The Truth in Forgery

Step.

Step.

Step.

Things didn't seem to move too quickly, time slowing for Forgery as the adrenaline of escaping his prior situation and his silent declaration against his queen pumped his perspective to a split-section analysis. Of course, there wasn't exactly anything to use that focus on, so he simply stared straight ahead, blankly at the backside of the red unicorn who was leading him. His eyes unfocused, keeping step with the pegasus that followed in behind with her spear, a passing thought that some conversation with these rather aggressive and maverick creatures could reduce his bloodflow and let time resume its normal course, though such was maybe too much to ask.

"So... You know my name, but I don't think I caught yours..."

"No, you didn't." The pegasus' answer was curt and to the point. Somehow her hostility was rising by the second. It did nothing for Forgery's own nerves, pushing him to the edge of a battle-state. Against a flyer in this form where he could not maneuver in return would be hard, but if his attack was first...

The unicorn in front's identical voice chimed in, piercing through the tactical thoughts. "Don't be mean, Ru, he might be a co-worker one day." Her emotions were at least fairly well-maintained. Mostly amusement. And, Forgery noted with mild concern, raising at almost the same rate as her opposite's ire. "She's Ruby Shield, my older twin sister. I'm Garnet Veracity, but please call me Verity, its much nicer-sounding."

Verity never even turned her head, and just kept walking as if the interlude never happened. 'Well, the less talking, the more time to get everything straight. The Queen, in all her righteous glory, bestowed a body upon me, likely filled with many flaws. Judging by my shin splints from even this short a walk, I believe I may have a pegasi's hollow bones, combined with the lack of musculature found, or rather not found, in unicorns.' His gaze falls upon the flank of the mare in front of him, as she swayed every-so-slightly in her walk, an emblem of sunrays piercing though dark metal-gray clouds showed itself. He kept staring at it each time her hips would sway so that it came into view. Those markings were supposed to be donating of rank or occupation, if he remembered correctly, but it seemed somewhat abstract, hard to place what such an image would represent, quite unlike the coat of arms adorning the guard captain. The thought came to mind that his own was also part of his Queen's "gift", he remembered it was a complete disguise, but could not fathom what it was. He was rather distracted at the time, after all. 'I could look back and check, but that pegasus Ruby Shield seemed antsy enough already without me acting strangely.'

The body was beginning to irk him almost as much as his two companions. He was certain this Garnet was baiting Ruby somehow, otherwise their opposite emotions wouldn't be in such near synchronization. The focus of his blank stare raised her tail to bat away a fly, keeping it up for a moment like a flag, perhaps to ensure no more came nearby. Flies, the last thing he needed. His hooves hurt, his neck hurt, a full horn was much heavier than the efficiently-tapered changeling type, and the wings... 'Seriously, how do pegasi fly? They're full of bones and joints, and they kind of fan out against your will. Maybe a protobrain? I should have paid attention in the classes. And they're so hard to move back if they randomly extend like now, and just stupidly they get suddenly stiff as chitin..."

Forgery's reverie was shaken abruptly by a spear-slap to side. Ruby cantered forward to walk in line with him, her face an accurate representation of the emotions he was tasting in the air, many directed at him, some going by towards Verity: disgust, irritation, fear, and... jealousy? He would have choked on that foul mixture had her angry hiss of a sentence not distracted him.

"That's my little sister, pervert! You might not be a pegasus but you broadcast like me. One. Like one. Keep your wings, and everything else, to yourself, or I'll use your guide pinions for pillow stuffing."

Now, that was about the equivalent of the earth pony threat of "using your blood for cupcakes", outlandish, horrific, and borderline stomach-turning, however the changeling had no idea of the colloquialism. He could infer emotively that it was some sort of death threat, though, and so did what he felt was the most appropriate response.

Nodded dumbly.

Verity finally then turned her head, her own world finally letting in the hisses and spear-thwap, to observe the other two. Her eyes boggled a bit. "What did you say to him to get his wings to pomf so quickly? I've been trying for the past ten minutes to get a rise with no luck. He wasn't kidding that they don't work well." She said with a hint of surprise, and one upraised eyebrow.

Now would be a good time to note how changelings consume and observe emotion trails. Compare it to an apple pie; when the emotion is aimed at the changeling, it is like shoving the pie right at their snouts. A conscious effort pretty much needs to be made to not consume some bit of the pie touching your lips, and there's no escaping its presence. When it is aimed at another, it is like being somewhat aware that somewhere in the village, you're pretty sure someone is making pie. If you concentrate, you can probably point out its general direction. No feeling is quite as disconcerting as that pie teleporting from almost inside your mouth to the edge of your senses, no matter how unpleasant its ingredients.

This is mentioned, of course, because every bit of ire, annoyance, and resentment that was almost choking him disappeared instantly. It was clear where it went, though, as Ruby Shield marched past him. Her own tail brushed his stiffened wings, the light touch nearly flooring him from the sensations it created. Yet again he wondered how these creatures could fly; if a tail's brush caused such a strong reaction even in his false, assumed form, what did the windshear do to them? A mystery for another day, but perhaps it did explain why some of the pony groups with pegasi in them that he passed on this trek had them hovering inches off the ground, flapping wings hard enough to get wind flowing through their feathers, rapidly and repeatedly thrusting airy fingers through their sensitive limbs, over, say, walking like any sane pony would. 'Seriously, nymphs would envy how quietly and subtly their entire species seems to be pleasuring itself under the noses of their friends.'

His eyes looked at the pegasus in front of him, solidly on all four hooves. 'No nonsense with her though.' Her emblem, her role-mark, was her namesake. Probably nopony thought that was ironic, that Ruby Shield had a ruby shield. Its gem-like shimmer and outline was really the only way to differentiate it from her already ruby-red coat.

All formality between the two twins, what little was there in the first place, was completely gone. It was becoming a full-blown tussle, and loud too. Their armor may have not been formal platemail, but it had an echo to it. Forgery took this opportunity to look around, as if checking to see if they were creating a commotion. They were, of course, they were already well into the public part of the gardens, there was no need to investigate that. But it gave the chance to look over the back of his lilac form before someone surprised him with a question. His rusty red tail matched his mane, thank Chrys for small favours. His emblem, though, took a bit more neck-maneuvering to examine.

A cracked, but ornate full-face masquerade mask... Its mouth formed in a silent scream... And was on fire.

Exasperation oozed from his very being as he rolled his eyes, much to the mirth of another mind closely monitoring his thoughts. 'No, I don't much appreciate the "joke".' Letting the masked one crash and burn may be a riot to his uninvolved third party Queen, her love for bad wordplay well-known throughout the hive, as all their names would indicate... It was a hive of over 500, yet somehow everyling was named a wordplay on copying. But it was not the most ideal for him. Forge hoped no one would ask on what his emblem of rank and station meant. Falsifying that would be hard, to say the least.

His introspection ended with crowds forming increasingly dense circles. His two wardens-- 'Sorry, "escorters"'-- were well past anything to do with him, how one stepped on the other's toes while guarding some gala, how the other impersonated her and scared off a marefriend... Being identical twins (barring the species difference), it sounded like a particularly crazy pony heatedly arguing with herself. Still, being the centre of attention at any royal palace whilst not being the royalty in question was generally not a good sign for keeping an already flimsy cover from shattering into so many pieces. As jumping headfirst into these things and drawing altogether too much attention to himself had worked so well so far, he decided why change such a good trend, and stepped between them, placing a hoof over each of their mouths. "Please, gems, fighting over me is wrong."

It never ceased to astound the changeling how twins, whether born in the same egg or from the same birth, managed to act with complete synchronicity sometimes. He only wished this time it wasn't two hooves coming at his face. This was nothing, though. The raw emotions roiling around him were more than enough sustenance to instantly cure the pain. Their attention was now completely on him. "Better. We're drawing a crowd, and I don't think the captain would be too happy to see guards on your behavior, even I'm getting disillusioned about the regal royal guards."

The two looked sheepish, an expression Forgery never would come to understand considering sheep never looked nor acted sheepish, and quickly waved the crowds away, Verity calling out "Nothing to see here, continue your daily routine." While Ruby did a much more casual "Don't worry, we're not on duty. Sorry for disturbing everypony though."

They formed back into a line and kept on their march to the barracks.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Suddenly, slowly counting off the seconds until they arrived seemed a lot more reasonable than before.

In all fairness, it was only fifteen minutes of a walk. The barracks was somewhat intimidating to the changeling, all sharp edges and straight lines; a blatant show of power over nature and commanding it compared to the curves and natural waves of the hive, living in harmony with nature. Every pony building was like that, Forgery assumed, but it wasn't until he stood in front of a door, looking up at its four stories of dominating presence that he really felt it.

Verity opened the door. "We have a guest quarter in the far end of the fourth floor. It doesn't have windows, but I think its comfortable enough for one night." No windows. Forgery smiled. He would quite like that after sleeping outside for two weeks, the open sky a harsh reminder of everything he gave up to go on this journey. His leading escort continued. "I think they said it was so far up and out of the way because it was originally meant for prisoners of war, but we haven't had battles for hundreds of years, so it's just a spot for if someone wants to have a conjugal visit now..."

Her red coat seemed to get just ever so slightly redder as she realized what she said. "Not that that will be happening tonight. Not with anypony. And they clean it regularly... Uhh... Don't worry Forge, the door locks from the inside." Forge, he had best become accustomed to hearing the abbreviated form of his name, he grinned even further in spite of the spear lightly tapping against the ground less than a pace away from his hooves. Embarrassment was an acquired taste, but once one became accustomed to its layers, it was really quite charming in its own way, and her unique bouquet of it was very attractive. He walked in, covertly taking in the scent of his leader as he went. There was finally time to hole up for the night properly, to reflect on his path, and to prepare his act for experiencing being a royal guard as a backwoods fan on the morrow.