The Masquerade

To my diligent and determined Princess Celestia, in the 100th YR, my 1,204th letter

Our guests are starving. They need love to sustain themselves. The food we offer to them is meaningless unless made with love. How they can sense this, I cannot fathom. They have some other type of sense beyond smell or sight. Though I like the name doppelgangers, they prefer to be called changelings. They have no names or none they are willing to speak. Names among them are reserved only for their most special members, great mothers, or queens. Comments on who these are, is considered impolite or imprudent.

What I have learned is that they are from outside the boundaries of Equestria. Their normal habitat was invaded by a manticore that displaced them. By chance they found ponies traveling to Canterlot for the Gala. Those ponies never arrived at the Gala; so drained of love were they that they quit the trip. I had guards verify reports of that family of ponies, giving up the quest for the Gala and returning home dispirited. They are recovering from their depression now. The interrogation of our villains supports this. Then did our rogues continued on to the Gala incorporating the illusion of this family into their customary or costume – ary (sic).

My friend, Jorge the Griffin has had some success interviewing our scoundrels. They either lack the energy to duplicate the appearance of a griffin or the capacity to. He notes that they particularly dislike my presence. Perhaps it is something in my eyes.

Legally these criminals are guilty of pony napping, theft, and assault (upon Am Dodger). They are also suspected of attempting to overthrow our government, meaning you. The security of a trial would be dangerous to arrange, too many opportunities to escape and fade into the crowd. Indeed, the longer we keep them, the more likely they will escape. Turning the felonious into stone has produced mixed results in the past and their insubstantial nature may make that impossible.

We could let them starve in the dungeon, but I think you would want me to find another course to advocate. To exile these offenders from Equestria does not prevent their return or worse, loose our problem upon our neighbors. In their defense, they are not citizens or even residents of Equestria. They do what they do to sustain themselves. If they could be trusted, their special talent would be useful in conducting counter-covert operations. I could keep them with me at Star Swirl’s residence; it is far enough from Canterlot that should they attempt to return I could send advance warning to the guard to employ the masquerade. Returning them to where they are from requires relocating a manticore, no small task.

I await thy decision; do we relocate manticores to Equestria? Do I march our enemies into the jungles or beyond and leave them there? Do we let them starve?

May I suggest we trick them into leaving, and if our trick is done well they will never return. Holly has some idea to do this, and being a magician she can do it. It will take the cooperation of all of Canterlot to make this trick work. Holly and I have already discussed the concept. Summon her and the others that will be required to orchestrate the deception. I must remain as our guest’s personal guard, so give Holly the reins on this. I hope I can do my part in acting this out, “break a leg”; Sum-po-neigh Knot Yew.