The Lion's Roar

by Thunder Ice

Rating: teen
Tags: Violence, Death, Alternate Universe, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Romance, Mystery, Adventure
Length: 89593

Lyon is a pony with an unwanted past. But as recent events unfold, he realizes it isn't a past he can escape.

Lyon has the kind of life everyone sets out to have: a perfect one. Great friends, a great home, a great job, all while living in one of the greatest towns his eyes have ever been set upon! Life is perfect for him!

But nothing is ever set in stone, it seems. As the past creeps its way back into his life, Lyon must remember to swear to the duty he set and fought for—Never Again.

Set during the season 2 finale. Also, I've been meaning to make a multi-chapter, T-rated story for years now. Alternate story tag in accordance with the series finale (unless it isn't needed since this is fanfiction anyway).

Published 2019-09-30 15:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2022-03-01 22:55:20 UTC

Chapter 2: Canterlot

The train ride to Canterlot was full of anticipation. From Rainbow Dash boasting about her Sonic Rainboom, to Spike wanting to know what a bachelor party was, everypony had something to talk about.

And yet, Twilight couldn't help but sulk as the city of Canterlot loomed in the distance. She sighed, her breath fogging up a small patch of the window in front of her.

"Why the long face, sugarcube?" Applejack questioned, staring at Twilight with concern.

The unicorn bit her lip, almost as if she didn't want to answer her friend, but she also didn't want her to get even more worried.

"I'm just thinking about Shining Armor. Ever since I moved to Ponyville, we've been seeing each other less and less. And now that he's starting a new family with this "Princess Mi Amore Ca-whatshername", we'll probably never see each other." She stared at her reflection, which disappeared as more fog clouded the glass.

Applejack waved a dismissive hoof. "Come on, now. You're his sister. He'll always make time for you."

Twilight scoffed.

"Couldn't seem to make time to tell me he was getting married."

She then lent Applejack an apologetic smile. She knew none of it was her fault, so why take any frustration out on her?

Lyon let out a shrug, walking over to Twilight and leaning against the wall of the car.

"Well, he is a captain. And he's getting married to royalty. I'm sure he just had a lot on his plate and couldn't get around to telling you before the letter came."

At first, Twilight looked at Lyon with somewhat of a hopeful gleam in her eye, pondering on his words. But the shine faded as quick as it appeared, and she shook her head briefly.

"Still," she said hesitantly, "even a small word of mention would've been fine. Not great, but not terrible, either."

Lyon scrunched his cheeks.

"Well... in any case, I'm sure he's got a good reason why he didn't tell you."

"Then I'll do my best to get it."

For a brief moment, Lyon placed a hoof gently upon Twilight's shoulder. She went back to looking out the window, just as the train finally reached Canterlot.

They all noticed it initially in the morning, but it didn't occur to them until now to ask why there was a massive purple bubble surrounding the entire city. As soon as she felt it course through her body, Twilight knew it to be a type of force field; and considering it covered the entirety of Canterlot, the spell was far greater than anything she had conjured up in the past.

Lyon shivered as he went through, though not by a drop in temperature, he noticed. As soon as it passed, the feeling was gone. The others didn't seem all that affected—just him. It was odd, for sure, but he didn't let it get to him. He always had a personal pet peeve against magic. Just the feeling of being around any kind of long lasting spell-casting made him feel uneasy. Who knows what could go wrong?

As the train pulled into the station, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but note the vast increase of royal guards, from those standing at the station itself, to those lining the streets leading up to the palace.

"I'm sure they're just taking the necessary precautions," Rarity suggested, observing the diverse range of guards on stand. "Royal weddings do bring out the strangest ponies."

And almost on cue, Pinkie let out a sneeze of confetti. Literal confetti. Despite their wide-eyed stares of disbelief, it seemed to be business as usual for her.

"Now, let's get going!" she added. "We've got work to do!"

And you've got a big brother to go congratulate," Applejack added, turning to Twilight with a grin.

The unicorn only glared toward the palace, her mouth moving as if licking her teeth.

"Yeah. Congratulate," she mumbled frustratedly. "And then give him a piece of my mind."

A couple of the girls eyed the royal guards around them, who no doubt heard Twilight speak her frustration aloud. Even they looked back and forth at one another, wondering what to do. Surely they knew who she was?

Before any of them could call out to Twilight, she was gone.

"I'm sure she'll be just fine," Rarity mentioned after a silent moment. "Twilight's not one to overreact too badly... right?"

Despite their hesitation, they knew the guards would be foolish to actually attack their captain's sister—even if they were technically doing their job.

Applejack nodded. "We should head on, then. Shouldn't take long to git settled. We can catch up with Twilight later."

The group nodded their heads firmly, making their way down a road parallel to the one Twilight went down. Applejack couldn't help but make an occasional glance at the increasingly shrinking lavender blob until it disappeared behind a corner.

It'd been the Grand Galloping Gala since Lyon had been to Canterlot, and not once did he miss it, especially after that night.

But damn, if its builders didn't do a superb job crafting it from bottom to top. He never got a chance to really admire the architecture of the place! From courthouses to even a simple coffee shop, everything here was unique and original! Granted, it didn't feel as diverse in some spots, but even a place like Canterlot had its charm.

Regardless, he wondered how someone like Princess Celestia could stand folks like this potentially bothering her during a busy day and complaining about whatever made them upset.

Ugh, Mister BellBuckle stole my tie and I DEMAND I have it back post-haste!

I believe I ordered SIX pies, not FIVE. And yet these hooligans refuse to give me a refund!

His clothing is absolutely DRAB! I can't be allowed to let my eyes burn any further!

And judging by the way the ponies looked at him and his friends... he wouldn't put it past them to waste her time.

Then again, the same thing happens to Mayor Mare every other day, so he heard. He laughed to himself as he wondered what happened behind those doors.

"Now," Rarity began, levitating a map in front of her, "with a bit of wiggle room, we should be able to make a quick trip to a particular clothing shop nearby."

Already, Rainbow was gagging. "Ugh. We're here for a wedding, not a fashion show."

Rarity rolled her eyes.

"Yes, and if I'm going to be making a perfect dress for the bride, I need a little bit of inspiration. I can't exactly do that surrounded by a couple of simple curtains and drywall, now can I?"

"Hey, it wouldn't hurt to try," Rainbow joked, only receiving a glare from the unicorn in return. Despite this, Rarity couldn't help but at least agree a little bit. Some have had far better success with far less in mind.

With the wedding only a couple days away, it was no surprise that the city streets were crowded with ponies eager to join in on the celebration. Thankfully, nopony seemed too interested in them at the moment, and hopefully it'd stay that way, at least until after the wedding.

"Y'all smell that?" Applejack brought up, sniffing the air around her like a hound dog. "Smells like... whooey! That smells like apple stroganoff!"

Rainbow recoiled. "... Did... did you just say—"

"I know what you're thinking. Blegh, that's gross, utter disgusting, deude!"

"First off, I don't say "utter" like that in a sentence. Also, YES, that sounds gross!" Rainbow retorted, waving her hooves about and looking at the farm mare like she had gone crazy... and she most likely had.

"Oh yeah? Well, remember last month when we had that party on the orchard? That dessert you ate that you said was "really yummy"?"

"Duh—" Dash paused. "Oh."

"Uh huh. Not so gross now, ain't it?"

"W... Well, why did they have to call it apple stroganoff? Why not something like..."

As the two mares bickered about the name of the particular apple treat, Lyon quietly chuckled to himself and lingered behind the group for a bit. The further on they went, the closer the royal palace became. It was only a matter of time before they were at the gates.

"Um... isn't that Twilight up there?" Fluttershy pointed up to a balcony that overlooked what seemed to be a garden, Lyon had recalled. There, they could see Twilight and presumably her brother Shining Armor exchanging words, but they were too far away to be heard, even if everyone in Canterlot decided to stop talking at this very moment.

"Oh boy," Rainbow groaned, "I can only imagine the earful that guy must be getting."

Rarity turned to her friend. "Well, he did tell everyone but Twilight about his wedding. Poor darling has at least the right to be upset."

Lyon looked up toward the balcony and continued to watch the two siblings. Not once did he see any major frown or scowl from his friend. Of course, there was at least a little frown here and there, but nothing of any concern.

"Guess they made up already," he said.

"That's a relief," Rarity sighed. "It wouldn't exactly be a good thing to have some sibling rivalry right before a special day, wouldn't it?"

"Good thing I never had to learn that from experience," Lyon joked.

The stallion watched the balcony again, just as Twilight and her brother disappeared behind the ledge, seemingly drawn to something obstructed. He sighed as soon as she was gone.

He had become so focused on the moment, he didn't notice the stranger in front of him until he bumped into him.

"I'm sorry, sir," Lyon was quick to apologize. "I didn't see you there, I..."

The stranger, a stallion dressed in similar Canterlot attire, said nothing in response. He stared instead, and in just that one single moment, the way he looked at him felt off. There was something about his eyes, the way they looked back at his own, that made this feeling bubble up from the pit of Lyon's stomach.

"Sir? Are you alri—"

Before he could finish asking, the stallion flung one of his fore hooves straight at Lyon's face. He was quick to dodge the attempted hit, only nicked on the side of the head, but the sudden attack was hard enough to knock Lyon to the ground. The others turned to see the sudden scuffle and immediately ran to his aid.

Before they could reach him, three royal guards swooped down and were quick to restrain the attacker, who struggled against their grip, but ultimately failed to break free.

"Lyon!" Applejack yelled, kneeling down to the stallion. "Are you okay?"

Lyon, however, was too struck with confusion to answer right away.

"I just bumped into him," he eventually said. "I didn't even mean to, it was an accident. He didn't even give me a chance to say sorry."

By now, a small crowd had formed around the group and still-struggling stallion. Applejack helped Lyon to his hooves, and they watched as the royal guardsponies began dragging the stranger away.

And the entire time they did, not once did he take his eyes off Lyon. They pierced into his own, and they seemed cold. His growls were animalistic, like a zombie hungered for blood.

But the way he spoke—what he spoke—chilled Lyon to his very core.

"Traitor! You'll get what you deserve, you traitor!"

Traitor.

Traitor.

Applejack had to shake him just to get him to finally breathe again. He hadn't even realized he stopped. By now, the stranger was gone, but his voice echoed to the sky.

"Look at me," she demanded. "Are you okay?"

"I... yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

Lyon lied. Of course he lied, he didn't want them to worry! Not now! Not after what he just said! Do they know what the dreams told him? Did he ever tell them? What would Twilight think? What would she have done if she was here?

"Did he hurt you?"

He shook his head. "No, he just clipped me. I'm okay, I promise."

It should've been made clear earlier that Lyon had an awful poker face, at least sometimes. Applejack was in no way convinced, and yet she didn't want to make the situation any worse than it already was.

"How about we just cancel the clothing plan and get to the palace first?" Rarity suggested with a worried tone. "We should get you checked out, just in case."

"I... okay," Lyon replied, despite initially insisting it wasn't necessary. He felt perfectly fine, but he didn't want to upset any of them. Plus, he did at least want to be sure it wasn't going to shape up into anything more than a quick nick.

The crowds gradually dispersed as quick as they formed. Lyon followed behind the others, while Applejack walked beside him, giving him an occasional glance, ready in case the stallion suddenly fell over. Concussions were no joke.

And yet, concussions were the last thing on Lyon's mind.

Traitor! You'll get what you deserve, you traitor!

Suddenly, everything was uneasy again.

Chapter 3: Goings On

The feeling didn't leave Lyon. The words of the stranger bounced around in his head, playing over and over again, and they continued to play no matter what he did to quell them.

At first, he tried to come up with the most basic of assumptions. The first one was a mistaken identity. He was certain he had seen a couple stallions across Canterlot that looked just like him! Some were unicorns, and very few of them were pegasi, but beyond that, and a different cutie mark... they were sometimes indistinguishable from him.

He wasn't the only tan stallion in the world. Then again, not very many ponies have gray and dark stripes in their hair, either, at least none that he could find.

But with that slim possibility in his mind, he came up with assumption #2: Relationship problems.

Lyon knew a fair share of filly-foolers and colt-cuddlers throughout his life, and he wanted to assume the stallion downtown might have been someone's ex-lover. Someone betrayed him, he saw Lyon, and something sparked in him to assume he was said lover. Hooves fly, words are spat, and he's taken away. Right? It seemed like it'd make sense.

Anything but what his mind dialed back to.

Traitor.

No.

It couldn't be related. There was no way. How could that stallion even know? It's not like he was some kind of mind reader! Or was he? Did those even exist, or was there some kind of spell for it, or...

No. No, it doesn't exist. Even if it did, he couldn't be one. He couldn't know about his dreams! It has to be just a coincidence.

Traitor.

And yet, that same word. He said the same exact word.

Traitor.

The same word uttered as he lay surrounded by countless dead bodies among a hellish blaze.

Traitor.

The same word uttered by his monster.

Trai—

"Stop."

He hadn't realized he said it out loud until the nurse stopped tending to the wound. He looked up to see a middle-aged unicorn mare, Nurse Luckhorn, eyeing him with concern as she held a wetted wipe in her telekinetic grip.

"Sorry," he apologized with a faint smile, "not you. Just my thoughts getting in the way."

"You want me to keep going?"

"Yes, please."

She went back to tending to the wound. As soon as they arrived at the infirmary branch of the castle, it became clear the hit was more than a simple "clip," as Lyon initially believed. A small gash ran just under his left ear, with blood dripping down the side of his face. He didn't remember the attacker wearing anything sharp on his hooves, but everything happened so fast, it might've gone over his head.

Not entirely literally.

"Can you tell me what this guy looked like, sugar?" the mare spoke in a southern drawl that would give Applejack a run for her money. "Was he wearing anythang specific?"

"Just a black suit," Lyon answered, lifting a hoof to dismiss Luckhorn's followup. "The guard took him away before we could say anything."

"Well... if that's the case, then there's no need to take this up to the princesses. I figure they already know by now. What in the hay did you do to tick him off?"

"I..."

Lyon froze. What could he say?

"I don't know. I just bumped into him a little, then he was on me. I didn't even get a chance to say sorry."

Luckhorn sighed. "That's Canterlot for you. One of the richest places in the world, and everyone who lives in it is an entitled snob that gets uptight about the smallest inconvenience."

"Yeah..." Lyon's voice faltered for a moment, wincing as the wipe hit a sensitive spot in the cut. By now, the wound had stopped bleeding, and it would be a moment before she began stitching it up.

"What brings you here, anyhow?" she asked him as she finally reached for the needle. "If you're up here, I'm guessing you got some kinda appointment for the princess?"

"Uh, sort of. I'm supposed to be leading the fireworks display for the royal wedding."

Luckhorn recoiled.

"Really, now?!" Lyon nodded, earning a quick snort from the nurse. "Well, gee, I wasn't expecting that at all, haha! And she asked you herself?"

The stallion nodded again, grimacing slightly as the stitching process began.

"My friend Twilight's brother is the groom of the wedding, so in a way, I guess all of us were kind of part of the whole thing."

"Huh. Well, I guess I do learn something new every day," Luckhorn prodded. "I've had Captain Armor come down here a couple times for a fixer-upper, though it was never too serious an injury. He never really told me about a sister of his."

"... He didn't?"

She shook her head, but recoiled for a moment. "But, then again, he's never really talked about his personal life all that much. I think he mentioned his dad one time, and that was it."

"Oh. I was gonna say... well... I guess it's a long story. Plus, I don't think Twilight would be fine with me blabbing about family stuff."

"Twilight Sparkle? I've had her down here too sometimes. It never really clicked in my head that those two were siblings. Guess it was because I never saw them here together. But that mare... oh, hoho, she would go on and on about her studies with the princess. I always thought she was an earful, but... deep down, she's a good kid."

"Yeah.... she is."

Lyon hesitated for a moment, a thought crossing his mind. But he merely felt it to be a way to hide the pain of having a needle piercing his flesh just so it can put it back together. He shivered at the thought, not wanting to look in the mirror for a few days.

Or weeks.

Soon enough, Luckhorn had finished stitching the wound and seemed Lyon fit to leave.

"Now, next time you see Twilight Sparkle, tell her Nurse Luckhorn sends her regards."

"I will," Lyon promised, giving the mare a grin. "Thank you again."

"Anytime, sugar. And you be careful with those fireworks now!"

"Will do!"

Lyon waved the nurse goodbye as he made for the exit. Down the hall, he laughed to himself.

"What a nice lady."

He couldn't remember the last time he saw a nurse that kind. Sure, he could count Nurse Redheart back in Ponyville, but she seemed a bit strict at times. Of course, she was dedicated to her job, but...

Well, it's not wrong to love your job 100%, is it?

Lyon shook his head in attempt to laugh, only to grimace again slightly as cool wind from the outside brushed against his wound. Instinctively, he rested a hoof against it, careful not to damage the stitches. He was sure he had to sleep on one side for a while.

After a moment, he lowered his hoof and inspected the wetness he had noticed, revealing a faint bit of blood. It wasn't too much, just a smidgen of red and... and...

Is that green in there too?

Lyon shook his head, doing a double take on his vision, and yet the green didn't go away. His eyes abstracted. Surely, he was seeing things?

It was only when he looked away from his hoof that he noticed more green. Green grass. All around him.

He was in the middle of one of the castle's few gardens. Already, he was laughing to himself.

That's what it was, then! The blood was reflecting the green of the grass! Of course!

"I really need to sleep after this, dear Celestia," he muttered to himself as he wiped the blood on his fur. It wasn't too much, so it shouldn't be too noticeable.

With a change of pace, Lyon went to work as he was ordered. Hopefully that would be enough to get his mind off the sting.

Yeah... because being around sharp edges is just what this gash needs.

A few minutes of trotting, and a quick rundown later, Lyon was standing around in a small garden, one of few with very little vegetation, the only mentioned being the overgrowth accumulated over the last several years.

Standing before him were some of the finest members the Canterlot Royal Guard had to offer, hoof-picked by Celestia herself. And it showed, in both size and strength.

That was good. Holding a bow is hard sometimes.

Lyon paced across the line of nearly 20 stallions, all of which were tall, short, scrawny, or bulky. A third of them were unicorns, another pegasi, and the other earth ponies.

He could feel his heart beat in his chest, but he told himself simply to breathe. With a close of his eyes, he let out a deep breath, and held it there for a moment.

As soon as he felt the crave, his eyes opened again, and what came out... well...

"Alright, you maggots! Our dear leader has put ME in charge of your sorry flanks! I advise you to get into tip-top shape, or there will be tartarus to pay! And I expect you to be FLAWLESS, or I swear by Celestia's 13th right feather, I'll tear you a new one! Capiche?!"

They stared at Lyon. Then they eyed each other. Then back to him.

He couldn't keep the charade up any longer than a few seconds, before he bowed his head, trying to hide his embarrassed laughter. Looking up, the confused expression on their faces only grew.

"Sorry. I always wanted to do that." He tilted his head. "Celestia did put me in charge of the fireworks show, though, so... let's get down to business, then?"

Standing behind Lyon was a decent-sized board with a few markers on a support. Grabbing the black marker in one hoof, he turned back to the guardsponies.

"Earth ponies, step forward?"

Almost immediately, 7 earth ponies walked through the rows of lined-up guards and stood before Lyon. They gave him a steady salute. Lyon stepped back for a moment; he wasn't entirely used to royal guards listening to him. It was usually the other way around, in some cases.

"Right then," Lyon began, making some quick sketches on the board. "Earth pony archers will go first here, at the south garden facing directly towards the gazebo where the reception will happen. Seven of you, plus me, equals eight of us."

He began pointing at various guardsponies and telling them their positions and timings. It wasn't long before he sent them back to where they stood earlier, and called up the pegasi next. Their goals were simple: Perch up on top of a series of clouds that will overlook the opposite side of the gazebo, facing the valley towards Ponyville. As soon as the earth ponies stopped firing their shots, the pegasi would swoop down and immediately let off a barrage of fireworks that would fill the sky with a glistening array of pink and white.

"Unicorns?"

On cue, the remaining 6 guards stood before him, all of them unicorns. This time, Lyon grabbed the red marker to make the difference between the black and yellow.

"Your job will, in a way, be the bread and butter of the finale. This part isn't necessarily archery... but then again, this is just a fireworks display." He drew 6 simple stick figures down in a location resembling the west—or main—garden of the castle. "What I want you to do is stand here, altogether."

One of the guards looked around at the others surround him.

"All of us?"

"Yeparooni!"

Lyon walked over beside the board and reached into a small wooden basket. Inside were a series of spell books, taken from Twilight's library earlier in the day. The books were short and curt, as was intended, only a few pages worth.

"I've been looking these over before I picked them out, just to make sure they were what I was looking for!" Lyon exclaimed as he passed the copies out to the guards. "Now these are firework spell books, containing some of the most basic of firework spells that have been seen typically at coronation ceremonies—not that there are very many to come by—and Summer Sun Celebrations. Though they're basic, it still requires unicorns of a high level to actually focus them, especially for the Triple-O: The Octagonal Orion Outburst."

Lyon paused.

"No wonder they call it Triple-O. Mouthful and boring."

Shaking his head, he walked past the guards as they skimmed through the few pages, then looked back up to him.

"From what Celestia briefed me on, you 6 are some of the most skilled in the Royal Guard. So your goal for tonight is to read through these books and practice your share of the spell. After tomorrow's training, if you still feel you're rusty in parts, keep reading. There's no shame in not being ready."

"Wait," another unicorn guard spoke up, "tomorrow's training? We're not doing anything today?"

"Nope! Today was just an orientation course!"

Coming down from his brief bout of happiness, Lyon laughed in embarrassment and looked towards the sun, already inching its way towards the horizon. It was far too late for anything now.

"I got caught up in an... incident earlier today. Explains this gash," he recalled, briefly touching the stitched wound before keeping away. "If it weren't for that, we'd probably at least get an hour in. But Celestia needed you guys for your evening shifts, and I didn't wanna keep you any longer than I needed to. So for today, no training. But first thing tomorrow at 10 AM, we'll get right on it!"

"Are you sure we'll be ready by then, uh... sir?"

"Of course! Celestia wouldn't have put me on the job if I wasn't skilled at my work! Though, the unicorn part isn't really part of what I do... trust me: You'll see what I'm capable of tomorrow."

With a few final words, Lyon dismissed the group of guardsponies, whom all immediately made their way to wherever Princess Celestia had them assigned. He had hoped he didn't make them unintentionally late to their shifts, though he'd be willing to take responsibility for it. Maybe she'd be lenient, given there's a big wedding coming up?

Lyon trilled his lips as he grabbed the now-empty basket and started back for the living halls where he and the others were staying for the wedding. He yawned slightly as fatigue started to set in. He was surprised it hadn't set in sooner with all the sugary treats they had at the picnic, but honestly, it was better to be tired now than... than before...

You traitor! You'll—

He shook his head and sighed. Lyon wanted to tell Twilight about it, and maybe the others already said something. It wasn't so much that he was worried about her finding out about the incident. But it never occurred to him until today that he didn't actually tell them what was said. That part of the dream didn't start becoming clear until only a few weeks back, and at first, he didn't think much of it, just something it whipped up on a whim.

Then that stallion came along, and suddenly, he could feel his heart racing with anxiety, his breathing labored with fear. He did his best to hide it, and sometimes, he was good at it. He doubted those guards noticed anything out of the ordinary.

But around his friends, it was a different story. He wanted so badly to just say something, but he didn't want it to be blown out of proportion. He knew how easily Twilight could take something a simple as a ripped out book page and treat it as something that could threaten Equestria. Something like this would probably make her brain explode.

And... if that was the case... Did he even want to tell her he l—

"Guuaah!" Lyon yelped as he bumped into something. He failed to hasten his balance before falling to the pavement.

Whatever he bumped into, it definitely wasn't a wall. Walls don't have fur.

"Sorry, sorry, that was my bad!" he quickly apologized, waving a hoof in the air as he tried to get himself back up from the ground. "I... don't really have any excuse, but... my bad."

It didn't take long for Lyon to recover, and presumably, whoever he bumped into was getting back on their hooves as well. Looking over to his accidental victim, he heard a feminine shiver.

"It's fine," she hesitantly said. "I can say the same thing, I guess."

He walked over to the mare and held out a hoof. "Here, let me help you up."

"I'm fine, I assure you."

"Oh. Okay, then."

Slowly, the mare stood up on all fours and appeared before him. She sported a reddish coat of fur and a yellow mane. She appeared to be a unicorn from here, judging by her attire. At first, she opened her mouth to say something, but something stopped her.

"Is something wrong?"

"Say... Don't I know you from somewhere?" she asked after a moment. Lyon had noticed she had been eyeing him almost intently.

"Uh... can't say I know many red-furred mares where I'm from. Sorry."

That explanation didn't stop her, though. She twirled her body left and right, looking him up and down, even to his very cutie mark. Lyon didn't know whether to be nervous or confused. Or maybe flattered, if she was technically checking out his flanks.

The mare's horn glowed faintly, though Lyon hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. Then after a few short moments, the glow dissipated, and her eyes widened briefly, looking back at his own.

"My... apologies, sir," she said slowly. "I just had to check if you were my, uh... snooty husband. I kind of got a bit drunk last night and... well, it's a long story."

"Oh. Well... that's okay, I guess. Relationship troubles?"

"You don't know the half of it. And here's to hoping you never do."

Lyon shrugged. "Anyway, I'm sorry for knocking you over. It was an accident."

"No need," she dismissed, "the fault is all mine. I hope I didn't inconvenience you any."

"No, not at all. I've literally got no place to be at the moment. Well, other than to catch some Zs."

"But of course!" the mare exclaimed, exchanging a brief smile. "Don't let me keep you any longer."

Lyon smiled back, bowing his head. "Well... bye, then! I hope things go well between you and your husband. "

"Hmm-hmm... me too."

With a better pep to his step, Lyon picked up the basket he had dropped and continued his way down the road leading to the castle. After a few moments, the mare had done the same, walking in the opposite direction.

Once he was out of earshot, she talked to herself.

"See you later... traitor."

"Bet I can guess what you're all thinking, Cadance is the absolute worst bride-to-be ever."

Whatever had been bickered across the table was now suddenly silent, as the other 7 members of the group stared back at Twilight Sparkle, who uttered the words with a drop of her drink against the table. It was later in the evening, after everypony had finally retired from their duties for the night. The stares the unicorn received were nothing but confusion.

Well, except for Spike.

"Who, me?" he asked in a girly voice, holding a small figuring of the mentioned bride Cadance.

"Spike!" Applejack said sternly. "That goes on the cake." The young drake was quick to put the figure down on the table, laughing nervously as Applejack stared at him with an eyebrow raised.

Rarity looked at her friend across the table, confusion replaced with curiosity.

"Twilight, whatever are you talking about? Cadance is an absolute gem!"

"Rarity, she was so demanding!" the mare insisted, as if pleading for her friend to believe her. But Rarity simply shrugged it off with a faint laugh.

"Well, of course she is! Why shouldn't she expect the very best on her wedding day?"

Twilight didn't answer her question, instead turning towards Applejack and waving her hoof about extensively.

"Applejack, did you know that after she told you how much she just 'love-love-loved' your hors d'eouvres, she threw them in the trash?"

At first, Applejack looked at Twilight with a bit of bemusement, but she simply smiled. "Aw, she was probably just trying to spare my feelings." She then took a sip from her drink.

The unicorn closed her eyes. "No, she was just being fake and totally insincere!"

Despite her claims, the group eyed each other with uncertainty, even going far as if pretending Twilight didn't have much of a reason to be uppity.

"She did raise her voice at one of my birds during rehearsal," Fluttershy mentioned hesitantly.

"See?" Twilight pointed to Fluttershy. "Rude!" The mare then crossed her arms, confident it was more than enough evidence to convince them.

Fluttershy then lifted her hoof from under the table, a small bird perched on her foreleg. "But he was singing really off-key."

As if on cue, the bird immediately began to scream in an out-of-pitch, deafening tone, prompting all of the table-goers to cover their ears and wince in pain as the animal attempted to sing his heart out. Well, sing.

"Ugh," Lyon groaned, "are you sure it was the singing she was worried about? No offense to your little birb, either."

"Uh... bird."

"Same thing."

Twilight turned to the pink pony opposite from her. "Pinkie Pie, you had to have noticed how Cadance treated–"

She stopped talking once she realized Pinkie and Spike had taken both cake figures and were making smooching sounds, smashing the two figures together. She sighed in frustration.

"Never mind," she grumbled, turning towards one of her other friends. "Rainbow Dash, you're with me, right?"

But the pegasus only shrugged, to Twilight's disdain, and seemed more interested in polishing the tips of her hooves.

"Sorry, Twi. Been too busy prepping for my sonic rainboom to pay much attention to the bride's bad attitude."

Twilight growled, her patience failing her. She placed her head down on the table and snorted. When she lifted herself back up, she turned to Lyon, who had looked onto her with concern in his eyes.

"... Lyon? Please tell me you saw something out of line with Cadance today."

The stallion scratched his head. "Actually, she didn't come to the orientation today. Probably because of how late we started."

"She didn't come at all?"

Lyon shook his head, taking a quick slurp of his drink. "Maybe she was too busy with the others? Or maybe she got there too early and left beforehoof? Well, early, if we were actually there."

Twilight opened her mouth as if to say something, but Rarity came to her side and rested a hoof on her friend's arm.

"The princess is about to get married," she stated bluntly, "I'm sure any negative behavior she might be displaying is simply the result of nerves."

Stomping on the table, Twilight retorted, "And I'm sure it's the result of being an awful pony who doesn't deserve to even know Shining Armor, let alone marry him!"

The group stood silent again for a few seconds as Twilight caught her breath. Applejack eyed her worryingly.

"... Think maybe you're being just a tiny bit possessive of your brother?"

Much to Twilight's shock, an echo of questioning 'uh-huhs' filled the table. But the unicorn only shook her head and doubled herself down. Firmly.

She shouted at them. "I am not being possessive, and I am not taking it out on Cadance! You're all just too caught up in your wedding planning to notice that maybe there shouldn't even be a wedding!" She ended her rant with a hard enough slam against the table that caused everypony's drink to fall over. With another bitter sigh, Twilight walked away, mumbling to herself.

"Jeez," Rainbow Dash groaned with a roll of her eyes, "Cadance doesn't like a couple things, and suddenly she's an evil witch? I think I know who the off one really is around here."

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity shouted. "I can understand that Twilight's accusations are a bit out of hoof, but there's no need to go and do the same."

"Not exactly an accusation as much as it is just spitting a straight fact."

As the two bickered about the developing situation, Lyon couldn't help but glance back to Twilight, who at this point had becoming increasingly smaller the further away she became, until she disappeared behind a corner.

He sighed, reaching for his drink. Then he forgot it was all over the table.

"I'm gonna go talk to Twilight," he muttered quietly, excusing himself from the table, but judging how Rainbow and Rarity were still arguing as he left, he was sure they didn't even notice he was gone.

Not that he minded, really. They always find something to argue about, it seemed.

A few minutes later, Lyon found himself wandering the living halls and opening individual doors trying to find the one Twilight was staying in. On the last try—what were the odds?—he opened her bedroom door, only to find the mare sitting at a desk and writing a series of scribbles and notes in a notebook.

Upon closer inspection, he could see the phrase "EVIDENCE" written on the top of one page in big, bold letters. Even closer, he could see writings related to what she claimed had occurred today. From the hors d'eouvres Cadance threw away, to the supposed intolerant behavior.

"Uh," Lyon hesitated, "Twilight?"

"Uh huh."

"Are... you okay?"

"Uh huh."

Lyon awkwardly looked around the room, trying to figure out what else to say. Anything to break the ice!

"Well... I know it's not much, but if you wanna talk about this whole thing, I'd love to—"

"Lyon, if you haven't found anymore evidence proving Cadance is a lying she-beast, can you do me a favor and not come back until you do? That'd be really great, thanks."

... Ouch.

"... Oh. Uh... okay."

Knowing she seemed far too busy at the moment, Lyon slowly started for the door. Maybe it'd be a better time to come back later, when she's not... this?

"Lyon, wait."

Hoof on the knob, the stallion paused, looking back to her. Twilight had put her pencil down and began walking towards him. Before he could say anything, she embraced him in a warming hug, but didn't let him go so soon.

She sighed, her warm breath cascading down his shoulder, giving him goosebumps.

"I'm sorry," she whispered against his body. "I know something is off about Cadance, I just know it. But that's no excuse for me to treat you like that."

Lyon hugged her back. "It's okay, Twilight. I know you're just worried about your brother."

"Even so, I shouldn't be putting you down over a hunch."

"Well," Lyon pondered with a shrug, "if you're so determined about all this, then... maybe it isn't just a hunch."

Twilight pulled away from her friend. "You think?"

"Not 100%. I never got the chance to see Cadance, but if I did, I'd probably notice something off if you were able to."

His comment earned a faint blush from the unicorn, who departed from him completely and started back for the desk. She said nothing for a moment as she scrolled through the individual pages she had taken out of her notebook. With a scrunch of her cheeks, she put down the papers and sighed.

"What should I do?" she questioned to Lyon, who briefly tapped his chin.

Then he came up with an idea he was surprised hadn't already popped up earlier. "Why don't you talk to Shining Armor? I mean, he is the groom, so I'm sure he'd see it clearer than any of us."

"Of course!" Twilight gasped and flipped around. "He has to have noticed something off at some point!"

At first, Twilight had a hopeful gleam in her eye again. But it didn't take long for the glimmer to fade.

"But he would've said something by now. I would've heard it from Celestia or Luna, or even when him and I were talking earlier today. But he didn't say anything."

"Nothing?"

She shook her head. "So... what do I do then?"

"Just tell him." Lyon walked over to Twilight and placed a hoof firmly on her shoulder. "Talk to him slowly and carefully. Don't let yourself stumble over your words. The way you talk about him, I'm sure he's an understanding guy, yeah?"

Twilight nodded.

"And you're his little sister. You both got enough a bond that he's gotta hear you out and look things over, no matter how ridiculous it might sound. Okay?"

Twilight eyed her notes again, then Lyon. With a smile, she nodded again.

"Okay. I'll go talk to him right now." She embraced the stallion in another warm hug. "Thank you, Lyon. I'm sorry again for snapping at you."

"Don't worry about it, it's totally fine. I would've done the same. I mean, not the "snapping" part, but... you know what I mean."

Giggling, Twilight pulled away and started for the door, Lyon following beside her. On the way down the hall to the exit, Twilight turned to him, not breaking her pace.

"Are you gonna be at the rehearsal tomorrow?"

Lyon sighed. "Nah. I gotta be up and early to train the guards for the fireworks show. A little bit earlier than I wanted because of the little "incident" today, but eh... no big deal."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. I just wasn't sure if you wanted to talk about it."

"It's fine. It just kinda bugged me a bit, that's all."

"Why?" Twilight tilted her head.

Traitor.

"Uh... I'll tell you later. Probably wouldn't be the best time right now, would it?"

"... You're right," the mare agreed, slinking back just a bit, then returning to her usual posture as she approached the exit doors. "You don't have anywhere to be right now, do you?"

"No. In fact, I think I'm actually gonna turn in for tonight, if that's alright."

"Of course."

"Oh, and um... if you do find out more stuff, you can always wake me up."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't wanna be a bother."

"Nonsense," he persisted, "if something big could be going down, I wanna be able to help however I can—even if that means losing a couple hours of sleep."

Twilight laughed to herself, and with a comforting smile, she exchanged with him a final hug of the evening. This one was just a bit longer than the other two, though Lyon blamed himself for that. She was always so warm!

With that, she stepped out the door and trotted her way to the small home Shining Armor was supposedly staying in. Lyon watched her go until she was once again another blob mixing in with the other passing blobs of the night. Sighing, he shut the giant door and rested his head against the inner side.

He stayed silent for a moment, pondering whether to go out there and catch up with her. But he stopped himself.

"Bad time," he said aloud as he walked back to his room. "Bad time, bad time, bad time."

He passed by two royal guards, keeping their stand in the hallway. He didn't notice them the first time when he and Twilight passed through.

"Yo," he quipped, raising a hoof in a quick salute and clicking his cheek twice. The guards didn't respond to his gesture, nor make any form of movement.

He was in good hooves. Creepy, but good.

Returning to his own bedroom, Lyon flopped onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Immediately, he felt relaxed, and a shiver ran down his spine as a cool breeze washed over him. Eyes closed, he anticipated finally sleeping.

For two hours.

He tossed and turned in his bed, got under the covers, and then pushed them aside. He felt comfortable, but for some reason, he couldn't just get his brain to shut off for the night. It started to frustrate him after a while, and he was sure he was starting to look crazy. Guards were not going to listen to someone that looked like they escaped from an insane asylum!

Would they?

"Why did I even think that?"

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. At first, he thought it'd be Twilight, since he did say she could wake him up anytime. And if she was waking him up, that meant—

"Lyon? You awake, sugarcube?" Lyon heard Applejack's familiar accent echo through the polished wood. Plus, she was the only one who actually said "sugarcube."

"Yeah!" he hollered, "one sec!"

Lyon fumbled to get out of the mess that was now his blankets. He eventually was successful, at the cost of planting his face against the ground. Luckily, there was a carpet to break his fall, as opposed to the marble floor beneath it.

Opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of Applejack, who seemed to be not too awful for wear, but still carried small bags under her eyes, and her hat was missing.

"Hey," he greeted her. "You okay?"

But she laughed tiredly. "I'm fine. It's just been a long day, between making the food and trying on a... heh, gown."

"Gown?"

"Eeyup," she smiled. "Cadance hired us to be her bridesmaids. She didn't say why, but hay, I still think it's an honor, gown or no gown!"

"Well, that's... great!" Lyon replied, at a loss for words. But he couldn't help but laugh as he imagined Applejack wearing a gown. "I'm sure you guys'll look nice at the wedding."

Applejack blushed faintly. "Heh. Yeah, I reckon we will."

"I'm sure of it." Lyon nodded his head. "So, uh, is everything okay?"

"Huh?" The farmer looked up at him in brief confusion, only to snap to attention. "Oh, right! Sorry, heh. Yeah, everything's fine and dandy, just... well... You don't mind if I come in for a moment, do ya?"

"Not at all, come on," he insisted, motioning a hoof to allow her inside. Applejack walked into the room, shivering as the air from Lyon closing the door fell on her. "So, whatcha need?"

Immediately, Applejack paused, opening and closing her mouth whenever she seemed ready to talk.

"Well... it ain't something I need, exactly, it's just... I don't know how to say it."

"It's fine," he grinned, "take your time."

The two leaned against the nearby wall for a moment, and Lyon was patient as the seconds ticked on. Applejack would start to say something, and then stop for a second like she was readjusting it in her head. Lyon was okay with that, as he had done the exact same thing in the past.

"So... I really think that... no, no, that ain't it... there's a... ugh, sorry..."

"Applejack." Lyon lifted her chin and looked at her with a calm smile. "Breathe. Take your time."

And all she did was look back at him, her eyes fixated on his for what felt like such a long time. The way her eyes glistened at the right angle, the way she breathed in and out slowly at his request. She swallowed the spit in her mouth and sighed.

"Land sakes, fine. Lyon, I'm... ugh... I like you, alright?"

He recoiled faintly. "... Oh."

Applejack sighed again.

"Yeah. I know, it's probably a big shocker to ya, finding out your boss has a crush on you and all. But I... I don't know, I just... you're just amazing." Lyon said nothing, listening to Applejack as she was able to find her words. "You're a smart cookie, a capable worker, you're funny, and you don't let even the worst thangs in life get you down. You're always there to help no matter what comes at ya, and... well, I know this probably sounds silly, but I... feel safe around you. I don't know if this is the right thing to say right now... but I love you, Lyon."

That look on her face... no longer was there exhaustion, but a sense of bliss.

Lyon was at a loss for words. He had no idea Applejack felt this way for her! And he had been working with her for nearly 5 years now! Those feelings must've been harboring inside her for a while!

"Sugarcube?" she said as the air filled with silence. "You okay?"

"I..." It took a moment for the words to catch up with his throat. "Yeah. I... um..."

The bliss in her eyes started to fade as he hesitated.

"Applejack... I..." Lyon tried to get the words out as best as he could, but he felt himself struggle under a sudden weight that drooped onto his shoulders.

"... You don't feel the same."

The bliss was gone. He saw it.

Her eyes...

Lyon lowered his head. "I'm... sorry... I didn't know that you—"

"I-It's fine, sugarcube. I was going too fast, I didn't think, I..." She laughed to herself, but it was cracked and ragged. "I didn't mean to bother you with this. I was just being dumb."

"No, AJ, I—"

"Don't worry about it," Applejack whispered hastily as she hugged Lyon in almost a half-flanked attempt. Each new word she say sounded more broken than the last. "It ain't a big deal. I should git going now anyway. G... Goodnight."

"AJ, wait," he pleaded to her, wanting her to stay just a bit longer, but she was already gone. Even looking outside the bedroom, Lyon didn't see a trace of Applejack in the hallway. Only the clopping of her hooves against the marble floors could be heard echoing faintly.

Lyon thought about chasing after her. He really did. But deep down, he knew that would only make it worse... make it hurt more. Reluctantly, he closed the door and sat against it, letting himself fall to the floor. Already, he was cursing himself and banging his head against the door softly.

That was when he noticed the wetness against his hoof. And his shoulder. They were tears, still fresh as they soaked into the fur on his hoof. And all he could do was just sit there, unable to move or do anything without the urge to cry.

He had broken her heart.

"Dammit..."

Author's Note

Sorry that the last chapter was so short, and sorry that this one was super long. Was trying to make sure nothing was resolved or gone through in two lines or something.

Also, sorry for this bit of melodrama, but the intention is to have Applejack's and Lyon's feelings play out throughout the story as it goes on, but it won't be the main conflict.

Hopefully you're enjoying the story so far! :twilightsmile:

Chapter 4: Sneaking and Entering

The howls of the dying rang in his head as he ran. Everywhere he turned, a new body lay. Some were burnt, yet other punctured by spears.

A young one lay with a spear still in his back. There was nothing that could be done for him.

Explosions near and far rocked his body, distant screams were suddenly silenced forever, burning branches would collapse from their foundations and create new fires to spread. War was here.

He tripped over a dead one, her face forever screaming back. Tears and blood clashed together into one. Rain would wash it away quickly.

He struggled to get back up. He dragged dirt and blood beneath his hooves. The pain in his side was greater than ever before, and yet he pushed to lift himself.

Suddenly, something stood before him, and all he could do was look up. And the monster looked him back. Cold, unfeeling eyes dug into his soul, a buzz rang behind her. And the land around them burned.

But he was all she saw. All she wanted. All she needed.

"Traitor."

"That... was... exhausting."

It was late in the afternoon, and Lyon had just finished going over the practice show with his assigned guards.

They weren't awful—far from it! No wonder Celestia picked them out for him!—but Lyon felt like he had forgotten what it was like to lead such a massive group. The last time he properly did something like this was for the Summer Sun Festival about a year after he came to Ponyville. That was the work of over 50 various archers and pegasi. Granted, it all worked out in the end, but Lyon wanted nothing more to do with big groups.

Even when he said he was ready, he wasn't.

But he couldn't say the practice work alone was the cause of his exhaustion. Add onto that the twisting and turning in his bed as he tried to sleep.

And Applejack...

He hadn't seen her since last night. He even went to her room as soon as he got up in the morning, only to find nopony there. Of course, she was at the rehearsal with the others; they became last-minute bridesmaids, after all!

...

Lyon sighed. "Why couldn't I just say something?"

He wasn't entirely sure if speaking clearly would've been enough to sooth her aching heart, but he wanted to at least try. Otherwise, he risked losing her as a friend. And having a former friend hurt by his rejection, acting as his boss, wasn't exactly a good thing.

Of course, Applejack wouldn't fire him over heartache... would she?

"Oof!" Lyon yelped as a pony bumped into him from behind.

Oh, for crying out loud, again?

Unlike before, however, he was able to keep his balance and right himself, then was quick to locate the pony that ran into him, who eyed him briefly with teary eyes. Only it wasn't a stranger.

"Twilight?" he called out to her.

Twilight stood before him, her eyes puffy and red with lines of tears running down her cheeks, and occasionally, she sniffled.

"Oh... s-sorry, sir. I-I..."

But the unicorn didn't say much before she was running off again, crying her eyes out and bawling her voice to the wind.

"Twilight, wait!"

Immediately, Lyon ran after her, hoping to catch up with her, but the mare was much faster than he was—which was both surprising and not surprising—and soon vanished through the thick crowd of ponies in the downtown region. He attempted to navigate his way through the ponies, but they were either too ignorant or too squeezed in to move.

Having barely made his way through the crowd, he gave up with a frustrated sigh.

"Great, now how am I gonna..." But it wasn't long before he smacked his head, and he realized where she was headed. "Of course."

A couple minutes later, Lyon stormed through the doors of the living hall, immediately darting for Twilight's room. What was going on with her? Did something happen? Was she hurt?

As soon as he turned the corner to where her room stood, two royal guards kept a post on both sides of the door.

What the...? Lyon thought. They weren't there last night!

The stallion began walking up to the door. And already, he could hear his friend crying her eyes out just a few feet away.

He didn't think he ever heard her cry before. He wished he didn't have to.

Before he did anything, he eyed the two guards, glancing at them left and right. They didn't look back at or even acknowledge him.

That is, until he tried opening the door.

Suddenly, two massive wings shot in front of him, and he yelped. "Halt! Twilight Sparkle does not want visitors at this time!"

Lyon softened and placed a hoof against his chest. "Look, I'm a friend of hers. I just want to know what happened, that's all. It'll only take a second, I promise—"

"Miss Sparkle has insisted that she be alone at this moment," the guard declared as Lyon's charismatic attempt failed him. "Any and all who attempt to invade her safety will be met with lethal force, at her request!"

...

"Wait... what?"

"If you attempt to trespass, Miss Sparkle has given us authority to protect her at the cost of your life. Now step back!"

Lyon only stared at the door, then to the guards, and then back to the door.

"Y... You're joking, right?"

Judging by the spears that sit pointed against his face less than half a second later, they apparently were not joking.

"Get back, sir!"

Tail tucked briefly between his legs, Lyon did what he was told and stepped away from the door.

But the crying from inside didn't get quieter. Twilight was practically bawling, at this point, sounding to be attempting to hold in her cries, but ultimately failing.

"Twilight?" he shouted. Surely they couldn't punish him for at least talking to her, right? "Twilight, it's me, Lyon! Can I come in? What's wrong?"

She didn't answer him at all.

"Twilight?"

And still no answer, only more crying. The guards began to eye him cautiously, as if ready to strike at a moment's notice. His attempts obviously having failed, Lyon raised his hooves.

"Alright, alright, I'm... I'm going! But I'll be coming back later to check up on her! I deserve that, at least!"

The guards didn't reply to his statement, and with that, Lyon walked away, the feeling of eyes on him never leaving until he turned the corner, and even then, he felt they watched him through the walls.

And they probably very well did.

Lyon paced slowly through the castle, thinking silently to himself as he attempted to locate the others.

It doesn't make sense, he muttered mentally, it isn't like Twilight to say something like that. 'Kill whoever tries to talk to me'? That's crazy! She would never do something like that! Unless she said something and they misinterpreted it, maybe? That could be it. Maybe there's a word that sounds like kill. Cull? No, that's basically the same thing. Call? Maybe, but I couldn't exactly test that either, could I? Not worth the risk.

He sighed, holding up a hoof as the sun blinded him across a window for a moment.

But then she didn't even acknowledge I was there. Maybe she couldn't hear me? Maybe, but... but... I don't know.

Lyon hung his head, lost as he attempted to debunk the situation. Then he stopped.

But she called me Sir, he realized. And she looked at me like a total stranger, like she didn't know it was me. It was completely out of place for her!

Just like...

"Rude!"

"There's something off about..."

"Insecure!"

"... awful pony who doesn't even deserve..."

"Demanding!"

"... there shouldn't even be a wedding!"

"FAKE!"

"She acted like she didn't even recognize me...!"

Cadance.

Sweet Cerberus Almighty.

In an instant, Lyon was sprinting down the halls. He needed to find someone, ANYONE!

The others would be a good start! Maybe Celestia, or Luna! No, that couldn't work, Celestia is Cadance's aunt, for Her sake. She'd never listen, and there was no doubt Luna would also ignore him! But the others practically laughed at her last night and talked about her behind her back... WHILE she walked away! What were the chances they would pay attention to—

"Fwuh—" was all Lyon could muster as he turned the corner, before tripping over something in his path. He flew in the air for a brief moment before crashing to the floor.

Oh, gods, this is gonna be what I'm remembered for around here, isn't it...?

"Oohhghh..."

Wait a second... he recognized that voice!

Hopping up on all fours and turning a full 180, he was greeted with a purple drake, sitting on the ground and holding his head with dizzying groans.

"Spike!" Lyon shouted with glee as he quickly enveloped the dragon in a firm hug. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you!"

Spike groaned again. "Uhhnng... Lyyoon? I think I got run over by a mongoose or something..."

It took Lyon a second to remember what just happened, and laughed awkwardly, lifting Spike onto his back. He was quick to adjust as Lyon started back down the hall at a slower pace.

"Sorry. Uh, let's get you patched up before I say anything."

"Mmhmmm... a couple gems would be goood, too..."

~~~~~~~

"Wait... so Twilight was right?" Spike asked slowly as he stuffed a red gem into his maw.

It was a few minutes later that Spike and Lyon were sitting in an isolated break room, alone and away from any ponies that could potentially listen in on them. And in this case, Lyon preferred it that way, even though he would occasionally look out the window or out the door. Can't be too careful!

"I can't say 100 percent..." Lyon replied in a disappointed tone, "... but I know she was onto something. I mean, why else would Cadance act the way she was, according to her?"

Spike grabbed another gem and twirled it softly in his claws. "Well, Shining Armor already explained that at the rehearsal today—"

"And let me guess: He immediately dismissed her claims because of how ridiculous they sounded, am I right?"

"Well... there was a little bit of yelling too..."

Lyon facehoofed himself.

"Don't you think with the way she was talking about Cadance before our little argument beforehoof, that would've raised a bit of suspicion?"

Spike scratched the side of his head for a moment before shrugging. "Well, I guess... but maybe it could've been just part of Cadance she never got to see?"

"What about the part where Twilight mentioned Cadance acting like she didn't even recognize her?"

Spike stopped mid-bite on his gem.

"Oh. Well, I guess that would make someone curious."

"And what's worse," Lyon moaned as he started pacing the room, "is that whatever's going on has apparently gotten to Twilight, as well."

"What do you mean?"

Lyon stopped in his tracks and faced him. "I bumped into... "Twilight"... earlier, and she was crying her eyes out. Something clearly happened at the rehearsal, didn't it?"

"Well," Spike answered a bit somberly, "Shining Armor got angry at Twilight and told her not to come to the wedding."

"And that's it?"

The dragon nodded.

"Then how come she didn't recognize me?"

"... Huh?"

"When she looked at me, the way she did, it was like... I don't know, it was like she didn't know who I was all of a sudden! And she called me Sir! Twilight never calls me Sir. She said it in the way you'd say it to a complete stranger. She had no idea who she was looking at!"

"Maybe her... tears made it difficult to make you out?" Spike suggested reluctantly, and he knew it was a poor excuse.

"Even if that was the case, she would've at least recognized my voice, don't you think?"

"Maybe...?"

"Oh, and get this: According to the guards, Twilight gave them strict orders to "use lethal force" against anyone trying to see her."

"Wait... what?"

"That's what I said! Does that sound like Twilight Sparkle to you?"

"I..." Spike stammered, unsure of how to process this new bit of information. "... No. It doesn't. But that doesnt make sense, why would Twilight say something like that?"

"Because maybe that wasn't Twilight at all," Lyon suggested. "Maybe it was someone, or perhaps something pretending to be her."

Spike stared at him.

"... You lost me."

"Ugh!" Lyon sighed with frustration. "This is gonna get us nowhere. We gotta talk to Twilight if we're gonna get to the bottom of this."

"But you just said—"

"I know what I said," he interjected, "but we're not gonna solve this problem unless we're face to face with her. Or "her"."

"Where is she? Or "she"?"

*-*-*-*-*

After a few minutes of navigating through the corridors, Lyon and Spike found themselves back in the living hall, taking cover behind a corner as they peered down the hall where the royal guards continued to stand by Twilight's bedroom door.

Even from the end of the hall, her cries could be heard. Lyon didn't know what to feel at the moment.

"She's been like that for an hour," he whispered to Spike.

"Really? ... Wow. I didn't think losing the best mare honor hit her that hard."

"Assuming that's actually Twilight in there, it's not losing that. From what you told me, it sounds like you guys totally bailed on her."

"I didn't bail on...!" Spike started whisper-shouting, but stopped himself, looking down the marble floor. "Oh. I guess I did."

Lyon sighed, resting a hoof on the drake's head. "Look... don't worry about it. Let's just figure out a way to get inside."

"How? Those guards look pretty tough. And if Twilight really did order them to... you know... it's probably not a good idea to just force our way in."

"Hmm..." Lyon hummed as he began inspecting the visible hall, hoping to find some form of leverage in his favor.

A ceiling vent? No, nothing. Besides, they couldn't get up there anyway. Maybe a reachable wall vent? He would've noticed something like that earlier, but there was no such thing to be found.

And then he found something, and a part of him was already regretting it.

"I think I know how to get past them."

"How?" Spike questioned.

Lyon turned around fully and pointed to the end of the hall, prompting Spike to follow his hoof. At the end of the hallway stood a large window that, when Lyon walked over to and peered through it, overlooked a large chunk of the mountain Canterlot stood upon. Just in front of the window sat a ledge that could easily be reversible, and a sigh of relief escaped Lyon.

"Oh..." Spike deadpanned. "Tell me we're not gonna..."

"We might have to. C'mon, let's head to my room. They won't see us in there."

Lyon and Spike walked casually down the hall, passing by Twilight's door. As soon as they noticed the stallion, their eyes followed him, and their grips on their spears grew tight.

There was this hint of uncertainty bubbling in his stomach, something that told him he was about to make a mistake. But how he could be sure unless he acted on it?

Two rooms down, Lyon and Spike walked into the former's bedroom chambers. On the other side of the room stood a window of the same size and shape as the one in the hall.

Lyon peered out again and noticed a similar ledge in front of him. The only difference between this ledge and the other is that this one had an extra mile sitting beneath it.

It wasn't that he hated heights... but he hated heights.

Inspecting the window frame, he noticed four bolts on its base keeping it held in place—probably for the aforementioned reason.

"Now, I can probably loosen the bolts on this window and get it open, but it'll take a few minutes," he talked quietly.

"Are you... sure this is a good idea?" asked Spike, nervousness apparent in every word.

"Well," Lyon began, "given that the wind outside, at this height, is strong enough right now to make even the most stable of earth ponies lose their balance... no. This is probably one of the worst ideas I could come up with."

"... Then why are you going through with it??"

"It's either that, or try to get through two experienced guards with spears. And I doubt any distractions would work in our favor."

"Why not just tell Celestia what you know so far?"

Lyon shook his head as he successfully removed one bolt. "If Celestia was at the rehearsal and also left Twilight there, then she probably also thinks she's crazy. That means she wouldn't listen to me either."

"Princess Celestia can be rational, if you give her a chance. I'm sure once she hears you talking about it too, she'll have to look it over!"

Pausing on the second bolt, Lyon thought about Spike's suggestion. He did have a point. If he went to Celestia and presented her with this new information, maybe she would listen to reason?

Oh... s-sorry, sir. I-I...

"If whatever's going on with Cadance has affected Twilight too... telling Celestia might put us both at risk."

"You really think so?" Spike asked with a sigh.

"Maybe. I think we're on our own for now." Lyon then paused and turned to the young drake. "Well... maybe you should head back to the others. If something happens, I don't want you getting caught in the middle."

At first, Spike thought about it. But it didn't take long for him to shake his head firmly.

"Twilight is my friend. If she is in trouble, I wanna be there to help save her."

"Are you sure? This could be dangerous."

"I'm a dragon," Spike boldly stated. "Danger is in my blood."

"You're also just a kid. If something ever happened to you..."

"Nothing will. I promise."

Lyon stared hesitantly at Spike, hoping he could somehow convince him to back down... even if he was the one that got him involved.

But he knew Spike was never one to back down easy. He saw that when Rarity had been kidnapped by Diamond Dogs. He was willing to put himself at risk to save her.

How could he deny him this chance?

"Okay. But let's be careful about this. Okay?"

"Got it."

The second bolt came loose a moment later. Two more to go.

"Anything else you can tell me about the rehearsal?" Lyon asked as he started twisting on the third bolt. "Anything strange or odd catch your eye?"

Spike tapped his chin with a single claw, humming for a moment, but ultimately, he shrugged.

"Well... Applejack was a bit off during the show."

Lyon paused, concern clear in his eyes. "Applejack?"

"Yeah. I mean, whenever she was talking to the others, she looked like her usual self, but when she was on her own, she just looked so... sad."

He paused, the faint trembles in his muscles relaxing, and he sighed—but it was anything but relief.

"Wait," Spike started, quick to notice Lyon's change in expression, "do you know why she was acting like that?"

Reluctantly, he nodded. "It's... it's a long story—"

"Tell me."

Lyon had noticed Spike stared at him with suspicion, his eyes a steady glare, and one claw curled into a brief fist. It made sense, Spike was always defensive of his friends.

He knew he couldn't keep it a secret for long, and he sighed.

"Applejack likes me."

Spike recoiled. "... Oh."

"Yeah. She told me about it last night before she went to bed."

Spike's posture softened, and his glare faded.

"I didn't know she felt that way about you." The young drake's eyes were a bit more open now.

The third bolt came undone, and Lyon moved onto the final one.

"Me neither."

"And I'm guessing... you said no? Didn't you?"

Lyon shook his head. "No. I couldn't even get a couple words out right. I guess I was just shocked. I'd been working with that mare for years, and it never clicked in my head that she felt something for me. Am I really that dense?"

"Maybe she didn't want it to be too obvious? Or make it awkward, or something?"

The stallion faintly shrugged. "I mean... Applejack is a good friend and all. But I... I... just never saw anything more than that."

Lyon stopped again, a hoof pressed against the cool glass.

"And the look on her face when I said absolutely nothing..." He stared out to the valley below Canterlot. "... If I could undo one thing in my life, it'd be seeing that."

Spike lowered his head.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's my fault, anyway."

Lyon continued to twist the bolt, much quicker and harder than before.

"As soon as we get to the bottom of all this, I'm gonna make it up to her."

"How?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "But I'll think of something."

What could he do without hurting her more?

With a final click, the last bolt was successfully removed, allowing the window to open and close at will. Lyon pushed it open until it could touch the outer wall, having to hold it on his own as the wind battered it the other way. Who knew it'd be this windy this high up?

Just before he climbed out onto the ledge, Lyon turned back to Spike, who stood behind him.

"Last chance?"

Spike shook his head again. "I'll be careful. I promise."

And there was that determined look in his eyes again. For such a young dragon, he was already growing into something more than that. Lyon didn't know whether to be proud or concerned.

"Alright." Lyon nodded and hunched down to the floor, inching towards Spike. "Hop on my back, it'll be safer."

Spike was quick to climb onto Lyon's back and adjust himself, latching onto the stallion with no intention of letting go. Lyon breathed deep a few times and tried relaxing his hooves. He felt his body tremble as the wind brushed against his mane. After a moment of howling silence, he started to feel his muscles relax, his breathing slow to a steady crawl, and his sight clearer than it had ever been.

Though, it might've been because he was responsible for a baby dragon's life as he prepared to climb on a ledge thousands of feet from certain death.

No pressure, right?

"Okay..." Lyon whispered to himself as he grabbed the sides of the window frame and carefully pulled himself upward, keeping his grip strong. One hoof at a time, he started to place himself onto the ledge, cold to the touch from wind exposure.

Lyon shivered at the contact, but pushed forward until he found himself standing entirely on all fours. There was more than enough space to support at least another half a pony, but the sheer force of the wind made him wobble at least a could times.

He felt Spike struggle to keep his grip. "Lyon, I-I—" But Lyon held a hoof against the drake and kept him in place.

"I got you. I got you."

Slowly and carefully, Lyon began trudging his way across the ledge towards Twilight's window. Attempting to work with the wind, he was able to keep a steady balance, all the while keeping Spike on his back. Despite moving slowly, it wasn't long before he approached the first window, the room between his and Twilight's.

Taking a quick peak inside, he noticed nopony was inside, and a look at the belongings indicated this was Fluttershy's room. He was sure even someone like her would kill him if she saw Spike the way he was.

Continuing forward before someone did decide to open the door, Lyon paid attention to the wind direction. Halfway towards Twilight's window, he felt it shift against him from the front, forcing him to shut his eyes as the cold air quickly dried them. He leaned against the wall for support, careful not to accidentally injure Spike in the process.

"C'mon," he grunted, "almost... there..."

Looking down at the ledge, Lyon attempted to keep his eyes wet. He felt the wall and guided himself to the window. It had to be close now. Just a few... more... feet... and...

"Aha!" he cheered as he touched the window frame. "I did... it..."

Then he noticed the bolts. Inside.

"How... did I... forget that...?" Lyon breathed, coming down from his momentary high.

He growled to himself. How did he completely forget in literally 2 minutes that these windows had bolts that took time to pull out?!

"Now, what do we do?" Spike asked.

Lyon didn't answer right away, instead looking at his surroundings for any potential way of getting through. Maybe there were vents on the outside? Or perhaps a singular lock to pick through? Or...

... Or maybe there were four bolts at the top of the window on the outside?

What in the...—Never mind, I'll take it. How am I gonna get up there?

Nearby was a large metal pipeline that extended all the way to the top of the window and lined itself across the rest of the building, only going vertical when a window was near. Tapping the pipe a few times—and careful not to be too loud doing so—Lyon realized it seemed incredibly sturdy. And to further add to his luck, there was a ledge he could climb onto.

Thank you to the weirdos that created this place.

"Spike?"

"Yeah...?"

"Hold on tight."

"I was afraid you were gonna say that."

Gripping the pole tightly on both sides, Lyon took in a deep breath and began to climb. He was lucky it wasn't winter, otherwise it would've been impossible. Even then, he began to wonder if would've been less effort to just try and barge his way in.

Then again, being stabbed to death in front of Spike probably wouldn't be the greatest idea...

"Don't look down... don't look down," he repeated as he tried looking up instead, noticing he was already halfway up. Spike was gripping his neck tightly, but not tight enough to choke him. He was lucky he was only still a baby dragon.

After a couple of excruciatingly long minutes, Lyon finally reached the top, resting on the upper ledge for just a moment to regain his strength. He panted, having not climbed the strenuously in a couple years. It were times like this he wished he was born a pegasus, then none of this would be a problem!

"Alright," Lyon sighed, "just like before. Here's to hoping the air didn't freeze them in place."

What was awkward with this particular set of bolts was that it was underneath the very ledge Lyon sat on, but luckily, he was able to reach down far enough and grab one of the bolts. To his luck, it was able to turn with ease, unaffected by the cool wind. As he continued to undo the bolts, Lyon peered out into the endless valley below the city, as it had started getting a bit... darker.

The sun was going down.

"We gotta hurry," he said to Spike as he started twisting the bolt much quicker. Within moments, it came loose, and he set it aside on the ledge before moving onto the next one.

Each individual bolt took a good minute to undo. By the time he had finally unscrewed the final bolt, the sun began to dip beneath the horizon. As soon as the bolt came out, however, the window quickly began to slide open. He snapped down to grab it before it could make a noise, but struggling to keep his balance, Lyon slipped and swung off the ledge, barely catching it by a remaining hoof.

"Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall, don't fall...!" Spike screamed into Lyon's back as the latter found himself hanging by his hooves over a mile high drop. His breathing sped up, and he felt himself sweat profusely. Just in time, he was able to stop the window falling again with a hind leg.

"Spike," he whisper-yelled to the dragon, "I need you to slide down me and jump through the window!"

"What? You're crazy!"

"That's besides the point!"

"But what if I fall?!" Fear hung on his every word.

"You won't!" Lyon shook his head and looked into the dragon's eyes. "Trust me!"

Spike was shaking, scared stiff, and wanted nothing more to stay held onto Lyon's back for comfort. But now, he knew he had no choice but to do what he was told. They'd both fall if he didn't, he knew that.

"Okay... okay... okay..."

Twisting his body until he was sitting on top of Lyon, Spike started to crawl on top of his friend, careful not to hurt him. At times, he felt his balance begin to go, but Lyon would quickly twist his own body until Spike was comfortable enough to keep moving.

Lyon felt his hooves begin to slip ever so slightly. "Spike, hurry up...!"

With no time to waste, and his breath labored out of fear, Spike took his daring leap of faith, and jumped to the window. Without much effort, he was able to grab onto the edge of the opened window and started pulling himself in as quick as he could. In his haste, his grasp slipped beneath him, and he found himself falling from the top.

At first, Lyon stopped moving, even stopped breathing for a moment, fearing that Spike had fallen onto the hard floor and hurt himself... or worse. He tried looking inside, but could see nothing due to how dark it had gotten.

"Spike...?" he whispered as quietly as he could. For several seconds, there was nothing but pure silence. "C'mon, buddy, say something..."

And soon enough, he heard something rustling near the bottom.

"Lyon?"

Using his dragon's breath as a form of faint light, Spike revealed himself, sitting in a pile of clothes that lay scattered across the floor. Enough of those clothes had been piled up to make a pretty clean fall for the dragon. Lucky too—

Lyon stopped for a second. Pure silence? But... that didn't—Gaah!

The stallion's hooves slipped from their grip on the upper ledge, but before he could fall any further, he was able to reach out and grab the window. He heard Spike gasp for a moment, only to then let out a quick sigh of relief. Without any haste, Lyon quickly pulled himself up and into the room, finding something to at least slide down on. Using the corner of the window frame, he carefully began climbing down until he reached the floor.

"You alright, Spike?" he whispered.

The dragon nodded. "Uh huh. You?"

"Yeah." Lyon sighed, relieved that his dragon friend was unharmed. Twilight would never forgive him if...

Twilight...

Lyon and Spike slowly turned their heads to something that caught their attention. It was quiet, all but the sounds of sniffles filling the silence among the howls of wind. Not a single light illuminated the vastness of Twilight's bedroom chambers.

Nothing but a single, dimmed light beneath a thick blanket on the bed cast some form of light. The source of the crying came from underneath, muffled, and yet loud enough to be clear.

"Twi...?" Spike attempted to call out quietly, but Lyon motioned him to keep quiet. The latter gently walked along the marble floor, using clothes from the pile to muffle his steps.

The closer he got to the bed, the clearer her cries became. The lump beneath the blanket shifted for a moment. The crying stopped just as long, then continued again.

Part of Lyon started to believe that beneath that blanket, harboring that faint glimmer of lavender light, his best friend was there, crying and believing that everyone had abandoned her. He wanted to tell her he was there for her, that he would never abandon her, that everything was going to be okay.

Until her voice blipped, and she started crying all over again.

Fiercely, Lyon pulled the covers away from the bed, exposing whatever lay beneath. Immediately, he and Spike found themselves humming in bewilderment at what they were looking at.

A small crystal floated in the air, emanating a faint purple hue. But the strangest thing is that it seemed to also be creating a faint hologram-esque projected of Twilight, a still image that sat in a crying stance.

"It's a... fake?" Spike whispered, more confused than concerned at the very moment. He eyed Lyon, and Lyon eyed him back.

Slowly, the stallion began reaching a hoof out towards "Twilight", curious to see what would happen—even as the voice in the back of his head screamed at him not to.

His hoof went right through "her" like she wasn't there at all, and instead he went straight for the floating crystal. The very moment it made contact with his hoof, the looping sound of Twilight's crying began to glitch out, stuttering and freezing until it simply stopped, and her projection faded, yet the glowing of the crystal remained. He held it out in front of him, observing it closely.

Slowly, his voice rose to attention. "You know what this means?"

"Uh huh..." Spike nodded his head anxiously. "Twilight was right."

"And if Twilight was right, then she's in trouble."

"And if she's in trouble..."

"So are you."

Spike and Lyon froze in place, the scales and hairs on their bodies standing on end. In the reflective material of the crystal, two figures stood behind them.

And what was that one do—WHOA—

With a fraction to spare, Lyon ducked, barely missing the swing of the axe, and... AXE?! WHERE DID THEY GET AN AXE?!

Lyon quickly grabbed Spike and jumped out of the way, turning around to reveal two familiar figures, the royal guards that stood outside. Only something looked... different about them. He was sure eyes weren't typically all green.

"We told you to "step back, sir,"" the guards spoke in perfect unison, only their vocal differences clashing together. They started walking towards the two slowly, who found themselves quickly backed up against the window.

"Lyon? What do we do?"

Lyon eyed the window, wondering if he could use it as a form of escape, only to realize the bottom was still bolted shut. But the bedroom doors were wide open, allowing an easy escape. Now to get past the two royal guards carrying spears and axes in their... magic auras?

Furrowing his eyebrows, Lyon stood his ground, waiting for the right moment. Spike glanced at him worryingly as the guards started closing in on them.

"G-Get back!" he shouted, trying to puff out his chest. "Don't come any closer...!"

"Cute. A brave fighter indeed," they responded in a sarcastic tone. "We'll make this quick."

The guard holding the axe swung it back, preparing a deathly strike. And in that same moment, Lyon sprung into action.

Before Spike could interject, he found himself flying through the air as Lyon threw him upward and over the royal guards. The axe came swinging down, but Lyon was quick enough to run and slide in between the two figures, coming out on the other side. As planned, Spike fell onto his back, and he immediately sprinted to the door.

"Spike, hang on!" he shouted as he slid across the hallway floor and twisted to the left. He started down the hall, running as fast as his hooves could carry him, and it was only seconds later that explosive green balls began flying in his direction, missing him as they exploded several feet away.

"They're shooting things at us!"

"I know! Gah!" Lyon shrieked as he barely avoided one of the projectiles, which exploded at the end of the hall, successfully shattering a window.

"But they're pegasi!"

"Well, then they're probably not actually pegasi!" A projectile exploded just feet away from them.

"THEN WHAT ARE THEY?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Lyon drifted again, turning down the hall leading to the exit doors. He heard the sound of clopping hooves echoing behind him before more projectiles started shooting at him once more. Spike ducked as one nearly clipped him, instead striking the exit doors and making a large enough hole to...

"Wait, what are youuuaaaggh!" Spike screamed as Lyon grabbed and tossed him through the hole, before flying through himself. The two rolled momentarily before coming to a stop, trying to collect their thoughts.

But Lyon didn't have that long a luxury before he lifted Spike on his back and continued sprinting. Several feet behind him, the door exploded off its hinges, the two guards emerged from the smoke and cinders, and immediately gave chase.

Along the way down the stairs, Spike couldn't help but look up to the watchtower where the Sisters would overlook Canterlot.

"W-Where's Princess Luna?!" he shrieked. "She should be up there right now! Why isn't she up there—"

"Keep it together, buddy!" Lyon panted as he darted his eyes around him, looking for some kind of exit strategy. "Let's ditch these guys first before we—"

But the stallion was unable to express the plan before he was braking against the dirt. In a matter of moments, he was surrounded.

Dozens of guards, dozens of ponies in fancy attire, stood all around him, all sporting those same green eyes as the guards. All of them eyed him and Spike with a lustful hunger that made Lyon freeze in place. He thought of jumping over them or shoving a few over, just to get through them, hoping he could somehow get the upper hoof.

But if two pegasi were able to suddenly use magic, then these ponies could do the same.

"Lyon...?" Spike's voice was low, but not yet a whisper.

Lyon tried to back up, turn left or right, but in every direction, someone was in his way. He was trapped with no way to get out, and he knew it.

And then he saw him. The stallion that attacked him yesterday, standing before him, wearing the same clothing he had been wearing then. Looking down, a sharpened hoof duster was attached to his arm. He didn't notice it the first time.

"Spike..."

Before he could say anything, several of the ponies became enveloped in an equal green magical field. Lyon held a hoof against Spike, keeping him firmly against him.

Suddenly, green beams shot from the ponies and directly at Lyon and Spike. The two groaned as they found themselves unable to move, petrified by whatever kind of spell this was.

And suddenly feeling tired.

"I... I don't feel so... good..." was all Spike could say before he fell unconscious, falling from Lyon's back.

The stallion said nothing, falling to the ground without any effort at all, and feeling weaker by the minute. His eyes grew heavy, his arms weighted to the ground. The last thing Lyon saw looking up was that same stranger standing over him.

Then it was darker than dark.

Author's Note

The next chapter was originally part of this chapter, but I wasn't sure if it would be too long or not. When I split the chapters, this one was originally 9300+ words.

If you enjoy this story so far, don't be afraid to tell or even critique me in a comment, as well as sharing! Comments make me happy! :twilightsmile:

Chapter 5: Wedding Crashers

And then it wasn't.

Lyon woke up with a groan, and a tremendous pain bustling in his head. He felt dizzy all of a sudden, like he was hungover.

"What happened... last..... night..."

I don't feel so... good...

"Spike?" Lyon quickly examined his immediate surroundings, but found no such trace of the tiny drake. "Spike?!"

"Lyon!" he heard his name be called from a distance. Getting up from the ground, he attempted to follow the sound, only to bump headfirst into... a force field?

"What the...?"

He pressed a hoof against where he walked, only for it to make contact with nothing, and yet something. Whatever he touched made a faint greenish glow, illuminating the area for a brief moment. He was able to only make out nothing but rocks and stones. That indicated he was no longer in the castle. Or maybe even Canterlot, for that matter!

"Spike?" Lyon called out. "Where are you?"

"Right in front of you," the young dragon said as he belched out a quick flame, revealing himself and lighting up the area faintly. "It's a force field. I already tried getting out, but nothing's working."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he insisted, "but... where are we?"

With the brighter light, Lyon attempted to make out where they were. More rocks and stones were visible, but the light extended further out to reveal a series of tunnels that split off into different directions, none of them harboring light beyond.

Then it hit him. "Wait a second... I know where we are! These are the Crystal Caves!"

"The what Caves?"

"It's a huge tunnel system that used to have tons of gems all throughout it. Unicorns apparently cleaned the entire place out and forgot about it. The tunnels run all throughout beneath Canterlot."

"W-Why would they take us here?"

"Like I said: They forgot about this place. Whoever's behind all this doesn't want us telling anyone. And they picked the one place nopony would expect to go looking."

"What do we do?" Spike asked.

"First thing we need to do is get out of here. Get to the wedding before it's too late."

"Yeah," Spike shrugged at his predicament, "but how are we gonna do that?"

Lyon scrunched his lips and began to think of every possible way he could break this force field. A few knocks brought no hard noise, only a whir of magical sound. He started thinking back to the times Twilight practiced a share of field spells. They were far from perfect, at least the initial ones, as they could easily be broken through by someone like Applejack giving them a hard buck of the legs.

...

Maybe...

Releasing his touch from the field, Lyon turned around and started the rear himself. Spike asked what he was doing, but he didn't answer straight away, too busy channeling his energy directly into his legs, as if he were bucking a tree at the orchard.

With a firm fling of his hind hooves, he struck the field with the greatest force he could ever have mustered.

Then he did it again. And again. And again, and again, and again.

After the seventh whack, he was left panting on the floor, struggling to catch his breath. When he finally could, he sat quietly.

"... I thought that'd work."

"If it was Twilight's work, maybe it would have," Spike suggested, earning a faint eye-roll from Lyon. But even the mention of her name emitted a saddened sigh from his throat.

"I hope she's okay."

Spike hung his head. "Me too."

Out of the distant silence, the sound of hooves clopping against stone caught the attention of the duo. They turned to one of the empty tunnels, only to see nothing at first, but they knew someone... something was coming this way.

Out of the darkness of the nearest tunnel, three ponies emerged, all wearing common Canterlot attire. Two of them being unicorns, their horns faintly glowed with equally green-like hues. But the oddest one was the earth pony beside them, whose eyes glowed instead.

"Finally," one of the unicorns spoke in a calm manner, "the traitor is awake."

Traitor.

"Who are you? What do you want from us?" Lyon demanded to know, standing firmly to attention.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" another spoke, their tone much deeper. "If only you weren't such a coward, you might've been able to prepare."

"Prepare? Prepare for what?"

The only mare of the trio, the earth pony, boomed, "You'll find out soon enough, traitor!"

"What do you mean "traitor"? What are you talking about?!"

"And what have you done with Twilight?!" Spike yelled, stomping his foot firmly on the ground. "Where is my friend?!"

One of the unicorns walked over to Spike's field. "The little skank is fine. We're making very sure of that."

"If you lay a hoof on her, I swear—" Lyon tried to threaten, but was cut off.

"We don't have to lay a hoof on anyone. At least... not physically. I'm afraid your "friend" is in dire need of some... reeducation."

"Let her go!" Spike banged his fisted claws against the walls of the force field, but it did nothing but cast green shockwaves.

"In time, little dragon. Now that you're finally awake, we believe it's time for your own reeducation. We can't exactly have some conflicting information between you three, now can we?"

"Leave him alone!" Lyon barked to the ponies. "Whatever problem you've got, it's not with him! Do whatever you want to me, but leave the kid alone!"

"And have him disrupt the Queen's plans by blabbing his mouth to your ignorant princesses? I'm afraid we can't allow that."

"So sit down, students—class is in session," the earth pony stated bitterly. Suddenly, her eyes glowed once again, and a beam of green magic illuminated Spike's force field. The young drake shrieked in pain as his body's nerves felt as if they fired off all at once.

"Stop!" one of the unicorns shouted. Almost immediately, the earth pony ceased her magic and turned to the unicorn. Spike was left lying on the ground, clutching his stomach tightly. All Lyon could do was watch, powerless to stop them.

"Why did you stop me?" the earth pony demanded, a glare in her eyes. But the glare soon faded as the unicorn pointed his hoof straight to Lyon.

"Let's start with the traitor," he suggested. "We owe it to the Queen."

"I'm assuming "Cadance" is your Queen?" Lyon jested bitterly.

"And soon, she'll be yours again."

Lyon looked at them, confused yet defensive. "What do you mean again?"

The three ponies didn't directly answer his question, instead powering up their magic as they did with Spike. The sheer luminosity of their combined magic lit up the cave, and forced Lyon's eyes closed.

"Wouldn't you like to know..." they repeated in unison. "... Traitor."

In a single burst, a torrent of magic engulfed Lyon's force field, channeling the ponies' magic directly into his body. He fell to the ground, the pain overwhelming his nerve endings as if he were on fire. Spike, having recovered from his own pain, pounded against the walls of his field, trying whatever he could to break it down and stop them! But nothing worked.

Spike was doomed to watch them do whatever they wanted.

Lyon gritted his teeth, trying to prop himself up with his fore hooves. He felt heavy, invisible baggage pushing him down. Every second, he felt weaker, the pain stronger. A tear ran down his cheek. His mind screamed, banging around the inner walls of his subconscious to get out, get out, getoutgetoutgetoutGETOUTGETOUTGETOUTOFMYHEADGETOUTOFMYHEADOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUT—

In an instant, the three ponies were blown away, crashing against the walls of the cave. A shockwave rippled down the tunnels, ringing its corpse like a bell. The force fields surrounding Lyon and Spike were suddenly shattered as if they were glass, disintegrating into pixie dust. Spike felt himself get blown back, but kept firm to the ground until there was no longer any push against him.

When it was over, he opened his eyes. Lyon stood in the same spot, hooves clutched to the ground and his teeth grit to the point where it felt they would break. His eyes glowed a bright tan-yellow, only to suddenly fade away to nothingness seconds later. Once they did, he fell to the ground, trying to catch his breath and coughing with every wrong breath he took.

Spike ran over to help Lyon back on his hooves, but he couldn't help but hold bewilderment in his eyes.

"How... did you do that?" he asked.

Lyon shook his head, gasping through every word. "I... don't... know..."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he insisted, waving a hoof weakly. "Give me a sec."

After a few patient moments, Lyon was able to stand on all fours. Once he was sure he could stand on his own, Spike pulled away to let him catch his breath. A distant groan caught his ears, and he turned to see the three strangers lying on the ground, unconscious but alive.

"They're out cold." Spike looked up to Lyon. "What do we do with them?"

Grunting, Lyon bent down and lifted Spike onto his back. "We leave them here. Let's go."

"What about Twilight? What if she's down here too?"

Lyon eyed the unconscious ponies, scrunching his lips angrily. Ultimately, he let out a shaky breath.

"We'll find her."

With that in mind, Lyon started walking down the tunnel the strangers originally came from. It was the best indication at the moment that there was a way out down the line. As soon as the light dimmed itself to nothing, Spike let out a belch of dragon fire, tuning it until it shone like an oil lamp, allowing the duo to see a good several feet in front of them.

Spike struggled to ask questions, as to avoid accidentally putting out the fire. "Do you know the way out?"

"No," Lyon admitted, "I've never been down here before. Very few ponies these days actually know this place still exists."

"Like Princess Celestia?"

"Probably not her, assuming this place was mined out centuries ago. Otherwise, if she did suspect something was off, this place would probably be one of the first to look in."

Lyon tried to recount the general written "maps" of the caves, but it'd been a while since he last looked at them. Who knows where he was at this moment? When did he ever see an intersection leading down two distinct paths? Why did it feel like this particular tunnel only went further down? Anyways, who was to say the hoof-drawn maps were entirely accurate?

But the stallion kept moving forward, sure that he would eventually find the way out. There was no way a place as complex and expansive as this only had one exit—especially if it ran under the entire city!

"How long do you think we've been down here?"

"I don't know. But considering they had enough time to drag us all the way here, I'm guessing we've been down here all night."

Spike gasped. "But... that means the wedding could be over by now! We could already be too late!"

Then the sound of a ringing bell echoed directly above them. Lyon and Spike looked up to the ceiling of the tunnel, where the noise emitted from.

"That's the clock tower," Lyon realized. "We're near the center of town."

Spike eyed him suspiciously. "For a guy that's only visited Canterlot once, you sure know a lot about this place."

"Well," shrugged Lyon, "it's not that hard to look around and figure out what goes where."

"And let me guess: That's what you were doing on the night of the Gala?"

"... Maybe."

A moment later, Lyon stopped talking. He held a hoof against Spike's mouth to silence him. Lyon placed an ear against the wall of the tunnel, which allowed the sound to resonate in a clearer tone as he listened to the individual bells going off, one after the other. At the end, a higher-pitched clang could be heard.

"Eleven-and-a-half bells," he noted, removing the hoof from Spike's mouth.

"That means it's 11:30. The wedding starts in half an hour!"

"Then we need to be up top by then."

"How are we gonna do that?"

"Other than walking in random directions... I don't know." Lyon sighed. "I should've just listened to you and told Celestia. I mean, we probably would've ended up here regardless, but at least she would've been more suspicious of the whole thing if more than one pony is talking about it."

"Well... it's a bit late for that now, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry, Spike," Lyon frowned apologetically. But the drake only snorted a laugh.

"Eh," he shrugged, "it's fine. I let myself get into this mess. If you were going down, you weren't going down alone."

The stallion rolled his eyes and grinned as he continued walking. "Thanks."

"No sweat. Now onward! We have a wedding to crash!"

"... Did you just kick my sides?"

"... Maybe."

A few minutes later, Lyon turned down another corridor, covered with the same texture of rocks and fake diamonds. This particular section of the tunnels seemed to be moving in a slightly upward slope, indicating they were approaching the surface. According to Spike, slopes usually meant an exit was nearby. They just had to be on the lookout for the faintest glimmer of light.

"Where do you think they took Twilight?" Spike questioned.

"Probably somewhere down here. And if the Cadance from yesterday is just a fake—"

"Which she is."

"—then the real Cadance is probably down here somewhere too."

"Should we go looking for them?"

"I've been thinking about that too." Lyon shook his head and eyed Spike for a moment. "But you and I both know that if something ever happened to Twilight, she'd want someone to finish whatever she started."

"Do you think she's... dead?"

"No," Lyon said sternly. "This is Twilight we're talking about. If anything's gonna kill her, it's her."

A hiss stopped Lyon in his tracks. The sound came from behind him, but he could see nothing beyond the several feet he just walked from. It echoed off into the distance, indicating it was much farther away. He looked up, down, left, and right, but nothing was there but rock and stone.

Then he saw them: Twenty eyes pierced the darkness, all of them an equal, yet sinister green. They stared him back, growing slowly closer as the sounds of clopping hooves echoed across the emptiness.

"Run," shouted Spike. "Run!"

Immediately, Lyon began running in a dead sprint down the tunnel, and soon after, the creatures behind him did the same. He heard the familiar sound of winding magic, and feared such an attack like before would cause the entire cave to come down on top of them!

But that didn't stop them from firing off whatever shots they could.

"Left!" Spike screamed, and Lyon quickly darted to the left, barely missing an explosive ball of magic. "Duck!"

On command, the stallion ducked down, drifting slightly against the rock, but not in a way that caused him any harm. Another ball flashed by and exploded down the tunnel seconds later. However, the light didn't fade, and Lyon laughed with excitement.

"The exit!" he screamed. "Hang on, Spike!"

Spike clutched his claws around Lyon's neck and held his body firmly against him. Lyon pushed himself faster than before, almost faster than his own hooves could carry him. He could hear his pursuers begin to fall behind, their hissing becoming more aggressive.

"They stopped shooting at us," Spike noticed. "What are they—"

In that moment, a large green blob, larger than anything they fired before, shot towards them from the far darkness. Lyon didn't stop running, even as it started to close in on him.

He felt his legs burn with such intensity, his lungs feeling as if they would collapse in on themselves, his vision growing blurry. But it was coming. Closer and closer and closer, brighter and brighter and brighter, and...

"Jump!"

And he did, leaping through the massive hole while holding Spike tightly against him. Just a moment later, a great explosion rippled behind them, firing outward in a massive shockwave. The force was so great that the rock above the hole collapsed, completely sealing in their pursuers.

Spike caught his breath only in the sense of the sheer tension of it all, whereas Lyon was gasping for sweet oxygen. His head pounded with dizziness, and he could feel his lungs inflate and deflate like paper bags. He occasionally coughed, but ultimately could still hold in a good breath or two.

Lyon couldn't help but laugh wildly as he could feel the warmth of the summer day brush against his fur, and the simultaneously cool wind washing over him.

"We did it!" Spike exclaimed. "We made it out!"

But curious about the sensation of grass beneath him, Spike took in his surroundings and recognized this as Canterlot's rural gardens, just by the downtown area, though closer to the mountainside.

With a weak hoof, Lyon pointed to his right, revealing the now-distant, but still readable clock tower.

"And... with twenty... minutes... to spare."

The clock read 11:40, just indeed twenty minutes shy of noon. They knew that as soon as those bells rang, and those two say 'I do,' it'd be all over. Lyon hoped Twilight was or already had beaten him to the punch, that they had solved the problem and saved the day before any of these cronies had a chance to realize their plans had been tarnished, and that by the time they got there, it would all be okay.

But he couldn't take that risk, no matter who Twilight was—no matter what he always thought of her.

"We... We need to keep moving," Lyon struggled to say, still catching his breath. "It'll take us ten minutes to get there. But in this... case... it might be longer."

"Are you sure you're fit to walk? Or even carry me?"

Lyon nodded, lifting the drake onto his back slowly. "As long as we don't run into anymore of those... whatever they are... we should get there by the time Celestia starts talking. I've always wanted to crash a wedding. Well... at least one that deserves to be crashed."

Supporting Spike on top of him, Lyon set out back to the inner city, as well as getting as far away from the cave as possible.

It wasn't more than a few minutes later that the duo found themselves back in the center of town, practically a stone's throw away from the castle. What they also noticed was just how crowded the streets were, even on a day like this. They thought ponies would be more revolved around the castle area instead of scattered equally across the city.

And yet, countless folks were setting up little booths for merchandise and foods to buy, from Princess Cadance balloons to Shining Armor popsicles. Along the way, several stand owners hollered over to Lyon and Spike, hoping to encourage them to try out whatever they had to offer, but they kindly refused every time.

... Well, at least Lyon refused.

"Do you think once this is over," pitched Spike, "we can grab some of those gems back there?"

Lyon rolled his eyes. "Even when you're in danger, you're still thinking about a meal?"

"Hey, I can't always save the world on an empty stomach!" Spike claimed, earning a lighthearted scoff from Lyon.

"Fine. But how about we focus first?"

With a happy nod, Spike stayed hooked against Lyon's back as the two continued down the street. Though still distant, the familiar pillars of the castle grew larger in size, and the crowds continued to increase until ponies were practically shoulder to shoulder.

"Jeez," said Spike, "I didn't think it'd be this bad!"

"Me neither. Hopefully it thins out before... we... get there..."

Then Lyon stopped. In the midst of the thousands of ponies that surrounded him, he was able to stare down two of them. Both earth ponies, from the looks of it, looked back at him with firm stares from fifty feet away. Their mouths opened as if talking to each other, but it was drowned out by the chatter from everyone else. At first, Lyon assumed they might've been looking at someone else, or something near him and he was a mistaken bystander. It happened more than he wanted it to.

Then their eyes flashed green.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

The two ponies leapt off the ground in a heap, sprinting their way through the crowd. Lyon made sure Spike was gripped tightly to him, then darted off down the street to the castle. He was surrounded by crowd goers, practically swimming his way through them as they yelled incessant insults at him.

"Well, I never!" one mare yelled as Lyon brushed her aside. Only to he knocked over by the pursuers a few moments later.

The duo tried ducking beneath the crowd, hoping to sneak their way out, but the amount of ponies looking down at them or laughing at the strange obscenity only painted a further target on their heads. Eventually, Lyon slid onto the sidewalk, where there was surprisingly less traffic. The pursuing ponies quickly caught wind and also hopped onto the sidewalk, able to run far more freely.

"Uh, Lyon, these guys seem a lot faster than the others!" Spike mentioned worriedly.

Lyon opened his mouth mid-sprint, only to notice notice something coming up from the front. He smirked.

"They may be faster, but we're smarter!"

"What do you mean?"

"On my count, get ready to fire on the left, got it?"

"Why?" Spike questioned, but he too quickly noticed the approaching obstacle. "Ohhhhhh!"

"Ready?"

Lyon ran faster, his hooves nearly stumbling beneath him, but he kept his pace. His lungs didn't burn as much as they did in the caves, but he could feel something. Just a little bit further...!

"One... two...!"

With a boost of his hind legs, Lyon leapt over the fireworks stand and turned each individual rocket in the direction of his pursuers—who immediately stopped in their tracks.

"Three!"

Spike inhaled, only to let out a great torrent of balefire that engulfed the rockets. Instantly, they all began to fire at random intervals, but all towards the strangers, who ducked and jumped themselves out of harm's way.

The fireworks exploded among the crowd, the sound rippling across downtown and turning countless heads. Folks began scrambling in a panic, some overreactive ponies screaming at the top of their lungs. In an instant, it felt more like a riot than a celebration. A perfect distraction.

Amidst the chaos, Lyon ran away, far until his pursuers, still reeling over the spontaneous attack, could no longer see him.

As Lyon hoped, the closer from downtown he was, the less ponies there were crowded in the streets. However, as he ran, several panicked residents followed behind him, but not all of them fled down the same road. Eventually, the screams echoed into the air, only to be overshadowed by the greater tolling of the clock tower bell.

"It's noon!" Spike yelled.

"And just in time, too!" Lyon assured as he made it to the royal palace. The royal guards stood aside to let him and Spike through, indicating they were still the same guards as yesterday and the day before. It had been one of the most relieving moments of the day.

In the distance, the clock tower bell was joined by a series of smaller, higher pitched bells that played a series of cheerful wedding chimes over the royal palace. The last time Lyon heard those bells ring was during the Grand Galloping Gala. He never thought he'd ever be so happy to hear them.

Lyon climbed up the stairs leading to the wedding hall, feeling his legs ache and his lungs finally begin to burn proper again, but he knew he couldn't stop now. He was almost there!

He barged through the first doors of the wedding hall, revealing a long hall that branched off into four different halls exploring deeper into the castle. At the very end of the hall stood two massive doors, beside them two royal guards armor-clad as usual. Lyon ran down the hallway, and straight away he caught the attention of the guards, who stood in front of him in an attempt to keep him out. Inside, Princess Celestia began to speak, entirely unaware.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."

"I just need to get in there! It's an emergency!"

"... to honor the union between these two loving..."

"He's telling the truth! We're in danger!"

"If there is any reason as to why these to should not be wed..."

"Sorry about this!"

Lyon apologized as he stomped on one of the guards' hooves. The guard recoiled in pain, giving him the strength to push the other away. While he didn't fall, it gave Lyon enough to get through.

"Let them speak now, or forever hold their—"

Princess Celestia was interrupted by the sound of crashing doors and the sliding of hooves.

"Stop the wedding!"

A collection of gasps and rearing heads filled the wedding hall as everyone turned to see Lyon and Spike standing beside each other, with a guard ready to lunge at them from behind. Celestia only held a single hoof, calling off his defense.

"What is the meaning of this?" Celestia questioned, staring down the duo fiercely.

"Probably the same reason as Twilight?" Cadance asked almost monotonously. But despite her tone, it was that stare of hers. She looked Lyon down as a predator would their prey. He didn't even notice.

"You're damn right it is!" Lyon shouted with a stomp of his hoof, earning a couple of gasps. "I'm here to stop this yakcrap, whether you like it or not!"

The crowd murmured quietly among one another. In the distance, Rainbow Dash planted a hoof against her face, and Rarity could only glare at Lyon, clearly upset that he had gotten Spike involved.

And Applejack... she didn't know what to think. Her face told a variety of feelings, but Lyon couldn't even focus on that.

Cadance started to shed tears. "W-Why are you doing this? Why can't you just let me have my day in peace?"

"Your day?" Lyon barked. "What kind of day? Total control of Equestria? Enslaving everypony here? C'mon, I'm dying to hear it!"

"That's enough, Lyon!" shouted Celestia.

Spike stepped forward. "Please, you have to listen to him!"

The goddess looked down upon the young drake, and rather than be convinced, only sorrow fell on her face.

"It's one thing to play along with Twilight's charade, no matter how reckless it be... but to bring Spike into this matter is more than." Celestia stared at Lyon coldly before lifting a hoof upward. "Guards! Escort Mr. Lyon out of here."

On command, three extra guards emerged from the sides of the massive hall and joined the fourth, all of them quickly convering on Lyon. The murmurs resumed, even among the remaining Elements, though theirs were more questioning, more concerned, but they said and did nothing beyond that.

"Princess Celestia, please! You have to listen to what Lyon has to say!" Spike repeated.

"I'm afraid Twilight has told me more than a fair share of nonsense," Celestia rebutted softly to Spike before turning to the guards. "Take him to the royal chambers. I wish to talk to him in private after this is over."

"Yes, ma'am."

The four guards grabbed Lyon, who immediately began to struggle against their grasps, but they were far too strong.

"Let me go!" Lyon shouted repeatedly, but they refused to listen, slowly dragging him out of the hall.

Some of the wedding crowd laughed softly at the scene that unfolded before them. Applejack watched in disappointment, or what looked like it. Rarity glared and scoffed.

"Sheesh," Rainbow Dash muttered loudly, "what a killjoy."

And Lyon could feel it again. That bubbling feeling, the same feeling he got when those three strangers crept their way into his mind, telling them to get out. He felt hot, his head hurt. And his eyes glowed again.

"I... said... LET ME GO!"

A great flash of light filled the hall for a fraction of a second, and a loud boom shook the place. When it was over, nothing was damaged or out of place, but the four guards that held Lyon were now all several feet away, knocked to the floor and reeling in pain, while Lyon himself stood on all fours, sucking in breath.

The hall went entirely silent. There were no laughs, no murmurs, no bickering, and no shouting; the only thing that persisted were the stares of every single person there, and Lyon's silent breaths.

The glow faded, but it did not leave him.

"I have been kidnapped, shot at—I've had guards threaten to kill me, I damaged royal property, and I had a bunch of freaks swimming around in my head with their magic! And half of them didn't even have horns!"

Lyon stepped forward, each plop of a hoof more of a stomp the closer he got, and his voice growing with intensity. Not even Celestia, the one that could easily put him in his place, did anything to hinder him. It might have been the glowing eyes that kept her from doing anything.

"My best friend is missing, and for all I know, she could be dead, and this freak," Lyon emphasized, pointing to Cadance, "probably killed her, and now she's trying to act all innocent about it! And the worst part of about it is, all of you are too stupid to even figure that out! If you actually figured it out, you wouldn't have abandoned your best friend when she needed you the most!"

The stallion shook almost feverishly, his breath escaping him faster than he could take it in. Nopony said anything for a moment. Cadance looked at him with faux sorrow. He could see that. The Elements stood in place, too afraid to move.

"Twilight is missing?" Celestia spoke silently, yet worriedly.

Lyon scoffed. "Now you care about her? Where was that kind of care yesterday?" Before she could respond, he beat her to the punch. "She's been missing since yesterday. I tried looking for her, me and Spike. We were jumped by a bunch of goons. But I guess because Twilight was 'so paranoid,' you didn't even bother to check up on her, did you?"

"Lyon..." he heard Spike call quietly to him. He turned, only to see Spike aiming at his own face. "Your eyes..."

Holding up a hoof to his face, he realized a faint glowing reflection bounced off it.

"And this..." Lyon turned to Cadance. "What is this? What did you do to me?"

"I... I don't..." She struggled to say anything, but a quick look at her face could show she was merely putting on a performance. And yet the audience ate it up like it was candy going out of style.

Celestia stood behind Lyon, her voice hinged on concern, yet unwilling to let her regal appearance falter for just a moment. "And do you have any evidence to support these claims?"

Lyon grit his teeth behind his closed mouth for a moment, letting his frustration nearly get to him. How dare she? After everything I just said, everything she saw, she still refuses to believe me?! Why else would Twilight not be here?!

But he felt his ears twinge a bit as a thought came to him. Wait... of course! he thought as he reached into the satchel still nestled on his back. Celestia watched on. Everyone watched on, all curious as to what he could possibly be looking for. After a moment of searching and hoping, successfully he pulled out a small crystal, the exact same crystal from Twilight's bedroom chamber. He was lucky they hadn't bothered to search his bags!

It was almost worth the change in expression on Cadance's face.

"What's the matter, Cadance?" Lyon asked almost mockingly. "Know what this is, do ya?"

Celestia was the one to answer instead. "That's a holographic crystal. Those are... exceptionally rare. How... and why... do you have that?"

"Ask your niece," Lyon jested, yet honestly, "it's hers, after all."

Hopping down the altar steps, Lyon tapped the crystal a few times and let it fall to the floor. A second later, the crystal whirred itself to life, emitting a powerful burst of energy that shot upward, revealing the familiar image of Twilight Sparkle, a full three-dimensional rendition of her, crying behind her hooves. Collective gasps and awes filled the room again as the loop of Twilight sobbing played for several moments. Any expressions of doubt or frustration or anger on any of the Elements' faces quickly disappeared.

Celestia still held some doubt in her eyes, but they conflicted with everything else, warring against the other thoughts in her head. At times, Lyon caught her looking at the facade in front of her, then back to Cadance, and still she couldn't believe it, or maybe she did and simply refused to believe it.

Several moments later, the image of Twilight glitched out and shut itself down. Lyon sighed and picked up the crystal. As satisfied as he was that this was out in the open, seeing and hearing Twilight cry like that kept haunting him. He hoped now that everything had finally been exposed, Celestia would start a search, lock up the faker, find Twilight and the real Cadance, and everything would be back to—

"How dare you?"

... normal.

"... What?"

Cadance stomped her hoof against the marble. "I said how DARE you?! How DARE you accuse me of such things?! Such... such a scandal?!"

"Accuse?! I just showed everyone in this room what you did! What you're capable of!"

"What part of that ever proved it was me?!" Cadance screamed. "All you did was show a hologram, and that was enough for you to paint me as a monster?! In front of everypony here?! In front of my husband?!"

Lyon reared back slightly, but kept his stance. He didn't react greatly, but the overall reaction from the crowd seemed to stir in the alicorn's favor. He knew what kind of game she was already starting to play, and he didn't like it.

He realized she wasn't entirely wrong, either.

"You and Twilight feel so determined to take everything I hoped for—everything I ever wanted for this day—and shred it like it's nothing but scrap paper! It seems like all you ever want now is just to have the attention all on you, all on her, to get your 15 minutes of fame and then hop off into the sunset like you saved the world! It's like all you want is to ruin my big day and turn it into a laughingstock!"

This time, Cadance was the one walking towards Lyon, even as Celestia initially told her to stay. The crowds surrounding them murmured to each other, while Lyon sat in silence, growing nervous on the inside as the audience seemingly turned against him with every word that escaped the mare's throat.

"All I wanted was one day where I could be the happiest mare in the world! To not be afraid to stand with my husband and be proud! To be HAPPY! And you took it from me!"

Lyon glanced at the crowd, and among his friends. All of them glared now, but not at Cadance. At him. They glared at him. The only one out of the crowd that didn't do so was Spike, and it was because he was the only one who knew the real story. He hoped he never spoke up out of fear. Already, ponies were taking Cadance's side again. He turned to Celestia, hoping she could at least hold some reasonable doubt, enough to warrant an investigation.

She glared at him too. He felt alone, now.

How could they be so gullible?

"Cadance," Shining Armor said in an almost monotonous tone, though nopony seemed to notice. "It's okay. Come back up here. It's okay."

Crocodile tears shed from her eyes as the alicorn ran back up the altar and into Shining's arms. Negative whispers surfed across the room, and Lyon could practically feel the glares beating down on him. He stared at Cadance with discontent, but he knew he no longer had any leverage.

You and Twilight...

"... Then where's Twilight?"

It seemed to get Cadance's attention, and the whispers dimmed. "What?"

"You said me and Twilight were desperate to get our 15 minutes of fame, because we're so determined to ruin your special day! Right?" She didn't say anything. "Then where is she?"

Suddenly, Lyon bonked his head with a hoof.

"Oh, silly me, I guess I forgot like everypony else that she's missing! Why would I make that up?! Why would I make up the fact that my best friend is nowhere to be found and could probably be dead?!" The stallion paused, pointing a hoof up to Cadance. "I know what little game you're playing at, and I'm not gonna sit here and let you take the high road! If you lay even a hoof on my Twilight, I swear I'll—"

"Your Twilight?" she rebutted in a less-than-sad tone, earning at least a faint glance from Celestia.

"Yes. My Twilight. Not a clone, not a fake, not whatever in Tartarus you are... I want My. Twilight. Sparkle. Back! So where is she?! Where is Twilight Sparkle?!"

Suddenly, the doors at the end of the wedding hall burst open for a second time, and the sound of trotting and a slide against the marble floor could be heard.

"Stop!"

The voice was familiar. All too familiar. Everyone in the hall turned to the open doors to see...

"Twilight...?" Lyon said weakly.

"Twilight!" Spike yelled as he ran over to the lavender unicorn, who openly embraced the young drake in a hug. Surprised chatter filled the hall, and even the Elements looked at each other, unsure of how to feel. No doubt, everything felt so conflicted.

Lyon approached her slowly. "Twilight? Twilight Twilight?"

Looking up, she grinned. "Yeah, it's me—"

She couldn't finish before she was suddenly embraced in a tight hug by the stallion, who let out all his breath. To Twilight, it was as if he suddenly felt lighter.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized. "I tried looking for you. Spike and I, we tried to find you, but we got ambushed and... I thought..."

"It's okay. It's not your fault. It's not your fault..."

Lyon felt himself breathing heavily again, the emotional strain trying to leave and come back altogether. He didn't care, though. As long as she was here, as long as she was alright, he didn't care now.

"You see?!" Cadance screeched from the altar, forcing Twilight and Lyon apart. "They did this on purpose! They only did this to make this their big day! They planned it from the start!"

She started to cry again, even as Shining rubbed her back in a robotic fashion.

"Why can't you just let me have my special day?!"

"Because it's not your special day!" Cadance's familiar voice boomed... but not from her.

Turning to the doors again, everyone watched as an equally identical alicorn stormed inside and glared at the mare at the altar.

"It's mine!"

A chorus of gasps swarmed the room, and everyone found themselves looking at each other, as if doing double, triple, even septuple checks to see if what they were looking at was reality. Even Lyon, despite knowing he and Twilight were right, had trouble realizing he was still awake.

And Cadance dropped the charade. No point now, was there?

"What?" She stared in disbelief at the matted alicorn before her. "But how did you escape my bridesmaids?"

From there, the real Cadance went into detail on how they escaped their pursuers, down deep within the Crystal Caves. The mention of the caves themselves caught Lyon's attention, and already he could feel the guilt hang him down. Every time Spike had an idea, he was always right about it.

Note to self, he thought somberly.

"Hmph. Clever," Cadance admitted sarcastically, "but you're still too late."

Applejack stepped forward, shaking her head in disbelief. "I-I don't understand. How can there be two of 'em?"

She's a changeling!" Cadance exclaimed. "She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them!"

The duplicate Cadance standing on the altar grimaced bitterly at the alicorn, her eyes quickly turning from a familiar purple, into an equally familiar green. The very same green harbored by Lyon's pursuers, he realized.

Suddenly, a ring of green fire circled across Cadance, engulfing her in seconds. Despite this, she did not scream, did not yelp in pain or agony.

Instead, she laughed.

In an instant, a beam of light burst upward, and behind it, Cadance changed before everyone's eyes. Her luscious pink wings shed themselves into an ugly mess of tattered wings that resembled an insect's. Her hooves and body, enveloped by the fire, turned into a gangrenous black with holes scattered around at random. Her horn cracked and curved into that of a dagger that glistened from nothing.

Then her eyes... her laugh... Why did it look... so...

No.... It can't be....

Lyon froze in place, gripping Twilight firmly out of fear, and she noticed it. She asked him what was wrong, why his eyes looked so scared, that indicated determination faded away and leaving a shell in its wake. But Lyon didn't listen. He didn't hear her, or he thought he didn't hear her. Everyone was gone, in his eyes. Equestria was gone, Applejack was gone, Rarity was gone. Twilight was gone.

All he could do, with nothing but terror flowing through his body, was stare.

And the monster stared back.

Chapter 6: Out of the Cage

The next minute, the next two minutes, the next three minutes... however long it had been, it blurred together.

One minute, Lyon froze in place staring at the very creature that haunted his dreams for a year, as she changed into her true form, overlooking the ponies surrounding her and blurting out her plans for total control...

And the next minute, Princess Celestia was blasted to the floor. Even then, Lyon didn't even think he moved.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight screamed as she ran to her teacher's aid. Lyon turned his head laggardly as Celestia lay practically paralyzed against the marble floors, surrounded by Twilight and the others. He had this need to run, to follow Twilight, to help Celestia no matter the circumstances beforehoof.

But he couldn't move, and his eyes always turned back to the creature before him. Chrysalis, she called herself—leader of the changelings—barked with laughter, standing before everypony with a sinister smile and caressing Shining Armor's face with one of her lengthy hooves.

"And I have you to thank for all of this, sweetheart," she said almost sarcastically as she kissed his cheek.

"Get your hooves off of him!" Cadance exclaimed. She wanted to fight back, but she lacked the energy she needed to do anything to her. Even then, she feared faring worse than her aunt.

Regardless, Chrysalis felt the need to encase her in a force field, preventing her from trying to escape. Twilight noticed this and attempted to fire off a warning shot to distract her, but the Queen was quick to imprison her as well. Immediately, Twilight and the others tried banging against the field, but the field didn't change in condition.

Chrysalis laughed. "Oh my... MUCH stronger than I ever thought, indeed."

Some of the ponies in the crowd started to flee out the door, but the rest were shivering in their boots, if they had any. In the distance, the sound of banging could be heard, echoing in everypony's ears. Twilight and the others looked out the great window panes to see black masses converging over Shining Armor's city field, constantly smashing their bodies against it in an attempt to destroy it. And no doubt, it was working.

Lyon took a step back, never taking his eyes off Chrysalis. Unable to see behind him, he stumbled and fell to the floor. And that was all it took to get her attention.

The way her eyes stabbed his straight back... just like the dreams, it haunted him. He wanted to believe he was sleeping, that he was really just wrong all along and he would wake up in bed.

But this was real.

"And how could I forget about you, my little lion?" Chrysalis questioned darkly. Slowly, she started to approach him.

Lyon could feel his heartbeat quicken, his muscles tense up. He backed up against one of the empty pews. He stuttered, struggling to speak anything.

"Lyon, run!" Twilight screamed, but he did no such thing. "Lyon!"

"It... It..." he faltered. "... It's you."

"So you do remember me! My... how you have changed since I last saw you." Chrysalis leapt towards him, but only to force him further back. She laughed. "And yet the same little rodent I had the displeasure of knowing."

Lyon recoiled, confused. "I... I don't know what..."

Suddenly, Chrysalis transformed into a familiar figure—the red mare he met downtown the other evening. He hadn't the thought of asking her name at the time. Now he didn't need to, it seemed.

"Then again," she spoke, her vocal tone the same as he remembered, "the fault was all mine, after all."

With a flash of her horn, she returned to her original form, a complete contrast; Twilight continued to bang on the force field, even charging up a quick spell, but still nothing worked.

"Get away from him!" Twilight yelled, but Chrysalis ignored her, preying herself slowly on Lyon until she was nearly pressed up against his body. She felt him shiver faintly, and his eyes remained locked.

"What's the matter? You seem... scared." Chrysalis' pupils blackened for a moment. "Where was that fierceness before? You were so brave. So very brave."

And suddenly Lyon recalled his dreams again. The fires, the bodies, the chaos that fell upon him.

The monster staring down at him—just as it did now.

"Who are you...?" he asked. He didn't demand it. He just asked.

She smiled almost sweetly for a moment, a motherly calm plastered on her face as she looked down at the stallion. She laughed.

And then the smile was gone.

"Wouldn't you like to know... Traitor/Traitor."

Before Lyon could react, a burst of magic shot from Chrysalis' horn and struck him, sending him flying into the nearby wall, hard enough to leave a crater. The remaining crowd gasped and shrieked.

"LYON!" Twilight and the others screamed simultaneously, watching helplessly as the changeling queen slammed their friend into the wall a second time, then held him there firmly telekinetically.

Lyon mumbled something, but nopony could understand it, except for one word.

"Please..."

Chrysalis' horn charged up again, glowing a sickly green mixed with a darker shade. Without warning, she engulfed Lyon in it.

Twilight's bones rattled.

She never heard him scream like that before.

"Stop!" she shouted, shooting bolts of magic into the force field, despite no visible progress. "STOP!"

But Lyon couldn't say. He only thought—and it hurt.

OHGODSTHEPAINITHURTSPLEASESTOPDONTDOTHISNONONONONOTWILIGHTAPPLEJACKSOMEONEHELPMESPIKECELESTIASTOPHERITHURTSPLEASESTOPHURTINGMEPLEASENONONONOWHOAREYOUWHOAREYOUWHOAREYOUIAMNOTYOUIAMNOTYOUIAMLYONIAMLYONIAMLYONLIONLIONLIONLYONLYONWHOAMIIAMYOUNOIAMLYONIAMNOTYOUIAMYOUGETOUTOFMYHEADGETOUTOFMYHEADGETOUTGETOUTGETOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUT

Suddenly, as quick as it started, the pain was gone, and Chrysalis' magic had ceased. Lyon fell to the ground in a broken heap, trying to breathe whatever air he could suck in.

And he paused, his eyes drifting forward almost deadly. He looked at his hooves and realized them.

"What...?" he asked himself, realizing his voice. He recognized it, surely. But all the same, it felt so different.

The room was silent, and for its duration, Lyon couldn't stop looking at his hooves. His alien little hooves.

Who was he? The question was pointless. He knew.

Yet he didn't.

"You little wretch!"

He glanced up weakly, only to see Chrysalis' familiar form reeling back and resting a hoof against her side. A small mark had appeared on her back; looking at the source, he saw Cadance kneeling to the floor, her horn discharging for a moment.

With another fit of magic, the queen sent Cadance flying backward, landing on the altar beside Shining Armor, who didn't at all react to his fiancée's pain. More of the crowd fled the wedding hall.

In that brief moment of weakness, Twilight conjured up another spell, and with a great whirl, she successfully smashed the force field to pieces, which dissipated into pixie dust. Now free of her imprisonment, she ran over to Lyon, who struggled to get up on his hooves.

"Lyon!" she yelled shakily, holding out her arms to support him. "Hey, hey, easy!"

Applejack assisted Twilight, better supporting the stumbling stallion. "Easy, hon... You okay?"

"I'm... nnggh..." He froze for a second. When it passed, he was more collected, yet hesitant. "I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine," Twilight mentioned, and she was right. Lyon realized his voice had gone raspy, his legs shaking, his mane tattered, and he was sweating relentlessly. He couldn't stop breathing so hard.

He grimaced, nauseous.

"I'll be okay. I just... need a minute..."

"We might not have a minute!" Rainbow Dash insisted, pointing towards Chrysalis, who stormed towards Cadance with dark magic coursing through her horn. Unable to charge up any remaining magic, Cadance was locked into place, a greenish slime covering the base of her hooves. She tried to escape, but to no clear avail. Chrysalis laughed in triumph.

"We have to get to the Elements of Harmony!" Twilight exclaimed worriedly. "They're our only hope!"

The six mares all nodded firmly, realizing their task at hoof. However, Lyon stood in front of them, leering towards Chrysalis and weakly planting his hooves against the marble floor.

"Go," Lyon said simply. "I'll hold her off."

"Are you crazy?!" Twilight looked at Lyon like he had gone mad, and he very well might have.

Am I? he thought.

"It should buy you enough time. I'll be fine!"

"We're not just gonna leave you here!" Spike exclaimed. Lyon turned back to them with pleading eyes.

"Just trust me!"

The brief bout of arguing caught Chrysalis' attention. She turned around and began to approach the seven ponies, but Lyon held himself firmly in place, despite his legs still wobbling heavily. Lyon repeated for them to leave him behind, but Twilight continuously refused. Lyon knew he was running out of an option here, out of space again.

But this time, he wasn't helpless.

"Shining, you're free!" the stallion suddenly screamed. It was a lie, of course... but it worked.

"What?!" Chrysalis snapped her head a full 180 and looked in the direction of Shining Armor, who was still no different than he was five minutes before. Before she could realize the trick at hoof, Lyon snagged one of the cameras out of a bystander's hooves and whipped it at the changeling queen, striking her successfully against the side of the head and momentarily dazing her. On instinct, she fired a warning shot, but luckily there was nopony in its path as it struck a window pane that shattered without effort.

Lyon turned to the rest of the crowd.

"Run!"

On command, the ponies remaining in the hall got up in a frenzy and started for the door, Twilight and the others leading them. The room became a mess of panicked stallions and mares trying to escape. Amidst the chaos, Lyon hid within their ranks.

Chrysalis growled, but soon let out a sinister chuckle. "You can run, but you can't hide!"

Once Twilight, Spike, and the rest of the Elements reached the outermost double doors, the crowd behind them separated, pooling outward in a frightened mass. Chrysalis lagged behind, but she was still all too close by. Lyon emerged from the crowd and caught up with the girls.

"You guys get to the Elements," he insisted, "I'll do whatever I can out here."

Twilight stared worriedly at Lyon. "But what if something happens to you?"

"I can handle myself. You guys are far more important right now."

"But—"

"Hey." Lyon placed a hoof against Twilight's hoof. "I'll be okay. I promise."

Despite his claims, Twilight still worried. She wanted to stay behind, or somehow force him to come with them and fight whatever may be ahead, instead of leaving him all on his own. But right now, he was right, and she had no choice but to trust him with just words.

"Okay."

Lyon smiled at his friend, but the smile faded. His eyes felt cloudy for a moment, like something else was on his mind at the same time.

"Ly—"

Before she could ask, Twilight found her lips pressed against Lyon's, but she was in no way the one who initiated it. The stallion before her kissed her sensually, nuzzling her cheek with his hoof. But it only lasted a few seconds before he pulled away, leaving a dazed Twilight to look him back.

"Be careful," he said simply. But the way he said it was so different from the way he said anything before.

Left speechless, Twilight could only nod in that moment, yet firmly, and within seconds, was off in the other direction, Spike and the girls trailing behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Lyon let out a shaky sigh, only to freeze momentarily as he heard Chrysalis' shrills in the distance. In that same moment, a loud shattering noise echoed in his ears. Looking up, he could only watch in horror as the mighty shield put up by Shining Armor disintegrated into nothing. The black masses circling around it all descended down to Canterlot. Changelings by the thousands swarmed the city.

And now, Lyon could swear he even recognized some of them.

Even from the top, he could see the chaos that ruptured below. In mere moments, changelings scoured every corner, chasing ponies left and right as they fled into their homes. Some even tried to repel them with whatever magic they could muster, but the changelings were able to subdue them before they could deal any damage. Some were left battered and bruised as other changelings were more thorough in the assault. Fires rose across the city, their smoke billowing high into the air.

In just moments, the forest burned—

No. Canterlot. Not forest. Canterlot. Canterlot. This is Canterlot, not—

Lyon circled the area surrounding the wedding hall. With simple observation, he had noticed all of the royal guards had gone, either already captured or deployed elsewhere. Many of their bows and arrows were left behind, scattered across the ground. Further down, he came across bodies of royal guards, but luckily all of them were alive, but unconscious. He had recognized some of them as those he trained the day before, to serve in the fireworks show.

Leaving them alone, Lyon began to grab individual arrows off the ground and store them into a harness he had fastened on his back. He picked up one of the few similar bows and gripped it precisely. It held a similar texture and shape to the one he used back in archery school—

No. No, that never happened, he remembered.

Counting his ammunition, he only had seven arrows available to him. He knew how thick-skinned changelings were, and all he could do was hope seven would be enough.

Cautiously, Lyon paced his way up the stairs leading back to the royal hall. He opened the double doors and walked back in, and realized the two guards from before were now gone. Had they fled the scene?

Or were they changelings too? He was sure he would've noticed something was wrong, even if...

The closer he got to the wedding hall, the better he could hear her. She was boastful, overconfident it seemed, and overall far less sane. Her shrills of laughter contained nothing but a darkness that was contagious even to the most durable of persons.

Rearing himself his hind legs, Lyon readied his bow, shaping his hoof to grip the bow tightly. He reached into the harness pouch and took out an arrow; he had no problem lining it up. It felt natural now.

With a slow sigh, he pushed open the inner double doors, revealing a cleared out wedding hall. Some of the glass windows had been completely shattered. Very few changelings flew above the hall, guarding what appeared to be a massive cocoon.

Inside was...

"Celestia," he muttered worriedly as his eyes fell upon the unconscious princess. Given the time frame, they probably only just set her up there. And deep down, Lyon knew that even if he was completely careful, he'd end up there too if they were able to subdue the ruler of the sun.

"Such a lovely day, is it not?" Chrysalis asked to Cadance, who refused to answer her question. "Oh, stop with the melodrama. Inside an hour I'm going to make it even better. Isn't that right, dear?"

Shining Armor nodded monotonously.

"Uh huh."

Tears welled up in Cadance's eyes. "Shining! You have to snap out of it, please! I'm right here! It's me!"

"I'm afraid he can't understand you very well, dear Cadance. His total love for you has left him at my mercy and mine alone. Nothing you say or do will snap him out of it."

"That won't stop me from trying, you monster!"

Chrysalis laughed.

"Go ahead, then. I'm not stopping you. At least... not right now."

The changeling queen let out another fit of sinister laughter as Cadance tried futilely to free her fiancé from his mental prison, but with her goo'd to the floor, she could do nothing beyond screaming his name and hoping it would be enough.

"Shining!" Her voice started to break. "Shining!"

Chrysalis and the drones around her only laughed louder.

"Bieneshcka Butuu!"

The laughter quickly died, replaced by a hideous chorus of hisses. Cadance and the creatures all turned to the doors to see Lyon standing beneath them, bow and arrow held firmly at the ready.

Chrysalis stepped forward a couple feet, grinning. "I'm sorry, dear, could you be more clear? You are speaking in a dead language."

Lyon's brows only furrowed, but his posture did not change.

"I said let them go."

"Ah, now that's more like it. But no. I don't think I will."

The changelings circling Celestia's cocoon swooped down and formed a barricade in front of Lyon to prevent him from going forward. To their surprise, Chrysalis dismissed them.

"He's no threat to me," she boasted. "Continue preparing the princess."

With a directed hiss to Lyon, the changelings once more returned to the cocoon. Lyon kept his arrow aimed at the queen.

"It's almost good to see you again, my little hatchling... almost," Chrysalis said in a mildly sarcastic tone.

"Hatchling?" Cadance asked faintly.

"I can't exactly say the same for you at all," Lyon said to Chrysalis, who only laughed in a semi-jesting manner.

"Oh, come now. Surely you missed me on some of those cold, lonely nights?"

"After what you did," Lyon recounted, "you were always the last thing on my mind."

"And look where it brought you now: A surprise visit from mommy, after all this time. You should be thanking me for being so considerate."

Cadance looked between Lyon and and Chrysalis confusedly. "She... and you're her... but... you're... at her, and..."

Annoyed, the queen goo'd her mouth shut.

"Can you please be quiet for a moment? I'm having a talk with my son for the first time in lifetimes, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't spoil the moment more than you already have."

Lyon snorted. "That's funny. Ten minutes ago, you were calling me a traitor."

"And you still are!" Chrysalis suddenly screeched, only to control her voice by clearing her throat. "But everyone makes mistakes. Even you—so young as you were."

"You destroyed Sanctity."

"That was nothing compared to the trouble you put me through!" Chrysalis stomped herself forward again, her eyes flaring green with anger. "You betrayed me, your siblings, our trust for you, and you pursued your own selfish desires!"

The anger seemed to fade from her eyes, but Lyon hesitated to call it another faux gesture, so he kept his hoof firm on the arrow.

"I spent a very long time looking for you, to reunite you with the hive because I was willing to give you one more chance. I was willing to accept your mistake—and I was willing to forgive and forget."

Chrysalis walked forward. Lyon stepped back.

"You always felt so alone, even when you were surrounded by those you believed truly cared. I could feel it in your heart. I could sense it." Chrysalis stopped moving and stood firmly in place, carrying that same motherly expression from earlier. "But you're not alone. You've made a mistake, and the hive remembers it all. But you don't have to be alone anymore. I'm here. Your brothers and your sisters are all here for you, ready to take you back into our arms. We are willing to put aside our past and make amends. We are ready for you to come home, little lion."

Her eyes seemed more genuine, he noticed. The motherly essence that emanated from her felt real. She seemed serious with her intentions, and it wasn't entirely a facade. He remembered how one of the elders used to speak of better solutions, ideas that would benefit the hive. When he had broken her trust, she gave him a second chance, and left it alone. At least... until she discovered he had been researching behind her back.

He could still remember the screams.

But that was a long time ago. And she was known to put on a show. He knew the moment he took her advice, she'd have his head strung on a flagpole overlooking the valley.

Lyon wasn't stupid.

"Kuuntaa Dylebo," Lyon responded in kind, pulling back the bow string. "Remember what that means?"

Chrysalis growled, and her left shoulder twitched faintly. Magic sparked from her horn, but she only let out a breath. She saw him pull back the string and snorted.

The face was still there.

"Come now, my little lion. You couldn't possibly shoot your own dear mother, could y—"

She couldn't finish the sentence before Lyon let the string go, launching the arrow straight into her shoulder. He did it intentionally. Chrysalis recoiled, letting a pained shriek escape her throat as her eyes fell upon the arrow. It had dug itself deep into her shoulder, her blood already dripping from it. The air escaped her and she was left panting heavily.

And then the smile was gone.

"YousonOFA—"

Her horn practically exploded with a shot of dark magic that jettisoned towards Lyon, who only barely dodged it in time. The shockwave following the blast nearly knocked him down, but he successfully landed and started running in a zig-zag line towards the back of the room. Had the pillars been further out, he might've been able to take cover behind them.

Chrysalis shot countless beams and balls of explosive magic towards Lyon, missing him by mere inches. Each impact sent dust and debris into the air, and craters to form obstacles about. Successfully, Lyon was able to grab another arrow and shoot it at the queen, but unfortunately missing her by an inch and striking the wall behind her. Cadance flinched as she stood almost directly behind.

Another massive burst from Chrysalis' horn shot out and detonated against the back wall, engulfing the immediate area around it in a storm of green fire.

In a matter of moments, so much dust collected in the room that Lyon could hide behind its plumes and recover. The idea impressed, yet angered Chrysalis, who only roared in retaliation.

"You can't escape who you are, little lion! You can't escape what you've done! And you can't escape me! Once a changeling, always a changeling!"

The arrow hung on the bow lazily, and Lyon drifted again. His eyes connected with the marble reflection staring back at him, slowly becoming covered with dust as the seconds ticked by.

Chrysalis' words echoed in his mind, and no matter how hard he tried blocking them out, they would come back. It was a chant of the hive once upon a time. It was a code, even a moral one to stick by, that no matter what, you were always dedicated to what you were born to do. In this case, it meant if you born to feed, you will always feed if it meant you or them.

But Lyon didn't follow that code for a long time.

"I'm not you."

Somersaulting from the dissipating dust plume, Lyon pulled the string on his bow and prepared to fire, only to hesitate when he saw Chrysalis aiming her horn directly at Cadance's frail form, with sparks trickling out to show just how much had built up already.

He had never seen that before.

"Put down the bow," Chrysalis threatened as she pushed her horn against Cadance's side, "or the bride-to-be gets blasted into oblivion."

Cadance whimpered; the sparks coming from the queen's horn shocked her body, and the nerves in her side started to fire off at random. She wanted to cry out in pain, but due to the goo, all that came out was a muffle.

"Let her go!" Lyon demanded. Chrysalis refused to listen, increasing the frequency on her horn to deliver an even greater pain towards Cadance. Her knees buckled, and she was left sucking in air through her nose. Chrysalis stopped for a moment.

"I'm waiting~" Chrysalis mocked in a sing-song tone.

Lyon knew he had only one shot to make. An aim to the head and it'd be over. She'd either die or be incapacitated for the rest of her life. But he knew if he missed, Cadance was as good as dead. He knew it was a risk.

Cadance looked up at him, and the way she looked at him through the pain, it was like she told him, 'No, don't do it. Fight her, even if it means my life! Try, even!' She even shook her head subtly.

He could see it all. But if he tried, and he failed, and she...

It wasn't worth the risk, and he knew it.

With no other choice, he realized, Lyon dropped the bow and arrow. Chrysalis laughed and ordered some of the changelings in the room to restrain him. He apologized to Cadance with sorrowful eyes.

After the changelings restrained Lyon, he was left stuck to the floor as the same green goo keeping Cadance now trapped him. No matter how strong he'd been, he was powerless.

And no amount of his magic could save him.

"Good boy," Chrysalis said faux soothingly as she nuzzled Lyon's cheek with a hoof. He tried to push her away, but she gripped him firmly. A second later, she pushed him herself, laughing silently. She walked back over to Cadance and removed the goo from her mouth. "It's been a long time since I've talked to my dear boy, and I couldn't do that with you whining behind my back. Sorry, not sorry."

"You won't get away with this!" Cadance stomped her hoof and glared. A snort of steam escaped her nose. "Twilight and her friends will—"

Before she could finish, the doors of the wedding hall swung open. Lyon forced his head around to see Twilight, Spike, and the Elements forced into the room, changelings surrounding them on all sides.

"You were saying?" Chrysalis asked Cadance, before eyeing Twilight. "You do realize the reception's been cancelled, don't you?"

She rose a hoof to the changelings that hovered above her, commanding them to feed. With nods and hisses, they stormed out of the hall and locked the door behind them. Twilight eyed the obstacle before her and recognized it to be Lyon.

Calling his name, she ran to his side and quickly noticed he had also been goo'd to the floor. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, holding her close for a moment. "Yeah. I'm okay."

But Twilight recounted the scratches apparent across his body. He didn't notice them before, and he assumed it to be from the conflict with Chrysalis. They didn't hurt too bad, only stung. Twilight's horn glowed as she attempted to heal them, but Lyon stopped her.

"Save your strength," he sighed.

"Go ahead," Chrysalis cooed, "enjoy this moment while you still can. I so do love a good dessert."

Twilight glared. "What do you plan to do to us?"

Chrysalis stepped forward, inching herself towards Twilight, but keeping herself distanced as if prepared for anything. She cracked her back, savoring the comforting feeling and laughing to herself.

"My plan is simple: As we speak, my changelings are working overtime to ensure that nopony escapes Canterlot. Once we have total control over the city, with Equestria under our domain, and its inhabitants too stupid to even realize it, we'll be able to milk your love for all it is worth. I will be able to feed my subjects for generations worth of a dinner!"

"Not if we stop you first!" Rainbow Dash flared, raising her hooves in a combat stance. But Chrysalis only laughed and flicked her onto her back with a burst of magic. Applejack and Rarity quickly ran to her side.

"Please," Chrysalis scoffed, "not even you could defeat my drones in simple combat. And I single-hoofedly defeated your princess without even trying. As soon as my changelings have taken control of Canterlot, you can say goodbye to your precious Equestria."

Then her eyes turned almost dark as she stared down Lyon.

"Then I'll deal with you afterwards."

Lyon didn't recoil in fear like before, and Twilight realized this almost right away. Questions wanted to ring in her mind, but she didn't know what to think. Something had changed in him, she felt. What had Chrysalis done to him?

The queen paced herself over to the window and overlooked the city of Canterlot down below. Fires raged everywhere, and where ponies weren't running, they were covered in goo and practically held hostage by the changelings, now hording their way through the streets as they rounded up every stallion, mare, and foal they could find. Soon, they would all disappear.

It was enough to make Chrysalis giggle.

As the changeling queen stood distracted by the wondrous view below, Twilight took it as a chance to sneak her way over to Cadance. Her steps made noise, but they became muffled with every explosion from the outside, giving her the advantage. It wasn't long before she was standing before the trapped alicorn and conjuring a spell to destroy the slime.

"Quick," Twilight exclaimed in a whisper as she successfully removed the goo from her legs, "go to him while you still have the chance!"

Cadance eyed Shining Armor standing just a few feet away and ran quietly to his side. The first few times, she called out his name, but there was no response. She touched his shoulder hoping he would do something, but instead he continued to stare endlessly to the wall in front of him. Tearfully, Cadance held him close and cried into his shoulder. Her husband was gone.

And then the Elements saw something catch their eye, a small pink heart that emitted from Cadance's horn. Gradually, it floated its way over to Shining. The very moment it touched him, a brief flash illuminated the area around him, blinding everyone momentarily. When it faded, the green in Shining's eyes were gone, the incoherent ramblings were no more, and he moved weakly, yet freely.

"Wha– where... huh?" were the first words out of his mouth as he held his head wearily. "Is... is the wedding over?"

"It's all over!" Chrysalis boomed as she returned, forcing the ponies to recoil back. Twilight stayed close to Lyon, attempting to break his goo, but she realized it was far more dense than what Cadance had been trapped in.

Twilight looked to Cadance and Shining Armor. "Your spell! Perform your spell!"

"What good would that do?" Chrysalis laughed. "My changelings already roam free."

Despite her claims, Shining Armor attempted to power up his horn, yet nothing but a fizzle was all that sparked out. Shining fell to the floor as his legs nearly failed him.

He exclaimed painfully, "No! My power is useless now. I don't have the strength to repel them."

But Cadance held her lover's head in her hoof, directing his eyes to her own.

"My love will give you strength," she said with a smile.

Chrysalis chuckled and walked back over to the window. "What a lovely but absolutely ridiculous sentiment."

Cadance felt an anger bubbling within her, but she knew better than attempt anything against the queen. Looking back to Shining Armor, she gazed once more into his eyes, and already the two knew what the other was thinking.

Shining Armor let magic channel through his horn again, but this time, Cadance let the tip of her horn connect with his. Static magic began to flicker between the two, until it started circling around them, forming an active pink barrier that engulfed the couple. The spectacle surprised even them, but they instead embraced it welcomingly. A whirling heart took shape around them as they were lifted into the air. Twilight and her friends looked on and smiled with glee, knowing what was coming.

Lyon felt fear rising in him, for he also felt what was coming.

He struggled against his restraints, trying to free himself from the slime, but he made no such dent. He pulled his hooves, letting his weight carry down into his hind hooves, but he stayed in place. He panicked internally.

"Come on," he exclaimed quietly, "come on!"

He could feel the magic channel through him again, his eyes beginning to shine a familiar yellow color. He let the flow move down to his arms, then his hooves, until they practically radiated his essence. He felt the sweat run down his face, his muscles ache and burn once more. His lungs wanted to fail him.

But he was successful. In a matter of seconds, Lyon broke free from the goo, the remains bubbling away from the excessive heat. Lyon nearly collapsed to the floor, but he kept himself up.

By then, he realized it was too late to run. He wouldn't escape it. In a matter of seconds, it would be over.

He glanced over to Chrysalis, who watched the couple hover in the air as their magic billowed and contorted rapidly. That look of sinister determination faded from her face.

And the bow was right there.

"Lyon...?" Twilight called out.

Lyon didn't hear her as he darted for the bow and arrow he had dropped earlier. Sliding against the floor, he struggled to pick it up initially, but was able to hold it firmly in his grasp and aim it at the queen.

But before he could fire, the lovers beat him to it.

They expelled their magic in a great shockwave that dashed through the wedding hall and breakneck speeds. In an instant, it struck Chrysalis and sent her flying through the window. The spell they produced repelled any and all changelings.

Even Lyon.

Before he could even cover or shield himself, the shockwave sent him hurling across the room and bursting through the double doors, which shattered off their hinges from the sheer force.

He was unconscious before he even touched the floor.

"LYON!" Twilight screamed. The moment she was coherent, she ran out the doors, with her friends following close behind her.

Applejack had questions running through her head. Was Lyon okay? Was he hurt? Why did the spell affect him? Or was it debris? She couldn't tell, nor notice.

Was he... dead?

"Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods..." she muttered worriedly as her muscles weighed herself further unto the marble. "Please be okay..."

They saw a form some distance away from the door, near the end of the hallway leading to the courtyard. Whatever happened, Lyon flew far.

Twilight picked up her hooves and ran faster.

"Lyon?!" she called out. "Lyon!!"

Tears ran down her face as she approached what she assumed to be Lyon. As her eyes fell upon his befallen form, she gasped in silence. At first, she thought the spell had scorched him.

But then she looked closer, and it became more apparent it wasn't burnt skin. It was just skin. The gray and black strands of his mane and tail were gone, replaced with only webbed fins. His arms and legs scored holes across them. He sported a horn. Half of one, at least.

And his eyes... no longer were they the shade of blue that she liked. They were just a simple, plain tan color as they opened for just a moment before closing again, none the wiser.

"No..." Rainbow broke the silence among them. "It... can't be..."

They all eyed each other, then turned to the changeling laying on the floor, each of their faces carrying varied emotions, from shock to bewilderment to even the faintest of anger.

Twilight just stared. She didn't know what to feel. Applejack was numb, for she couldn't feel anything.

And the changeling continued to sleep, for he noticed nothing at all.

Author's Note

I hope the pacing isn't too slow! I'm still working to pace how much and how little I should write without sacrificing story. Let me know in a comment, and I'll try to work with that as best as I can!

I hope you're enjoying the story!

Chapter 7: Shattered

"Oww... my head..."

The fact that he was still talking relieved Lyon. He was still alive, thank Celestia. Perhaps it was smashing into those double doors that cushioned the major impact?

The stallion propped himself off the floor, which he quickly realized was no longer the familiar marble of the wedding hall, but instead a denser, rougher form of concrete.

"What the..."

And then he saw the bars.

Jail bars, thick and compacted together, stood as an obstacle in front of Lyon. He touched them, only to retreat his hoof. Not because of how cold they were.

But because of his hoof.

Black, lifeless, and littered with holes. He looked at his other hoof, and it was the same thing. His hind legs, just the same. His body, though hole-less, was still the same equal shade of black. He felt his head, and his hair was gone. He felt the edges of the horn on his head and sucked in a shocked breath of air.

He was a changeling again. And if he was sitting here now...

"The prisoner is awake," he heard a voice say in the distance. Looking through the bars, Lyon saw an open door, and a royal guard talking to somepony out of view.

"Thank you, lieutenant," the voice spoke back, the familiar tone of Shining Armor unmistakable.

They knew. Everyone knew. By now, the word had to have gotten all the way back to Ponyville. "Loveable Lyon, a monster in plain sight!"

Well, he wasn't exactly "loveable," but everyone appreciated him for who he was. But how could they now after... this?!

Shining Armor stepped through the doorway, while the guard that was presumably watching over Lyon took position outside, shutting the door after the captain motioned himself in. He looked down at Lyon, initially expressionless.

The way he eyed Lyon... for the first time in years, he actually felt a bit unnerved by it.

"What do we call you?" was the first thing Shining Armor said to him. Lyon raised an eyebrow faintly.

"Call me?"

"Doesn't your kind give each other names?"

Said that way, it made more sense now. But Lyon couldn't sit well the way he said "your kind." He bit his inner cheek and hesitated to answer for a moment. Shining grew impatient.

"Lyon," Lyon finally said. Shining shook his head.

"No, it isn't," Shining retorted. "Tell me your real name."

"That is my real name."

"You are not—" Shining escalated the situation further, but Lyon held up his hooves to pause him mid-sentence.

"Look," he stated plainly, "whatever you believe right now, my real name is Lyon. It has been for as long as I can remember. Sooner you can understand that, the quicker you can ask me whatever the hell you want."

"Excuse me?" Shining said darkly, glowering at the changeling before him.

But Lyon didn't flinch nor recoil. He kept his cool, but said nothing more. With a frustrated snort, Shining Armor had no other choice but to let it go.

"Fine... Lyon. I'll play your little game."

"I'm not playing a game."

Shining ignored him, moving onto the first question.

"Do you know why you're here?"

Lyon nodded against his will. "I'm a changeling. I'm here because you want to interrogate me."

"That's one of them," Shining said stoically as he paced the floor in front of the cell. "But we'll get to that in a minute. You're here because I want information."

"About?"

"Don't play dumb with me, changeling!" Shining Armor exclaimed with a stomp of his hoof. "Your kind! Your queen! I wanna know what you did to my wife while she was down in those caves! What your queen is planning next! And don't give me any yakshit, because I'll know!"

Lyon didn't shrink away from Shining. He didn't know if it was right, but he pitied him. He was one of the most experienced ponies in Canterlot, if not Equestria—a feat that still made Lyon jealous now that he could think straight—and he was used and toyed with while his wife starved right under his hooves.

He understood his anger. He shared it.

"Well?!"

Lyon hadn't realized he had been sitting there silent for a moment. Shining glared, even as he tried to collect himself. He couldn't interrogate an enemy if he was on the verge of killing them.

"I don't know anything," Lyon said hesitantly, and the captain noticed it.

"You're lying!"

"I'm not."

"And why should I believe you?"

"For starters, I'm sitting in a jail cell. Second, you could easily blast me to dust if you wanted. I don't have any incentive to lie to you."

"Except for when you lied to my sister."

"That's... different," Lyon faltered as Twilight was mentioned. "I didn't lie to her."

"You took the place of her best friend. Someone she valued. You took advantage of her trust just so you could feed yourself," Shining judged. "You definitely lied to her, changeling."

"I didn't... I..."

Lyon didn't know how to respond to that. Deep down, a part of him was right. But it wasn't intentionally! He would never take advantage of a close one!

Especially not Twilight. Never Twilight.

"I still don't know anything of my m... the queen's plans," Lyon repeated.

"You're all connected," Shining insisted. "You all have one single connection with one another. From what I've heard, your kind can communicate with each other towns away. Cities, even."

"They cut me out of that a long time ago."

"I doubt that."

"Doubt it all you want," Lyon said solemnly. "But it's the truth."

Shining bit his inner cheek, looking at the changeling oddly for a moment before returning to his usual posture.

"Sorry if I don't believe you," Shining said almost sarcastically. To a bit of his surprise, Lyon shook his head.

"I don't blame you."

Lyon adjusted his posture, leaning against the brick wall and observing the floor beneath him.

"Up until today, I thought I was all that was left." He snorted a laugh, ignoring the captain's stares. "What a wake-up call, right?"

Shining said nothing, as did Lyon, and it was quiet for a few moments. Eventually, Shining let out a brief frustrated sigh and clicked his tongue.

"Let's move on, then," he said.

Lyon sighed. "Which is?"

"You are also being held in contempt with the suspected abduction of Lyon, an earth pony from Ponyville, and a dear friend of my sister."

So they didn't know. They really thought he was missing.

At first, Lyon felt some excitement building up within him. An opportunity sprung into motion! If he could convince them that he was actually captured by the changelings, and he broke free from this jail cell, he could run off, find a place to hide, and turn up back in his original form. They'd find him, defeat Chrysalis, and everything would be back to... normal.

And yet, already, Lyon saw the flaws. The hives knows him. His friends have the ability to undo a changeling's disguise, if that love spell at the wedding was any indication. And who was to say Chrysalis wouldn't just undo any of that progress before he could make any? Before he could...?

And that was just a few of the problems already stemming. What if Twilight "uncovered" him years from now? They wouldn't believe it a second time, would they? What if—

"Changeling," Shining boomed, breaking Lyon's brief train of thought.

"What?"

"Where is Lyon?"

"I..."

Words formed in his head, ready to shoot out anything he could think of. But he stopped himself.

This wasn't him. He didn't deceive intentionally. He didn't lie to ponies or creatures that trusted him. It just wasn't in his nature. His spirit denied him that.

And Twilight...

He could never lie to her. Even if it meant her life.

"I am Lyon."

"We're not playing this game anymore, changeling," Shining Armor demanded, planting a hoof firmly against one of the cell door bars. "Where is the real Lyon?"

"Right in front of you."

"No," Shining repeated on the verge of yelling. "Stop lying, if you know what's good for you."

"I'm not—"

Shining Armor reared himself, his horn lighting up. Lyon stood defensively, ready to jump if need be. But before the captain could do anything, the door opened, and the head of the guard from before peered in.

"Captain," he began, "the doctor from the Medical Wing is here. Princess Cadance is awake."

Shining Armor's horn stopped sparking, and his eyes opened further for only a moment before they returned to their usual stance. He gave a firm nod to the guard.

"Thank you, lieutenant. Tell her I'll be out shortly."

"Yes, sir." The guard shut the door behind him, leaving Lyon and Shining alone once more. The latter squinted at Lyon.

"We're not done here, changeling. I can do this all day, for however long you want to go."

"Then go ahead," Lyon stated. "I'm just gonna keep repeating the same answers."

"Then you'll rot until you tell the truth."

Lyon could only stare at Shining frustratedly.

"Then why bother telling you anything if you don't believe a damn thing I say? Why should I even bother talking to you if you don't listen?"

Shining paused for a moment. The changeling did bring up a decent point... as did any other prisoner that mirrored his claims. But right now, he was tired, and his wife was finally awake. He sighed.

"We'll continue this later," was all he could say to the changeling before exiting through the door. Lyon said nothing as he left.

On the way out, he walked up to the guard and ordered him back into the room.

"Make sure the prisoner is well fed and hydrated," Shining instructed. "We don't know how long this might last for."

"What should I feed it?"

"... I don't know. Whatever it can stomach, I guess. And send someone if there are any changes."

The lieutenant saluted the captain and went back into the chamber where Lyon stayed. Sighing, Shining Armor proceeded down the hall until he came across Nurse Luckhorn, who greeted him warmly.

"How've you been, sugar?" she asked with a smile.

"I've been a mixed bag, I'm afraid," Shining responded with a weak chuckle.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'll live," he laughed almost heartily, following behind the nurse.

Already, he found himself putting the day behind him, if even just for a single minute. Even if it didn't last long, it was still a welcome change of pace.

"Why should I even bother talking to you if you don't listen?"

Very welcome. That worried him.

Lyon paced slowly around the small cell, letting faint breaths escape him. Occasionally, he would tap a hoof against a cracked concrete tile, and every lap back to it, he would chip it more, but was careful not to tear it off.

Beyond that, the cell was rather... quaint, as Rarity would likely put it. It felt more like a private school dorm than a jail cell. There was a small window near the ceiling, and if Lyon looked through it, he could see down into Canterlot, with the courtyard nearby, indicating he was likely still in the castle, or a more private sector that was off to most ponies like him.

Well... creatures like him.

A few minutes after Shining Armor had gone, a knock came at the door. The guard turned towards the door and opened it, so shortly that Lyon couldn't see who it was. Even the brief conversation they had was so quiet.

But the accent was indistinguishable.

"Do you have permission to be in here, ma'am?"

"Captain Armor said I was allowed to come in."

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"I'm willing to do whatever I can to git anything out of that thing."

Applejack?

"Very well. You've got five minutes."

A moment later, the guard pushed the door open and stood aside. As he guessed, Lyon's eyes fell upon Applejack's all too familiar figure. But already Lyon noticed something different about her.

Her mane and tail were no longer smoothened out, and without her hair ties, they fell freely, yet they were also frazzled in places. Bags rested under her eyes, indicating she hadn't been sleeping right... and confirming that Lyon had been locked up as least a day. At most... who knows? He had never been hit by a "love bomb" before.

The tension was thick; Lyon never expected the phrase of cutting it with a knife to ever be applied to any situation.

But when Applejack stared him down in that moment, he knew it would probably be one of many times he would use that.

She approached the cell with a cautious eye. Lyon said nothing, for his tongue was caught in his throat. Applejack said nothing, for she didn't know what to say.

"Applejack—" Lyon started, only to be cut short with a shot of spit to the face. The mare's glare was bitter now.

"Don't ya dare call me that, you... freak," she answered in an equally bitter tone. "You don't git to call me that, you hear?"

Lyon didn't respond immediately, instead starting to walk a few feet.

"Don't walk away from—" Applejack flared, only to pause when Lyon walked his way over to the sink, flipped it on, and started to wash off his face.

"I'm sorry," Lyon apologized, "I just need to—"

"DON'T do that!" Applejack roared again, stomping her hooves, and Lyon reeled back in confusion. "DON'T use his voice! Don't talk like him! Don't you dare try that on me!"

He realized what she meant by it.

"This is how I normally talk."

"You're lying," she insisted.

"I'm not. I've always talked like this."

"He always talked like that. He."

"So have I."

Applejack was far from convinced, her glare worsening, and her eyes on the verge of tears. She was frustrated, more than Shining Armor could've been. No matter how honest he was, she was too clouded to believe it. So he cooked up a new voice on the spot to make her feel "comfortable," in a sense.

"Fine. Better?" he asked in a dark, grovelly tone that an old sibling of his shared from his early days. He changed his expression to sound more ignorant, more aggressive, even if she didn't criticize his reactions.

"Not even close." Applejack stayed still, as if her body tensed up for a second. "Not even close."

"I'm sorry."

"Shut up," she demanded.

Lyon said nothing more. Instead, he waited for her to ask another question. It took her a few grits of the teeth to get anything going.

"Where is he?" she eventually asked. "Where is Lyon?"

He wanted to tell her the truth, like he did Shining Armor—even if he didn't believe him. But he didn't want to scare or anger her even further.

"I don't know."

Lying didn't make any difference, as Applejack punched one of the cell bars hard enough to bend where she struck.

"Where is he?" she repeated.

"I don't know." Lyon grew sad. He knew the outcome would be the same whether he lied or told the truth.

Applejack pulled her hoof back, ready to punch the bar a second time, but she stopped herself. She realized it would be a fruitless matter. Plus, she would only be hurting herself even more... in this case, literally.

With a frustrated sigh, she pulled away and paced the outside of the cell for a moment, before setting her haunches down onto the floor. She growled feverishly, but ultimately her breathing slowed.

"I'm sorry," she said silently.

"It's okay—"

"Not you," she barked. He wanted to know who she was apologizing to, but he dared not ask.

Applejack fidgeted against the floor for a few seconds, and her eyes were clamped shut. A tear ran down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away, as if keeping up appearances.

It wasn't easy for everyone.

"If I were anyone else," she started bitterly, "I would bust down this door and beat the tar out of ya. But that'd make me no better than any of... you. You're not fooling anypony, do you understand? Drop that stupid act of yours, you... freak."

Applejack turned towards the changeling, her expression almost a deadpan.

"Lyon is the the sweetest, most dedicated, and most loyal pony I have ever damn well met. I love him more than anything in the world. I would go to tartarus and back for him... and I'm willing to risk spending eternity in tartarus if it means finding him.

"So let me be clear," Applejack stated, her voice growing deeper and darker, something he had never heard from her before. "If anything... ANYTHING happens to him, it will be on you, and I will not rest until you pay more than a price for it. I will make you wish you were blasted away like the rest of your kind. You hear?"

Lyon swallowed the spit in his throat. He was scared of Applejack for the first time in his life. And he couldn't blame her for acting this way.

He nodded slowly, careful not to do anything out of place.

"I should've figured something was off the moment we got here. I should've listened to Twilight. I can't believe I let a changeling git in my head."

Applejack contemplated spitting in his face again. Instead, she bit her lip, enough to make a mark, but not bleed.

"You ain't worth it. Ain't worth hurting. It wouldn't even make a difference," Applejack said, stumbling over her words. In a haste, she turned around and started for the door.

Lyon wanted to call out to her, tell her to come back. He wanted to find a way to explain himself somehow, some way. But he knew it likely make things worse.

Against his better judgement, against his own wishes, Lyon let Applejack leave in silence.

"Ma'am?" the guard called out as she passed him, but she paid him no mind.

Even from here, Lyon could hear her cry.

"Dammit... God... dammit..."

The room was quiet for a while. Nothing but short breaths and the ticking of a clock on the wall were all Lyon heard. From here even, he could hear the chatter of ponies down in the city streets, but they felt more like whispers, and whatever they talked about conflicted with everything else, so he couldn't understand anything they discussed.

No doubt, they were all talking about the wedding. Some were probably even talking about Twilight. Maybe even him. Did they mention him in passing sometimes? None of it was likely good, he figured.

Of course. Duh.

A little under half an hour after Applejack left the room, a second guard entered, carrying what appeared to be a tray of food on his back. Once he was close enough, he opened a small compartment within the cell door and slid the tray through. On the tray was a side of mashed potatoes, with a main course of salad and a daisy sandwich. A simple meal.

"The captain wants you fed," the guard instructed to Lyon as he shut the compartment, "but we are merely guessing what your kind eats."

Picking up the fork, Lyon picked at his food for a second, not because he was hesitant to eat it, but just out of habit.

"It varies, I guess," Lyon replied, "depending on the changeling. Most of them feed off love alone. Not all of them. Takes time, though."

"Do you eat food?"

"Yeah... yeah."

Lyon scooped up a chunk of the mashed potatoes and stuffed it into his mouth. The flavor was savory, but nothing too special.

"... Thank you."

The guard didn't respond, but he did nod. A moment later, he saluted the other guard and left the room, leaving Lyon alone with his personal guardian. For a few minutes, the ~~stallion~~ changeling ate his food in silence, with nothing but chewing and swallowing being the only noise apart from breathing.

Occasionally, Lyon glanced at the guard, who eyed him for a second before returning to his normal posture. He continued eating for another moment before his curiosity returned.

"Does your captain always doubt everyone he locks up?" Lyon immediately shook his head. "Poor phrasing. I mean... does he ever trust anyone? Even after a while?"

Regardless of his correction, the guard didn't answer him. Lyon found his eyes wandering the room for a second as he tried to think of something else to say, but he struggled to break the ice with anything new.

Not like the guard would gossip with him about anything, anyway.

"Look... I know you and your captain are not gonna listen to me right because I'm... this... but I had nothing to do with what happened today... or yesterday, or however long I've been out." Lyon shifted against the wall and pushed the tray away. "The queen... my mother... I had no idea she was even alive."

The guard stayed still, but his eyes wandered to Lyon.

"I thought she died. Her and everyone else I knew, loved or hated. I thought I was the only one left. I thought my race was gone but me. And honestly, I wanted it to stay that way." Lyon chuckled somberly. "What a coincidence that I would suddenly bump into my mother again... who was disguised as the bride of my best friend's brother?"

He laughed for another few moments, covering his mouth with a hoof—only for the sound to reverberate outward as he realized his hooves sported holes. He had already forgotten.

That didn't take long.

The laughter faded from his throat, but Lyon still found himself snorting a chuckle every now and again.

"Yeah." The guard said silently. "What a coincidence."

He wasn't laughing like Lyon was, so the laughter stopped entirely. Lyon pulled the tray back to him and he continued eating. It didn't take long for him to empty the tray and leave nothing but crumbs. Nearby stood a wooden bench attached to the wall. Lyon grabbed the tray and placed it down onto it. Opposite of where Lyon stood, there was a sink and toilet sitting side by side. He hoped he wouldn't be in here long enough to need it.

The changeling walked over to the sink and let it run until the water went cold, then started to pool it into his hooves, making sure it was clean before he started gulping it down. The refreshing taste soothed Lyon's taste buds, and he found himself digging down for more and more until he was satisfied.

But as he washed off his hooves and rinsed out his mouth, something caught his eye: a bar of soap. To most folks, it was any usual bar. To those living in Canterlot, it was a bar built for those who earned it.

To Lyon, it was pure amethyst alkaline. Harmless in normal concentrations—such as washing your hooves—but under the right pressures, unbeknownst to most common creatures... it was exactly what Lyon was looking for.

Behind his back, Lyon sparked his horn for a moment, just to gather up a quick fit of magic. Most of it had been repelled by an apparent force field that surrounded the cell—no surprise there—but a minuscule amount was able to burst out. It wasn't as much as Lyon wanted, but even a microscopic amount of magic was enough with the right level of focus.

However, Lyon knew he wouldn't be able to do anything in time before the guard caught on and stopped him. He had a good five seconds between the door being opened and tackled to the ground. He needed thirty seconds... at least. And with the force field holding back most of his magic, he wouldn't be able to shield himself well for that long, either.

He knew there was no way to sneak his way around this.

Unless... ugh, was he really going to do that?

Was he really going to...?

"S-Sir? I don't feel so good..."

Judging from the amount of vomit that immediately spewed out of his mouth almost on command... yes.

Yes, he most definitely going to fake dying.

Lyon dropped to the floor like a bell, shaking and coughing up a storm, hacking his spit... and on the inside, tickling the tartarus out of his uvula until his stomach started turning inside out.

It was the most uncomfortable thing he ever felt. ... Okay, maybe the second most uncomfortable thing.

"What's going on?!" the guard immediately exclaimed, standing just outside the cell.

"I... I don't—" Lyon vomited again, just barely missing the guard's forelegs. "Did... did y-you poison me...?!"

"I... I—"

To add further emphasis, Lyon began convulsing against the cold concrete. At a cost, some of the vomit dripped onto his chest, but he let it be. He vomited into his hoof, sputtering it outward.

As convincing as it was, it genuinely started to hurt. Luckily for Lyon, the guard began inching his way back to the door.

"W-Wait," Lyon mumbled, but the guard didn't stop. "H... Help... Help me...!"

Lyon knew a fair share of frightened folks that would run with their tail in between their legs in any given situation. This guard was one of them. He honestly felt bad for tricking him.

Nearly stumbling over his own hooves, the guard turned to the door and flipped it open with a rushing hoof. Without another hesitant moment, he fled the room, leaving Lyon all alone. As soon as he was sure he was out of earshot, the ~~stallion~~ changeling picked himself off the floor, ran over to the sink, and hastily washed his face and hooves off.

"Okay," he muttered, "never doing that again."

As soon as they were clean enough, Lyon grabbed the bar of alkaline soap and ran over to the wall nearest to the outside, dodging the small puddles of vomit as he went. He placed the soap down onto the bench as close as he could get it.

"Alright... here we go... Come on..."

With as much concentration as he could muster, Lyon channeled any and all available magic into the tip of his horn. Already, he felt weakened, but he couldn't stop now. Who knows when that guard would come back?

"Come on, come on, come on...!"

In one focused burst, Lyon created a beam of green energy that coursed through the soap bar. At first, there was no visible change.

But in a matter of seconds, the bar started to glow as the alkaline substance began to react to the sudden pressure change Lyon was enacting upon it. The bar began to shrink and grow slightly, and even started to glow a faint amethyst light that only brightened the more magic he directed into it.

Lyon felt his head begin to ache after a few moments, and with each passing second the pain escalated. He wanted to pace himself or he risked passing out. But if he did, he wasn't getting out.

But in a welcome change of pace, the bar of soap began to contract and distort widly, spiking outward and sending bits and pieces flying like shrapnel. It emitted a whirring sound that grew in intensity and outward force. A calm wind formed inside the cell, which also increased in speed. The bar shook wildly, and the light became blinding to look at.

Just... a little... bit... more... and...!

It was quiet in the meeting room. Silent, yet nopony could bother to keep it down from all the thinking.

Typically, the meeting room was where delegates and ambassadors of different nations would meet with the princesses of Equestria to discuss any and all diplomatic quarrels—however big or small they may be.

But for now, only Princesses Celestia and Luna, Captain Shining Armor, and the Elements of Harmony were its only occupants. In the early hours of the morning when everyone could be assembled, Queen Chrysalis was the talk. They knew nothing of her current whereabouts; as beneficial as the love bomb had been, their only regret is that it sent the changelings—most of them, at least—scattering, flinging outward however the bubble allowed them. Their only course of action for now was to deploy battalions of royal guards to major areas and weed out whatever they could find.

But for the last hour, they had been discussing another potential option: the changeling sitting in a jail cell not too far away.

"Are thou sure we can trust this creature's words?" Princess Luna asked Celestia. "We know nothing about it... other than what had supposedly transpired."

She felt ashamed at the notion that she had been sleeping while her home was attacked, but Celestia didn't bother to dwell on it. Why would she?

"I am not entirely confident," Celestia admitted, "but if we can successfully gather any kind of information from... it... it just might prepare us in case of another attack."

Shining Armor sighed, placing a pocket watch upon the delegation table.

"Well, good luck. I was in there earlier and couldn't get one scrap from it. At least, nothing that could help us."

"Sooo, it's not gonna tell us anything?" Rainbow Dash claimed. "So we can blast it into mush then, right?"

"Rainbow Dash," Rarity chided with a high tone. "We're all frustrated, but we can't simply just destroy someone because they aren't cooperating with us!"

"Tell that to Discord," Rainbow brought up. "And Nightmare Moon... and, you know, Chrysalis?"

Rarity rolled her eyes and snorted, only to pipe up her ears when Twilight agreed with her.

"Rarity's right, Rainbow. No matter what happened, violence isn't going to solve this issue. We need to get information, but we can't punch an answer out of someone. That's not how we do things."

Rainbow Dash scrunched her lips, but ultimately sighed and rested her chin against her hooves.

"Sorry. I just hate sitting around here and talking. Who knows what they could be doing to Lyon right now?"

Twilight felt a sting in her chest at the mention of his name. Ever since her eyes fell on that changeling lying on the floor, Twilight found herself conflicting with her thoughts, even trying to wind back the clock to any suspected moment something felt off, but nothing of much value beyond glances.

And the kiss. But... it felt so real. Genuine. That had to be him.

"He's okay," Twilight stated silently. "He has to be. He just... has to be."

Most eyes in the room fell on the lavender unicorn, whose eyes drifted to the table in front of her. She refused to look up at anyone. She tried breathing normally, but an occasional labored sigh would come out.

Shining Armor crossed along the table and held his sister's chin.

"Hey," he said simply, prompting her to look up. "We'll find him, Twily. We all will."

Hesitantly, she nodded to her brother, who held her close in his arms. Twilight wanted to cry already, but crying would do nothing but cause further heartache.

He'd want her to be strong, she believed.

After a moment, Shining Armor pulled away from Twilight, but stayed by her side and continued the discussion.

"The problem with dealing with changelings is that we don't know whether they're telling the truth or lying through their teeth. On another note, they seem to be more... I guess ignorant is the best word, at the moment."

"How so?" Princess Luna asked.

Shining Armor clicked his cheek. "Well... despite the circumstances... the changeling insisted to me that he is the real Lyon."

"Really...?" Applejack asked in surprise. Shining Armor nodded.

"He claims it'd been his name for "as long as he can remember.""

Applejack furrowed her eyebrows. "He didn't say that to me before. He told me he didn't know where Lyon was."

"Is that so?" Shining asked, receiving a nod from the tattered earth pony. "So he's... it's already lying to us. Trying to deceive us, keep us off any right tracks."

"Um... are we sure it's not just scared?" Fluttershy suggested.

This time, everyone stared her down in confusion, a couple ponies even doing a double take. The mare shrunk down, yet still stood her ground as best as she could.

"I mean... it is being being held against its will. Maybe it doesn't know what to say?"

"That would've been a likely story if a whole mess of identical changelings hadn't tried to take us over yesterday," Shining Armor said. "From the information we have from Chrysalis... through Cadance... changelings are practically compulsive liars whenever their intentions aren't truly set."

"So," Luna began, "we can't exactly trust a single thing the changeling tells us?"

"I'm afraid not. Unless we hooked it up to some kind of lie detecting machine." Before Celestia could protest, Shining held up his hoof. "I know what you're thinking. And no, I'd never do that. I run the guard, not a prison camp."

"Then what do we do?" Celestia asked.

Shining Armor looked down at the table, then glanced at all the ponies waiting for an answer.

"We—"

The door of the delegation room suddenly pushed upon, revealing a frantic and distraught royal guard rapidly sucking in air.

"Captain! The changeling! I think it's dy—"

Without warning, a muffled boom rippled through everypony's ears, and the resulting shockwave knocked over a few of the standing water bottles upon the table. Some of the ponies gripped the table and covered their heads as tiny bits of the ceiling came falling down. One bonked Rainbow Dash in the skull.

"... Ow."

"What in Equestria was that?!" Luna exclaimed.

Shining Armor looked up to the ceiling as soon as the ripples stopped. "That came from upstairs."

He gasped.

"The changeling!"

Everyone pushed away from the table and ran out the door, the guard following behind them. It didn't take them long to make it up to the next floor.

When they arrived in the prisoners' ward where the changeling had been locked up, they were greeted to an entirely missing room, its walls blown out and the door bashed to pieces. A purplish fire raged, but didn't seem to spread very far.

"It's gone!" Shining yelled, marching over to the guard. "What happened?!"

But the guard stammered at first. "I-I... He was vomiting! He claimed he was poisoned! I didn't know what to do! I'm n-not a doctor!"

Shining sighed in frustration. He noticed two higher-ups who were also investigating the explosion.

"You two!" he yelled to them, grabbing their attention. "Go fetch the second-in-command! I want Canterlot under immediate lockdown until further notice!"

"Yes, sir!" the two soldiers shouted simultaneously before retreating down the hall.

Princess Luna inspected the debris that launched scattered everywhere, and noticed distinct traces of magical residue.

"I thought this cell suppressed a prisoner's magic?"

"It was supposed to!" Shining explained confusedly. "Apparently not very well, if that thing was able to blow it all up."

But Shining Armor stopped and watched with a raised eyebrow as his sister scavenged the ruins of the room. Before he could ask, he noticed she was picking up small pieces of a purplish color similar to the fire.

Twilight sniffed the pieces and recoiled.

"It's soap," she said.

"Well, there was a bathroom in there too, wasn't there?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

"No, this isn't just any soap. It's amethyst alkaline."

"What about it?" Spike asked.

The embarrassed look Twilight noticed on Celestia's face said more than enough.

"Amethyst alkaline, under enough pressure, acts as an explosive substance," she explained. "It's how we were able to clear out portions of the crystal caves under Canterlot. Apparently, this changeling had enough knowledge of it to... well... blast its way out."

As soon as Celestia finished her explanation, Shining Armor turned to the guard still standing by. "You, lieutenant!"

"Yes, sir?" he asked, his tone far more calm now.

"Go through all the cell blocks containing unicorns and get rid of any soap that might contain amethyst alkaline," Shining commanded. "We can't let any copycats try the same thing right now."

"Yes, sir," the lieutenant saluted before trotting off in the same direction as the other two guards.

"What should we do?" Twilight asked Shining, but the stallion could only furrow his brows and sigh again.

"I don't know, Twily. With that changeling out there, I can't risk sending you into town. It's too risky."

"I'm willing to do whatever we can to find it."

Spike and the other Elements huddled close to her.

"Yeah!" Rainbow exclaimed. "We're not gonna let a thing happen to Twilight or any of us! You can count on it!"

Shining Armor examined his sister's group of friends, and let out a calm snort of air.

"Alright." Shining pulled Twilight into a firm hug. "Just be careful, okay?"

"We will. I promise."

With an easy nod, the two siblings parted from each other. Twilight and her friends ran down the hall until they turned the corner, leaving Shining Armor's sight. It was then he realized by a passing glance that Luna had disappeared too, presumably to calm the frantic public down below, yet Celestia remained, observing the rubble almost in a trance.

"Celestia?" Shining asked, breaking the alicorn's concentration. "Are you okay?"

"Yes... I'm fine." With a snort of her own, Celestia turned around and started slowly down the hall. "Let us check on Cadance, see if she's improved."

"Shouldn't you go with Luna?"

"In a moment. First, I need to see if my niece is okay."

"Right... right."

Taking him under her wing, Celestia and Shining Armor paced themselves to the medical hall. On the way, several firefighters passed them by, and Celestia would point them in the right direction.

Celestia had no need to worry about amethyst fire. It was as harmless as a typical fire, but useless if anyone tried to use it against someone else.

It wasn't necessarily the fire, though, that disturbed her. Mostly, it was the fact that the changeling knew what it was. Very few ponies have a distinct knowledge of the stuff.

But that creature figured it out within two hours of waking up. Who knew what else it knew? What it was hiding?

"Celestia?" a faint voice rang, knocking her out of her mind. She looked down to Shining, the source. "Are you sure you're alright?"

This time, she nodded. "Just thinking. That's all."

"I'd love to know what of," Shining said sympathetically.

Celestia smiled warmly, but her face soon turned to one of curiosity.

"Before I told you, did you know how to ignite amethyst alkaline?"

Shining Armor tilted his head. "Uh... not really, no."

Celestia's smile faded.

"That's what I was afraid of."

Author's Note

Next chapter will most likely be a really long chapter, since it incorporates a lot of explanation and scenes. Mainly because it wouldn't be right to have an explanation go on for like 3 chapters, right?

Chapter 8: Pride

In the span of ten seconds, Lyon already regretted his decision.

Then again, it wasn't every day that he found himself being propelled towards the paved streets of Canterlot after jumping from the gaping, burning hole of what used to be a prison cell. Of course, there was that time in Mareocco...

With whatever strength he had left in him, Lyon buzzed his wings hard enough to give him a momentary bout of flight, long enough to avoid falling into the crowded streets, and retreated into an empty alleyway. As soon as his wings gave out, Lyon hid behind a dumpster a few feet away and slunk against its side, catching his breath and mumbling. The entire time, he held his head in pain, more so the area around his horn.

"Great plan, Lyon," he said sarcastically to himself. "Blowing yourself up with half a horn in a magically suppressed jail cell? Real smart of you! Ow..."

Random sparks continued to protrude from the "tip" of Lyon's horn, but he knew it was fine as long as he used it sparingly. Not that disguising himself in earth pony form would work anymore, even if he had the strength to change. Assuming it didn't potentially kill him...

Right, time for an actual plan, Lyon thought as he occasionally glanced in the direction of the street. Get out of Canterlot, grab what I need from back home, hightail it out of Ponyville, find dear old mother, get rid of her, and try to fix everything! Simple, right?

The brief moment of optimism coursing through him quickly died.

Right... right.

The plan seemed simple... but it... didn't seem right. It wasn't right. Nothing could ever make it right. It would've been fine in his old way of thinking, maybe.

But these were his friends. And he was talking about leaving them behind. Even if they didn't know who he really was, he still couldn't just abandon them like this. And if he did ever go off to find Chrysalis, and she was able to...

Oh, who was he kidding? Even if he did have the courage to abandon everypony, the plan was far from simple. The mother he saw in that wedding hall wasn't the same mother he knew then. He was lucky he still had his head upon his shoulders.

He shook those thoughts out of his head. He couldn't think about that now. He had at least one part of the mission to focus on—escape Canterlot. And judging from the countless royal guards that were now patrolling the streets just twenty feet away, all equipped with countless spears and bows and even swords...

Yeah, this was gonna be a cakewalk... totally.

"Real smooth, Lyon. Real smooth."

As the Royal Guard began marching their way down the brick roads of Canterlot, Twilight and her friends were busy searching corner to corner of the city in hopes of finding the escaped changeling.

Well, it was more them following Pinkie as she sniffed her way through the city like a lost puppy.

"Found it! Wait, no, that's just a sandwich. Aha! It's over... nope, that's a used tissue... ugggh! Wait, there he— Sorry, that's the same sandwich..."

As much as she loved her antics, Rainbow Dash felt she was seconds away from throttling the pink mare.

"Ugh," she groaned, "this is getting us nowhere! We need to be busting down doors and taking names, not sniffing moldy sandwiches!"

"Well, how do you know they can't actually turn into sandwiches?" Pinkie suggested.

"I... whuh... what?" Rainbow stuttered, watching as Pinkie grabbed the aforementioned sandwich from the alleyway and started to pick through its contents.

"Maybe it's all part of a super secret conspiracy! AttaaaAaack of the moldy hay sandwicheeeEeees!" Pinkie sang in a sinister tone as she flipped open the pieces of moldy bread to mimic a monster's mouth.

Fluttershy recoiled in a mix of disgust and fear. "Um... I might've eaten a hay sandwich this morning."

Pinkie dropped the sandwich back into the trash can and rested a hoof gently upon the timid mare's head.

"Then it's already begun."

"Can y'all focus here?" Applejack asked in a frustrated tone. "We're supposed to be looking for a changeling. We don't got time to dilly-dally."

"I'm totally focused!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Focused on busting down doors!"

Rarity rolled her eyes at the pegasus. "Darling, we aren't going to find a changeling by breaking into ponies' houses."

"Well, what about after they open the door for us? Then it isn't necessarily breaking and entering!"

"..."

"Ugh, fine." Rainbow turned to the lavender unicorn, now leading the charge. "So, what's the plan, egghead?"

But Twilight didn't answer her friend. Instead, she continued forward, her head moving almost out-of-place with the rest of her body, and her eyes in a daze.

"Twilight?"

Still no answer. Applejack walked up to her friend and briefly tapped on her shoulder. Initially, there was no reaction, but a second, slightly rougher tap brought the unicorn out of her stupor.

"Wha...? Oh... sorry," she apologized, stopping in place.

"Are you alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked with concern, noting Twilight's slightly distant eyes.

"I'm fine. It's just... I'm just thinking about Lyon. That's all."

"We all are, darling," Rarity remarked. "And we'll find him. Don't you worry. But we should probably look for—"

"The changeling. I know. I'm just..." Twilight stopped and stared at the ground for a moment, deep in thought, before looking back up to her friends. "I'm just trying to think of when he could've been replaced. Maybe that could help us know where to look?"

"Well... you got a point," Applejack said. "72 Hour rule and all, right?"

Twilight nodded.

"Had anything... odd happened at all with Lyon since we got here? Anything unusual or unlike him?"

The mares all shook their heads... only to stop almost at the same time.

"Actually," Applejack spoke, "... now that you mention it, Lyon was jumped on the way to the castle just after we arrived."

"Jumped?"

"That's right! Some ghastly stallion he bumped into," Rarity added. "And over a simple bump, no less!"

"Right... that scar... he was gonna talk about it after the wedding, but..."

"I think that stranger was also screaming about somethang really odd, like... ... like..."

"Traitor," the five mares all said in unison, even unnerving Twilight. They all looked at each other with nervous glances. Rainbow Dash held up her hooves in protest and landed to the ground beside Pinkie.

"Wait... so he was replaced literally ten MINUTES after we got here?" she asked. "How could we not have seen that?!"

Applejack lifted her hoof to stop Rainbow. "Now hold on, Sally. We don't exactly know that."

"Uh, what are the chances that some random schmuck and the changeling queen both happened to call him a traitor? There aren't a lot of Lyon-looking ponies in this city!"

Rather than attempt to explain, Applejack turned to Twilight, hoping that she might be able to shed a bit of her own ideas. But the mare found herself shaking her head in confusion.

"But in that case... that doesn't make sense," Twilight eventually explained. "He wasn't acting any different afterwards. We would've noticed that, at least."

"That's... that's true," Rarity said in realization. "The way your brother explained it, even the most skilled changelings have trouble replicating a pony's personality, do they not?"

Twilight nodded. "But he was acting just like him. All his mannerisms, the way he spoke... the way he spoke... the way he looked at me... That was all Lyon."

The five mares eyed each other with concern.

"Are you... sure, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. Twilight nodded slowly.

"Nopony could mimic any of that so well."

Twilight paused, looking up at the hole on the side of the castle, the fires now extinguished, but the charred texture still prevalent around it.

"At least... I hope not."

"How in the world did I get myself into this mess? ... Again?"

Lyon had to have asked himself that same question a dozen times as he climbed the side of the Canterlot living quarters palace. He had thirty different answers to that question, and only five of them he actually liked. Or was that too strong a word?

Before Chrysalis sparked him back, Lyon wouldn't have thought to come back here, much less sneak his way through alleyways while wearing a series of twisted rags that made him look more like a mummy than a homeless person. But he wasn't willing to start stealing money from ponies.

Besides, most of the guards had been off in the downtown areas, leaving the residential quarters practically unguarded. For the moment, at least. But with the front doors still being repaired at the time—it was more than just the doors, he noticed—Lyon had no choice but to take the long way around.

That meant climbing up a series of poles and pipes on the side of a building where a single slip meant falling thousands of feet to his death.

"I better get a Hooflitzer for this," Lyon grunted to himself as he gripped the cold pipes and lifted himself up.

It would've been fine, in his opinion, if he wasn't already severely weakened from the blowout. But juggling around in his mind, it was nowhere near the dumbest thing he had done.

Lyon stepped up against the brick wall, only for his hind hoof to slip against it. He stammered as he adjusted himself and buzzed his wings. Suddenly, he found himself breathing heavier than he was a moment ago.

But it might just beat the record...

After a few tense minutes, Lyon was able to successfully prop himself up back onto the lower ledge connecting the bedroom windows. He gripped his head in pain, but luckily his horn had stopped sparking for the time being. But that didn't mean he was going to try changing form anytime soon. All that mattered right now was getting back into his room.

"Please still be unlocked," he hoped silently, "please still be unlocked..."

Like he did before, Lyon slowly paced himself across the ledge, holding a hoof against the wall to support himself. The wind didn't seem as rough as it was the last time, but he still was careful not to move too fast. As he passed what he believed from memory to be Applejack's window, he stopped, taking a quick peek to check if anyone was inside. As soon as he was sure the coast was clear, he moved on.

Even though he was sure they were out in town trying to track him down, he couldn't risk being careless now, of all times.

Lyon crawled against the wall until he finally was once again standing by his own window. To his surprise and simultaneously glee, the window hadn't yet been fixed, the bolts still sitting beside the pane.

"Yes!"

With both hooves, Lyon pressed against the window and lifted it swiftly, yet gracefully, until he was able to fit through. He peeked his head in first, glancing around the room quickly, while his ears stayed attentive. With not a peep from even the dustiest corner, Lyon practically hopped into the room, fluttering in the air briefly as he gently closed the window again.

"I should really think of adding wings or something," Lyon whispered to himself as he set the window back in place, only to mentally facehoof. "Right... earth pony. Friends. Find. Me. Wouldn't work. Discovered. Ugh... I didn't really plan that whole part out well, did I?"

Lyon shook his head and turned back to the room, which had looked no different from when he last saw it. He was surprised nopony decided to pillage his room for any clues yet—but maybe that was a good thing.

"Now," Lyon began, "where did I leave that pouch...?"

The changeling started rummaging through the dresser drawers and under the bed sheets looking for a decent-sized pouch of bits—just enough to get a quick ticket for the next train out of Canterlot, assuming Shining Armor hadn't locked down the train station too.

Wait... the train... the shield...

Lyon winced.

"You idiot," he grumbled. "The shield's back up. Even if I did have the bits, how could I get back outside without the shield splattering me against the back of the train?"

But he paused.

"But... it didn't crush me before. It just... felt off. Maybe it doesn't affect changelings in a form? Ugh... this is getting complicated."

The sound of metal clinking against the marble floors behind him brought a shiver down his spine. Slowly, Lyon craned his neck a full 180... only to meet himself face to face with Spike, holding a bowl of what seemed to be ice cream, which soon also fell to the floor alongside the now identified spoon.

"... And now it just got more complicated. Great."

Spike stood frozen, staring at Lyon for several seconds, before holding up a claw and pointing at him while slowly backing towards the door he just came in through.

"Y-You... You're..."

But the door having closed behind him it seemed, Spike found himself pressed up against them, fear plastered into his eyes. Lyon held up a careful hoof, trying to find the words to say, but nothing seemed to come up other than simple uh's.

"S-Stay back!" Spike exclaimed while attempting a defensive stance. "Don't come any closer!"

"Spike," Lyon called out, "it's me. It's Lyon."

Inside, the changeling was cursing himself. Really? That's all you could come up with?

"No! You're lying! You're a changeling! You take the form of others to feed from their love!"

"I'm not like that, Spike. I promise. It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you."

Despite Lyon's claims, Spike was still attempting to reach for the door handle. The young dragon continued to warn Lyon not to approach him, but it wasn't until a small puff of fire escaped his throat that the changeling chose to listen.

"Okay," Lyon said hesitantly. "Okay... I won't come any closer. Okay?"

Spike didn't move straight away, but he took on a sad glare. Lyon looked him back with sad eyes.

"Where is Lyon?" the drake asked. "What did you do to my friend?"

Lyon sighed, knowing he wasn't going to be able to lie his way out of this situation. Besides, he couldn't do that to Spike, being as young as he was. He trusted him too much.

"I am Lyon," he confessed. But Spike shook his head and snorted.

"That's not what you said to Applejack! She told us you didn't know where he was!"

Lyon winced again and sighed, bowing his head.

"I knew that was gonna bite me in the flank," he said loud enough to for Spike to hear. He looked back up. "Look, I... I was just trying to spare her the truth. I swear."

"And how do I know you're telling the truth now?"

The changeling opened his mouth, but stopped when he realized... Spike was right. There wasn't a way to show he was telling the truth apart from a lie-detecting machine, but even those were faulty at times these days. Besides, where was he going to find one at this very moment?

"Hmm..." Lyon hummed. "Okay... ask me something only I... I mean, Lyon... would know. About you, I guess."

Spike's hand lowered away from the door handle, but his postured stayed cautious. He was looking at Lyon with curious eyes, but ultimately played into the game.

"Okay, then... Who do I have a crush on?"

Really? It's that easy?

"Rarity," he answered. "She's been your crush since you came to Ponyville."

"And what race is she?"

"Unicorn."

"Hairstyle?"

"Curvy... I guess you can call it curvy?"

"Cutie mark?"

"Three diamonds in a triangular formation. Checkmate."

Spike relaxed just a bit more, even as Lyon tried his damnedest to hold back a chuckle. Of course everyone in the world at this point knew about Spike's crush, but he was willing to let it slide if it meant getting Spike to trust him.

"Do you believe me now?" Lyon asked.

"Not yet," Spike said. He placed a claw under his chin as he tried thinking of another question to ask.

"I can wait. If you want, I can just answer random facts that no average pony would know about. Like... how Twilight nearly fell into Froggy Bottom Bog, how Fluttershy once tamed a manticore, how the girls dressed up as Mare-Do-Well to make Rainbow Dash jealous—"

"Who does Lyon have a crush on?"

"... I was afraid you were gonna say that," Lyon said with a sigh.

"And only I know who he actually has a crush on, so don't try lying to me about it."

He was right about that... Lyon hoped. He was the only one he ever really told. He wanted to tell Rarity at one point—since she seemed more the 'experienced' type—but he felt worried she would gossip her heart out accidentally one day, and suddenly everyone knows. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing... but he wanted to be the one to tell her.

Guess he already did that... technically.

With a blush, Lyon reluctantly answered.

"Twilight Sparkle."

Spike stepped away from the door, but not before locking it. He quickly looked upon Lyon with more of an optimistic gaze, but his eyes remained squinted.

"I still don't 100% trust you... but you do know about that. And I tried my hardest to make sure nopony knows but him and me."

"And yet I know about it, meaning..."

"... That you're either a spy..."

"... Or...?"

Spike looked up, eyes locking for a moment as he froze in place. A mix of astonishment and confusion ran over his face.

"You're... telling the truth."

Though Lyon nodded faintly, inside he was letting out torrents of relieved breaths. He was nearly compelled to wrap the drake in a firm hug, but it was best to play things slow. He didn't want to risk bringing the Guard down on him.

Spike looked him up and down. Slowly.

"It... It's really you... isn't it?"

"Yeah. It's me."

Spike inspected him again, far slower than before. The air grew still around them, yet everything whirled about.

"So... you're a changeling."

"... Yeah."

The air was tense already, as if it hadn't already been. Spike carefully walked over to the bowl of ice cream he had dropped and picked it up, inspecting it for traces of dirt or specks upon it before reaching for the spoon.

"Have..." Spike froze, looking at Lyon who had still been standing in the same spot. "Have you always... been a...?"

Lyon nodded.

"Even before... this?" Spike asked, waving his spoon around to emphasize their current predicament, earning a second nod from the cautious changeling.

"I know—you've probably got a thousand questions ringing in your head—"

"That's... an understatement."

Lyon laughed weakly, only for the laughter to dissipate as quick as it started. "But I swear I had good intentions. I still do."

Spike took a scoop of ice cream and ate it hesitantly. "That would've been believable... beforehand."

"Yeah. Yeah, it would've."

Spike's eyes then grew, curious abound on them, and the ice cream hung in between his jaws.

"Wait," he began, "if you were a changeling before... then you... you knew about this in advance... You could've—"

His eyes took an investigative glance at Lyon, who couldn't help but scoff nervously and hold up a quick hoof.

"Not exactly."

Spike raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"I... may have wiped my memory before coming to Ponyville."

"Memory wipe?" Spike asked, his expression unchanging. "How?"

Lyon tilted his head. "I may have given Zecora a visit beforehoof."

"Wait, you knew Zecora before we did?"

"Kinda...? I mean, the time we all saw her together, I didn't exactly recognize her, 'cause of the... you know..."

"Right. Memory wipe."

"... Yeah."

Lyon cleared his throat in an almost timid manner, though he was more unnerved than timid.

"Look... whether or not you believe it's me, it's a really long story. But I promise you, I'll explain everything. Eventually."

"Or you could just come clean now," Spike suggested, setting the bowl down on the nearest desk. "Twilight and the others are out there looking for you right now. The whole city's on edge."

Lyon blushed again, this time in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I didn't really think the whole 'blowing up a jail cell' part through 100%. I probably could've done better than puking all over myself."

"What?"

"Long story... ish." Lyon moved again for the first time in a few minutes and started rummaging through the nearby desk drawers.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

Lyon shut the drawers with no luck. "I need to get out of here, Spike. I need to get on the next train out of here, get back to Ponyville, and grab some things from my house."

"For...?"

Lyon sighed. "My mother is still out there, and until yesterday, I thought she had died when she... The point is, she's still out there. And it's because of me that this all happened. And now it's my job to do what I should've done all those years ago."

"Which is...?"

Lyon's eyes caught his reflection in a nearby mirror. He had forgotten just how ugly he looked, how the rotted parts of the skin beneath his scales were blacker than black, how the broken horn upon his head mocked him as it always had. A constant reminder.

"Defeat my mother." He turned away from the mirror and ran over to the bed, glancing down under it. "But before I can do any of that, I need to find enough money to buy a train ticket. Do you think you can help me find a small green pouch? With a little red arrow symbol on the front?"

Lyon looked up from under the bed to see Spike standing there indecisively.

"Please, Spike? You're the only person I can trust right now."

Spike looked up curiously. "... Really?"

Lyon nodded.

"Well... okay, then. Green pouch, you said?"

Lyon nodded again, then smiled to the young drake. "Thank you, Spike."

"You're... you're welcome."

Lyon and Spike spent the next few minutes practically tearing the room apart looking for the supposed green pouch. From under the bed, to over it, to inside the cracks of the desks and dressers, but nothing came up. Lyon was completely flabbergasted. How could he have lost it? Where could he have put it?

"Where was the last place you remember putting it?" Spike asked Lyon.

"I—gnngh," Lyon grunted while pulling an ottoman above him. "I thought I put it in one of these drawers. Unless someone took it while I was gone! But nothing else is missing, so that doesn't make much sense."

"Are you sure you didn't drop it at the wedding?"

"No, why would I—"

Lyon paused, only to audibly groan with frustration.

"It's in my satchel. And let me guess: It's still sitting in the prison wing."

"Actually, I'm sure I saw Twilight with it when she ran off."

Lyon laughed in a scoff at the news, burying his face in his hooves. "Well, that's even better."

The changeling sighed in his hooves and tried coming up with an entirely new part of the plan—one that didn't involve resorting to petty theft, and one that preferably didn't involve him going out in broad daylight. He was no thief, not anymore, and he wasn't going to start again anytime soon.

"So, now what?"

Lyon lifted his head as an idea sparked within him.

"Do you happen to have anymore of those gems I gave you?"

Spike recoiled, but nonetheless nodded his head. "Why?"

"Because I might need to bribe the conductor. And maybe the co-conductor. ... Do co-conductors exist?"

A few hours passed in sleepful silence between Lyon and Spike, the latter of which kept guard near the door to warn the former of any approaching company.

Lyon knew Spike was still doubtful of his identity. The subtle glances he exchanged told more than he believed. But he knew Spike was working his way around the whole oddity of it all—even if it still seemed strange.

Knowing it was too risky to go out while the sun was still in the air, Lyon chose to wait until nightfall before going out into the streets. Once the sun had vanished beneath the horizon, Lyon glanced out the side window, hoping to see the streets below. However, the building was angled right enough to keep that from happening.

"Alright," Lyon began, "guess we'll just have to go out and see for ourselves."

"Uh, shouldn't we find something for you to wear?" Spike suggested, pointing to Lyon's default form. "I don't think you'll be able to blend in looking like that. Don't you guys transform?"

"Of course we do. It's just... for me, it's more taxing. I've only got half a horn."

Spike looked up at the broken horn and grew curious.

"How did that happen?"

"..." Lyon stood silently, sighing off to a distant nothing.

"Chrysalis. Right."

"Most magic for me, even changing form, could... Well, let's just say it won't end well if I did it in too many bursts—even if someone like Twilight could do it without breaking a sweat. If I do it now, I might not have enough energy to run away if I get caught."

"Then we'll need to dress you up." Spike walked over to the door and unlocked it. He opened carefully and slowly to prevent any noise; the young drake peeked his head out the door and looked in both directions, even though the door was at the end of the hall. You can never be too careful.

Spike motioned a claw for Lyon to follow behind him. Though confused, the changeling paced himself carefully behind Spike down the familiar living quarter halls.

"Where are we going?" Lyon whispered.

"Rarity's got a ton of clothes sitting around. I'm sure we can find something for you!"

"Let's just hope it doesn't involve me wearing a maid's outfit."

Even though he couldn't see it, Lyon knew the young drake was already blushing deeply. He bit his lip trying to stifle a giggle.

"W-What makes you think she has something like that?"

"It's Rarity," Lyon stated simply. "I can think of thirty different reasons. And a half."

"... Do any of them involve dragons?"

"Let's keep going."

The duo continued down the hallway, which seemed to lack the presence of even the royal guards; that didn't surprise Lyon, considering what he had done earlier, but he was surprised Spike was all by himself.

Speaking of which...

"Why are you here, by the way?" Lyon asked curiously. "I thought you'd be helping Twilight look for me."

"I was," he exclaimed softly, "but she wanted me to come back here so I'd be safe. I told her I could handle myself, but she still treats me like a kid!"

"... You are a kid, Spike." The dragon turned back to glare at him briefly, but Lyon felt unfazed by it. "Don't act like it isn't true."

Spike scoffed, turning back around.

"Even if I am just a kid, I'm still capable of helping! So I decided I'd give your room a bit of good old detective work!"

"That explains why you were in there to begin with... but why with ice cream?"

"I can't exactly solve a missing persons case on an empty stomach, can I?"

"Fair enough."

Not more than a moment later, Spike and Lyon arrived at Rarity's bedroom. Like before, Spike opened the door slowly and peeked his head in. After a few seconds, he opened the doors wide and motioned Lyon to follow him inside. Instantly, the smell of perfume rang through his nostrils. That was the only thing he hated about Rarity's perfumes: the strength of their stench.

"Gods," Lyon said bitterly, "I'm never gonna get used to that."

"It's not that bad."

"You're telling me your nose hairs aren't on fire right now?"

"Nope," Spike admitted, but paused after closing the doors behind Lyon. "Maybe it's a changeling thing?"

"Probably..." Lyon said, realizing there might've been some truth to that, after all. "Let's just get something fancy and concealing and get out of here, alright?"

"Got it."

Breathing through his mouth, Lyon started to unpack all the individual suitcases Rarity had brought along with her. In any other scenario, he would've been barking why she had so many damn suitcases. But once this was all over, he was going to thank her for being overpacking!

If she didn't kill him, that is...

For several minutes, the changeling and dragon found bits of fabric and cloth capable of covering areas that normal shirts and pants would not be able to conceal. In front of the triple mirror that sat by Rarity's bed, Lyon tried on an assortment of different clothes, many of which seemed too obvious. Spike even recalled one of them making him look just like a mummy.

"If I wasn't already the walking definition of a rotting cockroach, I might've been a little offended. Maybe."

Eyeing the various clothing pieces that the unicorn had harbored, Spike's attention suddenly fell upon a trench coat and mask set. Swiftly, he handed them to Lyon.

"Will this work?"

"Let's see," Lyon said, taking the clothing from Spike's grasp and fitting them over his body. The most difficult piece of the uniform to put on was the trench coat itself, as it required him to fold in his wings as to not accidentally crush them inside.

As soon as they were snug enough, he put on the beach hat that seemed to go along with it, which concealed most of his face, but still left it somewhat visible. However, attached to the trench coat itself seemed to be a fabric mask that could wrap around his face easily. As soon as it was done, there was zero indication a changeling's face could be harbored beneath.

The last thing to add were a set of gloves that covered his hooves, as well as a set of boots that he could fit his hind hooves into. As he looked into the mirror, Lyon saw a hidden figure staring back at him. Mysterious, creepy, but most of all: Canterlot... y.

"How do you feel?" Spike asked.

"I feel like I'm about to die of heatstroke," Lyon admitted, "but it should feel better off once we're outside. But I gotta say: I respect Rarity a whole lot more than I did before putting all this on."

"Welcome to my world," Spike said with a smirk. "Just... lay off the merchandise."

Lyon rolled his eyes with a muffled chuckle, then made one final check in the mirror to be sure he wasn't missing anything. After that, he started his way to the door.

"Let's try to stay away from the crowds as best as possible, alright?" Lyon suggested. "If we do get singled out, I don't wanna be surrounded by hundreds of fear-fueled ponies."

"Got it. Lucky for you, I know Canterlot like the back of my claw."

"Then you're my eyes till we get to the train station, okay?"

"Will do!" Spike answered with a brief salute. Lyon then grabbed Spike and lifted him onto his back. "Whoa... you're a lot stiffer than before."

"Yeah, I got that a lot in the past."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "How often did you have dragons riding on your back?"

"... I'll tell you when you're older. If I get out of here alive."

"Right..."

The streets of Canterlot at night were no less crowded than they were in the day, but it was only a matter of time before ponies were cramming themselves back into their homes. Behind the chilled chirping of crickets, a distant voice screamed from an intercom.

"Attention citizens of Canterlot:" the voice boomed, resembling the very tone of Shining Armor, "A rogue changeling has escaped from the royal palace and is on the loose. If you encounter this changeling, DO NOT try to apprehend it yourself. Locate your nearest Royal Guard and they will help you. Your life is important."

And the message would repeat every couple minutes. By the fourth loop, Lyon and Spike were far from the castle by now, and courting their way through the outer edges of the city.

"So what's it like being a changeling?" Spike asked in hopes of passing the time, though careful not to ask it too loud.

"Uh... It's... something," Lyon said almost reluctantly. "Not much of the good kind of something, either."

"Are there others like you? Ones that aren't exactly... y'know...?"

"Ravenous, lovethirsty serpents of death?"

"Uh... yeah...?"

"I..." Lyon chewed on his lip for a moment before sighing. "I don't know. But there used to be."

"Well, what happened to them?"

Lyon sighed again. "I'd rather not get into that. At least, not right now... okay?"

Spike nodded his head and tried to think of another question that wasn't so similar.

"Is any of the stuff you told us in the past true?" Lyon looked up at the drake as if looking for more details. "I mean, your past life. You used to talk about growing up in Baltimare, then travelling from place to place and dealing with some scandals here and there..."

"Ah, that stuff," Lyon realized. "Yes and no. All that stuff did happen to me one way or another, but it didn't happen in the right order. I hoof-picked specific memories to shape the persona I was going for. So while a lot of it wasn't really fresh from my mouth... I was never lying to you guys."

"Really?"

"Really. I guess I just... wanted to be sure there wouldn't be any holes in the stories without me knowing. Plus, I... I don't really like lying."

"Huh," Spike said with a huff. "Well, why did you decide to wipe your memory?"

Lyon bowed his head, but kept it level enough to see where he was going.

"I've lived a long enough life that I wanted to just... forget. At the time, it sounded like a good idea. But after everything that's happened... that's probably one of the dumbest things I ever did."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Why not?" Lyon looked up.

"You said it yourself, right? You had no idea your mom was alive, so you did what you thought was the right choice."

Lyon shrugged. "And now we're stuck in this mess."

"Well... it could be worse."

Lyon scoffed a laugh.

"Yeah. It could."

As the duo turned the next corner, the familiar sights of the train station platform came into view. So did the countless guards that occupied it.

"And now I remember why that should never be said."

Spike hopped off Lyon's back and observed the station perimeter. Countless guards stood around the platform, more so than when they first arrived, but other than that, it seemed that ponies were still coming and going as they pleased.

"I thought Shining Armor would've locked this down too," Spike said, mentioning his words back in the delegation hall. "They must have some crazy security detail if they're keeping it open."

"Then that means getting in the usual way is out of the question, unless we plan on hijacking the thing."

"We're not... going to, are we...?"

"Wouldn't be the first time, heh... but no."

"Phew," Spike sighed in relief. "So... new plan?"

Lyon didn't respond immediately, instead looking at the individual train cars that made up its overall form. Most of the cars were passenger cars, but the last few cars seemed to be that of storage units. Those typically had doors on both sides.

"Ever snuck into a storage car before, Spike?"

"Not... exactly."

"Neither have I. But hey, first time for everything, right?"

Lifting Spike onto his back once again, Lyon started for the train station, but halfway there, he instead moved off the trail, making his way towards the back end of the train that lay shrouded in the darkness. As he approached the series of storage cars, he was surprised to find that not a single guard stood back here; from experience, these types of cars had a lot of valuable goods, so it seemed careless that they would—wait...

Lyon placed his ear up to the nearest car, only to hear the sound of muffled conversation. Deep, gritty voices with almost a commanded tone to them...

"Damn it," Lyon whispered, "I was afraid they'd be in there."

"Guards?"

"Yeah, and a lot, it sounds like." Lyon let out a snort, circling his way back around the car until the train platform was visible again. Ponies were still making their way up the steps and into the train, occasionally showing off tickets, but in some cases they spouted some bits. No gems or emeralds, though.

Lyon furrowed his brows—though that was difficult to pull off under a mask.

"I guess we really don't have a choice, after all."

"I don't know, Lyon," Spike said with concern. "It seems a bit risky."

""A bit" is laying it on thin. But we don't have any other options. It's only a matter of time before I'm found out. We need to go now."

"Well, do you have a plan?"

"Just... one. And..."

"And...?" Spike waited for the changeling to answer straight away, but he stood in silence for a moment before inevitably sighing. Only the sigh didn't sound like him. It sounded like...

"Just trust me... okay?"

...

"You're not seriously going to pretend to be Twilight dressed like this, are y—okay, yes you are. This is happening. Great."

"Shh," Lyon hushed Spike in Twilight Sparkle's recognizable voice as he walked carefully towards the train platform. Just like changing physical form, Lyon was also able to modify his voice to sound like someone else. But also like changing physical form, he was only going to get one or two shots at this for a good chunk of time. Anymore, and...

"Are you sure about this?"

"Not 100%..."

"Well, that's reassuring..."

"... but it's better than nothing, right?"

Spike didn't answer. Instead, he scanned the platform the closer they got, and was slightly relieved not to see Twilight herself nearby. It would've definitely made things more complicated than they already were.

Standing by one of the open side doors of a passenger cabin was one of many identical guards, of which he overlooked every mare, stallion, and foal that entered the car. Lyon figured out the rest of the short term plan as the line in front of him got shorter. What exactly was he gonna tell the guard?

"Next!"

Really wish I took up that improv class.

Lyon stepped up to the guard, who tilted his head at the overall attire. He seemed a bit suspicious, but perhaps it was more so curiosity, especially for a pony leaving Canterlot.

"What's with the fancy getup?" he asked.

"Uh... it's complicated. You see, I... um..."

LYON. This is not a good time to catch a frog in your throat.

The guard began narrowing his eyes as he inspected Lyon top to bottom. Nothing from the clothing alone could indicate his true form below, but Lyon knew he was going to figure out something if he didn't say something in the next two seconds. Luckily, Spike seemed to be right there to help him along, as he waved for the guard to come in close to whisper into his ear.

"Relax, my guy. It's just Twilight. Celestia wants us undercover while in Ponyville. Can't be too careful, right?"

At first, Lyon wasn't sure if that alone was enough to convince the guard. But as he pulled away, he gave a brief nod.

"My apologies, Lady Sparkle," he said in a quieter tone of voice. "I didn't recognize you beneath all that clothing."

"That's good!" Lyon exclaimed in Twilight's gleeful tone, only to catch himself. "I mean... well, that's fine. Sorry. I didn't want to blow my cover before I got back to Ponyville."

"Understandable. However... I'd recommend something less... er, suspicious."

Lyon giggled. "Of course, sir. But I can't be too careful, can I?"

"Well... I suppose not," the guard agreed with a shrug. "Should we have any guards accompany you during your stay?"

"That won't be necessary," Lyon dismissed with a hoof. "I've got my number one assistant with me in case anything goes wrong. Right, Spike?"

Spike nodded his head firmly with a grin. "Yup!"

The guard nodded back to the both of them. "Well, I won't keep you waiting. Do you have your ticket?"

A moment later, Spike took out what appeared to be a massive sapphire gem from one of the trench coat pockets and planted it firmly in the guard's hoof. Lyon feigned shrinking backward sheepishly.

"Sorry. It was kinda on short notice."

But the guard seemed to be far too enthralled in the sheer size of the gem. The way it shone, how he could see his crystal clear reflection staring him back...

"Not a problem at all, Lady Sparkle. Go on in. And safe travels."

Lyon curtsied. "And to you, sir."

The guard bowed to who he believed was Twilight, and let the two inside. Lyon stepped upon the train car and began navigating his way through the passenger cabin, until he found a clear enough portion where nopony sat. Spike hopped off and took his own spot, and Lyon plopped down next to him, letting out a brief sigh, which turned to a muttered groan as he undid the voice changing spell.

He bowed his head and let out a slightly pained sigh. He also noticed Spike glancing at him every couple seconds.

"... You curtsied."

"Not a peep to anyone, understand?"

"If you can get me another sapphire gem."

"... Deal."

Their conversation ended with the sound of the train horn several cars down blowing out steam and whistling into the evening air. A few moments later, the doors of the passenger cabin were shut tight. But even with the sound of the horns and doors, the voice playing over the city intercom could still be heard to Lyon.

"—Your safety is important."

That bugged Lyon. He didn't know if he had the right to be bugged by it, but he just couldn't help it. He sympathized with everyone, he really did. The way Applejack cried as she ran off thinking he had been abducted, the way Shining Armor screamed at him as he recalled Cadance being tortured right beneath his hooves—he understood their frustrations. But it didn't mean they weren't wrong.

"Hey," Spike said eventually, prompting Lyon to look down. "You okay?"

Lyon sighed.

"I'm not looking forward to when this is all over."

The changeling stared outside the window, not watching anything in particular. He just wanted something to look at without focusing on the details. Spike eyed him with concern for a few moments before looking down at his claws.

"Me neither."

"I'm just saying," Rainbow started, "she was shifting way too much in her seat, that's all!"

"Well, what the hay did you expect?" Applejack exclaimed questionably. "Ya darn near tore her hoof off the way you barged in like that!"

"She ran off too fast! I just had to be sure!"

Rarity deadpanned. "Darling... we were invaded by creatures that round ponies up and replace them in a heartbeat. Did you honestly think she was going to just sit down and talk with us over a cup of tea?"

"I wouldn't have drunk it anyway. And if she did turn out to be one of those creeps, it'd be up to me to mop up the place!"

"And pray for Celestia and Luna if that ever ended up being the case."

Rainbow Dash glowered at the unicorn, only to roll her eyes and groan. "Okay, fine! So we tried my way and it didn't work! We still wasted five hours walking through Canterlot and not finding a single clue!"

The annoyed expression on the pegasus' face quickly turned into slight dismay.

"Look, why don't we just go back to the castle and call it a night? It's obvious we're not gonna find anything tonight."

Eyes turned to Twilight, who was already beginning to look frantic with wear, her frazzled mane getting in her eyes and her magic becoming strained as she struggled to hold a map of Canterlot in front of her, labeled with a variety of locations the changeling could've run to. Anyplace that was easy to blend in—nightclubs and local taverns—seemed like a good bet as any.

"Twilight?" Rarity called out, earning a confused glance from the mare. "Do you want me to hold that for you, dear? Save your strength?"

Save your strength.

Twilight recoiled, then shook her head to collect her thoughts.

"Sorry. Yeah... yeah, here you go," Twilight replied, levitating the map over to Rarity, who picked it up without hesitation. Twilight immediately felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, but the strain overall still lingered.

All of them noticed how distant her eyes had become in such a short time. She seemed like she was constantly gazing at the streets and the ponies that inhabited it, but nothing from the neck down. She was looking at their faces and their hair and tails, the color of them. They could've guessed three different reasons why she did, but it didn't matter.

"Darling," Rarity spoke up again, "I think we should consider Rainbow Dash's option and just go back. It is fairly late."

"Rarity's right, Twi," Applejack said. "Besides, I think you could use the rest more than any of us."

Twilight turned to her friends with concern in her eyes, but it was clouded by exhaustion. "But—But the changeling—!"

"Ain't going nowhere. Your brother'll make sure of that, no doubt. And I don't think any of us will be able to take on even a single changeling if we can't even keep our eyes open, don't ya think?"

Twilight wanted to protest against it, to run out deeper into Canterlot and be more thorough with her search. A part of her wanted even to follow Rainbow Dash's example, and to tartarus with the consequences!

But no matter how tired she was, she'd never really do it. That was a line she'd never cross.

"You're right," Twilight confessed with a sigh. "Sleep deprivation isn't going to help us."

Then the mare looked off into the distance again, watching as the remaining ponies wandering the streets started huddling indoors.

Twilight's voice grew quiet. "I just hope Lyon is okay... wherever he is."

She flinched when she felt something touch her shoulder, only to relax when she saw Applejack looking back at her.

"Lyon is one of the strongest ponies I know. As strong as you and me put together. I know he'll be okay. And even if he..." Applejack hesitated and let out an unsteady breath. "... even if he ain't... okay... those changelings would be dumb enough to do anything more than give him a couple punches."

Something about the way she said that scared Twilight. She knew it was in good faith, but the idea of Chrysalis or any of the changelings taking Lyon and... killing... it made her blood boil and run cold all at the same time. Regardless, Applejack was right. Even someone like Chrysalis should know better than to kill any potential hostage if it meant her very life.

"Hey," Applejack spoke to Twilight in a softer tone, cupping her chin in her hoof. "Lyon will be okay. Do you understand? We'll find him. And we'll knock down any of those varmints if they try otherwise."

Twilight could feel the tears forming in her eyes, and Applejack could feel the poor mare's form shiver slightly. Before she could ask, Twilight pulled away and wiped her eyes out of sight of the others—even though they knew, they said nothing.

"Alright. Let's go back. We'll rest up, and first thing in the morning, we'll continue where we left off."

"Sounds like a plan, darling," Rarity said with a faint smile.

The six mares immediately started towards the castle, glowing faintly on the other side of Canterlot. They had spent the entire day exploring a chunk of the downtown area, and beyond some promising clues, there was nothing of value for them that could help their search for the changeling. They tried scouring the immediate area where it might have fallen, but by the time they got there, it was gone. However, Twilight was able to find distinct traces of magical residue scattered in one of the alleyways by the palace, indicating it was weakened or at least heavily fatigued.

But being several hours since then, who knows where it could be or how well it's recovered? For all she knew, any one of the ponies around her could be the changeling!

However, Twilight found herself glancing at the suppression field machines the guards had been setting up around the city. These machines, as complex as they were, could render a creature's magic entirely inoperable as long as they were in its vicinity. They had enough changeling residue apparently to fine tune it to single out any stragglers.

She recognized them fairly quick, as she had seen similar machines installed during the Balefire War back when she was a filly. But given that the war only lasted an hour, these would likely be up for as long as Celestia needed them to.

Hopefully not forever.

After a few minutes of twists and turns, the six girls eventually passed the train station, still operating normally despite the heavy influx of royal guards perched on the platform.

"Yeesh," Rainbow expressed, "I'd hate to be the changeling that gets pegged by those guys."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Did you really have to use that—"

"HALT!"

A loud 'eep!' escaped Rarity's throat as the girls were suddenly surrounded by countless royal guards, all of them pointing either spears or arrows at them.

"Word...?" she squeaked.

"What is the meaning of this?" Twilight asked in a demanding tone, stepping forward to the supposed leader of the group. Rather than answer her question, the guard raised his spear at her.

"Silence!" he shouted at her, then turned to two distant guards standing by one of the suppression machines. The two guards nodded, and he returned his cold gaze to the unicorn before him. "Who are you?"

Rainbow eyed the guard in disbelief.

"Uh... you're kidding, right? Twilight Sparkle? Princess Celestia's pu—"

"Lady Sparkle and the dragon just left Canterlot on a train no more than ten minutes ago," he declared, earning the shocked gaze of all six mares.

"WHAT?!" they screamed simultaneously.

"Dragon?!" Twilight shouted.

"Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity screeched, choking in a sob before fainting just a moment later, Fluttershy and Applejack barely catching her in time.

"Why didn't you stop her? I mean it! I mean..." Twilight stomped her hoof. "Urggh! I'm the real Twilight!"

"Then you don't mind if we run a quick test on you, do you?"

"Test? But I—"

"Fire!"

Pressing an assortment of buttons on the machine, a small magically-charged laser struck Twilight, engulfing her in its influence and trapping her in place. The others attempted to help her, but were kept back by the guards.

Twilight tried to hold back her screams as the machine's magic coursed through her veins, inspecting every inch of her body, from her hooves to her horn. She grunted and moaned in pain as it practically dug through her.

Maybe this was why she was so afraid of them growing up?

Finally, in a matter of seconds, the beam released Twilight from its grip and dissolved into little sparks that twinkled in the air. Twilight fell to the ground and was left panting heavily, struggling to get back on all fours. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie ran to her aid and helped her up.

"You okay, Twilight?" Rainbow asked in a worried tone, carefully inspecting the mare's body for any physical damage.

"I... I'm f-fine..." she answered with her head on her hoof and trying to hold back any potential vomit. The guard watched her with confusion.

"Lady Sparkle? But... that means..."

His eyes widened in realization, and he whipped his head around to face the platform.

"Stop that train!"

On the train, Spike watched through the port side window with sadness as the towering buildings of Canterlot got smaller. He didn't exactly regret leaving Twilight without her knowledge, but he wasn't going to just sit in a room all day and do nothing, even if he didn't bump into Lyon.

Lyon continued to gaze out the starboard side window, with nothing but the distant town of Ponyville to catch his sight. Even at night, he could see it shimmer and shine. Even now, he was still wondering if they already knew of the situation. He didn't have any kind of plan for such a predicament if that turned out to be the case. He wasn't necessarily a 'make-it-up-as-it-goes' kind of person, but he didn't like rushing into something unless he knew what he was getting into.

All he knew is that he'd have to be ready for anything the moment the doors opened. Anything could be waiting on the other side.

Lyon stepped away from the window and walked over to Spike, who acknowledged him for just a second before looking back to the window. A moment later, Spike returned the gaze.

"So what exactly are we going back to Ponyville for again?" Spike asked Lyon.

"The whole time I was living in Ponyville, I kept having some freaky Deja Vu at home—like I'd been there before," Lyon explained. "Turns out I already had. In my closet, there's a secret box I stashed away beforehoof one night, and I swore I'd never open it until the time was right."

"And, you know, getting your memory back?"

"... That too," Lyon admitted with a chuckle.

The changeling shifted in his seat, adjusting the mask on his face to better breathe through it. If the cabin wasn't occupied, he would've just taken it off until then. Even with the goggles covering Lyon's eyes, Spike could still notice him looking back.

"I know you kinda came with me on short notice, but... thank you, Spike."

"For what?"

Lyon tilted the upper half of his body slightly. "For sticking with me. I know you're still hesitant on this whole thing, and with me being... y'know... but I'm glad you didn't just turn me in."

"Well, I wanted to help," Spike claimed. "And besides... if it turned out you weren't the real Lyon after all, I'd still be getting the truth... one way or another."

That statement had a thousand implications, and very few of them were in any way comforting to Lyon. But maybe that was Spike's point.

"I'd never lie to you guys... changeling or not."

"Good," Spike finished and once more turned to the window.

Only to tense up just a second later.

"Uh... Lyon?"

"What? What is it?"

Lyon clamored beside the young drake and looked out the window with him. Immediately, Lyon felt dread wash over him as Canterlot stood red, many of its fore-lights turning a bright crimson—signaling an alarm. It was just seconds later that he could see the shapely silhouettes of a dozen pegasi flying towards the train at high speeds.

All of them wore the armor of the royal guard.

"Oh no," Lyon spoke softly.

"They found us!" Spike exclaimed, turning to the figure beside him. "What do we do?"

Lyon scrunched the lips beneath his mask as he searched the room around him. Beyond the benches and the ponies that sat upon it, there was no place to hide in this cabin, and given how many cars stood in front, many of them would be the same.

"Quick, on my back!"

Without much hesitation, Spike climbed onto Lyon's back. With a push of his hooves, he stood on all fours and quickly dashed his way through the cabin. Instantly, everypony around him turned to watch him sprint to the front of the car. With a quick flip of the lever, Lyon successfully opened the door and proceeded to the next car in front—a kitchen, it seemed!

Lyon apologized his way through the cabin as he ran past the few chefs and bakers that were cooking presumably dinner at that moment. Near the end of the cabin, he felt his hooves move under him as he almost slipped on a puddle, but was able to just catch himself by grabbing hold of what he assumed was table cloth. It wasn't until recovering himself that he realized it was the cloth of a chef's uniform, belonging to the very chef that now sat in a puddle of spilled tomato sauce.

"Uh... sorry?"

Lyon didn't need to know much Prench to know the chef cussed him out as he fled into the next cabin, this time a dining car. Ponies sat at individual tables, segregated by their social classes. Lyon didn't see a single pairing of royal and rural folks.

Then again, you see less than usual when you're hopping on top of tables and trying to escape an army of highly trained soldiers.

As Lyon hopped off the last table at the end of the car, he made a dead sprint towards the door, glancing back to make sure Spike was still holding on tightly. Sure enough, he was, muttering to himself not to let go.

Before he could reach for the door handle, two silhouettes appeared in the window pane, freezing Lyon in his tracks. He started to back up to the tables, stopping only when he heard the sound of the door at the other end sliding open to reveal four various pegasi guards.

"Stop, changeling!" one of the guards yelled. Instantly, the onlookers throughout the cabin backed away from Lyon and fled towards the back end, muttering nervous gibberish.

Lyon stood in the center of the cabin, with four guards and several scared passengers on one end, and two guards entering from the other, no doubt with the rest of their fleet standing behind them.

"A new plan would be nice right about now!" Spike exclaimed nervously.

"You!" another guard shouted, pointing to Lyon. "Release the dragon! This is your only warning! You have twenty seconds!"

Lyon looked at his surroundings again. Both exits were completely covered, and even if he could fly over them—had his wings not been crushed under a trench coat—they would just as easily tackle him before he could flee.

Which left the side windows. Preferably the ones not observing the mountainside.

"Okay..." Lyon whispered to Spike. "New plan."

"Yeah?"

"You go with them."

"What?!" Spike nearly exclaimed. Lyon tried to make eye contact with the young dragon, but at this angle, it was difficult.

"We both know it's me they're after. And I can't have them running after me knowing you're with me too. Even if everything slips, Twilight would never forgive me if something happened to you on my watch."

"Ten seconds!" the guard shouted.

"I'm not just gonna leave you here!" Spike whisper-shouted.

"You don't have a choice! I'm not letting you get hurt!"

"I'm not gonna let them kill you!"

"Five—!"

"Stop! Wait!" Lyon yelled, holding up his hooves defensively. "Wait... I..."

Despite the feeling of Spike's frustrated glare staring him down, Lyon was willing to pass it by.

"Okay. You can have the kid."

Lyon picked up Spike from his back and placed him on the floor slowly. The drake turned to watch him, chewing on his cheek in annoyance. But it was a facade, clouding the fear bubbling inside of him. But Lyon wasn't afraid.

"Go," he whispered. "I'll be alright. I promise."

Reluctantly, Spike slipped away from Lyon after a few seconds, walking cautiously towards the two guards at the front end of the car. They grabbed and placed him behind their bodies while staying still.

The entire time, Spike never took his eyes off him.

"Changeling, you are under arrest by direct order of Princess Celestia of Canterlot!" the first guard exclaimed, stepping forward a couple steps. "You will return with us and answer to the highest authority present! If you refuse these terms, we have clearance to use lethal force against you, should it be necessary!"

Lyon could feel the heat run through his body as the weight of the clothing finally started to take its toll. But it was because of this feeling that he had another idea.

"Do you mind if I take my clothes off first?"

The lead guard raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"It's a little hot under these clothes. Can I at least take them off first?"

The guard glanced at the others beside him, then looked to those standing at the front end. None of them were entirely sure what to make of it.

"You can take your clothes off when we get back to Canterlot," he said to Lyon.

"Yeah, sure... if you want to take them off a corpse," Lyon quipped. "Changelings can't handle high temperatures like this for too long. I was planning to ditch these until you kinda... well, ruined that."

Most of that was a lie, of course. But they didn't know that. Lyon supposed that was the only benefit of his race for the time being.

"Sir," one of the side-guards whispered, loud enough for Lyon to hear. "The princess wants the creature alive. He seems to know something about Lady Sparkle's missing friend."

The lead guard turned back to Lyon with a faint glare, realizing he didn't have much of a choice.

"Very well, changeling," the leader allowed. "Strip here and then come with us."

With a gentle nod, Lyon started to undo his clothing. The first to go were the mask and hat, revealing his face to the entire cabin. Everyone gasped and murmured in horror, uttering foul obscenities.

Lyon had heard it all. He was ever rarely self-conscious... at least, he used to be.

"Faster, changeling!" The guards stepped closer to Lyon threateningly as he slowly started to take off the jacket.

"Hey, you try taking off fifty layers of fancy clothing when you're sweating like a steam engine!"

As Lyon took off the trench coat, he turned to the nearest duo of guards. Spike stood by the door, curious.

"No, seriously! Try it yourself!"

With a quick wind up, Lyon suddenly threw the heavy coat at the guard duo, striking them successfully and temporarily blinding them. Spike flinched, but otherwise watched as the guards struggled to remove the coat from their heads.

The changeling whipped his way around and pointed his horn towards one of the side windows. Magic flowed through his body, and he felt pressure build up inside him. His horn glowed a bright yellow, forming a small ball that flickered rapidly; his eyes glowed a similar shade.

"Stop! Now!" one guard shrieked as he made a sprint towards Lyon. However, before he could reach him, Lyon fired the burst of magic fire into the closest window.

The glass pane shattered on contact, exploding outward and causing pieces of glass and potential shrapnel to fly in all directions. While most of it was sucked out the window, the rest flew about the cabin. However, Lyon was able to shield it before it could cause any harm to the passengers.

While everypony was in a daze, Lyon took the opportunity. Rearing up his legs, he sprinted as fast as he could in such a small space, and with a great kick of his legs, he leapt out the window, the contrast of warm/cold and bright/dark more than blatant.

Exposed to the open air of the valley that stood below Canterlot, Lyon wasn't afraid of crashing into anything. Just falling too fast.

"C'mon wings," he exclaimed with a shortness of breath, "don't fail me now!"

Mid-air, Lyon adjusted his body position so his stomach lay flat, aiming to the ground, and his wings stood equally outward. While they didn't unfurl like the wings of an average pegasus, they were still able to buzz with the power of the most majestic of cicadas.

In a matter of seconds, Lyon was no longer falling to what would've been his death. Instead, he soared the sky like an eagle.

He couldn't remember how long he laughed for. All he knew is that he laughed all the way to the ground. And he didn't care who heard.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Twilight was no longer on the verge of passing out. As long as Spike was out there, she wasn't going to get a wink of sleep until he was back.

She and the others sat in the engine car of the repair train. On most occasions, it was only used in the events of a train breaking down near Canterlot, but Celestia insisted for the exception.

All of them sat in their seats, antsy and worried. Out of all of them, the only runner-up to Twilight was Rarity. Twilight sometimes saw Rarity's past worries for Spike as not exactly pretentious, but not entirely serious.

However, pretense was nowhere to be seen in the unicorn's eyes, or anywhere on her face. Her body was shaking, and her gaze was distant even from just looking at the floor in front of her. They weren't empty, either. Just nervous.

"Rarity?" Twilight called out, leaning forward to get her attention. "Are you okay?"

Even though it was clear she didn't seem it, Rarity nodded.

"I'm fine, darling. I'm just worried about—"

"I know. Me too."

The fashionista sighed and lowered her head. "I knew it was a mistake to let him go alone. It's my fault he got foalnapped, isn't it?"

"No," Twilight insisted, "it's my fault. I'm the one that let him go in the first place. If there's anyone you should be upset with, it's me."

Rarity glanced at Twilight with sorrowful eyes, yet she smiled briefly.

"Twilight... I could never be mad at you." Then suddenly, Rarity shrunk back with a blush of embarrassment. "Well... unless you count the rehearsal as an exception...?"

Twilight shrunk back too, but couldn't help but giggle. "It's fine. I promise. None of us knew."

The mare held Rarity's hoof firmly in her own, her smile greater.

"But now that we're on our hooves, we're gonna stick together from now on. No matter what happens, we stay together. Right, girls?"

Twilight turned to the other four mares, all of whom gave nods and voices of approval at her words.

"We'll get Spike back, we'll find Lyon, and we defeat Queen Chrysalis together. Right?"

"Right!" they shouted in unison. Twilight grinned and sighed with satisfaction.

A moment later, the train began to slow down, signaling their approach. Twilight looked out the side window to see the most recent train sitting in the distance, stopped just inside a tunnel with its lights still on.

Once the repair train stopped in its tracks, Twilight and the others immediately got out and walked their way to the passenger train. As they got close, they noticed the countless ponies that stood outside, talking in individual conversations as royal guardsponies asked them a series of questions, from what they were doing at the time of the mentioned "incident" to what the creature looked like.

One of the guards noticed Twilight approaching the scene and met up with her.

"Lady Sparkle," he greeted her with a bow. Twilight greeted him back with a quick curtsey.

"Is everyone alright? Did anyone get hurt?" she asked him. To her relief, he shook his head.

"Everyone is safe. A bit shaken up, but otherwise safe."

"And Spike...?"

Before the guard could answer, Spike emerged from the crowd of ponies.

"Twilight!" he yelled.

"Spike!" she exclaimed, and the two ran to embrace each other in the middle in a tight hug. "Spike, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have let you go alone! Are you alright? It didn't hurt you, did it?"

The drake's brief smile turned to confusion. Or was it a bit of hurt she saw instead? Regardless of what it was, it caused Twilight's expression to change as well.

"Oh. IT. No. No, I'm okay."

Twilight looked up to the guards, the question already bubbling in her throat.

"We've already tested him, miss," one of them said. "He's not one of them."

With a sigh of relief, Twilight hugged Spike once again, but the confusion never left her face. Why did he seem hurt when she asked? Did it threaten him?! Them?!

She wanted to ask, but Rarity's joining into the hug made it difficult to do just that. But she couldn't blame her, and instead let it be for now—against her own wishes.

"Lady Sparkle!" shouted a distant guard as he approached Twilight from afar. By the time he reached her, he was out of breath, taking a few moments to catch it up. "I'm afraid we've lost sight of the changeling. It jumped from the window mid-ride. By the time we stopped the train, it was gone."

"Any idea where it might've gone?" Applejack questioned. The guard wanted to shake his head, but he stopped himself.

"The Everfree Forest is not far from here, just a mile or two south. If not there, then it's likely en route to Ponyville."

"What?!" Rarity exclaimed at the mention of Ponyville. "My sister is in Ponyville!"

"And the animals!" Fluttershy added.

"And Apple Bloom!" Applejack shouted, turning to Twilight. "We gotta stop it before it hurts anypony!"

Rainbow Dash reared her fore hooves. "Yeah! Let's pummel that freak!"

"Wait!"

Everyone turned to the source of the voice. Spike pushed himself from Twilight and Rarity, and stood with his hands raised in the air. Some of the train's passengers murmured in confusion.

"He doesn't want to hurt anypony!"

"Huh?" many of the ponies replied in unison. The murmurs grew louder, becoming a mix of disbelief and suspicion. Some of it seemed on the verge of outrage. Even one pony claimed the changeling had already 'corrupted the poor boy's mind.' The guards were able to calm down the ramblings until they were nothing but whispers.

Twilight glanced at the resf of her friends with bewilderment before turning to the lone drake.

"Spike, did that changeling knock you upside the head or somggagh!" Rainbow Dash tried to ask, but was cut off by a quick elbow to the gut by Applejack. Twilight glared slightly at Rainbow before turning back to Spike.

"Spike," Twilight asked curiously, "what are you saying?"

"I... I..."

Spike felt the stare of everypony around him. From the passengers on the train and the royal guards, to his closest friends, all of them already eager to know what he was thinking. He felt the pressure bearing down on him, as if afraid to say the wrong thing and be persecuted for it.

But he was willing to swallow his pride if it meant getting what he wanted.

"I think he's telling the truth."

Author's Note

So you got a bit of backstory with Lyon, but not too much! More to come in the next chapter which, if I'm timing this right, comes out the day after you read this! Unless it's already out, then hello.

Sorry for the super long chapter, but trying to fit an entire piece of plot in the span of 100 paragraphs doesn't sit well with me, even if it works for other stories. You either write too little and move the story too fast, or write too much and leave the reader spending 20 chapters wondering what the hell is going on.

I was hoping to write this story out in a minimum of 30 chapters, and depending on how far along I am by then, that may or may not happen. But I have no intentions on going beyond 100 chapters. Ever. Anything below that is great.

Still, I plan to have some fun stuff later down the line. And the changelings may be a bit different than what the show portrays them, especially later in the series. But nothing more than simple changes.

Chapter 9: Who I Am

One would've expected such a night like this to have an immense stillness. A gentle calm. But to think a stillness could be achieved tonight of all nights was nothing but a farce.

Lyon shivered with discontent as he walked along the remote dirt path. He flew as high as he could into the sky to keep from crashing into the landscape beneath him, until his wings grew sore and he was forced to land no more than twenty minutes ago.

It wasn't until soon after landing that he realized just how close he was to ending up in the Everfree Forest. From the current path, he traversed its very outskirts, not daring to barge into there unless he was sure he'd come back out alive. Not that the forest was his destination, anyhow.

He sniffled, feeling the cold evening air already begin to take its toll on him. Tonight was far colder than any night of the summer so far! Whether it was possible influence from Princess Luna or the Everfree itself, Lyon knew he had to get inside before he shivered himself unconscious.

He recognized the path he was on, but that meant Ponyville was still a twenty minute walk. He needed to get there quick before anyone else did, but he was drained of energy and couldn't even break a light sprint.

"C-Come on, Lyon," the changeling said to himself in a shaky tone. "Almost t-there... almost..."

From time to time, Lyon found himself looking ahead of him, then glancing behind at the path he just came from. It was a rounded path in spots, yet in some cases it was straight enough to look back a mile, if the time was right. Lyon saw no sign of any creature, at least in the places he could see. Then again, it was too dark for now to see much.

But the one thing that wasn't too dark for him was Canterlot. From where he stood, the city shone eerily in the distance, its fore lights still glowing red, but the alarms were completely inaudible. He didn't doubt that countless royal guards and pegasi were scouring the area where he jumped in that very moment. Or had they already known his goal by now?

He hoped Spike was okay. He hoped they just lulled him to sleep and he was resting in bed, and that he'd deal with these problems on his own time. Surely, they'd grant him that luxury, right?

But as the lights of the grand city continued to shine almost sinister-like, he was doubtful. Regardless, he refused to let it get to him and decided to continue forward. The further down he walked, the more light pollution he noticed trickled its way across the sky. While it didn't re-energize him, it did give Lyon all the more reason to keep walking.

He continued to pace his way along the dirt, even as his muscles began to ache. A yawn escaped his lips, and he felt exhaustion start to creep up on him. Now he remembered why he scarcely used magic.

Who knows what could go wrong?

Lyon could feel the tension in his body suddenly lift as Ponyville came into view at last. He laughed joyfully to himself and continued forward, misshaping the dirt beneath him. With every step the town grew closer and closer, and details became clearer, even at nighttime. Distant signs became legible, and distinct landmark buildings of the town could be singled out from the rest.

Being so late at night already, most of the townsponies had already turned in for the evening, but there was still a fair deal of activity from those who better preferred the night.

Lyon considered turning back into his typical form, but already on the verge of collapse, it would most likely be dangerous to attempt such an act. He'd have to sneak his way through back to his house and just hope lady luck would be on his side.

Then again, if these last few days were enough of an indication... she'd probably be waiting to kick it instead.

"Spike... Before we get there, I need you to swear to me... that everything you're saying and everything you're thinking, you can 100% say that you trust with your gut."

"I swear."

Twilight Sparkle stared down at her young dragon assistant, watching him with an unsteady gaze that didn't worry him, but herself. She only ever looked at Spike this way one other time, when she first adopted Owlysius and Spike had tried to sabotage her trust in the owl.

However, this time it wasn't out of anger, but of fear. Fear she was being misled, fear she was walking into what could've been a trap. But like the guards told her back on the mountain—and just as she attempted herself soon after—the dragon she saw before her was no changeling.

So why did she feel uneasy?

"Okay," Twilight said after a moment of silence. Even after Spike turned away to gaze out the window overlooking Ponyville, the unicorn caught herself watching him carefully, but not of the concern he bad been replaced.

She was wondering what that changeling did to him in such a short time. He insisted nothing. She believed something.

As Spike watched outside the window, Twilight stepped away and walked over to the rest of the group, who had been whispering conversations back and forth for the last several minutes.

"Well?" Applejack asked. "Anythin'?"

Twilight looked down and sighed oddly. "He's still sure of it."

The others exchanged nervous glances, all except for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash, ever since the changeling escaped the jail, was arguing over wanting to let loose at the next changeling she saw.

But Fluttershy... Twilight didn't know what to think of her face. She seemed to be in thought, but at the same time patience.

"Alright, so here's my plan:" Rainbow began to explain with arms wrapped around Rarity and Applejack, "We stop in Ponyville, lure the changeling to Twilight's place, and when he opens the door, BAM!"

The pegasus released the two mares for just a moment to allow her own hooves to smash together, mimicking a brawl.

"We crack his head open, take him back to Canterlot, and let Twilight's brother knock an explanation out of him!"

"Easier said than done," Applejack said dryly. "We have no idea what this thing is fully capable of. For all we know, he might've already booby-trapped the Library and got the upper hoof."

Twilight raised her hoof to call attention on her.

"Look," she began, "all that Spike's told us is that the changeling doesn't deal with confrontation well."

"Ah, so he's a coward then?" Rainbow quipped.

"Or he's merely dragging us along until reinforcements come along?" Rarity suggested.

But Twilight shook her head. "I'm... I'm not sure. Anything seems likely, but I... can't put my hoof on anything yet."

Curious, she turned to the butter yellow pegasus sitting quietly beside her.

"What do you think, Fluttershy?"

Calmly, Fluttershy panned her eyes around the collection of mares before her. She felt her nerves acting up, but she kept her composure.

"I think we should listen to Spike."

"W—" Before Rainbow could retort, Applejack clenched a hoof over her mouth. Twilight nodded a 'thank you' and turned back to Fluttershy.

"Can you tell us why?" Twilight asked kindly, even though its delivery still sent Fluttershy recoiling faintly. "Don't worry, I'm not angry."

Fluttershy stepped forward again and let the words form in her head before speaking them out.

"Well," she began, "the way Spike talks about him... it... it seems that it's more afraid of us than we are of it."

Rainbow tried to speak up again, only to remember the hoof still clamped around her lips. Snorting in frustration, she resigned to the floor.

"Plus, considering how he tried to protect everypony on the train before, he doesn't sound like he's hurt anypony so far or even wants to hurt anypony, like Spike said."

"Except for Lyon," Rarity said suddenly, only to apologize a moment later.

"That's... that's another thing I wanted to talk about."

"What?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy swirled her tongue in her mouth, and she felt her heart beat faster, making her unsteady.

"Spike said the changeling knows a lot of things that only the rest of us would know about. Things we've never told anypony, or things we did in private. Things that only we could understand. Things only Lyon would know about."

"I'm not sure I'm liking where this is going, but..." Rarity said before trailing off. "... Darling, what are you saying?"

Fluttershy sighed through her nostrils, her eyes far more attentive.

"What if he's telling the truth? What if he... is Lyon?"

The girls all watched Fluttershy cautiously, and in some cases dumbfoundedly. They exchanged looks between each other like they saw a ghost or were listening to a complete nutcase—and for all Fluttershy knew, that's most likely what they saw her as.

Everyone except Spike, who had overheard the conversation and her hypothesis, one that share his in a way, and couldn't help but lend a smile to the mare. She noticed after a moment and smile back to him.

"If we were wrong all along... then he has a lot of explaining to do," Twilight said in an unsure tone, but anyone could hear the bitterness in her tone.

And the smiles were gone.

Lyon hadn't noticed it well in the past, but for being so late at night, Ponyville was still fairly alive. If ponies weren't clamoring into the nearest nightclub for a quick jig-and-a-jug, they were strolling the streets and taking in the evening breeze, which was considerably warmer in town than out, as Lyon had also noticed.

He ducked his head, avoiding the streets and hiding in between buildings in the shadows of alleyways. If he encountered anypony approaching him, he'd do his best to hide in the darkest shadows available, wait for them to pass, then be on his way again. It was one of the few bearable quirks of his kind. Hiding in the dark was far easier than in his usual form.

Even luckier, he remembered that the side of town where he lived was not as populous, meaning it wasn't as lit up as the rest of Ponyville—so as soon as he reached the area, he allowed himself to stand freely. He hadn't realized how straining it could be to crouch for such long periods of time.

"Maybe that's a changeling thing too...?" he questioned, mirroring what Spike had told him from earlier in the evening.

The walk back to his house was free of any unwanted guests. Even if somepony were to see him now, they likely wouldn't notice his form from afar. The night was far too dark to make out much detail beyond ten feet, much to his liking. Of course, bumping occasionally into an exposed tree stump was always a disadvantage.

However, remembering the outlines of the buildings, as well as following the familiar paved brick path simply by touch, it wasn't long before he recognized his own street. Then the changeling let out a satisfied groan of laughter as his quaint little cottage greeted him back. In any situation, seeing the familiar coat of yellow paint was always a welcome sight.

The house stood the same as it did when he left a few days ago; nothing had changed, and nopony tried to break in. Then again, Ponyville never was the type of town for that.

Unfortunately, Lyon always kept his main house key in his satchel, just for safekeeping. But if he remembered right...

"Come on, come on..." Lyon muttered to himself as he dug through the potted plant on his front step. He always kept it under the welcome mat for easy access for the first three years, until he came home to Rainbow Dash passed out on his couch.

At 2 AM. Drunk.

Needless to say, this was a better—though dirtier—alternative.

"Aha!" he exclaimed as he pulled out a small brass key coated in a thin layer of dirt, which he swiftly scraped off. Lyon walked up to the door and carefully inserted the key into the lock. It clicked with ease as he twisted.

Lyon opened the front door, and was welcomed to the empty darkness of his living room. Everything was untouched, a good sign that no one was home but him. That meant no Rainbow, no Rarity...

No Applejack. No Twilight. Yet.

Shaking the thoughts away, Lyon immediately went upstairs, navigating down the hall until he found his bedroom. The smell of the scented candle he had placed down the night before he left was still fresh in the air. The bed beckoned for him from the corner of his eye, but he couldn't sleep now. Not until he was gone.

He walked past the bed and headed straight for the closet a few feet away. The closet itself was a relatively small room, capable of holding up to two ponies, and that was without the four shelves. The same carpet in the bedroom also coated the floor of the closet. And if he listened close enough with a step, he could hear the wood beneath it creak and turn.

Now he knew why.

He tore away at the closet carpet, taking bits and shreds of it in his hooves, his muscles twitching from exhaustion, but he refused to stop.

After a minute of pulling and ripping, a large hole of carpet was gone, and beneath it lay a polished, yet dirty texture of wood. Seams connected together in four corners, and a latch sank into the wood, revealing that the piece of floor beneath Lyon was instead a hatch.

"Tun katna borsomana for dae..." Lyon spoke softly to himself as he gripped the latch carefully in his hoof. With one quick pull, the wooden door opened, and a short barrage of dust scattered around the closet, forcing Lyon into a brief coughing fit.

When the dust cleared, Lyon rubbed his eyes clear of any dust before opening them, only to find himself staring at what lay before him. A small, yet thickly archer's bow sat snugly in a faux leather pouch, with its synthetic string still held firmly by the supports. Laying beside it were four identical pouches containing what he knew to be arrows made of the same wood as the bow. Each pouch, if he remembered, contained up to 10 arrows. He opened one of the pouches and counted them individually, and sure enough he was correct. Their tips were still sharp, and the smoothness of the wood never faded.

He brought one of the arrows up to his nose and took in the scent. It had acquired the familiar smell of the household over the years—but there it was, still as he could remember it.

Lavender.

He remembered now. He crafted these from the body of a felled Lavender Tree. It was coming back to him. The days he spent putting it together. The tuning and refining. Just thinking about it made his head hurt and his arms ache. And he missed that.

He took the bow from its resting place and inspected it closely. He hadn't noticed it from the angle it laid, but here he was able to see the properly fitted iron sights, one of the more latest touches on his weaponry. These days, he didn't need it so often—but he always kept it just for an occasion.

And should he be forced once to fight drenched in blood, it would once more have a purpose, he believed.

Lyon sat on his knees in the darkness of the closet, holding the bow tightly, and closed his eyes. He felt the air escape his lungs too fast, but he didn't care, as much as he wanted to.

They came back to him. The memories, they haunted him again. They always would, he knew that.

"Lyon, look! I did it! I caught it!"

"Aren't you worried?"

"It should be another week, and then it'll be—"

"We need to talk about her."

"Are you gonna make the bad guys go away?"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Save yourself!"

"Help me, Lyon!"

"Lyon!"

"Lyon!"

"LYON!"

"LYON!!"

"Traitor."

Suddenly, he heard a noise, and before he knew it he was on his hooves, his bow and arrow at the ready as he faced the noise.

Only to find himself staring Twilight Sparkle down the sights.

"Easy, easy!" he heard a voice yell, but it wasn't hers. Looking down, he saw Spike standing beside her, startled by the sudden movement, but otherwise in a semi-calm manner. "It's okay, Lyon! It's okay. It's me. It's Spike. Remember?"

Lyon froze and swallowed the saliva in his throat. Shakily, he lowered the bow and tossed both it and the arrow to the bed.

"We... we didn't mean to... scare you," Twilight eventually said.

It was the first thing he heard her say since the wedding, and he already could tell she was suspicious. The way she looked at him, the way those words just fell out with no real emotion to it.

The way her eyes met his... She was scared. But at the same time, she wasn't. He didn't know how to explain it in his head.

He couldn't bear to look at her.

"Hello, Twilight."

She said nothing. The only thing she returned was a cautious glare, an instant contrast compared to just a second ago. She seemed as if she was deciding whether to listen to reason or attack him at the faintest movement. Her eyes said it all.

Lyon felt hurt, but he understood why. She seemed clueless and unsure of herself about this moment. But at least there was a silver lining. She didn't immediately try to kill him.

Yet.

"I thought you went back with the Guard," Lyon said to Spike as he slowly walked back to the closet to pick up the remaining arrow pouches, along with the already opened one.

"The Guard held me until Twilight arrived," Spike replied slowly with a glance up to Twilight. Lyon stopped and watched the two from the corner of his eye.

"I can see that."

He eyed Twilight for just a second before walking over to the bed. Twilight recoiled slightly, but otherwise didn't move. Lyon opened one of his drawers and pulled out a decent-sized sack, capable of holding all four pouches and even a few extra items such as canned foods.

Twilight quickly realized what was happening, and with a whip of her magic, she held everything in place telekinetically.

"Excuse me, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Leaving," Lyon said bluntly, looking down to his constricted hooves. "Well... trying to."

"You're not going anywhere," Twilight replied bitterly. "Do you have any idea the kind of situation you're in? Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"I exploded my way out of prison?" Lyon jested with a chuckle. "Not the first rodeo of mine."

"Enough with the jokes, changeling!"

Whatever could resemble a smile on Lyon's face vanished with the very word. Changeling.

Twilight called him a changeling.

He wanted not to be surprised, yet he couldn't help feeling the bitterness gnaw on the back of his neck, threatening to swallow him whole. He bit his tongue, almost to the point of drawing blood, but he stopped before it got to that point.

"Do you have any idea the kind of hell I've been through these last couple days?!" Twilight continued, almost completely failing to notice Lyon's facial change. "I've been kidnapped, my foalhood sitter was tortured right underneath me, my princess was attacked and imprisoned, and my best friend is missing! And I don't even know if he's okay!"

Twilight walked towards Lyon slowly, her magic increasing pressure on his hooves. He felt it hurt, but he kept his face straight. Tears ran down the unicorn's cheeks, and her eyes turned red.

"For all I know, he could be dead! Dead and rotting somewhere in a cave and I would have no idea! And you're here cracking jokes?! After what you did?!"

Spike called out to her gently, but she didn't react. She continued forward until she was face to face with Lyon, her magic on the verge of breaking the bones in his arms. But he did not falter.

"I'm not playing any games with you, changeling," she threatened with a crack in her voice. "You may have lied to Applejack, and you may have lied to my brother. But you will not lie to me. Do you understand?"

Lyon didn't pry his eyes away from hers as he nodded.

"Easy," he said in almost a strained manner. "I understand."

In that moment, Twilight realized what she was doing and ceased her magic. Whatever was in her grip fell, and the pressure in Lyon's hooves immediately lifted. Twilight sighed frustratedly, but the anger never left her face. She wanted to break him in, but what would that make her?

She closed her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze.

"I want the truth. No more running around. No more explosions. No more lies. No more deception. No more hurting or capturing. No more. I want to know the truth, and nothing but. And if you don't give me what I want, I will turn you over to the Royal Guard before you can even blink. Do I make myself clear?"

Lyon nodded, keeping his mouth shut, only to realize her eyes were still closed.

"Yeah."

"... Good."

Twilight opened her eyes, but they were drawn to the floor beneath her. Lyon glanced over at Spike, who had his hands opened as if attempting to separate the two from afar. He lowered them slightly, but seemed ready to get between them if need be.

"Are they out there?" Lyon asked, his voice cracking from the silence. "The o... Your friends?"

Twilight nodded.

"Okay," Lyon whispered. Sighing through his nose, he looked out the window beside him. The night was calm, and not a single soul was to be seen. A part of him wanted to disobey Twilight's rules and jump out, to run deep into the woods and brave the elements alone.

But he knew he'd never get far. Even then, the thought of leaving Twilight to wonder hurt him. He wanted her to remember him just as he was at the wedding. To remember the way he kissed her, and believe it was true to his heart.

Unfortunately, he knew he had no choice anymore. And the only other choice was to be strapped to a chair and have the truth kicked out of him. That would hurt more—and not just him.

"Okay. Let's go."

With a little nod, Twilight turned around and headed for the door, passing Spike with an unsteady eye towards him. The young dragon could only nod to her. The mare's gait faltered for a moment before she opened the door. She stood aside to let Lyon go through first.

Lyon could feel his heart skip a beat every few seconds. He was nervous. He hadn't been nervous in years—not accounting recent ones, that is.

Nearly stumbling on his own hooves, Lyon started for the door, giving Twilight a faint nod as he passed through the doorway. Her eyes never stopped watching his, like she was looking for something, anything to take her side. It only made her more unsure of herself.

Lyon walked carefully down the steps of the stairwell, occasionally looking back to see Spike and Twilight following behind. A few moments later, the three emerged on the ground floor.

Only for Lyon to get tackled to the ground by a cyan blur.

"I knew it! He got Twilight! I knew I couldn't trust you! You're going down, you littleyuaaagh!"

Rainbow Dash paused mid-sentence as she was yanked into the air by a purple aura. She was able to turn just enough to see Twilight glaring at her.

"Rainbow!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"I... I thought he did something to you!" she claimed, dangling in the air. "I wasn't gonna take a chance letting him get to the rest of us!"

Twilight sighed as she lowered Rainbow onto the floor. She was annoyed, but at the same time she at least understood.

"He's not gonna do anything to me, or any of us. And if he does, he knows very well what happens next. Isn't that right?" Twilight finished, turning her head to Lyon who still sat on the living room floor. He nodded as he got back up. "Good."

As Lyon regained his balance, he panned his eyes across the mares before him. All of them were a mix of emotions, from hurt and shocked, to curious and furious. Applejack was just as angry as she had been back in Canterlot. But the one that interested him the most was Fluttershy. The way she looked at him up and down was prying, yet concerning.

"The changeling has agreed to tell us the truth. All of it, or as much as we can think of," Twilight stated.

"Where's Lyon?" Applejack sputtered out before anyone could say anything. "Huh? Can he answer that? Can he answer where my best friend is? Or what's left of him?"

"Applejack..." Twilight walked over to the mare and rested a hoof on her back. "One step at a time. Okay?"

Applejack turned to Twilight with her mouth open, but nothing came out. She let out a frustrated puff of air and reluctantly nodded to her friend.

Twilight turned back to Lyon. "First things first..."

Her horn glowed a faint purple, and this time Lyon was the one enveloped in its glow. He felt the magic travel through his body, even through his head, but it didn't hurt or cripple him.

"This is a lie-detection spell," Twilight explained before he could ask. "One of the most advanced spells of the last century, this spell will be able to break through the barriers of even the most skilled liars. The caster will be able to know what's real and what's not. So don't even think of trying to lie to us."

Lyon looked at the girls again, then to Spike, who motioned him in the distance. The changeling nodded carefully.

"I'd never lie to you guys."

Twilight's glowing horn turned red for a moment. She glared at him.

"... unless it was necessary," he finished with a faint grimace, to which her horn blipped green. A sign of truth.

"Alright... Alright then."

Lyon motioned to the couch. "We can sit down, if you want."

The six ponies and dragon all motioned over to the couches, each one taking up a spot, but leaving enough for Spike to scooch in between Fluttershy and Rarity. Lyon, however, took the lone chair by the fireplace and brought it close to the group. He plopped himself down slowly, trying to sink into the fabric the way he remembered. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath of fresh air. He felt a bout of anxiety build up inside, but he kept calm.

Once again, he eyed the group before him. Their expressions didn't change all too much, but they at least seemed a bit more intrigued, as if not letting their anger get the best of them. That relieved Lyon, knowing he wouldn't be pummeled to death by his own friends. Then again, that might have been a better alternative than... well...

"Alright," Twilight spoke, "should we begin?"

Lyon nodded.

"Good. We'll start with—"

"Ooh! Ooh! Me first, me first!" Pinkie Pie suddenly exclaimed. Before Twilight could interject, Pinkie asked, "What's your favorite color?"

"Pinkie!" Twilight exclaimed, glaring at her friend. "This is serious!"

"I am taking it seriously! See?" The pink mare proceeded to cover her grin with a hoof, only to reemerge with a frown. "Detective Pinkie Pie is on the case of the missing Lyon! And she will never stop, never rest, until he is back home safe and sound!"

Twilight audibly groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Blue."

The group turned their heads back to Lyon.

"What?"

"Blue. My favorite color's blue," Lyon repeated. "Though it's kinda more of a bluish-green thing I like, but I guess more towards blue."

Twilight gazed at her own horn, expecting to see a faint glimmer of red. Instead, all she saw was more green. They didn't take it anymore than a basic answer. Anypony and anybody had a favorite color.

"I think I'll ask the questions for now, if that's okay with the rest of you."

A collection of nods and positive murmurs spread through the group, and Twilight readjusted herself on her piece of the couch. The unicorn then took out a notebook and a pencil, quickly jotting down what Lyon assumed to be a basic set of questions for her to ask. As she did so, Lyon glanced up at the clock, and found himself surprised that it was only just approaching eleven o'clock at night. He could've sworn it was far later than that.

"Alright," Twilight said with a sigh as she looked over her notes, "that should be enough."

Lyon looked back to Twilight. "Wait."

Everyone stared him down again, the only two worried faces being Spike and perhaps Fluttershy. Lyon raised a hoof gently to assure them, hopefully, that it was nothing bad.

He sighed.

"Are you sure you want to know whatever it is you're looking for?"

"... Did you seriously just ask us that question?" Rainbow asked with a deadpan expression.

"I'm trying to spare you a bit. Once I tell you this stuff, there's no going back. Everything will change, and I... I don't think you're gonna like it."

"Sounds like you're implicating something," Applejack muttered angrily.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, that's not the case. It's something... honestly, I guess you can say it's worse."

Applejack's angered expression turned to concern, but not towards the changeling. She looked at Twilight with uncertainty, then to her horn, which blipped a familiar green—but how could she even be sure what that meant?

Twilight looked at Lyon with an expressionless stare. "We're sure."

Sighing himself, Lyon shut his eyes for a moment and brushed a hoof through his mane.

"Okay. Ask me then."

Twilight closed her eyes.

"Where is Lyon?"

He knew it was coming. It was always going to come up, but not so soon, he hoped. Never, he wanted. But luck abandoned him, didn't it?

"I am Lyon."

Green, it glowed.

Twilight froze. Yet Rainbow laughed.

"Pfft, haha! Nice one, Twilight! Really got us there, didn't you?"

But she wasn't laughing with her. She wasn't really doing much, other than looking cross eyed at her own shining horn. Gradually, the laughter died down.

"... Twilight?"

Twilight didn't respond to Rainbow Dash. Her eyes fell upon the changeling sitting before her, words failing to form the sentences in her mind.

"But... you... you're a changeling."

"Yeah... I am."

Everyone's expression had changed upon the realization only now dawning on them. A couple silent gasps filled the room, and most of the anger had faded away. Overall, it seemed more that they were unsure what to think. Spike, however, seemed relieved that was all they looked to be.

Twilight seemed desperate, showing clearly on her face, and she engaged Lyon in several questions, none of which were on the book, and all of which were more or less the same question.

"Are you the real Lyon?"

"Yes."

"Are you our friend Lyon from Ponyville?"

"Yes."

"Are you the same Lyon that was with us on the train to Canterlot? The one I've known since the Summer Sun Celebration? The one who's been living here for five years?"

"Yes, yes, and yes."

Every question rang Twilight's horn green like a bell. She paused in disbelief, watching the changeling stay still and calm as he had earlier. She was waiting for him to crack a smile, a deceptive sneer, a jest to show that he was joking, playing with her emotions! Anything!

But it never came. All that showed on his face was sorrow towards her. Towards everyone around him.

"I... I don't understand. You can't be him... Lyon is... he's a... you're a..."

She couldn't finish the sentence, but Lyon knew what she meant by it.

"I've been a changeling my whole life," he stated clearly. "My disguise just let me blend in. Let me be... normal."

Twilight stared at the armrest, thinking the questions over in her head and looking at her notes again. She cleared her throat, an attempt to collect herself, but she was visibly shaking. She wanted to be intrigued, or maybe even happy. Lyon was here! Alive!

But he was a changeling. The same kind of changeling that tried to...

She was confused. She needed more. Something more.

"I'm okay," she said quietly. "I'm okay."

"Take your time. All of you," Lyon replied. "I know this is a lot to take in, but I promise you I'll explain as best as I can—"

"You lied to us."

Lyon stopped and turned to the source, Applejack. She was glaring at him again, but it wasn't the same kind of glare as before.

"What?" he asked.

"You lied to us. All these years, you were pretending to be someone else behind our backs. You were using us. That's what this was, wasn't it?"

"No, it wasn't."

The horn glowed green, but Applejack didn't notice, or if she did, she didn't care.

"Yakshit! You pretended to be someone I could trust, someone I could be safe around, and you used me just to get your fill! You changelings feed on love, ain't that right? You knew I liked you, and you used that. Used me. Didn't you?"

Lyon looked on at her with hurt in his eyes, but she blocked it out.

"AJ—"

"Don't call me that. You don't deserve to call me that."

Every time Lyon tried to explain, she would shut him down. She looked him up and down, and all he knew she could see was just another changeling. No Lyon. Just changeling.

"I... I can't do this," she confessed shakily as she went for the front door. "I thought I could, but I... I can't."

"Applejack, wait," Lyon pleaded, but she refused to listen to him. The others were too clouded to do the same. In a moment, she disappeared into the night.

Lyon sighed and shut his eyes, burying his head in his hooves. He hated it. He hated this. It was the only thing he wanted to avoid. He thought it over in his head. Questions flew around, at first in single file, but they soon packed themselves tightly, threatening to burst out for all to see.

"I don't know what to say," Lyon muttered loud enough for them to hear. "I really don't."

"The truth would've been nice," Rarity said almost monotonously. "Five years ago."

She left too. Soon afterwards, Rainbow Dash followed, but she wasn't entirely there as she made her way out the door. Part of her seemed to want to stay, to ask something, but the rest of her wanted to be gone, to leave before she did or said something she'd regret.

"You really got us good... didn't you?"

And she was gone, flying into the night. Lyon wanted to stop her, but he was too weak. He eyed Pinkie Pie; all the energy she sported when this all started was gone, her mane and tail deflated and sagging against the couch.

"Pinkie?" Lyon called out to her. She looked at him with tearful eyes.

"I... I thought you were my friend."

"I am. I promise, I am."

Green, she noticed. But the tears continued to fall.

"I... I need to be alone."

Following the others' examples, Pinkie lifted herself from the couch and retreated out of Lyon's home, shutting the door behind her. Like the others, Lyon wanted to say something, but he felt afraid he'd only make it worse.

Only Fluttershy, Twilight, and Spike remained. Twilight was not as distraught as she had been before. It seemed she was partially still eager to ask questions, but the enthusiasm faded with each disappearing friend.

Spike eyed Lyon the same way he had before the wedding. He knew it was him, and he wanted to feel glad. Of course he was glad. But all the same, he felt the same hurt everyone else had felt. Yet he didn't have the strength to leave.

"I'm sorry," Lyon said weakly. Twilight just looked at him.

"... Did you ever plan on telling us who you were?"

He sighed.

"I don't know."

Her horn glimmered green again, and his face further cemented it. Twilight was sitting in front of Lyon, her best friend. The same best friend that helped her track down Nightmare Moon. The same best friend who kept her sane during Discord's rampage. The same best friend that made her laugh and smile every time she ever felt down.

The same best friend that kissed her when Queen Chrysalis attacked Canterlot.

It had all soured.

"It's getting late," Twilight said with a glance up at the clock. "We should get home, Spike."

"But I..." Spike stammered. "But... what about—"

"Go," Lyon insisted. "I'll be fine. She's right. It's too late for this."

Spike looked back at the changeling with bewilderment. But he saw Lyon's calm eyes staring him back, and all he could do was wonder how he could be so relaxed. But a closer look showed it was just a facade of his, masked by confidence.

He had done the same thing every time he faced Rarity. But now it was such a contrast. How could he ever compare the two?

"Okay," Spike finally said after a moment of silence. He pushed himself off the couch and followed alongside Twilight, who started for the front door.

Then she noticed Fluttershy watching Lyon with what she could only describe as sorrowful bliss.

"Fluttershy? You should head home. We can... we can pick this up another time."

She nodded faintly to the mare, but she never took her eyes off the changeling, who noticed her stare after a moment. He asked her if she was okay. She never answered.

"Will you be?"

He looked to her, then to Twilight, then back to her. Slowly, Fluttershy also removed herself from the couch, but before she left, she took Lyon and embraced him in a hug, her soft fur brushing up against his hardened shell of skin.

"It'll be okay."

He rested his head against her shoulder, taking in the softness and the warmth of her body, but it only lasted for a few moments before she pulled away. He almost didn't want her to go, but he didn't want Twilight to fear him for anymore of a reason.

"We'll see you soon. Okay?"

He nodded simply.

Lyon watched the pegasus walk to the door, with Twilight and Spike letting her pass through first before they followed. Before she left, Twilight looked back at Lyon one last time. He hadn't gotten up from the chair, and he was looking at the floor, almost in shame.

She opened her mouth to say something, but refrained from it. With nothing to say, Twilight shut the front door, leaving Lyon to himself.

It was only after they left that he looked to the door. Their silhouettes outside the windows faded into the night. Lyon shut the lights off in the living room, encasing him in the darkness.

Without words of his own, Lyon slowly retreated upstairs to the bedroom and saw his bed once more begging for his form. But he couldn't sleep yet. One more thing.

Numbly conjuring up magic within his horn, Lyon's body glowed with a familiar shade of green, before he was enveloped in harmless fire. He could feel his limbs change and contort the way he remembered them.

When it was over, he looked in the mirror that stood near the dresser. What looked back at him was the creature he always believed himself to be. Gray stripes, bow-and-arrow cutie mark, green eyes.

But no smile.

A face so familiar, and yet like a stranger stared him back.

Lyon could feel his head pound harder than it ever had been, the after effects of the spell now cursing him boldly. With a weak moan, the stallion climbed into the covers and collapsed onto the mattress.

He watched the ceiling as if it had something to offer. But it had nothing of value to him, yet he could not stop staring. His heart pounded in his chest, and he felt the skin beneath his fur protrude goosebumps that only made him shiver more.

Lyon closed his eyes, but the uneasiness didn't go away. That was when he realized he was afraid.

Author's Note

Wew ladz, ye boi

So this was kinda tough to write out. Most changeling stories that give off this reveal kind of delve past it almost immediately and don't always show the reactions. I always thought reactions would be irrational in this situation, though not entirely out of character. And eventually, they realize their emotions and go back for answers and so on. So that's the goal here, with other stuff added.

I'm also going to try and quicken the pace a bit so it's not taking forever to set up conflict and stuff, but not have it happen too fast.

I originally was going to make Lyon answer a lot more questions here, but didn't want the mystery to fade away so soon. That being said, I won't take thirty chapters to answer these. :twilightsheepish:

Currently finishing up school, so I probably might have a blip or two in the schedule, but I'll try not to let it affect the story! If you enjoy it, share it! :twilightsmile:

Chapter 10: Read

Lyon woke up in bed the next morning, feeling almost entirely rejuvenated. But he was half-expecting to wake up back in Canterlot, whether in the prison wing of the castle or in the dungeons beneath the city itself.

But considering last night, he wasn't entirely sure what he'd rather prefer.

With an unsteady sigh, he forced himself slowly out of bed and explored the house for a few minutes. He looked at his bedside and realized his bow and arrow were right where he tossed them before. He reached for them initially, only to shake it off and pull away.

Lyon went downstairs, half-expecting a dozen guards to be standing before him with spears and demanding he come with them. Instead, nothing. Not a single soul was found but his own. It surprised him. He walked over to one of the windows by the front door and peeked through it. Though where he lived was fairly inactive at night, plenty of folks could be seen walking about in the early morning hours. To his surprise, nopony was standing in front of his house and trying to clamor their way in; they went about their lives like any other day.

It was then he realized that his friends had not revealed his identity to the public, and likely not his location to those in Canterlot. It was good, but he refused to cheer. If not Twilight herself, then someone will slip. And it'd be only a matter of time before the locals—most of which he always considered dear friends—would be stringing him up by his neck.

He wanted to believe it was rubbish that they would do that. But after Haylem, he knew he would be piling his chips on a guess.

He had to leave. He hated that very idea, but the longer he stayed, the more he put everyone in Ponyville at risk of being captured. Or worse. He couldn't bear to think about Sweetie Belle or Lyra or... Twilight being trapped in a cocoon, to never be seen again. The thought alone made his blood run cold, only to boil when he realized who would be at the helm of it all.

Turning away from the window, Lyon ran back upstairs into the bedroom and looked around. His weapon stay in the same spot on the bed, and inside the closet was a leftover arrow he thought to have dropped when packing. Upon closer inspection, the sack he had prepared was still there too, able to fit a few more small objects. He stared at the sack for a moment or two, pondering on the decision. He'd hoped they would never find out, that he would leave town in secret, find his long lost mother, and defeat her like he should've all those years ago. Then he would come back in disguise and continue living on as he did before. Like he wanted to.

But now he remembered everything. His mother, his siblings, his life. Sanctity, and everything after it. Deep down, no matter his passion before the wedding, he knew it would all be for nothing now. He knew he would outlive them all.

And now they knew what he was. What he always had been. If he left now and came back after it was done, he was sure he would come back a pariah. Nopony and nobody would take him back in kind, no matter what his deeds. Surely his brothers and sisters shattered any idea of a good changeling. Like every time before, he would be forced to move on and start again, hoping he would forget in time.

But he never forgot. He knew that.

"I thought you were my friend."

How could he forget?

Lyon gritted his teeth with frustration. Not at his friends, not at the locals, and not even at his mother for a change. But at himself.

He hated himself sometimes. Everything he did, he thought only made things worse, and yet it never clicked in his mind to go the other way. It was only after that he thought about it, but even then he wanted to believe there was a reason behind it. Of course everything had a reason. There was just always some better solution.

Leaving Ponyville without ever explaining himself would be another nail in his coffin—and he had enough nails already. Why add another?

With a slow sigh, Lyon pushed himself away from the sack and stepped over to the desk in the corner. He opened one of the drawers to find a pencil and a stack of paper. He lifted them onto the desktop and removed a single sheet, before taking the pencil in his telekinetic grasp. He was happy that never changed for the worse after Sanctity. And he hated using his mouth.

Calmly, Lyon set the lead down upon the paper and began to write.

"Dear Twilight..."

An hour later, Lyon wandered the streets of Ponyville, a backup satchel attached to his back. He didn't think to get his other satchel back from Twilight last night, but hopefully it wouldn't prove difficult.

Inside the satchel were eight individual letters, seven of them written for each of his friends. The eighth would go to Celestia per Spike. She either already knew and was still swamped by the cleanup effort in Canterlot, or Twilight had yet to bring her up to speed. Had she even known Twilight left the city? That might've been the first thing Twilight did before chasing down Lyon.

The first stop was Sugarcube Corner, being relatively close to his house. Looking in through the windows, he couldn't see anypony hoofing the counter, but a glance to the backroom could see Mr. and Mrs. Cake putting together an assortment of treats that Lyon couldn't see from this distance.

Neither of them were smiling, or if they were, it was forced. They were off, he knew. And if Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen in that kitchen, they knew something, or Pinkie coming home the way he last saw her indicated something.

Lyon pushed open the door of the bakery, ringing the bell above and alerting the couple in the back.

"Just a second!" Mrs. Cake's familiar singly voice rang. Even that felt a bit forced, though not entirely. He knew she was naturally a cheery mare. Perhaps that was always her intention, no matter the situation.

Mrs. Cake emerged from the kitchen to see Lyon standing at the counter. Immediately, her expression changed from almost genuine to a complete facade of joy.

"O-Oh! Lyon!" she exclaimed, trying to hide the shakiness in her voice. "How are you this morning?"

Lyon sighed sadly.

"Hey, Mrs. Cake. I'm..." He paused, watching the mare's movements. She seemed almost frozen, yet she fidgeted slightly. "I'm... something."

"Oh, that's awful," she said in faux guilt. "Is everything alright?"

Lyon opened his mouth to say one thing, but he let the air protrude from his throat.

"No. It isn't." He looked up at her with sad eyes. "Is Pinkie home?"

Her expression grew fearful, her words stammering a bit more, no matter how well she tried to keep it together.

"N-No. She, uh... went out with her friends! To... get some cupcake batter! We... We ran out yesterday and are kinda running on scraps, as they say!"

She giggled nervously, and a bead of sweat ran down the side of her head. Lyon couldn't keep going on like this. The poor thing would scare herself dead, and he didn't need that.

"Mrs. Cake?"

"H-Hmm...?"

"Did Pinkie tell you what I am?"

She giggled again the same way. "I have no idea what you mean, dearie!"

Lyon raised his hoof slowly, and though Mrs. Cake recoiled, she didn't run away assuming the worst. He only raised it in hopes of calming her.

"It's okay. I'm not gonna do anything. Okay? I just need to know. That's all."

The mare swallowed the saliva in her mouth, eyeing the wall beside her as if she planned on jumping through it. He was sure her heart was beating itself wild now.

But before she could answer, Mr. Cake stormed through the double doors of the kitchen and stood behind his wife. The glare on his face didn't help any matter.

"Pinkie told us everything," he stated aggressively. "That you're a changeling, that you change form to blend in, that you take lives and crush them, that you lie to others for your own gain... She told us all of it."

A mighty overexaggeration... but at the same time, not entirely a lie.

"I can explain—" Lyon tried to say, only to be cut off further by the stallion before him.

"We don't want your explanation. I always knew something was off about you the moment I laid eyes on you, and now I realize I was right all along! You've got some nerve coming in here after what your kind did. You're lucky we don't just report you to the Royal Guard ourselves!"

He hovered over the counter, getting as close to Lyon as he could.

"To think I could trust my kids with you."

"That's not fair," Lyon replied softly. "You don't know me."

"The hell I don't." He sneered at Lyon. "I may not be the strongest pony in these parts, but if I ever see you near my family, and that includes Pinkie Pie, I'll—"

"Carrot," Mrs. Cake spoke up, garnering her husband's attention. "Stop. Please. I... I think he understands."

Mr. Cake glanced at his worried wife, before turning to Lyon with another quick glare. Slowly, he retreated back from the counter, standing beside Mrs. Cake.

"Pinkie... doesn't want to see anybody right now," she explained slowly, her eyes shifting from Lyon to the nearby stairs. "And I think it's for the best."

Lyon had no choice but to agree in that moment, as much as he hated it. With that in mind, he reached his hoof into the satchel, earning the defensive recoil of the couple. He held his other hoof up to ensure them it was okay; even as he pulled out a small envelope and placed it down on the countertop, they couldn't stop looking down at him.

"Can you give this to her, then?" He flipped the envelope face up, revealing Pinkie's first and last name. "It's for her. I need her to read it."

"What makes you think we'll just give that to her from you?" Mr. Cake asked. "For all we know, you did something to it. Poisoned it."

"I thought you were my friend."

"I'd never hurt her."

The baker opened his mouth, but Mrs. Cake spoke first, forcing his mouth shut. "What does it say? The letter. If you mean that, then what does it say?"

Lyon looked down at the letter, caressing the smooth paper wrap that made up its folds.

"It says I'm sorry for lying to her," he said. "That I'm sorry for not being honest all this time because I was ashamed of who I was. That all of this is new to me in its own way. That I'm sorry for hurting her and breaking her trust. And that I'm leaving tonight and probably won't come back."

"Leaving...?" she asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mr. Cake asked in a somewhat calmer tone, but still with a bitterness hinted within.

Lyon looked up at them.

"When all of this is over, whether I succeed or fail, I probably won't be coming back home. At least... not alive."

For the first time today, Mrs. Cake seemed worried by the stallion's words, though not out of fear for herself, but not entirely for him, either.

"I'm not gonna get into details, but I'm not gonna leave without saying something. You can burn it afterwards if you still don't trust it for all I care... but for the love of Celestia, Cerberus, Gaius, and anybody that's listening, please let her read it. I don't want her spending the rest of her life wondering what happened. Please."

Lyon was desperate. He felt it, showed it in his eyes. And Mrs. Cake could see that. Genuine desperation, the kind that couldn't be made up on the spot—not even by a changeling, from the brief words she's heard.

Slowly, she took the letter in her grip, and instead held it out to Lyon.

"She's upstairs," she said. "She probably won't let you in, but if she cares, I know she'll listen."

"Cup Cake...!" Mr. Cake whispered in sheer disbelief. But his wife simply glanced at him.

"We'll be nearby. He wouldnt try anything if he means it."

Lyon smiled weakly. "Thank you, Mrs. Cake."

He made his way over to the stairs and began to climb upward, his hoofsteps echoing into the empty air of the second floor. Mr. and Mrs. Cake followed behind him, a cautious eye of theirs always somewhere on his body. He didn't see it, but he could at least sense it.

The second floor hallway always seemed so dreary, a complete contrast to the first floor. But today, it was especially dreary. No rambunctious noises, no burst of colors—pure melancholy. And as Lyon approached Pinkie's bedroom door, it only grew.

"Pinkie?" Lyon called out to her out of habit. Silence followed. "Pinkie, are you in there?"

More silence, until he could hear the bed creak slightly from inside, confirming what Mrs. Cake told him. Despite this, there was no other noise but a sigh.

She was awake, he realized, but she said nothing.

"Pinkie," he repeated, resting his head against the door. "I can't say I know what you're thinking, but I know what you're feeling. I saw it in your eyes. I don't... I don't really know what to say. But I..."

Lyon paused as he felt a shiver run down his shoulders.

"I never wanted to lie to you. Any of you. I always did my best to tell you the truth, no matter how much it'd hurt. I was always... almost always truthful.

"Did I mention last night that I met Zecora first? Before you guys? It was right before I came to town back then," he explained. "She helped me forget what I was. I wanted it, because... I guess I just felt alone."

Pinkie said nothing, but he heard the bed creak louder, as if she was now sitting up.

"I didn't even know my mother was still alive. I thought she..." Lyon paused again to swallow. "But now I know she's out there. Out there and doing Celestia knows what. And deep down, I know it's my fault for that. But I'm gonna fix it. I'm gonna... fix it..."

Lyon felt his chest tighten as he took the envelope in his hoof, then leaned down to slide it beneath the door.

"You don't have to read it right now. You can read it whenever you want to. You can wait until you're as old as Granny Smith, if you want," Lyon said with a chuckle. She even giggled, hidden behind what could've been a pillow. "But I didn't want to leave without saying something."

Lyon caressed the door slowly, staring at its wooden material.

"I'm gonna stop her, Pinkie. I'm gonna stop my mother and save you. All of you. You and the Cakes and their kids, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Twilight... everyone. I don't want you to worry. I'll be okay. I'll be okay."

He stopped.

"I'm sorry. For hurting you. I'm not expecting you to ever forgive me. But I am sorry. And you'll always be my friend, no matter what happens. Good... Goodbye, Pinkie Pie."

With a sigh, Lyon slipped away and walked away from the door without another word. He passed by the Cakes without saying anything else, but he read their faces. Mrs. Cake was still understandably cautious, but she seemed far more trusting of him now than earlier, or maybe it seemed that way. The same could be said for Mr. Cake, his expression softened yet still suspicious. He didn't know if he harbored any anger left. That's when he realized the folks of Ponyville seemed a lot harder to read than anywhere else. Unique in their own way.

As Lyon pulled open the front door of Sugarcube Corner and left in silence, part of him hoped Pinkie would run out after him and believe him. But he knew she needed time. A day, a month, a year, or the rest of her life. He was okay with it, no matter how long it—

"WAAAAIIITT!"

... took.

As soon as he turned around, the stallion was nearly tackled to the ground in a tight hug by the pink earth pony. He heard the crinkling of paper as the letter he had given her fell to the ground. A wet feeling enveloped his chest, and he knew what it was.

"Please don't leave!" Pinkie sobbed. "I don't want you to leave! I'm sorry I left you alone, I was sad! I didn't mean to make you feel alone! Please don't leave to fight that meanie! Please don't... Please don't go..."

Her pleas turned into rambles as the tears came along. A small scene had formed in front of the store, where a few ponies had stopped to see the scene unfolding before them.

Lyon didn't care too much. But he cared that his friend was crying. Gently, he lifted her head up by her chin and wiped away the tears.

"Hey," he said softly, "it's okay. Don't cry."

"No it's not," she whined. "You're leaving me. Leaving us. I don't want you to leave me."

More tears came, running down Pinkie's face and matting the fur on her cheeks and neck. She sniffled, trying to hold it in. Lyon held her close, and she buried her face into the crane of his neck.

"Shh... are you sure you want that?" Lyon asked. He always dreaded asking a question like that, but it needed to be asked.

Pinkie buried her face deeper.

"Please don't say goodbye," she begged.

This ain't goodbye, Lyon. I'll come back. Námel kii.

Awful. It was awful. All of it awful. He'd follow them if he left, and yet he still dared to think it.

Lyon hugged Pinkie tighter, as if afraid she'd slip away from him. Or perhaps he was afraid he'd slip away from her.

"Okay," he whispered. "Okay. I won't leave. I won't leave you."

"P... Promise...?" she asked in a broken voice.

Lyon smiled emptily, yet all the more truthfully.

"Námel kii."

"Huh...?" she asked in a muffled, cult-like whisper.

"With my heart and my soul."

Pinkie held Lyon close, daring not to ever let him go. Her grip was always tight, he realized, yet so soft and welcoming.

He'd miss it, even if he would never admit it.

"Soooo..."

"So...?"

"Can you reeeallly transform into sandwiches, or am I just overthinking it? If so, have you ever been almost eaten? Or did you ever see someone eating a sandwich and think, "Oh no, little Billie!"?"

"Uh..."

Pinkie and Lyon were walking side-by-side along the outskirts of Ponyville, with the former asking more questions than she could think. That included the idea of Lyon being able to transform into a hay sandwich.

He could only imagine the ramifications if that was possible. Goodbye, love for spaghetti.

Every question she asked him, most of them were definite noes. Well, except for those that asked what his favorite book or food was.

He didn't care as long as Pinkie was smiling again, which didn't take long to accomplish; the mare was far cheerier than she was before, and far more bizarre, especially with the questions she asked. And yet, it was still tame compared to how she usually was.

"Have you ever looked like anypony else I know?"

"No," Lyon answered with a tilt of his head, "this is the only form I've taken."

"Ever?"

"Well, not ever, but this is my go-to. Not just because it's a pain to change form... literally... but this is the first form I ever made. It just felt like me, you know? This is what I always saw myself as."

"Well, I like it! It's cute!" Pinkie giggled, blushing lightly.

Lyon chuckled softly, his face flushing light as well as he rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks. I... got that a lot. It's been a while, though."

He awaited another question from the curious pony, but when he turned to her, she was looking at him almost confusedly.

"You're kinda different," she said in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"You! You talk kinda different, you act kinda different, and you even move kinda different! But it's still you! But you're like two different ponies at once!"

He understood now. "Oh. Yeah. I forget that too."

He laughed.

"It's that potion. Ever since the wedding, my brain's been trying to catch back up with five years of separate memories to add on. Sometimes I'll be in Lyon mode, and then I'll be in Lyon mode without realizing it."

"That sounds exhausting," Pinkie said, earning another laugh from Lyon.

"It is. But I don't mind it that much. I liked who I was. Well... except for right at the end when I kinda called everyone an idiot."

Pinkie flushed with embarrassment. "I think everyone was being a little unfair. Even me."

"No. You were just cautious, that's all. Just... too cautious."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I don't think any of us really had any idea what we were dealing with until it was hitting us in the face."

"But at least you were able to warn us? Right? ... Even if we didn't listen?"

Lyon chuckled lightly. "Yeah. That's true."

After several minutes of walking along the dirt path, they found themselves coming up on the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres. Originally, Lyon had intended for it to be the last stop of the group, if not Golden Oak Library. But it couldn't wait; he had to see Applejack or it would be too soon. With Pinkie at his side, he'd hoped the process would be easier, if not more lifting than weighing.

As the two entered the orchard, they found no trace of Applejack. There was only Big Macintosh bucking away at the trees. He didn't seem entirely cheery, given the expression on his face, they noticed as they approached.

"Does he know you're a changeling?" Pinkie asked, curious.

"We're about to find out," Lyon answered.

With a final buck against one tree, the apples fell almost flawlessly into the buckets scattered around its base; a couple fell into the grass, only to be picked up and placed in. As Big Mac picked one of the apples off the ground, he saw Pinkie and Lyon staring him back. Big Mac greeted Pinkie with a nod and a smile, but when he turned to Lyon, the smile faded, but no glare or fit of rage ever came. Just disappointment, it seemed.

"Hi, Big Mac," Pinkie exclaimed softly, hoping to lift his spirits again briefly. It somewhat worked.

"Howdy, Ms. Pie. I... take it you two are looking for Applejack?"

"Yeah," Lyon said. "It's kind of... urgent."

Big Mac exhaled quickly through his nose, but his face didn't change.

"AJ ain't feeling too good today, I'm afraid. I think she might've come down with the flu again."

"Please, Big Mac?" Pinkie pleaded. "We really need to talk to her. It'll only be for a couple minutes, I promise. Pinkie promise?"

Big Macintosh looked at Pinkie with a sorrowful stare, then glanced over to Lyon again. The farmer peered behind him, to the orchard household. He hummed deeply before letting out another sigh.

"Alright, then. She might kill me afterwards... but you can see her."

Pinkie smiled, but stopped when he lifted a hoof.

"But just you, Ms. Pie. I need to have a quick talk with Lyon here. Just a little talk, nothing more."

Lyon wasn't sure what to think of it, but he didn't protest against it. It wouldn't exactly be a smart decision, anyhow. Pinkie looked over to Lyon hesitantly, but he waved his hoof.

"I'll be fine. It's probably for the best, yeah?"

"You lied to us."

Pinkie gave Lyon a brief smile, then proceeded to make her way past the two stallions. Her curvy figure grew smaller the further away she was, until she was a small dot. She approached the front door and was greeted by a tired Granny Smith, who practically beckoned her inside. The two mares disappeared into the household, leaving Big Mac and Lyon alone.

The burly farmer watched Lyon almost intently, as if waiting for something.

"How much did she tell you?" Lyon asked.

"Enough," Big Mac answered.

"Enough like... the fact that I'm a changeling...?"

"Eeyup. And it's because of AJ's begging and Ms. Pie that I ain't already knocked you good."

Lyon cleared his throat.

"Good to know," he said as he looked over to the house's top floor. At first, the windows were dark inside, as if the lights had been shut off. But a moment later, an orange silhouette stood in one of the frames. It didn't take long for Lyon to recognize the figure, who promptly turned away a second later, disappearing into the darkness of the interior.

"I take it Ms. Pie is accompanying along for a good reason?"

"It's a long story, but... yeah. Bit of a change in plans."

"Mm-hmm."

Lyon tapped the dirt beneath him, as if waiting for Big Mac to do something, even though he already said he wouldn't, and he hoped he would stick to that. He always admired Big Macintosh for everything he had done, whether it was on the farm or for the general folks of Ponyville. He always seemed like a reasonable person. He couldn't see that reason fade away now.

"There's a lot I wanna tell you. But I've got my reasons why I didn't before."

"I'm sure you do."

"I do," Lyon repeated, "I just... You remember Zecora, right? The zebra?"

Of course, everyone knew Zecora by now. But Lyon mentioned her if it meant Big Mac would be more convinced, and it seemed to be the case. Regardless, he still gave the smaller stallion quite the stare-down.

"Given what I've heard went down up there, you can understand if I'm not so understanding."

Reluctantly, Lyon nodded. "I know."

The distant sound of the house front door opening twice caught Lyon's attention. He and Big Macintosh turned to see Applejack exiting the farmhouse and walking towards them, Pinkie Pie following behind her with a cautious eye. Right away, Lyon could see anguish and exhaustion clear on the farm mare's face, and he had wondered if she even went to sleep. Her walk was a little hobbled, a bit of a simultaneous limp and a forceful push forward, as if to keep from falling on her face.

The two mares stopped in front of the two stallions. Applejack snorted upon glancing at Lyon, then turned to her brother.

"I need a minute alone with him, Big Mac," she said to him. "I won't need any backup. Just a minute."

Big Mac said nothing, only nodding briefly before beginning to walk away. He turned to Pinkie and also gave her a nod before he retreated silently to a nearby section of the field, leaving Applejack and Pinkie alone with Lyon.

Occasionally, the party pony would glance at Applejack, then to Lyon, like she was nervous as to what her friend would do. But Lyon wasn't nervous. Applejack was a rational being, no matter the situation. He knew her that much.

Slowly, Applejack walked up to Lyon and eyed him, from his chest to his own eyes looking her back. It was a silent few seconds.

"... Hey—"

Before he realized it, his head had turned a full 90 degrees to the right, and a firm smacking sound echoed around him for a second; immediately after, his cheek began to sting.

"Applejack!" Pinkie exclaimed, but Lyon calmed her down... as gently as he could.

"It's fine," Lyon insisted with a brief hiss of air. "I... had it coming."

"You're damn right you—!" Applejack shouted at him, but paused and let out a frustrated grunt. "Gah... no. No, you didn't. I... I mean, you did, but... you didn't, either."

Applejack sighed and scrunched her lips, then rubbed her closed eyes wearily. Lyon brought a hoof up to his stung cheek and rubbed it weakly. He grimaced as the scale of the slap started to take effect.

In short, Applejack hits hard when she means it.

"Pinkie told me whatever you told her this morning," Applejack explained. "From the changeling queen and your... uh, plan... to... Zecora."

Lyon let out a small laugh at the mention of his plan—even he admitted it seemed silly—but it stopped as soon as she mentioned Zecora.

"Is that true?"

Lyon nodded, pulling his hoof away from his face. "Yeah."

"So you didn't remember who you used to be until the wedding?"

"Yeah."

Applejack swirled her tongue around in her mouth for a moment. She looked back to Pinkie, whose expression had gradually calmed in the last few moments, but she was still clearly wary.

"I'm fine now, Pinkie. I promise."

The claim didn't entirely convince her, but Pinkie's posture softened to Applejack's relief. She turned back to Lyon.

"So you were never trying to use me or anything?"

Lyon shook his head. "No. I'd never do that."

"But... you're a changeling."

"That doesn't mean I'd do that," Lyon softly rebuked. "I'm not like them."

Even then, Applejack didn't seem to fully believe him, given the look of suspicion on her face, but she seemed willing to put it aside if it meant the conversation went anywhere. But anytime she tried to ask a question, it would be drowned out in the barrage of other questions in her head, or by an occasional yawn coming from her throat.

"She said you were leaving? To fight the queen? Or you were?"

"Were. I was thinking about it since yesterday. But really, that's all I've done, is just think about it. It's easier said than done."

"But you were gonna do it anyway."

"... Yeah..."

Applejack shook her head and sighed.

"Guess you really are Lyon, after all."

Lyon laughed through his nose and smiled briefly. When he looked up at Applejack, she was yawning again, and being so close, he was able to see the bags under her eyes to show she was no doubt exhausted.

"Maybe we should get you to bed before you pass out? Please?" Pinkie suggested, but Applejack dismissed her.

"No. I need to know the truth first. Every bit of it. No more any of us running off and delaying this. I... that was my fault. But I need to know now. You owe me that, right?"

Lyon breathed slowly and nodded.

"Okay. But on one condition: You get some sleep first."

"I said I—"

"You can barely stand right. Pinkie's right, the last thing we need is for you to pass out." He held his hoof in the air to keep speaking. "I'll tell you everything. Tonight, I'll tell you everything. But I need some time to gather it up. Plus, I think it's best we gather up the others for this. I want all of you to hear it at the same time. Best that way. Understand?"

Applejack scrunched her lips again, but she knew there would be no point in arguing any further. He was right, too. She was on the verge of keeling over any minute now.

"Promise me," she demanded. "Pinkie Promise me that you'll tell the truth tonight, then. Only way I can trust it."

She was right on that. She knew that from experience, he remembered. Though he hadn't gone with them to Appleoosa a few months back, he still knew of it from what they shared with him. And it was then that he too knew how important it was.

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," Lyon chanted, mimicking flying gestures and pretending to stick a hoof into his eye. The gestures themselves were relatively silly to him, but at the same time, they were far from.

Applejack nodded without a word to say for the moment. She cleared her throat, her eyes growing heavier by the minute, it seemed.

"Alright. I'll get some rest. But you darn well better be home tonight, because I will."

Unable to say anything else due to growing fatigue, Applejack retreated from the two earth ponies and started for the farmhouse. In the distance, Big Mac watched as his oldest sister walked almost lazily away, giving an occasional yawn every now and again.

"Alright... we should go talk to the others. We'll let her sleep. Okay?" Lyon said, looking to Pinkie, who watched Applejack leave them. After a moment, she agreed, and the two started for the path to leave Sweet Apple Acres.

As they passed the entrance sign, Lyon couldn't help but notice the frown on Pinkie's face. It wasn't a deep frown, but it wasn't light, either.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah. I'm okay," she answered. "I just... I feel bad that we all have to deal with this."

Lyon sighed, his eyes catching the sight of Ponyville ahead. He felt a sense of sorrow or dread creep up on his chest.

"Yeah... Me too."

Author's Note

Sorry for the sudden ending to the chapter! Was feeling a bit fatigued myself when I finished it and didn't want to take any longer than expected to publish!

The next chapter will skip ahead a bit, but not too much. Regardless, there will be a great deal of explaining! Hoping to advance things forward a bit more so we're not on chapter 30 and still dealing with the aftermath of the wedding.

Chapter 11: Libaax

Twilight stirred herself awake from her slumber, a shivered groan leaving her throat as she raised her head. Rubbing her tired eyes with a free hoof, she wondered what had happened, where she had been. Her memory had seemed jumbled at first, but it took only a glance at the parchment before her, wet with drool, that she remembered.

"Right. Letter. Letters."

She didn't go to sleep right away after last night. She spent the first hour after returning to the library writing quick letters to Princess Celestia, informing her of the situation, but insisting she not act on it right away. Her explanations were vague—she feared giving away Lyon's identity just yet—but she ensured her mentor that things were okay, being sure to write all kinds of ways to verify it was really her and not just a fake—something she and Celestia practiced just a few years before.

Another request of hers was to have her and her friends' luggage returned to Ponyville, as they had no sure intention of returning until they were sure of it.

Twilight wondered what might've gone through their heads when she left. Did they even know? Were they too busy focusing on finding stowaways? Of course, she'd understand... but if Shining were there with her, she could only imagine what he would do to Lyon—

Lyon. Lyon...

Even now, Twilight didn't believe it. She couldn't. She refused! That couldn't have been Lyon before her! He may have taken his form and his voice, but not who he was inside!

But spells don't lie. They never can lie. Every question he answered rang green. Everything he said was a hard truth. He wasn't lying to her or to any of them.

No matter how hard she wanted to deny and rebuke it... he was Lyon. The same Lyon that came to Ponyville five years ago, like he always said. The same Lyon that strutted his archery skills to her before the Summer Sun Celebration. The same Lyon that came to Canterlot to participate in her brother's wedding.

The same Lyon that kissed her lips.

Twilight found herself staring at the parchment before her, watching it with interest for several moments. She must've passed out before she was able to write anything down. She looked at her surroundings, trying to point out Spike, but the young dragon was nowhere to be seen. Regardless, she could hear his snores echoing throughout the library's empty air.

She let out a snort of laughter for a second before returning to the parchment. The smile and laughter faded as she picked up the quill in her aura and began to write. Slowly, as she had no clue what to say.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I'd say I've been thinking about it all night, but that'd be a lie. The reason I haven't told you the full truth about the changeling is... well, frankly, even I am hesitant to see it as truth. Regardless, I can't lie to you, but I need more time to work on this issue myself, along with my friends.

The truth is, the changeling is

Four consecutive knocks at the front door took Twilight out of her focus. She cleared her throat and put down the quill.

"Coming!" she yelled as she walked over to the front door. She wondered who it could've been. The first guess was one of the girls, as the sign hanging by the door still said 'closed' on account of the wedding, and she had yet to flip it around. Though it might be a couple more days than that.

She caught a glimpse of pink by the window and assumed it to be either Pinkie or Fluttershy, if not another pink maned pony in town. She unlatched the lock on the door and pulled it open. Sure enough, Pinkie was there, standing a few feet away from the door.

And Lyon stood before her, just two feet and face-to-face. She recoiled briefly, and Lyon stepped back in response. She could feel her heart skip a beat unsteadily.

"... Hey," she said simply.

"Hey."

The two said nothing for a moment, as if trying to compose another question, or something of the sort to say to one another.

Lyon sighed. "Before you say anything, I want you to know that I never wanted to lie to you. Ever. To any of you. I told you a lot of truths since we've met. I couldn't tell you who I really was because I didn't want to think about it. Apart from... forgetting it, I guess—"

"Why are you here?" Twilight interrupted. It hurt her a bit to cut him off, but anything else would've just delayed it. Even he realized that, she noticed.

"I'll tell you everything. Everything I can stomach. That's what you wanted, right? The truth? I'll tell you the truth."

Twilight eyed the floor for a second.

"I did. I did say that. I..." She let out a breath of air. "Come in, then."

"No. I mean... Not now. Tonight, at my place. The others will be there. It's better to have all of you there to hear it instead of one at a time. Yeah?"

Twilight scrunched her lips in protest, but inevitably admitted he was right. And given they were back in Ponyville, they all had jobs to tend to. Neither of them could yank them from their duties for too long. And she had no doubt this would be more than a few minutes' talk.

"Okay," Twilight agreed. "Okay. Tonight... you said?"

"Yeah. Around nine PM. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. That's okay."

Twilight's hoof hung on the door, ready to close it. She glanced at Pinkie, who stood silently behind Lyon, giving the stallion a hopeful smile. She eyed Twilight and smiled at her too, as if assuring her it was okay. She knew Pinkie long enough to know when she faked a smile, and she saw no such facade on that mare's face. Even then, she couldn't stop feeling uneasy about it.

"I'm sorry," Lyon eventually said to her. "I'm sorry for lying to you. But I had a good reason for it. I swear."

Twilight nodded.

"It's okay," she lied, and she knew he knew in some way.

The three exchanged a brief goodbye, and Twilight shut the door slowly. Despite it, she refused to lock it shut, having feeling no reason to do so. She exhaled and returned over to the nearby desk, the wood beneath her hooves creaking.

She overlooked the parchment that still sat on her desk, a small dot of ink where the quill had sat forming nearby. She grunted as she wiped the ink away with a tissue. With no motivation or need to complete it at the moment, she curled up the parchment and set it aside for the time being.

Twilight then heard a yawn come from the stairs as Spike emerged from the corner, rubbing an eye with his hand, but his face was already shadowed by intrigue.

"Twilight?" he asked. "Who were you talking to? It sounded like Lyon."

"It was," she admitted, looking at the desk. "I... I think. I still don't really know if I should..."

She then turned up to eye the drake.

"He wants us to come over to his house tonight. He said the others will be there, and he'll explain everything."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Do you believe it?"

"He never gave me a reason to doubt him last night," Spike explained, tilting his head. "Why? Do you believe it?"

"I..." She paused. "I don't know. I want to believe him, but after what happened... and last night... but that spell wasn't miscalculating anything. I would've felt it."

"But if it didn't, then why are you doubting it? Or at least doubting him?"

She snorted, her body shivering as goosebumps ran up her spine.

"I guess I'm not looking forward to the answers... no matter how badly I want them."

Spike made his way down the rest of the stair steps and approached the unicorn. "Well, if you're nervous, I can only imagine how the others must be feeling."

"What about you? Aren't you nervous?"

"I mean... a little. But I trust him. If he wanted to hurt me, he would've done it back in Canterlot. But he needed my help, and he even tried to protect me on the train. It's weird... but isn't that a good thing?"

Twilight walked over to the door and looked out the window, watching through it as Lyon and Pinkie seemed to part ways. Pinkie, with a weak smile, walked in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, whereas Lyon retreated in the direction of his home.

"I hope so."

Hours passed, and soon the great sun began to set upon the land. The sky turned a bright orange, only to slowly fade into a calm blue that sparkled and shimmered with hundreds of stars. It was such a peaceful calm.

A potentially contrasting catalyst, Twilight thought as she made her way down the streets of Ponyville, Spike and the other Elements of Harmony by her side. All of them had this unsteadiness to them, and it was clear that nopony in the group was anticipating the journey. And of course, why would they? They felt lied to for five years, even with the claims that nothing was hidden. At least... not everything.

Despite that, there was still the faint glow of curiosity and determination of knowing. They needed to know the truth, and they weren't leaving until they got it.

Twilight glanced over to her friends, and all of them shared the same expressions: sadness and uncertainty. Rainbow Dash seemed to be in a bout of thinking, almost distracted by a potential train of thoughts. She seemed to be the most unpredictable one of the bunch next to Pinkie. One minute she was brash and her usual self, and the next she was... there. Twilight couldn't understand it enough.

Spike seemed nervous, his eyes unable to sit straight for more than a few seconds, but nonetheless darted forward in the direction they walked. Almost a bit of faux pas determination, yet still legitimate to assure Twilight.

"I know we all agreed on this..." Applejack spoke after several moments of silence, "... but can we really trust him?"

Doubt, such a delayed reaction, yet all the more expected the closer they got to the household, which steadily crept up from the corners of other houses and trees.

"Sure, we promised on it, but... I can't shake the feeling that we could be walking into a trap."

Rainbow Dash snorted. "As much as I wanna agree on that, it'd be a pretty stupid trap, considering we kinda blasted his backup halfway across the world. And besides, even then, we've got the Elements. A shape-shifting nutcase wouldn't be enough for a million magi-tons of kickbutt!"

"... Magi-tons?" Twilight asked, craning her head towards the pegasus.

"You know... magic and tons? Magi-tons?"

She darted her eyes across her friends.

"... None of you got that? Come on."

"Getting back on track," Rarity interrupted. "I can see what Applejack is trying to say. But surely we aren't going to get anywhere if we automatically assume every changeling is out to get us. And if this is really Lyon judging from what we saw last night, I can't see him immediately attacking us... though, I can't say I haven't had some doubts..."

"I don't think he'll hurt us," Fluttershy claimed. "I don't think he wants to hurt us at all. Just like Spike said."

Rainbow eyed the typically timid pegasus before her, now holding up a shred of bravery.

"You seem to be defending him... or it an awful lot. It's a little suspicious, you know?"

But Fluttershy just shook her head.

"There's nothing suspicious about it," she stated. "If he wanted to hurt us, he would've done it already. He probably would've even left town during the night to find his siblings. Instead, he took the time to write us letters and visit us."

"Maybe he's in it for the long con?" Rainbow questioned.

"Or maybe he's right?"

Rainbow Dash scrunched her lips and sighed. "I mean... he could be right. But I... I just..."

She fell to the ground and tucked in her wings, snorting again.

"Anything but that, you know? I mean, Lyon was cool! A wacky kinda guy, but down to earth, right? But this? It's just... I don't know how to explain it."

Twilight turned to Rainbow with a comforting smile. "We know what you mean, Rainbow. It's gonna be tough to walk through... but it's better to rip the band-aid off now than let it bubble up."

"Yeah... right. Yeah."

With that, Rainbow retreated slowly until she was at the back of the group, slinking away with her shoulders lurched low. She sighed with a clearing of her throat, and her posture seemed as if she'd be shaking if stationary.

Twilight noticed it again; Rainbow acted almost as different as Fluttershy had. It was almost a drastic change from her usual temperament. Her eyes would dart up towards the front of the group, then down to the paved sidewalk like she was trying to hide her gaze. It wasn't the Rainbow Dash she knew at that moment.

But of course, were any of them themselves at that very moment when they were confronting their changeling of a best friend? With all the secrets and gossips and private information they potentially told it?

Him. It was still him. Twilight knew that now. All that was left to know is how much of it really was true.

Another minute later, they finally approached the front steps of Lyon's cottage. It was a fairly decent-sized home—a tad bit smaller than the average home in town, she noticed—but still cozy if the living room still had more than enough room with all of them in there.

With a slow jolt of her hoof, Twilight knocked on the door a few times, loud enough that it could be likely heard across the household. After a few short moments, the sound of muffled hoofsteps could be heard from behind the wooden pallet. A moment after that, a lock from behind clicked, and the door opened.

In front of them stood Lyon, the way he always had looked—tan fur, gray and dark-gray mane and tail, and a bow-and-arrow cutie mark. His green eyes still twinkled even in the growing darkness of the evening sky. The mere sight of his form unnerved her now, but she knew better than to run.

"Hey," Twilight said simply, attempting to break the tension as the group stared at one another for what had to have been several seconds.

"Hey," Lyon replied after a moment. "You're right on time."

"As we promised. Right?"

"Right... right. Um... well, come on in, then?"

Lyon stepped aside from the open door and pulled it back further, allowing the girls to enter his home. Other than Spike, Pinkie, and Fluttershy who gave him a brief smile and gaze of their eyes, the rest of them not necessarily refused to look at him, but seemed simply to not have the strength to do so.

As soon as they were all inside, Lyon shut the door behind him. He let out a puff of air and headed over to the living room, where the group had all started to take their seats on the couch almost in the exact same order they sat in just yesterday, while Lyon took his place on the small chair near the fireplace.

"I don't know if this is kinda weird to ask," he began, "but do you guys want anything to eat or drink? We might be here a while, and I don't exactly want you guys feeling hungry or thirsty the whole time, right?"

Twilight and the others eyed each other, but ultimately everyone shook their heads.

"With all due respect... Lyon," Twilight explained, "I think it's best we get this over with now instead of delaying it anymore, don't you think?"

He nodded. "Yeah, of course. Just wanted to be sure, that's all."

Twilight said nothing else as her horn began to glow, and already Lyon knew what it was meaning. Saying nothing else, he sat patiently as the familiar truth spell from last night began to worm its way into his body, a also-familiar feeling coursing even through his very veins like a chill of wind. But as quick as it had began, the feeling left Lyon's body, and Twilight's horn dimmed to nothing.

"How do you feel?" Twilight asked him soon after.

"Nervous," Lyon admitted almost immediately, and as it had before, Twilight's horn glowed a steady green to show them he was telling the truth. "But I'm ready whenever you are."

Twilight gave Lyon a steady nod and pulled a small notebook from the satchel around her barrel. Rainbow Dash's unsure expression changed into a familiar un-amused look as she saw the unicorn flipping through the first couple pages, but then turned back to Lyon, and the un-amusement was gone.

"Guess we should start with the basics, huh?"

"Sure."

"Right."

With a lick of her lips, she looked to the first question on the paper, then turned back to Lyon.

"What is your real name?"

"Libaax," he answered, adjusting his posture briefly. "Ell, Eye, Bee, Ayy, Ayy, Ex."

Green again. "Can you tell us what that means?"

Lyon nodded. "In my people's mother tongue, the name "Libaax" means 'great warrior.' The name was more so a term for my people, for those who were believed by their birthers to help lead our kind to victory. I am the only changeling I know that is named Libaax."

"Why is that?" Twilight asked with a curious tone, yet more confident as green filled her vision once more.

"My m... Queen Chrysalis had faith. When I was born, that's all she ever had. Faith."

Green shone again as Twilight looked down at her notepad again, darting her eyes across what Lyon presumed to be her next question. Instead, she stopped and looked up again.

"What do you mean by that? Why faith?"

Initially, Lyon looked away from the group, eyeing the wall to his right. He snorted. "Even around the time I was born... our species was struggling for dominance over the little land it harbored. Strength in numbers was a necessity. Back then, warriors were determined by physique at birth. If you were below a specific number, you were considered a lesser. To some, they were lucky."

"Why?"

"If our kingdom was ever attacked, they'd be the last to die, and the first to surrender."

That statement seemed to unnerve Twilight again, prompting her to shuffle in her seat subtly. She glanced at Fluttershy, then back to Lyon. She too could see the discomfort on his face. It was clear he didn't like to say it that way, but the ping of green in her horn made her realize he didn't have a choice regarding that specific answer. She moved on.

"Does Libaax have any other meaning?"

Lyon snorted a laugh for a moment, earning a raised eyebrow from most of the girls. Lyon looked back up to them.

"Translated into Equestrian... Libaax is the changeling term for "lion." Ell, Eye, Oh, En."

Rainbow held up a single hoof. "Wait... seriously? So your name is really Lion?"

"Yeah. Well, Lyon as in Ell, Wye, Oh, En. For most of my life at least, it's been that way. It just sounded more real that way, I guess."

"So it wasn't always Ell, Wye, Oh, En?" Twilight questioned.

"Not during the time I lived in the hive, no," Lyon answered with a shake of his head. "All changeling names are typically that of direct terms in our language. And it's only specific names that are given to some if they are believed it is through fate."

"What do you mean?"

"Like I said, warriors were determined by physique at birth. Others are determined by hoof-eye coordination, reflexes, and intelligence, especially regarding a future ruler."

"Future ruler?"

"It's a process every... so often. One of us, when the current queen or king is weak and near death, will be crowned the new ruler of the hive to govern. They are the most equipped of the next generation. But as our species dwindled... well... there wasn't as much variation as in the start, so we've been told."

Twilight's horn glowed again, and she found her curiosity piqued about more than just the rulers in question. There was so much more to know, if this is the case!

"Tell me about your kind."

Lyon swallowed the spit in his throat, letting out a small breath. His body posture changed slightly, a sign to Twilight that he was hesitant.

"Take your time," she said.

It was quiet for a few moments, the girls eyeing each other back and forth, whereas Spike continued to look at the stallion before him.

"Where should I start?"

"Your species' age, perhaps? How long have changelings existed?"

Lyon adjusted his posture once more. "About as long as ponykind, just shy of a thousand years less."

"The modern pony had existed for twenty-two thousand years. Your species is twenty-one thousand?"

"That's right. Or, so we've been told."

Twilight's horn turned green once more. She proceeded to write down Lyon's statement in her notebook.

"Can I ask somethin'?" Applejack asked Twilight.

"Of course, if that's okay," Twilight replied, turning to Lyon.

"Of course."

Applejack scrunched her face, as if already regretting asking that question, but she knew it was too late to turn back.

"Why do... why do you steal love?"

He had a feeling he knew why she asked that specifically. He sighed slowly.

"... I don't."

Applejack turned her head in disbelief towards Twilight's horn, expecting to see a blistering red piercing the air. Instead, she was greeted yet again by the color green. She turned back to Lyon.

"For the record, I would never steal love from any of you. I never had to."

"Because we'd just give it to you?"

"No. I haven't had to consume love in years."

"If I may?" Twilight spoke up, earning Lyon's attention. "How does that work? "Consuming" love?"

"Love is a collective energy in all of us," Lyon answered. "It's part of our overall life force. Whenever we fall in love or feel happy around someone we care about, that energy only amplifies. When we share it, it expels outward. You don't see it, but you can feel it. Casting a spell without knowing it or ever casting it."

"Magic. Got it," Rainbow concluded.

"... Yes. To put it simply, magic. But it's still part of us as a whole. Even the smallest bit of love is practically gushed out on a typical day. Even that can be enough, given time."

"But... if you can consume love that way," Twilight began, "why don't you?"

Lyon sighed deeply. "We did. We used to."

The stallion pushed himself further up onto the chair, leaning his right arm against the armrest. From there, he began to recount the story...

My mother... Chrysalis... is the only queen of the Changelings. She has been for as long as Equestria has stood. But she wasn't always alone.

When my mother was born, thousands of years ago, she was one of three sisters. She came first, then her middle sister, Aurelia, and her youngest, Kell. Their mother, Queen Pupa, saw great things in them. They saw power, kindness, but most of all, love.

According to the last historians I knew, my mother and her sisters were... well, inseparable would be a vast understatement. They more than cared for each other, eager to see fit that our kingdom, an empire then, would prosper in the generations to come.

Before her death, Pupa gifted all three of them the title of Queen.

Three queens ruling at the same time? How is that possible?

The same way Princesses Celestia and Luna have ruled Equestria for thousands of years. Together, using their combined leadership and the words hoofed down from their mother, the three Sisters would go on to unite the Changeling Empire with the world like never before. Trade routes and relationships were among the first examples of bringing us together, and there were benefits on both sides. Lands like Equestria and even the early variants of the Far East would obtain some of the rarest resources and goods only our Empire could produce, and in return... we earned their love and trust. Willingly.

Equestria? The changelings... worked with Equestria?

Yes. This was long before Luna and Celestia had even been born. By this point, Equestria was merely an infant, but steadily growing. By this time, the three Sisters had ruled for two-hundred years, and our prescence by then had already been announced to the world.

I'm guessing it wasn't too pretty, for the most part?

Actually... it was the opposite. Admittedly, creatures were... uneased when they learned of a changeling's ability to change form. But they didn't let that simple thing change them. Unlike my kind today, the changelings of the old world didn't believe in violence, in terror, in any kind of intimidation to get what they want. Because they knew it would only create enemies and lead us down paths we may never come back from. Out of all three, my mother was desperate to make sure we never risked our survival for something as trivial as fruitcakes or necklaces.

Your mother... she seems like a completely different person.

She was. She was the kindest person anyone of the old world had the pleasure of meeting. Of loving. She was the epitome of love amongst a world of uncertainty and even hatred. She was love.

... And then her sisters died.

The room went silent as everyone seemed to hold their breath for several moments, before releasing the air slowly and as quietly as they could.

"Died...?" Twilight finally asked.

Lyon nodded somberly before looking up at her. "I'm not getting off topic for you, am I?"

"No... no. I... I'm sorry, I..."

Twilight paused, finding herself lost at what to say. It was a sudden change in tone that she hadn't expected. Looking towards Lyon, she saw that discomfort from before growing in his eyes. Spike and the others seemed to share almost the same mix of emotions as her and him.

"It's fine, you don't need to be sorry. But... if it's alright with you, can we... move onto another question? Just for now?"

Twilight nodded. "Of course."

The mare looked at her notebook of questions, unsure of what to ask the stallion before her. She hummed instinctively, but paused when she felt the eyes of the others gazing her down.

After a few moments of pondering, she closed the notebook.

"You said earlier that you don't consume love like your siblings, correct?" Lyon nodded. "How is that possible? The way you describe love, you act as if it's your food source."

"Well... that's because it is. Or depending on the changeling... was. In the early days of the changelings, we consumed basic foods like any other creature. It provided the usual sustinence you would expect from a fruit or a vegetable. But when it came to love, it could feed us more than most foods ever could. Combining the two, a changeling could do the work of five working bulls in six hours and still have the energy for more."

"Ahhhhh," Rainbow Dash sighed with a slight grin, "so you guys were perfect mating candidates, right?"

"Rainbow!"

Lyon stifled a grin himself and laughed awkwardly with a faint blush on his face.

"Well... depends on the changeling..."

"A-Ahem," Rarity cleared her throat. "If you haven't noticed, there's a certain young dragon in here?"

Spike turned to the mare beside him. "I know what mating is, Rarity."

"And I wonder why?"

"Uh... from Twilight?"

Rarity scrunched her lips and sat back.

"Right. Well, go on then, something about food? Changelings and food?"

Lyon smiled briefly at Rarity before continuing.

"To put it simply, we didn't need to rely entirely on love to sustain us. But it helped us prosper, and so the changelings established all kinds of relationships to keep us supplied. And the most important thing to say about this: Every relationship was genuine. My mother was willing to die for those she cared about, whether they were a griffon or a pony or cattle. She loved her kind, and she loved other kinds as much."

Lyon could feel himself smile a bit as he recounted the documents of the changeling historians, and how his mother cherished the world around her. But his smile faded when he remembered what happened next, and only then did he realize he was going off topic again.

"It wasn't until she lost her sisters that my mother lost herself, and with her, our empire. Or at least, what was left of it."

"What happened?"

Lyon focused his attention to Twilight. "We were attacked. By the Rougeland Empire."

"The what now...?" Applejack asked confusedly. But the look she saw on Twilight's face knew she was about to know herself.

"The Rougeland Empire was one of the first generation of empires to rise. They were around long before Equestria was ever founded. They were a powerful nation comprised of the most brutal of warriors and leaders. Historians say they never took prisoners or captives. Whatever or whoever they saw..."

"They destroyed," Lyon finished. "Right?"

Twilight nodded somberly.

"We were one of the last kingdoms they ever invaded before they collapsed. We never stood a chance against an army of that magnitude. And my mother..."

Lyon paused to sigh.

"My mother was the only one to escape. Her and a few hundred changelings. All that was left of an empire. It didn't take long before our allies followed suit. Some were wiped out entirely. Equestria, at that point, was powerful enough to repel their attacks.

"After my mother relocated, our kind struggled to get on proper feet. Without the guidance of her sisters, my mother... was willing to do whatever it took to feed the remnants."

"Willing how?"

"How else do you think the Rougeland Empire fell?"

The room went dead silent as Lyon's words connected with their ears. Twilight was more attentive than ever.

"The Spymasters."

"Spymasters?" Rainbow Dash repeated, prompting Twilight to turn to her.

"The Spymasters were a supposed tale of ancient folklore surrounding the Rougeland Empire. It was believed ancient creatures with the power to disguise themselves infiltrated the confines of their kingdoms. The main causes of their fall came after the arrival of the Spymasters. Pestilence... famine... fire. From locusts to the Blue Plague, it took only a few years for the empire to collapse... so we've been told."

At the mention of the creatures, everyone turned to Lyon.

"The creatures... changelings," Twilight finished, and the stallion before her nodded his head.

According to our historians, it was the first ever act of violence and deception my mother performed. At a time of desperation and fear, she pretended to be someone she wasn't to get what she wanted. But deep down, many of us believed it was purely out of revenge.

Ten years after the first fall of the Changeling Empire, Rougeland was next. A siege on their ruined government and a torching of their architecture was all it took to ensure nothing could be salvaged. But unlike their leaders, my mother took prisoners. They weren't hostages. They became our food source.

My mother swore to her children that it was all with good intentions, that she would never harm someone unless they deserved it.

It all came to change when she invaded Barbosquell. Barbosquell was a small nation to the far east of Rougeland, and presumably made up partially of refugees fleeing Rougeland. It was a few years after Rougeland collapsed that my mother approached the small settlement hoping to make peace with them. They refused initially, but when word got around that one of those alongside my mother was involved in the siege all those years back, they dragged him into the town square and...

... And what...?

They killed him. They hanged him in the square without even a second thought.

But how could they have known he was there?

According to some of the changelings there that day, the refugees from Rougeland recognized him solely on a scar on his lower lip, and a faded gash on his abdomen. That alone was seemingly all it took to kill him. They attempted to do the same to Chrysalis and the other changelings that came with her, but they fled the town.

The next day, she returned to the town with more changelings than the town had settlers. They didn't have time to react before they were hauled off in cocoons, and the town burned to the ground.

Dear Celestia... did she kill them too?

When they had nothing left to give, yes. She would kill them and didn't care much where the bodies went. She always would claim they deserved to rot in the dark.

After Barbosquell was destroyed, my mother continued to attack other settlements in order to sustain the colony. Allegedly, she claimed it was always after they acted first, and some accounts seemed to support the claim. But after only a few years, my mother's behavior began to worsen, and it wasn't long before she was the one attacking first.

Our race had become so fixated on the idea of love as a food source that we completely did away with physical consumption altogether. No longer did a changeling have to eat an apple or scarf down a pizza to get fed. They just had to love someone in all the right ways, and they were set for life.

But even some of those in the hive knew it would bite us sooner or later, and that came true during the Great Scorning.

That period is rarely archived.

For most societies, yes. Very few chose to document that time, and its effects on global relations. Because the Changelings had gained enough an influence to become a global pariah, distrust grew across the nations of the world. Mutual partners a hundred years before were now sleeping with one eye open and pitchforks in their hooves and claws, waiting for the moment they'd have to use them. Everyone was questioned every day, a random question every time, just to be sure they weren't someone they weren't. Contrary to its ideals of friendship, Equestria was on the brink of war with Griffonstone. There was no love left anywhere. The world hated itself, all because of one single race.

The changelings suffered for years, known to us as The Love Famine. Many changelings died because there wasn't enough love to sustain them. Some even tried to eat basic foods, but by then it did nothing. Our systems had grown accustomed to love that nothing else would fill us. Because of my mother's greediness, we were on the verge of extinction.

But it was, in its own darkly way, a silver lining. Soon before the famine ended, we went into hiding. Some changelings were then reportedly sent out as decoys, changelings who would, under disguise, spread the word that the changeling empire had been vanquished. Despite this... the only way to properly convince anyone was to use our own dead as evidence. The decoys dragged wagons full of bodies to towns and cities across the nearby nations. Mail carriers would deliver the news to the rest of the world, that the malevolent Changeling Empire was no more.

The world boomed in population by the end of that year alone. And with the passing years, it meant more food for my mother. But she knew better than to go out as she had before and risk our destruction. So she and her children remained hidden, deep in the shadows beneath the earth, preying on few at a time, until the time was right to reintroduce us to the world.

And it drove my mother mad. Gone was the gem of the world, and replacing it... the shadows, even paranoid of itself. As the centuries passed, she became obsessed with power, of ensuring that the changelings would never be vanquished, even if all but one had been destroyed. She convinced herself all her deeds were in the name of justice and fairness.

And she dared to kill anyone who said otherwise.

Then I was born, and everything seemed to change. Slowly... but surely.

Change how?

I betrayed my kind and left the hive as soon as I had the opportunity, and I never looked back. And that uncovered the insanity that became her very being. The very insanity that brought down Sanctity.

What's Sanctity?

Sanctity was...

Lyon let out an unsteady breath as he uttered that word. He remembered recounting it in passing at the wedding, but it was a moment's speak.

But now here he was, faced with more than just a word, but with the memories carried with it. He could feel his chest grow heavy, a feeling he hadn't experienced in years, at least not this heavy. Every time he opened his mouth to keep talking, an invisible force it felt like was keeping him from saying another word.

"We can stop for tonight, if you want," Twilight suggested, seeing the visible discomfort on Lyon's face. As much as he didn't want to drag it on, he reluctantly nodded.

Looking over to the clock, Lyon noticed that only an hour had passed since they first sat down. He found himself even more exhausted in that instant than the entire time he talked. Still so much to say, and still so much time left to say it in. He brought his hooves to his temples and rubbed them gently to allow himself a better momentary focus.

"Wait," Rainbow spoke up, "what happened next?"

Lyon sighed, hesitating to answer it even in a jesting manner. "A lot, but... if it's alright with you guys, I'm gonna need some more time to digest all this than I thought. It's gonna take my brain a couple days to properly catch up, if you know what I mean."

Before Rainbow could think to complain, Twilight replied, "We understand. We can continue this on Thursday. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. Thursday. It should be enough time. But I can always push forward a bit, if—"

"No, no," Twilight rejected, "We can do it Thursday, if it's comfortable."

Lyon didn't want to argue of it any further, so he nodded his head. He glanced once more at the clock, only a few moments having passed, before he turned to the door. The window had been cracked open to let in cool air from the outside. A brief chill ran over Lyon's skin as soon as he remembered it, and he found himself subconsciously brushing himself gently with a hoof.

"Well... it is getting late. Perhaps it's best we all head home, get some shuteye now, then... cobble more stuff together tomorrow. No interviewing or interrogating, just... talking about things. Maybe your time before you came to Ponyville. Normal things. Sound good?"

Lyon shrugged his shoulders. "Depends on how I feel by that point, but... sure."

The lavender unicorn nodded her head to the stallion before looking down to Spike and pointing her head to the door.

"Ready to head home?"

At first, Spike hesitated to answer the question, looking to the others and even Lyon as if wanting their help. But inevitably, he gave Twilight a nod and the two started for the door. Lyon saw Twilight shiver briefly as a cold breeze came in, no doubt stronger at the door than near the fireplace.

"Wait," Rainbow spoke up again, stopping Twilight and Spike in their tracks and turning them around. "Shouldn't we have one of us stay here? You know... just in case?"

Lyon glanced up at her. "Do you still think I'm gonna try and run?"

"No... just... I don't know. I..."

"Rainbow," Twilight said with a sigh. "He's not going to do anything. Right?"

She turned to Lyon for reassurance, and he nodded in return.

"And you know I've been telling the truth too," Lyon added, referring to Twilight's spell. "I would never hurt any of you. You understand?"

Another faint glow of green against Twilight's horn would further confirm his statement. The sight of it seemed to calm Rainbow's nerves only a bit, but she couldn't help but still feel a little unsure.

"Look... if you're still that wary, you can... stay the night, I guess." Lyon glanced around the living room briefly to find a large green blanket he'd used mostly on cold nights, and pointed to its place on the top of the couch. "You can take the couch, but... only if you want to stay."

"Lyon, I don't think it's really necessary—" Twilight tried to speak, only to be cut off by Rainbow Dash.

"Actually, if you're cool with it, then... I guess I could stay the night. Tank should be fine till tomorrow."

"I can check on him before I get home, if you want," Fluttershy suggested kindly. Rainbow turned around to grab the blanket from the couch top.

"He's a tough little guy, but... yeah, I think he'd like that."

Fluttershy nodded and proceeded to remove herself from the couch.

"Well," Applejack spoke up, "I guess it's time I headed home myself. Gonna be a bit of a hassle workin' tomorrow."

The mare paused, hummed briefly, and turned to Lyon.

"If it's alright with you, Lyon... perhaps it might be best if you took a break from work for a few days, till everything gets sorted, you know? I'll pay you for it."

"AJ, you don't have to—"

"I know, but... shucks, I can't exactly punish you, can I? Especially after tonight?"

Lyon opened his mouth briefly, only to close it a moment later and nod in place. Twilight and Spike continued to stand by the door, only now ready to leave.

"We'll see you tomorrow... okay?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow," Lyon answered.

Once the unicorn and drake left Lyon's home, the others followed, giving their goodbyes and promises to return tomorrow. Each mention of tomorrow only made Lyon feel a bit more uneasy. He knew Twilight promised not to talk more about what they discussed tonight, but even talking about himself wasn't something he was entirely keen on doing.

But what was he to do? He couldn't ignore them; it was never in his nature to ignore them, no matter how frustrated he could ever be with them—the wedding coming to mind.

—you wouldn't have abandoned your best friend when she needed you the most!

Maybe a bit too much.

Pinkie was the last to leave, shutting the door behind her. As soon as the others were gone, Lyon let out a deep sigh and slumped in his chair, letting his body practically sink into the cushion as his muscles relaxed.

"You, uh... you good?" Rainbow asked after a moment of silence.

"It's been a long day..."

Rainbow shifted on the couch.

"Yeah... it has. But, hey... at least we were able to clear up some things, right?"

Lyon sighed, clenching his eyes for a moment and letting the chair recline as he stretched.

"That was nothing, to be honest."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, snorting with a faint grin. "Really? All that was 'nothing'?"

"There's a lot more stuff you guys don't know about," Lyon admitted, turning onto his side to face Dash. "And frankly... I wanted it to stay that way. And it would've... but trust me when I say there is a lot of stuff you've yet to know about us. And we haven't even started talking about me yet."

"Well... we know your name is really Libaax, so... that's something."

Lyon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, one thing."

"And the fact that you told the truth."

The stallion turned onto his back again, looking up to the ceiling. He let out a slow, deep breath.

"After all this, you're gonna wish I lied. Believe me."

The remnants of a grin on Dash's face quickly faded, not out of fear, but of concern.

"What could you have done that was so bad?"

Lyon glared at the ceiling.

"Not me. Her."

Traitor.

"Always her."

He hummed and turned back onto his side, this time facing towards the fireplace.

"It's getting late," he said. "We should get some sleep too. Unless the reason you stayed was to talk?"

He didn't notice that Rainbow had been looking at his form, taking in his words. Given what she only knew of the Queen so far, she could only imagine what kind of evil she had wrought against him, at least to warrant leaving the hive. Rainbow wanted to doubt that was the case; part of her wanted to believe that Lyon wasn't the real Lyon they she knew, and that he was only playing for the long con.

But Twilight's magic didn't lie. So why would it start now?

"Nah. That can wait till tomorrow."

"If you say so." Lyon yawned as he stretched his legs and let his head rest against his arm.

"You want a blanket too?"

"No... I'll be fine."

"Cool," Rainbow said, plopping herself down against one of the pillows on the couch, briefly basking in the sheer softness of the fabric. "Well... goodnight, I guess?"

Lyon laughed softly through his nose. "Goodnight, Rainbow."

But he could only wish it'd be a good night. Already, Lyon felt himself unable to sleep, and his eyes forcing themselves open. He found himself staring at the wall adjacent to the fireplace. Though the lights had been shut off, there was still enough of a faint glow around the house to allow him to see—not that there was much to see on this particular wall, anyhow.

But it kept his mind busy.

He didn't want to tell them. From the very moment he remembered it all, he knew at some point he was going to have to tell them everything. He could refuse, sure, but what would stop them from taking it wrong or even resenting him if they chose not to blast him to the moon?

They didn't deserve to know what he knew. It wasn't worth it. He knew it wasn't.

And he didn't want to have to remember it again.

"zzzzZZZZzzzz..."

Lyon groaned softly. Suddenly, sleep didn't sound so bad after all.

Author's Note

Hi again. I didn't mean to do that.

But yeah, this story's back after a hiatus of four months. A plethora of things has kept me lingering on this chapter since, ranging from heartbreak to depression and laziness...

And maybe that global pandemic people are talking about, I guess.

But while I'm stuck indoors, I'm going to try and dedicate my time into getting back into the groove of things. I can't promise always weekly updates for this story, but I can at least go for semi-weekly. Regardless, I'd love to keep this story going.

I apologize if the ending seemed rushed. Sometimes endings are tough depending on how it goes. :twilightsheepish:

Chapter 12: Open and Out

The whiteness of the snow turned the darkness of the winter a faint, welcoming shade of pink against the landscape. The wind howled softly, echoing about like wind chimes clashing together.

Guided by nothing more than that, Lyon trekked forward with a gentle plop of his hooves against the snow. The tracks behind and beneath him were deep, but he knew that up here, they would be covered again in an hour.

The wind brushed against his fur coat, sending a collective shiver through his body, even to the very core. Cold weather was common here, but in the winter it was far worse. Not many of the others traveled far beyond here unless to make trips to the villages days from here, whether that was to trade goods or to fish at the nearest lake—and even that was a few hours' walk.

Lyon let out a numbly yawn as he felt exhaustion begin to creep up on him. But he knew he couldn't go back yet.

Not without her.

Finally, after a good twenty minutes of walking into the thickest branches of woodland that the forest could ever offer, he was there. Standing before him was an old, decrepit shack, seemingly devoid of life—at least on the outside.

The shack in reality was an explorers' den with a well sitting in the center, a well that stretched seemingly hundreds of feet downward. A brief expedition years before revealed nothing at the bottom, and was far too damaged to provide any use, and so Lyon and the rest of his group filled it with concrete and sticks to prevent any accidents, whether to them or anyone passing through.

The shack itself showed its time, having been abandoned for at least one-hundred years for reasons unknown.

But every once in a while—it was her temporary getaway.

As soon as Lyon was no more than a few feet from the door handle, he could hear her gentle hums, and a brief glance through the nearby window revealed a faint glowing candle light that occasionally flickered to momentarily illuminate the interior, though the darkened tint of the window made it difficult to see it.

The stallion gently opened the door, slow enough to keep it from creaking, and he entered the shack. The singing of the young mare before him became that much clearer.

The song was entirely unfamiliar to Lyon, but the melody, among everything else, was nonetheless lovely. The young mare always seemed to have a knack for the art of music. If she failed to entice a listener with her words, then she could woo them with her voice. She could make anyone laugh or reduce them to tears with just a few changes in her tone. She was an opera singer of the wild.

And yet, she was too shy to let the world hear her roar.

Especially since she stopped singing the moment she noticed the stallion standing by the door.

"Y-You scared me," she stammered, clutching her chest.

Lyon grinned faintly, content that he could still do so.

"Come on," he said to her, leaning his head to the door. "It's getting late."

"Is it?"

The young mare trotted over to the window and looked out to find that it was dark with the mix of pink.

"What time is it?"

"Almost time for bed, missy. C'mon."

She trilled her lips. "I'm not a baby, Lyon."

"Yes, but you're still growing. And growing changelings need their sleep."

"Doesn't that include you, too?"

Lyon rolled his eyes.

"I'm sleeping fine, thank you very much. And once I know you're back home, I'll be able to sleep a lot better."

The young mare hummed to herself and looked to the door, then glanced around the room, showing a clear reluctance to want to leave. It wasn't that she was afraid of going home, not at all.

She just didn't want to. Here, she could be whoever she wanted.

But the chill of the evening air gave the mare shivers through her body, and she let out a small groan.

"Okay."

Hopping off the small makeshift cot with a loud creak, the mare made her way out the door, Lyon following behind her to shut it. It didn't take long for the stallion to catch up to her, and his immediate decision was to engage in conversation.

Anything to keep the cold away.

"So, you learn anything at school today?" he asked.

She shrugged. "We just learned about some plants today."

"Really? What kinds?"

"... There was one that makes you sneeze to death."

Ah. That one. Lyon was glad they were nowhere near a patch of those things. He had a feeling the teacher probably left some of the more... gruesome parts out.

"Oh! Well, that's... cool," Lyon half-exclaimed awkwardly.

It didn't take long for the conversation to start dying, but by then, the two of them had already returned to the village. Lyon knew the layout of the place now like the back of his hoof. Within minutes of reaching the town limits—after a quick inspection by the guards, of course—the two reached the town home, a homey cottage settled next to a river.

Grabbing the key from under the mat, Lyon unlocked the front door and allowed the young mare inside. As soon as he entered, he closed the door behind him. He turned around to see the mare already making her way to the stairs.

"Do you want me to make you something to eat?" he asked.

"No thanks," she replied. "I think I might get ready for bed."

"Oh. Okay then."

He watched as she started her way up the stairs, but as soon as she reached the halfway, he called to her.

"Sky?"

She turned to Lyon, but said nothing, yet she was attentive.

"You know you can talk to me about anything... right?"

"I know."

An awkward silence brewed between the two ponies, Lyon staying silent as if beckoning Sky to say something. Anything. Not just 'I know.'

"Good night," she said with an uncertain tone as she continued up the stairs, before inevitably disappearing behind a corner.

Lyon sighed quietly and glanced at the living room aimlessly.

"Good night, kiddo."

Lyon felt uneasy again as he awoke the next morning. To his luck, it was not as severe as it had been the day before or even the days leading up to the wedding. But it was still there, creeping on him yet never pouncing. It was a kind of uneasy he hadn't felt in years, but this time it was easily avoidable.

Ish.

He stretched his back on the recliner, letting out a brief moan as his bones cracked. Glancing around the living room, he noticed the sunlight passing through the window, indicating it was sometime in the early morning. Looking ahead of him, he could see Rainbow Dash sleeping soundly on his couch, her blanket having fallen to the floor at some point during the night.

Two things immediately ran through his mind: He was capable of sleeping through Rainbow Dash's snoring after all...

... And what happened last night was real. Just like all the nights and days before it.

Getting up slowly from his chair, Lyon tiptoed into the kitchen and began to make himself a quick breakfast, all the while catching his brain up on events. Eventually, the sound of chirping birds outside became clear, and Lyon found himself yawning, all the while Dash continued to sleep several feet away.

He found himself looking at her for more than a moment before making the decision to fix her a plate, as well. He knew her long enough to know a hearty breakfast for someone like her was a buffet for literally anyone else, but two eggs should suffice.

Once the plate was set and placed down on the counter, Lyon went back to his thoughts. He was both looking forward to and not looking forward to today. He remembered the promise he made to Twilight and the others the night before, that they would ask him average questions, such as what he did before coming to Ponyville and where he naturally grew up.

It wasn't that he hated to talk about it. It's just that he knew once he started talking about it, it would just go on and on. Soon it wouldn't just be about his time in Baltimare or Manehattan. It would be questions about the hive, his siblings, more about his mother.

Then when the time came... Sanctity itself.

Sanctity... why did he have to mention that?

Then he remembered he really had no choice. Anything else would've come off as a lie, and who knows where just a single lie would lead.

Hell... it led him here, so... he didn't know what to think of it. He hated lying, but there were times it was necessary—even if he didn't know he was lying.

It made him wonder how long the fib would've gone on had he not shown up at the wedding. What if he stayed home, rejected Celestia's offer? What if he decided to bugger off elsewhere like Appleoosa or Manehattan? Would he even be sitting here thinking this? Surely, Chrysalis would've come back some other time.

He knew his mother too well even after all these years. She was not the kind of person to give up easy. The blood on her hooves could more than vouch for that.

A cracking yawn filled the silence, followed by the creaking of springs and cracking of bones. Lyon broke his thought and glanced over to the couch just as Rainbow Dash awoke from her sleep. Initially when her eyes opened, she recoiled at the sight of the chair where Lyon slept being empty, and darting her eyes around the house until they eventually fell upon the stallion himself standing in the kitchen, and her body relaxed.

"Oh... uh... hey," the mare said slowly.

"Good morning to you too," Lyon answered with a dry chuckle. Despite that, he couldn't be too upset at her for being cautious. He more than definitely would've done the same in her hooves.

Rainbow stretched her limbs again as she lifted herself off the couch and started for the kitchen.

"You made breakfast for me?" she questioned, noticing the extra plate.

Lyon nodded. "Figured you probably didn't wanna fly all the way back home just to make some food."

Rainbow shrugged briefly, but still thanked him a moment later. With both hooves, she grabbed her plate and hovered over to the nearby table to sit down. Lyon watched as she readied herself to dig in, only for her to stop just before the fork went into her mouth. She eyed it suspiciously, trying her hardest not to make it obvious.

"... It's not poisoned, if that's what you're looking for," Lyon said almost monotonously.

"I know that! I just, uh... wanted to... make sure I had enough?"

Lyon wasn't at all convinced, but he didn't chastise her. Once she noticed he wouldn't budge, she apologized.

"Don't worry about it," he responded as he dug into his own plate. Dash still couldn't help but egg herself on.

"Just being cautious... you know...?"

He nodded back. "I know. But I'm still Lyon, you know? Remembering who I am doesn't mean I'm gonna start poisoning all my friends."

"Well... have you done it before?"

"... What?"

"Poisoned someone. Ya know, put rat poison in their coffee, stuck an antacid tablet in their pancakes?"

Dear Celestia, how barbaric.

"No," Lyon lied.

"... Oh."

"How do you even—"

"Daring Do."

"Jeez, the writer's gotten pretty gruesome in the last few years, hasn't she?"

"Well," Dash hung, leaning against the table, "it's nothing too crazy. You think it will until Daring Do or the other good guys manage to stop the problem before it even begins. But there's always that fear, you know? It leaves you on edge."

Lyon agreed with her. He wasn't as into the Daring Do books as Rainbow Dash, but he could easily get into them every once in a while whenever a new edition released. Before the wedding, his only memory of the series was the first time Rainbow introduced him to it after her flying accident a few months back.

But now he remembered starting the series back when the first ever book hit the shelves—fifteen years ago.

Yearling's come a long way since then.

Once Dash eventually got into her food, Lyon took his plate and rinsed it in the sink before setting it on the drying rack. While doing so, Rainbow asked what the plan was for the day.

"Well... Twilight did say she wanted to come back over today to ask more questions, remember?"

"Yep. So, you got any good stories in your noggin you wanna tell us?"

Lyon tilted his head away hesitantly. "Nothing too... much, like I said. Okay? Just tame stuff for the time being."

"How tame are we talking...?"

"Uhm...?"

Lyon paused. The goal was for tame, but he couldn't think of anything quite so tame. Favorite type of music? Where he grew up? Surely, they wouldn't find much satisfaction from something like that, would they?

Devil's Advocate, it is then.

"What would you suggest?" he asked Rainbow Dash. She trilled her lips briefly as she took a moment to think.

"Well... off the top of my head... things like your favorite book, what kind of music you listen to, maybe your favorite hobby before coming here to Ponyville?"

"Well, I can easily answer that last one. Archery."

"Really? Since when?"

"Since I was a hatchling," Lyon answered. "Since my mother considered me of the warrior class, naturally we were trained to fight as soon as we were able. I ended up having a better hoof in ranged combat."

"So, with arrows?"

"Anything we could send far, really. But my mother didn't want me relying solely on an arrow to save my life. In general terms, ranged combat was secondary; we were trained on close quarter. If an enemy managed to get physical, we needed to be ready for it."

"So you kick butt pretty hard, I imagine?"

Lyon shrugged. "Sort of. It's..."

He froze.

"It's been a while since I really fought anypony. Or just anyone, really."

"Why?"

"I'm not exactly the type of person to go and start trouble. If I can, I keep to myself."

"When was the last time you really got into a fight? Other than the wedding, duh."

"Pfft," Lyon trilled, "years ago. Long before I came to Ponyville. I think I was staying out in Mareland. I was at this tavern by the beach, just kind of keeping to myself... when this one guy who'd been there probably longer than I had starts mouthing off to me, thinking I was some mare he tried to hit on earlier in the night."

Rainbow snickered. "You sure you weren't disguised as her or something?"

Lyon mock laughed. "Ha ha."

But in fairness... he'd done it before.

"Anyway, the guy starts spewing the most absolute random stuff in my face, then tries to swing at me. I knew it was coming, so instinctively I ducked. He struck a guy sitting next to me, and I guess since he didn't fully see it go down, he thought I was the one that hit him. So his first instinct was to also swing at me."

"Seems fairly easy to deck two drunks, right?"

"When every punch they don't land on me ends up hitting someone else? Far from it."

"Let me guess... bar fight?"

"Try full blown riot."

"Wait, what? How?"

"My memory's foggy, but while the drunk ones were kicking the crap out of me or each other, the locals outside apparently got the wrong idea. Everyone inside was smashing furniture and destroying property, which in turn, led to said locals using the opportunity to smash things up themselves. By the time I even got out of there, that whole street was filled with ponies looting and dancing on burning wagons."

"Wait wait, before you that, go back to the fight part. What did you do?"

Lyon almost forgot about the original point of the story, shook his head with a chuckle, and continued.

"The drunk guys were pretty easy to hold off. It was just dodging their "hits" and keeping enough distance for them to get distracted by some other ponies. But it was the sober ones that were tough to deal with. I remember this one posse that was there, looked like they knew a good deal of fighting too. They had their sights set on me, so avoiding them wasn't going to happen.

"I landed a few good hits on a couple of them, but they were able to pin me down for the rest. Everyone ignored us and these guys just landed blow after blow."

"You didn't even fight back?"

"I did, but... I didn't mind it all that much. I could've easily gotten out of that situation at first. But I didn't. I let them have their fun. As weird as it is to say, I... I don't know, I guess it just felt nice to not fight first."

"Well, obviously you're still here, sooo what changed?" Rainbow asked with a faint smirk.

Lyon sighed.

"They tried to burn the only picture I had left of my friends."

The smirk disappeared.

"Your friends?"

"Other changelings that left the hive over the years. We saved up some money for some cameras and had our photos taken. When... things happened, that photo was the only thing I had left of them. And those fuckers tried to burn it."

Rainbow recoiled faintly, not enough to be noticed. She hardly ever heard Lyon swear, even before the wedding. He always said he didn't like it. Maybe, to an extent, he was right.

"As soon as I saw them take it, I lost it. I fought just like I was trained: Smart and quick. I grabbed my things and ran out of there before anyone could think to look and notice."

"Did you... kill them?"

Lyon shook his head. "Nopony died, as far as I know. But the riot that sprung from that bar cost Mareland millions of bits in damages and repairs."

"Jeez, how big was this riot?"

"Enough to span ten city blocks. It was the worst violent incident in the city's history since its founding."

"And you alone were responsible for it?"

"Yep," Lyon chuckled sheepishly. "I know it's not exactly something to be proud of... but it's not every day you get to tell folks you were responsible for the Mareland Bar Riots."

While Lyon laughed to himself, and while at first Dash wanted to alongside him, the mare found herself staring almost hard at the stallion's form.

"Wait... you mean... the Mareland Bar Riots?" Rainbow Dash asked slowly.

"Well yeah," Lyon answered nonchalantly, still coming down from his giggly high. "Unless there was another riot I missed in recent years."

But Rainbow still wasn't laughing, and that alone forced the smile to fade from Lyon's face.

"Why? What is it? What's wrong?"

The words got caught in her mouth at first, but she hesitantly answered.

"Lyon... those riots happened sixty years ago."

There was something about the mention that made Lyon's heart skip a beat. Maybe it was the time frame, or the fact that his friend reminded him of the time frame.

Or was it both?

"... Oh yeah."

Lyon took a sip from his mug of coffee. He completely forgot he even poured it. His mind seemed to clear after the first few steps, but his mind had still been clouded by the blotches leftover from the potion's effects.

"... I guess that memory isn't as recent as I thought it was," Lyon added sheepishly. "Heh... whoops..."

He didn't know what to say, beyond that.

"So... you're... older."

And neither did Rainbow, apparently.

"Yeah. Something like that."

"I mean, that's not a bad thing or anything, just... bizarre. I mean, you look so young..."

"That's just the disguise, really."

"Out of how many?"

"Not many. I didn't really like changing form much."

"Huh. Okay." Rainbow got up from the table and moved over to the counter, standing almost opposite Lyon. "So who'd you base this guy off?"

"No one. I created this form from scratch."

"You can do that?"

"Wouldn't be very useful if we couldn't."

"Point taken."

Lyon downed the rest of his coffee and rinsed the inside of the mug out in the sink, hesitating to fetch another full cup. It was his awkward tick. The silence, the uncertainty of what can be said next, it was always unpleasant. He knew what the next question would be, and he was glad it was only ever asked twice.

"So how old are you?"

Make that three times.

"Old enough," Lyon answered simply as he set the now clean coffee mug on the drying rack.

"That doesn't really answer my question."

He looked at her.

"I know."

Before Rainbow Dash could say any more, the sound of knocking cane from the front door. A hint of a pink bushy tail and the sound of magical aura indicated the others had come back to the house. As planned, of course, but this early?

"I'll get it," Rainbow said. "Take care of my dish for me, old man?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

Lyon twisted his tongue around with an urge to grumble something, but didn't have the bother for it. Shaking his head, he took Rainbow's near empty plate and dumped the rest of the food into the garbage before placing it into the sink for washing.

Rainbow had taken that news fairly well so far. Or maybe it was still sinking in. Wasn't every day that your twenty-seven year old friend had vivid memories of a riot from more than thirty years before he was born. It was something he didn't want turned into a bigger deal, but he didn't like to talk about it. Not only did it make him feel old—it reminded him just how many things he had forgotten that was better left forgotten.

Rainbow opened the front door, and upon doing so was greeted by her closest friends. The fact that she opened first gave momentary relief to those who were still wary at best.

For Rarity, it took a bit more convincing.

"Ow!" Rainbow yelped as Rarity punched her shoulder carefully. "What was that for?!"

"Just checking, darling."

"I'm not a ghost, for Pete's sake. Besides, I think it'd be pretty easy to tell if I was replaced. No one can ever match my awesomeness so well."

"Or your boastfulness, apparently..." Rarity muttered aloud earning an unamused look from the pegasus. "But that's a good thing! ... Almost."

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes and leaned her head toward the house. "Come on, let's go inside."

The girls and Spike followed each other—Pinkie hopping behind them—as their eyes fell on Lyon who stood by the kitchen counter. He exchanged a faint smile as he focused on washing Rainbow's plate.

"Good morning, Lyon," Twilight greeted in a hopeful tone. "Did you sleep well?"

"More or less," he answered. "I'm feeling a lot better than I did a few days ago, for sure."

"That's good."

Lyon asked the same question back, and the answers were more or less the same as his own. There wasn't much conversation to go on beyond that, and so the girls all retreated their way to the couch, bringing extra seats as last night, while Lyon walked over to his chair and adjusted it to sit up.

"How long have you two been up?" Twilight asked.

"Me, twenty minutes," Lyon answered, then pointed to Rainbow. "Her, ten I think."

"Don't be expecting me to wake up this early too often, you know. Your couch is just uncomfortable... that's all."

Lyon rolled his eyes and turned back to Twilight.

"I didn't think you guys would be coming over this early for story-time," he joked slightly, but got serious again. "Don't you guys have work today?"

"Work can wait a bit," Twilight replied. "But we didn't entirely come here to hear more. We know that's what we planned on, but..."

The mare's sentence trailed off, earning Lyon's concern.

"But what?"

"It's nothing bad. But I've been updating Princess Celestia on our situation."

Lyon shifted slightly in his seat, but the precursor helped soothe his worry, if only for a bit.

"Okay... What did she say?"

"Initially, she was checking up on all of us. We had all left Canterlot in such a hurry to catch up to you, we left the princesses and my brother worried sick."

Lyon frowned and instinctively apologized to Twilight, but she only waved it off.

"It's fine. Regardless, I've been writing to her since we got home the other night. I was in the middle of writing another letter to her yesterday when you arrived at the library. This... turn of events, I didn't think to finish the letter."

"Does she know? About what I've told you?"

"Not yet. I haven't written to her regarding anything from last night or the night before. She's practically in the dark about it. And I know that the longer I keep from telling her, the more dire the situation becomes and the more likely she'd be willing to send the Royal Guard after you."

Lyon looked at her in confusion. "Then... why not just tell her?"

She clicked her cheek, looking to Spike and the others briefly before looking back to him.

"We figured that... it's best that you write to her instead."

Lyon was taken aback slightly. "Are you sure...?"

"Darling," Rarity interjected, "with all due respect, you did blow up a jail cell and evade a military force only two days after a foreign invasion. I've no doubt the princesses see you as a potential asset... the same way we all did at first."

"I was unconscious for two days?"

Many of the girls nodded. Lyon didn't make any further mention of it.

"How will she know it's me who's writing the letter?"

"I'll be writing a letter shortly to let her know the situation. After which, we'll send yours."

"What should I say?"

Lyon knew it was a ridiculous question, but it was better to be prepared instead of sending a potential nothing-burger of words and hope the Royal Guard didn't break down the front door. Twilight looked at Lyon firmly and genuinely.

But Applejack was the one to answer.

"The truth, sugarcube. Just tell the truth."

"So you believe me?"

Twilight smiled faintly. "You haven't lied to us yet. I don't see a reason to start now, do you?"

Lyon laughed in a similar manner. "You're right about that."

To prevent any lingering, awkward silence from arising, Lyon got up from the chair and started walking over to the kitchen.

"Well... while you're all here, is there anything you guys want? Drink or food?"

Many answers were simple nos or that they had already eaten breakfast before arriving, which wasn't far fetched at all. And whether it was a lie, Lyon wasn't at liberty to suggest that, nor an urge to.

"Nope!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I already had my share of cupcakes for the hour, but thanks!"

"... I was gonna suggest eggs, but... okay."

Fluttershy looked over to Lyon. "Um, do you happen to have any tea packets?"

"Yeah, of course. What kind of tea do you like? I've got plenty of sweet tea and some honey tea you sent me a few months ago."

"Oh! You still have those?"

"Yeparooni," Lyon answered in a joking manner, hoping to stir some laughter. All it gained was a happy snort from Applejack. Lyon cleared his throat. "You wanna help? I know you make yours a bit different than others."

"Sure! I mean, if you're okay with that."

"Always," Lyon smiled. "Your tea is always better, anyway."

Fluttershy couldn't help but let a blush slip as she headed over to the counter to help Lyon prepare the tea. Spike offered to help as well and Lyon immediately insisted he do so. As the three of them were occupied, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie looked at Rainbow Dash.

"How'd you sleep?"

As if reacting to it, Rainbow stretched her body which made brief cracking sounds.

"This couch isn't as comfy to sleep on as I thought it'd be," she joked. "but I slept good."

"Did you two talk about anything last night? Or this morning?"

Rainbow shifted her posture slightly. "A little bit this morning. He made me some eggs and I got kinda curious."

"Curious how?"

"Well, first I asked him how he got so good at kicking butt."

"I'm guessing from mama?" Applejack questioned, to which Rainbow nodded. "The way he talked about her, sh' seemed like more of a general or dictator than a mom."

"That whole thing's pretty obvious. But that's not the weirdest part."

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked.

"I asked him the last time he got into an actual fight before the wedding, and he reminisced about how he got into a bar fight in Mareland."

"So he's certainly lived an exciting life?" Rarity asked sarcastically.

"If you call being the one responsible for the Mareland Bar Riots... then yeah. He's lived an exciting life."

The very mention of it got Twilight's attention.

"Wait, the Mareland Bar Riots? The Mareland Bar Riots talked about in history lessons?"

"One in the same," Rainbow replied with a brief pep.

Applejack turned to Rainbow. "No offense sugarcube, but since when have you ever picked up a history book?"

"I did history in school!" Rainbow exclaimed defensively, yet kept her voice low. "I mean, sure I didn't do great, but I still listened to the teacher!"

The mare then cleared her throat.

"When I wanted to..."

"I don't understand," Rarity spoke in confusion. "What is it about these riots that are so significant?"

Twilight and Rainbow turned to Rarity, with the former answering and the rest listening.

"Rarity, those riots happened sixty years ago."

"What...?" was all she could say, while Applejack and Pinkie were left with looks of bewilderment. "But... surely, that can't be right?"

"It is. I remember reading about them too in some of my history books. It was financially the worst riot they ever experienced since the city was founded."

"Then surely he means a different Mareland riot, right?"

"There hasn't been a riot in Mareland in sixty years," Twilight corrected. "Even if there was a smaller one, it still would've been documented."

"And, if I'm putting things together right... Lyon was there... and caused it...?" Applejack asked.

"Sorta," Rainbow answered in a sheepish manner. "According to him, a couple drunks tried ganging up on him and things got a bit out of hoof."

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't exactly call the worst riot in a city's history "a bit" out of hoof."

While Rainbow tried justifying her answer, Twilight sent a glance over to Lyon, who'd become entangled with Fluttershy and Spike. Fluttershy was holding up a small tea packet to Lyon's nose as if asking him to smell it. He did so, only to recoil wildly in the process.

"Oh gods, what is that?" he asked with a shiver.

"Peppermint."

"Brrrrr~"

Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle, and Spike held back laughter as the two watched Lyon shiver as if it would help dissipate the scent faster. Twilight eyed his movements, the strut in his arms and legs, the brief cracks in his face, or the color of his eyes. Even his smile was something to observe. His voice, the way it vibrated and the highness of the pitch.

"But he looks so young," Twilight said to herself, though Rainbow had finished her answer quick enough to overhear.

"Well, he did say it was part of his disguise. And if he's telling the truth, for all we know he could be a grumpy grandpa behind closed doors."

Applejack glanced briefly at Lyon then turned to Rainbow. "He sure don't act like a grandpa."

"Maybe he's just that good."

The farmer rolled her eyes at the thought. Nopony could fake being older or younger than they actually were. As depressing as it was to admit, watching her uncle Chestnut grow into an elderly pony showed just how easy it was to grow vulnerable and frail, to lose all sense of equinity or identity. Even Granny Smith would fall under the veil.

But Lyon showed no such veil. But that assumed what Rainbow was told was true; but Lyon hadn't lied to them so far, so like Twilight said, why start now?

"How old is he?" Applejack asked Rainbow Dash.

"He didn't say. He didn't really wanna answer that one."

"Why not?"

Rainbow only shrugged.

"In any case," Twilight spoke up, "I think we should only ask him questions he's comfortable answering. If he decides not to answer, we won't push him."

"You sure about that, hon?" Applejack asked curiously.

"The last thing I want is him feeling cornered. He may be a changeling, but it's still Lyon, and he's our friend. Right?"

At first, none of the other girls answered, almost seeming hesitant to. They weren't opposed to the idea of Lyon still being their friend, but with such a discovery, there couldn't be any harm in taking caution... right?

"I think he's still my friend," Pinkie Pie said after a few moments of silence. "Look at him over there. He's smiling and happy and having a good time. I can tell if somepony's faking a smile... and that one is as real as any smile before it. And if he's willing to look his friends in the eyes and give them a smile they can't look through, then I don't care if he's some old grumpy stinkbug in disguise. He's still Lyon, and he's still my friend."

Twilight and the rest of the girls watched Pinkie's expression seriously, but there was no change or facade. She meant it. And looking at Lyon standing in the kitchen again, each of them could see why she would think and see that. Perhaps there was a truth to that. Lyon told nothing but truths to them, and the way he moved and talked to Fluttershy and Spike left zero indications of anything that he wouldn't do.

Twilight heard a sigh behind her from Applejack.

"I'm with Pinkie," she added. "This whole thing might be a tad unsettling... but I can't get used to things if I'm sleeping with an eye open around him, right?"

Rainbow agreed a moment later, on account of her interactions with him earlier in the morning. Rarity however seemed hesitant to give a proper answer.

"It's not that I don't trust him," she started, "but should we still keep an eye on him? For his safety?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Applejack questioned.

"Certainly his mother might come looking for him, or if—Celestia forbid—the public finds out what he is, wouldn't they try to hurt him?"

"I'm sure Celestia and Luna will be making sure to watch for any other changelings, especially Chrysalis," Twilight said. "As for the public... I don't think they'd try to hurt him as long as the princesses can trust his word."

"But would they trust the princesses' word, in that case?"

Twilight scrunched her lips and snorted, her expression neutral. And yet her tone was far from it.

"I hope so."

In the hour before high noon, deep within the castle grounds, Princess Celestia sat upon her throne, tapping her hoof away gently at the sidearm. She had been sitting at the throne all morning since seven o'clock. Luna insisted that she stay longer, but Celestia wouldn't allow it no matter the guilt.

Luna was a good sister, but Celestia didn't want her to risk her own health, especially not so soon after recent events. If anything happened, she wanted her able and ready.

Celestia's assistant, Raven Inkwell, stood by the pair of thrones and stared forward to the double doors at the end of the room. Occasionally she would blink as if to adjust her eyesight, before her head started to slump forward only to shoot back up again. She attempted to hide it from Celestia subtly, but her movements were far too obvious.

"Slept well, I see?" Celestia asked in a sarcastic overtone.

Raven opened her mouth to answer, only for a yawn to replace her words. She closed her eyes, face flustered in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Princess," Raven said. "I-I tried to sleep, but... it's been—"

"Don't apologize, Raven. I understand." Celestia gave a gentle sigh. "I can't imagine anypony has been sleeping well."

"I don't think I can until we know we're safe."

"Don't say that. You need your sleep."

"But my job—"

Celestia stood up from her throne and walked over to the unicorn, towering over her by several feet. Raven almost recoiled, like she spoke wrong, but the way Celestia looked at her seemed to calm her if only for a second.

"Raven... I'm saying this to you as a friend, not a princess. Okay? To Hell with your job right now. Your health is more important than taking my schedules or making sure I get enough tea for the day. I want you to go back to your room, get into bed, and don't come out until you've gotten your sleep. Understand?"

Raven looked away, trying to find words to defend herself with, but she knew Celestia was right. She couldn't do her work if she wasn't able to keep her eyes open. With a hesitant nod and a hug from Celestia, Raven left the room soon after, leaving Celestia alone with herself. A few minutes later, a member of Shining Armor's Search Team entered the room. Celestia took one gaze at the sunrays on the floor to know it was noon. Time moved faster than she realized.

"Your highness," the guard said with a bow. Celestia nodded and motioned him to stand.

"No need for that, lieutenant," Celestia replied. "Any update?"

"Yes, ma'am. We've tracked apparent movement within the crystal caves."

"Several?"

"No. It seems to be singular. We haven't found the culprit as of yet, but Captain Armor has guards patrolling the caves at all times. It should be a matter of time before we can apprehend the suspect."

"Alright then. Thank you, lieutenant Gray. Carry on and report to me at midnight if possible."

"Yes, ma'am," the guard obeyed, and as quick as he entered, he was gone.

Celestia didn't return to her throne, but instead walked over to the nearest window to her right, and peered outward. From here she could see the valley below Canterlot in its entirety, from the rivers streaming downward to the vast Everfree Forest to Ponyville nearby, looking far smaller at a distance than it truly was.

The sight of Ponyville reminded Celestia of Twilight. She hadn't received any letters from her since sometime yesterday afternoon. It was normal for Twilight not to write letters for days, at least in the case of a friendship lesson. But these letters were of a more pressing concern, at least for the moment. And going nearly a day without any form of communication was worrying—putting it lightly.

She only hoped she was okay.

Then suddenly in a flash, as if on cue, a scroll appeared at eye level. The tension building within Celestia's chest eased itself greatly. But her curiosity had arisen as she noticed not one, but two scrolls had materialized in front of her. She checked each scroll's signature line near the straps. Twilight's initials were easy to identify and confirm authenticity. But the other she hadn't recognized, only written initial being the letter L.

"Could it be...?" Celestia asked herself as she chose to open Twilight's scroll first, hopeful yet concerned.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I'd meant to write this letter to you yesterday regarding some more recent troubling news. However, some interesting developments had come up, and it left me conflicted on what to do or what to tell you, as I didn't want the situation to spiral out of control.

But in any case, I'm okay, Miss Sunbutt.

Celestia chuckled to herself, recounting the time Twilight called her by that name when she was no more than a mere toddler, years before she became her student. The mention of it in the letter was one of many phrases to confirm this was Twilight who wrote the letter—as un-subtle as it was—and it put Celestia's mind at further ease as she continued to read.

At first, I was hesitant to accept the news as truth, but repeated use of the truth telling spell proved that to be impossible. We were able to track down the changeling back to Ponyville, and... it turns out what he told Shining Armor was the truth.

The changeling was Lyon all along, living in disguise under the use of a memory wiping potion. We have been asking him questions, and every answer he has given us has been true. Beyond some slight personality changes, he continues to act no different than he had before, at least to us.

There are various topics he seems wary of answering though according to Rainbow Dash, such as his age. He mentioned having been caught in the Mareland Bar Riots of 6899FE, which means changelings might potentially have a longer lifespan than an average pony. I want to ask him more questions, but I don't want to feel like I am treating him like a prisoner. That was my mistake the other night purely out of anger, and I hope I didn't hurt my friendship with him.

But I can trust him more than I did earlier, and I hope with his own letter, you can as well. I'd also like to hope we can discuss this issue in Canterlot with him by our side, if that's okay with you. I think we can trust Lyon. And I hope Equestria can too.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Celestia rolled up the scroll and set it on the window ledge. She wanted to hope it wasn't the case, that one of her own little ponies wasn't a changeling. But if he was able to win Twilight's trust easily, even if it took the use of a truth spell—which she'd have to ask how she managed to obtain it another time—then surely he was as she says and claims? Changelings did not seem capable of manipulating powerful magic, and certainly not truth spells. And if recent events were to be example... Twilight seemed right to trust her instinct.

With a guilty sigh, Celestia levitated the second scroll before her. Her curiosity before was confirmed through Twilight's letter. If this was from him, she wondered what he was thinking in that moment, whether she could trust the written words. But she trusted Twilight well.

Undoing the string, Celestia opened the parchment and began to read its contents.

Celestia,

I don't even know where to begin. I spent a while looking at this blank paper and wondering what I could say. But I remembered what Applejack wanted me to say: the truth. So I will do just that.

My name is Lyon. In my people's tongue, it is Libaax, "lion" in our language. I was born and raised as a fighting figure for my mother Chrysalis' changeling army, in her hopes that she would rule the world for her children to prosper.

As soon as I was old enough to know how cruel it really was, I left the hive. I haven't stopped running.

Five years ago, I had my memory altered through Zecora, the zebra living in the Everfree Forest. I've lived under an alias ever since, my memories picked to define who I was. I never lied to Twilight or any of the others, nor you... because I genuinely believed I wasn't.

I didn't know Chrysalis would try to attack Equestria. The only indications I had were a single recurring dream. For everyone's sake, I'll spare those details. But that was all it was, just a nightmare, right up until it wasn't. I did my best to save your niece Cadance. I wish I could've done better, but I didn't want Cadance to get hurt. Or worse.

But I want you to know that in spite of everything you and the rest have gone through over the last few days, I want to assure you: I am not a threat to you. You have been kind to me in the time before the wedding, and I know leading up to it, you were only trying to protect your family. I would've done the same.

Twilight and the others are at my home right now in Ponyville, watching me write this letter in silence. It's a bit awkward. But I think it would put matters at ease if you would come now. Surely you're looking for answers, and I'd be glad to give them. My only request is that they're not too personal. It's better that way. Maybe when we've all gotten to know each other more.

My door is open. And you are always welcome.

Sincerely,

-Lyon

Celestia rolled up the parchment and pondered for a second. An opportunity awaited her, the chance to know more about this crea—about Lyon, about the changelings. But if he had no indication Chrysalis was planning to invade, then surely he would be of no help in the days leading up to the wedding.

That didn't mean he was useless, but it would prove difficult to predict the Queen's future plans, and she knew there was a plan.

She knew she had no choice but to trust Lyon, especially if Twilight could do so easily.

She only hoped she wasn't making another mistake.

"So what was it like? Travelling the world?"

It was one of already a dozen questions Twilight and the others had been asking Lyon since breakfast. Many of them were simple questions such as a favorite food or favorite hobby—apart from archery—or even what music he liked.

But that didn't satisfy Twilight enough. She wanted to know more, bigger. And the moment Lyon casually mentioned travelling the world, she took the bait.

"Well," Lyon began, "it wasn't necessarily traveling as it was relocating. But it was interesting. Seeing society beyond the hive was something I hadn't thought of until I had to. Griffons and Mules and Yaks either living apart or living together, depending on the situation. Saddle Arabia was probably the most "exciting" of the bunch."

"How so?" Twilight asked.

"There was this festival they used to have every year. The Festival of Tidings. It's a lot like the Friendship Festivals Equestria has, only this one was more... romantic than platonic. Instead of embracing those we cherished, we instead held ourselves close to those we loved. We would tear down the walls and confess our feelings to our interests and crushes, our love at first sight."

Rainbow recoiled in her seat with a scoff.

"Oof. I can imagine how that went."

"Actually, better than you'd expect. Sure, some would be rejected, but more often than not the feeling was mutual. The idea was for participants to bring only those they saw as more than a companion, but a partner and a lover."

Lyon paused and found himself staring off at nothing, reminiscing on the details with a sad smile.

"Someone you wanted to spend the rest of your life with."

Spike and the others found themselves smiling along, yet frowning at the sight of Lyon's own sadness. It was clear there was something about it that came to mind.

And if what Rainbow claimed he said was true...

"Did you ever... find anyone?" Twilight dared herself to ask.

Lyon didn't answer at first, only looked at Twilight. He seemed to eye her for longer than usual. She didn't know what it was about the way he looked at her, but it started to... hurt.

"No. I never brought anyone."

Twilight's horn went red for the first time. All of them saw it.

"It's okay," Twilight said. "You don't have to tell us."

"I don't mind."

Red again. Lyon could only wince. He didn't know if it was out of nervousness or shame. Maybe it was both. Twilight again insisted it was okay.

Lyon nodded at first, but a few moments later his eyes shut and he snorted.

"I messed up again, didn't I?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Festival doesn't exist anymore, does it?"

Twilight hesitated to answer, but Lyon glanced at her as if assuring it was okay to tell him.

"They stopped the Festival almost one-hundred years ago."

Lyon grimaced faintly. The only ones to raise an eyebrow were Fluttershy and Spike.

"Of course they did."

It was quiet at first, though mainly out of confusion despite the newfound knowledge, until Lyon spoke up again. "I'm guessing Rainbow already told you then? About this morning?"

"Wait," Spike spoke up, "what happened this morning?"

"I was telling Rainbow about the last time I got into a fight. The same fight that ended in the biggest riot this side of Equestria in decades."

Green horn.

"Woah. Really?"

"So you were telling the truth?" Rarity asked in a quizzical manner. "Or perhaps it was some variation of it? Perhaps a twisted phrasing?"

Lyon paused and glanced to Twilight's horn.

"I was involved in the Mareland Bar Riots."

As expected, the horn glowed green yet again to confirm what was on their minds, while Spike could only repeat the date of when the riots began.

Sixty years. No matter how many times they said it, they couldn't fathom it. Yet, Lyon insisted on retelling what he'd told Ranbow to the rest of them. How he drunkenly dashed out of the front doors to find ponies tipping over wagons and setting fires, how he ran past ponies dancing madly in the roads, or how some of the locals sprayed rioters with water hoses to quell their chaos.

All of it told in ice clear detail. Every answer he gave was met with a positive reaction from Twilight's horn, so if he was somehow lying, he was doing a good job at making it seem true.

"So how'd that go for ya?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I'm betting the law went pretty hard on you for causing all that."

"I know I said I was involved and responsible... but it was entirely accidental. I only dodged the first guy's hits, only fighting back in self-defense. As soon as I could, I got out of there. I did get arrested the next day, but once I explained my side of the story, they let me go. I read a few days later in the paper that the guy who attacked me was the one who got charged for the damage. If he's still alive today, I bet he's still paying for it."

"Do you remember his name?"

"Not anymore."

"But," Fluttershy spoke up, "if you're... that old, then why do you look so young? In both forms, i-if you don't mind me asking?"

Lyon looked to Fluttershy, biting his cheek while doing so, as if again hesitant to answer at first.

"Like alicorns, changelings have a much longer lifespan than the common creature. Pony, griffon, yak... a single changeling could outlive any one of them—assuming they weren't careless in their youth."

The very mention of the word "outlive" piqued their curiosity. They all knew what it meant, but they were further curious.

"By how long?"

In their own dismal way, if Fluttershy's followup question was any indication.

"Long enough," Lyon answered after a few moments of silence. Twilight's horn still turned green because Lyon wasn't exactly lying... unfortunately.

And Twilight was still curious. Maybe she thought it was curiosity. Maybe it was really worry.

"How old are you...?"

Either way, her question was far from optimistic.

Lyon wanted to not answer the question, and they could all see it. But the longer he waited to answer, the older they perceived him to be. And he was sure eventually, with every ticking second, they would be right. Instead, he beat them to it.

He didn't want them to face it alone.

"Five-hundred and nine. I'll be five-hundred and ten two months from now."

The following silence was so deafening that even a pin dropping to the floor would be lost in the quietness. There was no big jaw drop from any of them, nothing but open mouths and the want to say something, but failing to say anything.

Lyon looked over to Pinkie Pie, whose face shared the same stunned look as the rest of them.

"Guess I really am older than all of you combined, huh?" he asked, calling back to the morning of the picnic. A harmless joke at the time.

But now it was—

knock knock knock

The sudden noise at the front door halted the conversation and startled nearly everyone for a moment. Lyon looked at the front door and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting any visitors today—

Oh. OH.

Getting up from his seat, the stallion walked his way slowly over to the front door and peaked out the window. Confirming his suspicions, he pulled the door open.

Standing before him, Princess Celestia, Shining Armor, two additional royal bodyguards, and the newly wedded bride, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

Or was it bride-to-be still?

At the very sight of her presence, Twilight and the others bowed to Celestia briefly, before Twilight stood up and ran over to Shining Armor, embracing him in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright, Twily," Shining said first.

It didn't take long for Twilight to notice Cadance standing there as well and gifted her a similar hug, careful not to hurt her. The injuries on her body seemed very minor, and her overall appearance, Lyon noticed, was a vast improvement since the wedding. The two guards stood motionless, though seemed ready to act at the first opportunity.

And then there was Celestia. Vibrant, calmly, elegant as always, yet Lyon knew there was an intelligence within her that showed her willingness to think first, charge second, and if thought enough, there was no need for a charge. Celestia was a leader who knew how to lead, when to be careful. And here, she was being smart.

"Lyon, I presume?" Celestia had of course met him plenty of times, but this was the first time she met him as he truly is.

He bowed before her, but not like the others had. He planted one hind leg forward and the other back in a kneeling position, his arms rested upon his shoulders.

"Don Keneme Pok Wel."

"Excuse me?" Celestia asked innocently, her head tilted to the side.

"It means "I am humbled and grateful.""

Celestia nodded, then raise a hoof in a lifting motion. "Thank you, but there's no need for that."

Without argument, Lyon stood up once more, motioning for the princess and others to come inside. Celestia thanked him as she entered the homestead, Shining and Cadance following behind while the two guards took post beside the front door to ward off any passersby, some of whom had appeared for only moments before returning to their business. Lyon thanked the guards and shut the door behind him.

He insisted for the three new guests to sit on the couch. The girls attempted to make new space for them, only to realize it was impossible due to the small size, even though it could hold almost the six of them. Lyon and Fluttershy proceeded to grab a few chairs from the kitchen and place them beside the couch for the others to sit on, while the three made themselves comfortable.

"I take it you read my letter, then? If you don't mind me asking?" Lyon asked Celestia. "I wasn't sure if you'd be too busy."

"I did," Celestia answered, "and while I have been quite busy, especially regarding recent... altercations... Twilight's safety, including the rest of you, has been my utmost priority."

Lyon sighed at the mention of altercations, but he said nothing of it.

"I understand."

"Good. Then onto the matters at hoof. How have you been doing the last few days?"

"I'm good," Lyon said. "A bit anxious, but otherwise... I'm fine."

Twilight's horn in response turned green. Celestia noticed this straight away and politely asked to disable the spell, to which her student obeyed. With a small flash of purple, the spell was disabled.

"I can easily tell when somepony is truthful or not. A trick of the eyes, the way their voice squeaks and shudders. And given the rather warm response between your friends, I can't see any reason to keep such a spell active. Unless there's something you wish to reveal?"

"No, ma'am," Lyon said shaking his head. The answer was met with no red or green light, but Celestia could easily tell he was telling the truth.

"Good. Then shall we begin?"

"If you're ready... sure. What would you like to know?"

"Let's start with your name then, shall we?"

Author's Note

Sorry for the long wait. I am not good with schedules these days. Looking for a job and general fatigue and such makes it a pain to have the inspiration. But I'd definitely like to push myself to return to a decent schedule. This story's been out a year already and not much has happened regarding some events.

I'm bad at pacing story in a single chapter, so apologies.

Chapter 13: Lose You

Lyon didn't know entirely what to expect going into talking with Celestia herself. It was the first time he'd ever had a proper conversation with her—apart from a snippet after the Grand Galloping Gala and the wedding. It made sense. She was a leader of a nation and surely had little time to herself except to sleep.

But she didn't talk about herself much. Why would she? She was here to know about him. And so every question she or Shining Armor or even Princess Cadance asked, he would answer. Luckily, the questions were no different than those Twilight and the others asked. Even without the truth spell, Celestia could see he didn't utter a single lie.

As she said, Celestia had lived long enough to tell apart liars from truthers. If Lyon was lying to her or Twilight, then he was exceptionally good at it.

She didn't know if that was something to worry about.

Hours had passed, and the topic had changed considerably from Lyon's background and his species' history, to the most mundane or ridiculous moments he had either heard of or experienced himself.

"-And the worst part of it is," Lyon continued of another tale, "I spent weeks looking for the damn... sorry, darn thing, but nothing turned up. Eventually, I remember giving up and just going back home—Goatsay Island at the time and forgetting about it. Up until I threw it up one night in a drunken stupor. The exact same way it ended up down my throat."

Some of the ponies, Rarity especially, couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted at the circumstances. Celestia, on the other hoof, couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculous it sounded. Cadance giggled, though it seemed more to be from her aunt's own laughter. Shining Armor smiled, but didn't laugh. Lyon chuckled; he could see Shining was that type of guy. He knew because he experienced that in his youth.

A footnote in history now, but still... ugh.

"Anyway," Lyon finished, "that's how I ate Shard's Grail."

The moment everyone's faces contorted into this mix of horror, shock, surprise, and somewhat amusement would forever be seared into Lyon's brain. Celestia and Luna themselves were old enough to understand the significance of Shard's Grail, owned and discovered by King Shard Whisker of Silverstone, a now defunct kingdom bordering Old Equestria some two-thousand years ago. Nine-hundred years ago, it was stolen from the Relic Museum in Corshire, which is all that remains of the nation. But as Lyon himself explained:

"I didn't even know the significance of it until I showed it to a friend at the time. He was a historian who immediately recognized it and wondered how I found it."

"And what did you tell him?" Celestia asked both curiously and humorously.

Lyon paused. "... Treasure hunt."

Celestia broke into a faint giggling fit. She never mentioned anything, but Lyon was sure she had her own similar stories to share. Certainly less... riveting. But that would have to wait for another time.

"This historian," Celestia asked after she calmed down, "wouldn't happen to be Valor Roses, would he?"

"Val?"

The very mention of his name brought back memories, a spark burst in Lyon's head.

"Val."

He hadn't heard that name in a long time.

"Yeah. That's him. He's a good guy."

Lyon stopped.

"Was."

Celestia's smile faded. She'd already forgotten he was far older than he looked.

"I'm sorry."

Lyon waved it off. "It's fine."

Celestia could easily tell it wasn't.

"But yeah... Val was the one who revealed that the grail was found again and returned it to its rightful place—where it's been for the last three-hundred years."

"The ancient records tell that he was the one to find the grail," Princess Cadance noted with curiosity. "Was that not true then?"

"True enough in the sense that I wanted him to take the credit for it. I don't exactly think folks would be very pleased to find out how it was really found," Lyon laughed awkwardly, only to stop himself a moment later. "But also... I wasn't willing to let myself into the spotlight anytime soon.

"I must've spent a good week arguing with him about it. He said I deserved to be a part of history. But at the time... I didn't think I deserved it at all. And I still stand by that. And if Val were still alive today, he would still be arguing with me about it. That discovery made him rich, and he deserved that far more than I ever could."

Cadance smiled warmly.

"He sounds like a good friend."

Lyon returned his own smile, though a melancholic contrast.

"He was. Now that I remember him... I really miss him."

Lyon couldn't stop staring at the floor, gradually remembering bits and pieces of history that for a short time were lost entirely to him. The mention of Valor was enough to trigger every moment he ever shared with a stallion he considered to be one of his closest friends, one he was willing to die protecting. At one point, he even considered revealing his identity to him. He trusted him that much, especially after he was—though begrudgingly—willing to take the credit for finding the Grail. It made him trust him even more.

After he died, Lyon left Corshire and never returned. Now he was wondering if Val's grave was still there after all this time? Celestia mentioned him to begin with, so surely he's still remembered.

"Lyon?" Celestia called to him, breaking him from thought. "Do you need a moment?"

He broke from the thought and looked at her, then shook his head.

"No," he said. "I'm fine now."

As much as Lyon hated lying, he knew it was better than to stick to anything for too long.

"So about your archery skills," Shining Armor asked to change the subject. "How long did it take to master it?"

Lyon pondered back to that time. As a young hatchling, he fumbled plenty on maintaining good posture, aiming down the sights, breathing steadily... the list goes on. No one was perfect for a while. It was day in and day out of training, so long that his hooves blistered after a while. And Chrysalis still made him shoot, he remembered.

"Give or take, ten years," Lyon answered. "My mother wanted us to be very precise."

"How so?" Shining asked, both curiously and cautiously.

Lyon leaned in.

"Give me a good bow, and I can replace half your Guard."

Shining Armor leaned back into his seat and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure whether to believe Lyon's claims, but after hearing of his wife's own account during the invasion, he felt there was more to that statement than Lyon was letting on. And after training for ten years—compared to Shining's one year training course on archery—and given his age, he'd be surprised if he wasn't one of the best archers in the heart of Equestria.

Time continued to pass without worry or caution. Celestia and Cadance—and occasionally the others—would ask Lyon a question about whatever he felt comfortable with, and he would answer to the best of his ability. Sometimes there were questions he either didn't have the full answer to or dodged completely. Celestia knew there was always more to any of his answers, but he never acted against any question out of fear or met them with hostility. He was always calm and as collected as could be.

Sometimes Lyon would glance out the front windows. A resident or two would pass by, look at the guards, then keep on walking without daring to look further. The personal guards of the Princesses were always the hardest of them all. Try to get through them, and... well, it wouldn't be a fun time.

Speaking of...

Eventually, the lighthearted talk started to come to an end in Lyon's household, but not out of suspicion. Celestia didn't only come here to make sweet talk with the strange stallion. She was curious, worrisome even. Lyon didn't blame her; honestly, in her hooves, he'd probably be just as.

"So you don't know anything?" Celestia asked Lyon.

"No," Lyon answered disappointedly. "When a changeling is cut off from their hive, it's usually permanent. And by cut off, I really mean by it. No communications, no locations, no intel... nothing. When the hive kicks you out, you're truly your own person. Forever."

"Sounds like it was for the better, then," Cadance suggested in a sympathetic tone.

Lyon smiled for a moment, then it went away.

"Do you know where she could be now?" Celestia questioned. "Or where she will be?"

"No. All I know is that your spell that day shot her east. She probably got as far as the Wastelands with how powerful it was. But... that's just a guess. I have no clue where she is now. And I can't imagine our hive is in the same place I remember."

"And where was that?"

Lyon looked up and squinted his eyes trying to remember the exact location. Enough time had passed that he'd forgotten the place down to the very pebbles on the ground—but at the very least, he knew the vicinity.

"East Prussia. That was the Hive's fallback location after the kingdom fell." Lyon sighed and adjusted his position in his chair. "But who knows if it's even there today?"

"Then why were you planning to leave...?" Twilight asked. She was staring at Lyon with sadness in her eyes. "Without giving us an explanation? Without saying goodbye beyond a letter?"

Lyon looked back at her.

"I thought my life here was over. Secret was out. Everyone here saw what changelings are capable of. The moment everyone else figures out I'm one of them, no amount of good deeds are going to ever convince them I'd never hurt them. Friendship can only do so much before people turn it away out of fear. So I said to myself... if my life is over, then I'm going to end it on my own terms, by doing something I should've done a long time ago."

Lyon leaned back.

"Then after last night... I realized how stupid that was. I don't know where my mother is, and I'm basing everything off centuries old memories. What good would it be to the world if I die finding a place that might not even exist anymore?"

He sighed deeply before turning back to Twilight.

"If I'm going to stop my mother, the least I can do is be smart about it."

Everyone in the living room seemed to agree with Lyon's sentiments, even Twilight. But there was something about Twilight's response that didn't seem right. Nopony noticed it but him. She didn't disagree with him; that wasn't the issue. But she didn't seem too happy about it, either.

Before he could speak up, Celestia got up from her seat on the couch.

"I hadn't realized how late it already is," she said. Lyon looked over to the clock and she was right. It was already close to nine in the evening!

The Princess took an entire day off of work just to hear his side of the story.

"As much as I would love to stay here and hear more of your stories, Mr. Lyon, I believe it's time I began making my way back to Canterlot. After the last few days, the city still remains on edge. But... I believe now I can at least convince everypony they're in no immediate danger."

Lyon gave a nod.

"What happens now?" he asked curiously.

Celestia didn't answer immediately, as if wrestling with the thoughts and choices in her head.

"Based off your testimony... I can confidently say that there is no immediate need to arrest or imprison you."

"But we would like you to help fix the wall at the Canterlot jai—ow!" Shining Armor spoke up, only to be elbowed in his ribs by Cadance, who only glared at him. "What...?"

"The wall can be fixed tomorrow, Captain Armor," Celestia assured. "I'll give you any resources you need to ensure it's fixed by sundown."

Shining Armor only nodded and awkwardly cleared his throat, while Celestia turned back to Lyon.

"As I was saying, you will not be arrested or imprisoned. However, I would like to meet with you again sometime in the next week to discuss further matters regarding Queen Chrysalis. In the event that she plans to attack again—whether in a week or a hundred years—I believe it would be best that we are brought up-to-date, however you can do so."

"Of course, Princess," Lyon said with a firm nod. "I'll do my best."

Celestia smiled and briefly nodded back.

The few remaining minutes of their visit went by quickly, but inevitably Celestia, Cadance, and Shining all exchanged their goodbyes. Shining gave his sister a tight hug and felt himself tense up.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" he whispered to her.

She only smiled faintly and said, "Yeah. Don't worry about me."

"No promises."

The two exchanged a bit of laughter, before pulling away from their embrace. Shining caught up beside Cadance and started for the door. As expected, the two guards that were stationed just outside the house were immediately at attention and ready to transport the three back to Canterlot. The carriage that they presumably arrived in was still there and ready at a moment's notice.

Lyon and the others waved goodbye as the three entered the carriage and disappeared behind the door. The two guards hooked themselves to the front, and with a whisk of their hooves—and of course, a quick run down the road—the carriage took flight, destined for Canterlot. It quickly blended into the night sky,

As soon as they were gone, Applejack let out a yawn.

"Speaking of late nights," she began, "I think it's time I head home myself. We've got a bit of harvesting to do in the morning, and I'm not willing to let Big Mac and Apple Bloom go it alone again."

It didn't long for the rest of them to agree on heading out for the night. Today was no doubt one of many days they were going to come by and ask Lyon about things, but it was probably the last day for a while they'd take off work for it.

But while the girls discussed their coming busy work days, Twilight spoke up with uncertainty ringing in her voice.

"Hey," she began, "could you guys take Spike home for me?"

She turned back to the couch, as did Lyon and the rest of them, to notice Spike had passed out. He was snoring so quietly, neither of them noticed until Twilight pointed it out. He'd probably been sleeping for the last couple hours.

"Sure, I can take him home," Applejack answered. "What's the occasion?"

"Nothing, I just... I need to talk to Lyon for a moment. Alone, if that's okay."

Despite her initial confusion, Applejack nodded in realization.

"Of course, Twi."

Reading the room, Applejack went over to the couch and lifted Spike onto her back, before making her way to the front door. The rest of the girls waved silent goodbyes to Twilight and Lyon, before shutting the door slowly behind them. As their hoofsteps faded out, Twilight turned to the door and rested one of her hooves against it. Her head was lowered, eyes half-open, and her breathing was unsteady yet nearly silent. She wasn't facing Lyon, but somehow he felt she was staring right through him.

Lyon carefully approached the mare from behind, even raising a hoof up to her shoulder.

Suddenly, she whipped around and forced a burning gaze down on him. Her eyes were angry yet sad all the same. Tears welled up at their bases, and her mouth was scrunched in a furious bite. Her face was one of pure upset. It was probably the worst thing Lyon had seen in a long time.

And it being Twilight? That made it worse.

Neither of them said a word to each other. Instead, Twilight slowly approached; every step against the floor was firm and calculated, yet full of tense anger. Lyon didn't move from his spot, but he soon found himself pressed up against the side of the living room couch. Twilight's form grew over him, even though he was considerably bigger.

As her face stood mere inches from his, he was able to see hers in more detail; her lips were quivering, and a couple of fresh tears finally streamed down her face. It was like she was trying desperately to hold back her emotions, whatever they might've been, and was only barely able to do so. Her nostrils flared, blowing warm air onto Lyon's face. Her body was shivering.

And despite all that, she was staring into his eyes, glancing between one and the other, watching as if to see any indication that there was some kind of fallacy, a hint that he was lying. He knew the look almost too well; she wanted so badly to see that he was toying with her, that it was just some cruel sick prank, one that she would almost undoubtedly never forgive him for, yet still... love him.

She wanted...

Before he could react, Twilight moved forward and pressed her body against Lyon's, and their lips met with minimal resistance. The sudden affection caught him off guard, but Lyon was sure it was nothing more than desperation, her mind conflicting with her emotions, any emotion. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she forced herself deeper into the kiss. Lyon resisted at first, but inevitably gave in. He knew it wasn't a good thing to let it happen, but he also knew better than to try to stop it. Maybe it was because part of him wanted it.

But he knew even more that this wasn't out of romance or lust. It was sad.

Twilight started sobbing into the kiss, holding Lyon tightly against her and sucking in fevered breaths while mashing her lips against the stallion's own. Her body was shaking, making his body shake with it.

After a minute of this, Twilight pulled her lips away and rested her forehead against Lyon's, all while continuing to cry. She tried her best to stifle it, but her sniffling and shaky breaths made it hard.

"Hey..." Lyon said softly, trying to caress her cheek with the back of his hoof.

Twilight said nothing.

Without anything to say, she whipped back around and ran to the door.

"Twilight!" Lyon called for her, but she didn't respond.

Twilight swung open the door, ran through it, and slammed it shut behind her in the span of two seconds. Lyon ran over to the door with the full intention of chasing her, but stopped before he opened it. He knew it wasn't the best decision to talk to her now. Not like this. It was never a good idea. And after what's happened so far, it would only be worse. So he reluctantly pulled himself away from the door and moved over to the window.

He watched as Twilight's familiar form disappeared into the night.

Soon enough, he found himself growing shaky. He was better at controlling it.

It didn't make it better.

Sleep didn't come to him tonight.

Author's Note

Well, damn. Where have I been?

It's been a busy couple of years for me. After Covid, spent the year looking for work. Found work, but wanted to work on other things. I've been writing greens on 4chan and such, so I'm still active. I procrastinate way too much these days, though. Half this chapter had been finished for over a year. I finished the rest of this in a twenty minute burst because it would've taken another year for me to finish it. I don't want to do that.

I have every intention of continuing this story. But this time, I think I'm going to write out the next several chapters instead of simply doing it one at a time. Also, seeing as I haven't been working on this story in ages, I need to realign myself with the story in my head and what needs to be written down. That way, nothing is unintentionally changed.

The other goal for this story: I want it to be around 60 chapters. IF I am able to work the story in a way that delivers proper pacing and tells everything I want to tell, that number may be drastically lower. I don't want it to drag on, but I don't want to sacrifice any storytelling.

Sorry this was a short chapter and didn't really tell too much. I'm hoping the next few chapters will be engaging for everyone. I think I might spend the time I can writing the next ten chapters, so an upload may not be for a while.

Prologue

Deep within the confines of the Everfree Forest, a lone zebra, shuttered from the world, chanted into a cauldron, her eyes closed in meditation, as her wicked works came to life.

Against the wall of her small, isolated hut lay a creature, blackened in color and punctured across its body. Its eyes were closed, but it did not sleep. Merely, it waited, listening and mesmerized by the zebra's melody, if the swaying of its head were not indication enough.

It sighed, speaking in a deep, yet soft masculine tone. "Are you sure this will work?"

At first, she didn't answer him, seeming to be too indulged in her work to hear him. He decided not to say anything else, lest it hinder her efforts. Instead, he took the time to explore the hut by sight. His eyes glossed over many of the decorations scattered around the main room, typically trinkets and other objects he had no knowledge of.

The windows around the hut were slightly cracked open, allowing the smoke that billowed from the cauldron to escape freely and spare the creature's lungs. However, he couldn't help but let out a cough as an occasional puff crept his way.

He rested his head upon one of his fore-hooves, fighting the urge to fall asleep. He had never visited a witch before—or was she an enchantress? He couldn't remember—so he had no idea how long it actually took to craft a potion of this yield before. He had to have been here an hour already, and he was beginning to feel awkward sitting about doing nothing.

Not to say standing outside in the middle of the Everfree was a good idea, to begin with...

"I apologize for my silent duration," she then spoke minutes later, "but a mind-numbing spell can be a tedious creation."

He could never get used to the rhyming, even if he did only meet her yesterday. He wondered if she always did that.

"It's fine," he assured with his hoof in the air. "As long as the stuff works, I... Take as much time as you need."

"Very well, little one. I'll let you know when I'm done."

The creature was only slightly smaller in size compared to the zebra, roughly the height of an average pony. If he remembered right, this was the first time he ever actually came across a zebra, and an enchantress, no less! What luck!

He cracked his neck slightly, which seemed to trigger another yawn emanating from his throat. The creature shivered as cool air from the outside brushed against his skin. He contemplated changing into a random form, just anything with fur, if only to keep himself warm, but he decided to rather save the energy when the time finally came.

She saw him change, but she did not care, nor judge. He had never felt so relieved.

As he rested his head again, he decided not to fight against sleep. If he was going to be here longer than he anticipated, he might as well save his strength. He slumped over against the wall, licking his lips from time to time to keep the drool in. Within a few minutes, he felt the light behind his eyes slowly fade away into nothing.

And he saw it all over again.

The fires. The burning of trees and huts and holes. The flying of spears and screaming of the young and the old. Masses of blue, red, yellow, and every color he could conceive running and huddling together, fighting against the blackness.

And the bodies, scattered among the ground, their blood pooling around what was left. A scorched young one, shielded by a scorched mother, their mouths open in an eternal scream, as if begging for forgiveness. Corpses strung up against tree trunks, dry tears running down from their faded eyes.

Her.

HER.

HER—

"Wake up."

Then he was up, sucking in a gasp, and suddenly he was catching his breath. Where was he? Where did he—?

It didn't take long for him to see the zebra, standing before him, and he remembered. No longer was he in those woods around his fallen. Not now.

Thank the stars.

"Mmmgh... how long was I out?" the creature asked, scratching his nose to satiate an unwelcome itch.

"Only an hour; not too long," the zebra replied, but paused as she stared at him. "But your face... what is wrong?"

He hadn't noticed that he was making any kind of face, only preoccupied with the itch. He wanted to tell her what he was thinking, what he dreamed about. But as much of a help she had been to him, he wasn't looking to make any friends. At least, not yet.

"Nothing."

She chose not to pressure him and left it alone. The zebra then helped the creature to his hooves and led him over to the cauldron, and inside, the liquids were no longer glowing a bright green, but instead had simmered down to a relatively dim blue-green. She grabbed a nearby ladle and scooped up a sizable amount of the finished product, holding it up for the creature to observe closer.

"The contents within will make you forget, whatever it is that your mind has fret."

The creature let a small amount of the liquid drip onto his hoof. It felt sticky, yet drippy at the same time, and almost as cold as ice, which genuinely surprised him, even coursing a shiver through his body. The zebra noticed this and seemed to laugh softly to herself.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "How long will this last?"

"If I have concocted your perfect dish..." She paused, grabbing the ladle and setting back into the cauldron before turning back to him. "... it can last as long as you wish."

As long as I wish...? he thought.

"So... do I just think how many years or decades I want it to last and it just... does it?"

She nodded. The creature sighed silently, scratching his chin with a hoof.

"... Do you mind if I think about it for a minute?"

"No, I don't at all mind. Please, take your time." With that, the enchantress retreated into the backroom, presumably her bedroom chamber, leaving the creature to ponder over her words and claims.

He had never considered exactly how long he wanted to forget everything. Sure, he could wish to forget for a lifetime and have it be that: Just live a full life like any other pony, making friends and falling in love and growing old...

But that was the difference between him and them. He wasn't a pony. He could look like one all he wants—a mare or stallion, a pegasus or unicorn or earth pony. Tartarus, maybe even an alicorn, if he was so daring! But deep down, he was never truly any of those things.

He was always going to be just like her.

And what would happen after the first time? Would he just do it over and over again until his time finally, truly came? There would eventually come the day that the zebra would no longer be with him, and he had no idea if these things could sit in a jar for a thousand years and still be drinkable. The thought of drinking a thousand year old liquid sounded repulsive to him.

But he had more than enough time in the world. Surely there would be more zebras like this one after she was gone. He couldn't help but sound selfish for thinking it, but she wasn't the only one in the world capable of doing something like this.

At least, he hoped. The world didn't stop at Equestria.

"I've made up my mind."

A moment later, the zebra returned from her chamber and stood by the creature. After a confirming nod to her, the zebra once again grabbed the ladle and filled it to the brim with the blue-green liquid. He hadn't noticed it at first, but it had a distinctive smell to it too.

Lavender.

The zebra dug through the creature's satchel and took out a beer bottle, pouring all the contents of the ladle into it. He remembered how confused she looked when he asked it to be poured into a beer bottle, but he knew that once he was finished downing the stuff, he wanted it to look authentic afterwards. He couldn't be asking questions. Ever.

Tightening the cap onto the bottle, the zebra then placed it back into the satchel. The creature grew curious, wondering how long it would take for the potion to kick in once he drank it.

"The power of even a simple potion is quite direct," she answered, filling the ladle again and holding it up. "It will need no more than a minute to take effect."

Only a minute? he thought to himself as he looked at the ladle. He felt lucky he didn't have a wagon to go back to, but at the same time, that meant he'd have to find someplace to hide himself beforehoof. He didn't need to wake up in the morning to find out someone snatched his bag because he passed out on the road.

Well, not like he'd do that anyway, but still...

"So, that's it?" he asked, answered by another nod from the zebra.

The creature grabbed the satchel and wrapped it around his form, careful not to damage or break the contents inside. Once it was strapped firmly around his body, he looked back to the zebra and held out his hoof.

"... Thank you, Zecora."

Smiling briefly, she shook him back. "You're welcome, little one. Now hurry back, before you see the sun."

Knowing what she indicated—and he was sure she really had to try to rhyme that—he let the hoofshake linger for just another moment, before pulling away and making his way to the door. Opening it, he turned back to her one last time and smiled.

"May we meet again."

Zecora said nothing as he left, only laughing to herself as she wished him good luck. As quick as he could, the creature began to make his way down the path he came in from. Judging from the desire path, and the moss coated on the rooftop of the hut, he figured the zebra had to have been living within the Everfree for the last several years!

According to folks around these parts, they don't take too kindly to witches. Though, she didn't really seem like that bad a witch. Then again, she didn't really seem like much of a witch at all. At least... not a bad one.

After several minutes walking down the path and hopping through the bushes in which the path stopped—which was intentional, she said, to keep anyone from following—the creature finally found himself outside of the forest, and able to breathe the fresh air, letting out a sigh that could be seen in a puff of whiteness. But despite seeing his own breath, it was actually warmer outside the forest than inside, but he chalked it up to the cauldron's excess heat.

The creature paced a bit, walking along one of the paths that encompassed a nearby village. He had heard about this particular one from folks all across the nation throughout the years; not very often, but not so rarely, either.

It was perfect, he thought. It was no podunk little town, nor was it some posh city full of ignorant "rich fellows" that looked down at anyone that had less than a thousand bits in their bank accounts. And the fact that it was relatively small, as well as far enough from most major population centers—well, excluding the nation's capitol sitting on top of a mountain in the distance—made it perfect to just hide away and live out his life in complete normalcy!

Well... as normal as a changeling's life could be these days. But that's what the potion was for, right?

He let the air escape his nose as the memories flooded back. Soon, they wouldn't. But first, he had to find the right spot to pull this off. The satchel had everything he absolutely needed to make it work here. Well, he'd hoped 1500 bits was enough to at least buy a house.

If only he didn't need to use the rest to buy actual food these days.

After walking along trails and paths for ten minutes, the changeling eventually found a small clearing, hidden beneath an open set of bushes and far enough from sight, should anypony come along. It was a good spot.

As soon as it came to mind, the changeling reached into the saddle and took out the bottle carrying the desired product. He stared at the contents intensively; the color hadn't changed, and he was sure the scent hadn't either. Once he opened the bottle, he took a quick whiff, and... there it was again.

Lavender... his forest used to be full of it. Surely it grew back by now... right?

But he couldn't drink it yet. There was one more thing he had to do.

He removed the satchel from his body and set it down against the bush, bottle next to it, and stood a good five feet away. With a nosy sigh, the changeling closed his eyes and began to focus, concentrating all of his energy into his body. His horn glowed a sickly green, the tip flickering with sparks as his magic began to take hold. He felt his body glow brightly into the night, so bright that anypony in a thirty foot radius could see it.

Then, in an instant, his body became engulfed in a green, fiery blaze that ran from top to bottom. The changeling could feel parts changing and shaping to his heart's desire, hair suddenly grown where it wasn't before, the holes in his body becoming whole again, and his withered tail flourishing with lively vigor.

He had become used to it, and yet the feeling was always new for him.

Once it was over, what stood in his place was no longer a black, hollowed out husk of a bug, but an average, yet tough earth pony stallion. His mane stuck up in the air, like a mohawk, but it was jagged and rounded instead of flat on the top; beside the main gray aspect of it were the bits of dark-gray on the sides and stripes on the tail. The way it contrasted with his tan coat, or even the greens of his eyes, always appealed to him in some way.

He'd fit right in, he felt.

The stallion once again grabbed the bottle and stared into it, letting the smell slowly seep into his nose, as he contemplated Zecora's words earlier. All he had to do was think of how long he wanted its effects to stay, and as soon as he swallowed it, it would be done. No more memories. No more fires, no more bodies, no more scorched remains or hanging screams...

As long as he wanted.

Clenching his eyes shut, he finally settled on it and shut his mental trap. He knew what memories he wanted to keep, and which ones he wanted to get rid of. Add on top of that some discernible skills he fancied that he "borrowed" from a couple ponies throughout the years, and...

"Bottoms up."

Lifting the tip to his mouth, the stallion began drinking the liquid, swallowing it as fast as he could. Expecting it to taste foul and rancid, he was surprised when it actually more resembled soda. Dr. Ponka, perhaps?

It didn't take long for him to finish off the potion, letting out a quick belch in response. Pushing out a deep breath, he felt a yawn come on, He stretched and cracked his back as he set the bottles down onto the ground.

Wait... bottles?

Looking down at the dirt, he inspected the bottle before him, and sure enough, there were two instead. Nope, wait, make that three. No, four! Six? Twelve?! What?!

He made the mistake of reaching down to grab them, if the series of 16 simultaneous hooves was any of an indication. He stepped back, as if trying to defend himself against the sudden siege, only to stumble and fall against the dirtied ground, groaning in what he thought was pain. Or was it just annoyance?

"Wellllll," he slurred, "I guesssshsh it worrrrrrked."

Maybe both.

With a quick lean back of his head, he was gone.

"Ggnnnah..."

What a way to start a morning, right?

"Mmmnnn... my head..."

The stallion moaned and groaned, slowly twisting his body left and right as he felt himself waking up with what felt like one of the biggest headaches he had ever felt. He found himself reaching his hooves out, as if trying to grab something. He was anticipating a blanket.

He didn't anticipate suddenly holding a chicken.

"Wait... what..." he questioned as he looked up. In an instant, his groggy, tired eyes were filled with confusion, as he came face to face with the clucker itself.

"Chicken."

Before he could question it, the chicken shook itself out of the stallion's grasp, shrieking in confusion and average cluckedness, before running off behind a series of bushes and down a nearby dirt road. He eyed the fluffy creature, his face still contorted into perplexity, as he wondered what had just happened.

"Pfft..." he trilled his lips, "... okay..."

Now embraced in what felt like the morning sun, the stallion began to stretch his arms and legs, shivering as a cold sensation ran across his body, brought on by the popping and cracking of bones. He laughed raggedly, cherishing the feeling.

A yawn left his throat. "What happened last night...?"

As he scratched insatiable itches and cracked his neck, he began to look at his surroundings. He found himself to be in a small clearing, surrounded by bushes. If he stood on his hind legs, no doubt anypony wandering by would at least be able to see his head. Inspecting the ground, it didn't take him long to see the beer bottle, open and empty, and already he had a thousand guesses as to what happened.

"Great. I got plastered and somehow ended up in the middle of nowhere." Then he stopped. "Wait... dirt path... means..."

He took a peek from behind the bushes, and sure enough, a town stood not too far away, loud enough that he could even hear the ringing of bells and laughter of children, presumably on their way to school.

The stallion retreated back to the clearing and lifted the bottle in his hoof. A few drops fell to the dirt and quickly dried.

"... Why did I think I was gonna be able to drink that?"

Suddenly, a smell caught his nose. He noticed it had been coming from the bottle, and took a few quick whiffs.

"Lavender?" He raised an eyebrow. "... Weird."

Not wanting to just leave it sitting on the ground, he looked around to find his satchel, which had been propped up against a more fluffy variant of the bushes surrounding him. He quickly opened it and dumped the bottle into it, anticipating throwing it in the garbage once he got into town.

Despite this, he couldn't help but open the bag fully again, just to make sure everything was inside it. Sure enough, nothing was missing. His money, some provisions, and even an ID, should he decide to need one, were all still packed tightly inside. He was lucky multi-bit coins were a thing, otherwise he might as well be lugging a treasure chest on his back.

He let out a sigh of relief and proceeded to wrap the satchel around his barrel. Once it was secured, he took one more look outside the bushes, looking left and right, before emerging fromOh, dear Celestia, the sun is bright this morning!

"Damn hangovers," he mumbled, wishing he bought some sunglasses before getting drunk. He was lucky there was at least a bottle of water to help accommodate both the hangover and his dry mouth.

By the time he reached the town limits just a few minutes later, he had already downed the water bottle, and his mood was far better than earlier. The fact that the town was still only just waking up probably further sweetened that mood.

"Wow," he said as he found himself gazing at everything.

There were very few words to describe exactly what he thought of the town. From the bustling market, to the pristine park grounds, to the bakery settled near the center. Sugarcube Corner, it read.

He felt his tongue run around his lips at the idea of some fudge right about now, but held off the temptation. He had to do at least one thing before he downed fattening amounts of chocolate.

Navigating his way through town via map, and with the help of some more than helpful strangers, he eventually came across what seemed to be a small office building, with a sign out front that read 'Real Estate's Home Estate, est. 6849FE.' If word of mouth from neighboring towns was correct, then this meant the town was founded nearly a century ago! Practically an infant, architecturally!

The stallion walked up to the door and slowly opened it, inching his head inside and looking around. The interior of the building was fairly small, as a typical office seemed. At the front desk sat a unicorn mare of middle age, with her mane combed downward and a wad of gum in her mouth.

"Uh... hello?"

Luckily, he remembered not to judge a book by its cover, as the mare looked up with what seemed to be the most truthful grin in the entire world.

"Well, good morning!" she mare exclaimed, levitating her gum to a nearby trashcan. "How can I help you?"

Speaking of trashcans...

"Yeah, um, I was told by some folks around here that this was the place to purchase a house?" The stallion stopped as he grabbed the empty beer and water bottles and carried them over to the trash. "Well, finalize a purchase, at least."

"Well, you were told right! Real Estate's Home Estate is responsible for ensuring every newcomer can get settled straight away! You already have a deed of residence, I assume?"

He nodded, retrieving from his bag the mentioned deed, as well as his ID, to which the mare levitated out of his grasp.

"I wasn't sure if I needed the ID or not."

"It doesn't hurt to have one, at least," she replied, smiling as she overlooked the document, then eyed the ID card.

For several moments, it was silent, apart from the distant chatter and the mare's mumbling of bits and pieces from the paper as she attempted to verify everything.

The mare looked up, still smiling. "Full name?"

"Lyon. Just Lyon."

"Well, Mr. Lyon, I'd say everything is in tip-top order!"

"Really?" The stallion known as Lyon tilted his head. It couldn't be that easy, ri—

"Yep! All we just need is an official signature and your forward payment!"

... It was that easy.

"Uh, yeah, sure!"

Lyon walked over to the table and observed the paper the unicorn pushed out in front of him. It was a Document of Quartering, meant to finalize the purchase of a new home, at least he recalled from what he could remember during his school days. At least, what he cared to listen to.

Grabbing the pen in his hoof, he signed his full name and pushed the paper back over to her. He then reached into his satchel and pulled out 2 and a half stacks of hundred-bit coins.

"1500 bits, right?"

"I'm afraid you're a bit over the amount," the mare answered with a laugh. "Just 1200 is enough."

Letting out a sigh of relief once she progressed that sentence, Lyon looked over his stacks of bits, taking out the 3 unneeded coins, before giving the rest over to her. She hovered the bit stacks and paper into a small, wide folder, then slid it back into the desk.

"Well, that's it! You're all set for your new home here, sir!"

The mare grinned and held out her hoof, anticipating a hoofshake. Lyon smiled back and returned the favor.

"Thank you so much," he said. "I'm real new to this stuff, so I wasn't sure if there was anything more than that."

"Nope! We like to keep it curt and to the point here!"

Lyon laughed. "That's good."

After another quick check-over to make sure everything was properly settled, Lyon grabbed his belongings, the required set of house keys and documents, and made his way to the door.

"I hope you have a good day today, sir!" the mare yelled. "Oh! And Mr. Lyon?"

He turned back to her, hoof on the knob.

"Welcome to Ponyville."

With a grin and a 'thank you,' Lyon left the office and was back into town. A few minutes of walking later, he eventually came across a small house, decent in size compared to the rest around him. Two floors, a small porch, a steady looking balcony! But what about the inside...?

Inserting and turning the key, as soon as he heard the click, Lyon pushed the door open, only to reveal an empty interior. Of course, he only just got here.

And yet, already he could see where he wanted everything. A radio right over there, the couch there, an assortment of Vincent Van Hoof paintings on that wall! Maybe a bit of tan and blue paint, and he was sure this place would really shine!

Oh yeah. He couldn't stop grinning.

"Well... let's get started."

Author's Note

What's this? New story? :o

Figured I say it here to save up space in the description:

This is an idea that I had for the last few months now. The concept is based off the few stories revolving around the Mane Six as changelings. Basically, each story focuses on an individual, and the events of the Changeling invasion has them discover they're not actually who they think they are.

And I, who can't help but make stories in second person or with OCs, wanted to make my own version of that. And listening to the song "The Lion's Roar" was one of the biggest inspirations. :twilightsheepish:

Not much of a spoiler, since we already know Lyon's a changeling and all, but I figured I do my own little take on it. Hopefully this chapter wasn't too long a prologue. I genuinely tried to keep it down to around 2000 words, but I felt like it couldn't be possible. Oops.

The goal is to put out a chapter every week, so hopefully I can accomplish that mixed with school. If not every week, then at least every other week. This week was different since it included the prologue. :P

These are the songs the story was inspired by, in both pony name and general idea. :yay:

Chapter 1: Present Day

"GAH!"

Lyon's head lifted from his pillow as he awoke with a brief scream. His breath was short, his eyes dilated.

But there was nothing to be worried about. He sighed.

"Dammit."

He had it again. There was no denying it, it was the exact same nightmare. The same one he'd been having for the last year. He didn't know why he started having them, but once they started, they just never stopped. He tried sleeping remedies, dream spells per request, even some simple sleeping pills to just block out dreams entirely. And for a while, it seemed to work.

But eventually, it'd come back, and it would always be the exact same thing, but he could never make heads or tails of it all.

Burning trees, huts collapsing in plumes of flame and smoke, ponies scattered like ants. It was like some terrible catastrophe had struck.

Then he saw the bodies. Punctured with holes and blood pooling beneath them. Not even red blood, either. That was the weirdest part of the dream so far. He didn't focus on most details for longer than a second.

Lyon was running from something. From someone. He knew it.

And when the dream ended, the last thing he saw always woke him up in a sweat. A great, black creature towered over, staring down at him with cold eyes. There was no welcome to them at all.

They hated him.

Who did they belong to?

"Traitor," the voice always told him. Who said it?

He could never figure it out. As soon as he was up, the dream seemed to distort and jumble itself until he could barely recognize it, but with how often he had it, he was able to at least jot down the most noticeable parts⁠—which, no surprise, were always the most disturbing. The first time he had the nightmare, Lyon could remember waking up with fresh tears falling down his face. But nowadays, he was left feeling frustrated, but still at least distraught.

It was hurting him. And all he could do was just start the day and hope he'd forget about it by noon.

But at least there was some silver lining to it. At least it got him up early.

With no will to go back to sleep, and because of his work shift starting in an hour, Lyon got out of bed, albeit reluctantly, and began to make himself look decent. With a quick comb of his hair, a brush of his teeth, and a quick brush over of his fur to keep any mats out, he looked fit to accustom to ponykind with forty minutes to spare, leaving him plenty of time to get to Sweet Apple Acres, and maybe even stop at Sugarcube Corner for a quick boost to get him through the day.

He laughed softly to himself as he repeated that in his head. He didn't know why it was so funny, but he only met his boss, Applejack, through Pinkie Pie, the Corner's baker. What seemed just as funny was that he and his boss ended up becoming best friends. It wasn't necessarily uncommon for workers to be best friends with their boss, just that he didn't really see that very often around where he came from. Baltimare was notorious for its strict business etiquette.

Maybe that's why he found it funny that everypony in Ponyville were so close to one another. It was nice, though. Everyone could be so friendly and so honest without the fear of losing their job for cracking a joke.

He was glad he left when he did, especially after that "kumquat" scandal that rocked the place. Less he knew, the better.

Making his way downtown and walking at a decent pace, Lyon did exactly as he planned and stopped by the bakery for a quick slice of fudge.

Maybe two.

Lyon opened the front door, the bell signaling his arrival, and walked up to the front counter. It wasn't long before Pinkie was hopping her way through the doorway and practically shouting 'good morning' to him.

"Well," he began, "aren't we cheerful this morning?"

"Yoooou know it!" Pinkie answered with a grin. It was no surprise to Lyon that even the earliest morning hours of the day, Pinkie would be as hyperactive as she was in the evening.

Either that, or there were a lot of smoke and mirrors behind her.

"The usual?"

"You know it," Lyon echoed.

"Okie dokie lokie!"

Opening the back of the counter, Pinkie grabed two big slices of fudge, and proceeded to cut them down into smaller slices, enough to fill a small bag, but not keep it from closing. Pinkie hummed a tune to herself, wiggling her rump in the air as she went about her business. Lyon could never help but find it adorable.

"Ooh! I almost forgot! Did ya get my invitation yesterday?" She asked, peeking her head up from behind the counter.

Lyon did a double take. "What invita-OH, right! Sorry! Yeah, I got it." The stallion laughed to himself as the temporary bout of amnesia got to him. He wasn't that old... yet.

But his smile faded slightly as he remembered the day.

"Actually Pinkie, I don't think I'll be able to make it. Same with AJ. We both got work, remember?"

Pinkie waved a hoof. "No sweat! Applejack said she's willing to cut the day short! Thooough, that's probably 'cause I promised to bring some of that apple rhubarb I tried making the other day."

"Cut the day short? Like, getting out of work?" Pinkie nodded firmly. "What about Big Mac and the others?"

"They're okay with it! Big Macintosh knows how much his widdle sister needs to spend time with her bestest friends!"

Lyon nearly deadpanned. "... Pinkie, I'm pretty sure Applejack is older than you. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm older than you and the others put together."

"Wow, that is pretty old!"

"Oh shush, you know what I mean," he dismissed playfully with a laugh. "So what do I owe you?"

"For today, nothing!"

"What? Why?"

"Cause of the picnic, silly!"

Lyon looked around the building and noticed a few ponies already exchanging some glances. He could feel himself fidget in place.

"Uh... I don't really feel comfortable taking things from you for free, Pinkie."

Pinkie immediately caught on. "Ooohhh, gotcha. Reeeal lucky today, too!"

Before Lyon could ask, the mare hopped over the table, ran over to the door, and swung it open, catching the attention of a few passersby. She then retrieved a nearby bell and began to ring it loudly for all to hear.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" Pinkie shouted in an old timey accent. "For one day and one day only, in accordance with Sugarcube law, all fudge on display is now free! Get it now before it's aaaalll goooone!"

While the claim didn't get everypony's attention, it did at least turn some heads, no doubt the few like Lyon who enjoyed stuffing their faces with the stuff. He swore he could even hear the words "race ya" before two young colts rushed into the building and began looking at all of the different kinds of flavors.

Lyon didn't even know a cheesecake fudge existed until he came to town.

"Sugarcube law?" Lyon asked the mare as she hopped over to him.

"It's a little thing of mine! Anytime we make a huuuge surplus of yummy treats, we give the extras away for free! It's a tradition!"

Pinkie let out a brief squeak of glee.

Mrs. Cake, who stood behind the counter helping fill the bags of the fudge-craved colts, turned to Lyon. "And what a help it's been. Sometimes we make too much of one thing, and we didn't know what to do with it all before. We usually just tried eating it over a couple days."

She paused for a second, giving herself a glance before blushing. "That probably wasn't such a good idea in the long run."

But Lyon was quick to dismiss her self-deprecation.

"Nonsense. I think you look just fine!"

And he wasn't lying, honestly. She did look pretty nice today. And even with reluctance in her face, Mrs. Cake still seemed to agree, smiling with a blush.

"But," Lyon then added, turning to Pinkie, "even if it is free today, I'm still gonna pay. It's just instinct, that's all!"

"Are you sure, dear?" asked Mrs. Cake.

"I'm sure. Besides, it's only a few bits, right? I've got more money than I can spend, anyway."

Lyon walked up to the counter and placed down five bits. Mrs. Cake let another smile slip by, even if she couldn't help but feel guilty, but he could only tell her there was nothing to feel guilty for.

"So," he began, turning back to Pinkie, "when's the picnic?"

"1 o'clock, sharp!" Pinkie held one of the cuckoo clocks on the wall and turned its hands to the aforementioned time, causing the little wooden bird to fly out and caw, which elicited a giggle from the mare.

"Well... if Applejack's going... then I guess I'll see you there too?"

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie exclaimed, hopping back over the counter and grabbing Lyon's bag of fudge. "If ya want, I can save these for you till then!"

Lyon pondered on it for a second. Did he really need them right now?

Well... maybe not all of them.

"Sure! ... But do you think I could grab a couple of those cheesecake ones?"

"Coming right up!"

Ten minutes—and a couple of more-than-sweet balls of goodness—later, Lyon had finally reached Sweet Apple Acres with twenty minutes to spare.

"Well, better that than late."

Making his way to the house, he gave the front door a few firm knocks.

"Come in!" a voice said from inside, and it was easy to make out who it was.

Lyon opened the door and made his way into the living room to find Granny Smith sitting upon her favorite rocking chair.

"Well, hello there, Lyon sonny!" she exclaimed. "You sure are here early!"

He laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, I thought it was a lot later. Wouldn't make sense to leave, you know?"

"Well, c'mon in! I'm sure them youngins are having breakfast in the kitchen."

Giving her a quick 'thank you,' Lyon started for the kitchen. He was no more than five feet away when he heard snoring behind him.

Teach me your secrets, old lady.

As Lyon entered the kitchen, he was greeted to Applejack, Big Macintosh, and their little sister Apple Bloom all chowing down on an assortment of apple-related foods. Apple cinnamon pancakes, apple cannolis, apple-rich hay bacon strips, and... no, they didn't...

Applejack was the first to notice Lyon.

"Hey, partner! You sure got here early!" she exclaimed after downing a slice of pancake. "I wasn't expecting you for another twenty minutes, at best."

Giving her the same expression as Granny Smith, Lyon laughed. "Yeah, woke up a little early. Didn't really have a reason to go back to sleep."

As he recounted just an hour before that, his smile faded a bit. Applejack immediately knew what he meant and smiled apologetically.

"Nightmares again, huh?"

Reluctantly, he nodded. He had told his friends about the nightmares. They didn't mind him going into detail, but even that was hard to do without making them worry a little. He even went to Twilight Sparkle months ago to try and cull them, but not even her expertise could solve that problem.

Applejack's smile faded a bit, and her ears splayed downward. "I'm sorry, sugarcube."

"Don't worry about it." Lyon waved his hoof. "I'm used to it. Sorta."

Applejack opened her mouth briefly as if to say something, but closed it just a moment later. She then pulled up a chair and patted on it.

"You're free to join breakfast with us."

While it did sound tempting to him, Lyon shook his head. "Actually, I think I'm gonna start work early, if that's okay."

"Oh. Well... alright then."

Lyon gave the mare and her siblings a smile and headed for the backdoor a few feet away. He paused as his hoof rested on the knob, and he bit his lip.

He quickly turned around, grabbed one of the slices of apple cobbler fudge from the table, and left.

Applejack giggled as she took another bite. But she couldn't help but look back again, and soon, that giggle was gone. She ignored it.

...

Five hours passed. For those five hours, it was nothing but bucking trees, collecting apples, and bringing the filled buckets into the barn, then dragging them back out, empty and ready for another filling.

The entire time, Applejack couldn't help but glance at Lyon every few minutes. She wanted to call out to him, whether to break the silence or to say anything more than a couple one-liners or crack a few jokes about the heat.

But she didn't know what to say. She knew Lyon had been having the nightmares for a while now, it was no surprise. But it seemed as if they were getting worse. The last couple of weeks, he seemed more and more distraught, like something was getting to him. Did he not even notice? Is that why he didn't talk too much about it?

It baffled her that not even Twilight's magic worked to soothe his nerves. She suggested and attempted every dream and sleep spell and remedy she could offer, but it never went any further than square one.

He did his best to hide it, she saw, but she knew. Deep down, she saw he was trying his best to ignore it, and it was just eating at him, clawing like a Timberwolf to prey, and he was slowly coming to his wits' end. Twilight didn't want to suggest Princess Luna for help just yet.

But did she even have a choice at this point?

"Applejack!"

A voice hollered into her ear, knocking her out of her thoughts. She hadn't realized she was staring off into the distance. She turned to see Big Macintosh standing above her, concern in his eyes.

"You okay?"

Hesitantly, she answered, "Eeyup. Just got my head in the clouds. That's all."

"Then I'd say you and your friend got competition."

"Hmm...?"

Big Mac pointed towards some nearby trees. To Applejack's befuddlement, Lyon was several trees away, laying against a trunk and staring out towards Ponyville. He held his head briefly before going back to work.

"What time is it, Big Mac?" Applejack spoke after a few moments.

"Close to noon, I reckon?"

"Right. Okay."

Big Mac shook his head for a moment as the realization came to him. "Y'all got that picnic, don't you?"

"Yeah," Applejack answered, chuckling with a hinge of guilt. "I know it ain't right of me to skip out on work, but... you know Pinkie."

"I do. A little too much, for my liking." His sister looked up at him with a questionable glare. "Ain't ever said it was a bad thing."

The glare faded slightly as Applejack shook her head and laughed quietly.

"Well," she sighed, "I should go reel in Lyon and make sure we're all cleaned up beforehoof. Can't go covered in sweat and dirt, now can I?"

"I'll be here, in case you change your mind."

"Or if Pinkie lets me," Applejack joked, earning a chuckle from her brother.

The farmer started her way over to Lyon, who seemed invested in kicking at another apple tree. So invested that he didn't even hear her.

"Lyon?" Applejack called out, but Lyon didn't answer.

"Lyyyoon?"

Still no answer.

"LYON!"

With a disjointed buck, Lyon stopped and gave a quick glance at Applejack, before he lost balance and fell to the ground with an "Oomph."

"Sorry, sugarcube," she apologized, "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's fine," Lyon responded a moment later. "Guess I just really wanted those apples."

He laughed to himself. Applejack looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"... Lyon, we cleared this tree an hour ago."

Lyon stopped laughing and looked up with her, and just as she said, the tree was completely bare, with not an apple to be seen.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, AJ. I just... got stuff on my mind, and—"

"You don't need to apologize, hon. I understand. I ain't doubting these nightmares must be driving you crazy."

"That's an understatement."

Applejack laughed, but it was quick to fade. She rested a hoof on Lyon's shoulder and looked at him. Her eyes seemed to sparkle at a certain angle, he noticed.

"Why don't we go freshen up? We don't wanna be late for the picnic."

"Pinkie wouldn't really get mad at us for being a couple minutes late to a picnic, would she?" Lyon chuckled.

"She would if you Pinkie Promised... ugghh," Applejack shuddered, remembering her time in Appleoosa just a few months ago.

Lyon cringed slightly.

"Oops."

"Yeah... oops too."

An hour later, Applejack and Lyon gently paced their way down the streets of Ponyville, carrying on their backs food satchels, which carried enough apples to feed a picnic's worth. By now, it was close to 1 o'clock, but Applejack remained confident they'd get there before then. Even if she knew Pinkie wouldn't be out for her blood, she still hated to upset her after that entire fiasco.

Applejack glanced over at her friend walking beside her. He seemed normal for the moment, but she could tell his mind was off someplace again. Before she could say anything, he shook his head and looked over towards Sugarcube Corner.

"Oh," Lyon began, "by the way, Pinkie's apparently bringing a boatload of fudge to the picnic too, because of that whole... like..."

"Sugarcube Law?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I didn't even know that was a 'thing.'"

"Yeah," she laughed, "they started it a couple years ago after Pinkie made more cheesecake than they could sell. They didn't wanna eat it all, but they didn't want it to go bad, neither. So they just made the extras free until they ran out."

Lyon nodded slowly, scrunching his mouth.

"... You know, I think it's a good thing I'm only now finding out about this, otherwise I'd probably be 50 pounds heavier right now."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Applejack groaned playfully, rolling her eyes, "especially with you working on the farm."

"I don't know. I'd probably give Pinkie a run for her money with how much I can stomach sweet stuff."

"Well, the feeling's mutual, partner," Applejack joked, stifling a giggle.

Lyon looked at her, also holding in his laughter, but couldn't stop it from belting out after a moment. "I don't think I've ever heard you flirt before."

"Well, I don't really make it a thang."

"Well, for what it's worth, you're good at it."

"Aw shucks, I wouldn't say that."

"I would." Lyon shrugged, scrunching a smile. Applejack blushed lightly and laughed, bumping her shoulder against his; he did the same in return.

A few minutes later, the duo eventually reached the park. Though it was typically on the outskirts of town, Applejack always seemed to enjoy taking the scenic route through town—but only when she was confident she wouldn't be late for it.

But it seemed they were the last ones to arrive, as they had noticed everyone had already arrived, even digging into their lunch meals. Well, at least Rainbow Dash was.

"Howdy, y'all," Applejack greeted, removing her bag and setting it on the ground. "Sorry we're late. Showers took a bit longer than they should've."

It wasn't entirely a lie, either.

Twilight Sparkle giggled to her friend. "Actually, you got here just in time."

"And most of us were actually patient in waiting for you," Rarity boasted while casting a glance at Rainbow Dash, who only shrugged while taking a second bite into a sandwich. "Besides, it's not exactly 1 o'cl—"

Suddenly, everyone jumped as Pinkie hopped up on her hind legs and frantically ran a bell, a grin prominent upon her face. Once she stopped, Rarity couldn't help but rub her exposed ear gently.

"... Well, I guess it's 1 o'clock now."

Unpacking the apples onto the picnic basket, everyone started digging into individual meals: From sandwiches made by Twilight and Fluttershy, to cakes and fudge packed by Pinkie and Rainbow, everypony had their fair share of lunch to enjoy. A light breeze covered the land, the trees bending and contorting with grace.

Rarity found herself merely admiring it all, sighing with content among the group.

"It is gorgeous out here. Just gorgeous!"

Rainbow yawned with a grin. "Thanks to me, once again."

"Oh, please." Rarity rolled her eyes. "Why not give credit to the more deserving pegasi around here?"

"Well, maybe once the weather team can get on my level, I might consider that. But for now, all of this..." Rainbow paused, waving her arm to cast out against the open sky. "... all by yours truly."

"Whatever you say, darling."

Applejack and Twilight both giggled at the two mares bickering. Though, as brash as Rainbow Dash had always been, she wasn't entirely lying. She can clear the skies in ten seconds, after all—so who was to say today really wasn't thanks to her?

As Applejack continued to dig into her meal, she couldn't help but glance over at Lyon again. As she always saw him from time to time, he was eating away at little blocks of fudge. She knew how much he loved it.

But she didn't focus on it that much. Instead, she saw his face. His eyes, though not devoid of life, seemed adrift, gazing endlessly into nothingness. He was lost in thought again, holding back a yawn, almost as if trying to fight against sleep, though he didn't seem too tired before.

"Lyon?" Applejack called out, giving him a moment. After a second of hesitation, Lyon broke his staring contest with the earth and turned to the farmer, a questionable look on his face. "You alright, hon?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. Sorry. I'm just a bit tired from this morning."

"Speaking of... have your dreams gotten any better lately?" Twilight added into the conversation, visibly concerned.

Lyon shook his head, to Twilight's disdain.

"I don't understand," she mumbled, "those spells usually make any nightmares go away, or better yet 99% of the time. This shouldn't still be happening. Unless I messed something up somewhere..."

Lyon was quick to dismiss that claim. "No, it's fine. It's probably just... I don't know. But don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

"You keep saying that, sugarcube," Applejack remarked. "But it's like each day gets worse than before. Something's gonna give, you know?"

He sighed. "I know. But I know we'll be able to figure it out eventually. Who knows? Maybe it's because of all the fudge I've been eating."

Then he froze.

"On second thought, let's not think that."

It was enough to earn a giggle from Applejack, but it only lasted a moment. She eyed him with lingering concern, but all he could do was repeat that he'd be fine. And every time he did, she had to convince herself it was the truth. With Twilight on the case, surely those words held some weight.

What am I thinking... It's Twilight. Of course they do.

"How exactly do the dreams start again, darling?" Rarity questioned. By now, everyone had their eyes turned to Lyon, genuinely curious, if not already concerned. It wasn't the first time they all wondered about the dream; each following one had new bits and pieces to delve into and look over, so it was only reasonable to know more, right?

"Well..."

Lyon started to recount the latest dream, only to stop when he heard the sound of a panting creature behind him. Everyone turned in the same direction to see Spike rapidly approaching. The young drake maneuvered his way through the picnic table to avoid knocking over or stepping on any of the treats scattered about.

"Twi... light...! I... have... lemme just..." Spike attempted to form a coherent sentence, but found himself choking on his own words and resting his claws on his knees.

Before Twilight or the others could ask if he was okay, the drake belched out a small parchment. Twilight was quick to take and read it aloud.

"Dear Twilight, I am sure you are as excited as I am about the upcoming wedding in Canterlot." She paused for a moment. "Wedding?"

But the unicorn held off her confusion for just a moment and continued to read down the line, revealing that everyone was given a specified task by Princess Celestia herself—from Pinkie Pie's catering to Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom.

Lyon wasn't expecting to be on that list too.

"To Lyon: With your exceptional skills in archery, I would appreciate having you guide our guardsponies in the final fireworks display."

The stallion was left stunted by the rest. "I... uh... o-okay, then. That happened, I guess."

Twilight laughed silently as she finished reading the rest of the letter, but already Lyon found himself daydreaming. Celestia, the princess of Equestria, asked him to participate in a wedding! Per her request! As an archer! It'd been years since he actually put his talents to proper use—apart from the Hearts and Hooves incident last year—but this was a complete step up!

He stared up towards Canterlot, already thinking of what he'd have to do. Fireworks and arrows? Ages! One of his favorite things to do during the Summer Sun Celebration. And he was doing it again for Celestia?

Already, this day was shaping up to be even better.

"... My brother?!"

Yep. This should be good.

Author's Note

The plan is to push out two chapters every two weeks. This should give me enough time to write, proofread, and submit them. Hopefully this doesn't seem too cliche at all.

Why an OC? Old habits die hard. Plus, the mane six becoming changelings has already been done a few times. Wanted to give it my own go. :twilightsheepish: