Your Fangs Are Showingby Bucking NonsenseChaptersWell, This Is Awkward...No, THIS Is AwkwardSlightly Less Awkward[Awkwardness Intensifies]Afterword, And AcknowledgementsWell, This Is Awkward..."Miss, I need you to come with me for a second." Before Fluttershy could say a word, she was grabbed by the tail and pulled into a nearby alleyway. She certainly had not been expecting this kind of treatment in the Crystal Empire. She and Twilight had been called in due to a minor emergency regarding the crystal sheep, and after fixing the problem (Fluttershy still couldn't believe that there was such a thing as crystal fleas, let alone that King Sombra would have cursed them like he had) and were headed back to the train station, after a job well done. But the two had been briefly separated, Twilight Sparkle having spotted a new book store in the city. Fluttershy had been minding her own business, waiting for her friend to finish, when a stallion walked by, did a double take, then with only a brief sentence of explanation, started dragging her off. The stallion, an average sized pegasus with a black mane and tail, and a brown coat, wasn't rough, but pulled hard enough to make it clear that this was not a request. As she tried to get her bearings, the stallion that had dragged her off spun her around, and said, with a furious expression, "What do you think you're doing? Are you trying to get caught?" Shocked, and more than a little nervous, Fluttershy could barely even stammer before the stallion continued, "You're not supposed to go out in public unless you've triple-checked your disguise. That's standard procedure. Even hatchlings know that! That doesn't just mean you twirl in front of a mirror three times to make sure you have all the pieces in the right place. That means you do a thorough check to make sure you didn't miss even a minor detail!" Fluttershy was now utterly confused. What in the world was the stallion talking about? And... hatchlings? The stallion noticed her confusion, then sighed in exasperation, and said, slowly, with each word given significant emphasis, as though speaking to a small filly, "Your. Fangs. Are. Showing." She didn't have fangs... did she? Oh no, not again! She ran her tongue along her teeth, and was startled to find that yes, she did indeed have a pair of fangs! Of all the... What was it going to take to make them go away for good? It was enough to make her want to cry! In spite of Twilight Sparkle's best efforts, the fangs that Fluttershy had grown during what was now being described as "The Vampire Fruitbat Incident" kept coming back. None of the other symptoms did: Her personality remained the same, her cutie mark kept to three pink butterflies, her wings were their normal shape, her eyes kept their usual color, but the fangs kept reasserting themselves, often at the worst possible times! This was the twelfth time in five days alone. It was horribly embarrassing, and she was absolutely terrified that somepony might see them and think she was some kind of monster. It was reaching the point where she was afraid to smile in public anymore... But... why was the stallion chewing her out about it? Oh no... The stallion seemed to take her shocked expression as a sign that she understood what was going on, but for all the wrong reasons. He nodded and said, "You understand now? Good." His expression softened, then said, "We all make mistakes, I guess. And they do look kinda cute." Fluttershy blushed as the stallion, no, changeling (!) continued. "But you've got to fix it, or the next time you open your mouth, there's going to be a mob with torches and pitchforks running you out of town. And if they see one changeling, they'll immediately start looking for more. Think about others, next time, before you start waltzing around without a proper disguise." His expression looked a little bit melancholic as he said, almost to himself, "First time since the invasion I see another changeling, and I'm chewing her out. Please, forgive my manners. It's been a stressful time for all of us." He turned back towards the alley entrance, checking to make certain that nopony was looking, then turned back to her and said, "Alright, I'll keep watch while you fix yourself up. I'll give a whistle if I see anypony coming. But hurry, and for pity's sake, choose somepony other than Fluttershy. She's way too well known for a rookie like you to be expected to pull off..." He turned back to the alley entrance and stood guard. Fluttershy was terrified. He was a changeling? Here? In the Crystal Empire? How could that be? And... how could Fluttershy get out of this? As soon as he realized that he was speaking with the real Fluttershy, not another changeling... well, it was unlikely that he was going to let her go. In fact, he might... Before she could complete that thought, she heard the changeling muttering to himself. "Keep it together, Cricket," he said, "She's a changeling, just like you. Just because she 'looks' like a former fashion model, and one of the most beautiful ponies in Equestria, doesn't mean that she's anywhere near that cute underneath. For all you know, she might not even be a 'she'. Keep your head in the game." Fluttershy blushed incandescent at the praise, unintentional as it may have been. She had known she'd gotten a bit famous because of all of the fashion shows and photo shoots a little while ago, but she was surprised to hear that kind of thing from any stallion, let alone a changeling... The changeling turned back down the alley towards her and asked, "Have you gotten yourself fixed up yet?" His facial expression changed to a worried one when he saw that, yes, she was still Fluttershy. His expression turned thoughtful for a moment, then he sighed, and asked, "Are you the real Fluttershy?" She could only nod mutely. "Right. Ummm, why do you have fangs?" Fluttershy, stuttering nervously, replied, "W-well, there was an a-accident with a spell th-th-that a f-f-f-friend cast. There were these v-v-vampire fruit bats..." "Vampire fruit bats," Cricket interrupted, his expression incredulous. "Right. Just my luck." He looked back towards the street outside of the alley, then said, "Right. Well, I'm gonna run. Could you do me a favor and give me ten seconds before you start screaming? If I'm going to have to outrun a mob, I could use a head start." Fluttershy nodded mutely again. "Great. Thanks, bye!" And the stallion shot off down the street like a rocket. Fluttershy counted to ten in her head, then took a deep breath to scream. After a moment, she let it out as a relieved sigh instead. She would have to tell somepony about this encounter, but given how the changeling, no... Cricket, was acting, odds were he'd be much more concerned with getting out of town in a hurry than he would with causing problems. So, she'd cut him a little slack and wait a few minutes before informing a guard. Besides... he was kinda cute... even if he was a changeling. A moment later, Twilight Sparkle passed by the alley, and stopped. "Oh," she said, "There you are, Fluttershy. Are you ready to go? The train will be leaving soon, and royal passenger or not, I don't think they'll wait for us." Fluttershy nodded, smiled, and, comforted by the presence of a friend, walked out of the alleyway with a smile. As they walked towards the train station, Twilight asked, "Oh, are those fangs back? Once we get on the train, I can take care of them right away." Fluttershy, her smile practically beaming, said, "Oh, there's no rush, Twilight. I met somepony today who told me that they look kinda cute." No, THIS Is Awkward"I cannot believe I was so stupid..." Commander Mole "Seven Tricks" Cricket berated himself as he rushed down the streets of the Crystal Empire. He had revealed himself to a pony. Him, the youngest changeling to ever have earned the title of Commander. The changeling considered the shining standard to which all other changelings were supposed to live up to. The changeling who taught other changelings how to BE changelings. The changeling who had once chewed out the queen for breaking character during a training demonstration for a group of hatchlings, and been praised for it! The changeling... who had just made one of the biggest mistakes a changeling could make. Lesson One, hatchlings: Never, ever, EVER reveal you are a changeling to a non-changeling. That will always bring about disaster. He had revealed himself, and not just to any pony, but one who had the ear of Princess Twilight Sparkle. The pony who was the most powerful known wizard in the world, as well as an alicorn princess. This was bad. This was extremely bad. Words could not express. He needed to move. Every second, he expected to get fried by lightning, zapped by magic missiles, or just plain erased from existence. If there was ever a time to bust out the seven tricks he was known for, it was now. He'd absorbed, from the love energy radiating non-stop from the Crystal Heart, enough power to sustain a brigade for a thousand years. He'd have to burn through a bit of it, but that, combined with his skills, would ensure he would make the last train out (Lesson Twelve, hatchlings: Memorize the train schedules. If you have to leave town in a hurry, why not leave town in style?). His simplest trick, of course, being... Trick One: Running. While no Rainbow Dash, Cricket was moving at a pretty good clip. The ponies who saw him pass would not have known to make of it: it was some kind of a blur that carried a massive windstorm behind it. Plants, posters, trash, anything small, light, and loose within a hundred meters of his run was getting pulled up, out, and/or off, and was carried along for the ride. Within two minutes of his fateful meeting with Fluttershy, he had crossed the length of the Crystal Empire, and reached the apartment building in which he had lived for most of the year. Without even slowing down, he hit the wall, and kept going... up. He was... Trick Two: Climbing. ...Without even slowing down, right up the wall. Excessive, perhaps, and something he would never have done if he still had some expectation of keeping cover. But this was an extreme emergency. His life depended on his speed. His apartment was on the top floor, and going up the stairs would have taken far too long: too many changes in direction, too close together. Instead, he ran straight up the wall. While there was some initial resistance, gravity acknowledged his superiority and left him alone while he ran up the building. He reached the top floor, and within ten seconds, was outside the window to his apartment... which was closed. No problem. He was good at... Trick Three: Chirping The common cricket, and even the mole cricket, is able to create an incredibly loud (for relative size) sound through stridulation, rubbing their wings together. A tiny cricket can make a noise loud enough to be heard miles away. Imagine the racket that could be made by one the size of a horse. No, wait, don't imagine, because here it comes. The resulting burst of sound was one that was not so much heard as felt, throughout the entire city and beyond, and at point blank range, was sufficient to shatter glass. Mole rushed into the room, grabbed his emergency escape pack (Lesson Five, hatchlings: always, Always, ALWAYS have a kit packed and ready in case you have to leave town in a hurry... because nine times out of ten, you WILL be leaving town in a hurry, usually with an angry mob in hot pursuit), grabbed a pack of carrots out of his fridge (it came with the apartment. Ah, the fridge, not the carrots. Those he bought), grabbed Miss Bunny Wunny Cuddlewumpus (his pet rabbit: best investment he ever made, she freely traded love for carrots. Carrots are cheap, and love without coercion is hard to come by. And no, he didn't name her, so shut up), who was a little bit dazed. He managed it all in one go, without having to change direction, and hit the wall opposite the window, hooves first. Carrots clutched in his mouth, bunny held under one leg, pack held under the other, he steeled himself. His legs coiled beneath him at the moment of impact, absorbing the shock, transferring it into the wall, and while the wall cracked under the strain, it held. He opened his pack, and as trained, Miss Bunny pulled out his coin pouch, threw it on the ground (the superintendent could use it to pay for damages. And yes, in two seconds, there were going to be some serious damages to the wall behind him), then pulled out a small daredevil helmet (yes, they do make those in Equestria. Go figure), closed the pack, strapped the helmet on, and gave a thumbs up. Go time. Then, Cricket straightened his legs. And then he was... Trick Four: Jumping. ...through the air, out the window, and this time he was certain that he was going faster than Rainbow Dash would have dared as he was... Trick Five: Flying ...or at least, gliding (changeling wings were not built for sustained flight at this speed) over the Crystal Empire, making his way towards the train station. He had a railway pass in his pack, one that guaranteed him admission on any train leaving the Empire. It had taken a lot of work to get, but it would mean he could go straight in without buying a ticket. He had five minutes before the last train of the day left the station. If he wasn't on it, he'd have to run all the way to the closest city, and he really didn't care for winter in Manehattan. But his wings couldn't really handle this speed, and he'd be hitting the ground soon. But there were open fields beneath him. As he was about to plow into the ground, he was ready. Miss Bunny climbed on his back, pack clutched in her teeth, so he'd have his hooves free. His forelegs were already moving in a blur, and at the moment of impact, he was... Trick Six: Digging. ...Through the soft earth, his momentum carrying him through at high speed. He was already two thirds of the way to his destination. Things got a little dicey when he hit a small lake, but he still had one last trick, and it was... Trick Seven: Swimming. ...And he didn't even slow down, but instead accelerated, and when he surfaced, he shot out like some kind of rocket, powered by love, fear, and pure desperation. Miss Cuddlewumpus was holding up fine, and had been due for a bath anyways. As he rocketed towards the train station, the door of the train standing open, he could swear he heard a young colt say, "Look, mommy, it's Supermane!" Heh, time to go out in style. His hooves touched the ground, and he began to loose speed, skidding, and he spun, rose on his hind legs (Miss Bunny climbing on top of his head as he did so), saluted (he was certain he saw a young colt waving excitedly at him in return), and... He had underestimated his speed. That was the only explanation for what happened next. He hit the interior wall opposite the entryway, at a high enough speed that the entire train rattled. With an undignified sound, he fell to the ground, dazed, unable to see straight. When his vision cleared, he looked up and saw Princess Twilight Sparkle. Great, he was going to be making the trip with a pony who could liquify his brain with a thought if she found out he was a changeling... Well, it was bad luck, but maybe she hadn't had an opportunity to talk to Fluttershy yet. He looked to the princess' left, and there was Fluttershy. Okay, worse luck. But maybe Fluttershy hadn't mentioned... At that moment, Twilight looked over to Fluttershy, and asked, "Is this the changeling you told me about?" Fluttershy nodded, a small smile on her face. Okay, worst possible luck. Ever. The princess turned towards a conductor, whom Mole had not noticed until now, and said, "Okay, he's here. We can go anytime you're ready." The conductor nodded, then turned and left. She turned towards Cricket, then said, with a worryingly large smile, "I hope you don't mind riding with us?" At that, Mole discovered he had learned a new trick. Trick Eight: Not Screaming In Abject Terror Like A Hatchling, But Instead Passing Out Due To Severe Cranial Trauma. As he passed out, Mole could swear he heard the princess say, "Well, I will say one thing. You sure know how to make an entrance." Fluttershy, nodding in agreement, added, "And an exit." Author's Note For those of you who may be wondering about Mole Cricket's abilities, they are based on a Japanese saying about, you guess it, Mole Crickets. The Mole Cricket has seven tricks: Running, Jumping, Climbing, Digging, Swimming, Flying, and Chirping. Which kind of makes it the Renaissance Man of the insect world. While exaggerated a bit (partly for humor, mostly for awesomeness), a mole cricket is quite good at what it does, even if it looks like an unholy abomination spawned from a madman's deranged imagination. Yes, really. Warning, not for the faint of heart. Given it's appearance, it looks like somebuggy who would fit right in with the changeling swarm, don't you think? Slightly Less Awkward"So, you're telling me... you were inside of the Crystal Empire... from the day it first came back?" Mole Cricket nodded, reflecting, as he did so, that things had turned out much better than expected. He'd expected to wake up with his brains liquified, scrambled, on fire, or just something else horrible, and possibly not brain-related but still awful. Instead, he'd found himself, while in his default form, he was bandaged, sitting in a comfortable seat, and facing both the princess and Fluttershy... who had Miss Cuddlewumpus in her lap, and was feeding the little bunny carrots. He tried very hard not to smile at how adorable that was. Still, being grilled by a pony who would reduce you to ashes with her brain was... uncomfortable, to say the least. "Exactly, your highness. Upon our defeat at Canterlot, the swarm was scattered. Many were sent south, into the badlands, but many others were scattered on the winds, relative to their position to the center of the forcefield. At least, that's what it looked like, from what I could see at the time. I was in the northern part of the city, having been charged with ensuring that, now that you and your friends were captured, nopony tried to take the Elements Of Harmony to you. I did not make it there, and was hit by the forcefield in midair. Upon the release of the spell, I would likely have frozen solid in the Crystal Mountains, had fate not taken a hand, plopping me down in the city just as it had returned." Most would not have realized it, but the Crystal Empire had returned at the exact moment the massive love sphere of doom (and how many times in your life will you ever get to hear that sentence?) had been unleashed. The two events were likely related. It was not until weeks later that anypony realized that the city had returned, due simply to the isolated nature of the realm. The princess' eyes narrowed, seeming a bit angry, as she said, "So, you were just cooling your hooves when King Sombra was pounding away, trying to break in? While my brother and his wife were struggling to keep the city from falling to him?" "Not so much cooling my hooves," Mole said, his eyes narrowing in response, his tone icy, "as I was struggling with the aftermath of being tossed miles upon miles through the air, then slamming into the side of a building. If I had not been conscious enough to disguise myself before I was found by the locals, I might not have received the care I had. As it was, I was in traction until the return of the Crystal Heart, at which point there was enough love pouring into me all day and night that I could start healing myself a bit faster. It was still a lengthy recovery." The princess nodded, acknowledging the retort, her temper gone as quickly as it had come. "Fair enough. But... why did you stay? Once you recovered, you could have gone anywhere in Equestria." Mole Cricket gave the princess a long look, then said, "Your highness, let me ask you a serious question: If you had spent your entire life struggling for every meal you ever ate, then suddenly found yourself in an orchard of apples, with nopony to stop you from plucking and eating as many as you liked, whenever you liked, would you ever want to leave?" Twilight Sparkle nodded, acknowledging the point. Then Fluttershy asked, "But at some point, you would want to return to your own kind, right?" Cricket smiled wistfully, then said, "I might, yes, at least for a visit, but not while the current queen was still in charge." At Twilight's stunned look, he smiled, and said, "Your highness, you've met our queen. I've had to live with her. While I respect her, I don't like her, for a variety of reasons. If she suddenly had access to an endless supply of power, what do you think she would do with it?" Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy thought on that for a moment, then both of their mouths dropped open simultaneously, looked at each other in dismay, then looked back at Cricket, who smirked, and said, "Exactly. She'd set out to conquer everything, everywhere, forever, with an army of changeling super-soldiers who could do everything I just did while trying to escape the city, and more. I imagine that, rather than letting that happen, somepony would have the bright idea of breaking the Heart, rather than letting it fall into the wrong hooves. At that point, everybuggy finds themselves right back where we started, minus the one known source of limitless sustenance we have ever found." Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Every-'buggy'?" As Fluttershy giggled at that, Cricket blushed a little, and said, "Well you ponies have 'Everypony', so why can't we have 'Everybuggy'?" Twilight Sparkle gave the changeling her first genuine smile since the train ride began. That was progress, at least. "Fair enough. So, you weren't planning on telling any'buggy' about the Heart until there was some'buggy' in charge who would act a lot more responsibly with access to that sort of power?" Cricket nodded and said, "Exactly." He was glad to see she understood his position. Twilight Sparkle looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'll buy that, but I'm afraid that, at least for the time being, you aren't going anywhere near the Crystal Empire again. Sorry." Cricket had expected that much. Leaving him in a city with a relic that made him 'Supermane' would have been foolish, at least until they were certain that he wasn't going to start using that power to hurt others... "But I don't see that being a problem for you," the princess continued, "since, by your own admission, you've absorbed enough love to keep you full for several lifetimes." Cricket nodded, and asked, "So... what happens next?" Fluttershy turned and whispered something in Twilight's ear, and after a moment, the princess nodded and said, "Well, given that you've been in a position where you could easily have made a menace of yourself... and chose not to, I think I can sweet talk the other princesses into letting you stay in Equestria indefinitely. There will probably be a list of conditions as long as you are tall, but I think something can be worked out. If you behave yourself, you might even earn yourself full citizenship." Citizenship. Now there was a prize worth having. In a society where material goods were worthless (Money can't buy me love, after all), immaterial goods, often called by changelings "distinctions", were considered priceless. For example, something as simple as a name was incredibly valuable: most changelings were just given a number as identification, until they had proven themselves worthy of something more. Cricket had, through hard work, effort, and a willingness to go above and beyond what was asked of him, not only earned his name (first AND last, thank you), but a rank (the highest one a commoner could ever hope to attain), and even a nickname! Earning citizenship in a foreign land would give Mole a distinction no other changeling in history could claim... Cricket smiled, and said, "I'd certainly be interested, your highness, although I imagine that you'll have a hard time finding someplace willing to accept a changeling... unless you already have someplace in mind..." Probably someplace close at hoof. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer... so you can crush them the second they step out of line.... "Well," Fluttershy said, blushing a little, and abruptly derailing Cricket's pessimistic train of thought through the power of cuteness, "I'm sure I could find you someplace to stay in Ponyville." Suddenly, the mare's blushing turned nearly incandescent, as she added, "Um, that is... if you don't mind." Cricket smiled, and said, "I would be delighted." [Awkwardness Intensifies]"As soon as I have someplace to hang it, I'm going to have this framed and mounted on my wall." Fluttershy giggled at the changeling's good cheer as Cricket held up the certificate that proclaimed him to be a (probationary) citizen of Equestria. He looked as happy as anypony (or anybuggy) could ever be. They were riding back to Ponyville, having had a brief, but exciting, stay in Canterlot. Twilight had been right, there was a list of conditions he had to abide by, and it was, in fact, exactly as long as he was tall, but he'd found them all to be a lot more fair than expected (although one, admittedly, he had some concerns about). Celestia had, in fact, met them at the train station in Canterlot, and after, with surprising tact, even for a princess, made certain that Cricket was not a threat to anypony, had graciously granted the changeling an audience. Things had gotten a little... tense, when Princess Cadance and Shining Armor arrived that evening, and insisted on being part of the interview as well, but Mole had made a surprisingly good impression on both the princess and the knight. While they did have misgivings, Twilight was able to convince them that the changeling at least deserved a chance. If he succeeded in living by the conditions set by the princesses for a full year, he'd be made a full-fledged citizen of Equestria, with all the rights thereof. His mood was contagious, as even Twilight couldn't help but giggle a bit herself. Part of that may have been the fact that Miss Cuddlewumpus was sleeping atop the grinning changeling's head. "Well, be sure to save some space for when you get your full-fledged declaration of citizenship," the princess said, smiling. "A year can pass a lot faster than you think." Cricket seemed momentarily stunned, but after a moment, he smiled, and said, sounding genuinely grateful, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, your highness." He looked thoughtful for a moment, and for at least the hundredth time, said, "I do kind of wish they'd left condition one off that list. That one's going to cause a lot of headaches." Condition One: He was not allowed to change his appearance anymore. Yes, there was a list of sub-conditions to that: he could change appearance for the purpose of entertaining others, or if he needed to do so as a form of self-defense, or even to defend his fellow citizens. He could not, however, change his appearance for any purpose outside of those reasons. Those sub-conditions were very important to him: He'd argued, no, practically begged to instead be allowed to at least just keep a single disguise going all the time, and never take any other appearance. When Shining Armor had questioned why he was making such a fuss about it, Mole had asked, in a surprisingly friendly tone, how the knight would feel if he was asked to walk around shaved completely bald for a year. The knight had blushed, sputtered briefly, and admitted he hadn't thought of it like that. That had gotten more than a few laughs from all assembled, but it had also made his point clear: being able to change his appearance was a part of who he was, and forbidding him from doing so without any leeway would be unreasonable. He had relented, after the sub-conditions had been added, admitting that the sooner ponies got used to the sight of a changeling, the better off he'd probably be. As he watched the scenery go by, Fluttershy said, smiling, "Well, look at it this way: At least you'll only have to abide by it for a year. After that, you can change how you look however you want, whenever you want, and nopony can say a thing. Um... not that there's anything wrong with the way you look right now, of course." Stupid, Fluttershy, now you've gone and hurt his feelings... Rather than being offended, Fluttershy was surprised to see he was blushing, and after a moment, he mumbled, "Thanks..." His cheeks turned a bright blue when he blushed. It was actually kind of cute... "We're almost to Ponyville," Twilight said, placing a hoof on Cricket's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll fit right in." The changeling smiled and said, "Well, I certainly hope so. I'm just glad I'll have a couple of friends there with me." Twilight Sparkle smiled at that, and Fluttershy couldn't help but smile herself, although for some reason, she felt twinge of... something she couldn't put into words, at the word "friends". She would have to think about that later... Once the train pulled into the station, everypony got up, and got ready to disembark. Fluttershy could see Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie all together at the train station, holding a big banner with "Welcome Back" written on it. Fluttershy smiled, happy to be back home. Cricket pulled out his "Emergency Pack", and strapped it on his back. It contained everything he felt he'd need to make a fresh start in Ponyville, and what little he had left behind could be sent for, or easily replaced. Miss Cuddlewumpus yawned, then sat up, awake for the first time since the train ride started. She was such a cute little thing, she wondered how she and Angel Bunny would get along... Twilight exited the train first, and seeing their friends at the train station, smiled and rushed over. Fluttershy left next, and was about to introduce the others to Cricket, when a great many things happened at once. Rarity screamed, Pinkie Pie's jaw dropped, and Applejack started shouting. Rainbow Dash, as always, was the quickest, and her reaction was simple: she attacked. She leapt high into the air, then with a flap of her wings, launched herself into a fierce flying kick, yelling all the way down. Fluttershy turned, shocked, tried to warn Mole, but the changeling was already reacting. He rose up on his hind legs, crossed his forelegs in front of himself... and blocked the kick. Fluttershy was stunned, to say the least. She'd seen Rainbow Dash break bricks with that kind of kick, but Cricket had taken it head on, without even flinching, and with a motion so smooth and well executed, it could have been choreographed, rather than a spontaneous reaction. The force of Dashie's kick seemed to have no effect on the changeling... But the wooden floor beneath him was not so lucky. The floorboards collapsed beneath him, and he fell out of sight. Rainbow was about to say something, probably something about running to the guards for help, when suddenly, Cricket's voice boomed out of the hole, shouting, "AND JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WAS, MAGGOT!?!" Fluttershy was shocked, hearing that tone of voice again. It was the same tone, but at much higher volume, that Cricket had used when he had berated her for her fangs showing, thinking she was a changeling. All of her friends stopped what they were doing, stunned. The effect it had on Rainbow Dash, however, was... surprising. She stopped, mid-flap, and fell to the ground at full attention. As Cricket began climbing out of the hole, he continued, at a slightly more reasonable volume, "Because that could NOT have been a surprise attack." Cricket finished climbing out of the hole, and then, his face a bare inch from Dashie's, he said with a growl, "You know why? Because the only thing that surprised me was how sloppy it was." Rainbow Dash didn't try to argue, didn't even visibly react, except to lean her head back slightly, and suddenly, Fluttershy understood why: that voice, no, that tone... that was a commanding officer's tone. Dashie was acting as if she was getting a dressing down from somepony like Spitfire, rather than a changeling she'd never met before. This wasn't Cricket, or even Mole Cricket, it was Commander Mole Cricket doing the talking right now... The Commander, now in full drill sergeant mode, continued, saying, "First off, you never launch a surprise attack from the front, because your target will see it a mile away! Attack from the back or sides only! Second, yelling at the top of your lungs gives away your position to the enemy, even if you are attacking from the back, and if you take the target by surprise, great job, now every enemy in earshot will know where you are, and be ready to do something about it! Third, and this is something that really ticks me off when I see it: DON'T LAUNCH AN AERIAL ATTACK WITH THE SUN AT YOUR BACK! What, you think that the enemy won't notice the great big shadow you're casting? Even if they can't see you clearly, they will know something is coming, and from where, and can just step out of the way! Now," Cricket said, his voice now icy with anger, instead of burning hot, "What have you got to say for yourself, maggot?" Dashie, as if she only now was able to move her lips, stammered out, "S-Sorry sir, wasn't thinking sir." Cricket growled out, "Well, I can believe that. NOW, DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY!!!" Rainbow Dash saluted, shouted "Sir, yes sir!" then started doing pushups, counting as she went. "Ummm, Cricket," Fluttershy said, when she found her voice. The changeling turned to face her, and she said, as gently as she could, "Your fangs are showing." Cricket raised a hoof to his lips, and for a second, he seemed confused, then he laughed as he realized what she meant. Your fangs are showing: You look like a monster, instead of a pony. Cricket nodded and, his voice more reasonably toned, said, "Right, sorry, I really should know better." He put a hoof on Rainbow Dash's back and said, "You can stop, miss. Sorry. I kinda lost my temper for a second." As though some kind of spell had broken, Dashie stopped, and asked, obviously confused, "What was I doing?" A great many things happened at once: Pinkie Pie started laughing, Rarity started laughing, Applejack started laughing, Twilight Sparkle started laughing, Rainbow Dash flushed with embarrassment, and Fluttershy started laughing. Twilight Sparkle smiled, and introduced the changeling to her friends. "Let me introduce you to my newest friend. This is Commander Mole Cricket, formerly of the changeling swarm. With Princess Celestia's, Luna's, Cadance's permission, as well as my own, he'll be staying in Ponyville for the time being. I hope you'll all join me in making him feel welcome." Cricket smiled sheepishly, and as personal introductions were made, Fluttershy ran her tongue over her teeth again, feeling for what she knew would be there. Yes, the fangs were back. They'd probably never go away completely, but she supposed she could live with that. It would never define who she was. That night, she wrote in her diary the following: A pair of sharp teeth doesn't make anypony, or anybuggy, a monster. Neither does a scary face, or anything else. Even the scariest looking creature in the world can have a heart of gold. It's who you are, not what you look like, that really matters. Afterword, And AcknowledgementsThere's a lot of folks I want to thank, but I'm sorry to say that I don't know all of their names, since they're all you, the readers, all 1000+ of you, who've read this story, upvoted it, faved it, and decided to follow me to see what I do next. This was my first attempt at a story, and I am so glad to see it take off like it has. To answer some questions: Yes, I do plan on a sequel, after I complete the "Inter-quel" I have in progress. Yes, the link to the interquel is in the story description. Feel free to read it if you haven't already. The sequel should be interesting, but that's for a ways down the line, and a lot of stuff in it may not make sense unless you read the interquel as well, so feel free to read both, and re-read them. And comment. And upvote. And follow. And anything else you think might contribute. I ADORE FANART, SO FEEL FREE TO MAKE ME SOME!!! Finally, I do plan on submitting this story to Equestria Daily in a little while. I hadn't done so yet because I didn't realize you had to do it yourself. I just figured that stories kinda just appeared there by magic. I'm naive like that. ANYWAYS!!! Thank you for reading this story. I said it before, and I will say it again: I LOVE YOU ALL AS MUCH AS A RANDOM PERSON ON THE INTERNET CAN LOVE A LARGE NUMBER OF RANDOM PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET!!!
Well, This Is Awkward..."Miss, I need you to come with me for a second." Before Fluttershy could say a word, she was grabbed by the tail and pulled into a nearby alleyway. She certainly had not been expecting this kind of treatment in the Crystal Empire. She and Twilight had been called in due to a minor emergency regarding the crystal sheep, and after fixing the problem (Fluttershy still couldn't believe that there was such a thing as crystal fleas, let alone that King Sombra would have cursed them like he had) and were headed back to the train station, after a job well done. But the two had been briefly separated, Twilight Sparkle having spotted a new book store in the city. Fluttershy had been minding her own business, waiting for her friend to finish, when a stallion walked by, did a double take, then with only a brief sentence of explanation, started dragging her off. The stallion, an average sized pegasus with a black mane and tail, and a brown coat, wasn't rough, but pulled hard enough to make it clear that this was not a request. As she tried to get her bearings, the stallion that had dragged her off spun her around, and said, with a furious expression, "What do you think you're doing? Are you trying to get caught?" Shocked, and more than a little nervous, Fluttershy could barely even stammer before the stallion continued, "You're not supposed to go out in public unless you've triple-checked your disguise. That's standard procedure. Even hatchlings know that! That doesn't just mean you twirl in front of a mirror three times to make sure you have all the pieces in the right place. That means you do a thorough check to make sure you didn't miss even a minor detail!" Fluttershy was now utterly confused. What in the world was the stallion talking about? And... hatchlings? The stallion noticed her confusion, then sighed in exasperation, and said, slowly, with each word given significant emphasis, as though speaking to a small filly, "Your. Fangs. Are. Showing." She didn't have fangs... did she? Oh no, not again! She ran her tongue along her teeth, and was startled to find that yes, she did indeed have a pair of fangs! Of all the... What was it going to take to make them go away for good? It was enough to make her want to cry! In spite of Twilight Sparkle's best efforts, the fangs that Fluttershy had grown during what was now being described as "The Vampire Fruitbat Incident" kept coming back. None of the other symptoms did: Her personality remained the same, her cutie mark kept to three pink butterflies, her wings were their normal shape, her eyes kept their usual color, but the fangs kept reasserting themselves, often at the worst possible times! This was the twelfth time in five days alone. It was horribly embarrassing, and she was absolutely terrified that somepony might see them and think she was some kind of monster. It was reaching the point where she was afraid to smile in public anymore... But... why was the stallion chewing her out about it? Oh no... The stallion seemed to take her shocked expression as a sign that she understood what was going on, but for all the wrong reasons. He nodded and said, "You understand now? Good." His expression softened, then said, "We all make mistakes, I guess. And they do look kinda cute." Fluttershy blushed as the stallion, no, changeling (!) continued. "But you've got to fix it, or the next time you open your mouth, there's going to be a mob with torches and pitchforks running you out of town. And if they see one changeling, they'll immediately start looking for more. Think about others, next time, before you start waltzing around without a proper disguise." His expression looked a little bit melancholic as he said, almost to himself, "First time since the invasion I see another changeling, and I'm chewing her out. Please, forgive my manners. It's been a stressful time for all of us." He turned back towards the alley entrance, checking to make certain that nopony was looking, then turned back to her and said, "Alright, I'll keep watch while you fix yourself up. I'll give a whistle if I see anypony coming. But hurry, and for pity's sake, choose somepony other than Fluttershy. She's way too well known for a rookie like you to be expected to pull off..." He turned back to the alley entrance and stood guard. Fluttershy was terrified. He was a changeling? Here? In the Crystal Empire? How could that be? And... how could Fluttershy get out of this? As soon as he realized that he was speaking with the real Fluttershy, not another changeling... well, it was unlikely that he was going to let her go. In fact, he might... Before she could complete that thought, she heard the changeling muttering to himself. "Keep it together, Cricket," he said, "She's a changeling, just like you. Just because she 'looks' like a former fashion model, and one of the most beautiful ponies in Equestria, doesn't mean that she's anywhere near that cute underneath. For all you know, she might not even be a 'she'. Keep your head in the game." Fluttershy blushed incandescent at the praise, unintentional as it may have been. She had known she'd gotten a bit famous because of all of the fashion shows and photo shoots a little while ago, but she was surprised to hear that kind of thing from any stallion, let alone a changeling... The changeling turned back down the alley towards her and asked, "Have you gotten yourself fixed up yet?" His facial expression changed to a worried one when he saw that, yes, she was still Fluttershy. His expression turned thoughtful for a moment, then he sighed, and asked, "Are you the real Fluttershy?" She could only nod mutely. "Right. Ummm, why do you have fangs?" Fluttershy, stuttering nervously, replied, "W-well, there was an a-accident with a spell th-th-that a f-f-f-friend cast. There were these v-v-vampire fruit bats..." "Vampire fruit bats," Cricket interrupted, his expression incredulous. "Right. Just my luck." He looked back towards the street outside of the alley, then said, "Right. Well, I'm gonna run. Could you do me a favor and give me ten seconds before you start screaming? If I'm going to have to outrun a mob, I could use a head start." Fluttershy nodded mutely again. "Great. Thanks, bye!" And the stallion shot off down the street like a rocket. Fluttershy counted to ten in her head, then took a deep breath to scream. After a moment, she let it out as a relieved sigh instead. She would have to tell somepony about this encounter, but given how the changeling, no... Cricket, was acting, odds were he'd be much more concerned with getting out of town in a hurry than he would with causing problems. So, she'd cut him a little slack and wait a few minutes before informing a guard. Besides... he was kinda cute... even if he was a changeling. A moment later, Twilight Sparkle passed by the alley, and stopped. "Oh," she said, "There you are, Fluttershy. Are you ready to go? The train will be leaving soon, and royal passenger or not, I don't think they'll wait for us." Fluttershy nodded, smiled, and, comforted by the presence of a friend, walked out of the alleyway with a smile. As they walked towards the train station, Twilight asked, "Oh, are those fangs back? Once we get on the train, I can take care of them right away." Fluttershy, her smile practically beaming, said, "Oh, there's no rush, Twilight. I met somepony today who told me that they look kinda cute."
No, THIS Is Awkward"I cannot believe I was so stupid..." Commander Mole "Seven Tricks" Cricket berated himself as he rushed down the streets of the Crystal Empire. He had revealed himself to a pony. Him, the youngest changeling to ever have earned the title of Commander. The changeling considered the shining standard to which all other changelings were supposed to live up to. The changeling who taught other changelings how to BE changelings. The changeling who had once chewed out the queen for breaking character during a training demonstration for a group of hatchlings, and been praised for it! The changeling... who had just made one of the biggest mistakes a changeling could make. Lesson One, hatchlings: Never, ever, EVER reveal you are a changeling to a non-changeling. That will always bring about disaster. He had revealed himself, and not just to any pony, but one who had the ear of Princess Twilight Sparkle. The pony who was the most powerful known wizard in the world, as well as an alicorn princess. This was bad. This was extremely bad. Words could not express. He needed to move. Every second, he expected to get fried by lightning, zapped by magic missiles, or just plain erased from existence. If there was ever a time to bust out the seven tricks he was known for, it was now. He'd absorbed, from the love energy radiating non-stop from the Crystal Heart, enough power to sustain a brigade for a thousand years. He'd have to burn through a bit of it, but that, combined with his skills, would ensure he would make the last train out (Lesson Twelve, hatchlings: Memorize the train schedules. If you have to leave town in a hurry, why not leave town in style?). His simplest trick, of course, being... Trick One: Running. While no Rainbow Dash, Cricket was moving at a pretty good clip. The ponies who saw him pass would not have known to make of it: it was some kind of a blur that carried a massive windstorm behind it. Plants, posters, trash, anything small, light, and loose within a hundred meters of his run was getting pulled up, out, and/or off, and was carried along for the ride. Within two minutes of his fateful meeting with Fluttershy, he had crossed the length of the Crystal Empire, and reached the apartment building in which he had lived for most of the year. Without even slowing down, he hit the wall, and kept going... up. He was... Trick Two: Climbing. ...Without even slowing down, right up the wall. Excessive, perhaps, and something he would never have done if he still had some expectation of keeping cover. But this was an extreme emergency. His life depended on his speed. His apartment was on the top floor, and going up the stairs would have taken far too long: too many changes in direction, too close together. Instead, he ran straight up the wall. While there was some initial resistance, gravity acknowledged his superiority and left him alone while he ran up the building. He reached the top floor, and within ten seconds, was outside the window to his apartment... which was closed. No problem. He was good at... Trick Three: Chirping The common cricket, and even the mole cricket, is able to create an incredibly loud (for relative size) sound through stridulation, rubbing their wings together. A tiny cricket can make a noise loud enough to be heard miles away. Imagine the racket that could be made by one the size of a horse. No, wait, don't imagine, because here it comes. The resulting burst of sound was one that was not so much heard as felt, throughout the entire city and beyond, and at point blank range, was sufficient to shatter glass. Mole rushed into the room, grabbed his emergency escape pack (Lesson Five, hatchlings: always, Always, ALWAYS have a kit packed and ready in case you have to leave town in a hurry... because nine times out of ten, you WILL be leaving town in a hurry, usually with an angry mob in hot pursuit), grabbed a pack of carrots out of his fridge (it came with the apartment. Ah, the fridge, not the carrots. Those he bought), grabbed Miss Bunny Wunny Cuddlewumpus (his pet rabbit: best investment he ever made, she freely traded love for carrots. Carrots are cheap, and love without coercion is hard to come by. And no, he didn't name her, so shut up), who was a little bit dazed. He managed it all in one go, without having to change direction, and hit the wall opposite the window, hooves first. Carrots clutched in his mouth, bunny held under one leg, pack held under the other, he steeled himself. His legs coiled beneath him at the moment of impact, absorbing the shock, transferring it into the wall, and while the wall cracked under the strain, it held. He opened his pack, and as trained, Miss Bunny pulled out his coin pouch, threw it on the ground (the superintendent could use it to pay for damages. And yes, in two seconds, there were going to be some serious damages to the wall behind him), then pulled out a small daredevil helmet (yes, they do make those in Equestria. Go figure), closed the pack, strapped the helmet on, and gave a thumbs up. Go time. Then, Cricket straightened his legs. And then he was... Trick Four: Jumping. ...through the air, out the window, and this time he was certain that he was going faster than Rainbow Dash would have dared as he was... Trick Five: Flying ...or at least, gliding (changeling wings were not built for sustained flight at this speed) over the Crystal Empire, making his way towards the train station. He had a railway pass in his pack, one that guaranteed him admission on any train leaving the Empire. It had taken a lot of work to get, but it would mean he could go straight in without buying a ticket. He had five minutes before the last train of the day left the station. If he wasn't on it, he'd have to run all the way to the closest city, and he really didn't care for winter in Manehattan. But his wings couldn't really handle this speed, and he'd be hitting the ground soon. But there were open fields beneath him. As he was about to plow into the ground, he was ready. Miss Bunny climbed on his back, pack clutched in her teeth, so he'd have his hooves free. His forelegs were already moving in a blur, and at the moment of impact, he was... Trick Six: Digging. ...Through the soft earth, his momentum carrying him through at high speed. He was already two thirds of the way to his destination. Things got a little dicey when he hit a small lake, but he still had one last trick, and it was... Trick Seven: Swimming. ...And he didn't even slow down, but instead accelerated, and when he surfaced, he shot out like some kind of rocket, powered by love, fear, and pure desperation. Miss Cuddlewumpus was holding up fine, and had been due for a bath anyways. As he rocketed towards the train station, the door of the train standing open, he could swear he heard a young colt say, "Look, mommy, it's Supermane!" Heh, time to go out in style. His hooves touched the ground, and he began to loose speed, skidding, and he spun, rose on his hind legs (Miss Bunny climbing on top of his head as he did so), saluted (he was certain he saw a young colt waving excitedly at him in return), and... He had underestimated his speed. That was the only explanation for what happened next. He hit the interior wall opposite the entryway, at a high enough speed that the entire train rattled. With an undignified sound, he fell to the ground, dazed, unable to see straight. When his vision cleared, he looked up and saw Princess Twilight Sparkle. Great, he was going to be making the trip with a pony who could liquify his brain with a thought if she found out he was a changeling... Well, it was bad luck, but maybe she hadn't had an opportunity to talk to Fluttershy yet. He looked to the princess' left, and there was Fluttershy. Okay, worse luck. But maybe Fluttershy hadn't mentioned... At that moment, Twilight looked over to Fluttershy, and asked, "Is this the changeling you told me about?" Fluttershy nodded, a small smile on her face. Okay, worst possible luck. Ever. The princess turned towards a conductor, whom Mole had not noticed until now, and said, "Okay, he's here. We can go anytime you're ready." The conductor nodded, then turned and left. She turned towards Cricket, then said, with a worryingly large smile, "I hope you don't mind riding with us?" At that, Mole discovered he had learned a new trick. Trick Eight: Not Screaming In Abject Terror Like A Hatchling, But Instead Passing Out Due To Severe Cranial Trauma. As he passed out, Mole could swear he heard the princess say, "Well, I will say one thing. You sure know how to make an entrance." Fluttershy, nodding in agreement, added, "And an exit." Author's Note For those of you who may be wondering about Mole Cricket's abilities, they are based on a Japanese saying about, you guess it, Mole Crickets. The Mole Cricket has seven tricks: Running, Jumping, Climbing, Digging, Swimming, Flying, and Chirping. Which kind of makes it the Renaissance Man of the insect world. While exaggerated a bit (partly for humor, mostly for awesomeness), a mole cricket is quite good at what it does, even if it looks like an unholy abomination spawned from a madman's deranged imagination. Yes, really. Warning, not for the faint of heart. Given it's appearance, it looks like somebuggy who would fit right in with the changeling swarm, don't you think?
Slightly Less Awkward"So, you're telling me... you were inside of the Crystal Empire... from the day it first came back?" Mole Cricket nodded, reflecting, as he did so, that things had turned out much better than expected. He'd expected to wake up with his brains liquified, scrambled, on fire, or just something else horrible, and possibly not brain-related but still awful. Instead, he'd found himself, while in his default form, he was bandaged, sitting in a comfortable seat, and facing both the princess and Fluttershy... who had Miss Cuddlewumpus in her lap, and was feeding the little bunny carrots. He tried very hard not to smile at how adorable that was. Still, being grilled by a pony who would reduce you to ashes with her brain was... uncomfortable, to say the least. "Exactly, your highness. Upon our defeat at Canterlot, the swarm was scattered. Many were sent south, into the badlands, but many others were scattered on the winds, relative to their position to the center of the forcefield. At least, that's what it looked like, from what I could see at the time. I was in the northern part of the city, having been charged with ensuring that, now that you and your friends were captured, nopony tried to take the Elements Of Harmony to you. I did not make it there, and was hit by the forcefield in midair. Upon the release of the spell, I would likely have frozen solid in the Crystal Mountains, had fate not taken a hand, plopping me down in the city just as it had returned." Most would not have realized it, but the Crystal Empire had returned at the exact moment the massive love sphere of doom (and how many times in your life will you ever get to hear that sentence?) had been unleashed. The two events were likely related. It was not until weeks later that anypony realized that the city had returned, due simply to the isolated nature of the realm. The princess' eyes narrowed, seeming a bit angry, as she said, "So, you were just cooling your hooves when King Sombra was pounding away, trying to break in? While my brother and his wife were struggling to keep the city from falling to him?" "Not so much cooling my hooves," Mole said, his eyes narrowing in response, his tone icy, "as I was struggling with the aftermath of being tossed miles upon miles through the air, then slamming into the side of a building. If I had not been conscious enough to disguise myself before I was found by the locals, I might not have received the care I had. As it was, I was in traction until the return of the Crystal Heart, at which point there was enough love pouring into me all day and night that I could start healing myself a bit faster. It was still a lengthy recovery." The princess nodded, acknowledging the retort, her temper gone as quickly as it had come. "Fair enough. But... why did you stay? Once you recovered, you could have gone anywhere in Equestria." Mole Cricket gave the princess a long look, then said, "Your highness, let me ask you a serious question: If you had spent your entire life struggling for every meal you ever ate, then suddenly found yourself in an orchard of apples, with nopony to stop you from plucking and eating as many as you liked, whenever you liked, would you ever want to leave?" Twilight Sparkle nodded, acknowledging the point. Then Fluttershy asked, "But at some point, you would want to return to your own kind, right?" Cricket smiled wistfully, then said, "I might, yes, at least for a visit, but not while the current queen was still in charge." At Twilight's stunned look, he smiled, and said, "Your highness, you've met our queen. I've had to live with her. While I respect her, I don't like her, for a variety of reasons. If she suddenly had access to an endless supply of power, what do you think she would do with it?" Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy thought on that for a moment, then both of their mouths dropped open simultaneously, looked at each other in dismay, then looked back at Cricket, who smirked, and said, "Exactly. She'd set out to conquer everything, everywhere, forever, with an army of changeling super-soldiers who could do everything I just did while trying to escape the city, and more. I imagine that, rather than letting that happen, somepony would have the bright idea of breaking the Heart, rather than letting it fall into the wrong hooves. At that point, everybuggy finds themselves right back where we started, minus the one known source of limitless sustenance we have ever found." Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Every-'buggy'?" As Fluttershy giggled at that, Cricket blushed a little, and said, "Well you ponies have 'Everypony', so why can't we have 'Everybuggy'?" Twilight Sparkle gave the changeling her first genuine smile since the train ride began. That was progress, at least. "Fair enough. So, you weren't planning on telling any'buggy' about the Heart until there was some'buggy' in charge who would act a lot more responsibly with access to that sort of power?" Cricket nodded and said, "Exactly." He was glad to see she understood his position. Twilight Sparkle looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'll buy that, but I'm afraid that, at least for the time being, you aren't going anywhere near the Crystal Empire again. Sorry." Cricket had expected that much. Leaving him in a city with a relic that made him 'Supermane' would have been foolish, at least until they were certain that he wasn't going to start using that power to hurt others... "But I don't see that being a problem for you," the princess continued, "since, by your own admission, you've absorbed enough love to keep you full for several lifetimes." Cricket nodded, and asked, "So... what happens next?" Fluttershy turned and whispered something in Twilight's ear, and after a moment, the princess nodded and said, "Well, given that you've been in a position where you could easily have made a menace of yourself... and chose not to, I think I can sweet talk the other princesses into letting you stay in Equestria indefinitely. There will probably be a list of conditions as long as you are tall, but I think something can be worked out. If you behave yourself, you might even earn yourself full citizenship." Citizenship. Now there was a prize worth having. In a society where material goods were worthless (Money can't buy me love, after all), immaterial goods, often called by changelings "distinctions", were considered priceless. For example, something as simple as a name was incredibly valuable: most changelings were just given a number as identification, until they had proven themselves worthy of something more. Cricket had, through hard work, effort, and a willingness to go above and beyond what was asked of him, not only earned his name (first AND last, thank you), but a rank (the highest one a commoner could ever hope to attain), and even a nickname! Earning citizenship in a foreign land would give Mole a distinction no other changeling in history could claim... Cricket smiled, and said, "I'd certainly be interested, your highness, although I imagine that you'll have a hard time finding someplace willing to accept a changeling... unless you already have someplace in mind..." Probably someplace close at hoof. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer... so you can crush them the second they step out of line.... "Well," Fluttershy said, blushing a little, and abruptly derailing Cricket's pessimistic train of thought through the power of cuteness, "I'm sure I could find you someplace to stay in Ponyville." Suddenly, the mare's blushing turned nearly incandescent, as she added, "Um, that is... if you don't mind." Cricket smiled, and said, "I would be delighted."
[Awkwardness Intensifies]"As soon as I have someplace to hang it, I'm going to have this framed and mounted on my wall." Fluttershy giggled at the changeling's good cheer as Cricket held up the certificate that proclaimed him to be a (probationary) citizen of Equestria. He looked as happy as anypony (or anybuggy) could ever be. They were riding back to Ponyville, having had a brief, but exciting, stay in Canterlot. Twilight had been right, there was a list of conditions he had to abide by, and it was, in fact, exactly as long as he was tall, but he'd found them all to be a lot more fair than expected (although one, admittedly, he had some concerns about). Celestia had, in fact, met them at the train station in Canterlot, and after, with surprising tact, even for a princess, made certain that Cricket was not a threat to anypony, had graciously granted the changeling an audience. Things had gotten a little... tense, when Princess Cadance and Shining Armor arrived that evening, and insisted on being part of the interview as well, but Mole had made a surprisingly good impression on both the princess and the knight. While they did have misgivings, Twilight was able to convince them that the changeling at least deserved a chance. If he succeeded in living by the conditions set by the princesses for a full year, he'd be made a full-fledged citizen of Equestria, with all the rights thereof. His mood was contagious, as even Twilight couldn't help but giggle a bit herself. Part of that may have been the fact that Miss Cuddlewumpus was sleeping atop the grinning changeling's head. "Well, be sure to save some space for when you get your full-fledged declaration of citizenship," the princess said, smiling. "A year can pass a lot faster than you think." Cricket seemed momentarily stunned, but after a moment, he smiled, and said, sounding genuinely grateful, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, your highness." He looked thoughtful for a moment, and for at least the hundredth time, said, "I do kind of wish they'd left condition one off that list. That one's going to cause a lot of headaches." Condition One: He was not allowed to change his appearance anymore. Yes, there was a list of sub-conditions to that: he could change appearance for the purpose of entertaining others, or if he needed to do so as a form of self-defense, or even to defend his fellow citizens. He could not, however, change his appearance for any purpose outside of those reasons. Those sub-conditions were very important to him: He'd argued, no, practically begged to instead be allowed to at least just keep a single disguise going all the time, and never take any other appearance. When Shining Armor had questioned why he was making such a fuss about it, Mole had asked, in a surprisingly friendly tone, how the knight would feel if he was asked to walk around shaved completely bald for a year. The knight had blushed, sputtered briefly, and admitted he hadn't thought of it like that. That had gotten more than a few laughs from all assembled, but it had also made his point clear: being able to change his appearance was a part of who he was, and forbidding him from doing so without any leeway would be unreasonable. He had relented, after the sub-conditions had been added, admitting that the sooner ponies got used to the sight of a changeling, the better off he'd probably be. As he watched the scenery go by, Fluttershy said, smiling, "Well, look at it this way: At least you'll only have to abide by it for a year. After that, you can change how you look however you want, whenever you want, and nopony can say a thing. Um... not that there's anything wrong with the way you look right now, of course." Stupid, Fluttershy, now you've gone and hurt his feelings... Rather than being offended, Fluttershy was surprised to see he was blushing, and after a moment, he mumbled, "Thanks..." His cheeks turned a bright blue when he blushed. It was actually kind of cute... "We're almost to Ponyville," Twilight said, placing a hoof on Cricket's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll fit right in." The changeling smiled and said, "Well, I certainly hope so. I'm just glad I'll have a couple of friends there with me." Twilight Sparkle smiled at that, and Fluttershy couldn't help but smile herself, although for some reason, she felt twinge of... something she couldn't put into words, at the word "friends". She would have to think about that later... Once the train pulled into the station, everypony got up, and got ready to disembark. Fluttershy could see Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie all together at the train station, holding a big banner with "Welcome Back" written on it. Fluttershy smiled, happy to be back home. Cricket pulled out his "Emergency Pack", and strapped it on his back. It contained everything he felt he'd need to make a fresh start in Ponyville, and what little he had left behind could be sent for, or easily replaced. Miss Cuddlewumpus yawned, then sat up, awake for the first time since the train ride started. She was such a cute little thing, she wondered how she and Angel Bunny would get along... Twilight exited the train first, and seeing their friends at the train station, smiled and rushed over. Fluttershy left next, and was about to introduce the others to Cricket, when a great many things happened at once. Rarity screamed, Pinkie Pie's jaw dropped, and Applejack started shouting. Rainbow Dash, as always, was the quickest, and her reaction was simple: she attacked. She leapt high into the air, then with a flap of her wings, launched herself into a fierce flying kick, yelling all the way down. Fluttershy turned, shocked, tried to warn Mole, but the changeling was already reacting. He rose up on his hind legs, crossed his forelegs in front of himself... and blocked the kick. Fluttershy was stunned, to say the least. She'd seen Rainbow Dash break bricks with that kind of kick, but Cricket had taken it head on, without even flinching, and with a motion so smooth and well executed, it could have been choreographed, rather than a spontaneous reaction. The force of Dashie's kick seemed to have no effect on the changeling... But the wooden floor beneath him was not so lucky. The floorboards collapsed beneath him, and he fell out of sight. Rainbow was about to say something, probably something about running to the guards for help, when suddenly, Cricket's voice boomed out of the hole, shouting, "AND JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WAS, MAGGOT!?!" Fluttershy was shocked, hearing that tone of voice again. It was the same tone, but at much higher volume, that Cricket had used when he had berated her for her fangs showing, thinking she was a changeling. All of her friends stopped what they were doing, stunned. The effect it had on Rainbow Dash, however, was... surprising. She stopped, mid-flap, and fell to the ground at full attention. As Cricket began climbing out of the hole, he continued, at a slightly more reasonable volume, "Because that could NOT have been a surprise attack." Cricket finished climbing out of the hole, and then, his face a bare inch from Dashie's, he said with a growl, "You know why? Because the only thing that surprised me was how sloppy it was." Rainbow Dash didn't try to argue, didn't even visibly react, except to lean her head back slightly, and suddenly, Fluttershy understood why: that voice, no, that tone... that was a commanding officer's tone. Dashie was acting as if she was getting a dressing down from somepony like Spitfire, rather than a changeling she'd never met before. This wasn't Cricket, or even Mole Cricket, it was Commander Mole Cricket doing the talking right now... The Commander, now in full drill sergeant mode, continued, saying, "First off, you never launch a surprise attack from the front, because your target will see it a mile away! Attack from the back or sides only! Second, yelling at the top of your lungs gives away your position to the enemy, even if you are attacking from the back, and if you take the target by surprise, great job, now every enemy in earshot will know where you are, and be ready to do something about it! Third, and this is something that really ticks me off when I see it: DON'T LAUNCH AN AERIAL ATTACK WITH THE SUN AT YOUR BACK! What, you think that the enemy won't notice the great big shadow you're casting? Even if they can't see you clearly, they will know something is coming, and from where, and can just step out of the way! Now," Cricket said, his voice now icy with anger, instead of burning hot, "What have you got to say for yourself, maggot?" Dashie, as if she only now was able to move her lips, stammered out, "S-Sorry sir, wasn't thinking sir." Cricket growled out, "Well, I can believe that. NOW, DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY!!!" Rainbow Dash saluted, shouted "Sir, yes sir!" then started doing pushups, counting as she went. "Ummm, Cricket," Fluttershy said, when she found her voice. The changeling turned to face her, and she said, as gently as she could, "Your fangs are showing." Cricket raised a hoof to his lips, and for a second, he seemed confused, then he laughed as he realized what she meant. Your fangs are showing: You look like a monster, instead of a pony. Cricket nodded and, his voice more reasonably toned, said, "Right, sorry, I really should know better." He put a hoof on Rainbow Dash's back and said, "You can stop, miss. Sorry. I kinda lost my temper for a second." As though some kind of spell had broken, Dashie stopped, and asked, obviously confused, "What was I doing?" A great many things happened at once: Pinkie Pie started laughing, Rarity started laughing, Applejack started laughing, Twilight Sparkle started laughing, Rainbow Dash flushed with embarrassment, and Fluttershy started laughing. Twilight Sparkle smiled, and introduced the changeling to her friends. "Let me introduce you to my newest friend. This is Commander Mole Cricket, formerly of the changeling swarm. With Princess Celestia's, Luna's, Cadance's permission, as well as my own, he'll be staying in Ponyville for the time being. I hope you'll all join me in making him feel welcome." Cricket smiled sheepishly, and as personal introductions were made, Fluttershy ran her tongue over her teeth again, feeling for what she knew would be there. Yes, the fangs were back. They'd probably never go away completely, but she supposed she could live with that. It would never define who she was. That night, she wrote in her diary the following: A pair of sharp teeth doesn't make anypony, or anybuggy, a monster. Neither does a scary face, or anything else. Even the scariest looking creature in the world can have a heart of gold. It's who you are, not what you look like, that really matters.
Afterword, And AcknowledgementsThere's a lot of folks I want to thank, but I'm sorry to say that I don't know all of their names, since they're all you, the readers, all 1000+ of you, who've read this story, upvoted it, faved it, and decided to follow me to see what I do next. This was my first attempt at a story, and I am so glad to see it take off like it has. To answer some questions: Yes, I do plan on a sequel, after I complete the "Inter-quel" I have in progress. Yes, the link to the interquel is in the story description. Feel free to read it if you haven't already. The sequel should be interesting, but that's for a ways down the line, and a lot of stuff in it may not make sense unless you read the interquel as well, so feel free to read both, and re-read them. And comment. And upvote. And follow. And anything else you think might contribute. I ADORE FANART, SO FEEL FREE TO MAKE ME SOME!!! Finally, I do plan on submitting this story to Equestria Daily in a little while. I hadn't done so yet because I didn't realize you had to do it yourself. I just figured that stories kinda just appeared there by magic. I'm naive like that. ANYWAYS!!! Thank you for reading this story. I said it before, and I will say it again: I LOVE YOU ALL AS MUCH AS A RANDOM PERSON ON THE INTERNET CAN LOVE A LARGE NUMBER OF RANDOM PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET!!!
