Who Says A 'Ling Can't Really Be Them All?
“So… what… do… you think?” The changeling stood panting in front of his audience, some of the best actors in Applewood. They all gawked at him, their mouths wide open. Wearing a hopeful smile, he dropped his final guise and panned around the room.
After a high recommendation from Princess Celestia for his acting skills, Applewood’s finest had made their way to Canterlot to see the changeling’s skills for themselves. After a slew of requests to mimic themselves—as well as other characters supposedly thought up on the spot—were all performed to near perfection, they gave the changeling a pounding applause.
“Stupendous!”
“He’s got me to a T! In less than five minutes!”
“Are you kidding? I would have sworn he was me!”
“He’s got better concept ideas for my story’s protagonist than I do!”
The changeling’s smile widened into a grin as he stabilized his breathing and looked behind him. Princess Celestia herself sat on her throne beaming, clapping her forehooves. After a moment, she beckoned the changeling up to her, and he complied. “It looks like you have some new fans,” Celestia said. “Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Very much!” the changeling responded. “Thank you for sending all those messages to these folks. I always had a feeling impersonation could be helpful for entertainment instead of just infiltration and deception. I’m so glad to see I was right!”
Celestia chuckled, “Indeed you were.” She waved in the direction of the actors looking up at the two of them. “I think you have some ponies to talk to,” she said, an encouraging smile upon her muzzle.
The changeling smiled in return. “Thank you very much, Princess.”
“You’re very welcome, my little po—ah, changeling.”
The changeling chuckled internally at the tinge in Celestia’s cheeks as he made his way down to his audience.
One of the ponies reached for his hoof and started right away. “I would love to hire you as my understudy! You simply—”
“Absolutely not!” another pony interrupted. “I need you as my understudy! You have no idea how often—”
“Absurd!” a third pony exclaimed. “I will pay you double whatever these two may offer for you to be my understudy!”
As the three bickered amongst each other, a fourth pony brought the changeling aside. “Dear, you don’t want that kind of drama in your life. The acting business can be fraught with it, especially when you’re the one being sought after, instead of seeking yourself. If you don’t choose your employer wisely, you’ll only end up unnecessarily stressed, and that will hinder your performance. Which was spectacular, by the way,” she finished calmly. “What’s your name?”
“My… name?” the changeling asked. He hadn’t thought of one of his own. Princess Celestia had been referring to him as ‘Actor,’ and while it satisfied him temporarily, he really hoped for something different. Struggling to think, he turned and looked at the three ponies still bickering behind him. Then, inspiration struck. “Understudy,” he replied. “Call me Understudy.”
“Guys! Guys! I’ve got a job!” Understudy cried with great merriment as he rushed to his brothers. “Maybe a lot of jobs! In Applewood!” The other changelings gathered around him to express their praise. “But I need some help! One of the nice ponies out there told me I needed—” He stopped, then turned to one of his brothers on his right. “You, brother! You were one of the most organized ‘lings in the hive!”
Understudy’s brother frowned at him. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“The nice pony out there told me I would need someling called an ‘agent’ to help me keep myself in order, if what she says may happen does happen. Your organizing skills would be really helpful! And if I do well, I could pay you well! Please, would you be my agent and come with me to Applewood?”
The changeling was hysterical with glee. “Yes, brother! Gladly!”
The two hugged, and Understudy pulled away for a moment. “Oh! I also settled on a name! Everyling, I’ll be going by ‘Understudy’ now. It means someling who fills in for someling else when they fall ill or injured. That’s what I’ll be doing!” Understudy’s brothers all nodded in understanding. He then turned to his agent-to-be. “Hmm… you’ll need a name, too, brother.”
“I’m sure I can think of something when we get there,” he reassured.
Understudy paced back and forth in his office. “I don’t get it. I just don’t get it! Four months since my three-month stint with Mr. Schwarzeneighgger, and not a single gig since. I could swear I’ve been hearing that new phone ringing, but brother hasn’t told me about anything.” Just as he was about to step out to his brother, he indeed heard the phone ring once again. “Yes! A possible client!” Before opening his door, however, he had another thought. I wonder if brother is communicating properly… Could that be the problem?
Understudy kept an earfin to the door as his brother answered the phone. “Hello, Understudy’s office…No, I’m My Agent…Well, I just picked a name, I wouldn’t call it clever…A job, you say? Yes, please, go ahead…That sounds wonderful! Let me transfer you to Understudy so he can hear himself. He prefers to speak with clients direc—No, sir, I’m not…What do you mean, ‘you don’t have time to go through it again’? You think Understudy has—Well fine! You won’t find anyling more qualified than Understudy to fill your actor’s spot, I guarantee it!” With that, the phone slammed onto the receiver. “Another one! They just don’t get it!”
Understudy cocked a brow before opening his door. “Brother, what was—”
“And now you come out! I swear, these ponies are impossible!”
“What’s the issue, brother?”
“Every time I answer the phone, all the ponies think I’m you! I even tell them my name first, and they still think I’m you! It’s like they think we’re all alike just because we look similar!”
Understudy tilted his head. “Brother… how many calls have we gotten over the last months since my time with Mr. Schwarzeneighgger?”
“At least three dozen! And every time, these ridiculous ponies don’t listen to—”
“Three dozen?!” Understudy cried.
“Yes! And each time they don’t—” The conversation was interrupted by the phone ringing once again. “Here! I’ll show you!” As he answered the call, he put it on speaker-phone, and Understudy kept quiet. “Hello, Understudy’s office.”
“Hello! I’m calling on behalf of Mr. Downeigh Junior. He was hoping Mr. Understudy would be willing to work with him in the next Sherclop Pones film. Is this Mr. Understudy I’m speaking to?”
“No, I’m My Agent.”
“Oh, Mr. Understudy, I have heard you have an impeccable sense of humor!”
“About what?”
“Why sir, answering the phone and claiming to be your agent! Quite a laugh!”
“No, I said I’m My Agent, miss.”
“Yes, and it’s quite a clever joke!”
“Why do you ponies always think doing my job is so clever?! Or that it’s a joke? I’m doing what I’m supposed to, and you make it impossible for me to get anything done on my brother’s behalf! You just don’t learn, do you?” He then proceeded to slam the phone’s ‘off’ button before turning to his brother. “You see? They’re impossible!”
Understudy stood stock-still, staring deadpan at his brother, then he smacked his hoof into his face.
“Okay, we’re either changing your name to ‘His Agent,’ or you should simply refer to yourself as ‘M.A.’ from now on.”
Author's Note
Based on all the "Why don't they just be actors?" comments the final story in Minds Eye's original trilogy was getting, I thought I would finally give the question an answer. I don't know if they would all have this kind of result, though.
I hope this is only the beginning of a long string of stories in Minds Eye's Integration 'Verse! 
