Shining Armor greeted Tempo and Blueblood with a smile. "Glad to see you two even more than usual." He glanced aside. "There's been report of an invader."

Tempo blinked. "A new one, or the one who has returned to Equestria?"

"No." Shining Armor shook his head. "Not Chrysalis or Sombra." He quirked up an ear. "Though, related. A changeling has been seen around town, and we must find and remove it." He took a slow breath. "As far as I am aware, changelings are not as good at copying metal ponies, so you're safer."

Tempo's ears dipped at that news. "We can still be copied, but the details may give it away, depending on how long they spent in proximity." She frowned to herself as she considered. "What would a single changeling do here?"

Blueblood's ears flicked back with worry. "I imagine they're less worried about interrogating it, dear, compared to being sure it doesn't remain anywhere nearby." He shivered lightly, then glanced between them. "We should hurry and find this one before they have a chance to get close."

Tempo turned to Blueblood and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Then we shall begin searching."

"Good." Shining nodded as he turned in place. "The guards are on high-alert. I've even called for Twilie and her friends. They've clashed with the changelings before, successfully. Hopefully we can catch this invader before any problems happen." He looked out over the town. "Let's move."

Tempo and her husband hurried down into the city, splitting up and beginning a careful search for anything that seemed off.

Blueblood kept an eye on the streets, keeping himself alert.

While the adults scoured for search of the lost changeling, Beat was enjoying a little walk. Seeking to find nothing but herself, she had taken to wandering far afield of the city. The fields of snow were all around, but she knew where the paths were, even when the snow tried to hide them. She kept to the path, and let her thoughts wander. She eventually came to a tree that was bare.

Beat settled next to it, tail swaying. "Hello, old friend." The tree didn't reply to her, being a tree. "Hm. You have a new friend." She looked to a rock that was a new bit of the scenery. It wasn't a special-looking rock, but she was sure it hadn't been there the other times she had come out to see the tree. "So you two are new friends." Beat settled down at the trunk of the tree to think, looking at the rock.

"Even a tree can find a friend." Somehow, that was encouraging, and she smiled at the thought of her tree finding a friend despite the impossibility of it.

"How did you find me?"

Beat blinked at the new voice, looking around. "Find who?"

"Me?" The rock opened its eyes, which was an odd thing for a rock to have. "Um, hi?" Beat blinked twice. The rock somehow looked nervous. "I was trying to hide."

Beat blinked. "You hid as a rock." She considered this. "What were you hiding from? I will help you."

The rock burst into green flames, becoming a little changeling. "I'm hiding from everypony. They're, um, scared of me."

"Of you?" Beat stood up, walking over to him and inspecting the changeling. "You are small, what is there to be afraid of?"

He smiled shyly at that, then glanced over Beat's body. "You are a funny-looking pony. You're really not scared?" He stepped closer, lowering his head a little. "Everypony is scared of me."

"I do not think I have ever seen a changeling." Beat shrugged lightly. "But you are small, like a colt, so I am not scared of you. She reached out and drew the changeling closer. "You remind me of my brother. It's hard to be scared of anything that reminds me of him. If you're like him, you probably want a hug." And so she gave the changeling one.

He gasped lightly and hugged back. "Wow, you're nice." He squeezed against her, closing his eyes. "Thank you for this. You can let go now, but I won't hold it against you if you don't want to."

She decided that was a request for more hugs, so she kept the changeling for the time. "What is your name? I am Beat."

"I am Thorax." He snuggled in against her happily. "You're a funny-looking pony, Beat. What kind of pony are you?" He touched over her frame with a little smile. "It's nice. You feel cold; are you alright?"

"That's because I don't feel things like that. I'm not cold, and you're warm. It's nice." She nuzzled him closer. "The ponies who are hunting you, some of them don't understand me very well either."

Thorax blinked. "They don't?" He frowned lightly to himself. "But, why? You seem like a nice pony. I mean, I just met you, but I already like you."

Beat gathered Thorax up against herself. "That's nice of you to say. They don't dislike me or anything. It's a little complicated." She glanced away a moment. "I don't do the things they do, like breathing to start. Or eating. I don't have the soft squishy parts they expect." She squeezed Thorax. "All metal. You can feel that, right?"

He nodded once at her. "Yeah. All metal. It's nice." He shifted his form, turning into a copy of Beat, all except the eyes. "Can I ask something silly?"

Beat's ears perked. "You can. Ask anything you want."

"Well." He glanced away. "You're the first nice pony I met. Will you be my friend?"

Beat laughed gently, a musical sound. "I would like that." She tapped her copy on their nose. "Wow, you're metal too. It's less cold now, right? The hug must be nicer for you."

Thorax hugged Beat tightly. "It was nice as it was. Thank you."

"It's getting colder though. Come on back to my house." Beat turned, then paused. Looking back, she could see Thorax hesitating. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want them to see me." Thorax frowned as he looked at the distant village. "And if they do, I'll just run away. So, maybe we should just be friends when we can meet out here?"

Beat considered that a quiet moment. "Hm. Okay. We'll meet here." She pointed at the tree. "We're both friends with this tree, and we'll meet under it, to be friends of each other. I like the sound of that."

Thorax giggled gently, nodding. "Me too!" He hugged Beat. "Thank you." He turned and started running off.

Beat watched him go, waving goodbye as she started the slow walk home, more of a smile on her snout than when she had come out.

When she arrived at home, she learned her parents were out. "Where'd they go?"

Pulse shrugged with an unsure noise. "Looking for a changeling, I heard. Hm." Pulse's eyes narrowed towards Beat. "I was worried when you went missing. You did not leave a note."

Beat's ears drooped back at that. "I'm sorry. I was just talking a walk. I do that sometimes. I wasn't aware we needed to leave notes to take walks. If that is the new rule, then may I have permission in the future to take walks? When I wish?"

Pulse nodded once. "Alright, as long as you come back." She leaned in and nuzzled Beat gently. "I just don't want to lose my sister."

"Silly." She threw a leg over him, drawing Pulse closer. "You'd never lose me." She held her brother close a moment before parting.

Pulse watched his sister go, but said nothing as she departed.

Later, when their parents returned, Tempo called for them from the living room. "The city is in high alert." She inclined her head. "You are safe, but if you see a changeling, you are to report to us immediately."

Pulse raised a hoof. "Those are the bug ponies, right? That's what I heard, anyhow." He paused at that. "Are we safe?"

Tempo waved her hoof dismissively. "Yes, we are fine. You don't need to worry. We will find the invader, and things will be fine."

Beat lifted an ear at that, then considered. "Are all changelings bad? What if they're a nice changeling?"

Tempo shook her head. "Unlikely. The only nice changelings are imaginary." Tempo nodded to each of her children. "Continue as normal, simply report if you see one, and do not approach."

Beat frowned as she thought about her new friend. "I see."

Tempo's ears flicked back. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Beat looked up, ears flicked forward again. "I will inform you if I find a changeling."

Satisfied, Tempo marched off into the next room to speak with Blueblood.

Pulse poked at Beat. "Why do you look funny?"

"None of your business!" Beat pushed Pulse back, then turned. "It's nothing important." She returned to her room to think in peace.

***

Beat was sitting with Thorax under their tree, the changeling leaning against her with a little smile. The crunch of something approaching made them both jump. By the time she recovered, Thorax was back to hiding as a random rock.

Spike came jogging around the corner, huffing and panting for air.

Beat rose to meet him, inclining an ear. "Do you need assistance?"

Spike waved her off. "No, just trying to help out." He pointed back at the city. "They sent me out here to find a changeling."

The rock muffedly squeaked, but Beat pointedly ignored that. "A changeling, huh? What would you do if you found one?"

Spike considered that, then shrugged lightly. "I guess tell my friends where he is?" He shook his head, dismissing the topic. "Is something going on? You sound... off."

Beat waved dismissively. "It's just, if it was a nice changeling, why do that? You could have a new friend instead. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"I, uh, mean, sure? Sounds nice, but I never met a nice changeling before." Spike shrugged with confusion clear on his face. "Why? You have?"

"Just one." She curled a hoof around the scared rock. "But you have to promise not to be mean to him."

"I promise." He held up both hands in surrender. "I'd like to meet him. A good changeling sounds like a nice thing to know." He sat down to wait. "So, when do they get here?"

The rock erupted in brief flames, becoming a changeling once more. "Hi," they squeaked out, nervous sounding.

Spike's eyes went wide. "Wow, you're really a changeling! Nice to meet you." He reached out and held out his claw. "I'm Spike."

Thorax looked from the dragon's claw, to his eyes, to the offered claw again before hesitantly shaking it with an outstretched hoof. "You shouldn't run around here. You might slip."

Spike laughed lightly at that as he slowly let go of Thorax. "That's fair. I guess that could happen." He smiled gently at the little colt. "Huh, not trying to catch us, or hissing or nothing." He turned to Beat. "Amazing, a friendly changeling!"

Beat nodded once. "Yeah. Amazing, isn't he? He's like us."

"Like us?" Thorax frowned lightly in confusion, looking between them. "You are metal, but he is not."

Beat leaned in to touch noses with Thorax. "But Spike isn't a pony. He's a dragon. We're all a little strange, compared to a normal pony."

Spike shrugged lightly at that, then nodded. "Yeah, I'm a dragon. Still a nice dragon, so maybe you're onto something, Beat." He gave a playful bow. "I would like to be friends with you both."

Beat clapped her metal hooves. "This is ideal. Our friendship circle grows. I wish we could convince the others that Thorax is harmless. Maybe then you'd be more comfortable around the city?"

Thorax shook his head quickly in answer. "No way. No way. That has to be a trap. They can't all be good like you two are."

Spike threw a thumb over his shoulder. "Well, they call me a hero. Maybe if I talk up for you, we can get them to give you a chance."

Thorax rocked in place. "Are you sure? Do they believe you that much?"

Spike puffed up. "Sure! I helped save the world lots of times, and the city once." But then he deflated. "Of course, I can't prove that." Spike reached up and rubbed over his horns. "Still, worth a try, right? You don't want to be hiding out here forever, do you?"

Thorax looked aside. "I mean, hiding isn't so bad." He turned away from them both. "But, I'd like to have real friends who could see me for who I am."

Beat pulled Thorax in close. "I accept you for your current status." She squeezed a little harder than she intended. "I request nothing but that you continue being yourself."

Thorax squirmed in place with a little giggle. "You're funny." He hugged Beat with both forelimbs.

The trio stood together, huddled under the safety of their tree. Spike broke the silence first, "So how do we start this? March in there and tell them they're wrong?"

Beat swiveled an ear with soft mechanical clicks. "That is unlikely to succeed." She considered the problem as Thorax snuggled against her side. "They need to see him for himself, but he cannot be recognized until he is trusted. A problem."

"What if you changed?" Spike waved over Thorax. "It's, you know, in the name. You can be whatever you want, right?"

"Um, mostly?" Thorax smiled nervously. "What do you think I should hide as?"

Beat tapped her hooves together with a clink each time. "We are already hiding. It is time to start something new."

Spike shrugged at that. "So, you want him to be really obvious? How's that gonna help?"

"We could ask someone who would believe us?" Thorax offered, but was unsure of it even as he said it. "I don't know, maybe there's someone who might give me a chance?"

Beat hopped to her hooves suddenly. "Your idea is excellent. We shall consult my parents. They are used to the idea of something that gives a poor first impression but is deserving of a second consideration."

Spike blinked at Beat as he tried to decipher that. "Oh! Because you're metal, they'll give Thorax a chance." Spike rose to follow. "Sounds good to me. I'd like to help, but it's not like they know me very well. You sure you can convince them?"

Beat lifted a hoof. "We will advance as a unit." She leaned in towards Spike. "You are his friend, as you are mine. Let us make our case, together."

Spike smiled up at her. "Right!" He gave a little salute with a claw. "I'll be right behind you both." As one, the group marched towards the city.

***

"I have a changeling here." Beat stood in the way, facing her parents. "They are of friendly disposition and amicable interactions have already been achieved. I would like them to be removed from the blanket status of changeling danger assumptions."

Tempo looked upon her daughter with some confusion, but a little smile was mixed in there. "You are making a large request. My sister was injured by a changeling."

Spike hopped forward, hands up. "I know, but just because one hurt her doesn't mean they're all bad. Thorax is harmless."

Thorax poked his head out from around Beat's legs, looking nervous. "Um, hello."

Blueblood leaned in, looking over the bug pony with suspicion. "And you want us to do what?"

Beat placed her hoof on her chest. "I would like Thorax to have the assumption of innocence. He should be able to make his own mistakes, instead of the assumed ones of his peers." She nudged Thorax forward towards her parents. "He is more scared of you than you are of him."

Tempo lowered her gaze. "We cannot guarantee everypony would feel this way." She let out a long breath. "However, we are not everypony. I will offer him a chance." She reached out with her hoof and raised the changeling's chin. "What is your name?"

Thorax swallowed thickly. "I am Thorax." He looked back at Spike and Beat before turning to Tempo and Blueblood. "It would be nice if you could give me a chance."

Blueblood reached out, as if not to be outdone by Tempo. To his surprise, touching Thorax didn't cause any immediate harm, and he slid in closer curiously to examine the insectoid pony. "I say. Well, hello, Thorax. I was given to understand changelings require a diet of—" He swallowed nervously. "Love, was it? How are you surviving?"

"Hungrily." Thorax shrank back a step. "I'm, uhm, doing my best. I dont' want to hurt anycreature."

Tempo nodded lightly. "This seems true enough." She raised an eyebrow towards Spike. "I am unsure what to think of this situation. What do you suggest we do now?"

Spike stepped forwards, waving a claw towards Thorax. "Well, um. I'm not sure how to make a changeling not hungry."

"I do." Beat pulled Thorax over into a fresh hug, much warmer in the confines of her house. "Can you be a metal pony like me? A colt?"

Thorax inclined his head left and right. With a rush of green flames, he became just like that, almost like Pulse, though there were subtle differences. "Like this?"

Beat drew the new fellow metal pony closer, hugging them tightly. "I could love that. Do you think that's enough, Spike?"

Spike considered this, then shrugged lightly. "I have no idea. Thorax, you'd know better. You getting anything?"

Thorax let out a happy sigh, getting a slow trickle of that sustenance he had been denied. "You really, um, even when you know I'm a fake?"

"You are not false." Beat bumped her head against his. "You are Thorax, and we are friends. You will not find me strange for being what I am, for you can be that too." She tapped at Thorax's metal chest, trailing her hoof along it. "I could love this."

"Y-you are." Thorax closed his eyes, focusing on the meal being offered to him. "Thank you."

Blueblood shrugged to Tempo. "What do you think, my dear? He hardly seems like a threat as he is." His tone softened a little. "Perhaps we simply keep an eye on him for a while, to be sure. If he becomes dangerous, we can decide then what to do about it."

Beat's metal ears dipped back. "He is my friend."

Tempo placed a hoof on Beat's back. "We are not doubting you. We are formulating a plan to share with the others." To Blueblood, she nodded. "Let us inform Cadance and Shining Armor. The search for the changeling is complete." She nodded towards Thorax. "Objective located."

Beat considered that, but accepted the answer anyway. "Very well."

"Would it help if we talk to them?" Spike waved a claw at himself and then Beat.

Blueblood looked to Tempo, who nodded. "You both should accompany us. You will be required character witnesses. Thorax, if it is not uncomfortable, remain in this metallic form."

Thorax looked down at himself, and then nodded once. "Alright."

"Good!" Tempo clapped once. "Let us go speak with Cadance."

Beat stepped forwards. "If she refuses, can we still be friends?"

Tempo quieted at that. "That will be complicated." Only a moment of hesitation. "Let us not fail."

Beat closed her eyes and nodded back. "I agree."

Thorax shuddered lightly, looking between them. "You don't need to do this for me," he said quietly. "Thank you, though."

Beat hugged her fellow metal being close. "I do not, but I want to."

"Me too!" Spike grabbed Thorax from the other side. "Look, I've been there. Ponies sometimes think things about me because I'm a dragon. It's never fun."

Thorax looked aside. "I... I can leave again. If it means that much trouble."

Spike shook his head firmly. "Nope! You are my friend now, and if you run away, I'll find you!"

Beat laughed at that. "Only if I do not locate you first."

Thorax slowly nodded, looking up at them both. "You two really are wonderful friends. Thank you."

Tempo and Blueblood shared a look as the children spoke.

Tempo nodded to her husband and turned. They all headed out onto the streets, headed for the palace directly. Most let them walk past, some nodding or even bowing as they spotted Tempo. One pony noticed something off. "You had a new foal?!" That got the crowd looking towards them with pleased surprise to see Tempo appeared to have a new metal foal with her.

Thorax looked away from their scrutiny. He didn't know why, but even in this form, he was still uncomfortable around these ponies.

A loud call of "Tempo!" brought all eyes to Cadance as she landed from a nearby rooftop. "Have you found... what's this?" Her eyes widened at the sight of the new metal foal. "I had no idea you were thinking of, and how did you?" She shook her head. "I'm not unhappy, but please explain."

Tempo closed the distance and hugged Cadance. "This is Thorax. He is my daughter's friend." Her voice dropped. "Thorax, show them."

He took a half step back, but Spike caught him with a claw. "Some explaining might help before we jump to that part."

Tempo pressed a hoof to her face. "You are correct. That was silly of me. Cadance, can we speak in private?" She glanced around at the crowd that only thickened with time around them.

Cadance followed Tempo's eyes to the crowd and quickly agreed. "Right." She turned, heading for the palace at a brisk trot. The others quickly fell in line behind her as she led them inside and up a flight of stairs. The crowd let out aws as they were left behind, unable to hear more of the gossip of nobility.

She led the way to a sitting room and gestured around. "Settle in, and let's hear what you have to say. I'm quite eager to hear it at this point."

Beat settled down on her haunches, the other metal colt beside her. "His name is Thorax, and he's nice. He just needs some love like me."

Cadance blinked once, then twice before shaking her head. "All ponies need some love, yes. But the way you say that implies there's more to it than a simple need for companionship."

Thorax took a nervous breath as he looked between all the eyes on him. With a rush of green fire, his form changed from metal colt back to changeling, drawing an immediate gasp of surprise from Cadance. "Please don't be scared." He shrank and curled.

Spike and Beat hurried to be between Thorax and Cadance in ready defense. Tempo just put out a leg between them and Cadance. "Thorax does not fit the standard threat level displayed of changelings. I am your defender. You do not require my defense from him."

Cadance looked at each in turn. "You are all in on this, I take it?"

They nodded as one.

She turned and looked down at Thorax, who was still cowering. She let out one broken laugh, a lone syllable. "It's hard to be properly angry, or scared, while he cowers like that. Poor thing, part of me wants to hug him and assure him everything will be alright. Another part wants to run screaming from the room." She shivered gently. "It's not the most pleasant of combinations."

Beat looked up, ears dipping back a little. "I apologize if our actions do not meet your expectations."

Cadance smiled to Beat. "We're all a little surprised, but that's hardly unusual when friends are involved." She coughed into a hoof. "I can see why you had him hiding as one of yours, sister. Still, that gave me quite the shock! Of all my relatives, you seemed like the least likely to suddenly show up with a new foal I wasn't expecting."

Thorax swallowed. "They, um, they said I shouldn't say anything. I'm sorry." His head dipped down. "I don't want to cause problems."

Spike patted his back. "Hey, it's working out, I think?" He looked to Cadance with a nervous smile. "So, uh, can he stay? He's really nice!"

Cadance nodded once at that. "I'm sure he is, and I believe you. That does leave one issue." She waved her hoof at Thorax. "He needs more love than he is getting now."

Beat pounced on Thorax with a crash of metal. "I can love him." She squeezed Thorax as if this proved her words.

Cadance laughed lightly as she looked between them. "I do believe that is true, but your love is that of friendship. A changeling wants a different sort of love." Her eyes went unfocused, looking into the realm of relationships. She could see Beat's frantic, almost desperate affection. "And yours is." She bit back her words. "I will explain that to you later, in private."

Thorax went limp in Beat's grasp. "You mean eating love? I don't want to hurt anycreature."

Beat squeezed Thorax again. "He can have mine." She looked over her shoulder at Cadance.

Cadance reached, not for Thorax, but Beat. "Niece, gently let Thorax breath. The poor thing does need to do that."

"Spike!" All eyes turned to see Twilight at the door, rushing in towards Spike. "There you are! You're late, we had to finish the search without you." She took several moments as she caught her breath, then noticed the changeling under Beat. "What? Why is there a changeling?"

Author's Note

Things are going a little differently, but largely the same. Beat finds a new friend, yay!

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