//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11: Correspondence 
// Story: Without a Hive 
// by Phoenix_Dragon 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 11: Correspondence

If she sees you, then you are already dead.
Ceymi's warning echoed through Meadow's mind, as a second thought fought with it for dominance: What in the Queen's name am I still doing here?
Spark had called her brave in his last letter after she had written the heavily amended tale of her journey through the Everfree Forest. She couldn't agree with him. She might have proudly thought so at the time, but now she looked back on it as abject stupidity. At that moment, as she looked across the crowd of ponies gathered there in the town square, in the twilight of pre-dawn, she wondered if she would look back on this moment in the same way.
That is, if she were still able to look back on this moment at all.
Which brought her back to that second thought. Why am I here?
It was a question that had come up many times over the past weeks and had yet to be answered. Despite that, there she was, standing among all those eager ponies, with her doom lingering just out of sight behind a grandly decorated stage. Why did she stay? Why did she not run away, start anew? Why didn't she just fake an illness and stay huddled in Gray and Misty's home? She had so many options, but in the end, she stayed. Meadow couldn't explain why, but she stayed.
Was it really determination and bravery? She knew the danger that faced her, but she held her ground, so one could make that case. On the other hoof, everything she knew put that as a fool's hope, facing off against a pony--a creature--so vastly beyond her ability, versed with many lifetime's worth of experience and knowledge. Facing such a threat when she had an easy means to avoid it certainly sounded like stupidity.
Yet still, she stayed.
Was she so determined to retain what she had that she would risk destruction to remain here? Sure, she was building up a good life here. She had plentiful food, a comfortable life, miscellaneous jobs that were easier than any work back in the hive, and a very slowly growing expedition fund. It was nice, but she understood ponies far better than she had a short time ago. She could begin anew anywhere else and do just as well, even if it might set her back a few months. Furthermore, she could have stayed hidden in bed today, facing neither the possibility of discovery or the need to rebuild anything. She could avoid the entire issue with casual effort, and be no worse off for it. No, that wasn't it, either.
On the other side of the crowd, the Mayor of Hoofington was speaking from the podium atop the stage. Meadow did not listen to the words, only noting that they signified the oncoming doom.
Was she just giving up?
It was a terrifyingly persistent thought. It seemed to fit. It explained why she stood there, expecting things to go so wrong, but taking no action to protect herself from it. She had been gone from the hive so long, her attempt to reach it resulting in such a crushing failure. Would it be simpler to give up, even if it might be the end of everything for her? But she was terrified of dying, and even more terrified at the thought of what would happen to the hive. Even if the worst were to happen to her, she could never let herself endanger the hive. The hive was more important than she, a single drone, could ever be. She was determined to keep it safe, whatever the cost. No, if she held that much determination in her, how could she possibly be giving up?
Or was it hope?
Standing there among the crowd of eager ponies, she considered a new possibility, one she had not thought of in the days before. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be just fine. Maybe the immortal and goddess-like ruler of this land would not see the impostor hiding among and preying upon her subjects. Maybe she could stay hidden. Maybe she had nothing to fear. It seemed an almost impossible hope, but there it was. She had fooled every single pony she had come across, despite all the fears and concerns she held. The multitude of tricks and manipulations she had learned under Ceymi's tutelage had been only rarely needed. Even her first interactions, as clumsy as they had been, had been sufficient. A faint smile threatened to creep into the careful mask of neutrality as she let the little seed of optimism flourish for a moment.
The moment ended as her heart lurched, expression faltering. Her eyes widened a little, looking fearfully at the ponies beside her. Oh no, she thought, a chill running through her. Oh for the love of Queen and Hive. I'm thinking like them, like those soft, demented, blindly-optimistic ponies. I'm going to get myself killed because I'm thinking like these idiots!
The sudden urge to run was immediately quashed as the Mayor's next words registered. "...may I proudly present, Princess Celestia!"
She was trapped. She couldn't run, now. The ponies around her surely wouldn't notice, even Gray and Misty had their eyes fixed on the stage ahead, but the sight of a pony leaving the crowd would surely be unusual to the guards, not to mention the Princess she hoped to avoid. Meadow didn't want to be unusual. Unusual things drew attention.
As soon as the Princess had stepped onto the stage, Meadow noted that Celestia was very much unusual, and very much drew attention. Ceymi's mimicry of her was impeccable, yet fell so short of the real pony. Though her physical appearance and graceful mannerisms seemed no different, there was a presence to her that was beyond anything Meadow had ever seen. There was such a force of will and power behind the towering, white creature. The pony Princess looked out over the crowd, emotions pouring from her. Compassion, affection, and a surprising pride for the ponies around her. Meadow could taste each one as strongly as if they had been given directly to her, but they were not. They were the feelings the Princess held for the crowd, for all the ponies gathered there. Even shared among so many, and from such a distance, the emotions came across as strongly as she would expect from a close and personal encounter with a good friend.
Meadow tried to stifle the tremble building up in her. How much power must the Princess have to generate so much love for her subjects? What would such a being do to a creature she found preying on those subjects, on that love?
After a few moments, the Princess's eyes closed, her long horn lighting with magic. Her broad wings spread out, and she reared back, lifting herself into the air. Rising gracefully, her wings beat in firm, slow movements--and behind her, the sun surged up from the horizon.
It did not merely rise. It soared swiftly from the horizon in time with Celestia, following its master's movement. The brilliant glow of the sun silhouetted the Princess, her limbs outstretched in a triumphant gesture, and as she turned her smiling gaze back down from the sky to her subjects the crowd erupted into cheers and the stomping of hooves.
Meadow could only stare, numbed by what she had just seen.
Slowly, gracefully, the pony Princess descended back to the stage. The crowd continued to cheer her, while she smiled happily to them, her eyes passing across the crowd.
And stopping on Meadow Song.
Meadow lurched backward, eyes wide. She could feel the emotions change inside the Princess in that instant. New emotions took hold. Concern, disappointment, and... sadness.
Then her gaze moved on. It had been only an instant. If not for the sudden change in her emotions, Meadow could have believed that she had escaped notice, that the Princess hadn't hesitated for just that moment on her. Even if she had lacked that sense, she would have been certain a few seconds later; the Princess glanced back, eyes meeting for another instant, but Meadow could see her expression change. Her ears drooped the tiniest bit, the smile seeming just a tiny bit more frail.
The cheering was dying down when the Princess took a slow breath--the immortal, unimaginably powerful being taking a moment to ready herself--and spoke, her voice strong and clear. Even a little beautiful, for a pony.
"Thank you, my little ponies," the Princess said, her expression again perfectly joyful, without the faint sign of slipping that Meadow had seen for only a moment. "The Summer Sun Celebration has always been a day close to my heart, and Hoofington has certainly outdone itself with your generous welcome. But I won't keep you long. Today is not a day for long-winded speeches, but for celebration. Enjoy this day, and thank you, everypony."
Again the crowd cheered, but instead of leaving the way she had come, Princess Celestia cast another glance toward Meadow, and stepped down into the crowd.
The ponies around Celestia bowed, and she took the time to greet each one. Meadow was too far away to hear what was said, but she could see the expressions of happiness and gratitude it brought the ponies she spoke to. Slowly, the Princess began to make her way through the crowd, and Meadow could see that the Princess was heading straight toward her.
Meadow ducked her head, mentally cursing herself for her choice in forms. Sure, it was beautiful by pony standards, which helped her immensely, but a lean, tall form was unfortunately easy to pick out in a crowd. With the Princess towering over her subjects, she would have an easy time tracking down Meadow.
Fortunately, the Princess also seemed far too generous to turn her attention away from her subjects when addressing them personally, sparing only the occasional glance in Meadow's direction. With the Princess distracted so, Meadow quickly slipped away, hunkering down slightly in an attempt to hide among the crowd. While so many were staying to get the chance to speak with their Princess, enough ponies were heading out to the celebrations and parties that leaving should be perfectly inconspicuous.
At the rear of the crowd, Meadow slipped into an alleyway, hazarding a peek back into the main square. The Princess was still talking with the ponies around her, having made rather little progress. After a few moments, she looked up, searching through the crowd for just a moment. Again, her ears drooped ever so faintly, before turning to speak to a new pony.
Meadow knew she should take the opportunity to flee to safety, but she stayed, watching. Celestia passed through the crowd aimlessly now, the glances becoming less frequent with each conversation. Before long, she seemed entirely caught up in speaking with the various ponies around her, the one she had been seeking out apparently forgotten. She was thorough. Not a single pony that flocked around her went without sharing words with their Princess, who greeted each and every one with the kind of warm smile that Meadow had seen mothers giving to a beloved child.
More than an hour passed, and Meadow remained, standing back in the alley and watching. When Celestia finally moved on toward one of the celebrations held in her honor, Meadow followed.
Despite every ounce of cautious nature warning her not to, she followed. There was something about what she had seen there that was so strange that she had to see more. Her curiosity was raised. This Princess was so unusual, so unnatural, that she had to learn more. So she followed, from a distance, shadowing the giant pony as subtly as she could.
There was surprisingly little to see. The Princess greeted several more ponies along the way, each of whom bowed with respect, before arriving at a small gathering. The ponies had arranged a slightly extravagant breakfast feast for their ruler and several other guests, an open-air affair no doubt intended to be somewhat symbolic. A meal, out under the Princess's sun.
Part of Meadow wanted to be disgusted at the sycophancy. Weeks of preparations had gone into the event, all to set up a festival to heap praise on the Princess, a festival she had undoubtedly encouraged, perhaps even established. She shows up, displays her (terrifying) might, and they bow and scrape at her hooves, stoking her ego, as if afraid of what such a mighty being would do if their efforts were insufficient.
The Queen never insisted on such displays of devotion. She served the hive as the hive served her; changelings did not need some grand, egotistical celebration to remind them of their Queen's greatness. Their service for the sake of the hive was all the proof one could need.
As she watched, however, that part began to grow quieter. From such a distance, peering out from the corner of a building into the open field, she could not hear the words being exchanged, but the expressions were unmistakable. It was unsurprising that all the ponies would look happy, if nervous, in their Princess's presence, but the ones out of her sight seemed every bit as happy.
Meadow glanced over at some of the crowd passing by, many ponies casting glances at the Princess, others going about their celebrations. A couple passing by were having a hushed but enthusiastic conversation, practically gushing over how the Princess has spoken with them. A young colt was energetically hovering beside his friends, wondering if he could ever grow a horn and become "as cool" as the Princess. And of course, there was the celebration itself, hundreds of ponies throughout the town, happily celebrating an event not because the Princess was there and was expecting a show, but because they were happy.
Even without being able to hear the conversations, Meadow could still watch the interactions and expressions taking place at the breakfast. The Princess smiled pleasantly to the ponies around her, offering some gentle words to a few who seemed a bit more nervous than the others. The laughter filtered softly to Meadow over the noise of the celebrations, the nervousness fading a bit. In every interaction, the Princess seemed to display a respect for the ponies around her. She loved them... and they loved her.
Every. Single. One.
The implication hit Meadow like an anvil to the head. The celebration wasn't just some egotistical self-promotion. It wasn't some sycophantic display. These ponies, every one of them, genuinely loved her. Meadow's thoughts moved outward, considering all the other villages, towns, the gigantic cities. All those untold number of ponies, an entire kingdom that made the hive look tiny by comparison, and they all gave her their love.
No wonder she could move the sun.
Any changeling would give everything they had to take Celestia's place.
Any changeling would have to be utterly insane to try. Meadow might be inexperienced, over-eager, even a bit foolish at times, but she was not insane.
Instead, she stayed hidden at her corner, watching on with wide eyes; both from her continued fear of a being of such unimaginable power, and in awe of a being who had gained the love of an entire nation.





It was early afternoon by the time the Princess went to depart. She had visited with several other gatherings, while Meadow trailed along the whole time, watching. Eventually, she had made her way to a small clearing, where an elegant chariot awaited, flanked by a half dozen of the Royal Guard, their golden armor shining bright in the summer sun.
As she took a seat, the Princess gave some parting words, smiling to the crowd that had gathered to see her off.
Looking out across all the ponies cheering her, her eyes again came across Meadow. This time, the Princess made no attempt to hide the recognition. Her gaze halted, focused on the disguised changeling. As Meadow flinched back, the Princess's emotions again changed to sadness, the kind smile fading a touch.
It was such a strange reaction, but not a hostile one. The Princess made no move, said nothing, she simply looked to her with those feelings of compassion and sadness. Recovering slightly, Meadow slowly steadied herself. She cautiously rose to stand more squarely, head held high; she didn't want to seem unusual, the only pony uneasy in their Princess's gaze.
Celestia's smile grew again.
Then the chariot rolled forward and lifted into the sky, bearing the Princess away to the beating wings of her Guard.
With a deep shudder, Meadow sat down, hard. She could hear her heart beating clearly in her ears, a faint taste of bile rising in her throat. She had stared straight into the eyes of an impossibly-powerful being, one who could be called a goddess without even a hint of hyperbole, and she had emerged unscathed. Celestia hadn't seen her. She hadn't seen Nictis. She had seen only one of her subjects, terrified of their Princess, and she had been saddened by it. More importantly, she had seen only what Meadow had wanted her to see, had allowed her to see: a simple unicorn mare and loyal citizen of Equestria.
...Ceymi was wrong.





Dear Spark Wheel,
Thank you for the flattery, but I don't think I'm really brave. A bit too impetuous for my own good, perhaps. Then again, I suppose that's what bravery is half the time. I remember hearing an expression from somepony, about the difference between bravery and stupidity being luck. That might have been heroism instead of bravery, but I guess it works out about the same. I was more lucky than anything else. I do hope to return again, someday, but with more planning and preparation. I'd like to not put my life in the hooves of chance. I've done enough of that already.
Anyway, I've written so much about what little I've done, but I haven't heard anything about you. How are things in Manechester? I hope it's going well.
I suppose I do have one more story, though. We held the Summer Sun Celebration yesterday. The Princess was there. I know it might sound odd coming from a pony that's gone wandering through the Everfree Forest, but it was a strange experience. I'd never seen anything like it, not even close. I'm still not sure what to think of it. This is the fifth time I've tried to write this, and I'm still not able to put it to words.
I hope to hear from you again, soon.
Your friend,
Meadow Song.





Trying to will oneself to not think on a subject had the annoying and near-absolute tendency to instead bring that subject to the fore of one's thoughts. Because of this, Meadow resorted to distraction to stave off further thinking on the subject of almighty pony princesses. This particular day, she was occupying her thoughts instead with what she thought of as an extremely ironic activity.
Changeling hunting.
As she sat at a park bench, sipping on a hay smoothie--not as good as a raspberry one, but the taste had grown on her--she considered the situation. The most important fact was that there were other changelings in Hoofington. There had to be. It was one of the closest settlements to the hive, settlements that were safe enough for young, prospective Infiltrators to be tested in. It made perfect sense that there would be other changelings here. Other Infiltrators, ones who would know the exact route back to the hive. Ones who would be able to help her, to see her home. All she had to do was find one, and all her troubles would be over.
That was, of course, the problem. She had to find them. They wouldn't know that she was a changeling, nor would she be able to tell just by looking at them. Sure, she could go around town "flashing" her eyes at everypony she met, but that could end disastrously. The only pony who had seen her do that had found it creepy, and being seen as unusual could be very bad for her. It was still tempting, of course. She could even use a different form so that it was some "stranger" that everypony found creepy, but it would still stand out. Worse, while it told of her true nature to any other changelings, it could also give hints of it to ponies. If somepony started to suspect something was up, she might be exposed, and that would be disastrous.
A little voice in the back of her head pointed out that just because it made perfect sense and was likely true that there were other changelings there in Hoofington, that didn't mean there absolutely were. She filed that thought right along godly pony princesses in the "things I'm not going to think about" part of her brain.
No, she decided that she had to do it more subtly. While a pony might not know what to look for, she knew things that these ponies would not. There were signs. A changeling would be someone positioned to gain love, preferably with a lover or a significant number of friends, yet one who would have absences to bring that gathered love back to the hive. They wouldn't have the same emotional response as a pony would; they were predators looking for food, not for friends like these ponies were. The ponies wouldn't be able to tell the difference in emotions, but she could.
Unfortunately, she hardly knew any of these ponies. Despite the months there, she had met only a small portion of Hoofington in any more depth than a friendly greeting. There were simply so many of them.
As she took another sip, she looked over a couple sitting out in the grass near a small pond. A stallion and a mare, ponies Meadow didn't know, though she thought she remembered hearing the Mare's name as Silverleaf. They were cuddling, soft chuckles and giggles rising from them as they talked quietly. Either of them could be a changeling. Meadow didn't know them, just a couple ponies in the background of her life. She didn't know anything about them. Maybe when she and everypony here wasn't watching, one of them would slip away for a few days, only to return, their disappearance missed by all the other ponies going about their lives.
If she was going to find out which--if any--of them were changelings, it meant painstakingly making her way through the entire population of Hoofington.
Needless to say, it made Spark Wheel's reply letter the high-point of her week. Changeling hunting sucked.





Dear Meadow Song,
You're so lucky! I've never seen Princess Celestia myself, but I've always heard that the celebration is awe-inspiring. Was it as impressive as they said? Did you get to speak to her? I'm kind of jealous. Maybe I can make the trip to Canterlot next summer, to see it myself. I'm earning enough that I should be able to afford it easily.
Speaking of, I've got a job. It's the greatest thing ever! Dad runs a machine shop for building airships, and I'm helping out there. He took me there the day after I arrived, and it was amazing. I've never seen so many tools and machines. We spent all day there because I wanted to play with everything, and I kept coming back to help out. I even got my cutie mark when I finished my first project! A pair of gears. I'm not surprised that it'd be something mechanical, but I'm so happy to finally have it!
I haven't had anything as adventurous as your expedition, but Manechester has been a lot of fun. Riding an airship was great. It was a bit scary, though I knew mom could catch me if I did fall out (Don't think I mentioned, she's a pegasus. Dad's an earth pony). Since he makes the things, dad made one just for them. It's small, not like the big yachts he makes for the rich ponies, but I kind of like that. It's more nimble, and everything looks so small from way up there. It must be cool to be a pegasus, to be able to fly like that any time they want.
There is one teeny tiny bad thing, unfortunately. Bigs is here. Worse, it's almost like I owe him for being here or something. Seems the couple that adopted him are friends with my new parents, and they had been so happy with their adoption that it convinced my parents to adopt. I guess I'm glad it happened, but I feel a little uncomfortable thinking that I might owe that jerk anything. And he is still a jerk, so that makes it easier to not feel indebted. He's also following his new parents by getting into city council work. He still doesn't seem to like me, though. At least he doesn't have any real power, and he has to play nice because our parents are friends. He's still annoying.
Oh yeah, and my mom is an awesome cook. I'll try to get her to cook up some extra cookies to send with the next letter!
Your friend,
Spark Wheel

Meadow was quite happy to exchange an evening of fruitless investigation about town to kick back on the couch to write her reply.
Dear Spark Wheel,
‘Impressive’ seems like a good word to describe the Princess at work, yes. I'm afraid I didn't get to speak to her, however. To tell the truth, it was a little scary. Seeing that much power displayed was somewhat intimidating. Actually, the whole thing gave me a lot to think about. I know now that it was a little foolish to be quite so uneasy. She did seem nice, even if the amount of power she wields is a bit frightening. I was reluctant to go at first, but I guess I'm glad that I did.
Congratulations on your cutie mark! I knew it'd have to be something with gears. I may not have much experience with such a field myself, but it was obvious that you had talent, and one that I haven't seen in any other pony I've met. I'm glad you found a job you enjoy so much.
I've just been doing miscellaneous jobs around town, helping ponies out. Some things never change, I guess. I'm slowly saving up for another, proper expedition. I want to get back out there, but it's slow going. Still, it is something to work towards, and at least things are going well here.
Your friend,
Meadow Song
P.S. If Bigs is giving you any trouble, tell him I said hello. I think he'll remember me.





"...and then, let's see, Dandelion brought her this amazing bouquet of exotic flowers he picked up in Manehattan from some zebra trader and proposed to her on the spot in front of everypony. It was such a sweet moment!"
Meadow Song tried not to stare at the rambling pony, who was currently holding the handle of a large bell in her mouth. She still couldn't figure out how the navy-blue mare was able to speak while holding something in her mouth, yet have her words come out perfectly clearly. Must be an earth-pony thing.
Then again, she supposed she shouldn't be too surprised that this pony showed skill at talking. Stargazer showed an amazing proclivity for it, and would ramble on about all manner of topics any time Meadow came around to help. The hardest thing was getting her to stop. Getting her to stay on-topic was almost as hard.
They continued on, the straw crunching underhoof as they walked along the length of the large barn. "She said yes, of course. Everypony was so happy for them. It had been obvious for years that the two of them would get together, but--oh, there's another one!"
Stargazer shook her head, her bell emitting a dull ring with each shake, and a faint growl sounded in reply from a nearby hay pile. Meadow brought around the large pan and spoon she was levitating and clanged them together. The noise was too much, drawing a near-anguished howl from the pile before a young timberwolf burst out, scampering away toward the border of the forest.
They stopped their ringing, watching the young creature run off. "Every year. End of summer comes, and a whole pack of them little ones come and hide in my barn. You'd think they'd pick somewhere else one of these years, but it's always mine. They must like the wood it's made of." With a sigh, she resumed her walking, Meadow following along. This was probably the strangest job she'd had since her arrival. With how ridiculous ponies could get at times, that was saying something.
"...Let's see, where was I?"
"Something about 'obvious for years,'" Meadow prompted, barely able to keep up the appearance of interest.
"Oh, right! Yeah, everypony knew they'd get together, but it was so nice to see them finally decide it themselves. Even Spring Song was happy for them, even though she'd always been pining after Dandelion since they shared a date however many years ago. Turned out well for her, though. She ended up falling for a musician named Songbreeze. Ever hear of her? I hear she's held concerts all over Equestria now, and lucky Spring Song gets to go along to most of them. Oh, here we go again."
More ringing and clanging, and a young timberwolf leaped out of its hiding place behind a stack of barrels, chasing off after the others they had rousted out. Meadow had thought the description of how effective the ringing was on timberwolves was just another of Stargazer's bizarre tales--like the tale of how another town changed the seasons just by running through a forest--but it certainly seemed to work.
"Hey, wait a minute," Stargazer said, looking back to Meadow with a sudden surge of excitement. "Spring Song. You don't suppose you two are related, are you?"
Meadow blinked. "No," she said automatically, before realizing that reply was possibly a little too quick. "I mean, I really doubt it. I know my family isn't from around here."
Stargazer gave a comforting smile, a hint of sympathy rising from her. No doubt she was worried that she might have hit a sore subject. "Ah well. So let's see, after that was Honeydew. Now that was quite an affair..."
Meadow found these discussions increasingly hard to pay attention to, despite how informative they were. The biggest problem was that the information didn't help her. Oh, she found ponies who fit what she was looking for, enough love to draw on with periodic absences that could be traveling back to the hive. The problem was, she found so many. With the train station and all the nearby towns, travel was fairly common, and it seemed like half the town could be changelings without raising any suspicion.
And of course, even if they were, it would still be hard to discover who they were.
It was enough to almost make Meadow wish that Infiltrator training wasn't quite so thorough. Changeling hunting really sucked.





Dear Meadow Song,
Wow. Bigs sure remembers you. When I mentioned you, he seemed surprised, then angry. I don't know what you said to him before, but I think we've found somepony he likes even less than me. I've never seen him get that angry, but then he just stomped off after giving me a glare.
So you're planning a new expedition? See, that's why I say you're brave, you're already planning on going out there again. I don't know if I could do something like that. I doubt many ponies could. I hope you have luck. Why is it "slow going?"
Hope you like the package!
Your friend,
Spark Wheel

Gray and Misty seemed quietly amused at the sight of Meadow kicked back on the couch, happily munching on a big chocolate-chip cookie--she had, of course, shared a couple of them to be polite--while reading the letter. Normally, Meadow would feel a little self-conscious about acting a little bit silly and... well, to be honest, a little pony-like. But she couldn't quite bring herself to care at the moment. Spark was right, his adoptive mom was quite a cook, and those cookies were delicious.





Dear Spark Wheel,
Thank you for the cookies! They were awesome. I think that's the first time I've ever written that word, possibly the first time I've ever used it, but I couldn't think of a more fitting word. Please thank your mom for me.
The little expedition I'm working on is simple enough to plan for, enough that I'm mainly just going over the same subjects repeatedly to make sure everything is as good as it's going to get. The only obstacle is money. Hiring other ponies is expensive, as is getting the food and supplies I'll need for them. As nice and easy as the random jobs are that I get, it doesn't pay well. I've been looking around to try to find a real job, but I haven't had any luck, yet. I almost got a job as a trash hauler, but another pony got the job. Considering he could pull twice as much as me, even with my magic, I guess they made the right choice, but it's still disappointing. I'm sure something will turn up, though, and several of the ponies I've helped have promised to keep their eyes out for something I could do. Don't suppose you know of any good jobs over there?
As for Bigs, maybe I should come pay a visit. If he reacted like that to hearing me mentioned, I think it'd be hilarious to see his reaction to seeing me face-to-face.
Your friend,
Meadow Song





It was nice to be able to just relax in the evening.
Her exercise regimen had gone well, her wings once again strong and capable. Her expedition journal was full of notes and planning, most of which had been gone over multiple times, and she rarely found anything new to add to it. She'd even given up on finding other changelings, after about a hundred different leads all turned up fruitless.
Instead, she spent many of the evenings kicked back on the couch, which seemed to have been ceded to her, reading a book. It was an interesting curiosity. Fiction was such a strange thing to her. There had been a few little myths and tales back in the hive, but those had all either been to explain something in the case of the former, or telling of interesting past events for the latter, with both often serving to deliver morals as well. In a way, they were much like the rest of life in the hive: practical. They served a purpose. Pony stories, however, were not like that. Many of the stories were completely made up, and while a few carried moral messages--strangely, a significant number of those were aimed purely at younger ponies--many did not. As with many things pony-related, they carried no practical purpose, serving only as a luxury item, as entertainment.
So when Meadow lay there, reading a completely fictional tale of a pair of lost former-Guard members working their way through a surprisingly hostile jungle in search of some ancient treasure, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty that she actually enjoyed it.
When she finished that book, she dug out another from Gray's collection and started on it.
She was quick to put the books aside any time she got a letter, naturally. Meadow had made a habit of checking the mail each morning after breakfast, handing Gray his newspaper before passing out any letters. Gray and Misty smiled each time one of Meadow's friends wrote back, but she couldn't help that they smiled a little bit more when she got another letter from Spark. She supposed it made sense, she smiled a little more to see it, too. Of course, they couldn't have guessed why she had that reaction, likely just seeing it as a sign of a good friendship. That suited Meadow just fine.





Dear Meadow Song,
A visit would be great! I'd love to see you again, it's been too long, and letters only go so far. I've even got room for you to stay! I'm moving into the apartment next to my parents in a few weeks, it's like getting my own room and more (The advantages of having a mom who runs the complex!). I won't be on my own, not really, but it's kind of close. It's a little scary, but exciting at the same time.
I suppose it sounds a little wussy to describe moving into an apartment next to my parents as "scary" to somepony who's repeatedly wandered about the Everfree Forest, but I guess we all have to start somewhere?
If you're looking for work, there's a lot of people hiring out here. Even dad's considering hiring a few more ponies for the shop. If you're really interested, you could even stay with me while you get settled. After all the times you've helped me, I'd be happy to return the favor.
Plus, it'd be great to see you again.
Your friend,
Spark Wheel

Meadow read over the letter again, and then a third time. He was inviting her over, even offering the prospect of a job. A real job, one that could help her fund the expedition in months instead of years, and the company of a pony that held such wonderful affection for her. Of all the memories of the orphanage, that one was the best; the taste of that affection was somehow just a bit sweeter, a bit more energizing than any she had tasted from any other pony.
She could have that again.
She could have everything that she wanted. The best food. A solid income. Before long, a fully-funded escort on her journey home. And finally, if everything went right, if she were allowed to become a true Infiltrator after the generous bounty of food she would bring home, then she would have a perfect position to return to.
With an eager grin, she grabbed up a quill to write her reply.