The Changes We All Must Make

Zenith groaned starting to regain consciousness. He was unsure how long he'd been out but he was certain of one thing he'd been captured for the past few days as the ponies attempted to interrogate him. It was a year after the invasion of Canterlot had failed horribly. From which the Queen had failed to return. Many of the changelings that I had happened to be in charge of began to follow my requests like orders. Before long missions began to start gathering love so they could survive. That was the reason he'd gotten himself in this mess.

"Prisoner! Are you deaf?!" Zenith looked to his left only to be socked in the face making him look away again. "I said where are the other changelings!? We know there are more of you!"

This was the forth straight day of interrogation. Every day they tried something new to break Zenith and yet so far he didn't speak a single word to any that had come into the room. He was alone at the time of his capture, conducting research into his favorite topic ponies and their reaction to stimuli outside of his lab and more so how they emotionally reacted. However, he got too engrossed in his work and was knocked out and taken in. Sure he had a shattered hive to look after now but that didn't stop him from indulging in his favorite thing continuing his work.

"Still no answer Changeling?" The guard sneered punching him again only this time it was much harder than the last one. "You know those notes in that book that you were carrying looked pretty interesting. Code was pretty complicated, I couldn't figure it out. Maybe you could help me with that, by telling me exactly what it says."

Another punch was headed his way when the door behind the guard opened sending light flooding into the room. "Corporal, what in the name of Celestia's mane do you think you're doing!?" The guard pony's fist stopped mere inches from Zenith's face.

"interrogating the prisoner sir!" He stated snapping to attention and about facing to face the pony clearly higher ranked than him.

"Interrogation doesn't warrant physical violence Corporal!" The other pony who was standing there yelled at him with a harsh tone. "I understand that the invasion took somepony you loved dearly away from you but beating the only changeling we managed to capture over events that happened a year ago is hardly appropriate. Now leave and don't think we wont be having a conversation about this in my office later."

"Y-Yes sir." The guard stammered moving past the other one quickly.

The guard sighed closing the door and stepping into the light coming down from the ceiling. Zenith knew who this pony was, Shining Armor. Captain of the royal guard and the husband to the Princess of Love, Mi Amore Cadenza. It seemed it wasn't enough that he was beaten but now in the presence of one of the ponies he told the remnant of the hive to avoid at any cost.

"So," Shining began, "It seems that you still wont talk?" He walked a little ways behind him and pulled out a chair from somewhere he couldn't see him. Coming back into view he sat on it. "You sure you aren't making this any easier on yourself."

They sat in silence for some time just staring one another down. All and all Zenith didn't want to say a word. Nor would it truly help his situation.

"Well I suppose we could always talk about something else first." Shining said pulling out a all to familiar hand bound book that belonged to Zenith out of a pack he carried in with him. That book contained everything he'd worked on in the past twenty years of his life collecting but he honestly wasn't worried. It was completely coded in a mixture of griffin, dragon, and Changeling languages... it would take them decades to decipher if they were lucky and without his someone of his race cooperating with them they'd never get the whole thing no matter how long they tried to crack it. "Why don't we talk about this?" Zenith's eyes narrowed but was completely content on remaining quiet.

"Our code crackers still haven't been able to crack anything other than the name on the front. Zenith, I can assume that this is your name is that correct?" Zenith again refused to answer Shining. "I guess I'll take your silence as a yes then. What puzzles me more than anything is that this the only possession you had on you... and this code is so complex it makes me think that either you're extremely intelligent or you stole this from somepony who was. That is only one of my theories however, it is possible it's just a diary as well that you've taken to write in code so other changelings can read it and be able to blend in to the areas that are possibly listed and take the form and be able to blend in without notice. Making it a type of handbook for young changelings to learn how to survive."

Zenith smirked blowing air out of his nose and smirked. Considering what he thought of it he'd probably just toss it out or waist time and energy trying to decode his words in that book.

"What's so funny?" Shining taking notice and wasn't to happy about being laughed at by the changeling. The scowl on his face was just too good to pass up so Zenith was actually going to talk to the the stallion.

"You actually. I find that your clueless to what you hold in your hands and just making wild speculation hoping to get me to make a reaction like i did when I purposely narrowed my gaze at it. It is none of the things you mentioned. Although I could be lying to you for all you know." Making sure to look him dead in the eye. "If you believe that to be a diary you'd be a fool however, we changelings have a very long and strong memory. We have no need for something as mundane as a diary."

"So you can talk. Here I thought you couldn't. Now are you going to tell me what is written in here?" Shining questioned clearly having got the changeling to open his mouth wanted to keep him talking.

"Unless you are a sophisticated intellectual, no. From what I can gather from listening to you so far you're just a pawn. Following the orders of your Princesses, another meathead like your Corporal even if you are less prone to act with violence." Zenith responded now wearing a smile but it disappeared just as quickly as it came. "Even if I was willing to share what was written in there, I doubt a somepony of minor intelligence l would understand. "Shining's right eye twitched in annoyance. This changeling trash just insulted him!

"Alright then," Shining said his voice shaking in clear anger. "If i was to get an intellectual to speak to you on the contents of this book of yours would you start answering my questions?" Zenith smiled, he had the Captain right where he wanted him, he was brokering a deal to get him to keep talking and it was perfect.

"Yes, should the pony be one I approve of."

Shining knew he screwed up and let his irritation get him into a bad spot and into a negotiation with a prisoner no less. He was going to hear a lecture from Celestia later no doubt but if this pays off he'll be in much less trouble.

"Okay, do you have anypony in mind?" Shining asked rather disgruntled about his situation.

"Actually yes." Zenith said letting a smile creep onto his face and widen as a plan fell into place in his mind. "Your wife."

it had been a few hours and Shining Armor was pacing nervously outside Princess Celestia's court waiting for it to end. After what was just said in that room he had to report it.

Minutes later Celestia stepped out from the court, a smile that could calm the most angry of ponies on her face turned to a slight frown looking at Shining there waiting for her. Her day just got a whole lot longer than it needed to be.

"Captain Armor, I believe that you have something important that requires my attention?" The ruler of the sun questioned. Shining Armor nodded in affirmation causing a inner sigh within Celestia. She was looking forward to some alone time with a specially made banana cream cake but it seems that fate had other plans.

This holding room was quite literally inescapable. Zenith knew it, but if he had any chance of getting out he'd have to play long ball. Go for the long con as it were. That however, wouldn't be a valid description of his plan. As much as he'd like to lie to the ponies it wouldn't help with the plan he had just worked out. If he could convince the pony who hated his kind the most that they weren't a threat to them any longer. If he could broker peace with her by being transparent while keeping the rest of his changelings out of harm he'd do it.

Strange, when did he start referring to them as his?

*Click* *Clank*

Sighing and opening his eyes, he'd have to think about this later he had work to do.