//------------------------------// // Laughter is the Best Uh... // Story: The Tale of Saving Grace // by Cold Spike //------------------------------// The group made their way to Sugarcube Corner, thankfully with less stares. To all of the passing ponies the group just saw a mare, a filly and a twin colt. "Ohhhh, who's this or they or what?!" The pink mare's eye's crossed in confusion as she tried to make heads or tails of the 'twins'. Fluttershy sighed. "Uhm Pinkie..." "Hmm?" She was untangling her mane which somehow got caught in the treats she was 'preparing' before the group had showed up. Grace was definitely sure that this was the Element of Laughter because she was busy trying not to laugh. Night Shade just felt confused. "Can you keep a secret? Like a really, really big one?" "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, nope!" All three did a double take. "Why not?!" Fluttershy's shy attitude forgotten. "Secrets are no fun if our friends don't know!" Of course, the pink mare would think that. "Oh but they do, well, Twilight doesn't but there is a good reason for that." "Is it a surprise party?!" "Um, no. But most of our friend's know. Now will you keep it?" The pink mare tilted her head to the side. "Um, okay as long as Twilight eventually knows." "Deal. Oh and you also have to Pinkie Promise not to scream or yell or hurt anypony..." "You silly filly! I would never do that, you know that Fluttershy!" "Right...So this is Saving Grace." "Pleasure to meet ya Pinkie!" The pink mare shook her hoof and then instinctively turned face to the other pony. "And this is Night Shade." "Hi!" He offered his hoof and she shook it, but the second she touched the hoof she gasped. "Guy's did you know he is a changeling?!" "Uh, bu..." Night Shade stammered at a loss for words. "How did...-" Grace was interrupted. "Yes, but how did you know?" The pink mare smirked upon hearing this. "Duh! Just feel his hoof, it's all different and feels exactly like them from the invasion. But you’re nice aren't ya?" "Yes?" The pink mare smiled. "Pinkie! How did you just know? I mean yes he's nice and that's what we were getting at but you’re not even freaked out?!" "Nah...I mean he's just a wittle changeling and if he was going to hurt us, he would have done it already. Plus you all don't look like you’re mind controlled..." "Oh. So you will keep his secret? He really just wants to make friends!" A loud gasp was heard from the pink mare as she shot high up into the air. "Uh oh...Pinkie? No party!" Her hair deflated and she slumped down onto the floor. "Why not?! Everypony or changeling loves a party!" "Because, we need to wait until Twilight knows." Grace cut in. "Then let's go tell her you sill-" "Pinkie!" Fluttershy blurted out. "Yeeeeeeeeeees?" "Do you remember the Changeling Invasion?" "I was there! Duh!" "And you remember what the queen did?" "Uh huh!" Her happy demeanor never wavering. "And do you remember who she did it to?" "Uh-Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, you think Twilight would still be mad?" An innocent question from a silly mare. Deadpan stares was all she got. "Really mad?" "We think that we should reveal Night Shade slowly. And even though Twilight has more of a level head than most of us, she might have an ... emotional connection to what happened. Um, did that make sense?" Pinkie nodded her head. "Okay, no party for now...But no one escapes a Pinkie Party. NO ONE!" She hollered. The changeling colt was not scared or frightened in any sense of the word, he was far too confused to feel any of that. "Uh, are we friends now?" "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, okay!" "Cool..." He wasn't quite sure on being her friend but she was at least acting nice. Then she gasped again. "I forgot to give my daily hugs!" "What?!" Fluttershy just rolled her eyes but Pinkie was being quite serious. She ran up to the shy mare and gave her one bone crunching hug, then she did one for the filly and finally the changeling. He burped in response. "That tasted kind of like...Uhh...It tasted weird!" Pinkie blinked in response and groaned. "Ewwwwwwwwwwwww, did you taste my love mister?!" "Yeah, so?" "Well give it back! I need more for my daily hug schedule!" The pink mare demanded. "Pinkie I don't think-" "No I need all the love I can get, I also need some to bake my cupcakes!" Just the very idea of baking food with an emotion was absurd, yet she was talking in a very serious manner. Could food be baked with love? The very emotion that he pretty much needed to survive. He shook those thoughts aside and figured that if it was true then it would be like over stuffing himself. "Uhh...too bad?" "Too bad?! Too bad?! Listen you-" "Pinkie!" Fluttershy interrupted with a voice that she only reserved for her. "Yessssssssss?" "I don't think he is literally stealing your emotion in the way you think." "He's not?" "Yes I am!" He almost giggled when he realized that the situation had become a lot less serious. "See!" "No, you still have plenty of love to give." And to prove her statement, she then pulled the mare in for a hug. "Well, okay...but no more taking my love!" She declared and dashed off to hug everypony in the town. "...I'm still gonna." He muttered. "So is Pinkie-" Grace tried to get out, but was interrupted. "Yes, Pinkie, is always like that." Fluttershy admitted. "Ahh, okay then. Now what?" Night Shade asked. "Now I think its time I head home. You two are welcome anytime like I said, but I need to take care of a few of the larger animals." "Alright, thanks again Fluttershy! We need to check on the campsite though." They both nodded and left the mare to her own business. They walked back in silence with the changeling grinning from ear to ear. When they arrived, Night Shade donned his original appearance and took a seat to rest. Grace was about to join him when she heard hoof steps from behind. "Changeling..." There was no mistaking who it was from, Twilight Sparkle. Grace had no chance to respond or even turn around before a burst of purple colored energy was shot down at Night Shade as he barely dodged from left to right. "Stop it!" Grace tried to yell but Twilight got between her in a defensive stance. "Stay back Grace!" One final shot was targeted at the colt changeling and hit him dead center. The colt cried in agony and was knocked unconscious. Twilight turned around feeling relieved that the changeling was taken care of. "Are you al-" "What the hay is wrong with you?! You think you can just attack a helpless colt just because he's not a pony?!" Grace screamed and immediately ran over to check on Night Shade. Twilight was already shaking aside from the filly’s comments and stepped forward. "No! You stay back, you've done enough already!" Twilight did in fact stand still and waited for the filly to check on the condition of the colt. Twilight was unsure why she was even allowing her to do this, but she figured that it seemed like the right thing to do. Grace nodded and turned her head back to Twilight. "You!" "Me? Grace look he's a-" "Yes, he's a changeling. He's also my friend, no my best friend! You know for somepony who studies friendship you got an awful funny way of showing it! I showed off Night Shade to each of your friends and guess what!?" "W-what?" "They gave him a chance and liked him! Did you give him a chance, did you even think before hurting him!?" Twilight did not nod or shake her head, she also really did not feel like talking. "Your friends are the real Elements of Harmony! Not you, you're a- why you're just a big bully!" Grace spat the words out feeling every bit like the bully she was accusing her of being, but she couldn't help herself. Night Shade was hurt and it was Twilight's doing. "Leave!" "Gr-" Grace walked up to Twilight and narrowed her eyes in what she hoped was a threatening manner. "I said leave!" Grace had already turned her back to Twilight, the mare hesitated but was gone after ten seconds of waiting. It took several hours of hugging the colt for him to wake. That was another thing they had learned with their time together, love could be sensed even in his sleep. "Grace? Wha- Why did she..." "Forget about her, Night Shade. Are you alright?" She waited while the colt looked himself over, but they found no other injuries with the exception of the one on his chest. She had bandaged him up the best she could. During the minor procedure she had contemplated on visiting Fluttershy, but thought better of the plan with Twilight still on the loose. "Yeah I guess I'm good...she really doesn't like changelings huh?" Grace's voice was caught in her throat a few times but she managed to utter out one word. "...No." "It’s not so bad, Grace." She looked up and gave him a very knowing look, the kind where she knew that he was lying. "Okay, it does seem bad..." "We need to go to Fluttershy's!" "Now?" "Yes! Twilight might tell the guards on you or something! Get that disguise back on and hurry!" Night Shade sighed but donned his new disguise while the two ran from the campsite, not looking back. If both had found themselves inside of a certain library, they would have been perplexed to find a certain mare who seemed almost soulless. If they were inside Twilight's library, then they would have found a mare who wanted to cry, who wanted to scream even, but was doing nothing but staring off into space. If Grace had found herself inside that very library, then she would have not found a bully or somepony she wanted to hurt, no, she would have found somepony to pity herself. If Night Shade had found himself inside that library, he would have found the same.