Five Changelings In Equestria: Ling

Chapters

Free Hugs
We Are More
Taken
It's A Dog's Life
A Thousand Other Things
The Truth

Free Hugs

"Seriously?"

Royal Guard Commander Silver Lance quite honestly could not believe what he was seeing. The grey unicorn (he wasn't that old, but his color scheme of dark gray with a light grey mane and tail made him look significantly older than his forty years) knew trouble when he saw it, and what he was looking at had headache written all over it in big red letters. Just last week, Canterlot had been invaded by changelings. Thankfully, the creatures had been repelled, but not without difficulty. Since then, he'd been given orders to be on the lookout for any changelings that might still be in the city. His troops had been briefed by the princesses regarding possible tells, signs that might give a changeling away.

But if you missed this changeling, you'd have to be blind, stupid, or both...

Directly across the street from Royal Guard Headquarters, located in Canterlot, just a few blocks from the palace proper, was a changeling. A surprisingly young one: if she was anything like a pony, she'd probably be in her early teens, maybe even younger if she was just tall for her age, and surprisingly thin. She (and it was very definitely a she, unless boys had started wearing big blue hair ribbons all of a sudden) was sitting just across the street, holding up a cardboard sign. The sign said, "Free Hugs". The writing was neon pink, and surrounded by little hearts. Admittedly, if she'd not been a changeling, the scene would have been impossibly cute. Instead, while a little cute, he supposed, it was... strangely disturbing. A creature that looks like that should not be trying to be adorable...

Silver stared at the changeling with a scowl on his face. The changeling returned the stare, smiling, and even waved cheerfully at the commander. If she felt any sort of fear regarding the fact that she was in the middle of potentially hostile territory, she hid it well. In fact, Silver got the distinct impression that she was having a laugh at his expense.

The young lieutenant at his side, Sky Writer, asked, "Well, what should we do, commander?" The blue coated, white maned pegasus shifted his wings nervously, obviously ill at ease with the situation.

Silver stroked his chin with one hoof, and said, "Our orders, if I recall correctly, were to keep an eye out for changeling infiltrators. Does that look like an infiltrator to you?"

The lieutenant, to his credit, didn't answer right away, but instead thought about the question. After a moment, he said, "If she is, she's not very good at it."

At that moment, an earth pony walked by, looking dejected. The commander recognized him: Midnight Star, a construction worker. A depressed sort, he wasn't very talkative. He seemed so lost in his thoughts that he almost walked into the changeling. The little bug, thinking that he wanted a hug, gave him a quick squeeze. The pony stopped for a moment, then hugged the changeling back. After a moment, they detached, and the pony walked on, a bit of a spring in his step and a definite smile on his face.

Silver nodded, then said, "Right. So, I'm going to work under the assumption that this is not an infiltrator, but instead that it's exactly what it looks like. Which means that we'll need to get orders from higher up. Run the following message up to the princesses: 'Changeling found outside headquarters. Appears to be begging for food. In need of orders. Please come here personally to observe situation before making a final decision.' Can you remember that, or will I need to write it down for you?"

Sky nodded, and said, "I can remember that. Ah, would you like me to run a message to your wife?"

Ah, smart lad. He's definitely got a bright future ahead of him. Smiling, the commander said, "Yes. Tell her to come down here with her camera. She won't want to miss this." The lieutenant nodded, grinning, and took off.

The commander then sat down and waited. It wouldn't be long before the princesses came here, and...

Uh oh. Here came trouble. A teacher, with a gaggle of young students, out for a field trip, were coming down the street. The commander braced himself for the screams...

...That didn't come. Instead, as the youngsters saw the creature, they suddenly ran ahead of the teacher to look at the changeling in awe and wonder. They might have seen a changeling during the invasion, but those were big, scary adults. This one... this one was a little one, not much older than they were. This one wasn't scary at all! It was like the difference between an adult tiger and a baby one: one was a ferocious predator, while the other was a cute and playful critter that you can't help but want to cuddle. After the teacher finally caught up with her students, the colts and fillies looked up at their teacher expectantly. After a moment, the mare nodded, and the children promptly dog-piled onto the changeling, hugging her enthusiastically. The changeling looked both surprised and delighted by the sudden affection.

And it was to this scene that princesses arrived. Luna and Celestia, as impressive as ever, flew in, escorted by Sky Writer. The commander raised an eyebrow in question. Upon touchdown, the lieutenant said, "Your wife said she'll be here shortly." The commander nodded, then turned to face the princesses, who were watching the non-stop hug-fest with a look of bemusement upon both of their regal faces.

"I thought you might want to see this," the commander said, his expression deadpan. "While we were given orders regarding multiple scenarios involving changelings, this scenario is one that I don't think anypony seriously considered. What should we do?"

Celestia seemed at a loss for words at this scene. Luna, however, seemed to know exactly what to do. She walked across the street to where the changeling was, with significant difficulty (although she really wasn't trying that hard), to disentangle herself from the mass of affection that as being pressed upon her. The princess reached the changeling, and stood, towering over the creature.

For a tense moment, the world held it's breath...

And then the changeling hugged the princess. And perhaps a little more surprisingly, Luna, perhaps the most serious and straight-laced princess in Equestria... hugged the changeling back, smiling. Celestia, smiling herself, very quickly joined in. The school children joined in as well (seriously, how often do you get to hug a princess, let alone two at once? You don't pass that kind of thing up), and everypony was smiling, giggling, and laughing.

At that moment, Platinum Print arrived, camera in tow. She immediately set up her camera, and snapped a few photos. The black coated, white maned (with a few streaks of grey) pegasus then rushed across the street, and joined in on the hugapalooza.

Several minutes later, after everypony detached themselves from the changeling, and the school kids had been sent off with autographs from the two princesses, Celestia and Luna spoke for a few minutes with the changeling and the photographer. After a short time, the princesses walked over to speak with Silver, while Platinum and the changeling remained behind, still talking. Well, Platinum was talking; the changeling didn't seem to be talking much...

"It is in our opinion," Luna said, smiling, "That this young creature is not a threat to anypony. As such, there is no need for her to be detained in any fashion. Moreover, we... well, I, think that she should be allowed to stay in the city for as long as she likes."

Celestia nodded in agreement, then said, "However, it would not be right for her to be forced to fend for herself, given her age. At this time, nopony knows where the changeling swarm has gone, or when it will return... if it ever does, at least in her lifetime. As such, it would be best if somepony were to watch over her."

The commander nodded in agreement. If left on her own, somepony might, sooner or later, take out a grudge against changelings in general on the poor dear. That was probably why she had camped out in front of headquarters: there were few places safer than this one in the entire city, if not the whole of Equestria...

With a bit of a grin, Silver Lance said, "I don't think we'll have any problems with finding somepony to look after her." The princesses both chuckled, as if sharing a private joke.

Celestia, smiling, said, "We'll leave that task in your capable hooves, commander." Nodding, the commander saluted. A moment later, the princesses were airborne and on their way back to the palace.

Platinum Print and the changeling walked over to the commander. The changeling looked a little worried, still carrying her sign, while Plat looked determined. Silver knew that look. He'd seen it dozens of times before.

After giving her husband a hug, Plat said, "This poor young lady and I were talking. She doesn't have anyplace to stay, and she has no idea where the rest of her kind have gone. So, I was just thinking on how we have a nice big guest bedroom that we aren't using, and I thought that maybe we'd let her stay for a few days, until she finds her hooves, if you know what I mean?"

Silver gave his wife a flat stare, then said, "I believe we've had a conversation like this one before. Many times, in fact, if I remember correctly. You come up to me with a pitiful looking kitten, or a puppy, or a rabbit, or even, if I recall, a bear cub, and you tell me some sob story about how the poor little dear needs a place to stay. And you always tell me how it's going to be just a few days when we both know that you intend to give them a permanent home. And what do I always say?"

The changeling looked dejected. Platinum, on the other hand, smiled, and asked, "You say yes?"

Smiling back, Silver nodded, and said, "I say yes." The changeling, her expression one of pure delight, hugged the commander's leg enthusiastically. It wasn't a bad hug, he reflected. A little... solid, since she had a carapace that could be considered battle armor in most cultures, but not bad, really...

Looking down at the changeling, he grinned, and asked, "And what is your name, kid?"

The changeling picked up her sign, then flipped it over. Written in hoofwriting so neat and fanciful it could have been considered calligraphy, was the name "Ling". There were fanciful drawings of flowers, vines, and little hearts all around it. Apparently, she was an artistic sort, and had decided to go a little crazy with her paintbrush.

Plat volunteered, "I don't think she can talk. The poor dear may have been born mute." The changeling nodded glumly. A pity, but it happens sometimes.

"Well, Ling," he said, "My name's Silver Lance. You've met my wife, Platinum Print. You'll be staying with us from now on. Welcome to the family."

Over the course of twenty years of marriage, Silver's wife had taken in twelve stray dogs, fifteen stray cats, five rabbits, and even a bear cub. While the two of them had been blessed with many things, children of their own had not been one of them, but she'd always had plenty of love to give to any creature that came into their home. Odds were, this changeling would be almost as high maintenance as that bear cub was, but whatever happened, he figured that it would be worth it.

Meanwhile, from a nearby alley, a pair of eyes watched the trio. Finally, after weeks and weeks of watching, there was finally a crack in the Royal Guard Commander's armor. A devious grin crossed the watcher's face. Soon...

Author's Note

"Ling does not infiltrate."
"Ling does not intentionally infiltrate."

We Are More

"So, what are our options?"

Gold Caduceus looked to his brother, Silver Lance, then sighed. While the two unicorns seldom saw eye to eye, the young doctor had promised to do what he could to help his new foster niece. However, there were limits...

The two, and Silver's wife, Platinum Print, were seated in the doctor's office in the Shadowfax Center For The Handicapped. Doctors in the Shadowfax center specialized in the treatment of ponies and other creatures who were handicapped in one way or another, or were at risk of becoming so. There were a number of success stories in the hospital, such as ponies that many thought would never walk or fly again regaining their abilities.

However, even with magic, there are limits...

"Regarding her voice," Gold began, "There's not anything that can be done. I can't say for certain why, but there appears to be something wrong with the her vocal folds. She can't make any sort of noise originating from the throat. If we knew more about changeling biology, there might be steps that could be taken, but I wouldn't count on it. I've run across similar cases in young colts and fillies, and they were permanently mute. I fear that she'll never be able to speak... But I think you both knew that already."

Silver Lance and Platinum Print both nodded. Silver said, "We'd heard the same from the other doctors. That's why we came here. Her condition might not be able to be cured, but it can be overcome."

Gold nodded, smiling, and said, "You are absolutely correct, and that is one of the founding principles of the Shadowfax Center. I've already consulted with a few other experts here in the center, and we believe we may have a viable solution I had to ask for a favor from the princesses, but they were happy to help in this case. However, before we go into that, there is something that I feel I should bring to your attention..." The doctor tapered off, uncertain of how to start...

Platinum said, "Well, what is it?"

Gold sighed, then asked, "Do you know whether or not she can change her appearance?"

Ling sat in the playroom of the clinic, waiting for Silver and Platinum to finish speaking with uncle Gold. While she didn't really care if she couldn't speak, she supposed she could humor her new parents. While it would be nice to be able to speak, to sing, and all that good stuff, she'd long ago adjusted to her disability...

"Thanks for coming with me, Rainbow Dash," said a voice from the hallway.

"No problem, Scootaloo," another voice replied, "Twilight was headed this way anyhow, and since your parents were busy, they didn't mind me coming along with you for your checkup."

Two pegasai, the older one blue with a rainbow mane, and the other orange with a purple mane, walked into the playroom, escorted by a nurse. The nurse said, "You can wait here while doctor Gold finishes with his guests."

The two pegasai stopped in their tracks, staring in shock at the little changeling...

Seeing the expression on the two pegasai, the nurse said, "Ah, don't mind her. Her foster parents are seeing the doctor right now."

Rainbow Dash stared at the nurse as though the earth pony had sprouted a second head, and said, "But... she's a changeling..."

With a shrug, the nurse asked, "And that means she doesn't have the right to treatment like anypony else?"

The pegasus blushed, then said, "Sorry, I guess you're right."

The smaller pegasus walked over to the little changeling and said, "Hi! My name's Scootaloo. What's yours?"

Ling smiled, picked up her chalkboard, then wrote, a piece of chalk clenched between her teeth. When she was done, she held up the chalkboard for Scootaloo to see.

"Ling," Scootaloo read aloud.

Silver and Platinum both stared at the doctor in shock. They'd been prepared for Ling being mute, but this... this went well beyond anything they were prepared for...

"The injury appears to be long healed, but whatever caused it did significant damage," Gold continued, his expression severe. "So much so that several organs that we believe assisted in the regulation of magical energy in her body were completely destroyed. While not life-threatening, it would have caused her to lose many, if not all, of the abilities normally associated with a changeling. She can still absorb love energy for sustenance, but anything beyond that will be impossible for her."

Silver rubbed his chin in thought, and said, "While I wasn't expecting this, in a way, it isn't surprising: The fact that when we first saw her, she was out on the streets without any sort of disguise, should have told us something..."

Gold nodded, and said, "Yes. My primary concern is that, unlike her muteness, this isn't something she was born with, but something that was done to her afterwards. The overall pattern of the scar tissue implies that she may have been attacked by some sort of wild animal. Further examination implies that the organs in question were removed afterwards, potentially because they were infected or damaged beyond repair in the aftermath. Whoever did it used very crude tools, but in spite of that, did an impressive job in patching her up."

Platinum Print placed her hoof against her mouth to stifle a gasp. That Ling was such a small child, and have gone through so much was... startling. The fact that, in spite of all that, she was such a cheerful, happy child was nothing short of a miracle...

Scootaloo, her head tilted to one side, asked, "So, you're here because your parents want to see if your voice can be fixed?"

Rainbow Dash watched the two as they played with a set of building blocks. Well, play wasn't the right word: under Ling's direction, the two were building a rather impressive tower. If Dashie had been in possession of a camera, Scoot would have wanted to take a picture of it when it was done.

The changeling had an eye for art, the pegasus had to admit...

Ling nodded in response to Scootaloo's question, placing a set of blocks in place near the top. After a moment's thought, she flew down from her perch, then wrote a question on the board...

Scootaloo read the message, then said, in a whisper, "I'm here because my wings don't work like they should. The doctors say that my wings are 'underdevoloped'. I can flap them really fast, but they're not big enough to keep me airborne. The doctors hope that I'll have a growth spurt soon, but if it doesn't happen in the next year or two, I'll be stuck as a groundwalker forever."

Ling wrote a question on the chalkboard. Scootaloo read it, then said, a little bit upset, "Of course it would be bad!" She looked on the other side of the tower the two were building, making sure Rainbow Dash didn't hear that, then turned back to the changeling. "My parents are both really, really good fliers. My dad was a recon flier in the guard for five years, and my mom used to be in the Wonderbolts. When I was born, they were both looking forward to teaching me to be as great a flier as they are. Rainbow Dash is a better flier than both of them together, and she took me under her wing last week. I have to be able to fly, or I'll disappoint everypony who cares about me..."

Ling wrote a message on her chalkboard. Scootaloo read it, then her jaw dropped.

Written, in nice, fanciful letters, were the words, "If they care about you, then it won't matter whether you can fly or not."

Scootaloo opened her mouth to respond, then shut it, and after a moment, she said, a little angry, "And how would you know that?"

The changeling wrote a new message on the board, set it against the tower, then raised up on her back legs, and Scootaloo saw something on the changeling's tummy that she hadn't before: a very ugly looking scar. Scootaloo turned towards the chalkboard and read the message there...

Two years ago...

All she knew was pain.

Bitten on the belly by a basilisk, it felt as though her tummy was filled with fire. The only reason she was still able to move at all, instead of being a stone statue, was because it was a baby one that had bitten her. However, the damage was done: the organs that the venom reached were turning to stone, one by one. Slow or fast, she'd still be a statue by sunset...

Through eyes half-closed in pain, the little changeling saw her big sister, speaking with the doctor. 'Stilts' asked, "Can you save her?"

The doctor looked at the little changeling on the table and said, "I can, but it's going to come at a price. The organs that have been touched by the venom will have to go, as well as those around the affected area. That's going to give her an even worse handicap than just being without a voice: without the ability to change, can you really call her a changeling?"

Queen Chrysalis, who the little changeling always thought of as 'Stilts', because she was so tall, looked down at the little girl, and said, "Whatever she may become, she will always be my little sister. Do it."

Scootaloo read the message written on the chalkboard.

"I was bitten on the tummy by a basilisk when I was little. To save my life, the doctor had to pull out the pieces that the venom turned to stone. Because of that, I don't have any magic inside of me like other changelings do. I was sad when I found out afterwards, but my big sister Stilts told me that it didn't really matter to her whether I could change or not: she'd love me just as much."

Scootaloo's jaw dropped as she read that. So... she wasn't just mute, she couldn't do any of the stuff that other changelings could do? That was...

Ling wiped off the board, then wrote something else there. Scootaloo read the message on the board, then smiled.

"What you can't do isn't important. What matters is what you can do. Don't let the fact that you can't do one thing keep you from doing a thousand other things. We are more than what our disabilities would make of us."

Scootaloo gave Ling the biggest hug she could, and said, "Thank you." After a moment, she wiped her eyes and said, "We'd better hurry up and finish: I can't wait to see what the tower looks like when we're done."

Silver Lance looked down at the little necklace that Twilight Sparkle had handed him. After a moment, he asked, "So this is it?"

Twilight, freshly minted princess of the realm, nodded, then said, "That's it. She just has to put her hoof on it, and think of what she has to say. The charm will do the rest."

Looking at the charm, Platinum Paper said, tears forming in her eyes, "Thank you, your highness."

Blushing a little, Twilight said, "It wasn't a big deal: it took a little bit of research to find the right spell, and from there, I just had to swap out one line so that it would work on any creature, instead of just a pony."

Silver Lance smiled, and said, "Well, I think it will be a big deal to Ling. Would you mind coming with us when we give it to her? I'm pretty sure she'll want to thank you in person."

Princess Twilight Sparkle giggled, and said, "I'd be delighted."

Rainbow Dash, with Scootaloo on her shoulders, and Ling flying beside her, put a tiny flag atop the majestic tower just as Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Twilight Sparkle entered. While said in different tones, their reaction was universal.

"Wow..."

It was a work of art: action figures and dolls stared out of windows, manning the ramparts that surrounded the building, with little swords and spears in hoof, or were perched on little waterspouts like gargoyles. It almost came to the ceiling, all of it with incredible, almost unspeakable, detail. It almost looked like it could have been the real thing. You'd definitely want to have this as your refuge if you were ever shrunk to mouse-size.

...It's amazing what you can do with those little interconnecting blocks.

Ling held up her chalkboard, a message written on it...

"Go get your camera, mom, quick!"

Giggling, Platinum Print rushed off...

Silver slipped the necklace around Ling's neck, then said, "According to her highness, if you put your hoof on the stone, then think about what you want to say, this will do the talking for you. Give it a try, and we'll see how it works."

Ling nodded, and placed a hoof upon the stone. After a moment, a dull, monotone voice said, "Testing, one two three.."

Twilight blushed and said, "Sorry about that. It'll take a few adjustments before it'll start sounding more natural... WHOA!!!"

Twilight toppled over, as the changeling tackle-hugged the princess. Her hoof still on the gem, the monotone voice chattered, "I can talk. I can talk. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you."

After the changeling was disentangled from the princess, Platinum Print returned with the camera. Smiling, Ling and Scootaloo posed in front of the tower. With a click, the moment was immortalized...

On a nearby rooftop, Top watched the proceedings with a feral grin. It had been a few weeks since the little changeling had arrived, but this proved what he had suspected: she'd wormed her way into the hearts of the guard commander and his wife. Even if they'd only known one another for a short time, it was clear now that the commander would do anything for the child, even ask a favor from a princess. Finally, there was a way to get what he needed from Silver Lance.

The diamond dog turned towards his underlings, and said, "Alright, get everything ready. At the first opportunity, we'll strike."

Taken

"Seriously?"

Beta, a short, stout, jowly diamond dog turned back to look at his brother, Alpha, a taller, sleeker specimen, and asked, "What?"

Alpha shook his head sadly and said, "What do you think you're doing, Beta?"

Beta, turning back towards the captured changeling, attempted to put the gag onto the captive. It wasn't easy, though. The little creature wouldn't hold still, and kept trying to bite at his paws. She might look cute, but she was definitely spunky... and Beta hated spunk. Angrily, he said, "What does it look like, genius?"

Chuckling, Alpha said, "It looks like you're trying to put a gag on a mute girl. But that can't be what you're trying to do, since that would be stupid."

Blushing furiously, Beta realized that, yes, that would be stupid. What was she going to do? Scream for help? "Right," Beta said, now slightly ashamed, "Sorry, I wasn't thinking..."

Omega, the youngest member of the group, snorted in amusement. Barely more than a pup, Alpha felt bad about bringing his son into this, but needs must.

Rolling his eyes theatrically, Alpha said, "Obviously." Alpha then knelt and faced the young changeling directly. "Sorry about this, little lady. Are you hurt?"

The changeling gave the diamond dog a long look, then slowly shook her head.

"Good," Alpha said, nodding. "Sorry about getting you wrapped up in this mess. However, what the boss wants, the boss gets, and the boss says that we need you to finish the job. Just stay put and don't cause any trouble, and you'll be home before you know it."

The little one gave another long look, then gave a very brief nod.

Alpha turned towards Beta, and asked, "Is Delta back yet?" The bulldog shook his head. "Top?" Another shake. "Great. Well, they'd both better get back soon. This has fiasco written all over it, and I want to get this done with, and us on our way, before it explodes in our faces..."

Delta, a youngish female diamond dog (no, they do not use THAT word to describe their females, thank you very much), readied to throw the brick. A message was written in a note tied around the brick, and she had been instructed to throw it as soon as Platinum Print entered Guard Headquarters. The pegasus had just flown in, tears in her eyes, obviously upset. Delta's heart went out to her, as a fellow mother, but it was the only way...

As she cocked her arm back to throw, something caught her arm and stopped her. She looked back, and then up, at the stranger towering over her.

"Uh oh."

Ling had to admit, her kidnapping was expertly done: her abductor had snuck into the house during the day, while Silver Lance and Platinum Print were both out, Silver at work and Plat rushing out to make a quick flight over to the store to get a gallon of milk. The pegasus was only going to be gone five minutes, but five minutes was more than enough.

Somehow, one of them had jimmied open a window, and the tall one had come in, thrown a sack over her, and was out in less than a minute. As neat a piece of work as any changeling could have ever executed. She idly wondered if they gave lessons.

Still, this was bad news: she knew that Sil and Plat didn't have a huge amount of money, so this couldn't be about extorting cash from them in exchange for her release. It wasn't likely to be about revenge against her, since, until now, changelings and diamond dogs had never encountered one another, as far as she knew, until today. That meant one of two things: either they wanted revenge against Silver Lance for something, and were planning on using her to get it... or they planned on using her connection to the guard commander to extort something from him, something that only a guard commander would have access to...

Delta the Diamond Dog was having a really bad day. Her job was just supposed to be to deliver the ransom demand to Silver Lance, but things didn't go anywhere nearly as easily as she had hoped. She was now tied to a chair with several very angry guards staring at her.

Silver Lance glared at Delta as he went over this one more time. "So," he repeated, his teeth grit with suppressed rage, "Your boss wants me to turn over the Dog Star Diamond, one of the national treasures of Equestria, to him, in exchange for my daughter?"

Delta nodded, too afraid to speak. She got the distinct impression that the only reason why the unicorn wasn't twisting her head off right now was due to the fact that she was a girl. She couldn't count on that saving her if she angered him any further.

Sky Writer, a young lieutenant, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "And how, exactly, does your boss expect the commander to get it? A national treasure isn't easy to come by."

Delta gulped, then said, "Only three beings in Equestria have a key to let them into the Vault Of National Treasures. Two of them are princesses, and each keep a key magically sealed away in a pocket dimension when not in use. However, there must be a third key available, should anything ever happen to both of the princesses, that must remain in this dimension at all times. Therefore, one remains in the possession of the commander of the Equestrian Guard."

Scowling, Silver Lance said, "You've done your homework, then. Your boss expects me to just be able to waltz in, take the gem, and walk out of the vault without any problems? Does he really think that, even if I could do that, that I would just hand the treasure over to him?" He'd be branded as a traitor, imprisoned, stripped out his title in disgrace, or any combination of the three. Not that any of that hardly mattered, given that Ling was in jeopardy...

Looking more than a little distressed, Delta said, "I was told that getting the gem out would be your problem, not ours. And that if you didn't go along with it, you'd be sorry."

The unicorn's face was immediately in Delta's, barely an inch separating the two. "Tell me," Silver Lance asked, his voice cold enough to freeze the sun, "Do you know what I did to the last batch of thugs who threatened my family?"

Delta, terrified, shook her head.

With a cold, cold smile, the commander of the Equestrian Guard said, "That's a shame: You should have been warned. Go tell your boss this: if my daughter is returned to me within the hour, I will not search for him, and I will not pursue him. However, if my daughter is not returned, or if any harm befalls her, I will be angry. Angry beyond words, and beyond all mortal comprehension. I don't care if he hides in the depths of the darkest pit in the deepest cave on a continent a thousand miles away, or if he seeks shelter on the moon itself; I will hunt him down, and when I find him, he will learn why no one, in twenty years, has dared to try and threaten my family after the first time. Do you understand me?"

The diamond dog nodded, now clearly terrified.

The unicorn's horn flared with magic, and the ropes binding her dropped, cleanly severed. "Good. Now run."

She didn't need to be told twice.

Omega sat down beside Ling, his expression sorrowful. He brought with him a chalkboard, surprisingly enough.

Using a stick of chalk, he wrote, "Sorry about this." He then pushed the chalkboard over to her.

Giving the little diamond dog a long look, she wiped off the message and wrote, "I'm mute, not deaf," and passed the board back.

The diamond dog read the message, then shook, as if laughing, then wrote a response.

"Same here."

Sky asked, after they were certain the diamond dog was out of hearing range, "Did you put the tracking spell on her?"

With a humorless chuckle, Silver said, "Of course. Not that I really needed to: I had one placed on Ling the day we took her in. I knew this might happen one day. Did you send the runner to the palace?"

The lieutenant nodded, and said, "Of course. I also sent out an all-points to Ling's 'fan club'. And to every guard in the city. Volunteers only, of course."

"Good," the unicorn said, nodding. He then turned to the tall, robed figure, the one who had detained the diamond dog when collie had tried to drop off the ransom note. "Thank you. Things might have gotten a bit tricky if you hadn't caught her."

The stranger, extremely tall for a pony, simply nodded and said, "Just make certain that no one ever tries this again."

A grin split the unicorn's face as he said, "If anyone ever tries to mess with my family after this, they'll know exactly what they'll be in for, even if the live in a cave on the other side of the world. This. Will. Be. Legendary."

The stranger nodded again, and said, "I expect no less."

Top chuckled to himself as he clutched the Dog Star Diamond to his chest. Everything was going according to plan: Of course he'd known exactly where Silver Lance kept the key. It was in a secure safe in the basement: he'd scouted the place out weeks ago, although he'd nearly gotten caught a few times searching for it. While impressive in weight and in durability, it was a mundane safe: one spell of selective intangibility, read off of a scroll, and he could just pull it out, bypassing the locks entirely. However, there had been no opportunity to snag it until now, and without the magic key, the Vault Of National Treasures was impossible to open.

Reaching the Vault Of National Treasures, however, was simplicity itself: if you have an impenetrable, immovable vault, one that can only be opened with a very special magic key, what other security would you really need? If you knew where entrance was (and one guided tour of the palace had allowed him to get a good look at the castle's entire layout), and you had the key, then all you needed was a distraction.

He knew that his minions would 'ruin' things: that's what minions did. King Sombra had the right idea, doing the job himself instead of raising an army. The more who are in on the real plan, the more likely it is to fail. However, if your minions are reliably unreliable, they can do a terrific job keeping the fuzz busy, especially if they have every reason to stick to what they think is the plan.

Finding a family of outcasts begging for a way back into the pack hadn't been so easy, but with Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omega, he'd found the perfect batch of losers. They were patsies, and would draw the focus of the guard, and the entire city, down upon them.

Suckers. Suckers, the whole sorry lot of them.

...Soon, he'd have his revenge on Luna and Celestia. His vengeance, one thousand years in the making, would be legendary. He knew exactly where they would be. As if they would sit idly by while such a small child was in jeopardy. As he came in sight of the warehouse, he flicked the weighty diamond, just the right size to be the heart of a canine, into his mouth... and swallowed it.

Power flowed through his body, power that had once been his, and was now returning to its rightful place. Power that could level cities. Power that could shake the heavens. Power that could bring low even alicorns. Power beyond all reckoning. The Top Dog was back in business. No, not Top Dog. Not anymore.

Call him... Sirius, The Canis Major.

It's A Dog's Life

"CURSE YOU, LUNA!!! CURSE YOU, CELESTIA!!!"

One thousand years ago...

As the two princesses flew off, Sirius hung his head, utterly defeated. While he'd understood that Luna and Celestia were mighty, he'd not truly realized just how powerful the two of them were together. Sombra had offered a nice big chunk of Equestria, provided that the Canis Major succeeded in stopping the two Alicorns before they reached the Crystal Empire, so he'd planned on jumping them and swallowing them both whole in a single gulp. Nothing special, just put them in his belly, and let nature do the rest. When he had ambushed them in the forest today, he had been certain of his victory. Instead...

The two of them had struck him simultaneously, with enough force to level a city. Stunned by the ferocity of their united power, he'd taken a single step back, then another as the two of them continued their brutal assault without pause. He'd had no chance to counter-attack, before a spell from Luna had breezed past what defense the Canis Major could muster, and ripped out a fragment of his being, the star that was his heart.

The two princesses had barely seemed winded afterwards. Having reduced the great Canis Major to a mere shadow of his former self by removing one of the 'stars' that made up his existence, they'd not seen the point of further punishment, especially since the two of them still had to deal with King Sombra today. Instead, they'd simply taken flight, intent upon their goal with hardly a backward glance.

It can be... distressing to find that you were nothing more than a random encounter in someone else's grand adventure...

However, while his power was reduced, he was still one of the celestial beings of the heavens. While he now lacked his overwhelming physical might, he was still immortal, and immune to physical harm. He would regain his power, and have his revenge, even if it took a thousand years...

One thousand years later, minus twenty-four hours...

"Alright, you mangy mutts, here's the deal," Sirius, now known as Top Dog, said, addressing his paltry batch of minions. "Rex isn't going to let you back into the pack unless you can come back with a ton of bits. As I've told you before, I've got a client who is willing to pay a significant amount of money in exchange for the ruin of the career of guard commander, Silver Lance. It's taken me some time to work out the way to do it, but I've just finished putting the plan together."

Of course, that was all a lie. While this plan would, potentially, ruin the pony known as Silver Lance, if he was willing to sacrifice his career in order to rescue his foster daughter, that was the least likely scenario. Silver Lance took threats against his family seriously: The one time in his career somepony had kidnapped his wife, the commander had asked for volunteers to help him rescue her. The entire guard, out of respect, love, and admiration of their commander and his wife, had marched on the building she was being held, and had literally disassembled the entire warehouse around the thugs, while Silver Lance had teleported directly inside, retrieved his wife, and teleported right back out again with her in tow. Given the condition the thugs were in afterwards, since they'd tried to resist arrest (A rather foolish move, but the individuals were minotaurs, and thought that they could just bull through the 'weak' ponies surrounding them. Instead, they'd simply been levitated off of their feet, then whacked a few dozen times with sticks until they surrendered. This maneuver would come to be known as the 'Pinata Takedown', and was often used to handle overly powerful creatures who lacked the ability of flight), the word went out far and wide that if you messed with Silver Lance's family, you would pay for it dearly.

This excessive overreaction was exactly what Sirius would need to be able to infiltrate the palace. While he'd secured, at great expense, a cloak of invisibility, in addition to an amulet of silence, there would be no way of getting anywhere near the vault of national treasures if the palace was swarming with guards, since there was the very real possibility of somepony bumping into him, not to mention a dozen elite members of the guard who were set to watch over the vault at all times. Sirius had ways of handling one or two guards at once, but a dozen was beyond his current state. Worse, there were only three times when the palace was almost completely empty of guards, including the majority of the elites: When the city was under attack (If he'd had a little forewarning, he could have managed during the changeling invasion, but oh well), when the princesses were missing (very unlikely to happen any time soon), and when Silver Lance's family was threatened.

"Silver's new daughter, Ling, is the key," Sirius said, giving his best grin. It had surprised him that, after having been stripped of his powers, he now looked like a diamond dog, but this appearance had it's perks, such as a look that Sirius liked to think of as an 'Honest John'. If you were looking to buy a used cart, the look that Sirius had would be the one of the fellow who would walk up to you with a big smile, a firm hoofshake, and a friendly voice, and who would sell you a cart that would work just fine, up until you got it off of the lot, at which point, all sales were final, so sorry. His smile radiated trustworthiness, in spite of the fact that he was anything but.

"I'm not sure I like involving the daughter in this," Delta said, frowning. "As a mother..."

Sirius raised a paw and said, "I wouldn't dream of hurting a child." This was technically true. Sirius had never dreamed of hurting a child in his life. Instead, he dreamed of hurting Celestia and Luna every night, and had for the last thousand years. While he certainly didn't bear the brat any ill will, he wouldn't shed any tears if the runt got hurt at any point in time. "The threat alone will be sufficient. I sincerely doubt that he'd do anything to jeopardize the life of his new daughter, especially not after getting so attached to her."

Delta, still looking upset, seemed like she might argue. Rolling his eyes, Sirius said, "Tell you what: If he doesn't go through with it, you can keep the kid. I mean, somepony who would choose their career over a kid really doesn't have the right to be a parent. Am I right?"

After a moment, Delta nodded, then said, "Alright. I still don't like this, but as long as the kid doesn't get hurt, I guess I can stomach it." Looking down at her son, Omega, she sighed, then looked back up, her expression all business.

The things some dogs will do for love.

Sirius nodded, then turned to the big dog, and said, "Alright, Alpha, your part to play is simple: I need you to sneak in and take the kid. First opportunity that presents itself, you go in, get the kid, and go out. The sprout's got no magic, and can't talk, so as long as you move fast and get her in a sack immediately, she'll be no problem. She's just a tiny tyke, so she can't put up much of a fight."

Alpha sighed, looked as if he might argue, then nodded, and said, "Understood."

Turning to Beta, Sirius said, "Your job is simple, as well. You help watch the kid. Make sure she doesn't do anything to get away before we're ready to let her go. She escapes, the entire operation falls apart. Keep Omega with you: the kid's got good eyes, and being a kid himself, he'll be able to guess what the squirt will try before you do."

Beta simply nodded, then said, "Right."

Looking over at Delta, Sirius said, "Your job will be tricky. You deliver the ransom note as soon as her disappearance is reported. You can just chuck a rock through a window with a note wrapped around it, then book it before anypony comes looking for you."

Delta nodded, then said, "Very well."

Putting on his best used cart salesdog grin, Sirius said, "Cheer up, everydoggy. If everything goes according to plan, then this time tomorrow, we'll be dividing up the loot with no harm done to anypony, asides from a ruin reputation."

Another lie. If everything went according to the real plan, Sirius would be at full power, and ravaging Canterlot, and then all of Equestria. Maybe even the whole world. One thousand years had left Sirius with a serious appetite for destruction.

Alpha asked, "And what will you be doing?"

Shrugging, Sirius said, "There are a few things that I have to take care of from my end. If Silver Lance tries to go in and get the diamond, he'll be stopped by the guards stationed in front of the vault. I'm familiar with the layout of the palace, and I have taken certain steps to ensure that the guard presence will be minimized tonight. You let me worry about things from my end. You do your jobs, and I promise you, every one of you will get exactly what you deserve."

Yeah, right.

Twenty-four hours earlier...

"I need a spell of selective intangibility," Sirius said, grinning cheerfully.

Duo, the displacer beast who ran this shop of 'less than legal goods' chuckled, her mirror image imitating the gesture. Even now, Sirius had trouble telling which was real and which was not without resorting to his nose. The sickly sweet incense she burned to muddle his sense of smell made even that impossible. Still, it was worth the irritation if it meant that he could get what he needed for the big show tomorrow.

With a smirk, the feline asked, "What kind of safe are we talking about, Rover? How serious is it?" The two tentacles on the creature's shoulders danced sinuously as she spoke. He had to admit, the effect was... hypnotic. The fact that Duo was an incredibly attractive member of her species certainly made focusing harder than it would normally be. Sirius wasn't into felines, or anything else for that matter, but he had to admit, the displacer had a certain appeal to her.

Sirius hated being called Rover, though. For the hundredth time, he promised himself that, as soon as he was at full power, Duo would be the first creature with her back against the wall, after the princesses. Clearing his throat, he said, "A TXTL-240, with enchantments to resist magical infiltration, as well as to make it more durable."

The displacer's jaw dropped in shock. "You've got to be joking. The highest grade of safe in existence is a TXTL-60, meaning it takes an hour to crack open. A safe that takes four hours to crack open simply doesn't exist."

Smirking, glad to have surprised the feline, he said, "The highest grade known to 'officially' exist is the TXTL-60. We both know that not every safe design is made available to the general public."

Giggling, Duo admitted, "Yes, that's true, but with that much protection, they may as well have put it in a bank vault. What are you planning on stealing? The crown jewels?"

With a harsh bark of laughter, Sirius said, "The less you know, the better off you'll be. But I will say that this is a big heist I've got planned. The biggest anydoggy has ever planned." Pulling up a massive sack of bits, he said, "This should more than cover the cost of the spell, and the rest is so you'll keep quiet. I value your discretion."

Looking at the gigantic purse with wide eyes, Duo said, "Rover, for that kind of money, I would take a vow of silence for the next twenty years. Give me five minutes, and I'll have exactly what you need." With a sly look, the feline said, "But just remember, sugar, it goes both ways. If you get caught, don't you dare tell anyone who gave this to you."

True to her word, five minutes later, she had the scroll on the counter, an impish grin on her face. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to unload this on someone, to be honest with you. It's the last of my truly illegal stash of goods. I'm getting out of the game while the getting is good."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at that. After a moment, he asked, "Really? I thought that you loved this business?"

With a shrug that set her tentacles quivering, she admitted, "I do, but during the invasion, I came a bit closer than I would like to losing everything. The guards were searching everywhere for changelings a few weeks ago, and while they were looking in here, they almost came across the spot where I stash stuff like this. I almost got caught, through no fault of my own." Sighing, she admitted, "And besides, I'm getting a little too old for this: I'm almost thirty, with no kids, no marriage prospects, and I've barely been breaking even for the last year and a half. I need to change, or else I'm going to end up an old grey hag in a jail cell with nothing to my name but an impressively long rap sheet."

Sirius was not certain how he felt about that. He'd known Duo for... well, a long time as mortals counted it, about ten years at least, back when Top was setting up his cover as a thief, in preparation for his current plans. In a thousand years, he'd not made any friends, but Duo might have been the closest he ever got to one, her irritating pet name for him notwithstanding. Sirius wrestled with himself for a moment, then said, "Take everything you've got that won't get you in trouble, and leave, first thing in the morning. Don't look back. You won't want to be in Canterlot tomorrow night." At the look that Duo gave him, he said, "No questions. Just do it."

Duo, after a moment, sinuously crawled over the counter and then, her face a bare inch from Sirius' as she wrapped herself around him like a fur coat, she said, "You know, you could just walk away from whatever it is you're planning. With this kind of scratch, you and me, we could go anywhere, do anything we wanted. We'd be set for life."

And Sirius would be left with a black void where the star that made up his heart was supposed to be. He felt its absence acutely, every second of every day. This maddening emptiness. He couldn't let the princesses get away with having done this to him. And yet...

...And yet, for a moment, he seriously considered it. Considered walking away. Maybe he wasn't as immune to her charms as he thought that he was. But he was already too far along, and too close to success, to stop now.

Shaking his head, he said, "After how long I've been planning this? No." After a moment, he added, "But if things don't work out, I'll look you up." It might be best not to close that particular door behind him...

...Just in case.

Smiling, Duo said, "I'll keep an eye out for you, Rover."

Now...

Canterlot was on the march.

Not quite all of it, really, but almost every guard was here, marching on the warehouse, along with about half of the civilian population, Ling's 'fan club'. The fact that the little changeling had amassed this many admirers in such a short time was nothing short of incredible. The little one had charisma to spare. Sirius was certain that, if she survived the night, the changeling would be going places.

The ground shook as the massed ponies approached, marching in step upon the warehouse where Ling was being held. The diamond dogs inside were certain to be panicking by now, shocked to find themselves under attack. Sirius watched in amusement as the Dog Star Diamond continued to return to it's original state, and infused him with power.

It felt good to be whole again. As the gathered unicorns began taking the building apart, brick by brick, Sirius watched from his spot atop a neighboring building, hidden in the shadow of a water tower. As soon as the princesses arrived, it would be over. One thousand years of gathering information, making preparations, and wallowing in the filth that they call mortality, all of it for this moment: The night when he would have his glorious revenge. And here they were now...

As the two came to rest on the street in front of the warehouse, Sirius took a running leap from the top of the building, and as he descended to the ground below, he took his true form.

Limbs lengthened, then thickened with muscle. His torso widened, and his fur lengthened to the point where a pony might stand upon his back and be covered up to their neck. His claws lengthened, and sharpened, to the point where they were longer than a pony was tall. His head grew, and his mouth widened, filled to capacity with long, sharp teeth. What had dropped from the top of the building was a diamond dog. What landed, one massive paw pinning each princess, was a massive canine, easily taller than the building he had been perched upon just moments before.

With a voice that rattled the windows for a dozen blocks, the Canis Major said, "Surprise."

A Thousand Other Things

"So, your parents had to choose between keeping you or staying with the pack?"

Fifteen minutes earlier...

Omega read the message on the chalkboard, then nodded. With a surprisingly eloquent shrug, he cleared the board, then wrote a response.

"Exactly. Tradition is that, if a dog is disabled, they must leave the pack. Any sort of a handicap means that you are a drain. You can only consume resources without giving anything back." After he confirmed Ling had read that, he cleared the board, and wrote, "Nowadays, you get put in an orphanage. It used to be a lot worse. When my parents refused, Rex, the king of the diamond dogs, banished my entire family. The only way he'll let us back in if we can get enough bits to buy our way back in."

A drain...?

Three years ago...

Lieutenant Mole Cricket, no, Commander Mole Cricket now, was looking pensive. Ling really couldn't blame him. The youngest commander in changeling history had just found out that his lifelong aspiration, the rank he had gained just a few days ago, was now just a glorified whipping bug for when the queen messed up. While he was still a big bug amongst commoners, that would only last until the queen's next colossal blunder. Even Ling, the queen's sister, knew that Chrysalis was not even a fraction of the queen their mother was... and probably never would be.

The two were inside of the commander's temporary office, while the swarm was at rest. This had apparently been the office of a king's personal secretary, but while the changelings were occupying the city, the commander had decided to make use of it. Cricket sat behind a desk, in a comfortable looking chair. Ling remained standing as she waited for the commander to acknowledge her.

Cricket held his helmet in his hooves, staring at something inside. After a moment, he let out a long sigh, slapped the helmet back on, then addressed his guest, asking, "So, why are you here?"

Picking up a pen and paper, Ling wrote, "I want to help you."

The commander read Ling's message, steepled his hooves in front of him, then leaned back in his chair and asked, "Why?"

Ling began writing again. This time, it took her several minutes to put into words what she wanted to say. When she was done, she passed the note over to the commander.

"The greatest crime against the swarm is to be a waste of resources. I can't speak, and I can't change my appearance. My sister has to put up with nobles pressuring her about me every day, demanding that I be cast aside as useless, that I should be exiled, or maybe even extracted. If I can be of some value to the swarm, that pressure will go away, or at least be lessened. One less thing she has to worry about. I'm not sure what I can do to contribute, but I'm not going to sit around, doing nothing, while everybuggy else is working their abdomens off, trying to make sure everybuggy else has enough to eat."

After he finished reading her note, Cricket smiled, then said, "Well, having read that, I can't possibly say no. I don't think you'd be officer material, but I can introduce you to a few bugs who can teach you some useful skills." At Ling's dour expression, Cricket held up a hoof, then said, "No offense intended, miss, it's just that you don't seem like the type who'd be able to handle being responsible for the lives and welfare of others. I may be wrong, but I'd like to think I have an eye for that kind of thing."

Ling wanted to argue, but couldn't. The youngster had to admit, she was glad that her disability rendered her ineligible for the crown, due to traditions going back a thousand years. She could see what the burden of responsibility was doing to her sister, and while Ling wanted to lessen that load, she understood that she'd never be up to being a true leader...

Cricket's expression turned a more serious as he said, "There are things you can do to help out around here. A bit of training will be needed if you plan on hanging around with the military branch, but that won't be a problem. If you're as good with a pen and paper as it looks like you are, I could definitely use a secretary, especially if you can handle map-making for me." At Ling's enthusiastic nod, Cricket smiled briefly, before continuing with a stern expression, "But don't think I'll go easy on you, just because the queen's your sister. The sort of work you'll be doing will be hard, but it will be no less important than what everybuggy else does. If you say you want to pull your weight, you'll be expected to carry as heavy a load as anybuggy else your age, mute or not, magicless or not. If you're willing to accept that, we'll get started right away."

Ling nodded, then saluted, grinning.

The chalk scratched furiously on the board as Ling wrote exactly what she thought of that.

"If they think you're a waste just because you can't talk, it's their loss. If you have a strong back, you can still carry your own weight. If you've got a good head on your shoulders, then you can think of a way to help others. If the king couldn't see that, who needs him? The most important thing is, you still have a family that loves you enough that they'd choose you over a stupid tradition any day of the week."

Omega read her message, then, smiling, gave Ling a hug. While the diamond dog didn't write anything else, his gratitude was clear...

Ling had to admit, ever if he was a little bit smelly (he was a diamond dog, they all have a certain... aroma), he didn't seem like a bad dog.

Beta, rolling his eyes, said, "Don't get too attached to her, sparky. We're on the clock here. Stick to business."

Omega turned back towards his uncle, then blew a big raspberry at him. Beta snorted, then said, "Fine, whatever." Ling couldn't help but notice that the big dog was smiling, though. Turning back towards Alpha, Beta asked, "Any sign of Delta yet?

Alpha, peering out a window, said, "Yeah. I see her now. She's running. Something must have gone wrong..."

Delta, the female of the group, burst in, then said, "We need to turn her over to the authorities right now." She was obviously distraught, shivering with fear. "I was caught when I tried to deliver the note. Silver Lance said that... well, he made it clear that if we didn't return his daughter to him, unharmed, we'd regret it. Big time"

Alpha, clearly perturbed by his wife's distress, hugged her tightly, then turned to look at Beta. "Give the girl back her necklace, and get ready to leave." Plucking something out of his wife's fur, he said, "On second thought, we'd better stay right here." The thing he held was thin and wispy, to the point that it was almost invisible. "It appears that they put a tracker on you. I expect that the guards be here shortly."

Outside, there was a sound, quiet first, but slowly and steadily growing. A great thump, as of a thousand hooves marching in unison, could be heard. It grew and grew, to the point that it was almost deafening. Then suddenly, it stopped, and the front of the warehouse began to glow.

Alpha turned towards his family, then said, "Everydoggy on the ground, paws behind your head. Don't make any sudden movements. It's over. We're as good as caught now"

Beta, his head hung in sorrow, complied, as did Delta and Omega. It was pretty clear now that whatever the big plan was, it had failed utterly.

Within less than a minute, a hole had opened in the wall, and Ling could see dozens of ponies outside. Her foster father, Silver Lance was there, with the princesses standing beside him, looking concerned. Off to one side was a tall pony who was covered head to hoof in a hooded cloak. Was that...

Suddenly, with a thunderous crash, something huge and lupine fell down, pinning the princesses down with its mighty paws. With a voice that held such depth that it was felt as much as heard, the monstrosity said, "Surprise."

One year ago...

Staring in awe at the result of the tiny changeling's work, Ling could hardly believe what she was seeing. A small army of hardened warriors had been taken down in the blink of an eye. The sphinxes had possessed the element of surprise, and yet a changeling youth had devastated them before they'd had a chance to do more than spring out of hiding.

Ling pulled out her chalkboard, then wrote down, "How did you do that?"

After reading the message, Leiurus Quinquestriatus simply said, "Magic."

Clearing the board, Ling wrote, "No, how were you able to do any of that so quickly? Weren't you surprised? Or scared?" Ling had been frightened to the point of immobility by the sudden attack. Had she been allowed a few seconds, she would have reacted, but by the time she'd come to her senses, the fight was over...

After reading the message, the Deathstalker said, "Fear is nothing more than a primitive function of the mind that exists only to warn of potential dangers. Once the danger is identified, the only thing left is to respond accordingly. My training allows me to overcome the hesitation that would normally be brought about by fear, so that I can strike immediately in response to any potential threat."

Ling wrote upon her blackboard, "Can you teach me how to do that?"

After a moment, Leiurus said, "Affirmative."

Ling was moving while everypony, and everydoggy, was still staring, stunned, at the massive beast that had suddenly appeared. As she ran by Beta, she snatched up the necklace that the diamond dog had been holding in his paws, and snapped it back on. With her voice back in operation, the changeling leapt, then began flying, making a bee-line for the Canis Major.

"Oh, the things I have planned for the two of you," Sirius said, grinning evilly down at the two alicorns struggling beneath his paw. "What's wrong? No spells? Too scared that you might level your precious city if you try what you did last time? I remember the forest we last fought in didn't fare too well. Ashes and dust everywhere. Such a pity. I've had a thousand years to plan this, and I promise you, I'll enjoy every second of it. The two of you?" Licking his lips, he finished, "Not so much."

Suddenly, he felt a tug on one of his ears. Turning, Sirius saw that changeling brat flying besides his face. How she'd managed to get up here so fast, he didn't know, or care. He turned back towards the princesses, and was about to continue with the monologue he'd rehearsed for centuries, when he heard a voice say, "Let them go."

Turning towards the voice, he saw that little changeling again, her hoof on that little necklace of hers. Snorting, the Canis Major said, "No. Now scram, before I decide you'd make a good appetizer." With that, he turned back to the princesses.

"Let them go, or else."

Sirius turned back toward the tiny creature, her expression one of fierce determination. She was threatening him? That was adorable. With a snicker, Sirius asked, "Or else what, you'll tickle me? Buzz off."

Her expression strangely serene, the twerp took a deep, deep breath, placed her hoof tips at the corners of her mouth, and...

Two years earlier...

"Strength can be a weakness," Orchid Mantis said, grinning, "And weakness can be a strength." At the confused look Ling, gave her, the combat expert chuckled. "I suppose I should explain."

Even now, after having been tutored on the basics of combat for a year by the older changeling, Ling still couldn't get over the resemblance that Orchid had to Mole Cricket. While it would be impossible to prove, the youngster was almost certain that Orchid was the commander's mother. However, it was likely that, unless they both stood in front of a mirror and looked, the two of them would never notice it for themselves...

Gesturing at a changeling sitting nearby, Goliath Spider, possibly the biggest changeling ever, Orchid said, "Goliath here is a titan. He once ripped the grand golden gates of Sphinxopolis off of their hinges, in spite of their massive weight, and tossed them aside as you or I might throw a pebble. In terms of raw, physical might, Goliath cannot possibly be beaten." Chuckling, she said, "But due to his immense size, he can't go into any small spaces. He's too large for most buildings, really, and he's too heavy to fly. That means that if he comes after you, your best bet is to run and hide someplace too small for him to catch you, or just fly off."

"Meanwhile," the elder changeling said, gesturing towards the younger hatchling, "you're quite small, but you're also quick and nimble, and can get into places most changelings cannot. If you were to crawl inside of Goliath's ear, you could do a great deal of damage."

"Those especially proud of their strength fail to see their inherent weakness before it's too late. Sphinxopolis was quite proud of the grand gates they possessed, and their city walls were so tall that it was difficult for even a pegasus to fly over them. However," Orchid said with a chuckle, "when Goliath ripped the gates off of the city wall, they had little defense against the swarm at their doorstep."

Gesturing towards a set of crude drawings, Orchid said, "Minotaurs are proud of their size and strength, so moves that turn their own power against them are highly effective. Sphinxes are so keen on clever strategies and schemes that they are often confounded by a direct attack." Grinning wickedly, she added, "And I have yet to meet a canine of any species, anywhere, who wasn't proud of their sensitive nose and ears. But an strong scent or high pitched sound can be a distraction, or even a weapon, provided you know the right way to do it."

"Here, let me show you how."

Glass windows throughout the city of Canterlot rattled, then shattered. Dogs around the city began howling. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Omega fell to the ground, clutching their ears and whimpering. And Sirius?

Sirius shrieked in agony, his paws involuntarily reaching up to cover his ears, releasing the princesses in the process. Since the sound was so high pitched that only canines could hear it, the ponies and changeling were not harmed, but for those who could hear it, the sound of Ling's whistle was louder than anything that could be imagined.

It often surprised others that Ling could whistle as well as she could. While her muteness prevented her from making any kind of noise from her throat, she had a great pair of lungs, and there was nothing wrong with her lips. That's all there was to whistling, after all: You just put your lips together... and blow.

The princesses quickly rallied, and readied to strike back against their attacker, but it seemed that Sirius wasn't in any condition to fight anymore, as he writhed in pain on his back, suffering greatly from Ling's relentless assault. When Ling stopped, briefly, to catch her breath, the beast tried to rise, but was not fast enough. Ling renewed her sonic assault, the whistle seeming even louder than before.

It was too much. Sirius was immune to mundane attacks, but his ears were sensitive in the extreme. While he couldn't be 'damaged' by the sound, he could still feel pain like any creature, and his exceptional hearing was now a liability. Worse, since he was 'invulnerable', his hearing would not be dulled by this attack, so Ling's assault would never lose its effectiveness, even if she were to whistle like this for a thousand years...

Unable to take it anymore, Sirius shrieked, "ENOUGH!!! UNCLE!!! STOP!!! PLEASE!!!"

The whistle stopped.

Four years ago...

"Okay Ling, look at me."

Ling, doing her best not to let the pain of her injured leg show, looked Ladybird in the eye. She'd tripped over a pebble, and fell, twisting her leg badly. Her chitin had shifted painfully, and cracked. The broken plate would have to be set in order for her to heal properly.

Quick as lightning, Ladybird slapped the younger changeling in the face, hard. Before Ling could react, there was a loud crack, as the nursemaid slipped the fractured plates of chitin on her leg back into place. Ling had barely even felt it.

"Sorry about that, miss," Ladybird said, as she began putting a splint around the leg in question. "Setting chitin back into place after a nasty break like that is tricky, and it can hurt ten times worse if you squirm. Worse still, if the plates aren't set back properly, it'll hurt a lot worse when they have to be broken again and reset a second time. But if you're still reeling from a slap like that, you'll hardly feel it going back into place." With a sigh, Lady finished her work and said, "Sometimes, the greatest kindness can seem like cruelty. If you don't do what needs to be done, you'll end up having to go back and fix a more difficult problem later."

Ling set down on the fallen Canis Major's chest, then walked across, over towards the beast's face. The monster seemed to be in bad shape. As is often the case with a creature immune to most forms of injury, this one simply wasn't built to withstand pain like most creatures were.

"No more," the creature said, weakly. "Mercy..."

Ling smiled sweetly, then placed her hoof upon her necklace.

"Does this look like the face of mercy to you?"

Before the massive canine could react, Ling placed her hooves back to her lips, and blew one more time, louder than ever before. The dread beast that had come within seconds of ending the reign of the two Princesses promptly passed out with a whimper.

Once it was clear that the crisis was over, Ling flew over to where the princesses and Silver Lance stood, still shocked with their mouths hanging open. Ling placed a hoof on her necklace and said, "Whatever you need to do to get him under control, do it fast. I don't know how long he'll stay unconscious."

Luna and Celestia nodded, then both expressed their thanks by giving the young changeling a hug, before moving on to take care of the stricken foe. Silver Lance asked, "Are you alright, Ling?" The little one nodded, smiling. Silver promptly pulled her into a fierce hug.

The tall, cloaked figure asked, "Why are you letting him call you that?"

Silver, still hugging Ling, turned towards the lady who had helped in recovering his daughter, asked, "What do you mean? That's her name." Looking down at her, he asked, "Isn't it?" Ling blushed brightly, embarrassed...

Reaching a hole-filled foreleg up to her hood, the figure bared her face for the first time since they had met today. The face of the changeling before them was... weathered was the best way to put it. She carried a number of scars on her graying chitin, and her mane was cut short, stopping just below her chin. She was clearly not young anymore, but she could not be any older than fifty, at most.

"I can assure you," she said, her tone grave, "I would never have given my daughter a name that would make light of her disabilities."

The Truth

"So, do you understand your mission?"

Several weeks earlier...

Ling nodded, then gave the commander a salute. The two sat upon a cloud high above the city of Canterlot. The invasion was set to begin within an hour. The commander had pulled Ling away from the main invasion force, indicating a special mission for her.

Ling was crushing big time for Mole Cricket. It wasn't just because she thought he was an incredibly handsome changeling (Although she thought that he most certainly was). It wasn't just because he was strong, or smart, or brave, or anything like that, either (Although he certainly was. If you were to look up the definition of the perfect changeling, you'd see a picture of Mole Cricket, with a lion in a sleeper hold, with things exploding in the background). It was because...

...Well, it was because he was the first changeling that Ling had ever met that treated her like she was... normal. He didn't give the whole 'oh, you're mute and have no magic, that's terrible, let me do everything for you forever' routine. He didn't mock her, either to her face or behind her back, about her disabilities. He was the first changeling to treat Ling as though she was just as capable as any other changeling in the swarm.

As the Commander had promised, he had given her a workload equal to that of any other changeling her age, and she'd been made to undergo rigorous training with several other changelings when he'd not had an immediate need for her services. And... when she'd proven more than up to the task, he'd praised her on exceeding his expectations, and gave her more responsibilities. Not even Ling's sister, the queen, had treated Ling like that. Even now, Chrysalis treated Ling as if she was some fragile thing: Like the young changeling was some frail flower that might break under a light breeze... when the truth was that she was anything but.

Cricket nodded, then said, "Good. Map out the entire city, and keep track of troop movements over the course of the invasion. You have a bird's eye view up here. Once the majority of the work is done, I'll send up somebuggy to collect you. I want you to try and keep track of any place where large numbers of soldiers and civilians gather when things turn in our favor. I also want your opinion on the best places to..." The commander abruptly paused. After a moment, Cricket sighed, then said, "I'm repeating myself. I apologize. It's just..." Another pause, then, "Can you keep a secret?"

Ling nodded, then crossed her heart.

The commander looked down at the city, then said, "There is no possible way that we can achieve a long-term victory here." At Ling's shocked expression, the commander sighed again, then said, "We lack the numbers. The Equestrian army outnumbers our entire species three to one, and that's just one branch of their military force. This country's total population exceeds our own more than a hundred times over. Even if that was not so, we lack the numbers necessary to hold this much territory for any amount of time."

"We lack the training. While even a youth like yourself can count herself an experienced combat veteran by their standards, the average soldier in the Equestrian army is better trained, better disciplined, and better equipped than any save for the very best of ours."

"We lack the logistics. Many of us have only a few weeks of love left, and many of us are going to be burning love in order to make sure we survive today's encounter. Even if we win today's battle, we'll be hurting for love, with who knows how many enemy soldiers on the way."

With another long, weary sigh, the commander said, "And since day one, I have tried to make this clear to your sister. When she wouldn't be dissuaded from attempting to invade Equestria, I tried to convince her that a cautious, long term approach would be needed. When she wouldn't accept that, I tried to convince her to let me have full control of the strategy and tactics for the course of the battle. Instead, ninety percent of our battle plan involves banging our collective heads against a force field in the hopes that it will give out before we do. That is not exaggeration, that is the actual plan. When I requested that we have multiple points of infiltration, rather than just the queen herself, she stated that just herself was more than enough, in spite of past experience having proven herself the world's worst actress. She would not allow any sort of contingency plans in case of a failure. Worse, she wouldn't even let Goliath take part in the vanguard, even though he, himself, would be more than a match for the troops stationed within. Instead, he's part of the reserves outside of the city, and cannot be summoned, save on the queen's orders."

Shaking his head in disgust, Cricket said, "I'd almost swear that she is intentionally trying to destroy the changeling species as we know it. This entire invasion is going to be a spectacular failure, the likes of which we have never experienced in the history of our species... and I'll be the one blamed for it. I've known that such a fiasco was inevitable. That," the commander said, "is why, if, and when, this entire farce blows up in our faces, I want you to go down there, and turn yourself over to the authorities..."

Now...

"So," Silver Lance said, his expression incredulous, "you were out there, in front of the headquarters of the Royal Guard, because you were expecting to be captured?"

Ling nodded, then, placing her hoof on her necklace, said, "Yes. The commander said that, while Equestrians weren't as weak as the Queen claimed, they were, on the whole, soft-hearted. They certainly wouldn't allow a child to be harmed, and since I'm only twelve, I count as one. He wanted..." She paused, seeming to try and remember the exact words, "Equestria to see that we weren't all like that. During the invasion, you saw us at our worst. He wanted you to have a chance to see us at our best. To see that... to see that we weren't monsters. At least... not all of us."

With a rueful expression, she continued, stating, "Worst case scenario, I might have ended up in a dungeon cell, but if I did, you'd still be required to feed me: Prisoners aren't allowed to starve. He promised to come and get me if it turned out I was being mistreated." Looking a little bit ashamed, she admitted, "And I didn't tell you my real name because, well, I didn't know how much you all knew. If you knew, after hearing my name, that I was the queen's sister, then there was no telling what might happen. I spent a lot of time and effort trying to keep from being a burden to my sister. Becoming a hostage would ruin all of that. By the time I understood that I was in no danger, even if I told you who and what I really was, the name had kind of stuck. 'Sides, growing up, I've heard that nickname more times than I've heard my real name, Queen's sister or not."

Looking back, Silver could see now that the name that she'd given was nothing like that of other changelings: Most changelings had names matching those of insects, although aristocrats tended towards the scientific names, rather than the common. Ling, on the other hoof...

'Ling' was just 'Changeling', minus the 'Change'.

"Which is a pity," her mother, ex-Queen Monarch (She insisted that they call her Mona. Much less formal. After all, they were all practically family now), said, frowning, "since I've always felt that 'Nymph' is such a lovely name."

Nymph promptly hugged her mother, smiling. It had been years since they'd last seen one another, and it was clear that they had a great deal of catching up to do.

The three sat, watching as Celestia and Luna worked on removing the 'stars' from the downed Canis Major. The princesses were taking no chances with a repeat of today's incident: They would completely de-power the celestial beast, and send the stars back to their rightful place in the night sky... leaving the fiend a mere mortal. Silver supposed that would be more than sufficient punishment for his actions.

Silver cleared his throat, then asked, "And why are you here, Mona? Rather than with the swarm, I mean."

Sighing, the former queen said, "Ultimately, I'm here because I tried to change things. I could see, better than anybuggy else, that things could not remain as they are. Our numbers may have been slowly growing, but the amount of love we'd been getting never did. It wasn't until I investigated the matter personally that I discovered that the most powerful members of the aristocracy had been taking an ever-increasing cut out of the spoils of every successful incursion. If the love had been distributed evenly, then by now, the changeling race would have sufficient supplies to keep us going for centuries, potentially millennia. Instead, the commoners, and the lower-level aristocracy, barely have enough love to get by between invasions."

Ling looked absolutely stunned by this revelation, but Silver just nodded. "Sounds about right. Celestia and Luna had crunched some numbers, based on reports of changeling invasions in other kingdoms over the last ten years. They reached the same conclusion: Either you were burning love like mad, or somebuggy was hording it in secret."

Mona nodded, then said, "However, even with indisputable evidence in my possession, I couldn't do anything about it directly: I barely had enough power to go hoof to hoof with one of the patriarchs of the high houses. I would never be able to break all of them down by force on my own. I tried, instead, to arrange a plan of peaceful cohabitation with other races."

"When the aristocracy learned of it, they went ballistic. To fully integrate into another kingdom would mean that they would lose their status as de facto rulers of our species: They would be bound to the same laws and regulations as any other member of our race. The higher aristocracy is so divorced from reality that they would willingly run our species into the ground to preserve their own absolute authority over others: They viewed my position as nothing more than a figurehead with no real power, which was why they tolerated my continued existence. They cared not a whit for the rest of our kind. I threatened to reveal all of this information to the common changelings, along with several other secrets long kept from them. It would incite them to rise against the higher aristocracy. A civil war, no matter how violent, would be better than the extinction of our race due to the insanity of a small number of individuals. But then..."

Silver Lance took a wild guess, and said, "They threatened your daughters?"

"Exactly," Mona said, and changeling or not, she looked close to tears. "The obligations of my title were clear: I should have pressed on, regardless of the threats, and set things right. However, I had already lost their father, not too long before. As a mother..." With a long sigh, she continued, saying, "Rather than risk the lives of my two daughters, I abdicated the throne, after extracting a promise from the leaders of the cabal that they would leave my children unharmed. I turned over my crown to my eldest daughter, said my goodbyes, and left."

"I'm seeing that you've done pretty well in getting by," Silver observed, an eyebrow raised.

"I left the swarm with a sizable amount of love," Mona admitted, with a half-smile. "Enough to last me the natural life of a changeling, provided I use it wisely. I had plans that I wished to set in motion, once I was out and about in the wide world, but would need a good deal of time to do so." Looking down at her daughter, she said, "It was always my intention to return, once I could set things right."

Celestia and Luna returned, clearly exhausted from their work. The Canis Major was diminishing in size now, shrinking down to a diamond dog, as the stars within his body, one by one, were ejected, and sent flying into the night sky. "Sirius will spend the night in a dungeon cell," Celestia said, stifling a yawn, "In the morning, we shall hold a brief trial, and make his exile from Equestria official." Giving a meaningful look to Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omega, she continued, "I'll also need to have a talk with those four, but that can wait until their hearing has returned. That will take most of a day, by all accounts"

The four diamond dogs were in pretty bad shape. While Ling's dog whistle had been directed at Sirius, the other canines had gotten a pretty strong taste themselves. The doctors now on the scene were certain that their loss of hearing was only partial, and temporary, but in the meantime, the princesses were hoofing the bill for a stay at the hospital. There was apparently a great deal more going on with those dogs than meets the eye...

"So, we'll be busy for most of the day tomorrow," Luna said, picking up where Celestia left off. "While we will certainly need to debrief all of you, that can wait until the evening. Besides, there are a number of medals that are to be given to anyone who saves the life of a princess, let alone both at once. We'll need a little bit of time to have them commissioned before we can present them to you officially, Princess Nymph."

Nymph bowed, smiling, then placed her hoof on her necklace. "The two of you have been good to me. I'm glad I had the chance to return the favor."

"In the meantime," Mona said, smiling, "if it's no imposition, I would like to get to know the kind ponies who've treated my daughter so well."

"From the bottom of my heart, I thank you both," Mona said, an hour later, as the four sat around the dinner table. While the two changelings couldn't truly sustain themselves on pony food, they did, unlike most changelings, have a sense of taste. It's funny how Silver had not realized something was off about that: he'd just figured that 'Ling' was being polite, eating food that she couldn't really taste. "When I saw my daughter in the newspaper, while I was staying in Apple Loosa, I was gravely concerned for her well being. While it seemed unlikely that her adoption was any sort of a deception, the fact that her presence here had become public knowledge was a risky proposition. My elder daughter has doted on Nymph since practically the day she was born. If one of the patriarchs of the high houses ever got their hooves on her, it's likely they'd use the current situation to make a play for absolute dominion of the swarm. I left specifically because I didn't want something like that to happen."

Platinum Print smiled, and said, "I can understand that. So, you came down here to make sure that she would be safe."

Smiling, the former queen said, "Precisely. I am sorry to say that, at this point in time, I am unable to safely look after my own daughter. There are too many things happening at once, and not all of them are things that I can safely discuss here." For a moment, she looked distracted, then continued, saying, "But having seen the lengths to which you have gone to in order to save my daughter, and after seeing how well she was able to protect those around her, I am confident that I am leaving her in the best possible hooves."

Silver Lance and Platinum Print smiled brightly at the compliment, and Nymph pulled all of them together into a big group hug.

"I am surprised to see you having gotten wrapped up in a mess like this, Alpha."

Celestia and Luna stood in a room in Canterlot General Hospital. Having finished the brief trial to make the banishment of Sirius official, the two princesses had moved on to their next major item for the day...

Beta, Delta, and Omega were fast asleep, still recovering from yesterday's excitement. Alpha, on the other hoof, or paw, was up and ready for this interview.

The diamond dog sighed, then said, "I definitely didn't intend for anything like this to happen, Celestia. Things just... got away from me."

Luna sighed, then said, "If you were in the city limits, you should have just come to us directly. You know we're always happy to help, especially with all of this business with Rex."

Alpha, former sovereign of the diamond dogs, shook his head sadly, and said, "I didn't want you to poke your noses into this if I could help it. As angry as I am that Rex managed to use my son's disability as a means of leveraging off of the throne, I felt I had nodoggy to blame but myself. I'd known of the laws and traditions that would cause a handicapped child to be banished, and I'd always felt that they were wrong. However, there are far too many traditionalists in the pack, and it would have taken a good deal of time and effort to make the changes needed. So, instead of taking care of it right away, I kept putting it off... until suddenly, my son and only heir was found to be born mute. At that point, when I tried to change the laws needed, it made it look as though I was only doing it because my son was mute. Rex, the sneak, forced the issue, and demanded that I banish my son. When I refused, he forced me to abdicate, in the place of my younger brother. When Rex demanded that my brother banish me and my family, Beta refused, of course. That forced him to abdicate as well, and since Rex was my chancellor, that made him next in line."

Shaking her head sadly, Celestia said, "The diamond dogs are suffering greatly under Rex's reign, and attempts have already been made to overthrow him, Alpha. We would be more than happy to support you in reclaiming your throne. It will take some time to make the necessary arrangements. In the meantime," Celestia paused, then smiled, glancing over at Omega, "I think it would be best if you take your son over to the Shadowfax Institute when he recovers. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

Sirius was trudging along the road, on his way towards Baltimare, the closest port city to Canterlot. Banishment. That was just great. Not only was he mortal now, but he was now officially kicked out of the country, with a magical compulsion on him to make certain that he left with all possible speed, and never returned. Not that he had any plans to do so, mind you. One thousand years of planning, and he'd failed utterly. All of his stars were gone now. He should have just taken the diamond and run, but nooooo, he had to have his 'brilliant' revenge...

"Hey there, Rover, what's shaking?"

Rolling his eyes, the former Canis Major turned to see Duo, leaning against a tree, munching on a fish. She had a cart beside her, packed with what appeared to be what was left of her shop.

Duo, her duplicate mimicking her actions, giggled, then said, "I heard about what happened last night. Bit of a surprise, hearing that you did all of that. Escalated quickly, then ended abruptly."

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Sirius said, "I really don't want to talk about it."

With a stereo shrug, the displacer beast said, "Fair enough. Can't say I blame you. You know," she added, winking, "my offer still stands. I was planning on taking ship and sailing to Pantera. See about settling down back in the old country, if you know what I mean. Care to come with?"

...Well, it wasn't like he had any other plans now.

"Sure."

...And there was much rejoicing, as the old saying goes.

The throne room was filled to capacity, with ponies from all over the city, and even the country, here to see history in the making. After all, how often do you get to see the princesses give even one medal to a changeling? Let alone this many?

Nymph bowed low, her expression neutral, as the two princesses began reciting the various awards, merits, and medals that the changeling had earned just by whistling at a big dog. Apparently, saving the princesses was a pretty big deal. They'd placed thirty medals around her neck before she'd lost count, and they kept going on, and on, and on...

Luna wrapped things up, formally decreeing, "...and finally, it is our honor to bestow upon you the Platinum Moon and Platinum Sun, for the act of saving my sister and myself in our moment of greatest need." Smiling brightly, she added, "Know that you have earned our eternal gratitude, and the gratitude of all of Equestria."

Celestia, smiling radiantly herself, said, "Now, please rise, Nymph."

Nymph remained where she was. After a moment, Celestia raised an eyebrow, and, clearing her throat, said, "You may rise now, Nymph."

Struggling to find her necklace under the medals that the princesses had spent the better part of an hour draping around her slender neck, Nymph finally succeeded, then said, "Your majesties, I am truly honored by your praise and gratitude. I certainly do appreciate all of the awards, and the medals, and, well, everything, and I don't want to give offense. But, um..." It's strange to say, but the little mute changeling was at a loss for words.

Smiling, Luna asked, "You can't lift your head, can you?"

Nymph struggled to try and raise her head, but could barely keep her head elevated. With a thump, her face hit the ground. Her flank, as often happens in such a situation, was now in midair, her hind legs pedaling, trying to regain her balance. Finally, she admitted defeat, and said, "Yes, I'm afraid so. A little help, please?"

...And there was much laughter.