Leaves rustled as wings beat over the tree tops. “Come on slowpokes.” Rainbow flitted ahead and then back to Twilight and Robert.

“Rainbow, we're supposed to be out for a relaxing flight.” Twilight shook her head. “I know, slow is not what you call relaxing. So go on ahead. We'll catch up.”

“And leave my friends behind? Never.” Rainbow exploded forwards nevertheless, though instead of racing away, she began doing ever larger loops, always racing past them at the bottom.

Twilight shook her head. “Robert, can I ask something?”

“Certainly.” he said, almost absent mindedly.

“It's about your magic. I mean, unicorns channel through our horns, and we developed inhibitor rings, and magical capacitors to store up and siphon off excess energy. But you said tigers channel through their fangs. I imagine those methods wouldn't work, or would be uncomfortable.” Twilight finally took a breath. “So how do you deal with young tigers who can't control their magic, and criminals?” she asked.

“Inhibitors do work, but you are correct, they are not comfortable. More, we require two of them, and they must be a perfect match in frequency. Preferably, they are forged as a pair, so that they are guaranteed to match.” he paused. “However, for many years we had neither, and so we had two ways to deal with such things. For cubs who could not control themselves, or their power, there was the ritual of binding. It does not completely remove magic, but suppresses it. You would be reduced to what you held as a newborn foal. It is not permanent and if left unattended, it will wear off in a few weeks. It can be fought through if one knows how.”

“Is it common knowledge?” Twilight asked.

“Of the ritual?” she nodded. “That it exists is common knowledge. How to perform it is a secret of the Shaman's.” he considered it. “I have yet to master it. It will not be one of my stronger abilities I believe.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight seemed surprised at the admission.

“Ritual magic, at least as it is done amidst the tigers, requires a focus and concentration during the construction of the required outlines and apparati that I have, but the actual casting requires a mental clarity and organization that I lack.” he shrugged. “Not that it would be totally useless, mind you, but it would be less effective and last a shorter time.”

“Interesting. You said there were two ways. What's the other?” she asked, unsure if she wanted an answer.

“The other option, was always reserved for criminals. I have said that all tigers possess magic like Unicorns. Most have only one or two simple spells, and thus are like unicorns who can only levitate. Some of us have magic more powerful than others. Most of us become Shaman's. But not all who can do great magic, are called to Shamanhood. Some on the path fall. For those who do no harm, they are left alone. But those who become criminals, they lose their magic.”

“How is that possible?” Twilight asked. He looked her in the eye. After a moment she realized it wasn't her eyes he was staring at. “No.”

“Yes.” he shrugged. “It was either that or kill them. Now we have the ability to capture them, thanks to our peace treaty. Though it still might be handed down as punishment for their crimes.” Twilight shuddered, horrified at the very thought.

“You sound... approving.” she realized the way he'd said it was part of what made her afraid.

“Follow me a moment.” suddenly he climbed, rising straight up. Twilight followed a moment later. High in the air, they could see for miles. Canterlot on it's mountain, clear as day, the skyline of Manehattan off to the east, and the mountains between them and Vanhoover to the northwest. And amidst it all, dozens of small villages and little towns the size of Ponyville. “Ponies, for miles and miles. Even deep in the untamed wilderness on the edges o the Everfree, ponies make their homes. And you are numerous. Hundreds of ponies even in Ponyville. Canterlot holds thousands, and Baltimare? Twice that at least. More on market and delivery days.”

“So?” she asked, not understanding what all this had to do with her question.

“My tribe, one of the largest, is just a bit smaller in number than Ponyville.” he said, and waited. Twilight did a quick mental calculation.

“Just eighteen thousand tigers?” she asked, staring at him.

“Yes, give or take. Some tribes are smaller in number. One or two others are larger. And this Twilight, is why we take life and death so seriously. If not, we would surely perish.” he tipped a wing, and swooped down towards where Rainbow was wheeling in and around the trees. Twilight watched him go for a long moment, and then tipped her wings to follow.

Rarity flicked her eyes back to the magazine. Less is more, because less gets you more. That was the tagline for the article, and it went into far more detail than she was truly interested in. Yet, each of them echoed the line in some way. This was not the way she'd predicted fashion would go, and so all her dresses seemed... wrong. But she knew, deep down they were right. The magazines simply had to be wrong. Right?

Robert relaxed. More than he'd done in a time long enough he could not remember it clearly. Aloe's hooves worked knots out of muscles he'd forgotten he had, much less that they could be sore. At the same time, Lotus worked her chiropractic magics on his spine, aligning and freeing it. He'd been surprised, pleasantly, that Lotus was trained to work on Tigers.

“It's not a skill I've been called upon to use often. I've only had one minotaur customer, and he didn't even need much. I don't get many ponies that ask for it either.” the pink maned pony sighed. “Even though it's right there on the sign.”

“Well... I will certainly... be a repeat... customer.” he managed around the massage. “And I... will spread the... word.”

“Thank you. I'm glad to hear it.” Lotus twisted him slightly, to the sharp popping of the bones. “Better?”

“Much.” he sighed. Much of the gossip the pair engaged in over Robert's head, did exactly that, passing over his head. Other bits filtered through his ears though.

“Hear about the weddings?”

“Yeah, all that sudden bunch of lovesick ponies.”

“So affectionate.”

“The princess of Love was in town.” Robert murmured.

“True.”

“Very. Although...” Lotus trailed off. “You do have quite the powerfully muscled figure.”

“And such fine haunches.” Aloe said, massaging just that.

“Ladies, I think that's enough.” Robert's voice rumbled, as he looked up at the pair. Neither of them ceased the their ardent ministrations, Lotus having shifted also to massage over her chiropractic therapy. “While I appreciate the sentiment, I doubt my fiancee would consider the matter in the same light.”

“Yes, but she's not here.” Aloe smiled as she said it.

“And what she doesn't know, can't hurt her, can it?” Lotus added.

“Yes, but what she finds out will cause her to hurt me.” Robert pushed himself up off the table. The ponies staggered back. “If you'll excuse me.” He vanished in a flare of light. The pair of spa ponies searched for him for several moments.

“Another teleporter. I just don't get it. Can't be us, can it?” Lotus shook her head, mane falling out of her headband.

“Not at all. Perhaps we're just approaching the problem wrong.” Aloe shrugged.

The pair of ponies was so busy arguing that they did not notice the door swing open, as an invisible tiger slipped through it, pulling his tail through an instant before it swung shut on it. Something was going on, and for a moment he thought the applicable phrase was fishy. A moment later as he passed by an open door, he realized that while it was slimy, it was not fish that were the issue. There were a pair of sentients in the room. One was a pony. The other, by the smell was not. Robert's lips parted, and it was not a snarl. If they were the problem, then finding a local authority figure was the logical course of action.

Stepping out into the street though, he became aware, that finding such a figure would not be a problem. Being sure that they were who they should be, was another issue entirely. The entire town seemed to be out and about, and engaged in activities not always suitable for the range of ages involved. Granny Smith was busy stalking another elderly pony, who was fleeing as fast as his walker would go. At the same time a bunch of colts were fleeing from a herd of fillies with what he would have called murderous stares at any other time. The latter seemed quite intent on catching their prey, though he was fairly certain they wouldn't know what to do once they caught them.

A flash of blue denim caught his eye, as the town escort, Guilty Pleasure galloped at a quite impressive top speed, away from a herd of adult mares, all of them with the exact same glint in their eyes as the fillies. The stallion skidded around a corner, and vanished. The mares were undeterred and followed, even if they log jammed into the entrance to the alley.()

Robert moved on, the scent waxing and waning as mares moved close and then continued on, often in pursuit of some stallion or other, or when he had to go close to one or more who'd already caught their target. The door to the town hall hung open, swinging on it's hinges. The building was packed full of ponies, not a single one in the mood to answer questions, even if he'd been willing to let his spell falter. He backed out of the mayors office, trying desperately to forget what he'd seen within.

The way back through the lobby was blocked when he attempted to leave, and so he found himself leaping from the upper balcony. Six hundred pounds of tiger does not land easily, especially not from a second floor. His right front leg buckled as he landed, and it sent him stumbling forwards. He just missed hitting his head on the post of the fence surrounding the town hall, but slammed his shoulder into it instead. Biting back a roar of pain, and other words bound to give his location away, he limped on three legs towards the castle.

Robert didn't mind the castle on general principal. It wasn't nearly as intrusive as it could have been. On the other hand, built as it was for the purpose of making friends, it was large and airy and open. Which meant from the point of view of his warrior instincts made it completely useless. Of course, as he approached, he could see that the great double doors were closed tight. Spike was sitting dejectedly against them.

“Are there any females around?” Robert asked. Not releasing his spell.

“R-robert?” Spike glanced around. “Something's wrong with Twilight.”

“Something is wrong with a great many ponies.” The invisibility spell stretched out to encompass Spike, suddenly making Robert visible to him. “And I suspect I know what it is.”

“Changelings.” Spike started. “But why?”

“They tried to take over one pony, and didn't win. I suspect they've decided to take over more than one. By taking them all at once, it leaves us without a chance to suspect anything.” Robert coughed. “I don't think they anticipated the excitement of the feast.” Spike shook his head.

“How could they manage to replace Twilight? I mean, she's really powerful.”

“I do not know Spike.” Robert looked up to the balcony he knew was her room. “I intend to find out.” he looked back at Spike. “Do you have a diamond on you?” Spike blinked, then pulled one out. “Excellent. I need you to find Shining Armor. He's probably with Cadance. I don't know if she's been grabbed. If she has... we'll deal with that. If he's alone, tell him what's happened. If not, wait.” he reached out, and touched a claw to the diamond. “So long as you hold onto that, you're invisible. I can also find you with it. Keep it safe.” Spike nodded and tucked it away.

“What do we do if they've gotten Twilight?”

“We get them back. All of them.” Robert nodded to Spike, withdrew his spell, and gathered himself. Spike trotted out the gate, and Robert launched himself up the wall. Claws dug into the wall, after a moment of scrabbling. Climbing the wall was more difficult than flying up, but it allowed him to keep his spell going. The last thing he wanted was to be spotted, as he climbed. The tracks in the crystal were bad enough.

Halfway up, he paused for a rest. And resolved not to have too many of Pinkie's cupcakes. The rest of the climb was even more difficult than the first half, but he finally reached Twilight's balcony. His head popped up over the decking, and he was assaulted, first by the smell, which was not just of a changeling, but of something else. Visually he confirmed his nose, and sincerely wished he hadn't. Shuddering slightly, he let himself back down to hang off the stonework. Letting his spell fall, Robert reached out across town. Spike had stopped, and since he was some distance off the ground, Robert suspected he'd reached Shining's room. There wasn't much for it. Flight was the fastest way to his target, and even if he was noticed, he was willing to bet there were only one or two pegasi in town he wouldn't be able to outfly. And he was willing to bet that not being themselves, they'd be previously engaged.

He plummeted down from the building, wings spreading wide and sending him swooping over the town. Spike was on a rooftop, waving at Robert as he approached. He was still invisible, but Robert had cast the spell and could see him. Whether Spike knew that or not, Robert wasn't sure, but he landed beside him.

“Shining's in the room, but...” Spike shook his head. “He said he couldn't reach the door.”

“Head for the door then, I'll land on the balcony.”

“Right.” Spike ducked down the stairs, while Robert swept around towards the balcony. It was the only one on the floor. Shining was inside, buried beneath a shield, with Cadance pounding on the outside. Shining turned to shout at the door, and Cadance turned her head the same way. A moment later Robert landed on top of her.

“What are you doing!” Shining asked, shield falling.

“This.” the low growl was laced with energy, and it roiled across the skin of the pink pony trapped beneath his paws. For a moment, nothing happened, then green fire ripped across the surface of the pony, transforming it.

“Oh Celestia... no. Not again.” Shining rocked gently.

“This is not their queen.” Robert said, growling at the changeling beneath his paws. It chittered at him. “Relax. I am not about to destroy you. No indeed. We're going to have a conversation.”

“You.. you understand it?”

“Her. I understand her quite well. She is afraid of me. Rightfully so. Open the door and let Spike in.” Shining's horn glowed momentarily as he unlocked the door to let in the very worried, but also invisible Spike through the door.

“Where is he?” Shining asked, peering out the door.

“Spike, you're still invisible.”

“What do I do? Set it down?”

“Better to eat it, so it doesn't fall into the wrong hooves.”

“Right.” Spike crunched the diamond, and faded into visibility.

“Cool trick.” Shining commented, then shook his head. “Look, what's going on?” Spike gave him a short recap.

“I've seen things. Things I can't unsee.” the little dragon shuddered. “I'll never look Cloudkicker in the eye again.”

“Few can.” Robert turned to the still pinned changeling. “I know you can speak equestrian. Or else you would be a poor infiltrator. I am going to allow you to shift back, so my friends can understand you. If you try to run, I will rend you limb from limb. Am I clear?” more chittering. “Good.” Another rumble, this one different from the first, and the changeling scrambled to it's hooves, and shimmered into.... not quite Cadance. Indeed, it appear to be Cadance without a horn.

“What do you want of me?” it asked, hissing slightly.

“Where is my wife?” Shining demanded, lunging. The changeling cringed away, and Robert pulled him back.

“Stand down.” Robert growled, Shining fell back momentarily, so similar was the voice to his old drill sargeant. “I understand your concern. I would be in no better shape were it my Rose, but we must have her co-operation.”

“How do you know it's female?” Shining asked.

“I'll give you an anatomy lesson later.” Robert turned back. “What was the plan?”

“I do not know details.” the changeling admitted, shaking it's head. “The queen kept most of them to herself. We were only told which pony to impersonate. Most of us had to pick our own targets. I was sent to become the Savior.” Shining gasped.

Author's Note

Guilty Pleasure is of course, the mane character of Disco Knight's awesome Escort's Journal Great story, and awesome author for letting me have him cameo.