//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Letters and Shadows 
// Story: Look Twice: A Changeling's Tale 
// by ElectromagNick 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 2: Letters and Shadows


The Changeling, in her starry-gray disguise, trotted along road through town, careful as to not reveal the troubles of the morning.  But her posture betrayed just a hint of stress.  Her mind wandered and she lost track of time, passing by Golden Oaks Library and continuing on for a few moments before she realized where she was.  She looked back and blinked, once, twice, a third time she closed her eyes, holding them shut as she tried to physically shake the daze from her thoughts.  “Focus, Starlight,” she said, reminding herself that she was out in public and in disguise.  So she turned around and knocked at the door of Golden Oaks.
The door opened to reveal Twilight Sparkle, ready to welcome any and everypony to the library.  “Good morning, Starlight.  Come on it.”
“Hello, Twilight,” Double-Take greeted as she stepped into the hollowed oak.
“Has the book helped at all?  I saw that you checked out A Pony's Guide to Acute Insomnia.”
“It's only been a day, and there's a lot of strategies to try.
“Right, I guess we can be sure of anything for at least a week.  I just wanted to check.  You know, a bit of friendly worry.”
Double-Take smiled, her eyes revealing a stressful tiredness.  “I appreciate it, Twilight.  But your right, I wait until the end of the week before drawing any conclusions.”
“So, what brings you to the library today?”
“Right, I almost forgot.  I was going to give you-” she reached into her saddlebags and retrieved two of the lollipops, “-these.”  She presented the neatly wrapped treats to the lavender Unicorn.  “One's for you and one's for Spike.”
Twilight examined the lollipops, grasping them in a field of magic.  “Are these Crystal-Melon?”
“Yeah, Velvet sent me a package of some treats from Hollow Shades.  One's an apple and the other is a watermelon.  I figured that I'd share them some friends.  I've learned that life's too short to live selfishly.”
Twilight chuckled.  “I find it hard to believe that you were ever selfish.”
Maybe not in the classical sense, Double-Take thought, carefully keeping the aside from Twilight.  “Anyway, that's really all I dropped by to do, but it's always nice to catch up with you.  So much time- er, rather so little time and so much to do.”
The Unicorn nodded.  “There just aren't enough hours in the day.”  With a playful chuckle, she continued, “But I don't think anypony could convince the Princesses to increase the duration of celestial cycle.”
Double-Take laughed a bit, finally lightening up.  “If something's worked for several millennia, why change it?”
Twilight giggled a bit, relieved to see Starlight relax.  “Why don't you stay for some tea?”
“Well,” she titled her head in a thoughtful nod, “what time is it?”
“Nine-thirty.  Is there somewhere you have to be?”
“I'm meeting up with Blossomforth and Rosie for lunch at Dandelion Café.  I have plenty of time and I'm in no rush.”
“So that's a yes for tea?”
“That's a yes for tea.”
“Great!  I have a kettle of peppermint tea steeping right now.”  The two stepped into the kitchen.  “The tea should be ready in a minute.  Make yourself comfortable.”
So Double-Take sat down on a chair, still a bit tense.  She closed her dark blue eyes and took three deep breaths, each longer than the previous.
“Still a bit stressed?”
“Huh?” Double-Take remarked, turning her head to Twilight, eyes half open.
“You seemed stressed earlier and it seems like your a bit unfocused now.”
“Oh, it's, uh, it's nothing.  Really.”  The Changeling put on a smile that, to most, seemed entirely genuine.  She was a master of disguise, after all.  But Twilight wasn't fooled.
“Right,” she agreed, not really believing her but not wanting to push the conversation further.  “Well, the tea's been steeping for a little while now.  It should be ready.”  She magically retrieved three cups and three saucers from the cupboard and gently placed them down on the table.  “Spike, the tea's ready!” she called as she filled the three cups.
“Coming, Twilight!” the baby dragon answered from upstairs.  “I was just finishing up some- Oh, hey, Starlight.  I didn't know we were having you over.”
Double-Take gave a slight laugh.  “Neither did I.  I just dropped by to give you and Twilight some lollipops and Twilight invited me to stay for tea.”
“Lollipop?  Oh, Crystal-Melon Lollipops from Hollow Shades?”
She nodded.
“Is there an apple?”
“Yep.”
Spike smiled delightfully.  “Thank you, Starlight.  Those are the best.”
“I'm sorry it's just one, though.  There are a few more ponies that I wanted to share them with than last time.”
Twilight smiled.  “Don't worry about it.  They're your treats.  It's nice of you to share them with us, even if its just one per pony.”  Twilight glanced to Spike.  “Or dragon, for that matter.”
Spike shrugged.  “What?  I said thank you.”
Twilight and Double-Take both chuckled, and Spike just rolled his eyes, taking his seat between the two mares.
“Hey, Spike?” Double-Take asked after taking a sip of her tea.
“Yeah?”
“What do gemstones taste like?”
“That's...”  Spike paused and put a claw to his chin.  “Huh.  I can't seem to think of a good comparison.  They have pretty unique flavors, depending on the type.  I guess I could...  No, that's too sweet.  But then again, they're not bitter.  They sort of have a...  Hmm.  That's a good question, I haven't had any pony food that tastes quite like a gem.  And I don't think ponies can eat gems, so it's not like you could try it yourself.  I'm sorry, Starlight, but I'm stumped.  I just don't have a good answer,” he finally gave up, still scratching his head over the question.
The mare shrugged, not too bothered by the answer.  “I was just curious.”
“So, how's the shop been?” Twilight asked.  “I heard that Zecora has been helping you out on occasions with certain remedies.”
Double-Take nodded after another sip of the sweet, calming tea.  “She's been a big help.  She knows a lot about medicinal herbs and pharmaceutical remedies, but you've seen that first-hoof.  I count my blessings daily, Zecora's help being among them.”
“You don't take much for granted, do you?”
She shook her head, her eyes a bit heavy.  “It's just how I grew up.  I know that things can change in an instant.  Every day is precious.”  She wasn't lying, but she only told the bare minimum of the story.  Life can be cruel, she thought.  But a moment later she shook away the thought and perked up a bit.  “Enough of solemn things.  How have you two been lately?”
“No complaints,” Spike said plainly, followed by a large gulp of the peppermint tea, perfectly content to move on to a brighter subject.
Twilight echoed the desire to change the subject.  “Things have been pretty quiet ever since we got back from my brother and Princess Cadance's wedding.  It seems that everything calmed down pretty quickly in Canterlot, or so Shining Armor wrote me.  I'm just glad that nopony was badly injured, all things considered”
“Yeah, thanks to us being there!” Spike excitedly chimed in.  “We were...”  He stopped as Twilight shot him a disapproving look.  “Right.  Twilight saw through the Changeling queen's disguise, but we didn't believe her.  She found the real Cadance and stopped the wedding before something really bad happened.  There's more to it than that, but I'm certain you don't want to be bored with the details.  It was all covered in Equestria Monthly.”
“I'll read through the article later.”  Double-Take looked pensive once again.  The mention of Chrysalis was disconcerting.  A little while later, they had all finished their tea and Double-Take helped to wash the cups and saucers.
“Thanks for helping clean up, Starlight,” Spike said, genuinely enjoying the company.
“It's the least I could do,” she replied after drying the last saucer.  “The tea was delicious, by the way.  Peppermint is my favorite”
Twilight smiled as she moved the dried dishes to the cupboard.  “I'm glad you liked it.  It's actually one of Rarity's mixtures.  There's just a bit of lavender and chamomile to help even out of the flavor and give it some extra taste.”
“That's interesting.  I've never really tried mixing teas, but I'll keep it in mind.  I be sure to bring it up with Rarity later.”
“She loves discussing tea brews.”
After a moment, Double-Take glanced at the clock and saw it was only ten-fifteen.  “I think I should head out.  I have some errands I want to run before meeting up with Rosie and Blossom.  Thanks again for having me over.”
“It's no trouble.  I love having company over.”
“Yeah, it was fun,” Spike added.  “It gets boring sometimes with just Twilight, Owlowiscious and me.  If we still had Peewee...”
“Spike, you know we had to take him back to his nest eventually.”
The baby dragon sighed.  “I know.  He belongs with his family, free to roam.  It was nice having him around, though.”
Double-Take smiled, more relaxed than anything, the trouble of the morning seeming so distant.  “For whatever it's worth, I think you made the right decision letting him go.”
“Thanks,” Spike replied, perking up at the kind words.
“Well, I'll see you two later.”
“Take care,” Spike said as he opened the door for the starry-gray mare.
“Come back any time,” Twilight finished.
Double-Take left, simply delighted by the small diversion.  “Now, what was I doing before?  Ah, right, I was handing out lollipops.”
She handed out some of the lollipops to Cloudchaser and Flitter, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and ten other ponies around town.  After a while, she finally ended up at the Marketplace about twenty minutes before she planned to meet up with Rosie.  So she sat down on the bench across from the fountain, placed her saddlebags on the ground next to her, and closed her eyes, taking in the late summer air.

A rhythmical beating chimed in Double-Take's mind.  It felt natural, yet somehow unnerving.  It was like...  Her eyes burst open and she began to scan the crowd, eyes darting from one pony to the next, looking for an unrecognized face.  Ponyville is a very small town, sixteen hundred ponies at most, so noticing a new face isn't particularly difficult.  Each face was familiar and not a single eye revealed an inconsistency.  If anypony was hiding anything, she'd feel it.  It was a skill uncommon amongst even the most experienced Changelings, not even The Shadow's Wings had perfected it, and only those who perfected the skill could hide from it.  She heard a ruffle come from beside her, her head snapping that direction, but all she saw was a envelope sticking out of her saddlebags.  One last scan of the crowd confirmed that the pony who left it was already gone.
She picked it up cautiously and inspected both sides of it.  No address, to or from, but it was closed with a simple seal that she knew all too well.  It was three concentric circles with a diagonal line bisecting all of them.  Her heart rate began to rise.  “No, no, no, no, it can't be from them,” she thought.  She ripped off the seal and hastily drew the letter before catching herself.  “Calm down, Double-Take, reveal no distress.  Confirm your fears and deal with them as they come.”  She unfolded it calmly and looked at the page.
Blank.  No, not blank.  The text was hidden with a special type of ink.  The Abandoned used it transfer information in secret via courier.  The ink required the simultaneous use of a spell and a special neutralizing agent to reveal the text, both of which were deeply held secrets.  It was one of the few advantages the Abandoned had over Chrysalis and her regime.
Double-Take folded the letter neatly and placed it back in the envelope which she then quickly tucked away in a secret pocket one of the saddlebags, careful to not reveal the pocket's existence.  She made sure everything she needed was in the other bag.  “Best not tempt fate,” she concluded in the silent haven of her own thoughts.  Even the queen's elite had difficulty reading Double-Take's mind, and she had only gotten better at hiding her thoughts over the years.  It was one of the reasons she was so quickly admitted to The Shadow's Wings.
A few minutes later, Rosie showed up and Double-Take recomposed herself.  If there was ever a time to hide her true feelings, it was when Rosie was around.  She didn't need to know the Starlight was really a Changeling named Double-Take.  She didn't need to know about the civil war.  She didn't need to know...
“Hey, Starlight!”
“Hi, Rosie.  How's your morning been?”
The earthen Unicorn smiled.  “It's been fine.  And yours?”
“Pretty well.  I had tea with Twilight and Spike.  That sort of just happened, though.”
“Nice.  Anyway, ready to head out?”
“Sure.”  So she put on her saddlebags and the pair began to walk over to Dandelion Café.
It wasn't too far from the Marketplace and it was one of the smaller restaurants in Ponyville.  They didn't say too much, Rosie for the simple fact that she enjoyed the moment; however, Double-Take couldn't take her mind off of the letter.  What could it say?  How did the Abandoned find her?  Was The Shadow's Wings closing in, as well?  She'd just have to wait until she had time to read it, but she felt confident about one thing: it wasn't a death threat.  The Abandoned didn't usually pursue deserters if they knew that they wouldn't return to the Tyrant Queen, and Double-Take had every intention of avoiding Changeling contact as much as possible.  It must be important to track her down.  Maybe a request for her to rejoin the Underground?  Or could it be a warning?
The duo arrived at the small eatery a short time later.  Blossomforth was already waiting for them.  “Hey!” she called.
“Hi, Blossom,” Rosie replied in her usual jovial manner.
“Good morning,” Double-Take greeted.  “Or, good noon.  When does morning end?”
Blossomforth rolled her eyes with a smile.  “I don't think there's a consensus as to what time morning ends.  Or if there is a time between morning and afternoon.”
Rosie just shrugged nonchalantly.  “Let's just get a table.  I'm starved.”
“Agreed.”
A mint-green Unicorn with a dark green mane and tail greeted the three at the entrance of the small café.  “Hello, girls,” she said in an almost musical voice.
“Good morning, Spring Flower,” Rosie said with a delightful smile.
“Just you three today, or are you expecting Thunderlane to join up later?”
“Just us three.  Thunderlane is hanging out with Rumble, Flitter, Cloudchaser, and Snowflake today.”
“Okay, just the three of you.  I assume you'd like a seat outside, as per usual?”
Rosie turned to her friends.  “Any preferences?”
Double-Take wanted to recommend a seat inside after receiving that letter, but she thought of the unlikelihood of an attack by the Hunters Deceit, the elite Abandoned-hunting teams of the Shadow's Wings.  It was safer in wider view, and there was no guarantee that anyone other than the Abandoned had found her.  Finally, she simply replied, “It's a beautiful day.”
“True,” Blossom added.  “I guess we'll have a table outside.”
“Excellent choice.  Right this way,” and let the trio to a table just near the entrance, plenty of other ponies around.  “It's a bit busy today, so order may take a bit longer than usual.”
“That's fine,” Blossom said, warmly.
Spring placed a menu down for each of them and left to take other orders, leaving the trio to decide what they wanted.
“It's good to see the business they're getting.”
“I wonder if they're thinking of hiring some helping hooves.  They work themselves to death,” Rosie added.
Double-Take just gazed off, unfocused to say the least, oblivious to the conversation at the table.  Rosie and Blossomforth were discussing their week and Rosie mentioned something about Silver Anvil, but the Changeling catch little else.  She still felt the same rhythm.  It wasn't any “louder” than before and she still couldn't get a sense of where it was coming from.  “Who are you?” she wondered silently.  “How could you have found me and why?”  She knew she wouldn't get a response, and she was too cautious to actually let her inner words be heard.  She could inquire directly from the Changeling in town, but without direct eye contact, or knowing who it was at the very least, there was no way to send her thoughts in a way that wouldn't risk an psionic eavesdropper.  No, unless she had complete confirmation that no other Changeling was in town save the courier, she wouldn't dare will her thoughts to any but herself.
“Starlight?” Blossom asked, but the Changeling still stared down the street, the same rhythm calling out as if in warning.  “Starlight?”
She snapped out of it.  “Huh?”
“Starlight, are you okay?  You seem a bit off, today.”
Double-Take blinked twice after shaking her head.  “Yeah.  I, uh, I just didn't sleep well last night.”
Blossomforth frowned, and said with authenticity in her eyes, “That's too bad.  I know you've been having a bit of difficulty with insomnia lately.”
Double-Take smiled.  “Thanks, but I'm fine.  Just a bit tired.  I got a book from Golden Oaks and it has a lot in it.  Nurse Redheart suggested I look in to acute insomnia and some tips on dealing with it.  She also said that if I still have trouble in about two weeks' time, she'd schedule an appointment with Doctor Stable.”
Blossom was still frowning, but she sighed.  “Okay.  I'm just worried about you.  The amount of stress you must deal with has to have something to do with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you run your own business and, up until recently, have had to manage everything by yourself.  For the longest time, you've refused to take weekends off.  It can't be easy.  Unless that slipped your mind.  You need to relax more.”
Double-Take simply put her hoof on Blossomforth's shoulder.  “Blossom, I appreciate your concern, and I'm not disregarding your point, but I'm fine.  Really.”
“Alright.  Just... try to take it easy for a little while, okay?”
The Changeling smiled.  “I can at least do that.”  Spring came back to the table, and it was only then that Double-Take noticed the glasses of water and fruit skewer appetizers at the table.   “I guess I have been a bit distracted,” she thought.
“So, are you ready to order?”
“Starlight, are you ready?” Rosie asked.
“Yeah, I'm ready.”
“Then we're ready,” Blossomforth said.
“Okay then, orders?”  Spring Flower's horn began to glow, a quill and notepad floating from her bistro apron.
“I'll have the meadow salad, extra dandelion greens, with a side of baked hay fries.”
“The apple and daisy stew looks good,” Rosie said.
“I think I'll have the maroon carrot soup with a small salad on the side.”
Spring finished writing down the orders and smiled.  “Alright, they'll be ready a few.”  And she trotted off to the kitchen, likely to help Coconut with the orders.
Double-Take picked up one of the fruit skewers and took a big bite of the apple.  “Fresh from Sweet Apple Acres.  Best apples this side of Canterlot.”
Rosie nodded in agreement.  “Yeah.  When are you finally going to tell us about your travels, by the way?”
Double-Take cringed with a silent, “Ponyfeathers.”  After taking a sip of water, she sighed.  “Soon, hopefully,” she said.  “Time just gets away from me, y'know?”
Blossomforth shrugged.  “We'll have to make a point of it something next week.  Have anything else planned?”
“Yeah, Ditzy's giving Snowflake and I muffin-baking lessons on Saturday.”
“You and Snowflake getting close?” Blossom joked with a bit of a sly smile.
Double-Take just looked at her for a second.  “Eat your fruit skewers,” she retorted with a chuckle, taking another sip from her glass.
“I don't know why we don't just do it tonight.  We're all free.”
“Yeah, but I think the rest of the group would want to be there.  It wouldn't feel right excluding them.”
Rosie sighed.  “Fine.”

After about ten minutes, Spring returned to the table with all of the orders.  “I'm sorry it took so long, we're short-hoofed today.”
“It's fine, Spring,” Rosie warmly replied.  “It's good to see you've been getting so much business.”
Spring looked relieved as she set the last plate down.  “Thanks for understanding.  Will there be anything else?”
“No, that's everything,” Blossom said.
With a nod, Spring rushed off to help fill the other orders.

The rest of lunch was rather uneventful, the conversation maintaining more mundane topics, a relief to Double-Take.  “I have something for you two,” she said after the trio paid the bill and walked for a bit.  “I entirely forgot that I had them on me.”  She opened one of her saddlebags and retrieved the last two lollipops, each carefully wrapped and with the flavor marked on the side.  “Velvet sent me a package of treats, so I thought I'd share them.”
The duo smiled, remembering the last time Starlight shared her stash of Hollow Shades sweets.  “Crystal-Melon Lollipops?” Rosie asked.
“Yep.  Here's a cantaloupe for you and a honeydew for Blossom.”
The Unicorn and Pegasus each took their respective flavor and thanked their friend in turn.
“When will we get to meet Velvet?” Blossom inquired.
“She and I were actually discussing when the best time to meet up would be.  She and my sister are planning a visit.”  Double-Take didn't like the idea.  She loved the thought of seeing her longest pony friends in person again, but she hated the thought of Starlight pretending to be somepony else just for her sake.  Starlight had already discussed it with her in previous letters, and Double-Take was finally beginning to relent.  If she was so adamant about it, why not?  But after the letter, she wasn't so certain anymore.  She didn't need to know what it said to know that bringing the only two ponies aware of what she was to Ponyville was a bad idea.
“That sounds great.  But, I think Pinkie Pie would be upset if you didn't give her warning a few days before they arrived.”
“Remember what happened when my brother came to visit?  Pinkie threw together a party so quickly that I could have sworn time slowed down just to compensate.”
Double-Take gave a slight, tired but genuine laugh.  “I'll be sure to give her the dates when they finally finalize their plans.”  She sighed.  “I think I might go home and take a nap.”
Blossom nodded.  “That sounds like a good idea.  Want us to walk with you?”
“You two don't need to do that.  Enjoy your afternoon.”
“Alright.  See ya, Starlight.”
“Bye, Star.”
And Double-Take, after one last smile and wave goodbye, headed home.

She got to the door of her two story cottage when she froze.  The rhythm was stronger, closer.  She still couldn't get a lock on it, but she knew better.  She looked over her shoulder to make sure nopony was watching, and turned her attention to the door.  She drew from her saddlebags the key to her home... and a concealed dagger of Changeling design.  “Best be ready for anything,” she whispered so quietly that her voice was lost in afternoon breeze.
She slowly opened the door, the hinges oiled so frequently as to allow the door to open silently, stepped inside, and scanned the room for immediate dangers.  Somepony was here.  Some Changeling was searching for an Abandoned, but the motivations eluded her.  The closing the door behind her, Double-Take stepped softly, her training in the Queen's elite permanently locked in her worst memories.
The floor creaked on the opposite side of the room, and Double-Take instinctively snapped to the direction.  Just as Double-Take was about to move toward the noise, a voice, calm and commanding, stopped her.  “Put your dagger away and listen to what I have to say, Double-Take.  Grant me that, at least.”
It wasn't the tone of the voice, or its suddenness, that stopped the Changeling.  It was the familiarity.  “Perfect Guise?  W-what are you doing here?”
The candles in the room flickered to life as the curtains pulled closed.  The light revealed a Changeling, larger than Double-Take, sitting on a chair in the kitchen.  He didn't look toward Double-Take.  He simply spoke with a calm composure.  “I'm here to speak with you, nothing more nothing less.”
Double-Take sheathed her dagger as a green flame peeled away her disguise like shreds of scrolls in a burning library.  “Did you deliver that letter to me?”
“No.  I'm not technically here on official business, but I do know that the letter was delivered by one of the Freedom's Elite couriers.”
“How do you know?”
“You should remember.  I'm Grand Façade's second-in-command.  There is a grand total of five Abandoned that know who your alias is and where you are, and all are in high-ranking positions.”
Double-Take filled a kettle with water and loose green tea, and asked as she did so, “So why are you here?”
“I came to ask you why you left.”
The mare stopped in her tracks for a moment before putting the kettle over a flame.   “I don't see how that's your concern.”
Perfect Guise sighed.  “You changed the tide of the war all those years ago.  We fighting a lost caused.  And then you joined.  You are the highest-ranking Changeling to ever successfully rebel against Chrysalis.”
Double-Take looked to her scar.  “Not without sore retribution.”
Guise stopped for a moment.  He knew better than to mention the Catacombs, or her failed execution and subsequent escape.  “But you succeeded.  An Inquisitor rebelled.  That gave Chrysalis pause.  That gave our cause credence.”
“And after she failed to execute me publicly, a large number of Changelings began to question.  She grew desperate.  She grew clumsy.  Her tactics began to fail.”
“You became a keystone to us.  Your knowledge of her tactics and of the inner workings of her organizations gave us, for the first time, an advantage.  So why?  Why did you abandon us?”
That was it.  That was one of the voices in her dream the previous night.  They weren't the voices of the friends she had damned to execution before her defiance, they were the voices of her comrades afterward.  She closed her eyes as her heart beat faster.  “I...  I was tired.”  She spoke slowly, trying to find the deeper reasons herself.  “I was selfish.  I was a coward that hated violence, and I abandoned you all!”  She was halfway to tears.  She had never admitted cowardice aloud.  Her pride had been humbled over time, but every feeling of regret and fear from the past three years hit her like a tidal wave.  Every emotional floodgate opened.
Guise saw the distress on his old friend's face.  “I don't mean to attack you.  I can understand your motivations.  You want a life of peace and honesty.  It's a life that you've found here.  That's what we've always fought for: a life free from the turmoil of the Hive and from the tyranny of Queen Chrysalis.”
There was a long moment of silence, broken only by the sound of the kettle.  Guise removed it from the flame and placed it on its metal platform to cool while Double-Take recomposed herself.
Double-Take finally broke the silence, her voice more steady and calm.  “After that expedition to the Library in the Shifting Sand, I was convinced of the Underground's cause.  I learned of the peaceful state we existed in nearly eight hundred years ago.  I believed that we could be that again.  But I don't have the stomach for warfare.  I think I rose in ranks in Chrysalis's guard by complete mistake.  I'm not violent.  I hate violence.”
“And that's why you were admired by so many of us.”
Double-Take closed her eyes again, steadying her breathing.  The initial wave had passed, but the floodwater remained.  “Undeserved.”
Guise placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.  “I have a feeling that letter is both a warning and a request.  The Hunters Deceit is searching for you again.  Be cautious in these coming weeks.  You still have some of the Agent to read the letter, right?”
“I have the ingredients to make some.”
"Good.  But there's something else.  Something big is coming, and I think Chrysalis knows it.  She's been moving her forces around frequently, preparing for something.  I don't know what it is, but I can tell it's going to have far-reaching consequences.  By her recent moves, she's either desperate or even more arrogant than we thought."
"I'll be careful."
Guise smiled, warmly and genuinely, at his old friend.  “Then I'd best be going.  Stay safe, Double-Take.”  He broke away from the scene and headed for the door, a ring of green flames surrounding him.
“Wait.”
He stopped, his disguise fading away before it was complete.  “Yes?”
Double-Take looked to him with warm – if sad – eyes.  “Would you like to stay for some tea?”
The Abandoned smiled again.  “I wish I could, but I've stayed here for far too long already.  Take care of yourself, whatever you decide.”  And he left, disguised as a chestnut stallion with a black mane and tail, a map and compass for a cutie mark.