My Life Is A Lie

Celestia just got done with the setting of the sun. She comes inside the castle and allows her sister to raise the moon. She checks a list of things she must do before she goes to bed for the night. Fortunately, the list is short. Dismiss the day guard and staff, make sure the guard switch, and handle unsettled disputes in court, same as usual. However, there's one extra task on her list tonight. Cast judgment on an accused felon.

Her list included the charges filed towards him. Espionage, terrorism, foalnapping, extortion, assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, and high treason. Celestia, to say the very least, is skeptical that such a long list of accusations can be all true in its entirety, at least without her hearing of it until now. Half seem unnecessary.

It occurs to her that it's possible that the charges are skewed by some unforeseeable bias of the guard. Her list tells nothing else about the defendant in question, so the apparent bias isn't apparent to her. The espionage, terrorism, and high treason is most curious to her. She can believe the other charges, but such crimes as serious as these should have been made apparent to her hours ago. She can tell this case will be interesting, but she hopes it won't take too much time. The sun won't rise without her after all. The sooner this mess is sorted out, the more rest she can get for tomorrow.

The work of an absolute monarch is never done.

Blue has had the past few hours to become familiar with his current form. He used to have nightmares of changelings way back when, but since he never actually saw one, he would sometimes wonder what one looks like. Not enough to be one of course, but maybe to see a picture. May as well take up the opportunity to be as close to one as he is. It passes the time and take his mind off the unbearably, depressing thoughts of the icey cold lonyness assaulting his mind.

First thing to note is the hard, black, chitinous plates that cover him. At closer inspection, the plate float on top of a fluid and are covered in a very thin layer of skin. The plates covered all the parts that didn't bend and sectioned off on the joints or tough but maluable like around his muzzle. They seemed to even wall the holes in his legs. however, his forelegs are restrained by the strap jacket and so can't get a good look.

His mane, if one can call it that, runs down the back of his neck. From what it feels on the bed, it doesn't seem like hair. It feels stiff like the bushels of a toothbrush. Same goes for his tail. The strands seem to stick together as well. Probably why both have holes in them.

He has wings. The transparent membranes stick out from the slits in the jacket that are meant for pegasi wings. He can hardly move them with the severe under use of the muscles. The wings have the feeling of plastic and have a sort of glossy shine to them. Of course they too have holes in them. Blue questions what isn't riddled with holes.

Well his teeth aren't. Feeling around with his tongue, the teeth aren't much different than a pony's, except for the fangs. They are longer then his tongue could reach. Both are as smooth as ivory. He can only imagine how sharp they are.

There's just a few things he can't discern. His horn for starters was numb as was a normal unicorn horn. He can't see his eyes, but his vision isn't any different. His ears are of a different shape, but there's little sound in the cell to see if his hearing is any different.

As he starts to run out of things to explore, the locks on the solidary door unlock. Blue perks his head up to see and the door opens. Two unicorn guards trot in. Without saying anything, they took the jacket off, stood him up, and escorted him out.

He's taken to a room with a table that's half sealed off by a magical force field that keeps physical things out. He's seated in the only chair on this side of the room. The guards stood at attention on either side of him.

After a few minutes, a door on the other side opens and two guards, a captain, and none other than the Princess Celestia. She and the captain sat down at the other end of the table with the guards standing at attention.

"Well, now I see how you got into this amount of trouble." she said.

Blue is in awe. He's seen the princess several times like when she raises the sun and the Summer Sun Celebration but never this close before. He just sits where he is with his mouth wide open.

"Anyways, I've been summoned to cast my judgement in place of the courts, which can take months if not years. So, I've gone through the evidence and I have some questions for you and then, hopefully, we'll be done here. So, are you ready."

Blue began to regain his senses. "Y-yes, of course."

"Great. Now, as you've been raised almost after birth in the care of ponies, you shouldn't be a willful harm to those around you, correct?"

"Of course not."

"Good. If you were to be released tomorrow and bypassed the courts, some ponies may have some not so kind things to say about it. The solution I found is for you to volunteer at the royal research lab to some testing and observation so we can better understand changelings. Would you accept?"

"Depends. What would 'testing' impley?"

"You'll need to discuss that with the researchers, but I can assure you that your natural rights won't be infringed upon. Speaking of, we'll get back to that in a few minutes." She eyes the captain next to her. Blue has, for the first time, noticed that he's been scowling and his forelegs crossed this whole time. "But we'll get to that later."

"Well in that case, I could give it a try."

"Splendid. I'll be looking forward to the results. Next, the guard has informed your parents and we got their response. They're willing to continue being your legal guardians. This means that they will be responsible for you until you turn eighteen. I trust that if you were to be released, you would be on your best behavior, right?"

He almost cried when he heard the part about his parents, but he had the strength to keep his composure in front of Celestia. "Y-yes, of course, Princess."

"Feeling alright?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Yes, Princess."

"I see. This one is a little more subjective. Do you think you can keep going to public school? We have little way to stop this information from spreading and there's prejudice against you as we've unfortunately seen." She eyed the captain again. He just looked away.

"I guess I could continue to go to school. What's two more years anyway. I could just leave if I have problems."

"Aright, I think we can stop it there. You can consider yourself cleared of all charges."

"Just one question, Princess. Why ask me these very few questions if I could lie?"

"I've been around for a little more than a thousand years. I know if somepony is lying to me."

"You didn't see Chrysalis when she disguised herself as your niece." the captain said, speaking for the first time so far.

She shot him a look. "I'll admit that she was a special case, but I doubt he has that kind of skill."

"He's a changeling, but I'm sure you'd know best."

A strong moment of silence fell upon the room. Then she turned to Blue "The evidence was all I needed anyway. This was more of a formality. Besides, your treatment under custody is enough to have you released." she turned to the captain. "Now that it's been brought up, let's discuss about what should be done with the one who was in charge of that. Between copying your memories without consent and throwing you into solitary without just cause, as well as putting an absurd amount of charges on you, not even mentioning the ever so insightful comments directed towards me just a few minutes ago, is more than enough to land him in prison, but I think I have a better idea. I'll let him keep his position, under supervision of course, but he's going to need to be part of a operation to see if we can find more like you. Unfortunate foals whom will find themselves not what they thought they were. He'll also need to care for them in some way."

The captain looked like he had something to say, but remain silent.

"Do you think that's fair, Mr. Book?"

"W-well it's not my right to say. If you think that's best, then so it is."

"Well said. You'll need to stay here for the night, but the guard will escort you to your parents in the morning."

"Another question Princess, if I may? Can I keep the form I was before? I'm not a big fan of my current one."

"Of course you may. Guards, would you please take off that ring on his horn?"

The two guards on his sides took the ring off with their hoofs. Blue then thought of the pony he was before and, in a flash, he was "Blue" again.

"Alright, find some place to house him until the morning. I'm going back to the castle to get some shut eye, I have a morning to make." she looked at the captain again, "You might want to get some rest as well. You have a busy day tomorrow."

Blue was then escorted out of the room and lead into the barracks were an empty bed was made. Remembering that his parents agreed to keep looking after him, he teared up and cried himself to sleep.