The atmosphere of the alley grew heavy as the pegasi, having just climbed their way back into the air, were once again brought to the ground. The spells that any of the adolescent unicorns had been preparing suddenly fizzled out. Even the crystal that Onyx had used to shield himself began to break down and crumble into dust much to the shock of both him as his opponent.

"Boss!" Called out one of the cloaked unicorns amidst the panic. "It's the bugs! We've gotta go!"

The earth pony didn't look happy as he quickly jumped back. He looked back at the young crystal unicorn and scowled. "Onyx, was it?" He said as he turned to leave. "Looks like we're gonna have save our rematch for another day. I've never seen any other pony that can take on my whole gang like that. Yous can call me Waffles, and yous better believe that yous be seein' me again."

Before anyone had a chance to stop them, the gang of young ponies turned tail and fled from the alley as fast as their hooves could carry them. Onyx straightened back up and took a few slow breaths before looking back to Clover. "Master," he asked. "What happened? Why did my spell fail?"

"I'm not sure," said a confused Clover as he looked over to his changeling companion. "You said a fourth one showed up? That was fast." Clover made an attempt to cast a small spell himself, only to see it fizzle out as well. "Are they doing this or is there something else at play here?"

The masked figure snapped his view back and forth in an attempt to find the source of the disturbance. "Don't look at me," he said. "The hive didn't have any tricks like this before."

"And why would the guard of another hive be trying to find ours with two ponies in tow?" A deep voice suddenly echoed behind them.

They turned to face the source of the voice to find a pony that hadn't been standing there before. He was wearing a black suede jacket with a matching fedora, but other than that, nothing about him seemed too out of the ordinary.

Onyx, feeling more than a little nervous without his magic, huddled up next to Clover. "When did he get there? What kind of magic did he use?" He asked, the fear painting his voice.

"It's called misdirection," said Clover, seeming more curious than intimidated. "Stage magicians use it all the time but it wouldn't surprise me to see changelings using the same tactic. Don't be surprised if his allies used this opportunity to slip in behind us while our attention was on him." Clover and company looked back to where they had just been looking and sure enough, two other identical looking ponies had just slipped in. However, these two were flanked by at least a half dozen others in an assortment of colors and were spreading out to surround them. "I'm betting the ones that looked like they stepped out of a musical are the changeling guards. The fourth one is probably watching from a safe distance to see how this all goes down."

He looked back in time to see the first of the guards raise an eyebrow at his assessment. "You're a curious unicorn," he stated. "You seem to be a little too familiar with how we do things. However, I've got bigger problems than you right now." He shot a look in Spectrum's direction, the look he gave him making it clear he wasn't fooled by his simple disguise. "Chief among those being, what do you think you're doing here and why are you running around our city undisguised?"

It was Spectrum's turn to smile, his fangs peeking out under the edge of his mask. "My reasons for being here are primarily to seek the current Queen Cocoon's assistance as well as deliver a diplomatic missive to her majesty straight from Princess Celestia's hooves herself."

The reactions from the surrounding creatures was instantaneous. A number of the ponies hoofed at the ground nervously while a few of them broke character for a moment and hissed in Spectrum's general direction. Even Clover didn't go unfazed by his ally's proclamation.

"When did you plan on telling me she sent you on a diplomatic mission?!" He exclaimed in complete shock.

"I wasn't," he said in return. "I wanted to see the look on your face like I am right now. I'm telling you, it was worth the wait."

"But when did she have time to set this up?" Clover asked, still stunned by events unfolding around him.

Spectrum gave him a smug grin. "Did you really think that maneuvering you into the position of archmage was the only thing she did during the three days you slept?"

Clover sat down right there in the alleyway while surrounded by potentially hostile changelings and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "That mare," he grumbled under his breath. "I've barely been back a week and she's already finding ways to push my buttons."

He wasn't the only one looking annoyed. The first of the guard that had shown up was also looking particularly perturbed while the circus act went down in front of him. "This better have been worth all the cancellations I had to do." He grumbled as he quickly reasserted himself. "Snider! Waffen!" He called out, drawing the attention of the other two in matching attire. "What do you make of this?"

The first of them scuffed at the ground. "I don't trust them," he said. "I bet they got their information from that cur, Chrysalis," he glared at Spectrum. "You're with me on this. Right, Waffen?"

Waffen looked at him and shrugged. "I dunno, Snider," he said in return. "If the pony princess already has the name of another queen, then she might already know a lot more than we realize."

"I didn't tell her anything other than that changelings prefer to keep to themselves and Chrysalis likely made a lot of enemies with her little stunt," Spectrum added to the conversation.

"True as that may be," the first of the guard spoke up again. "I'm stuck wondering which queen would be brazen enough to have her personal guard announce themselves in another's territory without backup." He scratched the side of his head, seemingly lost in thought.

"Giovanni," said Snider cautiously. "What are you thinking?"

Giovanni looked back as his companion, seeming to have come to a decision. "We're taking them with us," he said calmly. "Her Majesty needs to settle this herself."

Murmurs and mumbles filled the alleyway from the other creatures gathered there. The hushed conversations were abruptly cut short by one of their number who had something more to say on the matter.

"Are you insane?!" Shouted Snider. "We don't know their true purpose or who else may be watching!"

"I agree with Giovanni," said Waffen much to Snider's annoyance.

"How can you go along with this?!" Snider was livid at this point. "We don't know what kind of threat they might pose!"

"Or they could be exactly who they say they are," Waffen retorted. "Equestrian diplomats. That'll be up to the Queen to decide. Our job..." He placed some emphasis on that last word. "Our job is to make sure that no threats have a chance to get close to her."

"Enough," said Giovanni, his word being enough to halt the bickering as the other two grew silent. He looked to the cloaked changeling. "I would see this missive," he said at last.

Spectrum reached under his cloak and pulled out a sealed scroll. Instead of either of them moving closer for the exchange, one of the other ponies surrounding them stepped forward into their midst and gingerly took the parchment from him and carried it to Giovanni.

Once he had the document, he wasted no time in breaking the seal and opening it. A green glow radiated from his bare forehead and washed over the parchment as he read over it. Seeming satisfied, he rolled it back up and licked a thick resin onto the document. The adhesive quickly hardened, sealing the document in a hard membrane. "There's no traps or any other enchantments within the paper," he said confidently. "As for the contents, it is indeed what they say it is, a diplomatic missive." He looked directly at Clover and his companions. "I would have your names and if you agree to be searched, we'll take you to the Queen."

Clover stood back up after having recovered from the shock of getting drawn into the sun princess's schemes. "My name is Clover," he said. "And this is my student Onyx Shard and my companion Spectrum."

The disguised changelings began to whisper amongst them upon hear his name. "Did he say his name was Clover? Don't be silly, there's a lot of Clovers. He can't possibly be the same one. Is this some sort of trick from the Princess? He can't be the same pony, can he?"

"Silence!" Giovanni ordered. His eyes also showed a spark of curiosity, but he wasn't going to indulge himself. "Search them."

The next couple minutes would probably rate one of the most interesting moments in their lives as the disguised changelings moved in and closely inspected each and every one of their... Captives?... Guests?... None of them were really all that sure yet. They quickly removed and looked through any luggage the party carried with them. Finding nothing of interest, they soon moved onto the bodies of the three. They didn't get very far before the two mares that had been inspecting Clover removed his cloak and jumped back with a hiss.

Clover's wings had spread once they were free of their constraints, drawing everyone's attention as Giovanni finally decided to step closer. Everyone watched him with baited breath as he moved up next to Clover and closely inspected him himself. He slowly made his way around him sniffing the air and making a show of smelling the alicorn himself. "So, there's more of you than just the four princesses, then?" He said curiously. He looked over to his two companions, who had moved closer after the show that Clover had just put on. They were closely inspecting the other two, probably wondering if there were any other surprises they weren't expecting.

Waffen was the next to find something unusual with Clover's companions. "I didn't realize crystal ponies had a unicorn variant?" He inquired as he inspected the blushing Onyx.

Snider wasn't going to be particularly patient on getting answers as he practically tore the cloak from Spectrum's back. He couldn't make out much of his features with all the bandages that covered his body, but what he did see made his fake fur bristle.

Spectrum's long, insectile wings were on full display, the holes that were present in them looking unnatural. Instead of perfectly rounded shapes which might normally be found in changeling wings, they were instead covered with jagged tears that made it look like they had been damaged. What really got him worked up though was the shell on his back.

The milky white color of his back got more than just the changeling guard worked up. Several of the other changeling began to show signs of hostility, one of them actually dropping their disguise for a moment before a sharp look from several of their fellows made them sheepishly put it back up.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Barked Snider, his anger palatable to everyone else present. "What sort of game do you think you're playing by pretending to be one of our fellow guards?!"

Spectrum's smile was beaming. "I'm not pretending anything," he said. "I'm too injured to use my magic right now. These are my natural colors." He reached up and pulled down his mask for a moment. The gem-like quality to his eyes, as well as the dark green tone of the unbandaged chitin on his face leaving the guard speechless.

"We'll see about that," Snider snapped as he recovered from his shock. A burning glow emanated from his forehead where a horn would normally be and washed over the offending changeling.

Spectrum didn't once try to resist the assault as the foreign magic pierced his body and began to probe the most intimate corners of his being. It only lasted a moment before the intruder reeled backward as he withdrew from his attack, Snider now paled and he looked like like he might be sick.

"You went too far," Giovanni chided him, looking more than a little cross with his ally.

The fight was gone from Snider as he quietly reached down and held out Spectrum's discarded cloak. "H... How... Um..." He stuttered, seeming more than a bit uncomfortable now.

"How am I still alive?" Spectrum finished the question as he took the proffered cloak and refastened in around himself. "Just lucky, I guess," he said as he shot a look Clover's direction.

"That's enough," said Giovanni, drawing everyone's rapt attention. "Unless somepony found something incriminating, it's time we moved," he said as he turned his gaze back to the center of their attentions, seeming far more tired than he had earlier. "It seems we have some diplomats to deliver to Her Majesty."

They made their way through the city, their escort not once leaving their side as they guided them through the busy streets. Once or twice they passed by another police officer, but all it took was a look from Giovanni and they suddenly found the other side of the street a lot more interesting.

Even though the other two remained calm about the whole situation, it took a while before Onyx started to relax. He had been thrown off balance when his magic had failed him, unaccustomed as he was to the methods of their hosts.

Eventually they were guided to one of the tallest buildings in the city. Onyx craned his neck as he tried to see the top of the skyscraper. He could just barely make out the giant horse head that topped the structure when they were all herded inside.

"First time in the big city," Waffen asked, smiling at him.

The youth sheepishly nodded. "Equestria didn't have anything near this big back when I visited before."

"Pff, tourist..." Snider scoffed as he passed them and entered the building.

They stepped into the lobby. The carved marble that made up the floor reflected the sunlight that poured in from the mid-afternoon sun. All around the lobby, well-dressed business ponies looked at them in disgust before turning back to their own conversations. They didn't have long to wait before someone ran out from behind the reception counter to meet them.

"I'm sorry," said the well dressed unicorn who seemed particularly displeased with their appearance. "But unless you have an appointment, I'm going to have to ask you to..."

"Three for the Queen's Suite," the one at head of their procession cut him off without batting an eye.

The unicorn looked nervous as he took in the three cloaked figures in a new light. He recovered quickly, but not fast enough to go completely unnoticed. "Right this way, sirs" he said once he had recollected himself. "Should I be expecting Her Majesty as well?"

Giovanni didn't answer. Instead, he just gave him a long look, making the pony start to grow nervous again.

"I understand," he said, seeming to understand something as he slowly turned and they all followed him to the elevator. He waited outside while everyone else moved in. Once the whole party had filed in, a blue glow saw the unicorn pull a key out from under his vest as he reached out and turned a lock from outside the box. "Thank you, sirs," the unicorn bowed to the whole party with a smile. "We hope to see you again."

The door slid shut and the box jolted as it began to ascend. A sigh of relief escaped a few of the transformed drones and it took a snarled look from the particularly angry Snider before they stood at attention again.

"You really should calm down," said Waffen as he chuckled at his gung-ho attitude. "This much tension can't be good for your health."

"I am calm!" He shouted back. "What I don't get is why we're going along with this featherbrained plan. We don't know what sort of threat they pose."

"Well, I for one believe that they are exactly what they say they are," he said with a wink. "Diplomats from Equestria. Her Majesty has been concerned for a while now about the current state of affairs since the Equestrian wedding and has been looking for a way to mitigate the damage."

"Still..." Snider continued to grumble under his breath. "I don't know why I have to take orders from a shrink."

"Because I'm the one in charge of the hive's mental health and yours has been questionable lately. That's why," Giovanni cut in. "And you're not the only one who had other things to do today, so try to show a little decorum. Your little flying stunt team will still be there after we wrap up here and AFTER we set you up with yet another appointment."

"Trouble in paradise?" The smile could be heard coming from beneath Spectrum's mask.

Waffen gave a small chuckle, "every hive has it's own squabbles. I'm sure you could tell us all kinds of stories about your fellow guards from your own hive."

"I actually can't," Spectrum said quietly. "It's a bit complicated, but I'm the only one left from my hive."

That statement caused all the changelings to collectively tilt their heads. It looked like they wanted to ask any number of questions, but the elevator picked that moment for the bell to chime before coming to a stop.

"We're here," said Giovanni as he stepped out of the open doors.

Author's Note

Waffles was an OC modeled after UnamusedWaffle.
As for Giovanni, shout out to my editor for him, Sebastian99, for that one.