For the second time today, I am teleported someplace new. While I do consider this transportation neat, it is also very disorienting to receive that instant shock and bombardment of new information because of the new environment.

In this case, I seem to be in a dark cave system with just a few glowbug lanterns hung up on the walls.

“Okay,” I say numbly. When I say it, I am once again using my own voice since I morph my voice back to normal. “Where am I nah . . .” I trail off when I finally notice the most important detail in the room beside Starlight and I, and that is the fact I am seeing an extra copy of Starlight here. My eyes immediately widen at the sight. I am stunned silent.

The Starlight that teleported me here trots next to the other one which, notably, has to trot around the Friendship Cutie Map. Once the two stand next to each other, they both look at me, wink at me simultaneously, then one of them vibrates for a second before becoming energy and suddenly zips into the version of Starlight that was already here.

“Let's just say that the enemy is not the only one in the world that can make clones,” Starlight explains to me with a cunning grin.

I blink in surprise as I ask, “You used your magic to make a temporary copy of yourself?”

“Yep!” Starlight tells me proudly. “It's based on a very old spell I've discovered . . . Similo Duplexus.

“It was one of my clones that was interviewing you in that room because I wanted to test if Sunburst really was Sunburst. I also placed a magical tracker on that magic clone of mine so I could find it with this map here in case she, that is say the other version of me, goes missing.” She grins proudly. “He took the bait and delivered my clone to his secret base and now I know where it is located for sure. I did all of this without serious risk to my original self.”

Next, I regard the table itself as I similarly ask, “And you . . . you still have it? The Friendship Map, that is?”

“Yep,” Starlight confirms as she looks over the table proudly. “Just after we used this to find Button Mash, I quickly realized how much this thing is a threat to the changeling who relocated Button. I knew, by then, that it wouldn't take this changeling long to target this table somehow for either destruction or relocation. So, before that happened, I teleported it here.”

Starlight uses a hoof to gesture about her surroundings before she goes on to say, “And where we are now in is a cave system near the town I used to rule with an iron hoof.” She looks around wistfully. “It's quite a maze down here which is why I knew no pony else would chase me in here, but it also meant it took me quite a while to find my way through myself.

“During that time, I mapped out the place and even set up a little base camp here.” Starlight now blushes. “From here, I plotted against Twilight and her friends in retribution for what they took from me in Our Town, but you don't need to know all about that,” she says with a dismissive and embarrassed wave of a hoof to me. “All that you need to know is where we are, why I am convinced this location is secure, the fact that the real Cutie Map is stored here for now, and that I've placed a few non-lethal traps nearby as an extra security precaution.”

“The real Cutie Map?” I echo questioningly.

Starlight nods as she says, “Yes. To make extra certain this thing remains intact and not stolen, I also replaced this map with a decoy at the castle.” She shakes her head a bit as she says, “I'm so glad I did it, too, because the thing went missing the very next day!”

“Whoa!” I widen my eyes. “That was close.”

Starlight nods again as she says, “Yes.” She rolls her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

I squint at Starlight and tilt my head curiously to the side as I ask her, “And how did you know that the one you were interviewing wasn't the changeling? Speaking for myself, I have to say that is the finest acting I have ever done.”

“Actually, yeah! You were really good, Sweetie Belle. I'm guessing it's because you've been developing subconscious habits from him. I heard of your dodge ball incident and I know that Button has been going through some similar behavioral changes as well. It's not difficult to figure out why.

“You made only a few mistakes so it was indeed challenging to decipher you apart from the host changeling.”

“I call him Agent Raven now, by the way,” I put in offhoofedly.

Starlight widens her eyes at me slightly as she appears to realize something, so she asks me, “Have you been in communication with him lately?”

“Not for a while,” I answer truthfully. “He hasn't spoken to me in over three weeks. Not since the night when I finally went back home and made up with my parents.”

“I see,” Starlight tells me with a very thoughtful look.

“He's not bad anymore,” I add. “Well,” I squint again, “he sort of is but he doesn't want to be ruled by his original self anymore. As a result, he's been more cooperative with me. Also, he has established that there used to be some kind of link between him and his original self that got cut off on the night we did our magical cutie mark experiment with this map.”

We are silent for a thoughtful moment as we just stare at each other, then I express because I feel like I must, “I'm going to die of curiosity if you don't tell me what I did wrong by playacting as him.”

“Huh?” Starlight's ears perk up as if waking up from a thoughtful daydream. “Oh. Well, as I said, there weren't too many clues. Based on the impression I got from him the first time we met, I have a feeling his real self would have remained quiet longer. I think he'd let me sweat it out for a while. He seems to like to play mind games like that.

“The other clue I deciphered is you were too impatient to rush to the point. Every word you said drove towards a specific point. Also, you didn't fish for enough information from me as I think he would have.”

“Oh,” I say in disappointment as I lower my ears. That truly was the finest performance I have ever made so far. At least, I think so. It's disappointing to hear of all of my flaws despite that. “Do you at least think that he was fooled?”

Starlight half shrugs as she admits, “I'm afraid there's no way of knowing without actually being inside his head.

“But, regardless, thanks to our efforts, I got what I wanted out of him.” She looks down at the map. “The location of his secret base.”

I lift my ears again as I ask anxiously, “So what's our next move, then?”

“I've sent the information I've gained about the location of this changeling's lair to King Thorax,” Starlight informs me.

I really perk up as I say, “Oh goodie! Then we can storm his lair and-”

“No, no, no,” Starlight interrupts as she shakes her head. “That wouldn't be smart. After what I've seen from even one of his clones, I don't think we'd stand a realistic chance of success if we stormed his base. Even if we outnumber him, I think he could still cream us with ease.

“And besides, he has access to a lot of hostages. Not only within his lair but outside of it as well. Every single one of his clones can threaten anyone that happens to be around him, so I can't risk that option. At least, not yet.”

I wince as I ask with confusion, “Then why give this information to King Thorax?”

Starlight taps the Cutie Map as she says, “He's an insurance policy. Think about it. This guy wants his lair to remain a secret and I just gave that information to a changeling monarch who has the capacity to spread this information to anyone he wants. Many of Thorax's changeling pack is hiding everywhere, ready to spread the word in case I don't return from this hostile changeling's lair.”

“That's so cool!” I marvel with wide eyes. “You're so smart, Starlight.” I smile at her brightly as I wag my tail and proudly proclaim, “When I grow up, I want to be just like you someday!”

In response, Starlight blushes at me shyly but I can also tell that she's flattered.

“So what do you want me to do while you confront him?” I ask anxiously.

“You? I want you to stay here where it's safe,” Starlight replies. “But, before I take off, I want to talk to the real Agent Raven. Or, if he still refuses to talk to me, then I want your input about him as much as possible.”

“NO!” I complain loudly. “No,” I repeat more calmly. “I'm coming with you.”

Starlight narrows her eyes at me as she tells me, “Sweetie Belle, this is no time for brave heroics. At least, not from you. You really have to listen to me this time. I promised your parents that I would keep you safe and I fully meant it. There's no way you can convince me to bring a foal into a lair full of highly trained and deadly changeling clone assassins.”

“But we're not going in there to fight, right?” I check. I apply my hoof to my chest as I proclaim, “Well I don't want to fight him either! Like you, I want a peaceful solution to this problem but he is really tricky.” I shake my head. “He's not like the other changelings you're used to dealing with. Not by a long shot. This guy is as cold as ice. He's a strategic genius who was trained to the very limits of his potential among the Ghosts, and he is driven to save his race from extinction.”

Starlight winces at me as she asks, “Extinction? Why would he be convinced that his race is in that much danger?”

I hesitate to answer that question as I look down at the table. When I do, I widen my eyes a bit as I see not my own reflection on the table but that of Raven instead. That reflection gives me a confident nod with a sharp look in his eyes as if to say, “Tell her. Ocellus will understand.”

“Well?” Starlight prompts me. “This is no time to be holding back secrets, Sweetie Belle. This is your last chance to inform me before I confront him. It's important that I be as prepared for that as possible.”

I sigh as I gather my courage. I hope Ocellus will indeed forgive me.

“Ocellus told me a few weeks ago that the race is in danger because none of the changelings can breed,” I tell Starlight as I slowly gaze up into her eyes. “She also made me swear to keep this a secret but, under these circumstances, I think she would understand.

“You can ask Thorax to confirm my source. Ocellus told me that all of the changelings are technically sexless. All except for Queen Chrysalis. She's the only one who can give birth to more changelings. That's among the reasons the rest of the hive used to be so loyal to her. They all knew that they needed her to permit the race to continue.”

“Until I convinced them that there was a better feeding option,” Starlight realizes as her eyes alight with an epiphany. “Ever since then, they transformed and decided it was better to live in freedom rather than remain subjected to her tyranny . . . but now they are also stuck with no more options to replace their population.”

I nod as I add, “I think you can see why the race is reluctant to make that information public.”

“I certainly do,” Starlight agrees as she looks down with a bit of a guilt-stricken expression. “I just wanted them to have better lives. I didn't know it would come at that cost.”

“They still made their own choice, Starlight,” I remind her. “You told them of a better option and they took it. Whatever else comes of this, at least you know they were willing to accept this.” I shrug. “Well . . . all except Queen Chrysalis and maybe the other members of the Ghosts.”

Starlight winces as she realizes something before saying aloud, “But using the Mirror Pool isn't an adequate solution because all of his clones would be the same age.” She looks forward blankly at nothing as her thoughts continue to churn. “So he must be aiming at something else. Perhaps he's seeking a new way for his race to conceive, or he's aiming to free Queen Chrysalis. That might actually be the easiest option for him.”

I shake my head as I say, “Maybe to enslave her, but Raven tells me he has no interest in being subjected under Chrysalis's rule again. He doesn't even wish to submit under the rule of his original self.”

“Then his other clones will feel the same way!” Starlight realizes. “Now it's all beginning to make sense. His original self knew that. He knew that his own clones would be reluctant to obey him so he set up some kind of system in his lair to ensure their obedience.” Starlight taps her hoof. “To what end, though? Where is he going with all of this?”

At first I shrug silently, then I tell her, “I don't think Raven knows the answer to that question either because his memories are incomplete. There's also a chance that his original self doesn't know either, but he feels driven to do something.

“One thing I can tell about him is that he's unlikely to move forward with a bold plan unless he feels very well prepared. He's a perfectionist who likes to keep things neat and tidy. He's the kind of guy who does not like to leave any evidence of his passing unless he does not have the time to set up everything perfectly or revealing himself somehow secures him a decisive advantage. From the way Raven describes it, that's a standard policy of all the Ghosts. To be invisible. To remain a myth. To be a fearsome and respected mystery in the shadows.”

While I was talking, Starlight kept nodding to herself as each point I made allowed the situation we are in feel more and more clear to her.

“I think I'm beginning to understand him now,” Starlight says. “Yikes! That is a very dangerous enemy. It sounds to me like he's not driven by power or greed. He might pretend to for a moment when it suits him but he honestly doesn't really like to rule because he'd rather avoid attention. After all, it is the standard procedure of the Ghosts to avoid attention so, by now, it has become a really ingrained habit.

“But, at the same time, he doesn't wish to be ruled either. Sounds to me like he's someone who'd rather be left alone if it weren't for his mission,” Starlight figures.

Starlight looks off to her side very thoughtfully. “And his mission is to save the changeling race from facing extinction. More than likely he also plans to save them from themselves, at least according to his opinion. This is a changeling who just doesn't know how to relax and have fun.” She shakes her head. “It's always serious business with this guy because that is the way he was raised. To be the best of the best in the changelings, he can never relax because those training standards are too high for that. No one can really be perfect but if this guy is making a serious attempt to be so, then . . .”

Starlight trails off into silence. I see her eyes moving back and forth rapidly as if she's reading invisible text at high speed. That, I realize, is a non-verbal sign of rapid thinking.

I smile as I again admire Starlight. At the same time, I feel relief that I have a competent ally backing my cause now. Earlier I was so worried that Starlight could have been a compromised agent. Right now I am just so glad that she's not.

“I'm still going with you,” I insist after a long moment of silence. “Take me with you.”

In response, Starlight simply looks at me. I can tell that I have not convinced her yet, and yet she didn't outright object either. That likely means it occurred to her why bringing me might be an important advantage after all.

I decide to spell it out for her by saying, “You need me because I understand him better than most. For better and worse, I'm not the same little filly I was before our magical experiment. This experience has brought to light important changes within me which also helps me to understand this particular adversary. If you want to convince him to turn to our cause somehow, then I'm your best hope of keeping things honest between you. As good as he is at deception, he is equally adept at reading others. I've inherited some of those skills and I think he'd quickly realize that. That, in turn, equalizes the playing field.

“You need me, Starlight Glimmer. All of Equestria is at stake here and I care about this country too! I care about my friends and family within it and I have the right to help defend them. Please let me come too!”

I'm right and we both know it. Despite that, I know I am making a hard sell. I can see the internal debate and struggle in her eyes as she wrestles between reason and logic versus her own protective instincts. In her eyes, it's very hard for her to see past the fact that I am a young foal no matter how strategically advantageous bringing me might be or what else might be at stake.

“I accept the risks, Starlight,” I swear to her with conviction. “And I'm old enough to understand the gravity of my choice here. I may be a foal but Raven is not young and I inherited some of his maturity through osmosis. This has enhanced my wisdom and understanding so know that you are not to blame for the consequences of my decision. I gladly wear that burden on my own.

“And my knowledge about him will come in hoofy. You cannot deny that.”

Starlight looks down at the table with worry. Now I see she seems to be leaning heavily on accepting my proposal, but there is still a voice crying out inside her that this is wrong.

“Did you love your parents?” I ask her.

Starlight winces as she looks back at me and returns my question with another question. “What kind of a question is that? Of course I love my parents. We didn't always get along, but I still love them.”

Having gotten the confirmation that I strongly suspected I would, I continue my point by asking, “Back when you were a foal, if you learned something crucial and you also knew that acting upon that information would save your parents’ lives, how would you feel if you were told, 'No' because somepony else looked at your age and thought it was too dangerous? Yet still you know that you have vital information that can save them and they'll definitely die if you don't act upon it.”

Starlight looks back at the table with a look of guilt but also understanding in her eyes. Eventually she says, “I see your point. If I deny you, you're going to act on your own anyway.”

“Definitely!” I strongly confirm. “So you can either keep an eye on me by bringing me along, or I'll go off on my own anyway and get exposed to even greater risk.”

My expression softens as I go on to say, “I wouldn't have dared to challenge you like this a moon ago because, back then, I really was too much of a kid to question an adult's authority.” My eyes grow firm again. “But I have matured since then in both natural and unnatural ways. Either way, what it amounts to is I have enough strength developed in me to help with this most crucial mission. And, while the likes of Raven, his clones, and his original may have a cold heart, I do not, and I will follow my heart. It is the pony way.”

Starlight smirks up at me proudly before finally nodding with acceptance.

Author's Note