//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: Exposed 
// Story: Fragments 
// by Phoenix_Dragon 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 7: Exposed
 
Sky flew over the streets, trying to control his terrified breathing. A few pricklings of fear reached him, but there was no panic or chaos yet. Few had yet noticed the changeling flying quickly over the rooftops, but the sensation grew as ponies drew the attention of their neighbors. Fear grew quickly, as did curiosity.
"This is stupid," he fearfully murmured to himself. "Very, very stupid!"
He was trembling as he reached the library, landing heavily at the door. Many ponies were staring at him, the few closest backing away several steps, while more distant ponies shouted out. He knocked quickly, murmuring, "Come on, come on, open the door!"
A terrifying eternity later he heard Spike's voice. "Okay, okay, I'm coming! What do you-" The words were cut off by a yell as the young dragon opened the door, only to see the changeling that stood there. Sky hardly had the time to see his panicked expression before the door was slammed shut in his face, a yell coming from inside.
Sky blinked, fear rising. He knocked again, more frantically. "Please, let me in!"
Spike was yelling something about "Changeling attack!" that was quickly followed up by several other sounds of scuffling, then hoofsteps, and then the door was pulled open again. Twilight looked squarely at him with a dumbfounded expression.
He crouched down. "Please, please, please let me in!"
"Uh... Yeah..." She stepped to the side as he scrambled in. She remained at the door, staring out at the crowd of ponies for several seconds. Most had retreated to the nearby street corners. Finally she closed the door, turning back to the clearly panicking changeling laying in the middle of the library floor.
Sky was nearly hysterical. "Oh, not good, not good," he mumbled, now resorting to thumping his hooves against his thankfully-armored skull. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." He was too lost in his own panic to notice the feeling of concern coming from Twilight as she stepped up to him.
"Uh, Sky?" She said, quietly.
Spike was peeking into the room from the top of the stairs, a book held in front of himself like a shield. "Are you sure that's Sky?"
She frowned at the little dragon. "You think it's some other changeling that just happened to fly up to my door, beg to be let in, and is having a nervous breakdown in the middle of the library?"
Spike relaxed just a little. "Well, I guess that does kinda sound like him."
Rolling her eyes, she crouched down next to Sky. "Spike, could you run and get the girls?" Spike nodded, hurrying out the door, and she turned her attention to the changeling. "Sky... Sky, calm down, it's okay. What happened?"
The rush of fear from his excursion was slowly fading, mind clearing just enough to try to stammer out a reply. "I-I went to Rainbow D-Dash," he stammered.
"What? Twilight said, abruptly loud, and he winced at the sudden feeling of shock and outrage. "What did she do?"
"No! It's not like that!" he cried out, alarmed at her assumption. "It's not her fault, she didn't do anything."
"Oh." A bit of doubt still lingered, but she seemed to settle down. "Then... What did happen?"
Slowly he calmed down, though the tension threatened to overtake him again at any moment. "We talked. I went there to apologize, I thought I upset her, but... I wasn't ready for it. I-I think I really screwed up. So many emotions, and all jumbled up, it was so overwhelming and confusing, and I couldn't sort them out, and..." he shuddered, fighting down the mix of emotions rising again. He blurted out, "I can't keep doing this!"
Twilight had her hooves around him, trying to comfort him as best she could. "Doing what?"
"Lying," he said, miserably, and felt even more so at the sudden alarm and suspicion from Twilight. "That's all I was doing. Every time I go out there, hiding what I am, that's what I'm doing to them."
"Sky, no, it's..." She trailed off, struggling for the words to justify it.
"It's lying," he said, more firmly. "I was lying to everypony. I was tricking them and lying to them, all because I was worried about what they'd think of me if they found out. Well, what if they find out that I've been lying to them? I didn't know before, but what excuse do I have now?" Slowly he slumped against her. "...How can I say I'm sorry when I keep doing it?"
She gave him a tender squeeze. The sympathy emanating from her was so delicious and tempting.




 
"So, lemme get this straight," Applejack said, frowning down at him. "Yah got all upset because yah felt like you were trickin' everypony, and then got all tripped up on somepony else's emotions, so yah decided to drop the disguise and fly right into the middle of town?" He nodded, and she was silent for several long seconds before she added, "Yah know that was pretty dumb, right?"
"AJ!" Twilight blurted, looking thoroughly shocked at the farm-mare's bluntness.
"Hey, Ah'm not sayin' Ah don't understand," Applejack said. "Heck, don't seem right to criticize somepony for tellin' the truth and all. But seriously, yah think yah coulda broken it a little easier than flyin' into town and practically settin' off a mob? Ah was already hearin' rumors about a full-scale invasion by the time ah got here."
Pinkie was bouncing around the front of the library, peeking out of the windows. "Hey, since most of the town is here, maybe we should-"
"No," Applejack interrupted. "This isn't the time for a party, and Ah don't think they're in the mood for it. We should feel lucky it's early enough they ain't broken out the torches, and Ah swear I saw a couple pitchforks being snuck in."
"Then this would be the perfect time! Nothing to calm down tensions like a good party."
Applejack groaned, and Rarity thankfully stepped in to try to curb Pinkie Pie's enthusiasm. "You know, maybe you should plan one for later. If it's going to be the first changeling party, you'll want it to be the best you can make it, right?"
"Yeah, but I'm always ready for a good party!" Pinkie replied, bouncing irrepressibly.
"This is true," Rarity said, "But imagine how much better it'll be with a couple days of planning. You can do so much more, then."
Pinkie sat down, dubiously pondering. "I suppose..."
"Oookay," Applejack said, shaking her head. "So... where were we?"
Sky quietly mumbled. "You were agreeing with me on how stupid my idea was."
"Oh," she replied, surprised. She hadn't realized he shared her opinion of his actions. "Well. Glad we're in agreement, then."
A knock at the door drew a pause in the conversation, as Twilight checked on who was there. She had locked the door, not yet ready to deal with the rest of the town. Fortunately, it was just Fluttershy returning, bringing along Rainbow Dash.
Sky couldn't help but stare at Rainbow Dash. She looked like crap. Her mane and tail were all frazzled, her coat mussed. Even her eyes were red. Either she hadn't been able to sleep well, or she'd been crying. He was guessing the former. She didn't seem the crying type.
The most telling sign, however, was that she wasn't hovering. She was walking, and listlessly at that, her wings held limply at her sides. The chaotic emotions from before were almost entirely gone. Still there, but deadened, barely registering.
She gave him a glance, then awkwardly looked away. "Hey..."
He gave a tiny nod, echoing her.
"Okay," Twilight said, stepping up to take charge. "Now that we're all here, we need to take care of this. First, we need to calm everypony down. I don't want my home getting torched just because somepony freaks out about a friendly changeling."
Sky cringed slightly at the thought of his friends suffering for his actions. "I could just leave. If I go away, they won't-"
"No," she interrupted. "We're not letting them chase you off, either."
Applejack just shrugged. "Well, Ah've always found that bein' clear and honest solves most things. If we explain what's goin' on, Ah'm sure most of 'em will come around. 'Least, enough to keep the rest in line. Worked well enough for Zecora."
Spike quietly mumbled, "Yeah, but they didn't have a few hundred Zecoras trashing Canterlot."
Not quietly enough. "Spike!" Twilight blurted, glaring back at him.
The baby dragon quickly raised his claws. "Right! Not helping! I know, sheesh."
Applejack continued. "Anyway, it's worth a shot, and it can't hurt to try. Maybe we'll be lucky and that's all it'll take."
Twilight nodded. "Right. Honesty is usually the best policy. I don't suppose the Mayor is out there?"
"Ah think Ah saw her on my way in," Applejack said.
Moving to the window, Rarity peered out. "Indeed. It seems she is either trying to talk down that pack of hooligans, or is attempting to take charge of them."
"Oh boy," Twilight grumbled. "Okay, come on. We need to take care of this before it gets out of hoof."
Even with his friends around him, stepping out of that door was the most terrifying thing Sky could recall. If he hadn't already been trying to block out all outside emotions, he probably would have been overwhelmed by the amount directed at him. The fear was the worst. Very few of the ponies out there held much fear in them -- he was, after all, only a single changeling surrounded by hundreds of ponies, a fact that did not help his own fears. Unfortunately, there were so many of them, and those tiny bits from so many ponies built into a terrifying tidal wave of emotion. Even through his efforts to block it out, he nearly succumbed to the outside emotions, forcing himself to recognize that they were not his own feelings, no matter how strong he could feel them. Beyond the fear, there was anger, coming in little, infrequent flashes. Few ponies were outright angry, but it was enough to know that some ponies wanted to do him harm. Over all of that, curiosity was common.
About two hundred ponies filled the streets, encircling the library, yet none ventured near it. He tried to hunker down as he walked, surrounded protectively by his friends. He wanted to just sink down, hide, disappear. He couldn't have acted any more meek and pathetic if he had tried.
They crossed the open street, approaching the large group with a pony he assumed to be the Mayor, a tan earth pony with a gray mane, glasses, and some strange neck-wrap that he didn't remember the name of. Murmurs ran back and forth through the crowd, heads craning to see the changeling. A few ponies backed away as they neared, a few others bristled, ready for a fight.
The Mayor looked to the approaching group with deep concern, though no fear. Her aides were more timid. Off one flank was Silver Scroll, clutching her record book as if it were a life preserver. On the other side was another clerk, the one Sky could never remember the name of. Something-Plank, he thought. He was putting up a false front of bravado, standing firm by the Mayor, yet completely transparent to the changeling.
As they approached, the Mayor's expression wavered, slowly softening as she looked over Twilight, then Sky, then the rest of the group. By the time they had come to stand nearby, she gave a low sigh. "Twilight Sparkle... you certainly do manage to stir up the most unusual of events, don't you?"
Whatever Twilight had planned on saying was suddenly lost behind an expression of embarrassment. "Um, yes, I suppose so."
"And am I safe in assuming that there is a good explanation for all of this?" She glanced to Sky.
"Ah. Yes." Twilight took a deep breath, then gestured back to him. "This is Sky."
The Mayor didn't seem to recognize the name. Silver Scroll, on the other hoof, did. "Wait, that's Sky? The pegasus?"
The Mayor gave a questioning look, and Silver Scroll looked back, rather embarrassed. "Sorry. Sky was one of the ponies helping out with the job requests the last few weeks." She glanced back at him. "I thought he was acting a little weird lately..."
"Lately?" the Mayor asked, before turning back to Twilight, mouth already forming a question.
Twilight cut her off before she could ask, anticipating the question that was to follow. "He isn't a replacement, he's the same Sky. He was hurt when we found him, and couldn't remember anything. He didn't even know he was a changeling until a couple days ago."
Sky glanced up to Silver Scroll, awkwardly murmuring. "...personal issues."
She cocked her head, silent for a moment. Then, her eyes widened as she made the connection. "Oh."
The Mayor looked between them. "And... you're certain of this, Miss Sparkle?"
Twilight only twitched a little at the name. "Yes, completely. I know it's unusual, but my friends and I have been keeping a close eye on him since he arrived, and it's true. He had no idea until his altered form was dispelled by physical trauma, and he was horrified when he found out. This whole thing here," she motioned a hoof around, "is because he couldn't stand hiding and misleading ponies any more."
Somepony in the background called out, "What if she's a changeling, they could have replaced her!"
Sighing, Twilight glared back at the crowd. "There are six of us. Seven, with Spike. I'm pretty sure we would have noticed if one of us had been replaced."
Several murmurs went out, punctuated by somepony else yelling out, "They could have replaced all of them!"
"Don't be absurd," Twilight said. "Changelings replacing six ponies and a dragon to allow a single changeling to fit in openly? That doesn't even make sense! What would they even gain?"
A large earth pony near the front of the pack called out next. "Hey, she said physical trauma broke that one out of its disguise. We could just hit them a few times, see if we can break their spell!"
The moment he finished, a purple field enveloped him. In an instant he was hauled several yards away, face-to-face with Twilight. She glared icily at him, speaking between clenched teeth. "...Changeling magic is green."
He blinked in shock, staring back at her, then at her horn, glowing the same purple color as the field around him. "...O-oh," he croaked out, before the magic released him, leaving him to fall only a couple inches before his hooves landed on the ground. He wisely hurried back to his place in the crowd.
Sky was trying not to stare at Twilight. Her action might have been a little harsh, though he could hardly blame her when the stallion had been suggesting assault on her and her friends. What had really caught his attention was how casually she had done that magic. Sure, he had no idea how strong unicorn magic could be, but she had hauled a full-grown stallion through the air at high speed, without any visible effort or even concentration. That was impressive, right?
"If we could please all calm down," the Mayor said firmly, looking about. Nobody objected. "Now then. Twilight Sparkle, you must recognize that this is a very unusual and potentially very dangerous situation, and I must be sure that we do what is best for the whole town. Is there anything you could offer as proof of this changeling's intentions?"
"You mean beyond his behavior?" Twilight said. "He's been perfectly well-behaved since he arrived here. Even after discovering that he was a changeling, he's been more concerned with other ponies than he has been for himself. I would think everypony would have learned now to judge others by their actions rather than what they look like."
Applejack stepped forward. "And he decided to drop the act and let everypony know what he was," she said, then added a little more grimly, "Even knowin' how badly everypony would probably take it. That ain't exactly soundin' like he's tryin' to be all sneaky and underhanded, now does it?"
"No, it doesn't," the Mayor said. "I don't like suspecting somepony for such a reason, and I'd like to be able to just take your word on this... But perhaps we should hear what he has to say about it?"
Sky cringed a little. At least when other ponies were talking, he could pretend that every eye wasn't glued to him. As Twilight and Applejack stepped aside, he felt tremendously exposed. His legs refused to move at first, and trembled once they finally did, making the few steps forward take agonizingly slow. He couldn't quite force himself to look straight at the Mayor, eyes instead focusing near her hooves.
"I was there at Canterlot," he said, without quite meaning to. He felt fear -- his own fear -- rise sharply as he said it, and he heard several murmurs in the crowd. He steeled himself, and continued on. He had to be honest. "I know some changelings have done horrible things. Twilight took me back to Canterlot, and I saw what... what we did there. I met somepony I might have hurt. I can't remember much of what happened there, but... I was there. I helped.
"Then... I was here. The last few weeks have been everything I could have wanted. I made friends, had good jobs helping ponies, and all the free time I could use. I didn't have any worries, or anything to regret. It was perfect. The last couple days, after I... found out, I just tried to carry on. I tried to pretend that everything was the same, that nothing had happened, but I couldn't..." He quivered slightly, throat tight. It was hard to force himself to speak "I was being selfish! I was lying to ponies just to try to make myself comfortable, and... and I c-can't go b-back to that. I can't..."
He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. It had little effect, except to give an awkward silence. He spoke, and if anything, his voice sounded even more miserable. "I know it's a lot to ask. If you don't want me here... I'll go."
"The hell you will."
Sky jerked in surprise, looking back. Rainbow Dash stood there, still hunched in pose that would have looked thoroughly despondent if not for the glare in her eyes.
"What?" she said, voice low and grumpy, and stared back at him. "We're not going to let them kick you out of town just because you decided to be a colossal block-head." She put an extra emphasis on the last two words, then looked away from him, continuing to glare fixedly at the ground some distance away.
He watched her for several seconds, but she did not look back. It was surprisingly hard to judge her emotions at the moment. He hadn't realized just how much he had relied on that sense. Now he felt akin to being blind or deaf, lacking that natural sense of emotions that he had been so used to, even when he had simply assumed it to be intuition. He was tempted to lower his defenses, let those emotions in again, but he knew to let in all the emotions of all those ponies around him would be-
Wait...
Trying to block out emotions was imperfect, as if trying to not listen to excessively loud music, or to ignore a rancid smell; some of it inevitably got through, just a tiny little bit from each pony, compounding into a clear and powerful sensation. That sensation from the crowd around him had changed. Concern still weighed heavily on the crowd, but it felt subtly different, and a new sensation had risen up alongside it. Sympathy.
Sky almost staggered as the realization hit him, turning quickly to look back at the Mayor and the crowd beyond. At the moment, she was still regarding Rainbow Dash, expression frustratingly unreadable, but it soon turned back to him.
"It would seem as if you've been perfectly well-behaved since you arrived here," she said, and he felt a sudden lurch of excitement in his chest. "As unusual as the circumstances are, it seems inappropriate to exclude or impede anypony who sincerely wishes to do good. These ponies seem to think well enough of you, and even if it were all a ruse, I think the six of them would be more than capable of keeping an eye on you."
She was smiling now. "As such, I see no reason to 'kick you out of town', as she put it, or to put any restrictions on your presence here." That smile wavered a little as she added, with a hint of reluctance, "Though I'm afraid I will have to send word to Princess Celestia, and it is her word that will be final in this matter."
Twilight stepped up. "Mayor, if you'll permit, I intend to handle the matter with the Princess."
The older mare paused a moment, and nodded. "I think that would be best. You can handle that, and I'll take care of this crowd."
Sky was ushered back toward the library by his friends, while the Mayor turned to address the gathered ponies. He didn't properly hear what she was saying; he was too caught up in the simple fact that things hadn't gone terribly wrong. No raging mob. No exile. He could stay.
By the time they had gotten inside, the stunned reaction was giving way to a giddy excitement. With the crowd no longer around him, he let his defenses drop, and the happiness of the other ponies here fueled his excitement even further. Even Rainbow, despite her grumpy appearance, felt happy for him -- among a number of other confusing emotions. Soon he was bouncing and giggling, and when this drew in Pinkie Pie's own excited celebrations, the two of them were soon happily dancing about and laughing.
"All right then," Applejack called out over the rapidly-growing din. "So how're we gonna handle this with the Princess?"
Right. Happy feeling gone.
Sky slipped in mid-bounce and fell flat to the floor, Pinkie landing atop him. He was once again glad for the carapace; while he'd never call Pinkie heavy, and certainly not to her face, having her land atop him with an energetic bounce was a significant impact.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Twilight said, grinning in a sly way that left Sky worrying quite a bit. "I know exactly what to do."
"Spike! Take a letter."




 
It was almost an hour of back-and-forth between happy excitement and dreadful anticipation before a burst of green flame -- Sky flinched, hard -- announced the arrival of a pair of scrolls.
"Ah, finally," Twilight said, closing the book she had been reading, and opened the first scroll.
"To my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle," she said, reading the scroll aloud. "I am happy to hear of your impending visit, and must admit myself growing somewhat spoiled by the frequency. I must also admit great curiosity at your request, but I will not pry. I look forward to discovering what you have been up to in person. Best to keep some surprises to brighten up the end of a day's work.
"Speaking of which, I've included an invitation to the garden party to be held on the palace grounds the evening of your visit. There are many matters I must tend to that day, and will not be free until rather late, so I hope it will provide some entertainment until then. If I am fortunate, I will be able to join you there."
"Sincerely, Princess Celestia."
"Hah! Even the Princess agrees with me!" called out Pinkie, drawing looks of surprise from everypony. When it seemed nobody understood what she was talking about, she crossed her forelegs. "She thinks the solution is a party, too."
Twilight rolled her eyes as she set aside the first scroll, to open the second. It revealed itself to be a bundle of scrolls rolled together. The most prominent, inside which the others had been tucked, bore the royal seal upon its end.
"By royal decree of Princess Celestia, the unicorn Twilight Sparkle, and entourage, are to be welcomed as dignitaries of state in the Princesses' personal circle, and are to be treated with all the respect and freedom that this status entails."
Twilight scanned over the rest of the document, then nodded. "Yes, this should do nicely."
Sky looked more skeptical. "Dignitaries of state?"
"In the Princesses' personal circle," Twilight added. "It's a status normally reserved for the most important of the Princesses' advisers and guests, and it means we're to be treated in a manner befitting the Princesses themselves." She grinned victoriously. "And that means that we have free and unimpeded access throughout the city.  Even the guards won't be able to do anything about it, if we don't give them any solid reason to."
She quickly skimmed over the other two documents, one being the invitation to the mentioned party, the other being documentation for their passage on the train to Canterlot.
Sky suddenly realized Rarity seemed far too happy, and even... a little devious. She approached Twilight, speaking softly. "So, a fancy Canterlot party, hmm?"
"I don't know," Sky said nervously. "I don't think having me out in public before meeting the Princess is a very good idea." He was unsure enough about the "out in public" part, even without the idea of it being among a bunch of upper-class ponies.
"Nonsense!" Rarity replied with a wounded air. "Why, it's perfect! Making a public appearance at a prestigious party, at the invitation of the Princess herself? You could hardly hope for a better opportunity to make a good first impression among the most influential ponies of Equestria, and I am sure that will go a long way to helping to both establish a good reputation, and spread acceptance of the idea of friendly changelings living alongside ponies."
Twilight considered. "It could work nicely, yes," she mused.
"And you know what that means," Rarity asked, grinning even more deviously. Sky was beginning to worry.
The worry grew even more when Twilight started to echo that expression. "Yes, I think I do."
Now their gaze was turning to him. He suddenly felt very small.
"Erm... What does that mean?" he asked, timidly.
They grinned at him as Twilight answered. "It means that we need to get you ready for a party..."




 
Sky skittered along, hooves scrambling against the dirt in a futile attempt to stop his movement. "I changed my mind!" he called out loudly. "This is a bad idea!"
Ahead of him, Rarity was wavering between her prim, proper walk, and bouncing with excitement, and all the while that mischievous amusement was pouring off of her. "Nonsense, this is perfect!"
He tried and again failed to dig his hooves into the ground. "I-I changed my mind. I don't want to be here, I can go live out in the forest! It's okay, I won't mind!"
Applejack grunted a bit, head jammed firmly against his haunches in order to push the changeling unceremoniously down the street. "Ah understand what yer thinkin', Sky, and ah feel for yah. Ah don't like it much myself, and Ah don't think we'd ever be able to rope Rainbow into somethin' like this, but it's got to be done." She grunted again as she gave a firmer shove. "Now git goin'!"
At least the crowd was amused, though the influx of emotions now had him fighting to keep from giggling nervously. It did not help his rapidly-increasing sense of embarrassment, nor the dread that the worst was yet to come.
A door loomed ahead of them. Rarity stepped up proudly and threw it open, a bell chiming as she called out in a singsong voice. "Aloe! Lotus! I've got something special for you!"
Sky slid the last several yards to the spa with no more luck in arresting his progress than he had before. The doorway gave him one final hope for salvation, his hooves striking out to brace against the entrance, barely able to bring himself to a stop against Applejack's surprising strength. "No! I don't need a makeover. No makeovers!" He grunted, leg wobbling as he tried to shift his position, wedging himself better in place. "I-I'm a changeling! Changelings don't do makeovers! It doesn't... I... just-"
"What a baby," Rainbow muttered, loud enough to be heard clearly.
Sky turned his head to protest, noticing the hint of mischievousness a moment to late. Applejack took swift advantage of his momentary distraction to give a hard push, and a moment later a dazed and confused changeling was looking up at two rather startled earth pony mares. He was inside the spa.
The startled shock of the two new ponies was quickly undone as Rarity made it clear that he was a customer -- or victim, he thought -- and was soon replaced with an eager interest. He considered escape, but Applejack was guarding the door with a smug grin. There was no way he was slipping past her, and the only other exit lead deeper into the bowels of the spa.
He was doomed.




 
Sky staggered out into the lobby, feeling more embarrassed than he had ever thought possible.
"Oh, wow," Twilight said.
Fluttershy peered at him. "You look so..."
"Shiny," Applejack said.
He tried not to whimper pathetically. The last hour -- or twenty, it felt more like twenty -- had been a bizarre array of treatments he could only barely begin to understand. All he knew was that the two spa ponies attending him said they were largely improvising. At least they were friendly, and quite interested in him. Unfortunately, that interest was mainly focused on figuring out how to beautify him, under Rarity's insistence.
They had certainly worked hard at it. His entire carapace had been buffed and oiled and polished until it held a sharp, glossy sheen to it. His horn had been filed to present a perfect curve and point. His hooves had also been filed to the perfect form, as had the holes in his legs, despite how freakishly creepy that had felt. He still shuddered a little to think of it. Seeing a file sticking clear through his leg and grinding at the inside of it was just... wrong.
Oh, and he was pretty sure he smelled like flowers.
"Don't worry, you look good," Twilight said as she walked up to him. Then, in a louder voice that destroyed any attempt at subtlety, asked, "Don't you think so, Rainbow?"
He turned his attention to Rainbow Dash, surprised at the degree of embarrassment coming from her. There were still plenty of other emotions blending into a general sense of grumpiness, but he didn't understand what she would be embarrassed about. He was the one all fancied-up, after all. What had they been talking about while he'd been in there?
She mumbled, "Looks good," while making a point of not looking right at him. At least he could sense that she meant it.
"Now c'mon," Applejack said. "Let's get goin'. Rarity's gonna want to see how yah turned out."
He frowned. "With how insistent she was, you'd have thought she'd want to stay and see what they did to me." He lifted a hoof and sniffed at the shining black carapace. There were too many scents mingled about in here.
"Oh, she had some things she wanted to get in order," Twilight said, now moving to open the door. "She had to go prepare, but she insisted that we bring you over as soon as you're free."
Prepare. She skipped out on his little torture session to prepare something else. That thought was mildly ominous.
Applejack grinned as she stepped behind him. "Yer not gonna make me push yah the whole way again, are yah?"
Groaning, his head slumped. "No," he said, wearily. This was embarrassing enough without being pushed through town. This time, he walked, albeit rather lethargically.
And occasionally turning his head to sniff at his shoulders, the most convenient to reach place while he was walking. "...seriously, do I smell like flowers?"
Twilight giggled softly and humored him, leaning in to sniff. "No. Wait..." She sniffed again. "Maybe?" Another sniff. "...Actually, yeah, I think so. Very subtle. That's kind of nice."
He just groaned again, trudging on.
They went on in silence for a few more moments before Twilight nudged him. "Seriously, Sky, you look good. I mean, I don't have even the slightest clue what changeling standards of fashion are like, although that could be an interesting subject to study someday- I mean, by pony standards, you look... Good for a changeling?"
He sighed, looking down at himself. Okay, so the glossy carapace was kind of nice, particularly now that they were out in the sunlight to pick up that neat iridescent sheen. And he looked nicely smooth and perfectly-figured, or at least as perfectly-figured as a changeling might be. In a way, yes, it did look rather nice. "I guess," he mumbled. No way he was going to admit liking the look after all that.
Finally, they arrived at their destination, and Sky staggered to a stop. "Wait. We're meeting Rarity... here?"
Twilight looked back to him, then to the colorful building in front of them. Carousel Boutique. A dress shop. And Rarity was "preparing" something. "Well, yeah," she said, smirking a little. "She does live here, you know."
"But... it's a dress shop."
"Real observant," Rainbow quipped.
"Go on," Applejack said, while not-so-subtly moving behind him.
"Okay, I'm going!" He said quickly, scooting away from the orange mare and, with considerably more reluctance, entered the boutique.
"One moment!" came Rarity's call, in response to the bell ringing upon their entrance. They waited a few moments, hearing her shuffling around in the back room, while he fearfully looked about. The room was filled with dresses, so much frilly, frou-frou fashion surrounding him. He could only look on with dread at what was planned for him, and the amusement from his friends was not helping.
"Oh my!" Rarity said as she entered the room, looking him over with obvious approval. "They did a wonderful job, didn't they?"
He murmured a sound that could be generously interpreted as agreement.
"Oh, don't be so modest," Rarity said, levitating over a measuring tape. "You look quite striking, I must say. Yes, this should do nicely!"
He stared in horror at the measuring tape as she quickly started taking measurements. "Wait, I... You're not seriously planning on making me a dress, are you?"
She looked back to him, batting her eyes. "Why, wouldn't you like one?"
"No!" he blurted, before the teasing tone registered in his brain, and his ears flattened back in embarrassment.
She just giggled, still taking measurements. "Relax, dear. I'm not planning on trussing up a stallion in a dress -- as amusing as that could be to see. No, no. You need something fitting of a fancy, formal party, something that will be striking, but not imposing. Something to draw attention to your refinement and character, to help establish yourself as somepony worthy of respect. Of course, there is no established fashion for changelings... So I get to create it myself! Oh, this is such a unique opportunity, and I just know what I have in mind will be perfect for you!"
Glad as he was to know that they weren't planning on stuffing him in a dress, her excitement at designing the first in changeling fashions left him every bit as concerned as he had been before. "I don't know. I doubt any amount of prettying me up is going to make other ponies forget what I am..."
Rarity's happy smile faded away, replaced by a look of concern. She set aside the measuring tape, moving to face him and place her hooves on his shoulders. She looked him straight in the eyes. "Sky, that's not what we're doing at all. Do you know why I do what I do?"
That seemed like a strange question. "...You like making dresses?"
She shook her head. "Oh, indeed, but it's far more than that. It's not just that I care for fashion, it's that I want to bring out the beauty of the world. But to bring out that beauty, it has to be there, first. I've seen the most fashionable and wondrous dresses worn by ponies who made them look like some cheap collection of rags, and I've seen a pony take a summer dress that was little more than a single fold of cloth and make it the most beautiful outfit of the entire party." She cast a quick glance over at Twilight, who Sky could see was trying to hide a blush.
"You see, Sky, I don't make fashions to hide what a pony is. I make fashions to show other ponies the beauty that is inside them." Rarity moved one of her hooves to touch the center of his chest. "And from what I've seen of you over these past weeks, and what I've heard from the rest of the girls, I think we'll find that you're very beautiful indeed."
A quiet gagging sound came from where Rainbow lay, kicked back on a couch, but Sky hardly noticed. His attention was instead on the intense feeling of passion and determination coming from Rarity. To say that she felt strongly about what she had said would have likely been a severe understatement, and whether it was the words themselves or the influence of those emotions nudging their way into his thoughts, the prospect of her designing an outfit for him lost some of its dread. "...Okay. But you do know that the train leaves tomorrow at noon, right? That's a little short notice for a big project, isn't it?"
She laughed softly, already taking more measurements. "Oh, no, it's no worry at all. I-"
She was interrupted by the crash of the door being thrown open, the bell ringing angrily at the abuse, followed by a sharp, loud voice. "Ha! I told you so!"
He knew that voice, a sudden dread going through him. He had only met that filly once, but he'd never forget that meeting. Sweetie Belle. He looked back to see the white unicorn standing in the doorway, glaring in at them, her friends flanking her. Rarity was just starting to voice her indignation at the sudden intrusion when Apple Bloom lept forward, crying out, "Applejack, how could you?"
Applejack blinked, caught off-guard. "Wait, Ah... what?"
The little sister pointed a hoof at Sky, who was doing his best to pretend he was invisible. "You've been friends with a changeling for a month, and you never even told me? How could you not tell me?"
"Ah... he..." Applejack blinked again. "Hey, wait a minute. Ah didn't even know he was a changeling until two days ago!"
"Well then why didn't you tell me two days ago?!"
"Because... because he didn't want anyone to know!" Applejack frowned down at her younger sister. "And since when do you care, anyhow?"
Sky found himself distracted from the unexpected sisterly argument by a very curious Scootaloo. He refrained from cringing away, already dreading what thoughts and plans must be going through that cute little head.
"Cool," she murmured, looking him over, completely oblivious to the concern Sky was feeling. When she did notice his attention, she grinned. "I didn't get a good look at any of the changelings back in Canterlot. You look a lot cooler than I remembered."
He cocked his head, unsure exactly how to respond to that. "Thanks?"
"Hey, no problem. You're kinda neat." She tilted her head, still looking over his body. "So, you really are Sky, huh?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Cool," she said again. "I thought you'd gone running off after the last time we met. I'm glad you stayed, though, don't think I'd ever get a good look at a changeling otherwise. You're one of the coolest ponies -- er, whatever -- here!" She paused, looking back to the rest of the group. "I mean, not the coolest, but pretty well up there."
He remained silent as the filly examined him, and tried to ignore the squabbling between the two pairs of sisters -- ah, yes, Sweetie Bell was Rarity's little sister. He wasn't very surprised to discover that. Instead, he watched the curious young pegasus as she examined him, even poking a hoof at the strange holes in his legs, and later prodding at his wings. "Those are strange looking wings."
"Err..." He lifted the thin wings up, then flicked them through a few strokes, quick enough to produce a momentary buzzing sound. They still felt so strange compared to the familiar weight of feathered wings, and they had to move so much quicker. "...yeah, a little strange."
The young filly giggled a little at the momentary buzz of his wings, mimicking it with her own small, still-growing wings. "Do they work as well as feathered wings? They look so thin and fragile."
"...I don't know," Sky admitted, feeling suddenly ashamed at his lack of knowledge of such a personal detail, and perhaps a little unhappy at being described as 'fragile.' "I've barely flown at all with them, and... well, I was kind of distracted when I did. I didn't notice much difference, but I wasn't really paying attention."
Scootaloo frowned a little at that, silent for a few moment. Something seemed vaguely sad about the little filly, though he couldn't even begin to guess what. Then she perked up again. "Hey, you could come with us and help us out with a little secret project we've been working on, and then we'll be able to see how well those wings work!"
He tried to not look terrified at the prospect of what kind of secret project those three might be up to, considering his previous encounter. "Ah, um... Could be fun, but I think Rarity needs my help to work on an outfit for me." Fashion as a refuge of safety, how sad.
Rarity, however, just waved a hoof dismissively, already drawing out designs. "Oh, no worries dear. I've got all the measurements I'll need. You go have fun while I get working on this."
"Er..." He glanced around anxiously, finally looking down at his hooves. His unusually glossy hooves. "I shouldn't, I'll just get dirty and undo all that work from the spa!" Ugh. And now makeovers, too. Goodbye pride...
"Oh, we'll just have to take you by the spa again in the morning," Rarity said, not even looking up. "Would be good to do some refreshing and touching-up anyway. Now go have some fun!"
He looked back to the very eager Scootaloo. "Well... okay then..."
At least it made for a more interesting evening than hanging out in a dressmaker's shop while Rarity worked on a mystery outfit for him. Applejack had hurried out after them, and she at least restrained the most excessive of the three fillies' plans. And the flying was fun. His wings might need to beat much faster than before, but it didn't seem to have any notable effect on his flying. He was perhaps a tiny bit more agile at very low speeds, but he couldn't say for sure.
He certainly took every opportunity to fly that evening, as every moment he was flying was a moment he wasn't indulging in the fillies' little projects. Even worse, while she made a point of shooting down the more extreme plans, Applejack was quick to volunteer him for the ones she hadn't negated, grinning slyly at him as she did.
Better than spending the day cooped up in the shop, but as scraped-up and weary as he was at the end of the evening, he was more than happy to collapse into his bed. Even if he had to admit to being just a little disappointed to see his previously-shining carapace marred by the day's adventures.
Not that he'd ever admit that to anypony else, of course.




 
Green flames danced along the walls of the great hall, casting their eerie glow across the polished stone and broad red carpet. It danced and flickered, but never spread, perfectly framing the path ahead. Shadows danced above and behind him, changelings watching every step as he approached the great double doors.
He stopped just before them, pausing. Time slipped away, seeming to lose all meaning, until a touch on his shoulder drew his attention back.
Chrysalis stood there, framed by the flame and shadow. She set her hoof back to the ground, eyes staring at him. They were fierce and intimidating, but something about them... something made them enticing, exciting. Comforting. She said nothing, but stepped to the side, gesturing back with her snout. It was not just a command, it was an invitation.
He tore his vision away from her and the flames beyond, his last sight being the look of pain on the queen's face. It felt like a stab in his heart as he pushed open the doors, leaving her.
He stepped into the grand chamber.
The flames were behind him. They did not reach into this place. No shadows followed him. Behind him, he heard the doors swinging shut, and at the last moment, he heard the queen. There were no words, just a pained, mournful keening, the sound of utter loss.
The knife twisted in his heart, his resolve shattering. He turned back to the doors, but as hard as he pulled, they would not budge. He could not go back.
Contrasted with the hallway, the chamber was bright, vivid, and serene. Celestia stood atop the dais, as vivid as ever, her radiance filling the room. The day beyond the windows was bright and peaceful. There were no flames, no destruction.
She stepped down from the dais, a smile on her face.
No.
No, it was wrong. It was very wrong. The smile lied. It tried to tell a tale of content serenity, but it lied. He could see through it. Behind that false smile, there was a tremendous sadness, but even that was quickly giving way. Fear and humiliation were welling up in her, building into a furious hatred. Her eyes bored into him.
Sky could see himself reflected in her eyes.
A changeling. A monster. A parasite that had humiliated her, harmed her subjects, threatened a thousand years and more of stability and prosperity.
He stared into the eyes of a goddess as the serene expression melted away to one of righteous fury. She reared up before him, horn flaring as bright and terrible as the sun. With a flare of power, her magic struck down at him, tearing into his body with its incredible heat. His body buckled under the strain, carapace cracking in lines of fiery light as pure agony tore through him.