Five Changelings In Equestria: The Changeling Knightby Bucking NonsenseChaptersThe Monster KnightA Long Road AheadGoodbye And HelloTransform And Roll OutAwkwardThe Monster Knight"Uh oh..." Commander Mole Cricket looked at the griffon chick staring at him, and knew that the game was up. Since his ejection from Canterlot, and subsequent landing in the freshly returned Crystal Empire, he'd spent the last few days in traction, only able to move one foreleg. He had been able to keep up the act of being a pegasus named Cricket who had ended up being blown in due to a heavy storm, but things had been difficult for him since his painful arrival. He was on some surprisingly effective pain meds, so he supposed that he couldn't complain too much about his discomfort, especially after slamming into the side of a building at ludicrous speed. The problem was, as a changeling, he could only maintain a disguise while conscious. If he was knocked out, or fell asleep, he'd automatically default to his normal appearance... and these meds made him really, really sleepy. Up until now, he'd been able to keep himself awake during the day, and slept only at night. However, it was incredibly boring, just laying back and watching the walls. There was nothing that he could do to occupy his time. The walls were a cold sterile white, with no photos. There was nothing he could do to entertain himself, really, and the staff were all so... gloomy. This insane level of tedium, combined with fatigue from his slowly healing body and the powerful medications he was on, finally took their toll, and he fell asleep. When he woke up, he saw that he was not alone. The griffon chick was still quite young, with big blue eyes and both fur and feathers of pure white. The youngster's eyes were wide, and seemed as surprised to see Cricket as he was to see her. Cricket braced himself for what was coming. There'd be a scream, and folks would come running, and before you knew it, there would be torches, pitchforks, the whole nine yards. And with him in traction, and unable to escape, it would not be pretty... However, instead of crying out, the child instead crawled up onto the changeling's hospital bed, curled into a little ball, and promptly went to sleep next to him. While surprised, and confused (could "Conprised" be a word? Or maybe "Surfused"?), Cricket wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. As gently as he could, he called up a disguise, putting himself back into the appearance he had chosen for himself: Brown coat, black mane and tail, with a cricket for a cutie mark. With that in place, so long as he remained awake, he'd be safe... he hoped. Almost immediately after reapplying his disguise, a nurse came rushing in, her expression panicked. "Have you seen..." she began, then stopped abruptly, seeing the youngster curled up beside Cricket and sleeping peacefully. "I don't believe it," the nurse said, clearly surprised. "She hasn't slept peacefully for more than a week, not since..." She abruptly stopped, not wanting to continue. Cricket had heard a lot about that: apparently, there had been some wizard who had made life a nightmare for the residents of the city. While he had suddenly vanished, his presence had left a terrible mark on the city. It took a little bit of urging to get the full story from the nurse. A group of youngsters like this one had been abducted by Sombra, the wizard who had ruled over this city. His reasons for doing so were unknown, but with the wizard's disappearance, it was uncertain what should be done: there was a severe snowstorm outside of the city, making communication with the outside world impossible at the moment. The youngsters were being kept at the hospital, it being the only place in the city that had the spacing and the staffing to watch over more than twenty children at once. However, just as Sombra had left the residents of the city in a state of terrible melancholy, he had left these children in a state of perpetual terror, a stark and terrible fear that haunted them all day, draining them of hope and joy, and stalked their dreams each night. "This is the first time I've seen any of them sleeping peacefully," the nurse concluded. "I don't know what it is you did, and I hate to impose upon you, but if you'd let her stay where she is for the time being, I'd be grateful." Cricket nodded, and asked, "You said there were more like this one?" The nurse nodded, and said, "Yes. There's more than twenty of them, of all sorts, from all sorts of places." Cricket deliberated inside his head, pondering what he should do. He needed to keep up the act, and since he looked like a pony, he needed to act like one as well. What would a pony do in this situation? After a moment, he said, "If you want, you can send them all in. Ah, and bring me something to read. I think they might sleep better after a bedtime story." The nurse, surprised, nodded and said, "Right away. I'll be back in a few minutes." After she left, Cricket thought on what his next step should be. Right now, if the youngster at his side woke up, he could probably explain away any sort of story she told about seeing a monster as just being bad dreams or from having been so tired for so long. But... If she'd seen a monster, why had she decided that his bed was the best place to take a nap? Did she think that he was so scary that he'd be able to frighten off this Sombra character if he came looking for her? While that might make sense, it didn't explain the slow, steady stream of love energy that the chick was pouring into him unconsciously. Since she'd seen the real him, he would have to keep her close until he was certain she wasn't going to rat him out. While it was somewhat risky, he supposed he'd need to watch over her... and on her little friends as well. A few minutes later, the nurse returned with a storybook, and followed by a small army of creatures. All of them were of different species. There was a minotaur, a sphinx, a worg, and more. Many, many more. There were creatures he couldn't even name, and as a changeling, he had not exactly lived what you would call a sheltered life, in spite of his youth. All of them, however, were young, and all of them seemed deeply depressed. If Cricket ever met this Sombra jerk, he promised himself that he would punch him. Hard. No one should ever do something like this to a bunch of kids. He realized, suddenly, just how young all of them were. The oldest, the minotaur, could not be older than eight years old. Sombra had kidnapped all of them, for whatever reasons he had, and had terrorized them to the point that even now, he haunted their nightmares... in spite of all of them being far too young to be any kind of threat to the wizard. Cricket amended his previous thought: if he ever met that evil enchanter, he'd dropkick the jerk right in his face. There was a cute little yawn, and the griffin woke up, and looked up at the changeling with big blue eyes. She was, he realized with a cold shock, only four years old. Alright, forget the punch, and the dropkick: neither one would be enough. If he ever met Sombra, he'd give him the granddaddy of all Tauren suplexes. After that, he'd work his way from there, until he ran out of moves, or he ran out of Sombra to use them on. He took a moment to calm himself down. It wouldn't do to scare the little ones. There'd been quite enough of that, thank you very much. Smiling, he looked down at the little griffin, and asked, "Did you enjoy your nap?" The little one nodded, smiling back. The nurse, with a slight smile and a nod, exited the room, leaving him alone with the children. After he was sure she was gone, he dropped his disguise. This was breaking a lot of rules. If even one of them screamed... Instead, he heard a chorus of "Woooooow"s. Thankfully, either they had never seen or heard of a changeling before, or they had, and didn't think he was dangerous, given the state he was in. Looking down at the little griffin, he couldn't help but ask her, "Why did you decide to take a nap in my bed, even after you saw that I was a scary monster?" Looking up at him with those big, innocent eyes, she said, with an adorable lisp, "You'we not a scawy monstah. I've seen what a scawy monstah wooks wike. His name was Sombwa. You don't wook anything wike him. You wook wike the biggest, stwongest, bwavest knight in the whole wide wohd." Cricket reached out with his good hoof, and placed it on top of the little griffin's head, and gave it a rub, setting the girl to giggling. Still smiling, he said, "You know, that may be the nicest thing anybirdy has ever said to me, ever." With a flick of his hoof, he opened the book that the nurse had set on the changeling's lap. "Now, who would like to hear a story?" There was a small forest of raised forelimbs. With a chuckle, Cricket began to read... "Once upon a time, there was a brave and handsome knight..." Later that night, Cricket looked at his reflection in a spoon that the nurse had left along with his dinner. He didn't know what part of him the little griffin chick thought looked like a knight. The changeling certainly wasn't handsome. Brave, perhaps, but not handsome: like any changeling, he looked like some sort of nightmare brought to life. In fact, the mere idea of a changeling being anything like a knight was ridiculous. But as he looked over the little ones asleep on little bedrolls on the floor (they had refused to leave the room, and had made quite a racket when the nurse had tried to insist), he couldn't help but think to himself that, if those stories he had read to the children were true, and a knight was somebuggy who would bravely and boldly ride out to rescue youngsters like these from an evil wizard... well, he couldn't think of a worthier goal in his life. And after Canterlot, he would need a new direction. While the queen had insisted upon full control of the Canterlot operation, and had refused to listen to any suggestion Cricket had made, she would, without a doubt, blame the entire mess that ensued solely on Cricket. He had served as commander, the military leader of the swarm, but had found out that, in spite of his own physical prowess and tactical skill, he may as well not have been there at all: the queen ran the show, and was terribly incompetent at it. A terrible actress, although nobuggy had the heart, or the guts, to tell her so, and even worse at commanding armies. Cricket had volunteered, upon becoming the youngest changeling in history to reach the lofty qualifications for the rank, only to find that it would normally have required the drawing of straws: you got the short straw, and you were the poor soul who had to serve as commander until the queen messed things up and blamed you for it. If he ever returned to the swarm, he'd be lucky if all he faced was was imprisonment or banishment: she'd likely have him extracted. He shuddered slightly. The worst of all fates: drained of all love, it meant you were alive, and not alive, forced to watch the world around you as a sort of living statue. A changeling could go mad within days after such a thing. Better, then, to remain in Equestria, and try to start a new life. Maybe it was just the meds talking, but he thought that becoming an Equestrian knight was a grand idea: he could very easily make history if he succeeded. Cricket wondered, idly, whether or not Equestria had any openings for the job. Well, whether or not they needed, or wanted, a new knight, they were going to get one... just as soon as he could walk again. A Long Road Ahead"So, how sure are we that this 'Cricket' character is a changeling?" As Princess Cadance and her husband, Prince Regent Shining Armor, enjoyed the carriage ride to the hospital (the carriage wasn't really necessary, but since it was only a day after Sombra's defeat, the Crystal Ponies were desperate to give their new ruler the 'royal' treatment as gratitude. Hopefully, the new would wear off soon, and they'd start treating her a little more like a normal pony...), Cadance smiled, then said, "Well, we'll have to actually meet him before we can make a decision, one way or the other. However, there's a great deal of evidence in favor of that conclusion." Shiny nodded, then said, "Right. Let's go over all of that one more time. I want to make sure I have it all straight." Cadance chuckled, then said, "Much of it is circumstantial: he arrived in the Crystal Empire at the same time it returned, which was the same day of the failed invasion. His injuries are consistent with having collided with a building at incredibly high speeds. Moreover, what information he'd given regarding his past is spotty, and some of it is inconsistent. Not surprising, given the amount of medication he's currently on: even an expert dissembler would have trouble keeping their facts straight in those conditions. In addition, there's a sizable lump of information from Ling. Remember her?" The knight chuckled, and nodded. Ling was hard to forget: Up until he had met that dear little lady, he'd been prepared to write off the entire changeling race as irredeemable. There were still elements that were, in fact, rotten to the core, but that little changeling, with a hug, a stick of chalk, and a blackboard, had helped change his mind. The little lost changeling had no useful knowledge regarding anything that might be considered of a military advantage, but she had obtained a complex understanding of the social structure of the entire hive. Inside of that adorable little package was a mind as sharp as a razor, and since she couldn't speak, she watched, and she listened, to everything going on around her. And she was, in spite of her disabilities, more than willing to gossip. "Well," Cadance continued, smiling at the memory, "In addition to having given us a veritable who's who in the aristocracy of the changeling swarm, she was able to give us a list of notable's within the commoner caste as well. And do you know what the name came at the very top of the list?" Shiny grinned, and asked, "Cricket?" Nodding a little more seriously, Cadance said, "Commander Mole "Seven Tricks" Cricket. Seven Tricks, I understand, is due to his exceptional physical prowess in seven different areas. Now, this is from a little lady who may have a serious crush on him, so I can't guarantee just how much of what she relayed is accurate, but if even half of it is true, then before he was promoted to commander, he had a service record that would be impressive on a twenty year veteran." Shining Armor raised an eyebrow at that: one of the things that had shocked Shiny was how early changelings started inducting their young into the military. That meant that Cricket had an earlier start, of course, but the idea of a fifteen-year old being THAT good was worrying. Imagine what he might do when he reaches adulthood... Cadance continued, her expression a little sad, "However, that stopped three years ago, when he became commander. It had been a lifelong dream of his to reach that rank, but when he got there, he was in for a terrible disappointment. Before the current queen, that rank was one to be proud of: it meant that you were a personal adviser to the queen herself, and had a direct hoof in running the hive, regardless of your birth. However, the current queen uses the role of commander as a scapegoat to cover up her own failures. The commander has no actual power over the running of the swarm, but when the queen fails, it's his fault." "Ouch," the knight said, wincing in sympathy. That couldn't have been fun to learn. "And given that the recent invasion was a complete and utter failure..." "If he returns to the swarm," Cadance said, nodding sadly, "He'll be given a severe punishment that he did nothing to deserve." That was a large part of why Shiny felt nothing but sympathy for the common changeling: lead by an incompetent monarch and a group of greedy aristocrats far more interested in maintaining the status quo than in improving the lot of the average changeling, the only reason why the commoners had not yet revolted was simply due to the fact that they didn't actually realize just how bad things were for them, compared to the rest of the world... "Which is why the plan, right now," Shiny asked, a wry grin on his face, "Is to offer him political asylum?" "Exactly." Once the carriage let them off at the hospital, Cadance and Shining Armor entered and approached the front desk. The building was... rustic. It had apparently been top of the line a thousand years ago, but... well, that was a thousand years ago. Enough said. One of the first orders of business in the days to come was to get the Crystal Empire caught up with the rest of Equestria... After the initial bowing, cheering, pledges of eternal loyalty and gratitude, Cadance asked the nurse at the front desk where 'Cricket' might be located. The nurse, an admittedly attractive brunette with a tan coat, answered, "Room 27, it's up three flights of stairs, at the end of the hall on your right, your highness." "Thank you," the princess said, then asked, almost as an afterthought, "Ah, and I understand that there's a number of youngsters staying here. I'll need to have a word with them as well. Where might they be?" The nurse giggled, and said, "Room 27, your highness. The children have grown rather attached to Mister Cricket. They won't hear a word about being put anyplace else, even if it means they have to camp out on the floor." Well, that was surprising... Shining Armor asked, "And, ah, how is Cricket doing?" "Well," the nurse admitted, "He could be better. He was mending quite nicely, up until yesterday." Cadance, an eyebrow raised, asked, "What happened yesterday?" The nurse chuckled, then, looking a little ashamed, said, "I really shouldn't laugh, but it is kind of funny. You see, he saw the king outside the window yesterday, just before his defeat, and after hearing all about what those kids had gone through, Mister Cricket got so angry that he forced himself out of bed, in spite of all of his injuries. He started making his way for the window, yelling something about pounding the fiend into the ground, head first. The children had to restrain him, as he was prepared to launch himself right out the window, in spite of the fact that he's in no shape to fly. Of course, the whole thing made his injuries worse, and pushed his recovery back at least another three weeks." No, THAT was surprising. But in his place, Shining Armor might well have done something similar... The nurse finished, saying, "He's resting comfortably now, and about this time, he should probably be reading to the children." The two nodded, then went upstairs... Once up the on the third floor, the princess and her husband could clearly hear someone enthusiastically telling a story... "...And so, after a long and perilous journey, brave Sir Sterling Silver confronted the villainous salamander, Piras, in it's lair. The dreaded beastlord bared its fangs, and roared it's fiery fury..." What followed next was a roar of such terrible fury that Shining Armor had to check himself before he dove for cover. In spite of knowing that it was just an imitation, it was a perfect match to the real thing. It was not a sound you forgot, and during his service in the guard, he'd heard that kind of roar more times than he'd like to remember. Cadance, on the other hoof, seemed unaffected, and in fact giggled. "No wonder he's so popular," she said, smiling wide. "It's hard to find a foalsitter who's willing to do the voices when they're reading a bedtime story." Shining Armor saw a young minotaur poke it's head out the doorway, then pop back into the room. He was certain that he heard a child's voice say, "Incoming..." "But the gallant knight was not deterred. The knight called out a challenge," the storyteller continued, then briefly slipped into a voice that sounded suspiciously like Shining Armor's, saying, "Have at thee, foul beast!" Returning to his normal tone, he said, "He drew forth his mighty weapon, and with a courageous charge, he struck down the villainous viper with a brutal blow from his legendary lance." There was an assortment of yays from inside the room. As Shining Armor and Princess Cadance entered the room, they saw a group of over twenty children, of various ages and species, gathered around a pegasus with a brown coat, and a black mane and tail, reclining in a hospital bed, both back legs, and one foreleg, in casts, and his body covered in bandages. The pegasus turned his head to see the visitors. Shining Armor was shocked by his youth. Being told that the changeling was ten years his junior was one thing: seeing it for himself was quite another. If his appearance now in anyway mirrored his actual appearance, he was still years away from his full growth. He'd have an impressive build in a few years... A cute little griffin with snow white fur and feathers, and startling blue eyes, nudged the pegasus gently, and said, "Finish the story, Cricket!" The cry was echoed by the other children. Cricket blushed, then turned back to the book, saying, "And so, our hero, after having rescued his fair bride, Princess Radiant Prism, the two returned home to their kingdom. Secure in the knowledge that he had, once and for all, saved his peaceful homeland from the depredations of the terrible fiend, and those that served the dread beast, the knight hung up his helm and armor, and retired. And they all lived happily ever after. The end." There was a thunderous applause, as the children expressed their delight at a story well told. Cricket blushed slightly, smiled at the assembled youngsters, then closed the book. He turned towards the two visitors and said, "Sorry. They get a little upset if I don't finish the story." "That's quite alright," Cadance said, a smile on her face. "I understand completely. And as one foalsitter to another, I have to say, you're an excellent storyteller." Cadance giggled as the compliment caused the changeling to blush. Her expression still quite pleasant, the princess said, "Mister Cricket, it is a pleasure to meet you: I've heard a great deal about you, and I find that you more than live up to the descriptions I've been given of you. I am princess Cadance, and this is my husband, Shining Armor. I need to have a talk with your young wards. My husband, on the other hoof, needs to have a word with you in private. Do you mind if I take them off your hooves while the two of you chat?" Cricket smiled, possibly in spite of himself, then shook his head, saying, "I don't mind, your highness. Just keep a close eye on them: if you don't, they'll get into all kinds of mischief." The princess giggled, as did the assembled youngsters, and after a minute or two, it was just the changeling and the knight... Mole Cricket looked up at the knight, and knew that he could very well be facing his own destruction. He sighed, then decided to just dispense with subterfuge. If he was serious about becoming a knight, then he'd have to start acting like one. Steeling himself, the changeling asked, "How much do you know?" The knight seemed stunned by the directness of the question, then nodded, and answered, "Enough to suspect you're a changeling. Given the circumstances, you did a pretty good job of keeping it under wraps, but nopony's perfect. Or is it 'nobuggy'?" With a wry chuckle, Cricket said, "It's nobuggy." He dropped the disguise, and asked, "So, how is this going down?" The knight's eyes widened, then, after a moment, said, "Well, right now, I thought we'd just talk. According to the doctors, you're not going to be getting out of that bed for a few weeks, and after that, there will be a lot of physical therapy before you'll be back on your own four hooves again. That means you've got plenty of time to decide what you want to do with yourself after." Laying back, the changeling asked, "After. Right. Well, regarding that, I have an idea, but before I start making any plans, I need to ask you a very serious question." Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, then said, "Oh? Well, fire away." Staring up at the ceiling, Cricket asked, "What, asides from a miracle, would need to happen if I wanted to become a knight?" This changeling was full of surprises. Shining Armor had expected a game of subterfuge and veiled questions with double meanings: a verbal game of cat and mouse, more or less, before reaching this point. Instead... Cricket was being almost brually direct. And that last question had nearly floored the knight... ...Yet at the same time, it was a perfect opportunity. Celestia had disclosed plans she'd formed, after meeting Ling and getting a lowdown on the inner workings of the swarm, about how it might be possible to 'steal' the commoner caste away from the queen and the aristocrats. A major portion of that plan required a sort of 'role model', an example that could be used to prove that in Equestria, a changeling would have the opportunity to become a productive citizen, and a valued member of society. Ling, as adorable as she was, would be a long-term project as this 'role-model'. Cricket, on the other hoof, was already well-respected among the commoner caste. If he became the 'role-model', it might be possible to execute those plans within a couple of years. It was still a long-term goal, but it cut the time it would take for things to come to fruition down by at least a decade... Raising an eyebrow, Shining Armor asked, "A knight, huh? Well, I won't say it's impossible. There are a few requirements to becoming a full-fledged knight. Ah, mind if I sit?" The changeling gestured with his free hoof to a nearby chair, and said, "Feel free." Shining Armor pulled the chair over, and sat. "Well," he continued, "Knighthood like you'll find in those storybooks has changed a bit since those stories were written. In those days, a knight was typically just a noblecolt who rode out on the orders of their ruler to go and solve problems, or lead armies in battle. Now, while these days, a pony might get knighted just for having performed a great service to the throne, that's an honorary title: it usually doesn't grant any sort of rank, or any of the responsibilities, that you're probably thinking of." Clearing his throat, the knight made a dismissive gesture, and said, "Those aren't what you're looking for, I think." The changeling nodded. "Right. Now, there are multiple orders of knighthood throughout Equestria, and the rest of the world, but most of the modern orders have the same basic requirements. First, they require endorsement: somepony who is already a knight, or is well respected by one of those orders, has to recommend you. Once that happens, you're considered a 'squire', essentially a knight in training. Depending upon which order you are in, you might end up being a squire for several years before you move to the next step, but a lot of that will depend upon what kind of test they have for moving up to the next rank, and how many candidates they allow to move up each year. Do you follow me so far?" Cricket nodded, and said, "I think so. The next step?" Shining Armor nodded, then said, "The next step up comes after you've completed the training portion, and it's decided that you might be up to the task of becoming a full-fledged knight. At that point, you are appointed a knight-probationary. That means that you're given all the authority, and responsibility, of a knight, but it can be taken away if you mess things up, and you can be overridden by a full-fledged knight, if one is on-hoof. Essentially, it's a test to prove that you're worthy of becoming a knight, not just in terms of physical prowess, but in character as well. I won't lie to you, this means that you'll be expected to do a lot of dirty work: tracking down wanted criminals, the kind that normal law enforcement is ill-equipped to deal with; capturing dangerous monsters that are terrorizing the countryside; even performing dangerous missions in time of war. If you prove you can not only meet, but exceed, the expectations of your rank, all that remains will be another endorsement by one or more individuals of note, and you'll be granted full knighthood." Cricket cocked his head to one side, then asked, "It's that simple?" "Well," Shining Armor coughed uncomfortably, then said, "It sounds simple, but it can take years to accomplish. Like a said, a lot of it depends on you. But just because you've gained full knighthood doesn't mean the road stops there: there are multiple ranks within any order of knighthood. Even the most basic orders will often have at least three, and some have five or more. For many, attaining knighthood isn't a goal, but the first step towards higher aspirations. And it's possible to be a member in good standing within multiple orders of knighthood. There are veterans out there who are members of five orders of knighthood, or more." "In all honesty," the changeling said, smiling, "Just getting my hoof in the door of one of those orders could be a lifetime's worth of work." Smiling in response, Shining Armor said, "Well, don't sell yourself short. While there are a few orders of knighthood that are a bit old-fashioned regarding who gets to join, there are more than a few out there that would see a changeling aspiring to their ranks as a chance to help make history. I mean, they won't just grant you knighthood if you ask for it, but they'll give you a fair shot." The knight's ear twitched as he heard a noise outside. "We'll have to cut this short: your fanclub is on it's way up. My main reason for speaking to you today was to ask if you'd be interested in asylum here in Equestria, and from the sound of it, you're more than willing, I take it?" His expression grim, Cricket nodded, and said, "Definitely. There's nothing left for me back with the swarm." "I'd heard something similar myself," Shining Armor said. "So, we'll continue this conversation another day. For now, focus on recovering. You've got a long road ahead of you, and you'll need all your strength to walk it." Goodbye And Hello"Alright, everyone, gather around." Mole Cricket looked at the collection of youngsters around him. No two of them looked alike: different species, different ages, and different nations of origin. Yet each and every one of them was now a dear friend... and it was time to say goodbye. In the weeks that had followed his interview with Shining Armor, the changeling had steadily mended, in no small part due to the constant stream of love energy that radiated from the Crystal Heart. While he had refrained from 'burning' love to accelerate his healing, it's well known that, regardless of your species, being well fed will always help you heal more quickly. And the fact that he had twenty plus little friends to keep him in good spirits had certainly not hurt. But with winter over, and the various arrangements made for each of these youngsters to return home having been finalized, it was time for everyone to return home. Changelings can't cry, but they can wish that they could. Looking at all of the faces staring at him, tears in their eyes, Cricket began, "We all knew this would happen one day. You all have your own lives to live, and while I certainly enjoy your company, I understand that keeping you all here in my hospital room would be selfish: you all need to go out there and brighten up someone else's life. You'll need to leave soon, so I'll try to keep this brief." Looking over to the young minotaur in the group, Cricket said, "Phil, if you don't stop putting ketchup on everything you eat, you're going to turn into a tomato. That is a prophecy." This got an assortment of giggles from the assembled children, and a blush from Phil, whose love for ketchup bordered on the absurd. "There is a wide world of condiments out there, so find a few others and add them to the list. Don't be afraid to change things up a little: variety is the spice of life." Turning over to the young warg, the changeling said, "Mut-Wolf, you are capable of great things." At this, the diminutive wolf cub's ears perked up: he was small for his age, and wasn't very strong or brave. In fact, he was a little bit of a crybaby. "You may be small now, but I know you'll grow up to be something spectacular. The only failure is in accepting failure. Find something that you want to dedicate your life to, and apply yourself to it with all your heart. Never let anyone tell you that you can't be great. The only thing that can hold you back is yourself. Courage is all you really need." Addressing the worg in the group, Cricket smiled and said, "Gwallgofrwydd, no, Wally, you need to tone it down a bit. There's being a bit wild, and there's being a maniac. Right now, you're beyond maniacal." This got a big laugh from everyone, even from the black-coated, red eyed worg. Worgs are well known for being wild, but Wally was so far beyond that he could be considered a caricature of a caricature of a worg. "But you shouldn't tone it down too far: the best solution, sometimes, is an insane solution. We're never going to survive unless we get a little crazy." "Miw-Sher," Cricket began, turning over to a young sphinx. The young lady immediately began to hide her face bashfully behind one of her wings. "Kitten, you don't need to hide your face, just because you don't have any makeup. You don't need it to make yourself look beautiful. Kohl around the eyes, blush on your cheeks, lipstick on your lips, you don't need any of that: you're beautiful just the way you are, and putting anything over that lovely face of yours would be a crime." The sphinx promptly dropped her wing, and smiled angelically. That young lady would be a heartbreaker when she grew up... On and on, it went. It took the better part of an hour to cover everyone, but he did it. Finally, he reached the end of the list. "Oh, Alex, Alex, Alex," he said, then sighed theatrically. "What are we going to do with you?" The snow white griffin blushed, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink. "You refuse to sleep anywhere other than right here in my bed, and worse, you hog the covers, and insist on borrowing my pillow. You won't eat your vegetables, and I know for a fact that you're the one who keeps stealing my dessert. Just because I don't eat it doesn't mean you can take it without asking, you know?" The griffin was now blushing incandescent. Cricket continued, now on a roll. "You snore. Did you know that? I mean, it's a cute little snore, but still. You kick when you're having a good dream, and with your claws, a kick can be really uncomfortable. You lisp, even though we both know you only do it to get attention. But the thing that really worries me is the fact that you won't go to sleep without a goodnight hug from me." With a weary sigh, Cricket said, "In fact, you can't seem to go fifteen minutes without a hug from me, or you start sniffling and crying, and let me tell you, there's nothing sadder in the whole wide world than a crying little griffin chick. Worse, when you're sad, I feel sad. So, in order to keep you from crying all the time, I got you something." Cricket reached behind his pillow, and pulled out a stuffed toy, a brown and white bunny doll. It was fluffy, with little button eyes and nose. It was, in a word, adorable. It had taken days to get it stitched together in secret while Alex was asleep, or while she was out of the room, but the look on the griffin's face at this moment made it worthwhile. "This," the changeling said, grinning, "Is the Huggabunny. I've stuffed him with as many hugs as I thought that he could safely hold." That wasn't quite true: the bunny was stuffed with fluff, not hugs. However, upon completing the creation, he had given the toy a good, long hug, which was just as good, he thought. "So," he continued, "Whenever you feel you need a hug from me, hug the bunny." Alex did so, smiling cheerfully. "Now, I don't know how long a hug can last, but I'm sure they can keep for a good long time. However, the next time we see each other, if it seems like the hugs are getting a little stale, let me know: I'll swap them out with some fresh ones." This got a lot of laughs from the assembled children, but Alex nodded seriously: for a four-year-old, that made perfect sense. Alex abruptly turned her head, then whistled. A nurse walked in, carrying a small bunny rabbit on her back. Grinning, Alex said, "I got you a gift, too. This is Miss Bunny Wunny Cuddlewumpus." The assembled children giggled at that, but the griffin continued unabashed. "You never seem to sweep, er, sleep well without me cuddled up next to you, so I got you something nice, warm, and fwuffy that you can use to take my place." The bunny promptly jumped off of the nurse's back, and hugged Cricket's face energetically. Apparently, Alex had chosen a natural born cuddler... Cricket, blushing bright blue, said, "Ah, thank you Alex, I really do appreciate this. Ummm, I'm not sure about the name..." There was no way he could use that name in public... Alex, tears welling up in her eyes, asked, "You don't wike it?" Ah, Cricket's one weakness: he was a complete pushover when it came to children, girls, and anything cute... "...I wuv it," Cricket said, hugging the bunny enthusiastically. He'd have to learn to live with that, he supposed... There were cheers that followed, then hugs, laughs, and tears, but a few minutes after that, the children filed out, one by one, until Cricket was alone in his hospital room, feeding his new pet a carrot. Miss Bunny really was an adorable little thing... There was a knock on the door. Cricket looked up, and saw an earth pony walk in, a knapsack upon his back. The pony in question was... striking. He was tall, well built, with a great deal of tone to his muscles, in spite of being a bit old. With a grey coat and a white mane and tail, the pony could be anywhere between forty and sixty. But what really struck the changeling was something that he had trouble defining. This pony had... presence: if he walked into a room, everyone would turn to look. If he spoke, everyone would stop to listen. It may have just been the fact that he had an impressive moustache (a good moustache can have authority all on it's own), but Cricket abruptly wished that he could stand at attention. Sadly, while his foreleg was out of the sling, his legs were still in traction... "I," the pony began, in a strong, clear voice that set his prodigious handlebar moustache shaking dramatically, "Am Stainless Steel. Shining Armor sent me to have a talk with you. Do you mind if I sit?" Cricket shook his head, and said, "I don't mind one bit." The pony nodded gratefully, then pulled up a chair. Before sitting down, he closed the door, then said, "Shining Armor already briefed me regarding your, ah, unique condition. If it would make you feel more comfortable, you can dispense with the disguise." Cricket nodded gratefully, then dropped the disguise. After wearing it for so long, it was getting to where it was starting to feel like a second skin... Steel nodded, then said, "Shining Armor informed me that you were planning on remaining in Equestria for the duration, and that you had certain aspirations towards knighthood after your recovery was complete. Is that correct?" Cricket nodded. "Capital. Now, there are certain protocols that will have to be observed, before you can be considered qualified to become a squire, your first step in that direction. Since you're currently injured, and will have considerable physical therapy afterwards, the physical portions of the examination will have to wait until after you are fully healed. However, the assessments regarding your mental acuity and psychological state can be done in the meantime." Cricket nodded, petting the bunny. Over the last few weeks, Shining Armor had popped in from time to time to check on the changeling. During those visits, the subject of knighthood had come up now and again. The unicorn had briefed the changeling on the major points: while physical prowess was important, the most important part was the psychological examination: a knight had a great deal of power, not just in terms of physical might, but also in military authority, and in politics as well. As such, before somepony was considered for knighthood, they had to undergo a battery of tests to make certain that they were capable of handling that responsibility... and were unlikely to abuse it. Steel smiled, and said, "Now, given the fact that you are a changeling, the tests that you will need to go through will require a bit of reassessment: it would be unfair to expect you to be knowledgeable about Equestrian history, or culture, at this juncture. You will, of course, be expected to catch up, but for now, the tests you'll be given will be a bit more abstract than the norm. After the tests, books will be brought in for you to study, so that you can be caught up while you recover, and I will see to it that tutors will be brought in to help you in catching up with any subjects that you are found to be having any difficulty with." This surprised the changeling a bit: he'd expected to have some difficulty in those fields, and that he'd probably have to explain, more than once, that he'd had little to no formal education, at least as a pony would understand it. The fact that somepony had already thought that far ahead was surprising... The earth pony stood up, grabbed a table, then pulled it over to where it would stand between the changeling and himself. Pulling out his knapsack, the pony set a curious device upon the table: it was a square, subdivided into a set of black and white squares. Afterwards, the pony pulled out a set of small black and white figurines, and began setting them upon the squares in some sort of configuration. "In the meantime," Steel said, as he continued, "We can get started with something a bit less... formal. I thought we might begin with a few games of chess." Cricket, now thoroughly lost, asked, "What's chess?" That evening, Shining Armor and Stainless Steel sat on the balcony overlooking the Crystal Empire, watching the sunset turn the city into a thousand glittering diamonds. Shining Armor, his expression one of pure surprise, asked, "He'd never heard of chess before today?" Stainless Steel, Knight Grand Cross of the Order Of The Crown, Knight Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Golden Cloak, nodded, chuckling. "Yes. It gave me a bit of a surprise myself. Nearly every other culture in the world plays chess, or some version of it, but apparently, changelings have almost no understanding of board games. I had to teach him the entire game today." Shining Armor chuckled himself. Steel was an avid chess player, and he'd often stated that you could tell a great deal about somepony based upon how they played the game. The fact that, when he turned thirty, he had earned the rank of grandmaster, and his cutie mark was a knight chess piece besides, spoke volumes for Steel's skill in the game. "So," Shiny asked, grinning, "How did he do?" "Surprisingly well," the older knight admitted, smiling. "The first three games, he did about as well as an amateur could be expected to do when playing against an expert. After that, he began to improve significantly. By our fifth game, he'd really started getting a feel for it. He won our seventh game, although it was a hard fought victory, and I intentionally passed on a move that would have turned the game in my favor. I'll be heading over tomorrow, and we'll continue from there. I feel he has a strong understanding of the game now, and in a few more rounds, he'll start developing strategies of his own. From there, I should be able to assess his grasp of strategic thinking, and get an overall feel for his mindset." The younger knight nodded. Chess strategy, while not strictly necessary, wasn't a bad thing for the changeling to learn. If the changeling had aspirations for knighthood, he'd definitely need to demonstrate that he had not only the ability to lead others, but the ability to lead others well: many well known strategists in Equestria were also avid players of the game. "I will admit," Steel said, with a rueful chuckle, "That it is a pity that he has decided to become a knight." Shining Armor raised an eyebrow at that, and asked, "Oh? Why's that?" Stainless Steel laughed, then said, "Think on it, boy. In less than a day, he was able to learn the game well enough to challenge a ranked grandmaster. Even if I was going easy on him, that is no small accomplishment. If he decided to dedicate himself fully to the game, instead of to knighthood, he could easily become a grandmaster himself." Author's Note So you won't have to look it up yourself, 'Mut-Wolf' is German for Courage Wolf, 'Gwallgofrwydd' is Welsh (I think that's right, anyways) for Insanity, and Miw-Sher is Egyptian for kitten. So yes, I put baby Courage Wolf and Insanity Wolf in my story. I'm still working on a way to fit Grumpy Cat into one of the others. Transform And Roll Out"He went for a walk?" Stainless Steel was more than a little surprised to hear that: Cricket's hind legs were both still in casts, and they weren't due to come off for another three weeks. The changeling was expected to be bed-ridden for the remainder of that time, after which, his physical therapy would start. "Well," the nurse said, "Maybe walk is the wrong word. We just received our first shipment of modern medical supplies, and included in that shipment were a half-dozen wheelchairs. After the doctor confirmed that the breaks in his legs were healed enough that he could be taken out of traction, we thought that it might be a good idea to let him take one of the wheelchairs out for a spin. He's spent his entire stay in the city bedridden, so he jumped at the chance to get some fresh air. He'll be back later this afternoon." After a moment's thought, the nurse asked, "Um, that's not a problem, is it?" The knight smiled, and said, "No problem at all. He's earned a little bit of time to himself. When he comes back, let him know that I'll come by this evening." It felt so good to feel the breeze on his carapace. He was finally out of bed, and in the fresh air, even if it was in a wheelchair. As he watched Miss Bunny cavort in the park, he gave a contented sigh and relaxed. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to be outside. If he'd not been injured, he wouldn't have minded going for a flight... Fluttershy asked, nervously, "How long do you think she'll be gone?" Celestia, watching the mirror with an expression of concern, said, "It is difficult to say. Time moves differently between worlds, and her task is not a simple one: she could be back right away, or not until the last moment. But we must have faith that Twilight Sparkle will return with her crown." "Ah still wish that we could have gone in there with her," Applejack said, frowning. "It ain't right, her having to go in there on her own." Luna, still restraining Pinkie Pie from playing with the mystical doorway between worlds, said, "I admit, I am not comfortable with this, myself. We know almost nothing about the world on the other side. It might have been better to send at least a couple of guards with her." Celestia sighed, then said, "If there was anything truly dangerous on the other side of the portal, I sincerely doubt that Sunset Shimmer would have been so quick to return. More importantly, the more who are sent through, the greater the likelihood of their discovery. It would be best if the portal remained a secret, if at all possible, to anyone who lives there." Smiling, Celestia added, "And while I admit that I am a little worried, I am confident that she will be just fine." Pinkie Pie, still held in midair, asked, "Oh, so you're worrident?" Rolling her eyes, Rainbow Dash said, "Pinkie Pie, you know that's not a real word. Neither is nervicited." Pinkie Pie stuck out her tongue, then said, "Says you. Give it time. You'll see." Chuckling, Celestia said, "Well, it is likely that Twilight will be some time before she returns. Rather than sitting here, watching the mirror, why don't you five go for a walk around the city? In spite of this being your third visit, you've really not had a chance to see the Crystal Empire. Take the day, and come back this evening. Luna and I will come and get you if Twilight Sparkle comes back before then." Rarity, after a moment's thought said, "Well, while I would normally be the first for a tour of the Crystal Empire, I wouldn't feel right, just walking out without any of us here to welcome her back." Pinkie Pie, now hovering upside down, said, "Oooh, oooh, I have an idea!" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and said, sarcastically, "This ought to be good. What's your idea?" Grinning, Pinkie Pie said, "If we go out two at a time, and are only gone for two hours each, that would mean three of us would be here to welcome Twilight when she gets back, and whoever goes out will probably be back well before Twilight does." Rainbow Dash looked as if she was going to argue, then reconsidered, and said, "That's... actually not a bad idea." Pinkie Pie giggled, as Luna put the pink pony back on her hooves gently. "So," Pinkie asked, still smiling cheerfully "Who wants to go first? The first two to go out ended up being Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Dashie, because she felt an urge to get some exercise, and Fluttershy because nopony else really wanted to go first. Well, Fluttershy hadn't wanted to, either, but... After the left the palace, Rainbow said, "Well, I'm gonna hit the skies and stretch my wings for a bit. What are you going to do?" Fluttershy said, a bit nervously, "I thought I might go for a walk in the park, if that's okay..." She hated being the center of attention, and given that there weren't many ponies flying in the city right now, being airborne was a sure way to get everypony looking at her... Dashie said, "The park? That's cool. I'll meet you there in an hour and a half... if that's okay with you?" Fluttershy nodded, relieved, and said, "That'll be fine. I'll see you then." Ah, it was such a beautiful day. Cricket had seen nothing but sunny days since the day he'd arrived in the Crystal Empire. He'd overheard that rainstorms weren't scheduled to start for another week or so: it seemed that Sombra'd done something to the soil, which had made planting a bit difficult. However, that problem had finally cleared up, and once the seeds were in, a new weather schedule would be implemented. Bunny had apparently found a wild carrot, and was enthusiastically working to dig it up. Well, more power to her. He'd initially had some concerns about keeping the little bunny fed, but his conversations with Stainless Steel had revealed that, once he began his training for knighthood, the changeling would be entitled to a stipend for personal expenses. While Cricket's needs were few, it would be nice to know that he'd be able to take care of the little rabbit. It would have broken Alex's little heart if the changeling had been forced to give up the little bunny rabbit, regardless of the reason. Such a nice day. It would be great to take a little nap... Cricket had forgotten just how sleepy his pain medications made him, and how quickly they could knock him out. Almost without realizing it, he nodded off. A few minutes later, Fluttershy couldn't believe what she was seeing: there was a changeling, sitting in a wheelchair, in a park in the middle of the Crystal Empire. The main reasons why she'd not cried out for the guards immediately was because, firstly, the changeling was fast asleep. Second, it was clear that he was pretty badly injured, given that both his hindlegs were in casts. Third, and this was perhaps the most important: there was an adorable bunny atop his head, inspecting a carrot. While dirty, the vegetable was extremely large, nearly twice the creature's size. Apparently, the little rabbit had just dug it up out of the ground. The bunny's expression of bliss made it clear that she couldn't be happier with her prize. After a moment, the rabbit snapped out of its reverie, and turned to look at Fluttershy. Walking up behind the changeling, Fluttershy, her voice as soft as she could manage (and for Fluttershy, that was extremely soft), asked, "Is he your keeper?" She tried not to use the terms 'owner' or 'master' when talking to pets: both terms could be demeaning. 'Keeper', however, was safe, since it meant that the owner was a 'keeper': someone you wouldn't want to let get away. The bunny nodded, matter-of-factly. She then lifted up the carrot, and, with surprising strength, brought it down hard on the changeling's head with an audible 'Thwack'. The changeling started awake, rubbing his head where the carrot had hit him, and, seeing his forelegs, seemed to realize he was out of disguise. With a green flash, he put on the appearance of a pegasus with a brown coat and a short black mane. After looking around to see if anypony was watching, the changeling let out a sigh of relief, and said, "Well, at least no one is staring me in the face this time." He lifted his forelegs up and picked up the bunny, and put her in his lap. "You know, you didn't have to be so rough." The little rabbit giggled, and then handed the carrot to Cricket. "Oh," the disguised changeling said, chuckling. "You found a big one! You want to get it cleaned off?" The bunny nodded enthusiastically. "Okay. I think we passed a fountain on the way here," he said, with a nod. "We'll roll on over and give it a good rinse." Without further warning, he turned the wheelchair around, and abruptly came face to face with Fluttershy. Fluttershy flinched back with a sudden gasp. The changeling's reaction, on the other hoof, was surprising, and a bit more extreme: With an abrupt, startled shout, he flinched, causing the wheelchair to tilt back dangerously. He pinwheeled his forelegs frantically, trying to right himself, and might have succeeded, had the bunny not leapt off of his head, and on to Fluttershy's. Suddenly unbalanced further, the chair fell, and he landed on his back with an 'Ooof'. For a moment, the pegasus and the changeling were completely silent. Fluttershy broke the silence, asking, "Ummm, are you alright?" The changeling answered, "I'm fine." After a moment, he asked, "Ah, would you mind giving me a hoof up? While there's a time and place for cloud-watching, this probably isn't it." "Oh, yes, of course," Fluttershy said, scrambling to assist him. After a bit of effort, she was able to assist him in getting the wheelchair up in it's proper position. "There we go," she said, smiling. The changeling smiled in return, and said, "Thanks. Ah, my name's Cricket." He held out a hoof. Fluttershy, after a moment's hesitation, took it and shook it. "Fluttershy. It's very nice to meet you." "Likewise," Cricket said. After a moment, he asked, still smiling, "So, ah, how much did you see?" "Enough," Fluttershy admitted, nervously. Sighing loudly, Cricket said, "I thought so." After a moment, he raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Well, aren't you going to run and get the guards?" It seemed, after he said that, as though he was holding his breath, waiting for her response. After a moment, Fluttershy shook her head. She really didn't see a reason to: the changeling didn't seem like a threat to her, or to anypony else, really. She'd have to tell Princess Celestia, of course, but that could wait a little while. Letting out the breath he'd been holding, Cricket said, "Well, that's a relief. I'd really hate to have to try and outrun an angry mob today..." Suddenly, his pet bunny jumped back up on his head and smacked him with the carrot again. Rubbing his head, the changeling said, "Ow! What was that for?" The bunny dangled the carrot in front of his eyes. "And that couldn't wait five minutes?" The bunny pulled the carrot back up, and raised it as though to swing again. "Fine! Fine, have it your way." Turning back to Fluttershy, the changeling said, "Well, Miss Fluttershy, it was a pleasure to meet you, but I'm afraid I need to get this carrot cleaned off, or else I may end up with drain bamage." Giggling, Fluttershy said, "I can see that." After a moment's thought, she said, "You know, I could take care of that for you. That is, if you don't mind." His eyes widening in surprise, Cricket asked, "You could? I... I'd really appreciate that." The little rabbit, after a moment's hesitation, handed over the carrot. Fluttershy took the carrot, and flew off to a nearby fountain she had spotted on her way to the park. As she flew back, she briefly wondered if the changeling would still be there when she got back... Awkward"And what was that all about?" Miss Bunny, sitting in Cricket's lap, looked up at her keeper, and smiled winsomely. The effect was almost instantaneous: The stern expression upon his face melted away, and an almost ridiculous look of adoration came over his face. After a moment, the changeling regained control of himself, then said, "Don't think that, just because you're cute, that I'm going to forget about what you did with that carrot." The little bunny giggled, then gave her keeper a hug. She'd more or less figured her master out on day one, and she knew his one weakness: He was completely powerless against cuteness. Whether it was from a darling child, an adorable pet... or an attractive young mare, Mole Cricket was powerless in the face of overwhelming cuteness. She could get away with just about anything, so long as she looked up at him, wiggled her little button nose, and gave him the big, soulful eyes. Patting the little bunny on the head, Cricket said, "Alright, enough of that. I have a reputation as a big, scary monster to maintain. If anyone sees me cuddling with a little bunny rabbit, I'll never hear the end of it." Miss Bunny Wunny Cuddlewumpus looked over Cricket's shoulder and giggled, a sound echoed by the mare standing behind him. "Oh, don't worry, you're secret's safe with me," Fluttershy said, smiling. Cricket turned the chair around carefully, turning to face a mare now carrying a clean carrot. Nodding gratefully, the changeling said, "That was surprisingly fast." Blushing, Fluttershy admitted, "Well, my friend Rainbow Dash wants me to be part of her team for the Equestrian Games coming up. Ever since she saw how fast I could become after just a few days of practice, she's been working me as hard as she could to get me ready in time..." She gave a little nervous giggle, then handed over the carrot. Miss Bunny, with a gracious nod, took the carrot, and promptly went to town on it. With the ferocity with which she mangled the carrot, one would have thought that she'd been waiting eight moons for it to arrive, rather than five minutes... "She's a wonderful little dear," the mare said with a giggle. "She reminds me a little of my Angel Bunny." With a nervous laugh, Cricket said, "Thank you. She was a gift from a friend." After a moment of awkward silence, Fluttershy asked the question that Cricket knew that she was eventually going to ask... "So, what are you doing here?" With a sigh, Cricket admitted, "After Canterlot, I was launched here. I had the 'good fortune' to be the first one to discover the Crystal Empire's return... when I collided into the side of a building that wasn't there five seconds before." Gesturing at his back legs, still in casts, he added, "As you can see, it wasn't an easy landing. I've spent the entire time afterwards in the hospital, recovering. It will be a couple more weeks before I can walk again, and a bit of physical therapy will be needed before I'm back to my old self." Meanwhile, Miss Bunny had managed to go through half of the carrot already, and was showing no signs of stopping, or even of slowing down... Holding a hoof up to her mouth, the mare said, "Oh my goodness, that's terrible!" Shrugging, Cricket said, "It's not so bad. I'm on medication for the pain, so I don't feel anything. Besides, I've seen my share of action, so I'm not a stranger to getting something broken." Still a little horrified, Fluttershy admitted, "Well, whether you're used to it or not, its still a horrible thing to happen to you." Ah, he'd certainly not meant to upset her. Life in the swarm was hard, and injuries were a part of that, especially if you were a soldier. He'd forgotten how soft the lives of ponies could be... With a snort, the disguised changeling said, "I'll say. Still, any landing you can walk away from... oh, wait, right." With a chuckle, he said, "You know what I meant." Giggling in spite of herself, Fluttershy said, "Yes. Well, if you're well enough to be able to laugh about it, you're well on your way to a full recovery." Nodding, Cricket said, "I hope so. Today's the first day I've been outdoors since my arrival. I admit, I was going to go stir crazy soon if I didn't get some fresh air soon." Looking at the position of the sun, he added, "Although unfortunately, it seems I should be heading back: My medications will be wearing off soon, and when they do, I won't be quite as pleasant company as I am now." Miss Bunny, having just finished a carrot larger than herself, belched contentedly, and then began getting settled in for a nap. "Well, we certainly don't want that," Fluttershy said, smiling. "Would you like for me to roll you back?" After a moment's hesitation, he admitted, "I would certainly appreciate it." "Thank you for bringing me back," Cricket said, a few minutes later. "My pleasure," Fluttershy said, as she pushed him into the hospital. They'd not spoken since leaving the park, although it had not, surprisingly, been an uncomfortable silence. Rather, it had been strangely pleasant, walking with him. It had just been the sort of comfortable silence shared when two individuals didn't have anything they needed to say. "I expect I'll be having company later today," Cricket said, after a moment's hesitation, "And I expect you're probably busy. But, um, if you wanted to come by sometime tomorrow, I would appreciate the company." Well, that was... surprisingly forward of him. Fluttershy blushed a little bit, before she realized that, what with his current state, any company would have been welcome, mare or stallion. It couldn't possibly be fun, laying in bed all day... "Well, I can't say what all might happen tomorrow," Fluttershy admitted, "but if I have the time, I see if I can come by for a visit." Well, she didn't have much else she could do until Twilight came back anyways, and he was surprisingly pleasant company, changeling or not. Besides, she was more than a little curious about him, and the rest of his kind. Ever since the Canterlot Wedding, it had almost seemed as if the changelings had vanished off the face of the planet... "Thank you," the changeling said, the cheeks of his disguise a little red. Fluttershy could not help but wonder if that was a cosmetic effect of his disguise, or if under his disguise, he was blushing as well. Honestly, given how little she knew about changelings, Fluttershy could not even say whether changelings could blush or not. She knew so much about animals, about ponies, and even about the various non-pony, yet still sapient, creatures of the world. And yet, she knew practically nothing about an entire race of creatures who had, just weeks before, had stormed into Equestria with the intent to conquer the entire country. And having met one face to face, an individual not only polite and well-spoken, but with an enjoyable sense of humor as well, she couldn't help but wonder now what their reasons for doing so might have been. Maybe Princess Celestia could help shine some light on that subject.... "I'm sorry to say that I must be going," Fluttershy admitted, then said, "But if I can, I'll come and see you tomorrow." With a bow (A surprising feat for someone in a wheelchair), Cricket said, "I'll be here, Miss Fluttershy." "There you are!" Flutteshy flinched as Rainbow Dash loudly dived down, landing right beside her. Inwardly, she sighed at the rainbow-maned mare's spectacular arrival. Dashie was one of her dearest friends, and she'd not ask her to change anything about herself, but she swore that sometimes her friend was constantly putting on a performance for an audience that only she could see. "I was looking all over for you," Dashie said, panting slightly from exertion as they began walking back to the palace. "Where were you?" "Oh, I met someone at the park, and we talked for a little bit," Fluttershy said, careful to avoid lying, but also careful to avoid saying anything that might have upset Rainbow Dash. In her own way, Dashie was as prone to panic as Fluttershy was. It was mostly her reaction to that emotion that was different: While Flutteshy tended to cringe, Dashie tended to get angry when startled. If Fluttershy mentioned the fact that she had met a changeling today, Rainbow would be in the hospital, dragging Cricket out of bed and on his way to the nearest guard station, before Fluttershy managed to add that he was hospitalized and not a threat to anyone. There had been enough of a panic in the days right after the invasion. Fluttershy was going to keep this a secret until she knew more, and knew her friend wasn't going to freak out when she heard the full story. "Afterwards, I wheeled him back to the hospital where he's staying." Rainbow Dash, surprised, asked, "Was he sick?" "Injured," Fluttershy answered quickly, then added, "He, um, accidentally discovered the Crystal Empire had returned when he hit the side of a building here. He's been recovering ever since then." "Bit of an odd place to be flying, this far north," Dashie observed. Most ponies would assume that, just because she was an athlete, the mare wasn't all that bright. While Fluttershy couldn't say for certain just how smart her friend was, Rainbow Dash could be surprisingly observant at times. "Was he doing recon or something?" Now this next part was a little tricky, but Fluttershy was able to say, honestly, "He was blown here unexpectedly, and couldn't regain control of his flight before he got here." She didn't add that he was blown here by Cadance and Shining Armor's combined magic, so of course the natural assumption was... "Well, it wouldn't be the first time a strong wind blew a pegasus a long ways off-course," Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle. "And once you're this far north, the cold can make it hard for even an awesome flier like me." Giving Fluttershy a sly look, she asked, "So, your new coltfriend have a name?" Blushing bright red, Fluttershy nearly lost her composure completely. Coltfriend? Really? She'd only just me him today! It took her a moment to realize that Dashie was just teasing her. After a moment, Fluttershy said, "His name is Cricket, and he's not my coltfriend. But, um, I will be seeing him tomorrow, if there's time." Shrugging, Rainbow Dash said, "Well, whatever you want to do is your business. Just keep in mind that we might be leaving the day after. So, if you want to keep in touch with him, you might want to ask for his address when you see him next." Flutteshy nodded mutely, not certain if she could trust herself to speak right now. She'd honestly not thought that far ahead, but... After Dashie's little tease a moment ago, Fluttershy couldn't help but wonder if maybe... No, a changeling and a pony? How could that ever work out?
The Monster Knight"Uh oh..." Commander Mole Cricket looked at the griffon chick staring at him, and knew that the game was up. Since his ejection from Canterlot, and subsequent landing in the freshly returned Crystal Empire, he'd spent the last few days in traction, only able to move one foreleg. He had been able to keep up the act of being a pegasus named Cricket who had ended up being blown in due to a heavy storm, but things had been difficult for him since his painful arrival. He was on some surprisingly effective pain meds, so he supposed that he couldn't complain too much about his discomfort, especially after slamming into the side of a building at ludicrous speed. The problem was, as a changeling, he could only maintain a disguise while conscious. If he was knocked out, or fell asleep, he'd automatically default to his normal appearance... and these meds made him really, really sleepy. Up until now, he'd been able to keep himself awake during the day, and slept only at night. However, it was incredibly boring, just laying back and watching the walls. There was nothing that he could do to occupy his time. The walls were a cold sterile white, with no photos. There was nothing he could do to entertain himself, really, and the staff were all so... gloomy. This insane level of tedium, combined with fatigue from his slowly healing body and the powerful medications he was on, finally took their toll, and he fell asleep. When he woke up, he saw that he was not alone. The griffon chick was still quite young, with big blue eyes and both fur and feathers of pure white. The youngster's eyes were wide, and seemed as surprised to see Cricket as he was to see her. Cricket braced himself for what was coming. There'd be a scream, and folks would come running, and before you knew it, there would be torches, pitchforks, the whole nine yards. And with him in traction, and unable to escape, it would not be pretty... However, instead of crying out, the child instead crawled up onto the changeling's hospital bed, curled into a little ball, and promptly went to sleep next to him. While surprised, and confused (could "Conprised" be a word? Or maybe "Surfused"?), Cricket wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. As gently as he could, he called up a disguise, putting himself back into the appearance he had chosen for himself: Brown coat, black mane and tail, with a cricket for a cutie mark. With that in place, so long as he remained awake, he'd be safe... he hoped. Almost immediately after reapplying his disguise, a nurse came rushing in, her expression panicked. "Have you seen..." she began, then stopped abruptly, seeing the youngster curled up beside Cricket and sleeping peacefully. "I don't believe it," the nurse said, clearly surprised. "She hasn't slept peacefully for more than a week, not since..." She abruptly stopped, not wanting to continue. Cricket had heard a lot about that: apparently, there had been some wizard who had made life a nightmare for the residents of the city. While he had suddenly vanished, his presence had left a terrible mark on the city. It took a little bit of urging to get the full story from the nurse. A group of youngsters like this one had been abducted by Sombra, the wizard who had ruled over this city. His reasons for doing so were unknown, but with the wizard's disappearance, it was uncertain what should be done: there was a severe snowstorm outside of the city, making communication with the outside world impossible at the moment. The youngsters were being kept at the hospital, it being the only place in the city that had the spacing and the staffing to watch over more than twenty children at once. However, just as Sombra had left the residents of the city in a state of terrible melancholy, he had left these children in a state of perpetual terror, a stark and terrible fear that haunted them all day, draining them of hope and joy, and stalked their dreams each night. "This is the first time I've seen any of them sleeping peacefully," the nurse concluded. "I don't know what it is you did, and I hate to impose upon you, but if you'd let her stay where she is for the time being, I'd be grateful." Cricket nodded, and asked, "You said there were more like this one?" The nurse nodded, and said, "Yes. There's more than twenty of them, of all sorts, from all sorts of places." Cricket deliberated inside his head, pondering what he should do. He needed to keep up the act, and since he looked like a pony, he needed to act like one as well. What would a pony do in this situation? After a moment, he said, "If you want, you can send them all in. Ah, and bring me something to read. I think they might sleep better after a bedtime story." The nurse, surprised, nodded and said, "Right away. I'll be back in a few minutes." After she left, Cricket thought on what his next step should be. Right now, if the youngster at his side woke up, he could probably explain away any sort of story she told about seeing a monster as just being bad dreams or from having been so tired for so long. But... If she'd seen a monster, why had she decided that his bed was the best place to take a nap? Did she think that he was so scary that he'd be able to frighten off this Sombra character if he came looking for her? While that might make sense, it didn't explain the slow, steady stream of love energy that the chick was pouring into him unconsciously. Since she'd seen the real him, he would have to keep her close until he was certain she wasn't going to rat him out. While it was somewhat risky, he supposed he'd need to watch over her... and on her little friends as well. A few minutes later, the nurse returned with a storybook, and followed by a small army of creatures. All of them were of different species. There was a minotaur, a sphinx, a worg, and more. Many, many more. There were creatures he couldn't even name, and as a changeling, he had not exactly lived what you would call a sheltered life, in spite of his youth. All of them, however, were young, and all of them seemed deeply depressed. If Cricket ever met this Sombra jerk, he promised himself that he would punch him. Hard. No one should ever do something like this to a bunch of kids. He realized, suddenly, just how young all of them were. The oldest, the minotaur, could not be older than eight years old. Sombra had kidnapped all of them, for whatever reasons he had, and had terrorized them to the point that even now, he haunted their nightmares... in spite of all of them being far too young to be any kind of threat to the wizard. Cricket amended his previous thought: if he ever met that evil enchanter, he'd dropkick the jerk right in his face. There was a cute little yawn, and the griffin woke up, and looked up at the changeling with big blue eyes. She was, he realized with a cold shock, only four years old. Alright, forget the punch, and the dropkick: neither one would be enough. If he ever met Sombra, he'd give him the granddaddy of all Tauren suplexes. After that, he'd work his way from there, until he ran out of moves, or he ran out of Sombra to use them on. He took a moment to calm himself down. It wouldn't do to scare the little ones. There'd been quite enough of that, thank you very much. Smiling, he looked down at the little griffin, and asked, "Did you enjoy your nap?" The little one nodded, smiling back. The nurse, with a slight smile and a nod, exited the room, leaving him alone with the children. After he was sure she was gone, he dropped his disguise. This was breaking a lot of rules. If even one of them screamed... Instead, he heard a chorus of "Woooooow"s. Thankfully, either they had never seen or heard of a changeling before, or they had, and didn't think he was dangerous, given the state he was in. Looking down at the little griffin, he couldn't help but ask her, "Why did you decide to take a nap in my bed, even after you saw that I was a scary monster?" Looking up at him with those big, innocent eyes, she said, with an adorable lisp, "You'we not a scawy monstah. I've seen what a scawy monstah wooks wike. His name was Sombwa. You don't wook anything wike him. You wook wike the biggest, stwongest, bwavest knight in the whole wide wohd." Cricket reached out with his good hoof, and placed it on top of the little griffin's head, and gave it a rub, setting the girl to giggling. Still smiling, he said, "You know, that may be the nicest thing anybirdy has ever said to me, ever." With a flick of his hoof, he opened the book that the nurse had set on the changeling's lap. "Now, who would like to hear a story?" There was a small forest of raised forelimbs. With a chuckle, Cricket began to read... "Once upon a time, there was a brave and handsome knight..." Later that night, Cricket looked at his reflection in a spoon that the nurse had left along with his dinner. He didn't know what part of him the little griffin chick thought looked like a knight. The changeling certainly wasn't handsome. Brave, perhaps, but not handsome: like any changeling, he looked like some sort of nightmare brought to life. In fact, the mere idea of a changeling being anything like a knight was ridiculous. But as he looked over the little ones asleep on little bedrolls on the floor (they had refused to leave the room, and had made quite a racket when the nurse had tried to insist), he couldn't help but think to himself that, if those stories he had read to the children were true, and a knight was somebuggy who would bravely and boldly ride out to rescue youngsters like these from an evil wizard... well, he couldn't think of a worthier goal in his life. And after Canterlot, he would need a new direction. While the queen had insisted upon full control of the Canterlot operation, and had refused to listen to any suggestion Cricket had made, she would, without a doubt, blame the entire mess that ensued solely on Cricket. He had served as commander, the military leader of the swarm, but had found out that, in spite of his own physical prowess and tactical skill, he may as well not have been there at all: the queen ran the show, and was terribly incompetent at it. A terrible actress, although nobuggy had the heart, or the guts, to tell her so, and even worse at commanding armies. Cricket had volunteered, upon becoming the youngest changeling in history to reach the lofty qualifications for the rank, only to find that it would normally have required the drawing of straws: you got the short straw, and you were the poor soul who had to serve as commander until the queen messed things up and blamed you for it. If he ever returned to the swarm, he'd be lucky if all he faced was was imprisonment or banishment: she'd likely have him extracted. He shuddered slightly. The worst of all fates: drained of all love, it meant you were alive, and not alive, forced to watch the world around you as a sort of living statue. A changeling could go mad within days after such a thing. Better, then, to remain in Equestria, and try to start a new life. Maybe it was just the meds talking, but he thought that becoming an Equestrian knight was a grand idea: he could very easily make history if he succeeded. Cricket wondered, idly, whether or not Equestria had any openings for the job. Well, whether or not they needed, or wanted, a new knight, they were going to get one... just as soon as he could walk again.
A Long Road Ahead"So, how sure are we that this 'Cricket' character is a changeling?" As Princess Cadance and her husband, Prince Regent Shining Armor, enjoyed the carriage ride to the hospital (the carriage wasn't really necessary, but since it was only a day after Sombra's defeat, the Crystal Ponies were desperate to give their new ruler the 'royal' treatment as gratitude. Hopefully, the new would wear off soon, and they'd start treating her a little more like a normal pony...), Cadance smiled, then said, "Well, we'll have to actually meet him before we can make a decision, one way or the other. However, there's a great deal of evidence in favor of that conclusion." Shiny nodded, then said, "Right. Let's go over all of that one more time. I want to make sure I have it all straight." Cadance chuckled, then said, "Much of it is circumstantial: he arrived in the Crystal Empire at the same time it returned, which was the same day of the failed invasion. His injuries are consistent with having collided with a building at incredibly high speeds. Moreover, what information he'd given regarding his past is spotty, and some of it is inconsistent. Not surprising, given the amount of medication he's currently on: even an expert dissembler would have trouble keeping their facts straight in those conditions. In addition, there's a sizable lump of information from Ling. Remember her?" The knight chuckled, and nodded. Ling was hard to forget: Up until he had met that dear little lady, he'd been prepared to write off the entire changeling race as irredeemable. There were still elements that were, in fact, rotten to the core, but that little changeling, with a hug, a stick of chalk, and a blackboard, had helped change his mind. The little lost changeling had no useful knowledge regarding anything that might be considered of a military advantage, but she had obtained a complex understanding of the social structure of the entire hive. Inside of that adorable little package was a mind as sharp as a razor, and since she couldn't speak, she watched, and she listened, to everything going on around her. And she was, in spite of her disabilities, more than willing to gossip. "Well," Cadance continued, smiling at the memory, "In addition to having given us a veritable who's who in the aristocracy of the changeling swarm, she was able to give us a list of notable's within the commoner caste as well. And do you know what the name came at the very top of the list?" Shiny grinned, and asked, "Cricket?" Nodding a little more seriously, Cadance said, "Commander Mole "Seven Tricks" Cricket. Seven Tricks, I understand, is due to his exceptional physical prowess in seven different areas. Now, this is from a little lady who may have a serious crush on him, so I can't guarantee just how much of what she relayed is accurate, but if even half of it is true, then before he was promoted to commander, he had a service record that would be impressive on a twenty year veteran." Shining Armor raised an eyebrow at that: one of the things that had shocked Shiny was how early changelings started inducting their young into the military. That meant that Cricket had an earlier start, of course, but the idea of a fifteen-year old being THAT good was worrying. Imagine what he might do when he reaches adulthood... Cadance continued, her expression a little sad, "However, that stopped three years ago, when he became commander. It had been a lifelong dream of his to reach that rank, but when he got there, he was in for a terrible disappointment. Before the current queen, that rank was one to be proud of: it meant that you were a personal adviser to the queen herself, and had a direct hoof in running the hive, regardless of your birth. However, the current queen uses the role of commander as a scapegoat to cover up her own failures. The commander has no actual power over the running of the swarm, but when the queen fails, it's his fault." "Ouch," the knight said, wincing in sympathy. That couldn't have been fun to learn. "And given that the recent invasion was a complete and utter failure..." "If he returns to the swarm," Cadance said, nodding sadly, "He'll be given a severe punishment that he did nothing to deserve." That was a large part of why Shiny felt nothing but sympathy for the common changeling: lead by an incompetent monarch and a group of greedy aristocrats far more interested in maintaining the status quo than in improving the lot of the average changeling, the only reason why the commoners had not yet revolted was simply due to the fact that they didn't actually realize just how bad things were for them, compared to the rest of the world... "Which is why the plan, right now," Shiny asked, a wry grin on his face, "Is to offer him political asylum?" "Exactly." Once the carriage let them off at the hospital, Cadance and Shining Armor entered and approached the front desk. The building was... rustic. It had apparently been top of the line a thousand years ago, but... well, that was a thousand years ago. Enough said. One of the first orders of business in the days to come was to get the Crystal Empire caught up with the rest of Equestria... After the initial bowing, cheering, pledges of eternal loyalty and gratitude, Cadance asked the nurse at the front desk where 'Cricket' might be located. The nurse, an admittedly attractive brunette with a tan coat, answered, "Room 27, it's up three flights of stairs, at the end of the hall on your right, your highness." "Thank you," the princess said, then asked, almost as an afterthought, "Ah, and I understand that there's a number of youngsters staying here. I'll need to have a word with them as well. Where might they be?" The nurse giggled, and said, "Room 27, your highness. The children have grown rather attached to Mister Cricket. They won't hear a word about being put anyplace else, even if it means they have to camp out on the floor." Well, that was surprising... Shining Armor asked, "And, ah, how is Cricket doing?" "Well," the nurse admitted, "He could be better. He was mending quite nicely, up until yesterday." Cadance, an eyebrow raised, asked, "What happened yesterday?" The nurse chuckled, then, looking a little ashamed, said, "I really shouldn't laugh, but it is kind of funny. You see, he saw the king outside the window yesterday, just before his defeat, and after hearing all about what those kids had gone through, Mister Cricket got so angry that he forced himself out of bed, in spite of all of his injuries. He started making his way for the window, yelling something about pounding the fiend into the ground, head first. The children had to restrain him, as he was prepared to launch himself right out the window, in spite of the fact that he's in no shape to fly. Of course, the whole thing made his injuries worse, and pushed his recovery back at least another three weeks." No, THAT was surprising. But in his place, Shining Armor might well have done something similar... The nurse finished, saying, "He's resting comfortably now, and about this time, he should probably be reading to the children." The two nodded, then went upstairs... Once up the on the third floor, the princess and her husband could clearly hear someone enthusiastically telling a story... "...And so, after a long and perilous journey, brave Sir Sterling Silver confronted the villainous salamander, Piras, in it's lair. The dreaded beastlord bared its fangs, and roared it's fiery fury..." What followed next was a roar of such terrible fury that Shining Armor had to check himself before he dove for cover. In spite of knowing that it was just an imitation, it was a perfect match to the real thing. It was not a sound you forgot, and during his service in the guard, he'd heard that kind of roar more times than he'd like to remember. Cadance, on the other hoof, seemed unaffected, and in fact giggled. "No wonder he's so popular," she said, smiling wide. "It's hard to find a foalsitter who's willing to do the voices when they're reading a bedtime story." Shining Armor saw a young minotaur poke it's head out the doorway, then pop back into the room. He was certain that he heard a child's voice say, "Incoming..." "But the gallant knight was not deterred. The knight called out a challenge," the storyteller continued, then briefly slipped into a voice that sounded suspiciously like Shining Armor's, saying, "Have at thee, foul beast!" Returning to his normal tone, he said, "He drew forth his mighty weapon, and with a courageous charge, he struck down the villainous viper with a brutal blow from his legendary lance." There was an assortment of yays from inside the room. As Shining Armor and Princess Cadance entered the room, they saw a group of over twenty children, of various ages and species, gathered around a pegasus with a brown coat, and a black mane and tail, reclining in a hospital bed, both back legs, and one foreleg, in casts, and his body covered in bandages. The pegasus turned his head to see the visitors. Shining Armor was shocked by his youth. Being told that the changeling was ten years his junior was one thing: seeing it for himself was quite another. If his appearance now in anyway mirrored his actual appearance, he was still years away from his full growth. He'd have an impressive build in a few years... A cute little griffin with snow white fur and feathers, and startling blue eyes, nudged the pegasus gently, and said, "Finish the story, Cricket!" The cry was echoed by the other children. Cricket blushed, then turned back to the book, saying, "And so, our hero, after having rescued his fair bride, Princess Radiant Prism, the two returned home to their kingdom. Secure in the knowledge that he had, once and for all, saved his peaceful homeland from the depredations of the terrible fiend, and those that served the dread beast, the knight hung up his helm and armor, and retired. And they all lived happily ever after. The end." There was a thunderous applause, as the children expressed their delight at a story well told. Cricket blushed slightly, smiled at the assembled youngsters, then closed the book. He turned towards the two visitors and said, "Sorry. They get a little upset if I don't finish the story." "That's quite alright," Cadance said, a smile on her face. "I understand completely. And as one foalsitter to another, I have to say, you're an excellent storyteller." Cadance giggled as the compliment caused the changeling to blush. Her expression still quite pleasant, the princess said, "Mister Cricket, it is a pleasure to meet you: I've heard a great deal about you, and I find that you more than live up to the descriptions I've been given of you. I am princess Cadance, and this is my husband, Shining Armor. I need to have a talk with your young wards. My husband, on the other hoof, needs to have a word with you in private. Do you mind if I take them off your hooves while the two of you chat?" Cricket smiled, possibly in spite of himself, then shook his head, saying, "I don't mind, your highness. Just keep a close eye on them: if you don't, they'll get into all kinds of mischief." The princess giggled, as did the assembled youngsters, and after a minute or two, it was just the changeling and the knight... Mole Cricket looked up at the knight, and knew that he could very well be facing his own destruction. He sighed, then decided to just dispense with subterfuge. If he was serious about becoming a knight, then he'd have to start acting like one. Steeling himself, the changeling asked, "How much do you know?" The knight seemed stunned by the directness of the question, then nodded, and answered, "Enough to suspect you're a changeling. Given the circumstances, you did a pretty good job of keeping it under wraps, but nopony's perfect. Or is it 'nobuggy'?" With a wry chuckle, Cricket said, "It's nobuggy." He dropped the disguise, and asked, "So, how is this going down?" The knight's eyes widened, then, after a moment, said, "Well, right now, I thought we'd just talk. According to the doctors, you're not going to be getting out of that bed for a few weeks, and after that, there will be a lot of physical therapy before you'll be back on your own four hooves again. That means you've got plenty of time to decide what you want to do with yourself after." Laying back, the changeling asked, "After. Right. Well, regarding that, I have an idea, but before I start making any plans, I need to ask you a very serious question." Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, then said, "Oh? Well, fire away." Staring up at the ceiling, Cricket asked, "What, asides from a miracle, would need to happen if I wanted to become a knight?" This changeling was full of surprises. Shining Armor had expected a game of subterfuge and veiled questions with double meanings: a verbal game of cat and mouse, more or less, before reaching this point. Instead... Cricket was being almost brually direct. And that last question had nearly floored the knight... ...Yet at the same time, it was a perfect opportunity. Celestia had disclosed plans she'd formed, after meeting Ling and getting a lowdown on the inner workings of the swarm, about how it might be possible to 'steal' the commoner caste away from the queen and the aristocrats. A major portion of that plan required a sort of 'role model', an example that could be used to prove that in Equestria, a changeling would have the opportunity to become a productive citizen, and a valued member of society. Ling, as adorable as she was, would be a long-term project as this 'role-model'. Cricket, on the other hoof, was already well-respected among the commoner caste. If he became the 'role-model', it might be possible to execute those plans within a couple of years. It was still a long-term goal, but it cut the time it would take for things to come to fruition down by at least a decade... Raising an eyebrow, Shining Armor asked, "A knight, huh? Well, I won't say it's impossible. There are a few requirements to becoming a full-fledged knight. Ah, mind if I sit?" The changeling gestured with his free hoof to a nearby chair, and said, "Feel free." Shining Armor pulled the chair over, and sat. "Well," he continued, "Knighthood like you'll find in those storybooks has changed a bit since those stories were written. In those days, a knight was typically just a noblecolt who rode out on the orders of their ruler to go and solve problems, or lead armies in battle. Now, while these days, a pony might get knighted just for having performed a great service to the throne, that's an honorary title: it usually doesn't grant any sort of rank, or any of the responsibilities, that you're probably thinking of." Clearing his throat, the knight made a dismissive gesture, and said, "Those aren't what you're looking for, I think." The changeling nodded. "Right. Now, there are multiple orders of knighthood throughout Equestria, and the rest of the world, but most of the modern orders have the same basic requirements. First, they require endorsement: somepony who is already a knight, or is well respected by one of those orders, has to recommend you. Once that happens, you're considered a 'squire', essentially a knight in training. Depending upon which order you are in, you might end up being a squire for several years before you move to the next step, but a lot of that will depend upon what kind of test they have for moving up to the next rank, and how many candidates they allow to move up each year. Do you follow me so far?" Cricket nodded, and said, "I think so. The next step?" Shining Armor nodded, then said, "The next step up comes after you've completed the training portion, and it's decided that you might be up to the task of becoming a full-fledged knight. At that point, you are appointed a knight-probationary. That means that you're given all the authority, and responsibility, of a knight, but it can be taken away if you mess things up, and you can be overridden by a full-fledged knight, if one is on-hoof. Essentially, it's a test to prove that you're worthy of becoming a knight, not just in terms of physical prowess, but in character as well. I won't lie to you, this means that you'll be expected to do a lot of dirty work: tracking down wanted criminals, the kind that normal law enforcement is ill-equipped to deal with; capturing dangerous monsters that are terrorizing the countryside; even performing dangerous missions in time of war. If you prove you can not only meet, but exceed, the expectations of your rank, all that remains will be another endorsement by one or more individuals of note, and you'll be granted full knighthood." Cricket cocked his head to one side, then asked, "It's that simple?" "Well," Shining Armor coughed uncomfortably, then said, "It sounds simple, but it can take years to accomplish. Like a said, a lot of it depends on you. But just because you've gained full knighthood doesn't mean the road stops there: there are multiple ranks within any order of knighthood. Even the most basic orders will often have at least three, and some have five or more. For many, attaining knighthood isn't a goal, but the first step towards higher aspirations. And it's possible to be a member in good standing within multiple orders of knighthood. There are veterans out there who are members of five orders of knighthood, or more." "In all honesty," the changeling said, smiling, "Just getting my hoof in the door of one of those orders could be a lifetime's worth of work." Smiling in response, Shining Armor said, "Well, don't sell yourself short. While there are a few orders of knighthood that are a bit old-fashioned regarding who gets to join, there are more than a few out there that would see a changeling aspiring to their ranks as a chance to help make history. I mean, they won't just grant you knighthood if you ask for it, but they'll give you a fair shot." The knight's ear twitched as he heard a noise outside. "We'll have to cut this short: your fanclub is on it's way up. My main reason for speaking to you today was to ask if you'd be interested in asylum here in Equestria, and from the sound of it, you're more than willing, I take it?" His expression grim, Cricket nodded, and said, "Definitely. There's nothing left for me back with the swarm." "I'd heard something similar myself," Shining Armor said. "So, we'll continue this conversation another day. For now, focus on recovering. You've got a long road ahead of you, and you'll need all your strength to walk it."
Goodbye And Hello"Alright, everyone, gather around." Mole Cricket looked at the collection of youngsters around him. No two of them looked alike: different species, different ages, and different nations of origin. Yet each and every one of them was now a dear friend... and it was time to say goodbye. In the weeks that had followed his interview with Shining Armor, the changeling had steadily mended, in no small part due to the constant stream of love energy that radiated from the Crystal Heart. While he had refrained from 'burning' love to accelerate his healing, it's well known that, regardless of your species, being well fed will always help you heal more quickly. And the fact that he had twenty plus little friends to keep him in good spirits had certainly not hurt. But with winter over, and the various arrangements made for each of these youngsters to return home having been finalized, it was time for everyone to return home. Changelings can't cry, but they can wish that they could. Looking at all of the faces staring at him, tears in their eyes, Cricket began, "We all knew this would happen one day. You all have your own lives to live, and while I certainly enjoy your company, I understand that keeping you all here in my hospital room would be selfish: you all need to go out there and brighten up someone else's life. You'll need to leave soon, so I'll try to keep this brief." Looking over to the young minotaur in the group, Cricket said, "Phil, if you don't stop putting ketchup on everything you eat, you're going to turn into a tomato. That is a prophecy." This got an assortment of giggles from the assembled children, and a blush from Phil, whose love for ketchup bordered on the absurd. "There is a wide world of condiments out there, so find a few others and add them to the list. Don't be afraid to change things up a little: variety is the spice of life." Turning over to the young warg, the changeling said, "Mut-Wolf, you are capable of great things." At this, the diminutive wolf cub's ears perked up: he was small for his age, and wasn't very strong or brave. In fact, he was a little bit of a crybaby. "You may be small now, but I know you'll grow up to be something spectacular. The only failure is in accepting failure. Find something that you want to dedicate your life to, and apply yourself to it with all your heart. Never let anyone tell you that you can't be great. The only thing that can hold you back is yourself. Courage is all you really need." Addressing the worg in the group, Cricket smiled and said, "Gwallgofrwydd, no, Wally, you need to tone it down a bit. There's being a bit wild, and there's being a maniac. Right now, you're beyond maniacal." This got a big laugh from everyone, even from the black-coated, red eyed worg. Worgs are well known for being wild, but Wally was so far beyond that he could be considered a caricature of a caricature of a worg. "But you shouldn't tone it down too far: the best solution, sometimes, is an insane solution. We're never going to survive unless we get a little crazy." "Miw-Sher," Cricket began, turning over to a young sphinx. The young lady immediately began to hide her face bashfully behind one of her wings. "Kitten, you don't need to hide your face, just because you don't have any makeup. You don't need it to make yourself look beautiful. Kohl around the eyes, blush on your cheeks, lipstick on your lips, you don't need any of that: you're beautiful just the way you are, and putting anything over that lovely face of yours would be a crime." The sphinx promptly dropped her wing, and smiled angelically. That young lady would be a heartbreaker when she grew up... On and on, it went. It took the better part of an hour to cover everyone, but he did it. Finally, he reached the end of the list. "Oh, Alex, Alex, Alex," he said, then sighed theatrically. "What are we going to do with you?" The snow white griffin blushed, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink. "You refuse to sleep anywhere other than right here in my bed, and worse, you hog the covers, and insist on borrowing my pillow. You won't eat your vegetables, and I know for a fact that you're the one who keeps stealing my dessert. Just because I don't eat it doesn't mean you can take it without asking, you know?" The griffin was now blushing incandescent. Cricket continued, now on a roll. "You snore. Did you know that? I mean, it's a cute little snore, but still. You kick when you're having a good dream, and with your claws, a kick can be really uncomfortable. You lisp, even though we both know you only do it to get attention. But the thing that really worries me is the fact that you won't go to sleep without a goodnight hug from me." With a weary sigh, Cricket said, "In fact, you can't seem to go fifteen minutes without a hug from me, or you start sniffling and crying, and let me tell you, there's nothing sadder in the whole wide world than a crying little griffin chick. Worse, when you're sad, I feel sad. So, in order to keep you from crying all the time, I got you something." Cricket reached behind his pillow, and pulled out a stuffed toy, a brown and white bunny doll. It was fluffy, with little button eyes and nose. It was, in a word, adorable. It had taken days to get it stitched together in secret while Alex was asleep, or while she was out of the room, but the look on the griffin's face at this moment made it worthwhile. "This," the changeling said, grinning, "Is the Huggabunny. I've stuffed him with as many hugs as I thought that he could safely hold." That wasn't quite true: the bunny was stuffed with fluff, not hugs. However, upon completing the creation, he had given the toy a good, long hug, which was just as good, he thought. "So," he continued, "Whenever you feel you need a hug from me, hug the bunny." Alex did so, smiling cheerfully. "Now, I don't know how long a hug can last, but I'm sure they can keep for a good long time. However, the next time we see each other, if it seems like the hugs are getting a little stale, let me know: I'll swap them out with some fresh ones." This got a lot of laughs from the assembled children, but Alex nodded seriously: for a four-year-old, that made perfect sense. Alex abruptly turned her head, then whistled. A nurse walked in, carrying a small bunny rabbit on her back. Grinning, Alex said, "I got you a gift, too. This is Miss Bunny Wunny Cuddlewumpus." The assembled children giggled at that, but the griffin continued unabashed. "You never seem to sweep, er, sleep well without me cuddled up next to you, so I got you something nice, warm, and fwuffy that you can use to take my place." The bunny promptly jumped off of the nurse's back, and hugged Cricket's face energetically. Apparently, Alex had chosen a natural born cuddler... Cricket, blushing bright blue, said, "Ah, thank you Alex, I really do appreciate this. Ummm, I'm not sure about the name..." There was no way he could use that name in public... Alex, tears welling up in her eyes, asked, "You don't wike it?" Ah, Cricket's one weakness: he was a complete pushover when it came to children, girls, and anything cute... "...I wuv it," Cricket said, hugging the bunny enthusiastically. He'd have to learn to live with that, he supposed... There were cheers that followed, then hugs, laughs, and tears, but a few minutes after that, the children filed out, one by one, until Cricket was alone in his hospital room, feeding his new pet a carrot. Miss Bunny really was an adorable little thing... There was a knock on the door. Cricket looked up, and saw an earth pony walk in, a knapsack upon his back. The pony in question was... striking. He was tall, well built, with a great deal of tone to his muscles, in spite of being a bit old. With a grey coat and a white mane and tail, the pony could be anywhere between forty and sixty. But what really struck the changeling was something that he had trouble defining. This pony had... presence: if he walked into a room, everyone would turn to look. If he spoke, everyone would stop to listen. It may have just been the fact that he had an impressive moustache (a good moustache can have authority all on it's own), but Cricket abruptly wished that he could stand at attention. Sadly, while his foreleg was out of the sling, his legs were still in traction... "I," the pony began, in a strong, clear voice that set his prodigious handlebar moustache shaking dramatically, "Am Stainless Steel. Shining Armor sent me to have a talk with you. Do you mind if I sit?" Cricket shook his head, and said, "I don't mind one bit." The pony nodded gratefully, then pulled up a chair. Before sitting down, he closed the door, then said, "Shining Armor already briefed me regarding your, ah, unique condition. If it would make you feel more comfortable, you can dispense with the disguise." Cricket nodded gratefully, then dropped the disguise. After wearing it for so long, it was getting to where it was starting to feel like a second skin... Steel nodded, then said, "Shining Armor informed me that you were planning on remaining in Equestria for the duration, and that you had certain aspirations towards knighthood after your recovery was complete. Is that correct?" Cricket nodded. "Capital. Now, there are certain protocols that will have to be observed, before you can be considered qualified to become a squire, your first step in that direction. Since you're currently injured, and will have considerable physical therapy afterwards, the physical portions of the examination will have to wait until after you are fully healed. However, the assessments regarding your mental acuity and psychological state can be done in the meantime." Cricket nodded, petting the bunny. Over the last few weeks, Shining Armor had popped in from time to time to check on the changeling. During those visits, the subject of knighthood had come up now and again. The unicorn had briefed the changeling on the major points: while physical prowess was important, the most important part was the psychological examination: a knight had a great deal of power, not just in terms of physical might, but also in military authority, and in politics as well. As such, before somepony was considered for knighthood, they had to undergo a battery of tests to make certain that they were capable of handling that responsibility... and were unlikely to abuse it. Steel smiled, and said, "Now, given the fact that you are a changeling, the tests that you will need to go through will require a bit of reassessment: it would be unfair to expect you to be knowledgeable about Equestrian history, or culture, at this juncture. You will, of course, be expected to catch up, but for now, the tests you'll be given will be a bit more abstract than the norm. After the tests, books will be brought in for you to study, so that you can be caught up while you recover, and I will see to it that tutors will be brought in to help you in catching up with any subjects that you are found to be having any difficulty with." This surprised the changeling a bit: he'd expected to have some difficulty in those fields, and that he'd probably have to explain, more than once, that he'd had little to no formal education, at least as a pony would understand it. The fact that somepony had already thought that far ahead was surprising... The earth pony stood up, grabbed a table, then pulled it over to where it would stand between the changeling and himself. Pulling out his knapsack, the pony set a curious device upon the table: it was a square, subdivided into a set of black and white squares. Afterwards, the pony pulled out a set of small black and white figurines, and began setting them upon the squares in some sort of configuration. "In the meantime," Steel said, as he continued, "We can get started with something a bit less... formal. I thought we might begin with a few games of chess." Cricket, now thoroughly lost, asked, "What's chess?" That evening, Shining Armor and Stainless Steel sat on the balcony overlooking the Crystal Empire, watching the sunset turn the city into a thousand glittering diamonds. Shining Armor, his expression one of pure surprise, asked, "He'd never heard of chess before today?" Stainless Steel, Knight Grand Cross of the Order Of The Crown, Knight Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Golden Cloak, nodded, chuckling. "Yes. It gave me a bit of a surprise myself. Nearly every other culture in the world plays chess, or some version of it, but apparently, changelings have almost no understanding of board games. I had to teach him the entire game today." Shining Armor chuckled himself. Steel was an avid chess player, and he'd often stated that you could tell a great deal about somepony based upon how they played the game. The fact that, when he turned thirty, he had earned the rank of grandmaster, and his cutie mark was a knight chess piece besides, spoke volumes for Steel's skill in the game. "So," Shiny asked, grinning, "How did he do?" "Surprisingly well," the older knight admitted, smiling. "The first three games, he did about as well as an amateur could be expected to do when playing against an expert. After that, he began to improve significantly. By our fifth game, he'd really started getting a feel for it. He won our seventh game, although it was a hard fought victory, and I intentionally passed on a move that would have turned the game in my favor. I'll be heading over tomorrow, and we'll continue from there. I feel he has a strong understanding of the game now, and in a few more rounds, he'll start developing strategies of his own. From there, I should be able to assess his grasp of strategic thinking, and get an overall feel for his mindset." The younger knight nodded. Chess strategy, while not strictly necessary, wasn't a bad thing for the changeling to learn. If the changeling had aspirations for knighthood, he'd definitely need to demonstrate that he had not only the ability to lead others, but the ability to lead others well: many well known strategists in Equestria were also avid players of the game. "I will admit," Steel said, with a rueful chuckle, "That it is a pity that he has decided to become a knight." Shining Armor raised an eyebrow at that, and asked, "Oh? Why's that?" Stainless Steel laughed, then said, "Think on it, boy. In less than a day, he was able to learn the game well enough to challenge a ranked grandmaster. Even if I was going easy on him, that is no small accomplishment. If he decided to dedicate himself fully to the game, instead of to knighthood, he could easily become a grandmaster himself." Author's Note So you won't have to look it up yourself, 'Mut-Wolf' is German for Courage Wolf, 'Gwallgofrwydd' is Welsh (I think that's right, anyways) for Insanity, and Miw-Sher is Egyptian for kitten. So yes, I put baby Courage Wolf and Insanity Wolf in my story. I'm still working on a way to fit Grumpy Cat into one of the others.
Transform And Roll Out"He went for a walk?" Stainless Steel was more than a little surprised to hear that: Cricket's hind legs were both still in casts, and they weren't due to come off for another three weeks. The changeling was expected to be bed-ridden for the remainder of that time, after which, his physical therapy would start. "Well," the nurse said, "Maybe walk is the wrong word. We just received our first shipment of modern medical supplies, and included in that shipment were a half-dozen wheelchairs. After the doctor confirmed that the breaks in his legs were healed enough that he could be taken out of traction, we thought that it might be a good idea to let him take one of the wheelchairs out for a spin. He's spent his entire stay in the city bedridden, so he jumped at the chance to get some fresh air. He'll be back later this afternoon." After a moment's thought, the nurse asked, "Um, that's not a problem, is it?" The knight smiled, and said, "No problem at all. He's earned a little bit of time to himself. When he comes back, let him know that I'll come by this evening." It felt so good to feel the breeze on his carapace. He was finally out of bed, and in the fresh air, even if it was in a wheelchair. As he watched Miss Bunny cavort in the park, he gave a contented sigh and relaxed. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to be outside. If he'd not been injured, he wouldn't have minded going for a flight... Fluttershy asked, nervously, "How long do you think she'll be gone?" Celestia, watching the mirror with an expression of concern, said, "It is difficult to say. Time moves differently between worlds, and her task is not a simple one: she could be back right away, or not until the last moment. But we must have faith that Twilight Sparkle will return with her crown." "Ah still wish that we could have gone in there with her," Applejack said, frowning. "It ain't right, her having to go in there on her own." Luna, still restraining Pinkie Pie from playing with the mystical doorway between worlds, said, "I admit, I am not comfortable with this, myself. We know almost nothing about the world on the other side. It might have been better to send at least a couple of guards with her." Celestia sighed, then said, "If there was anything truly dangerous on the other side of the portal, I sincerely doubt that Sunset Shimmer would have been so quick to return. More importantly, the more who are sent through, the greater the likelihood of their discovery. It would be best if the portal remained a secret, if at all possible, to anyone who lives there." Smiling, Celestia added, "And while I admit that I am a little worried, I am confident that she will be just fine." Pinkie Pie, still held in midair, asked, "Oh, so you're worrident?" Rolling her eyes, Rainbow Dash said, "Pinkie Pie, you know that's not a real word. Neither is nervicited." Pinkie Pie stuck out her tongue, then said, "Says you. Give it time. You'll see." Chuckling, Celestia said, "Well, it is likely that Twilight will be some time before she returns. Rather than sitting here, watching the mirror, why don't you five go for a walk around the city? In spite of this being your third visit, you've really not had a chance to see the Crystal Empire. Take the day, and come back this evening. Luna and I will come and get you if Twilight Sparkle comes back before then." Rarity, after a moment's thought said, "Well, while I would normally be the first for a tour of the Crystal Empire, I wouldn't feel right, just walking out without any of us here to welcome her back." Pinkie Pie, now hovering upside down, said, "Oooh, oooh, I have an idea!" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and said, sarcastically, "This ought to be good. What's your idea?" Grinning, Pinkie Pie said, "If we go out two at a time, and are only gone for two hours each, that would mean three of us would be here to welcome Twilight when she gets back, and whoever goes out will probably be back well before Twilight does." Rainbow Dash looked as if she was going to argue, then reconsidered, and said, "That's... actually not a bad idea." Pinkie Pie giggled, as Luna put the pink pony back on her hooves gently. "So," Pinkie asked, still smiling cheerfully "Who wants to go first? The first two to go out ended up being Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Dashie, because she felt an urge to get some exercise, and Fluttershy because nopony else really wanted to go first. Well, Fluttershy hadn't wanted to, either, but... After the left the palace, Rainbow said, "Well, I'm gonna hit the skies and stretch my wings for a bit. What are you going to do?" Fluttershy said, a bit nervously, "I thought I might go for a walk in the park, if that's okay..." She hated being the center of attention, and given that there weren't many ponies flying in the city right now, being airborne was a sure way to get everypony looking at her... Dashie said, "The park? That's cool. I'll meet you there in an hour and a half... if that's okay with you?" Fluttershy nodded, relieved, and said, "That'll be fine. I'll see you then." Ah, it was such a beautiful day. Cricket had seen nothing but sunny days since the day he'd arrived in the Crystal Empire. He'd overheard that rainstorms weren't scheduled to start for another week or so: it seemed that Sombra'd done something to the soil, which had made planting a bit difficult. However, that problem had finally cleared up, and once the seeds were in, a new weather schedule would be implemented. Bunny had apparently found a wild carrot, and was enthusiastically working to dig it up. Well, more power to her. He'd initially had some concerns about keeping the little bunny fed, but his conversations with Stainless Steel had revealed that, once he began his training for knighthood, the changeling would be entitled to a stipend for personal expenses. While Cricket's needs were few, it would be nice to know that he'd be able to take care of the little rabbit. It would have broken Alex's little heart if the changeling had been forced to give up the little bunny rabbit, regardless of the reason. Such a nice day. It would be great to take a little nap... Cricket had forgotten just how sleepy his pain medications made him, and how quickly they could knock him out. Almost without realizing it, he nodded off. A few minutes later, Fluttershy couldn't believe what she was seeing: there was a changeling, sitting in a wheelchair, in a park in the middle of the Crystal Empire. The main reasons why she'd not cried out for the guards immediately was because, firstly, the changeling was fast asleep. Second, it was clear that he was pretty badly injured, given that both his hindlegs were in casts. Third, and this was perhaps the most important: there was an adorable bunny atop his head, inspecting a carrot. While dirty, the vegetable was extremely large, nearly twice the creature's size. Apparently, the little rabbit had just dug it up out of the ground. The bunny's expression of bliss made it clear that she couldn't be happier with her prize. After a moment, the rabbit snapped out of its reverie, and turned to look at Fluttershy. Walking up behind the changeling, Fluttershy, her voice as soft as she could manage (and for Fluttershy, that was extremely soft), asked, "Is he your keeper?" She tried not to use the terms 'owner' or 'master' when talking to pets: both terms could be demeaning. 'Keeper', however, was safe, since it meant that the owner was a 'keeper': someone you wouldn't want to let get away. The bunny nodded, matter-of-factly. She then lifted up the carrot, and, with surprising strength, brought it down hard on the changeling's head with an audible 'Thwack'. The changeling started awake, rubbing his head where the carrot had hit him, and, seeing his forelegs, seemed to realize he was out of disguise. With a green flash, he put on the appearance of a pegasus with a brown coat and a short black mane. After looking around to see if anypony was watching, the changeling let out a sigh of relief, and said, "Well, at least no one is staring me in the face this time." He lifted his forelegs up and picked up the bunny, and put her in his lap. "You know, you didn't have to be so rough." The little rabbit giggled, and then handed the carrot to Cricket. "Oh," the disguised changeling said, chuckling. "You found a big one! You want to get it cleaned off?" The bunny nodded enthusiastically. "Okay. I think we passed a fountain on the way here," he said, with a nod. "We'll roll on over and give it a good rinse." Without further warning, he turned the wheelchair around, and abruptly came face to face with Fluttershy. Fluttershy flinched back with a sudden gasp. The changeling's reaction, on the other hoof, was surprising, and a bit more extreme: With an abrupt, startled shout, he flinched, causing the wheelchair to tilt back dangerously. He pinwheeled his forelegs frantically, trying to right himself, and might have succeeded, had the bunny not leapt off of his head, and on to Fluttershy's. Suddenly unbalanced further, the chair fell, and he landed on his back with an 'Ooof'. For a moment, the pegasus and the changeling were completely silent. Fluttershy broke the silence, asking, "Ummm, are you alright?" The changeling answered, "I'm fine." After a moment, he asked, "Ah, would you mind giving me a hoof up? While there's a time and place for cloud-watching, this probably isn't it." "Oh, yes, of course," Fluttershy said, scrambling to assist him. After a bit of effort, she was able to assist him in getting the wheelchair up in it's proper position. "There we go," she said, smiling. The changeling smiled in return, and said, "Thanks. Ah, my name's Cricket." He held out a hoof. Fluttershy, after a moment's hesitation, took it and shook it. "Fluttershy. It's very nice to meet you." "Likewise," Cricket said. After a moment, he asked, still smiling, "So, ah, how much did you see?" "Enough," Fluttershy admitted, nervously. Sighing loudly, Cricket said, "I thought so." After a moment, he raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Well, aren't you going to run and get the guards?" It seemed, after he said that, as though he was holding his breath, waiting for her response. After a moment, Fluttershy shook her head. She really didn't see a reason to: the changeling didn't seem like a threat to her, or to anypony else, really. She'd have to tell Princess Celestia, of course, but that could wait a little while. Letting out the breath he'd been holding, Cricket said, "Well, that's a relief. I'd really hate to have to try and outrun an angry mob today..." Suddenly, his pet bunny jumped back up on his head and smacked him with the carrot again. Rubbing his head, the changeling said, "Ow! What was that for?" The bunny dangled the carrot in front of his eyes. "And that couldn't wait five minutes?" The bunny pulled the carrot back up, and raised it as though to swing again. "Fine! Fine, have it your way." Turning back to Fluttershy, the changeling said, "Well, Miss Fluttershy, it was a pleasure to meet you, but I'm afraid I need to get this carrot cleaned off, or else I may end up with drain bamage." Giggling, Fluttershy said, "I can see that." After a moment's thought, she said, "You know, I could take care of that for you. That is, if you don't mind." His eyes widening in surprise, Cricket asked, "You could? I... I'd really appreciate that." The little rabbit, after a moment's hesitation, handed over the carrot. Fluttershy took the carrot, and flew off to a nearby fountain she had spotted on her way to the park. As she flew back, she briefly wondered if the changeling would still be there when she got back...
Awkward"And what was that all about?" Miss Bunny, sitting in Cricket's lap, looked up at her keeper, and smiled winsomely. The effect was almost instantaneous: The stern expression upon his face melted away, and an almost ridiculous look of adoration came over his face. After a moment, the changeling regained control of himself, then said, "Don't think that, just because you're cute, that I'm going to forget about what you did with that carrot." The little bunny giggled, then gave her keeper a hug. She'd more or less figured her master out on day one, and she knew his one weakness: He was completely powerless against cuteness. Whether it was from a darling child, an adorable pet... or an attractive young mare, Mole Cricket was powerless in the face of overwhelming cuteness. She could get away with just about anything, so long as she looked up at him, wiggled her little button nose, and gave him the big, soulful eyes. Patting the little bunny on the head, Cricket said, "Alright, enough of that. I have a reputation as a big, scary monster to maintain. If anyone sees me cuddling with a little bunny rabbit, I'll never hear the end of it." Miss Bunny Wunny Cuddlewumpus looked over Cricket's shoulder and giggled, a sound echoed by the mare standing behind him. "Oh, don't worry, you're secret's safe with me," Fluttershy said, smiling. Cricket turned the chair around carefully, turning to face a mare now carrying a clean carrot. Nodding gratefully, the changeling said, "That was surprisingly fast." Blushing, Fluttershy admitted, "Well, my friend Rainbow Dash wants me to be part of her team for the Equestrian Games coming up. Ever since she saw how fast I could become after just a few days of practice, she's been working me as hard as she could to get me ready in time..." She gave a little nervous giggle, then handed over the carrot. Miss Bunny, with a gracious nod, took the carrot, and promptly went to town on it. With the ferocity with which she mangled the carrot, one would have thought that she'd been waiting eight moons for it to arrive, rather than five minutes... "She's a wonderful little dear," the mare said with a giggle. "She reminds me a little of my Angel Bunny." With a nervous laugh, Cricket said, "Thank you. She was a gift from a friend." After a moment of awkward silence, Fluttershy asked the question that Cricket knew that she was eventually going to ask... "So, what are you doing here?" With a sigh, Cricket admitted, "After Canterlot, I was launched here. I had the 'good fortune' to be the first one to discover the Crystal Empire's return... when I collided into the side of a building that wasn't there five seconds before." Gesturing at his back legs, still in casts, he added, "As you can see, it wasn't an easy landing. I've spent the entire time afterwards in the hospital, recovering. It will be a couple more weeks before I can walk again, and a bit of physical therapy will be needed before I'm back to my old self." Meanwhile, Miss Bunny had managed to go through half of the carrot already, and was showing no signs of stopping, or even of slowing down... Holding a hoof up to her mouth, the mare said, "Oh my goodness, that's terrible!" Shrugging, Cricket said, "It's not so bad. I'm on medication for the pain, so I don't feel anything. Besides, I've seen my share of action, so I'm not a stranger to getting something broken." Still a little horrified, Fluttershy admitted, "Well, whether you're used to it or not, its still a horrible thing to happen to you." Ah, he'd certainly not meant to upset her. Life in the swarm was hard, and injuries were a part of that, especially if you were a soldier. He'd forgotten how soft the lives of ponies could be... With a snort, the disguised changeling said, "I'll say. Still, any landing you can walk away from... oh, wait, right." With a chuckle, he said, "You know what I meant." Giggling in spite of herself, Fluttershy said, "Yes. Well, if you're well enough to be able to laugh about it, you're well on your way to a full recovery." Nodding, Cricket said, "I hope so. Today's the first day I've been outdoors since my arrival. I admit, I was going to go stir crazy soon if I didn't get some fresh air soon." Looking at the position of the sun, he added, "Although unfortunately, it seems I should be heading back: My medications will be wearing off soon, and when they do, I won't be quite as pleasant company as I am now." Miss Bunny, having just finished a carrot larger than herself, belched contentedly, and then began getting settled in for a nap. "Well, we certainly don't want that," Fluttershy said, smiling. "Would you like for me to roll you back?" After a moment's hesitation, he admitted, "I would certainly appreciate it." "Thank you for bringing me back," Cricket said, a few minutes later. "My pleasure," Fluttershy said, as she pushed him into the hospital. They'd not spoken since leaving the park, although it had not, surprisingly, been an uncomfortable silence. Rather, it had been strangely pleasant, walking with him. It had just been the sort of comfortable silence shared when two individuals didn't have anything they needed to say. "I expect I'll be having company later today," Cricket said, after a moment's hesitation, "And I expect you're probably busy. But, um, if you wanted to come by sometime tomorrow, I would appreciate the company." Well, that was... surprisingly forward of him. Fluttershy blushed a little bit, before she realized that, what with his current state, any company would have been welcome, mare or stallion. It couldn't possibly be fun, laying in bed all day... "Well, I can't say what all might happen tomorrow," Fluttershy admitted, "but if I have the time, I see if I can come by for a visit." Well, she didn't have much else she could do until Twilight came back anyways, and he was surprisingly pleasant company, changeling or not. Besides, she was more than a little curious about him, and the rest of his kind. Ever since the Canterlot Wedding, it had almost seemed as if the changelings had vanished off the face of the planet... "Thank you," the changeling said, the cheeks of his disguise a little red. Fluttershy could not help but wonder if that was a cosmetic effect of his disguise, or if under his disguise, he was blushing as well. Honestly, given how little she knew about changelings, Fluttershy could not even say whether changelings could blush or not. She knew so much about animals, about ponies, and even about the various non-pony, yet still sapient, creatures of the world. And yet, she knew practically nothing about an entire race of creatures who had, just weeks before, had stormed into Equestria with the intent to conquer the entire country. And having met one face to face, an individual not only polite and well-spoken, but with an enjoyable sense of humor as well, she couldn't help but wonder now what their reasons for doing so might have been. Maybe Princess Celestia could help shine some light on that subject.... "I'm sorry to say that I must be going," Fluttershy admitted, then said, "But if I can, I'll come and see you tomorrow." With a bow (A surprising feat for someone in a wheelchair), Cricket said, "I'll be here, Miss Fluttershy." "There you are!" Flutteshy flinched as Rainbow Dash loudly dived down, landing right beside her. Inwardly, she sighed at the rainbow-maned mare's spectacular arrival. Dashie was one of her dearest friends, and she'd not ask her to change anything about herself, but she swore that sometimes her friend was constantly putting on a performance for an audience that only she could see. "I was looking all over for you," Dashie said, panting slightly from exertion as they began walking back to the palace. "Where were you?" "Oh, I met someone at the park, and we talked for a little bit," Fluttershy said, careful to avoid lying, but also careful to avoid saying anything that might have upset Rainbow Dash. In her own way, Dashie was as prone to panic as Fluttershy was. It was mostly her reaction to that emotion that was different: While Flutteshy tended to cringe, Dashie tended to get angry when startled. If Fluttershy mentioned the fact that she had met a changeling today, Rainbow would be in the hospital, dragging Cricket out of bed and on his way to the nearest guard station, before Fluttershy managed to add that he was hospitalized and not a threat to anyone. There had been enough of a panic in the days right after the invasion. Fluttershy was going to keep this a secret until she knew more, and knew her friend wasn't going to freak out when she heard the full story. "Afterwards, I wheeled him back to the hospital where he's staying." Rainbow Dash, surprised, asked, "Was he sick?" "Injured," Fluttershy answered quickly, then added, "He, um, accidentally discovered the Crystal Empire had returned when he hit the side of a building here. He's been recovering ever since then." "Bit of an odd place to be flying, this far north," Dashie observed. Most ponies would assume that, just because she was an athlete, the mare wasn't all that bright. While Fluttershy couldn't say for certain just how smart her friend was, Rainbow Dash could be surprisingly observant at times. "Was he doing recon or something?" Now this next part was a little tricky, but Fluttershy was able to say, honestly, "He was blown here unexpectedly, and couldn't regain control of his flight before he got here." She didn't add that he was blown here by Cadance and Shining Armor's combined magic, so of course the natural assumption was... "Well, it wouldn't be the first time a strong wind blew a pegasus a long ways off-course," Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle. "And once you're this far north, the cold can make it hard for even an awesome flier like me." Giving Fluttershy a sly look, she asked, "So, your new coltfriend have a name?" Blushing bright red, Fluttershy nearly lost her composure completely. Coltfriend? Really? She'd only just me him today! It took her a moment to realize that Dashie was just teasing her. After a moment, Fluttershy said, "His name is Cricket, and he's not my coltfriend. But, um, I will be seeing him tomorrow, if there's time." Shrugging, Rainbow Dash said, "Well, whatever you want to do is your business. Just keep in mind that we might be leaving the day after. So, if you want to keep in touch with him, you might want to ask for his address when you see him next." Flutteshy nodded mutely, not certain if she could trust herself to speak right now. She'd honestly not thought that far ahead, but... After Dashie's little tease a moment ago, Fluttershy couldn't help but wonder if maybe... No, a changeling and a pony? How could that ever work out?
