept closer, he could only barely make out Chrysalis’s whisper. “I won.”

Then Chrysalis stepped back, and with a gasp, Twilight fell to the floor. Chrysalis looked down her snout with a haughty smile as Twilight coughed and gasped, quickly staggering back to her hooves. Rage was filling the alicorn’s expression, but Chrysalis spoke first, inclining her head ever so slightly to the side. “The hive accepts Equestria’s offer, on all terms,” she said, and turned to walk away, smiling smugly. “Take your captives and leave my hive.”

Twilight glared at her, though her posture slowly relaxed. For a moment, Nictis thought she might actually strike out at the queen, but she finally gave a frustrated snort, raising a hoof to rub at her neck. “Was that really necessary?”

“Probably not,” Chrysalis said with a soft laugh, and grinned back over her shoulder. “But I enjoyed it.”

Twilight scowled, but looked away. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Nictis slipped past Chrysalis, stripping away his disguise as he rejoined Twilight and the other Equestrian changelings. Chittri also turned to follow, but Chrysalis’s gaze snapped to her.

“Not you,” she said, all hints of humor gone from her voice. “You will wait. I have some things to say to you.”

Chittri hesitated and, oddly enough, looked to Twilight, as if asking for confirmation. Twilight looked back to Chrysalis with a suspicious glare. “You’re not going to hurt her.”

“No,” Chrysalis said, returning the glare with a harsh one of her own. “I am going to talk to her.”

They stared at each other in silence for several seconds before Twilight finally broke away from the exchange and gave Chittri a small nod. The changeling princess bowed her head, and remained behind as Twilight continued on her way.

Nictis followed for a few steps, but slowed to look behind him. He watched as Chrysalis calmly strode past the fallen form of Chara. Soldiers parted before her, bowing in respect as she passed. When she reached the shore of the great pool, she halted and lowered her head. Her horn lit, and after a few moments, a soft glow rose from the pool, spreading outward. When she finally raised her head again, the glow had spread throughout the entire pool.

It was still weaker than Nictis remembered it.

A movement to his side drew his attention away from the pool. Sky was standing beside him, watching as well. So were Chirrup and Cara.

Sky exchanged a glance with him, then took to the air. He skirted the edge of the crowd of changelings to land on the shore. None paid him any attention until he lowered his head as well. Several of the soldiers yelled out, and spears were leveled. All of that halted when a brighter glow started to spread its way through the pool as Sky poured the energy he held into it.

Nictis spread his wings, flying over to land beside Sky, and copied his actions. Chirrup and Cara followed moments later. Nictis slowly poured out most of his magic, leaving himself with a small but sufficient reserve.

By the time they were done, the pool looked much more healthy, the light of its glow casting the chamber in soft green tones.

Every other changeling in the room was looking at them by the time they finished. Cara suppressed a tremble, jerking to follow Sky as the other changeling took wing again to follow after Twilight.

Nictis rose up into the air, pausing for only a moment. Chrysalis was looking at them as well, silent. Somewhere, past the contempt, he thought he sensed a faint feeling of appreciation.

He bowed his head toward her, and flew off.

“Thirty four ponies, two buffalo, a mule, and a griffin,” Twilight summarized, watching as another cocoon arrived. The barren mesa above the hive’s entrance was dotted with cocoons, with more arriving each minute, carried aloft by Chrysalis’s workers. A short distance away, another changeling princess, Princess Indress, was directing the workers. She had given no apparent reaction to the fact that the one Chrysalis had assigned her to assist was a pony.

“It is my pleasure to obey,” she had said, when Twilight had thanked her for the assistance, and had immediately returned to directing the workers.

Sky looked over the scene, smiling softly. Finally, he looked back down to where Cara lay, sprawled out with his head resting against a rock. His helmet was sitting beside him, but he had kept the peytral on, a hoof resting on the gouge in its surface. “Are you going to be okay?” Sky asked, earning a weak nod.

“Yeah,” Cara said, eyes half closed. “Thirsty, though.”

Sky nodded and stood. “I’ll see if I can get you some water.”

“Thanks,” Cara said, though his eyes opened a bit more. “And, um… please don’t tell anyone about… you know…”

They had been out of the hive for hardly a minute when Cara had slipped off to a shadowed corner of the rugged canyon and puked.

“Hey, you did well,” Sky said, smiling. “No need to ruin a good story with pointless details.”

Cara smiled, giving a feeling of thanks, and Sky took to the air.

Princess Indress didn’t react to his approach, nor his landing. She hardly even reacted when he spoke up. “Excuse me?”

“Yes?” she asked, without looking away from the field of cocoons and the changelings managing them.

“Could I ask you a favor?”

“Yes,” she answered, still unmoving.

“Is there any chance you could have one of those guys fetch us some water? We haven’t had anything to drink in hours, and it’s pretty hot up here.”

Indress considered that silently for a whole second before waving over a drone. “Find some containers and bring a full load of drinking water here.”

With a quick nod, the drone shot off toward the hive.

“Thank you,” Sky said. Indress merely gave a sharp nod, and said nothing.

After a moment of awkward silence, Sky turned and walked off, heading toward where Nictis and Twilight stood, watching.

“Hey,” Sky said, stepping up beside them with a smile. “So… it’s all done, isn’t it? We did it.”

Nictis gave a little smile, though it faded quickly. “We did it,” he echoed. “But it’s not done yet. It’s going to get messy once they’re woken up.”

“Ah,” Sky said, his enthusiasm fading. “Yeah, I guess it will. When is that happening?”

“When Celestia and the lead elements of the Guard arrive,” Twilight said, casting a quick glance toward the horizon.

“Got it,” Sky said, nodding. “Thinking they’ll feel more comfortable waking up to ponies instead of changelings?”

Nictis gave a wry smile. “Lockbar didn’t know all the details of their capture, but he was pretty sure that few, if any, actually saw a changeling prior to being captured. There’s plenty of other problems we might face, but there shouldn’t be much initial fear there. Well, beyond the difference in appearance.”

“I’m more concerned about their health,” Twilight said. “Some of them are showing a large amount of muscle atrophy from their inactivity, and possibly malnutrition. It’s hard to say what condition they’ll be in once they’re removed. They’re stable for now, but waking them too early could put them at risk. I’d rather wait for the Guard medics to arrive.”

Nictis was nodding. “I’m worried about mental health, myself. Some of them have been here for a very long time. I expect it’s going to be pretty hard to take, once they learn how long they’ve been gone.”

“I’m hoping having Celestia there when they wake up might help,” Twilight said. “If any pony can comfort them, I think it’s her.” She paused, then added, “I’d also like some of you guys to be there. I think it would help for their first waking experience with changelings to be a good one.”

“That’s going to get real awkward, once they find out,” Sky said. “But yeah, I’ll be there.”

Nictis was a little more reserved. “I’m concerned about what will happen if they do remember changelings,” he said, but eventually nodded. “If you want us, I’ll be there, too.”

The three of them fell into silence, watching as a flight of four changelings carried in another cocoon to set alongside the growing rows. Princess Indress stepped up to it to examine it, as she had all the others.

“Still,” Sky said, “that’s it, isn’t it? They’re safe, and there’s going to be peace between the hive and Equestria. We won.”

Nictis gave a dry chuckle, but eventually nodded. “Yeah.”

Sky nodded as well. “It’s just… I dunno, hard to believe it. Like there should have been something more.”

“I think it was quite enough, thank you,” Twilight said, raising a hoof to rub at her neck. “Too much, in fact.”

Sky rolled his shoulder in sympathy, feeling the slight tightness in his chest. It still ached from the blow he took, though it was fading quickly.

“Chrysalis was just saving face,” Nictis said with a shrug. “She can’t look like she’s bowing to Equestria’s will, especially not after everything Chara had said of her. It let her look like she was in charge, even when she was giving us everything we wanted.”

“I know,” Twilight grumbled. “But next time she can find some way of doing it that isn’t at the expense of my neck.”

Still, she cracked a bit of a smile. Nictis was right, after all; it was just a hollow show of defiance. Whatever Chrysalis might say, they had won.

Though he supposed that meant the hive won, too.

Nictis’s ear twitched, and he turned his head to the side. It was several seconds before Sky picked up the faint buzz, growing steadily more audible.

Songbird came in over a low rise, the evening sun glinting off of it. It yawed to the side as it slowed, and Spark grinned out over the side, with Chirrup riding behind him.

Sky reached out, thumping Nictis lightly on the shoulder. He didn’t need to say anything. Nictis grinned, then took flight.

A few moments later, Twilight spoke with a sound of relief. “There they are.”

Sky looked in the direction she was looking. Far in the distance, just over the horizon, he could make out the movement of several dozen forms. There were a couple pops as Twilight fired bursts of magic into the air, signalling to the distant chariots, and soon a few more flashes of magic showed above the incoming formation.

Then one figure detached from the formation, diving downward for a moment before arcing toward them, an increasingly vibrant trail of rainbow colors following in her wake.

Sky grinned.

Chittri alighted at the edge of the mesa, beside the rows of cocoons. Princess Indress and a small group of workers stood to the side, as did a few soldiers. All seemed quite interested in watching the young alicorn slowly walking among the cocoons. Chittri approached her.

Princess Twilight Sparkle looked up from the cocoon she was looking at, the faint concerned expression parting to reveal a gentle and genuinely pleased smile. “Princess Chittri,” she said in greeting.

Chittri shook her head. “I am afraid it is just Chittri, now, Your Highness. Queen Chrysalis has decided my punishment.” Her pose slackened ever so slightly. “For my betrayal, she has stripped me of the title and banished me from the hive.”

“Oh,” Twilight said with a flash of sympathy. She was well-versed enough in the way of changelings to understand the significance of such a punishment. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I thank you for your sympathy,” Chittri said, bowing her head for a moment. “But while it may have come at significant personal cost, it is a small price to pay for the good of the hive.” She allowed a faint hint of a smile. “And in a way… I appreciate her decision.”

“Oh?” Twilight asked, curiosity and a hint of surprise rising alongside the sympathy.

Chittri looked back over her shoulder, where the very tip of one of the hive’s spires could be seen. “...It hurts to think that I shall never see this place again. Everything I have ever done has been for the sake of the hive, and now I am cast out of the one thing that mattered most to me.”

She took a long, deep breath before looking back to Twilight. “But I have pledged my loyalty to Princess Celestia, and by doing this, Queen Chrysalis has allowed me to fulfil that pledge without any lingering sense of conflict. In the end, her punishment is little more than freeing me to do what I have already promised. I hope that whatever service Princess Celestia asks of me will not bring harm to the hive.” She paused, slowly looking around the mesa. “...But I think I have little to worry about, in that regard.”

Twilight had smiled at that. “So do I,” she said. “I’m sure Celestia wouldn’t ask you to do anything you would dislike. Actually, I don’t think she’ll ask any service of you. I expect she’ll ask you what you would like to do.”

“What I would like to do,” Chittri echoed, and gave a small, slow shake of her head. “I’m not even certain what that is, now.”

There was a moment of quiet, the feeling of sympathy from the small alicorn still holding steady. “Well,” Twilight finally said, “there may be a good deal more changelings in Equestria, fairly soon, and Sky will probably be pretty busy if that’s the case. If you wanted to help changelings, maybe you could be his assistant.”

“His assistant?” she said, blinking. Then she gave a soft, amused chuckle. “Yes, I suppose that could work.”

Twilight stepped up to her. The young princess seemed un-regal in many ways, but Chittri knew quite well how appearances could be deceiving. There was strength and grace behind that gentle and casual demeanor. This pony had great compassion for her, a sense of hope for her future, and even sadness in her loss. She was a kind mare.

“A lot of changelings have made a new home in Equestria,” Twilight said, offering an encouraging smile. “I know it can’t really make up for the one you’ve lost, but I hope you can find a new home there, too.”

Chittri regarded her silently for a moment before slowly casting her gaze across the scattered changelings and ponies.

Nearby, Sky and Rainbow Dash were playfully roughhousing, the mare eagerly telling up Sky’s story with even more enthusiasm than he did. Even the light-hearted wrestling didn’t hide the occasional hug. The mare had a unique way of showing affection, but there was no denying that it was there.

Just past them, Cara sat back against a rock, weary, but smiling. The timid changeling had something great to be proud of. Something that he could look back to, with the comforting knowledge that he could be brave, that he could accomplish things.

Slightly apart from the others, Chirrup stood tall and firm, showing the proper bearing of the Royal Guard. He still wore the armor of the hive, but he no longer seemed concerned by it. Instead, he smiled. The expression was faint, almost hidden under the discipline of the Guard, but undeniable all the same. He had good reason to be proud of his actions, being able to aid both his new home, and his old.

The impressive little flying machine lay dormant, just past the rows of cocoons, and atop the nose of the craft sat Nictis and Spark Wheel. The pair were leaned gently against each other, simply enjoying the other’s presence. Legs rested gently across legs, a diaphanous wing rested lightly across a gray-coated back. They sat quietly, both smiling as they looked over the scene as well, broken only by the occasional soft word or tender nuzzle.

And beyond it all, the chariots of the Royal Guard descended. At their head was a larger chariot, bearing a grand, white alicorn, the very one that she had sworn her allegiance to. The one that had, ultimately, done more for the changelings of the hive than they could possibly appreciate.

“A new home,” Chittri quietly echoed. She nodded slowly, and smiled, faint but sincere. “I think I would like that.”

The end

Prologue

Prologue

Luna walked with a regal air of calm and grace, hooves clopping sharply on the marble floor of the palace’s broad hall. She had been down this hall enough times since her return that she gave no mind to the scenery. Nor did she pay attention to the numerous changelings buzzing back and forth through the air, who in turn, ignored her presence as they flew to reinforce their companions.

Only when several louder shouts reached her ears did she glance aside. A horde of changelings had surrounded a small group of guards. The guards were ragged and weary from battle and completely outnumbered. As the changelings closed in, the guards’ commander shouted out, calling for anyone to aid them, for anyone to stand tall in defense of Equestria.

Luna simply looked away and continued on, indifferent. Such a scene was just a pointless diversion. Unimportant. They were playing out all throughout the castle, all throughout the city, the sounds of battle echoing into a muffled, distant background rumble. Soon they would be nothing but a memory.

The doors to the grand hall lay open as the changelings flew about, and only once she had entered did she pause to look around her. The changelings’ conquest here was complete. Cocoons decorated the grand dais, holding their prisoners immobile, unconscious. She considered the scene with a critical eye before approaching the dais. The changelings continued on, uninterrupted, without even looking in her direction.

The first cocoon she looked to was the largest, and inside it floated the figure of her sister, Celestia. Her face was twisted in a grimace, eyes closed in induced sleep. Luna thought back to her sister’s remark as to how disgusting the cocoon had felt when she had found herself imprisoned in one during the changeling attack. A fleeting moment of humor nearly drew out a hint of a smile, but she remained silent and neutral, letting the moment pass. A frown crossed her face a moment later when she looked to the next cocoon, only to see a poor mimicry of herself floating inside it. For a species that relied on deception and disguise, one would think they might have paid more attention to the fine details of appearance. Her coat was a much richer shade of midnight blue, not the bland gray of this impostor, not to mention their simplified cutie mark and utterly boring and mundane blue mane.

Her expression returned to neutral as she looked over the next two cocoons, holding inside them Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor, trapped so close to each other, yet eternally apart. Beyond them were six more cocoons holding six very familiar young mares.

The rulers and greatest heroes of Equestria, all trapped and helpless as the changelings descended upon the kingdom. As invasions went, it couldn’t be any better.

Luna was turning away when a detail caught her eye. She stopped and turned back, leaning to peer into the nearest of the closely grouped six cocoons. It seemed oddly fitting, if a bit unorthodox, for Princess Twilight Sparkle to be entombed there with her closest friends instead of alongside the other princesses, but that wasn’t what had caught Luna’s attention. Instead, it was the realization that Twilight did not have her wings.

Curious.

She turned away again, leaving the dais and its cocoons behind. They were a thing of interest, but minimal importance.

Luna came to a halt a short distance from the line of broad, open windows, and immediately behind a dark, insectoid form as tall as her sister: Chrysalis, queen of the changelings. The changeling queen stood calmly, one foreleg draped over the windowsill, her visage framed by the scene outside.

Beyond her, Canterlot burned.

There was little effort made to rein in the destruction, unlike Chrysalis’s first appearance. The numerous cocooned ponies being hauled back and forth showed that the invading force was not enacting a complete slaughter, but they were not being gentle. The green flames of changeling magic flickered in reflections off Chrysalis’s glossy carapace, while she looked on with a content smile.

Luna stood silently, watching over the scene of destruction with detached indifference.

The dark queen was not alone. A few changeling guards stood nearby, one of which was clad in midnight-blue armor. More interesting was the changeling floating over to land beside Chrysalis. The new changeling was unlike the common drones, roughly halfway between them and their queen in size, and resembling the latter far more than the former. Further, while all the drones were male, this one was female. One of the changeling princesses, then.

As soon as she had landed, the newcomer bowed her head, a predatory smirk crossing her features. “The Royal Guard is broken,” she said, delight clear in her resonant voice. “The final pockets of resistance have collapsed, and the castle is secure. Canterlot is ours.”

“Good,” Chrysalis purred, the words descending into what might have been described as a giggle if not for the sharp-toothed grin the accompanied it.

Luna’s ear pricked at the faint sound of wind blowing through leaves, sourceless and almost hidden behind the sound of the concluding invasion.

“Nothing shall stop us now,” Chrysalis said, joy mixing with something much darker. “Soon, all of Equestria will be ours, and we shall take our rightful place!”

Luna felt as if the world was slightly lighter, more ephemeral. The change was subtle for only a moment before the familiar tug of the world twisting about asserted itself. The sky wavered, growing indistinct. Chrysalis continued to speak, but the words did not reach her, muffled under the growing distance as the buzz of wings grew into an indistinct haze, and the light of the sun swirled in impossible patterns, and the sound of leaves in the wind ushered in a gust of fresh summer morning air, and the nonexistent world rocked beneath her nonexistent hooves, and the walls peeled and curled inward, and light, everywhere light, and--

Green eyes opened to the sight of golden-lit clouds drifting far above.

They closed again as Queen Chrysalis stretched luxuriously, a thin smile playing on her face. It seemed almost a shame to wake up, even if she knew she must. It had been such a pleasant dream.

Eventually she rose to her hooves and drew in a deep breath. The air was still crisp and fresh with dew as it drifted lazily through the tiny forest clearing, promising the kind of warm summer day ponies might describe as pleasant. In the distance the forest was starting to come to life, the sounds of birds chirping filtering through the tall trees and thick brush. She sighed, shaking off the lingering feeling of sleep, and then frowned as her eyes fell to the small bundle nearby. Unwrapping it revealed her breakfast, the usual ration of fungus harvested from the hive and lumped together into a crude clump, along with a few berries her scouts had collected during their travels. She levitated the rations, taking a bite. It wasn’t bad, but it was bland, and somewhat disappointing after dreams of Canterlot. Ponies might be soft and spoiled, but the occasional luxury could be excused.

With a small sigh she levitated the rest of the small breakfast and walked to the line of bushes that separated her chosen sleeping spot with the rest of the camp.

Stepping through the dew-dampened brush, her thin smile returned with the sight of the active camp, her changelings already awake and busy. It was a small gathering, a little less than twenty changelings strong, but they more than made up for any lack in numbers. Every single one had been hoof-picked and ready for a fight. Each was adorned in midnight-blue armor, save the few who were working on maintaining theirs. Most had spears, their edges sharp and gleaming in the pre-dawn light. Such weapons were poor at taking prisoners, but that was of little concern now. These soldiers would permit no threat to their queen.

The sharpening of weapons and caring for armor paused one-by-one, each changeling bowing its head as she strolled by, eager and excited grins showing beneath their helms.

One changeling stood apart, overseeing the small camp, and he approached Chrysalis. He had been the first one chosen for this outing. Elytron was an experienced and highly capable soldier and captain who had earned a position as one of her personal guard. Now he moved to her side as she walked, his head bowed in respect. “My queen.”

“Speak.”

His head rose again as he spoke. “The scouts have relayed several safe routes through the lands ahead, and are now ready to screen our advance. No opposing forces have been observed, and it appears that we remain unobserved. We are prepared to move on your command.”

She nodded curtly. “Good.”

There was no need to say anything else. Elytron nodded again as she continued on to the edge of the clearing, where the ground sloped away. Through the widening gap she could see the distant mountain and the city clinging to its side. Already the spires of Canterlot glowed with the rising sun, a regal and dominating symbol reigning over the countryside below.

Chrysalis hummed softly to herself as she finished her small breakfast, a small flurry of excitement growing in her gut at the sight of that City. She could practically taste the love from here.

The activity in the little camp slowly faded. What little gear her changelings had was packed up. There were no tents or other such wasted weight, only what little food and supplies they needed for their trip. One by one they gathered behind her, silent as she contemplated the distant city. Looking back, Chrysalis was met with the eager grins of her soldiers.

“Come, my loyal subjects,” she said, her grin growing sharp and predatory. “We have much to do.”

She spread her wings, and as one they took to the air, flying for Canterlot.

Chapter 13: What the Right Hoof Does

Chapter 13: What the Right Hoof Does

“Star Fall” stepped through the doorway with a calm expression and a relaxed gait. That held for a moment after the guard had shut the door, before it vanished. His ears drooped and expression turned slack, followed by a flash of green fire as Nictis stripped away the disguise.

He grumbled a wordless remark before sitting heavily beside the small table in the center of the repurposed guest suite.

A moment later he found a cup hovering right in front of his face, perched atop Subtle’s hoof. A tiny curl of steam rose from it. He stared at it for a few indecisive seconds before taking it in his hooves and bringing it to his mouth, steadily draining it in one long drink.

When he had finished, he lowered his hooves again, staring down at the cup with half-lidded eyes. Finally, he spoke.

“How can something that smells so wonderful taste so foul?”

Subtle chuckled softly from behind her own cup, though Nictis noted she had opted for a different drink. “I hear the taste of coffee is something that grows on you.”

“That’s a terrifying thought,” he replied, setting the cup on the table.

“I’ll admit, I do much prefer tea,” Subtle said with a small raise of her own cup, and smiled when Nictis gave a faint snort. “Which I suppose isn’t terribly surprising, given my name and cutie mark.”

“Pony names. Now there’s a subject to make headaches.” He shook his head and scowled. “Though speaking of names, I couldn’t even get that out of the last prisoner.”

“Get anything else?”

“No,” Nictis replied. “Though that may have told me a few things, anyway.”

Subtle leaned forward with a smug smile. “Hmm?”

“His refusal to talk didn’t seem nuanced in any way. There didn’t seem to be any further tactic to it other than not saying anything. He just clammed up and refused to take any active role. I put on a pretty good naive, bleeding-heart sympathy act, emotions and all. I intentionally presented a weakness, but he did nothing. I would have expected an Infiltrator to have made some attempt to take advantage of that, even if it was just getting a better feel for the pony or something subtle like that. Instead, he just sat there.”

“Hmm,” Subtle mused for a moment before setting down her cup beside the loose gathering of papers set before her. “What are you thinking?”

Nictis stared at the corner of the table for a long moment before drawing in a deep breath and releasing it in a sigh. “Well, the short version is, I don’t think he’s an Infiltrator. It’s possible, but it doesn’t quite fit. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s another one of Chrysalis’s soldiers.”

Subtle frowned slightly as she consider that. “I’ve got to say, Infiltrators are concerning enough. There are very few things she could do with soldiers hidden in Canterlot.”

“The other one you caught in that safehouse was an Infiltrator, or at least appears to be, so it’s possible he was just there to guard them.” He shook his head, slumping to the side to lean against the table. “The alternative is that they’re here to do something that Infiltrators are less suitable for. In a city, much less Canterlot, the only thing I can think of would be overt violence.”

“And if coordinated with their Infiltrators, they could do quite a bit of damage.”

Nictis nodded. “Yes. Though I have doubts that it’s their plan. At least not their primary one.”

“Because they could have come in at any time if that was their plan,” Subtle noted, “rather than setting us on alert and giving us time to ready the Guard. Yes, that’s probably not their first plan. That does still leave the possibility of it being a backup plan.”

Nictis’s frown deepened. “And Chrysalis is supposed to call in all her Infiltrators. If she doesn’t, then the princesses will move against her and she loses everything. If she does, she weakens that backup plan.”

“Which means that if she’s going to launch some sort of covert attack, she’d have to do it… well, any moment now.”

There was a moment of silence between them. A part of Nictis half expected it to be interrupted by an explosion or sounds of alarm--it just seemed like that kind of day--but it never came.

“Well, then,” Subtle said as she pulled a blank scroll out of her saddlebags and took up a quill in her mouth, somehow talking reasonably clearly as she wrote with it. “Aegis already has Guards on alert to track down any changelings that Chrysalis is communicating with, but I’ll send him a message anyway. If nothing else, he might find it useful. It’s amazing how much more alert ponies can be when “intelligence” has turned up a possible threat.”

She finished writing a moment later and waved Feather Strike over. As soon as she had it rolled up and sealed, she passed it to him, and with a salute, the Guard departed.

“Now then,” Subtle said as she stood. “Much of why the Guard lost during the hive’s invasion of Canterlot was due to Chrysalis disrupting the upper levels of command. I think we should turn that tactic around on her, and that means this is an excellent time to occupy her with the interviews she’s requested. If nothing else, it’ll separate her from the majority of her changelings, and maybe disrupt her communications.”

Nictis sighed in resignation. “As much as I loathe the idea of spending another moment with her, you’re probably right. At least then we can keep a close eye on her.”

“Good,” Subtle replied with a nod as she gathered the collection of papers up and slid them into her bag. “Then it’s time you bring her to see her captured agents. See if you can keep her occupied until her Infiltrators have all shown up, or it becomes apparent she isn’t going along with the princesses’ wishes.” She thought for a moment before asking, “Will you be starting with Fade?”

“Absolutely,” Nictis replied as he finally pushed himself up to his hooves, once again.

“Good,” she said, tucking the last paper into her bags and buckling them up. “Go get Chrysalis. I’m going to go double-check some security measures and make sure everything is ready in case they try something. Good luck.” She reached over, patting him on the shoulder. “And hey, if she starts becoming too obnoxious, at least you know that she’s about half a step away from being evicted from her own hive.”

Nictis gave another snort and a weak smile. It didn’t last long, as he thought back to Celestia’s words. As he thought on it, he arched his back, stretching with a quiet grunt, and finishing up with a quick buzz of his wings. “Okay,” he said, shaking off the lingering fatigue. “Let’s get this over with.”

They said their goodbyes and parted ways. Subtle went one way down the hall, while Nictis, and an entire contingent of Guards, went the other. It was bizarre, when he thought about it; just a few months ago, it would have been immensely unsettling to have a procession of a dozen Royal Guards escorting him. Now, it was more like a footnote; something interesting but not concerning. After all, they weren’t there for him.

It also provided a nice, although short-lived, distraction from other thoughts. Those thoughts only grew greater as he made his way to Chrysalis’s chambers, his entourage clinking quietly behind him.

As he turned the final corner, he saw the familiar sight of three changelings guarding the door, with a larger number of Royal Guard standing at attention a short distance away. The two changelings on either side made no visible reaction to his approach, though he felt their contempt rise as they saw him. The one named Elytron stood in the center of them, once again, and turned his head to stare disdainfully at him as he approached.

Nictis walked right up to Elytron, while doing his best to regard him as he would any of the changelings from Ponyville. Hostility would be counterproductive, after all.

The Guard escort halted smartly right behind him, and he spoke. “I have brought a message for Queen Chrysalis.”

Elytron eyed him darkly, and Nictis was able to catch a very faint and fleeting shift in the other changeling’s emotions. Well, Nictis thought, he noticed I actually used her title.

The other changeling’s eyes darted past Nictis for just a moment before returning to him. “Follow me,” he said, the cold tone making it clear how unwelcome he was.

Once again, Nictis walked through the main room, under the disapproving eyes of the many changelings gathered there. He followed in silence, halting when they reached the far door. There, Elytron knocked twice before opening the door and slipping through, shutting it behind him. Nictis could hear only the faintest hint of a sound from the other side of the thick door, too muted to even identify as speech, much less discern the meaning of the words said.

He stood silently, head and ears up, wings relaxed at his side, his stance tall but relaxed. He buried the fear that had welled up the first time he had entered those chambers, seemingly so long ago. He wasn’t going to show them any weakness or flaw. Instead, they were only allowed to see a changeling confident and determined in his decisions.

It was an increasingly familiar act.

Finally, the door opened to reveal Elytron. “Enter.”

Nictis nodded and walked past him, into the room.

Chrysalis lounged on a large cushion, just as she had the first time they met. Her eyes narrowed slightly as they met his, making her feelings clear despite the absolute lack of emotions reaching his senses. She watched him approach, while he forced himself to keep his pace relaxed and even. She finally spoke once he had drawn near. “Well, what is it this time?”

Sarcastic replies and scornful retorts were held in check, and Nictis replied diplomatically. “I’ve been sent to inform you that you may now interview the individuals we have captured, and to escort you to them.”

“We, is it?” Chrysalis noted. “Should I assume you were involved in their capture?”

“I was,” Nictis replied. Even if he had wanted to, there was no point in denying it. She’d likely get her answer soon enough, anyway. “I was involved in the capture of two of your agents, and directly responsible for one of those.”

Chrysalis looked down her muzzle at him in a look of contempt. “So, you weren’t satisfied with turning your back on the hive, now you’re actively working against it.”

“The changelings we captured were working to undermine peace between the hive and Equestria,” Nictis said, as evenly as if he were reading a textbook. “The hive needs that peace to survive. They have been working against that, and stopping them helps the hive.”

“You’ve been spending far too much time around Celestia and her boring, self-righteous speeches,” Chrysalis said with a roll of her eyes. She finally stood to tower over him. “Enough of this. Take me to my imprisoned subjects.”

“This way,” Nictis calmly replied, and turned to leave. Contrary to the fear and anger his earliest meetings had instilled in him, he found himself somewhat amused. While she didn’t emit even the faintest wisp of her guarded emotions, he imagined that she was finding his calmness infuriating. True or not, that made him feel slightly better.

His thoughts flashed back to Celestia, and the feeling of amusement faded slightly. Irritating her may be counterproductive, he thought as they walked through the main room again. Elytron walked directly behind them, and when he gave a sharp chitter, four armored changelings sprang to their hooves, falling in behind him.

When they stepped out into the hall, Chrysalis snickered softly, and Nictis looked back to see her eying the large escort waiting for them. “Do you think you brought enough guards?” she asked with a sharp-toothed smile as the ponies started to do their checks. “Why, it’s almost like you think I’m up to something.”

Despite his calmness, Nictis had to suppress a grimace. And then there’s that, he noted, and opted to simply ignore her comment. She said nothing further, only giving a quiet hum a moment later as she followed him down the hall, their pony and changeling escorts following in their wake.

Nictis walked in silence. The gigantic form of the queen walking beside him was no longer terrifying, but there was a deeper concern taking hold. So much was happening so quickly, and he was right in the middle of it. In many ways, he was powerless. He didn’t have the influence and power of the princesses, and if it came down to it, he couldn’t hope to match the might of the queen. “Squashed like a bug” was the unfortunately colorful term that came to mind at the thought of being caught in an outright conflict.

It was a familiar feeling.

It was the feeling of an Infiltrator, surrounded by danger on all sides. He couldn’t hope to match them in might, but overt strength wasn’t where his talents lay. Celestia and Chrysalis were in a battle of wits and words at the moment, and that was a battle he was well-equipped to wage.

He silently thought back to the conversation with Celestia as they continued down the hall. Flickers of guilt and shame came to him at some of the words, but he ignored them, as distractions from the more important matter at hoof: Celestia had set a goal, and he had to support it in any way he could.

It wasn’t even a question of whether he should. If he failed to help her, he would be failing both Equestria and the hive. It’s what he’d been trained to do, what he’d practiced and aspired toward for years. If there was any chance of influencing Chrysalis, even a little, he had to try.

And that meant he needed to put aside his own feelings, and do what needed to be done. So, he ignored the guilt of his own past, as well the growing fatigue of the day and the disgust welling up at his plans for the immediate future. He pushed them down, keeping any hint of their presence from leaking out under the queen’s senses. Then he carefully considered the feeling of concern over the uncertain future. He held onto it, thinking every worrying thought he could dig up, until it grew in his mind to wash out every other feeling.

Finally, he peeled back the armor, letting the faintest hint of the emotion seep out. The tips of his ears drooped a bit, snapped back up, and slowly began to sag again. His eyes sank down, his expression slackening slightly. His jaw tensed and relaxed a couple times, until he visibly forced himself to speak.

“Chrysalis?”

She turned to give him a scornful look, and he intentionally wavered for a moment before continuing. “I… I want to ask you something.”

He was met with a condescending snort. “Oh, now you want to talk? Funny, seemed like you couldn’t wait to get away last time I wanted to talk.”

The little flash of irritation didn’t even need to be faked, though he kept it from growing as sharply as his tired mind wanted to take it. “Just…” He sighed. “Call in all of the changelings you have in Canterlot. Don’t leave any out there for Celestia to find.”

Chrysalis held her glare for a couple seconds before scoffing and looking away. “Oh, don’t worry, little drone. You can tell your new master that I’m doing exactly as she asked.”

“No you’re not,” he replied, allowing a touch of that irritation to enter his voice before jerking his head away, mouth clamping shut. Quieter, he continued. “I know you’re not going to call them all in. You’re planning on leaving a few out there and claiming otherwise, just like before, and just like before, they’ll be found. The difference is that Celestia isn’t going to let you get away with it any more.” He turned his head back toward her, ears drooping a bit more. “So… please, call them all in.”

She stared back at him, eyes narrowed in scrutiny. Even without being able to sense her emotions, her skepticism was clear. After all, he expected it. “Funny,” she practically growled. “And here I thought you would love to see me gone. Why do you suddenly care so much?”

He looked away, head sagging. When he replied, it was in a quiet grumble. “It’s because of something Celestia said to me.”

“Oh, of course,” Chrysalis replied, and even without looking Nictis was certain she had just rolled her eyes again. “And what amazing nugget of wisdom did Sun-Butt share with you?”

Several emotions immediately suggested themselves. Prime among them were anger, disgust, and shame. He kept them closely in check, focusing on his words while allowing a subtle taste of them to escape. “She said that you and I are much alike.”

“Hah!” Chrysalis gave a single dismissive laugh before saying, “We’re nothing alike.”

“Oh, great, irony,” Nictis bitterly grumbled. “Because that’s exactly what I need today.”

Chrysalis snorted as his irritation faded again. Instead, he thought back to Celestia’s comparison, and this time he held onto the feelings of guilt and shame. “She’s right, though. When I first came here, I thought of ponies just like you do now. I took pride in the idea that we were better than them, and I took pleasure in all the schemes I pulled off.”

He lingered there for a moment, then slowly brought his head up, his expression growing firm as he closed off the glimpse of his emotions that he had allowed. “But I’m an Infiltrator. I’m not supposed to indulge my own emotions or cling to presumptions. And yes,” he said, as Chrysalis started to open her mouth to object, “I know I never completed my training, but what training I did receive was excellent, and I’ve spent many years relying on those skills for survival.”

He cast his gaze around the hall they walked down, the grand arches rising high above them, tall windows illuminating the passage. “All the same, I refused to see what was all around me. I clung to my pride and the teachings of the hive. It wasn’t until I finally stepped back and analyzed everything, like I was trained to do, that I finally acknowledged how things really are.

“It almost destroyed me,” he said, allowing a touch of slack to appear in his expression for only a moment, as if to show that the memory haunted him. “I was trained to deal with the most unpleasant circumstances in the name of survival, but the idea that the hive could be so wrong about something so fundamental was devastating. Now, everything is about to change, and I can only imagine how hard it’s going to be on all the others in the hive.”

Chrysalis snorted dismissively. “They will do fine. The hive is stronger than you think.”

“Dozens of your subjects were distressed enough just by rumors that they fled the hive to come here, to a nation that’s supposedly their enemy,” Nictis replied. “I know exactly how hard it’s been on them, because I’ve been taking care of them for months. I also know what’s coming is going to be even worse.” He turned to look up at Chrysalis, allowing his expression to harden for a moment before relaxing again. “The hive could use a strong leader to guide them through this. Changelings are going to be confused and afraid. So, as much as I dislike you, I’m willing to set that aside to do what needs to be done for the good of the hive. If you’re truly willing to work toward peace with Equestria, then…”

He trailed off, carefully measuring a pause as he guided his gaze downward, tensed and relaxed his jaw, and then turned his eyes back toward Chrysalis. “Then I’m willing to assist you in whatever way I can.”

Finished, he looked away, ears pinning back.

“Is that so?” Chrysalis flatly replied. “And why exactly would I want the help of a proven traitor?”

“Because you’re about to throw your crown away with some stupid scheme,” Nictis replied, forcing his voice to stay calm instead or snapping at her. Anger threatened to take hold, but he pushed it back, focusing instead on concern. Now was not the time to be confrontational. Chrysalis was not going to listen to defiance, but a more submissive approach seemed like something that could appeal to her pride. “And a lot of changelings could suffer if you do. I may have been separated from the hive, but I’ve never betrayed it. I didn’t even tell Celestia where to start looking for it. I want to help the hive… and that’s the only reason I’m even talking to you.”

“Mmm,” Chrysalis mused. “So how far does your offer of ‘help’ go?”

He allowed a faint touch of irritation to slip out. “I’m not going to act against Equestria, if that’s what you’re asking.” He took a deep breath, calming himself. “Mostly, I can offer advice. I probably know ponies better than any changeling in the hive, maybe even better than any changeling alive. Right now, the princesses are doubting whether you’re worth negotiating with, especially after your confrontation with Princess Cadance. I can help you convince them.”

“Advice,” Chrysalis echoed with a scoff. “And just what kind of brilliant advice do you have to offer?”

“Call in your Infiltrators, soldiers, and whatever other changelings you have in Canterlot,” Nictis replied. “All of them, and cancel any schemes you might have underway. They’re too likely to be discovered too soon, especially if it’s anything that could give even remotely the same benefit to the hive as this peace treaty could.” When she snorted, he quickly added, “It’s not like you have to shelve them forever. Put them on hold, get rid of any resources that could be tracked back to you, and wait until their discovery won’t undermine the hive.”

That caught a look of interest from Chrysalis; somewhere in the back of Nictis’s mind, a smug feeling stirred at producing that reaction.

“Also, you could tone back the aggression. It’s just going to anger the princesses more. Ponies appreciate respectful behavior, so the less sinister you come across, the more likely they’ll be willing to deal with you.” He flicked his wings. “That doesn’t mean you have to feel that way, or that you need to debase yourself in front of them. Just try to not give them the impression that you’d enjoy their untimely deaths.”

The satisfied chuckle she gave did little to discourage that impression.

“And… that’s pretty much it, for the broad strokes,” Nictis said. “I could give more precise advice on individual situations as they come up, but that would at least keep Celestia willing to negotiate with you.” And from there we can hope that her plan works, he silently added.

She remained silent for several seconds before finally looking back with a quiet, “Hmmph.” It wasn’t much of a reply, but Nictis noted the lack of prideful dismissal.

The rest of the walk continued in silence. Nictis wasn’t sure if Chrysalis was tired of the topic or if she was actually considering it, but he knew better than to push it right now. If he was very fortunate, the next push wouldn’t even come from him.

A few minutes of walking found them entering the wing of the castle where the prisoners were being kept. Mainly used for service staff and other daily business of the castle, it was perhaps less overly ornate than the rest of the castle, though only just. One hallway, leading to a number of spare quarters, was blocked by a pair of armored stallions. Nictis came to a halt just before them.

“We’re here to see the prisoners,” he stated, earning him a quick glance and a flickering of suspicion before the ponies returned to looking at the queen. A moment later one turned and called out, and a few seconds later a half-dozen more Guards marched out the hall, Horns already lighting up with spells.

“No need to scan all of them,” Nictis said as a pair walked past toward their escorts. “Only Chrysalis will be entering with me.”

There was another pause before one of the unicorns nodded, instead focusing a particularly thorough casting on the queen and himself. Her expression tightened, but she said nothing.

As the magic faded away, one of the Guard nodded to Nictis. “Very well, sir. You may enter.”

“Thank you,” he replied, and walked forward without looking to Chrysalis. He faintly heard her mutter something as she followed, though it was too indistinct to tell whether she was annoyed or amused.

He continued on, leading the way into the guest suite. The pair of Royal Guards inside nodded to him as he entered, before turning their wary attention to the queen behind him. Returning the nod, he continued on to the door at the side of the room.

Fade appeared quite relaxed, laying comfortably atop a small cushion. He looked up with a calm disinterest as Nictis entered, but his eyes widened when Chrysalis stepped in behind him. “My queen!” He cried out as he leaped to his hooves only to quickly lower himself into a bow--or at least, started to. The motion halted halfway through, his head lowered as his eyes narrowed suddenly, casting a glance to Nictis before returning to Chrysalis. Then he stood again, tall and rigid, as if at attention. “My apologies if you are truly Queen Chrysalis, but my captors have already attempted to deceive me once before.”

Chrysalis’s expression tightened. “Has someling been impersonating me?” she asked with a growl.

“Not that I am aware of,” Fade replied, “but it would not be the first time Equestria has used a disguised changeling in an attempt to trick us.” He gave a quick tilt of his head toward Nictis. “He was the first to interview me, disguised as a gray pegasus with blue eyes, a silver mane, and a cutie mark of a shooting star.”

Nictis inwardly grumbled, though he had to give Fade credit for quickly passing on important information. He quickly set that aside. “I could have some of the guards come in and cast their dispelling magic on her, if that would satisfy you.”

“It would not,” Fade replied. “They could just as easily be in on the plot and cast something else.” He inclined his head toward Chrysalis in a sort of half-bow. “I apologize and ask for your forgiveness if you are truly Queen Chrysalis, but my duty to my queen and my hive demand that I not give any response that might betray information to Equestria.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Nictis said as he stepped to the side, taking a seat. “I’m going to be observing everything, anyway, so I’ll hear anything you say to her.”

Fade considered that for a moment before nodding to Nictis, and then turned back to Chrysalis. He bowed, closing his eyes and touching his snout to the floor. “Then while I can not speak freely, I will assume that you truly are my queen. I am deeply sorry if I have caused any offense.”

Chrysalis looked down at him with an expression Nictis could only describe as ‘haughty’, watching him bow for several long seconds. When she spoke, there was a hint of ice to her words. “How were you captured?”

Nictis caught the faint flick of Fade’s ears, some almost-suppressed wince. “I was travelling with another changeling yesterday when we noticed some guards following us. We separated, and the guards pursued. He escaped, I did not. They were not surprised when I was revealed. I’m not certain how they became aware of us, but they knew what we were.”

“Hmm,” Chrysalis mused. She slowly walked around Fade, while the Infiltrator kept his nose to the floor. “And what did they do with you after that?”

“They brought me here,” he replied. “Nictis came to interrogate me under a disguise. I believe he was also using that disguise when I was captured, or if not, he based it off that pony. I tried to take advantage of the typical pony sympathy, but he saw through it. The only information I gave was my name and to confirm that I am an Infiltrator. I’ve been fed, and another pony came to ask basic questions about what I was doing, but I refused to give any information. Mostly I’ve been left alone.”

Chrysalis hummed again as she continued her slow circle. She started to open her mouth, but came to a halt, eyes glancing back to Nictis before reconsidering whatever it was she was about to say. “Very well. I assume they have not mistreated you?”

“They have not, my queen.”

“Good,” Chrysalis replied. “Celestia says you’ll be released later, though she was annoyingly vague about when. We will discuss this later, when we do not have outsiders involved. Until then, you are to remain silent.”

“Yes, my queen.”

Chrysalis just snorted softly as she made her way back to the door. Nictis couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed by how short and useless the talk had been.

She had just reached the door when Fade called out. “Wait,” he said in a gasp, and they both turned back to him. He was still bowed, but his eyes were open now. “My queen, I… I’ve made many observations during my time in Equestria, and while it’s taken a while, it’s my duty to share my conclusion, especially since it may be significant to the future of the hive.”

When Chrysalis glanced to Nictis, Fade added, “It’s not sensitive information.”

Chrysalis frowned, thinking for a moment before giving him a sharp nod. “Very well. Speak.”

Fade drew in a breath, hesitating a moment before closing his eyes and speaking. “After much observation and consideration, I believe it may be in the hive’s best interests to establish some form of peaceful coexistence with Equestria.”

He remained bowed there as if frozen in place, showing only the faintest of movements as he breathed. Chrysalis shot Nictis a glare before looking back at him. “And why do you think that?”

“I can not give specific comparisons at the moment,” Fade said, “but I can say that a peaceful arrangement offers the most advantageous situation for the hive.”

She stared down at him, her eyes narrowed, lips curling. She remained silent for several seconds before relaxing ever so slightly. “I have already come to that conclusion myself,” she said, though her voice was laced with contempt. Whether he noted the tone or not, the rigid tension in Fade’s stance melted away, accompanied by a sigh of relief. Chrysalis immediately added, rather more sharply, “That does not change anything for you. You will remain silent and do nothing to help these ponies. We will discuss this further once you are returned to the hive.”

Fade’s wings twitched anxiously. “Yes, my queen,” he replied, and finally stood again, though his head remained bowed.

Chrysalis gave a final, dismissive snort and turned, exiting without another word. Nictis gave Fade a little flash of thanks before following, though if the other changeling noticed it, he didn’t react.

He had just shut the door behind him when Chrysalis wheeled on him, teeth bared. He jerked back, bumping into the wall as she loomed over him. “What did you do to him?”

“I didn’t do anything to him,” he replied, forcing himself to relax again despite the sudden pounding of his heart. “I just asked him a question.”

“What question?” Chrysalis snarled, and Nictis allowed himself to wince back. Submission, not defiance, he reminded himself.

Quietly, he replied. “I just asked him to consider, from what he had seen of Equestria, and without prior bias from the hive, what would happen if the hive tried to coexist with Equestria.”

“Do you expect me to believe that?” She spat back at him, and again he winced.

“I had to ask several times,” he said. “He kept replying with the answers he’d been taught in the hive, but eventually he started answering more with what he’d seen here. It took a long time.”

She continued to glare at him for several seconds before abruptly turning away. “Enough of this,” she growled. “Take me to the next prisoner.”

Nictis took a deep breath as he quickly stepped forward to take the lead. With Chrysalis no longer blocking his view, he could see the Guard ponies relaxing, magic winking out and spears returning to rest.

He remained silent until they had stepped out into the hall again, leading the way to the next room. He carefully measured his time, waiting until Chrysalis’s anger had time to fade before speaking. He kept his voice quiet, his head bowed slightly. “You should be proud of him.”

“And you should mind your own business,” Chrysalis replied.

Nictis shot a glance back to her, then sighed. “I mean it. Even after he came to that conclusion, he refused to help us. He said the hive needed to follow your lead. He seems convinced that going against Equestria would destroy the hive, but that turning away from you would be even worse.” Nictis slowly shook his head, grumbling. “He may have acknowledged that peace is the better option, but he’ll still follow your orders no matter how self-destructive your choices are. You could probably tell him to impale himself on his own horn and he’d try his best to follow your order.”

“Maybe I will,” Chrysalis replied, followed by a short snort of amusement. “At least it would be entertaining to watch him try to manage that.”

“Yeah, that,” Nictis said with a roll of his eyes. “That’s the kind of thing that makes Celestia want you gone.”

“Well then, I just won’t invite her to watch,” Chrysalis said, and chuckled.

Nictis sighed and led on, feeling rather more uncertain of Celestia’s hopes. What he was certain of was that the rest of his day alongside Chrysalis was going to be far too long for comfort.

Although, he also couldn’t help but notice that her sadistic humor seemed to fade much quicker than before. In fact, she looked more as if she was lost in thought as she quietly followed along behind him.

Cara gingerly extended his forehoof, inch by inch. “I-it’s okay,” he said as gently as he could, to the point that the words were barely audible. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

The tiny bird cocked its head, hopping a few inches forward before hopping back again.

“Go on, little guy,” Fluttershy soothingly told the bird, inclining her head toward Cara. “He’s a friend.”

The bird hopped a bit closer, wavered, and finally hopped up to perch gingerly atop Cara’s hoof. A moment later it reconsidered, retreating with a flutter of wings to a nearby tree.

Fluttershy giggled softly from behind a hoof. “Oh, I’m sorry. They’re still pretty skittish around strangers.”

“It’s okay,” he replied as his hoof returned to his side. Despite the shyness of the one bird, he couldn’t help but note how a few others had perched neatly atop Fluttershy’s back as she lay there, while a pair of squirrels had decided to take a break tucked into her tail. Even as he watched, another bird came fluttering in and landed atop an outstretched hoof, sharing a few soft notes before flying off past the butterflies that lazily fluttered around her. She had hardly stopped smiling since they had arrived, especially once the animals began to join her.

He settled back, looking around. They were still in the middle of the castle grounds, with the tall walls circling around them, but it almost didn’t feel like it. The space was surprisingly large, with an extensive garden covering one half, an open, grassy field occupying the other half, and the pair of them set right between the two. Above, ponies could frequently be seen flying by, and beyond that he could hear the faint sounds of the city beyond those walls, but they were all distant. Only a few other ponies wandered the grounds, and they rarely happened to pass nearby. He could almost pretend he was safely away in some forest meadow, away from everything.

He had quickly found himself mirroring Fluttershy’s smile. “I like it here.”

There was a sense of renewed happiness and compassion from her as she looked back to him. “I thought you might,” she said, and slowly looked around. “It’s always been my favorite place in Canterlot. I like Canterlot, but it can be so busy and noisy. Sometimes it’s nice to get away from ponies and have some peace and quiet. It’s all still out there, all around us, but when I’m here… it’s not so overwhelming.”

“Yeah,” Cara said, his smile faltering a bit. “I can understand that.”

She gave him a sad smile backed with a generous offering of sympathy, and he drew in only the tiniest taste. It seemed like it would be impolite to refuse such an offering, particularly given the emotion involved, but he didn’t want to feed too deeply off someone who was so supportive. Besides, he was quite well-fed enough already.

He didn’t even know if she could feel it, but she seemed to have some sort of intuitive feel for the creatures around her. It was rather impressive for a creature who couldn’t even sense emotions.

“You know, my first visit here wasn’t so peaceful,” Fluttershy said, her warm and comforting smile fading away as she sadly shook her head. “In fact, it was horrible. I was horrible.”

His smile immediately vanished, alarm leaping into his senses. The idea of Fluttershy being ‘horrible’ was so contrary to everything he had seen and felt from her that it seemed utterly alien and impossible, but she just nodded slightly.

“It’s true,” she said. “I was so caught up in the excitement of being here and seeing all the animals that I didn’t consider their feelings. I scared them. I scared myself.” Her head drooped, her voice quieter for a moment. “I don’t like being angry.”

He blinked, completely uncertain of what to do or say. He felt sympathy for her, but he had no idea how to express it to a pony.

She must have known, though, as her smile slowly returned. “But I apologized to them, and eventually, they forgave me.” She turned her head to gingerly nuzzle one of the birds perched atop her, who gave a short, melodious song in return. “It just took a little time.”

He smiled at the tender display of affection, knowing how genuine it must be coming from this particular pony. In fact, it was so peaceful that it was easy to forget that she was a pony, that he was surrounded by ponies, deep in their capital, days away from the hive he had grown up in, with heavily armed and armored soldiers on every side, watching for him to do anything even slightly out-of-line. His smile faltered, a faint tremble passing through him, but the anxiety passed quickly as he watched her. He even ventured to ask a question.

“Do you think ponies are the same way?”

Her smile brightened as she looked back to him. “I know it.”

The calm confidence of her words brought out his smile again. There was something almost unnaturally soothing about this pony, a gentle kindness that made the whole world seem just a little less threatening. If all the other ponies had just a bit of that in them, then maybe all of this could work, after all. Already, the sympathy and compassion he had felt from the ponies around him had been more than he could have hoped for, but the flashes of fear, suspicion, and even hatred he had encountered from some ponies still stood out. It didn’t help that they were the loud ones, while the kind ones, like Fluttershy, were quiet.

He took a slow, calming breath, looking over again to see her murmuring quietly to a butterfly that had drifted close to her face. She finished, gesturing with her snout as if to nudge it his way, and it drifted his way. He froze, holding perfectly still. Only his eyes moved as he watched its wavering path, the colorful insect circling once around him before floating in to alight on the peak of his horn.

He stared up at it, watching as its wings slowly moved. Careful to not make any sudden movements, he folded his forelegs, then slowly lowered his head to rest gently atop them, a happy smile on his face.

Fluttershy watched this, and he could feel the happiness growing in her. Finally, she spoke again. “So, um… where were we?”

He paused a moment to think. “Um… you and your friends had just gotten to the dragon’s cave.”

“Oh, of course,” she replied, picking up her story once again. He sat quietly and listened, occasionally glancing up at the butterfly, which seemed perfectly at peace. Listening to her story, it was almost easy to forget that they were ponies. True, changelings wouldn’t be out there on such a strange mission, and he doubted that they would have all the same interactions, but there was still something comforting about it. As Fluttershy told her stories, even the strange and unnatural ones, the ponies she described sounded more and more… normal.

He was quite happy to let himself be lost in the stories, distracting himself from the world around him, with its imposing fortress walls and spear-toting ponies. He didn’t even notice at first, some time later, when a shadow passed right over him, until several more passed by in quick succession, startling off the butterfly that had been resting atop his horn.

Cara looked up, and his heart lurched at the sight of a horde of changelings descending toward the castle.

He leaped to his hooves. After a moment of panic, it became clear that the “horde” was really only about ten changelings, accompanied by about twice that number of pony soldiers who seemed to be herding them toward the open field. Pony voices rang out, the soldiers calling out orders as groups of them and the changelings they escorted peeled off to land.

Fluttershy was standing as well, the animals that had been gathered around her having scurried off to hide in the garden. “Oh, my.”

“W-what’s going on?” he asked.

She shook her head, a faint tremble to her voice. “I don’t know.”

Another changeling swooped in for a landing, the ponies following him peeling off. He looked rather imposing, larger and heavier-set than the average changeling, and the fierce, narrow-eyed expression he wore made him only more so.

It was only a moment before he noticed the other changeling nearby, in the company of a pony. Cara flinched back as the larger drone glared at him, baring his teeth to hiss. The strength of disgust and hatred the other changeling leveled at him made him want to curl up and hide, and he staggered back away from its source.

An instant later, that source was blocked from his view by a flash of yellow. Fluttershy had stepped in between them, her wings spread protectively. She was breathing hard, almost trembling, but she held her ground as she stared back at the other changeling.

The changeling held his glare for several long seconds before finally snorting and turning away, walking towards the others who had landed nearby.

Fluttershy’s wings drooped, her whole body sagging as she let out a shaky sigh. There were several seconds of silence before she uneasily turned back towards him. “Maybe we should go somewhere a little more quiet.”

“Y-yeah,” he said, falling in beside her as she walked toward the door into the castle. “It’s too bad,” he added, quieter. “I kind of like it here.”

She hesitated, coming to a halt and biting her lip. He froze, worried he’d somehow said something wrong, but there was no sign of that in her emotions. Eventually she looked back to him. “You know, we don’t have to leave,” she said, her voice quiet. “If you want to stay, then… y-you shouldn’t let some bullies make you do something you don’t want to.” Her chin tucked down toward her chest, mane falling down to cover her face, but she took another deep breath and raised her head again to stand tall, albeit with a faint tremble.

He hesitated; she looked every bit as afraid as him, despite her offer. “...Are you sure?” he asked, wings fidgeting anxiously, and she nodded.

“Yes,” she said, and gave him a shaky smile. “If you’d like to stay, then I’ll stay, too. It’ll be okay.”

He shuffled anxiously, glancing back at the other changelings, then to Fluttershy. He didn’t understand why she had made the offer. It was clear that these changelings frightened her as much as they did him. They might hate him for being a traitor--his stomach churned abruptly just at the thought--but to them she was prey. He wanted to run away and hide, and it was clear she wanted the same thing, but she didn’t. Why?

Every instinct screamed at him to leave, but he still wavered. Words refused to form, but he finally nodded, and for some reason it made her happy. She was still clearly uneasy with the situation, but she led him back to where they had been relaxing. They lay down again, minus the small gathering of animals, and she began telling her stories again.

Soon the pounding of his heart faded as he listened to her. The other changelings--hostile, angry changelings, milling just a short distance away--faded to the background. It was strange, he thought, feeling more at ease around this surprisingly gentle pony, a creature that was supposed to be his enemy, than with his own kind.

Yet as timid as that pony was, she was still there, and because of her, so was he. She was frightened by the other changelings, yet he felt a little less afraid around her. When she told him it would be okay, he could feel the absolute sincerity behind her words, and he believed it.

He settled down, resting his chin atop his crossed forelegs again. He slowly relaxed as best he could while she continued her stories, and he paid just as much attention to the mare that sat before him as to the words she was speaking.

“That’s a lot of changelings.”

Sky grunted softly as he scooted forward to rest his chin on the edge of the cloud, forelegs hanging off into space. In the clearing below, eleven changelings had gathered under the close watch of the Guard. “Yeah, it is.”

The princesses had gathered a short distance away from the group, looking over the scene and conversing among themselves, with a few aides and guards standing nearby. Applejack and Spike appeared to be in a conversation with Twilight, while Shining Armor remained protectively at his wife’s side. And then there was Fluttershy and Cara sitting well off to the side, talking peacefully despite the occasional glance toward the waiting changelings.

Rainbow Dash’s wings shuffled, brushing against his side in the process; even given the situation, he still enjoyed the sensation. “No green eyes, though.”

He sighed. “No,” he agreed. It was hardly surprising, but after Celestia’s speech, there had at least been some hope.

Rainbow sighed, too. “Well, so much for that plan,” she said. “And here I was looking to kick some bug-princess butt.”

He couldn’t help a little snort of amusement, bitter as it was. “I don’t think Celestia would let you do that once she turned herself in,” he said. “Though I suppose if she doesn’t show up, you might still get the chance later on.”

“Eh, guess there’s a silver lining after all,” Dash grumbled.

They lapsed into silence again. Not much had been said since the last meeting with Chrysalis. Even their flying afterward hadn’t been much relief. Dash had been flying angry, and to tell the truth, he didn’t feel much like flying, anyway. They had both eventually given up and sprawled out atop a spare cloud, quietly waiting for whatever came next.

“Quietly”, however, did not mean “patiently”. Dash continued to fidget about, and Sky’s mind was still turning over the same thoughts, again and again.

Eventually, he looked over to her. “Do you think she was telling the truth?”

Dash snorted softly. “What, Chrysalis? Miss queen-of-lies? Eh.” She shrugged half-heartedly. “What’s the big deal? I mean, maybe some of it’s true, I don’t care. Heck, even Cadance doesn’t care. It’s not like we didn’t know you were involved in the attack.” She hesitated, then added, a little lamely, “We just, you know, maybe didn’t know how much you were involved.”

“Thanks,” Sky glumly replied, his chin returning to the edge of the cloud.

“Oh get off it,” Dash grumbled. “Cadance is right. Chrysalis is just trying to mess with us ‘cause she’s a jerk.” She lazily kicked at the edge of the cloud, sending off a small tuft that quickly faded away. “And heck, it’s not the first time she’s tried this on you, Sky.”

She paused for a moment after that. “Though, I dunno. Could be neat if you could remember that stuff. It’d be like a spy story or something.”

“With me as the bad guy.”

“Nah,” she said. “More like a good guy who thought he was doing the right thing because he didn’t know he was working for the bad guy. You know, kind of like Caballeron in--”

Sky’s head snapped up. “Caballeron’s a jerk!”

That actually made Rainbow snicker. “I said ‘kind of’, Sky.”

“And he didn’t do stuff because he thought he was doing the right thing,” Sky continued. “He did it because he didn’t care.” He immediately stopped, blinked, and finally added, “Which I guess might have been the same for me.”

“Except now you’re working with the good guys,” Dash replied with a showy spread of her wings and a smile. He couldn’t help giving a chuckle in reply, though it was short and weak.

“Fine,” he eventually grumbled, though it was rather more half-hearted than before. “So… what now?”

“Now?” Dash asked before letting herself flop down into the cloud again. “Now I’m thinking of lying here for a bit, maybe catching a nap before everything goes down.” As she stretched and got comfortable on the small cloud, one of her wings ended up resting against his side.

That little contact was enough to thoroughly derail his thinking. Eventually he began to relax, shifting one of his wings to rest gently against Dash’s side. There was a flicker of anxiety from her, and he caught her glancing around, but she soon relaxed again.

Sadly, the comfortable rest only lasted a few minutes before Dash tensed up again. “Well, crap. Chrysalis is back.”

Sky grunted as he looked down again. Chrysalis had just emerged from the great doors leading into the main hall of the palace, with Nictis walking alongside her. He couldn’t be sure from that distance, but neither of them looked very happy.

Dash stood, shaking her wings out. “I guess we should get down there,” she said, eyes narrowing slightly. When he grunted in agreement, she hopped off the edge to swoop down, and he followed after her.

They landed with a fluttering and buzzing of wings beside where the princesses waited. A couple nods were exchanged, but they otherwise awaited the queen’s approach in silence.

Nictis was certainly looking displeased, now that Sky was close enough to see.

When they had approached close enough, Celestia spoke a single word. “Chrysalis.”

“Princess,” the queen replied with a faint sneer, and Celestia’s eyes narrowed just a sliver. Chrysalis didn’t seem to notice, nor did she notice Nictis rolling his eyes and sighing quietly. Instead, she turned away to look at the small gathering of changelings, who were now quickly falling into a line before them. She stood before the assembled changelings in an almost picturesquely regal pose, though she eyed them with a critical eye and a small frown.

She remained there in silence for several seconds.

“So,” Celestia said, “Is this it?”

Chrysalis’s grimaced faintly. Finally, she looked back to Celestia, eyes narrowing. “You win, Celestia. That’s what you want, isn’t it? Well there you go. This is the last of my changelings in your precious little city.”

Nictis seemed to deflate slightly at her words.

Celestia stared back for several seconds before letting out a short sigh. “I’m disappointed, Chrysalis.” The queen’s expression instantly darkened. “You seem to be missing…” Celestia slowly scanned over the gathered changelings. “...at least one of your changelings. Maybe more.”

Chrysalis turned away, teeth bared in a barely suppressed growl. It quickly faded, the tension in her body slowly relaxing. “This is the last of my changelings,” she echoed, much quieter and with a look of disgust. “...who obeyed my order.”

The silence returned. It was Celestia once again who broke it.

“No.”

Chrysalis’s head jerked back around to her. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“I mean no,” Celestia said, firmly, and her wings spread as she stepped forward. “I do not accept this. Time and again you have made promises, and time and again you tell nothing but lies. You have told us this story before, and now when caught in yet another lie, you tell it again. We are done with this.”

“It is not a lie!” Chrysalis snarled, her body tensing with anger. “I ordered them to come here, and they refused. They say they were going to leave Canterlot and return to the safety of the hive, but they had better keep running, because once I get my hooves on them I will make sure they regret their betrayal!”

“We are not interested in your vengeance,” Celestia replied. “Nor do I trust in it.”

Chrysalis snarled and turned away, stomping her hooves against the ground as she paced. Celestia continued on. “You will gather your changelings and return to your chambers. Tomorrow we will--”

“Princess Chittri.”

Chrysalis spat the name out with a disgusted snarl before turning back to advance toward Celestia. “She was directing my Infiltrators in your city while I dealt with you. She’s the one who has disobeyed me, and I promise you, Celestia, she will be punished for her crimes against the hive!”

She halted a few steps away from Celestia, much to the apprehension of the very-alert guards nearby. Celestia met her angry expression with one of cold and calm calculation. “So,” Celestia said, “should I assume she is the one who attacked Sky?”

“She attacked Sky?” Chrysalis turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. “When was this? And how do you know it was her?”

Celestia answered for him. “You were already told of today’s attack,” she said. “And it seems likely it was her, unless you have some other green-eyed changeling in my city.”

Chrysalis’s head drew back, eyes wide in surprise. Slowly her lips curled back, eyes narrowing as her expression turned to one of raw rage. “That… vile, back-stabbing, vicious little traitor!”

She snarled viciously as she spun around, stalking away several steps, spitting muttered curses. Sky could only catch a few words here and there:

“She knew!”

“...Planned this from…”

And a particularly snide and bitter, “...smooth things over…”

The mutters ended with a cry of rage and a flash of green as her horn lit up, a blast of green fire cutting across the ground in front of her to leave a deep, smouldering rut. She stood still and silent for several seconds, the furious trembling subsiding as she calmed herself. Finally, she turned back to approach Celestia, seemingly oblivious to the many guards, who all had their weapons leveled or horns charged.

“Celestia,” she snarled, rising up to her full height to meet her eye-to-eye. “You want proof of my intentions? I will go. You can send however many of your guards you want to keep an eye on me, but I will take my soldiers and Infiltrators, I will hunt her down, and I will bring back her worthless head!”

“No,” Celestia calmly replied. “If you wish to prove your intentions, you will help us find her.”

Chrysalis’s expression grew even more furious. “No, Celestia!” she snapped, raising a hoof to point straight at the princess’s chest, though Sky noted that she did it from far enough away that it should be clear enough it would never connect; perhaps she was more aware of the wary guards all around than she appeared to be. “She may have attacked one of your precious little subjects, but she has betrayed myself and the hive, and she did it knowing exactly what would happen. She lied to me. She set me up. She probably hoped you would get rid of me for her! Her punishment will be at my hooves, not yours!”

“And you have lied to us, and tried to set us up,” Celestia said. Despite Chrysalis’s agitated state, she relaxed, wings settling back to her side. Her tone was almost conversational. “I am not about to give you further opportunities to do so. If she remains in Equestria, we will find her. You can either choose to show some sign of cooperation, or not.”

Chrysalis remained silent for several seconds, teeth bared in anger, before snorting. “Fine. Equestria can hunt her down, but I’m not leaving her fate in your weak-hearted hooves. She will be turned over to the hive for her punishment.”

“And what will that punishment be?” Celestia asked, though her flat expression suggested that she had some idea.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Chrysalis replied with a cruel sneer. “Something fitting of her crimes. Something... creative.”

“Mmm,” Celestia hummed, then shook her head. “Equestria will not hand over anyone to another nation to face torture or death. You can either have your vengeance, or you can have your crown. Which is more important to you?”

Chrysalis glared back at her for several seconds before snorting angrily. “Fine, princess, but I’ll remember this. Compromise works both ways. You just find her.”

“We will, and we can discuss what happens with her later.” Celestia gestured to the assembled changelings awaiting Chrysalis. “You may take your subjects back to your chambers to get them settled in. After that, the Guard will escort you and any changelings you think will be useful to the Solstice Hall. We’ll discuss how to find Princess Chittri there.”

Chrysalis eyed her for a moment before turning away. She paused to look out over her changelings before speaking a single, icy word. “Come.”

With that, she turned and walked away, the other changelings following in her wake. Sky caught the apprehensive look a few of them exchanged.

The queen’s pace slowed to a halt a few seconds later. The changelings following her shuffled slightly before growing very still and quiet. After taking deep breath, Chrysalis looked back. “Nictis,” she said, and to Sky’s surprise, the tone was quieter and more gentle, almost as if she were trying to be polite. “I would like if you came with me. I have some things I wish to talk with you about.”

Sky blinked in surprise, looking back to Nictis. The other changeling hesitated for only a moment before replying. “I’ll be along shortly,” he said before inclining his head toward the rest of the group, including Celestia. “I have something to talk about here, first.”

She paused, eyes darting to Celestia for only an instant before returning to him. Finally, she gave a sharp nod, turned, and walked off.

The doors closed behind the last of Chrysalis’s changelings, prompting a sigh from most of the ponies and changelings who remained; all but the nearby guards and their captain, who quickly started giving orders and sending out messengers.

As the group relaxed, Celestia addressed Nictis. “What did you want to talk about?”

Nictis grimaced. “Well, as much as I hate to defend Chrysalis, I think she’s telling the truth.”

Celestia nodded thoughtfully as he continued. “She’s proud. An Infiltrator needs to be able to set aside their own emotions and ambitions, but she’s driven by her pride. It makes her a horrible actor.” He turned to Twilight. “You met her when she was disguised as Princess Cadance. How did she act?”

A frown crossed Twilight’s face, and to her sides, Cadance and Applejack held similar expressions. “She was aloof,” Twilight said. “Cold, even. It was like the worst of the nobility, looking down on everypony, but… but there was something sinister about it. That look she gave me the first time we met…”

“So she acted nothing like the real Princess Cadance,” Nictis said, lifting a hoof to gesture in Cadance’s direction.

“No,” Twilight agreed. “She acted like Chrysalis.”

“And we were too distracted to see her for what she was,” Applejack grumbled, lifting a hoof to place it comfortingly on Twilight’s side.

“Chrysalis is not equipped to be an Infiltrator,” Nictis said. “She may lie and scheme, but she doesn’t act. I don’t think she would be willing to show such a loss of control. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s still lying about something else, but I think she was telling the truth about this Princess Chittri disobeying her.”

He turned back to Celestia and Luna, who both nodded to him. It was Luna who spoke first. “I am certain Chrysalis shall have some things to say about her disloyal princess, but I believe we would benefit from a less emotionally invested source. Would you please ask your fellow changelings if they know anything about Chittri?”

Sky straightened up, wings flicking neatly at his sides. “I will.”

“E-excuse me.”

Sky looked toward the new voice, as did everyone else present; under the sudden attention, Cara cringed back, ears flattened to the side of his head. He may have tried to retreat further, but he was stopped when he bumped into Fluttershy, who had been following right behind him.

Celestia took a small step forward, offering a small but warm smile. “You have nothing to fear from us,” she assured him, and Sky was sure the emotions from her were every bit as soothing as her words. “Please, go on. What did you wish to say?”

Anxiously, Cara looked everywhere except Celestia herself. That finally stopped when he looked back to Fluttershy, who offered her own encouraging smile. Eventually he drew in a slow breath, steadied himself, and looked back to Celestia.

“Sapph… my friend, Sapphire, he’s an Infiltrator. I-I heard of Princess Chittri from him. She leads the Infiltrators.”

“I thought that might be the case,” Celestia replied with a nod.

“It is kind of obvious,” Nictis muttered, though he at least offered a feeling of apology when he sensed Sky’s disapproval.

He also earned a quick glance from Celestia, though she looked back to Cara right afterward. “Thank you for sharing this with us,” she said. “Did he happen to tell you anything about her?”

“N-no,” Cara said, anxiously fluttering his wings a moment before catching himself and forcing them to lay still. “We… we didn’t get to talk much, and he almost never said anything about his work.” He was silent for a moment, thinking. “...He respected her.”

Celestia considered that a moment before nodding again. “Thank you.” Cara simply answered by echoing the nod, and finally slipped away.

As she turned to follow, Fluttershy’s eyes met Sky’s; they shared a tiny nod and smile, and then she walked along to continue comforting the skittish changeling. Sky watched them go with a faint smile. He knew from experience that Cara was in good hooves.

Luna waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. “It is good to have that confirmed, but I am afraid it does not tell us much.”

“I’ll ask the others, just to be sure,” Sky said, to which she nodded.

“And I’d better go see what Chrysalis wants,” Nictis grumbled.

As he left, a pegasus Guard arced down to a landing before the princesses, going into a deep bow. “Your highnesses,” he said, slightly winded from his flight. “News from the city. Three wealthy ponies have been found and admitted to the hospital, suffering from extreme magical fatigue. They appear to have been abducted by changelings several days ago, held in cocoons, and then set free within the last few hours.”

“Ponies her Infiltrators were impersonating, perhaps?” Luna said.

“That seems a likely possibility,” Celestia said before addressing the pegasus. “Find Miss Tea and deliver this information to her.”

“Right away, your highness,” the Guard replied, and a moment later shot off again.

Celestia watched him go, frowning.

“You’re thinking there may be more still imprisoned,” Luna said, “aren’t you?”

“We know there are,” Celestia replied, her expression firm. “Thirty eight of them, stuck in the depths of the hive. While we’re here talking with Chrysalis, that number may have grown. She took more ponies from right under our noses, right in Canterlot itself.”

Luna considered that for a moment before nodding. “I am afraid I shall not be joining you all for your meeting with Chrysalis,” she declared, spreading her wings to rear back. “I shall scour the dreamlands; if any cocooned pony dreams within Equestria, I will find them.”

She met her sister’s eye with a grim smile of confidence. They exchanged a quick nod, and Luna took to the sky, flying away with a chill breeze.

Celestia again stood and watched, though eventually she gave an almost inaudible snort of amusement, a faint smile crossing her lips.

“Come along,” she said, softly, and led them back inside.