Chapter 8: The Return
Chapter 8: The Return
Sky required much less persuading to return to the spa for his second visit. This was entirely due to his resignation to the fact that it would be happening regardless of what he did, of course, and for no other reason. Seeing his previously shining carapace marred by smears and tiny scrapes hadn't been a factor at all. Not even a little. He certainly hadn't spent the previous evening mourning the loss of that perfect sheen. No, of course not. Maybe if he believed that really hard, it would be as if it had never happened.
The spa treatment was much less of a torture than last time. In fact, it went quick and smoothly, and he had to admit he was pleased to see those imperfections buffed away, carapace again smooth and glossy. He wouldn't let himself smile, thinking that would lead his friends to think -- falsely, of course -- that he actually liked getting that treatment. That dedication was made harder by the knowing amusement he could feel from them.
He did not, however, feel any more comfortable about returning to Carousel Boutique, and particularly not when Rarity greeted them with such eager excitement the moment they entered the door. She looked slightly frazzled, but full of energy. She had probably skimped on sleep to work on this mysterious project.
"Oh good, we just finally got everything arranged!" Beckoning him over, she guided him to the center of the room, where one of the mannequins stood, ominously covered by a sheet. "Now, I must admit that I can't claim credit for all of the work. I did the design work, of course, but I realized I had to do something unique, something different, outside of my usual skill-set. Fortunately Gem Shine and Golden Glimmer were very helpful at filling in what I could not do myself. They're both very skilled, and were quite accepting of working on such a tight schedule. There was some worry at first that we wouldn't be able to complete everything in time, but we pulled it off!"
"And now," Rarity said, "May I introduce the first ever ensemble of changeling fashion!"
Sky's fear spiked as she swept away the sheet to reveal... not what he had been expecting. Actually, he wasn't sure what he was expecting. Something ridiculously frilly or the like, given the mare in charge of the design. Maybe something with lace. Instead, the outfit seemed to lack fabric at all, consisting of finely polished silver with a few accents of blue sapphires.
He was thoroughly unsure of how to respond. Rarity seemed to take his silence as a sign of approval, and quickly insisted on helping him put it all on. First came the head-piece to frame his horn, one line extending up along its front while the rest of the head-piece curved to the back of his head, almost like a helmet. Another piece lay across the front of his chest and swept back up over his shoulders, resembling a small, decorative breastplate -- an ornamental peytral, Rarity called it -- and was adorned in the center by a sapphire, cut to resemble a cloud. Fine silver chains swept back along his sides, connecting to a small silver plate over his rump -- a croupiere, she informed him. A pair of fine chains extended down on each side of this, meeting a pair that looped around his hind legs, to hold another cloud-cut sapphire over his flanks, mimicking the cutie mark that had been there in his pegasus disguise. His feet were clad in silver shoes, each shaped with sharp angles that seemed to emphasize the unusual shape of his hole-riddled legs. The final touch, and one that Rarity seemed particularly proud of, was a set of silver tubes, each precisely sized to line the holes in his legs.
Sky tried not to shudder at the feeling of those final pieces. The mirror-like glint of silver and the faint, strange pressure coming from inside his own legs was incredibly strange.
"So," Rarity said, nudging him toward a mirror. "What do you think?"
He stared at the mirror. His first instinct was that it was excessively flashy, the kind of thing that would draw too much attention, which was rather the opposite of what he would prefer. Of course, that was a lost cause. Simply showing up as a changeling was going to get everypony's attention. Despite what reservations he might have, and the constant feeling of embarrassment, he had to admit he had no idea what would be considered fashionable. "...It's nice," he said, trying to sound like he meant it.
It was apparently not very convincing. "You don't like it," Rarity said, about as convincing at hiding her disappointment. He wouldn't have even needed to feel her emotions to have heard it clearly in her voice.
"I don't know anything about fashion," he said quickly. "I'm sure you're a much better judge of what is and isn't fashionable than I could hope to be. If you think this is what would impress other ponies, then... I'll trust your word on it." He looked back to the mirror, turning to puff out his chest a bit, looking over the ensemble. The cloud-like gems were a kind of neat touch, and the hoof, head, and chest-pieces gave a somewhat armored, sleek, striking appearance. It was enough to coax a little smile from him. At least, until he realized that such a potentially aggressive look might not be the best impression to be sending. "Um, are you sure it isn't too... flashy?"
"Oh, don't worry about that," Rarity said. "We want something that gets you noticed, after all. I had originally considered a gold-on-black theme, but silver seemed more subtle, and I think it works better with the sapphires. Fortunately, just about every color goes well with black."
"I guess," he said, still looking himself over. To tell the truth, it was kind of growing on him. He still felt embarrassingly gussied up, but the way the thin plates settled flush against his carapace kind of worked, more like they were accents of color. He didn't know if it was fashionable at all, but at least he could see some appeal.
Besides, everypony was probably much more likely to notice the changeling, rather than what he was wearing.
Twilight brought him back from his thoughts. "We should probably get going. We don't want to be late for the train."
Right. Now he got to wear it outside, where other ponies could see him.
Near mid-day, the streets were full of ponies, much to Sky's unease. He would have balked at it, tried to find some back way, or simply flown over the rooftops, but he knew better. As bad as it might be here, it was going to be worse in Canterlot. Small steps at a time.
Fortunately, the reaction was surprisingly mild, mostly curiosity, with only the slightest bit of unease. Either word had gotten around enough that seeing a changeling in their midst wasn't as shocking as it otherwise would have been, or his outfit was ridiculous enough to have distracted them from the fact that it was being worn by a changeling.
Approaching the train station, Sky could see that it was busier than usual. As they drew nearer, it became obvious that the small crowd of ponies, a few dozen, weren't there as passengers. They were waiting for them. He could sense his friends tensing up slightly as they came to the same realization.
Fear of a confrontation started to well up inside him, only to fade away a moment later. There seemed to be no hostile emotion coming from the crowd, only the faintest hint of nervousness. Instead he felt mostly curiosity and, surprisingly, compassion.
"Good luck in Canterlot," called out a familiar voice. He hesitated, looking over the group until he saw the familiar face of Silver Scroll. She smiled encouragingly, and he, surprised by the gesture, smiled back. Many of the other faces were unfamiliar to him, but a few others stood out. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and a particularly excited Scootaloo stood near the front of the pack. A few other faces were particularly surprising. There was Bon Bon, alongside that green unicorn he had seen her with before. She was smiling, and gently nudged the unicorn, who looked up to give him a nervous smile. He was struck by the turmoil in her emotions, and almost had to shut out his senses again; she was afraid of him, and confused, but the emotion he sensed the most from her was hope. Hope directed toward him. And there was Golden Harvest, giving off a similar array of emotions, though her smile was more confident.
They had come to wish him luck. The realization was strange, almost shocking even. Here he was, one of the creatures that had attacked Canterlot, even attacked a few of the ponies here, and yet they had came here, wishing the best for him. He smiled back at them, giving a little nod of thanks before he was ushered into the train.
The trip was mostly silent. Or at least, Sky was silent. Pinkie Pie was as excitable as ever, contemplating what they might do at the party that evening -- ugh, he did not want to think of that. His stomach felt like it was turning over in anxiety any time the thought came up. The only consolation was that it was less terrifying than the prospect of facing the Princesses, a meeting that would determine his fate. In contrast, thinking of the party was almost pleasant. Pinkie's increasingly unlikely speculations were at least amusing, as were Rarity's futile attempts to convince her that it wasn't that kind of party.
For the most part, however, his companions were as quiet as he was. It was one of the times he was thankful for this strange ability to sense emotions. Without it, he may well have assumed that they were silent for the same reason he was, anxiety about what awaited them in Canterlot. Instead, any time he focused his senses on Twilight, he could feel the soft, pleasant sensation of her confidence. It was one little piece of reassurance as the miles quickly melted away, the city drawing closer and closer.
All too soon, they were drawing up to the station. Sky was already breathing hard, peering out through the windows. He remembered there being lots of ponies in Canterlot, but not this many ponies. He certainly hadn't noticed so many guards. He didn't even notice his faint tremble until he felt the soft touch on his shoulder, and looked back to see Fluttershy, smiling encouragingly. He couldn't help smiling back at the sight, accompanied by that wonderful wave of emotion.
"Don't worry," she said in her soft voice. "We'll be right there with you."
He reached up, placing a hoof affectionately on her foreleg. "Thank you, Fluttershy. I just... thank you." He couldn't find the right words to express himself, but by the happy sound the gesture had drawn from her, he didn't need to.
Passengers were exiting the train. It was time to go. He considered waiting, leaving last, but that could go poorly. They had a private car to themselves, but some of the other passengers must know that there was a changeling on board, and that meant it was only a matter of time until the guards found out. Better to go out and meet them, rather than have them alarmed and searching for him.
They gathered at the exit. He had to admit, they made a strange-looking group. A changeling decked out in a silver jewelry-outfit, with six ponies clad in beautiful dresses. Well, it was sure to get some sort of reaction, he mused. Twilight gave them a final, encouraging nod, echoed by several of the others, and opened the door. They stepped out onto the platform.
There was no immediate panic. In fact, the initial response was rather subdued. For several moments, it seemed nopony had noticed them, everypony focused on their own business. Then he caught the sudden pangs of surprise and unease. Not quite full-blown fear, but obvious alarm. Several ponies were looking at him now, as they started to walk down the platform to the main entrance. Most stood and gawked, a few more backing away to a safer distance. The reaction started to spread through the crowd, a few cries of surprise going out, a few quickly making their exit, but most ponies simply standing back and watching. He looked anxiously about at the see of alarmed faces.
Finally, his eyes came across the guard who had just stepped onto the platform, his eyes wide and staring at him. "Sergeant!" the armored stallion yelled out in a startled voice, and within moments almost a dozen guards were surging out onto the platform, several spears leveled at them. The sudden action spurred a surge of fear in the crowd as ponies saw a potential confrontation forming before their eyes.
Sky cringed at the surge of fear coming from the crowd and the alarmed anger coming from the guards, again trying to block out the emotions.
Twilight was stepping forward to the guard who seemed to be in charge, distinguished by a more vivid blue-and-white helmet plume among the blue of the other guards. "Sir-"
"Stand aside!" he shouted. The guards were spreading out and closing in.
"Sir-"
He cut her off just as quickly as the first time. "Glitter Shield, take her. Squad, detain those ponies until they can be scanned, and don't let that changeling escape!"
"Sergeant!" Twilight shouted, uncharacteristically loud and angry, the scroll bearing the royal seal floating by her head. "We have an invitation from Princess Celestia herself and a royal decree guaranteeing our free passage. Now stand your guards down, unless you want to explain this misconduct to her yourself!"
An instant later, the realization that she had just yelled at a sergeant of the royal guard dawned on her, judging by the sudden nervously embarrassed expression on her face. Fortunately, the sergeant didn't notice, his attention instead caught by the royal seal emblazoned upon the scroll. He snatched it away with his magic, quickly reading it over before concentrating a moment. An instant later, a confused expression took the place of his scowl. "It's legitimate. But why in Equestria is that thing here?" He pointed his spear at Sky, who reflexively cringed back, despite being many spear-lengths away.
"That thing is named Sky," Twilight said, disapproval at the manner of address having brought back some of her fire. "And he is part of my entourage, here under the invitation of Princess Celestia."
Soon they were having a quiet argument, while the rest of the guards stood around, looking increasingly confused. Many of them were still eying Sky. He tried giving a nervous smile in return, hoping it might encourage them to relax, but it seemed to just make them more suspicious.
The argument didn't last long, and quickly became very one-sided. The guard had quickly recognized her name. Twilight Sparkle, personal protege of Princess Celestia, one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, repeat savior of Equestria, and sister of his commanding officer. Now he was insisting that a couple of his guards accompany her, and her "entourage," through town. "To prevent similar incidents," he claimed, though Sky suspected he didn't like the idea of a changeling wandering freely around town without any of the guards keeping their eyes on him. Twilight conceded on this point, however. No need to be overly aggressive about it, and it wasn't as if they could interfere, unless Sky did something stupid, which was always a possibility.
By now, the crowd, minus the few who had fled, had settled down. Likely, they were surprised to see the guards talked down, and the talk of royal invitations had apparently caught some curiosity.
Panic averted, the guards moved aside to allow them to pass, a pair of them trailing along at the rear of the group. Sky walked unsteadily at first, breathing hard, trying to slow the pounding of his heard. The adrenaline wasn't helping, every part of him feeling wound up, anxious, screaming at him to move, run, fly, fight, whatever, anything except walking calmly along.
They passed through the front doors of the station and out onto the street. Several ponies there were startled to see him, nervous for a moment, before subduing to curiosity. Likely, the sight of a pair of guards flanking the changeling had reassured them that all was well.
"Well then," Twilight said, relieved. "We've got about an hour until that garden party is supposed to start. Shall we?"
"Do we have to go?" Sky asked, voice still shaky from the adrenaline.
Twilight looked to him sympathetically. "The Princess was hoping to meet us there."
He nodded. It wouldn't do him any good for them to be absent when she showed up, and he really didn't feel comfortable with the idea of separating from them. He'd have to go, it seemed.
Still, an hour gave him some time. They didn't have to go straight there. The idea resonated in his head, and a moment later came to a sudden thought. "Could we stop by somewhere, along the way?"
Familiar streets led the way. Sky followed them quietly, trying not to wince at the faint sensation that pricked up every time a new pony came to the sudden realization that a changeling was walking down the street. Each sensation was short lived, a momentary surprise-panic before their minds processed the scene, the cluster of ponies around him, the guards, and that fear faded to a gentler concern and curiosity, and all too often, hatred. It ranged from a superficial distaste through consuming, rage-filled hatred, and each one sent a pang of guilt through him.
He felt so weary. The adrenaline from the earlier confrontation had long since faded, leaving him feeling sluggish in its wake. The constant barrage of fear and anger was wearing him down, his mind starting to go numb to the sensation.
His mind drifted to darker thoughts, fueled by the emotions seeping into him. How had he handled it, before? The faint flickers of fear and hatred must be nothing compared to when he had been here before, during the invasion. It would be no passing surprise, or scattered hatred. Had he been better at closing off that sense? He wanted to think so, but instead, his thoughts drifted to the queen. Chrysalis had enjoyed it. She had taken in the pain, the fear, the futile anger, and she had enjoyed every moment of it. Had he?
The thoughts were banished by another familiar sight. A sign dangling from a cafe, painted as a large, smiling flower. He stared at it a moment, until he could finally will himself to move again.
Behind him, Twilight hesitated, then turned to the guards. She could have made a demand, waved the royal decree at them, but instead, she simply asked. "Could you stay here? Please?" They wavered, looking at the changeling walking away. Reluctantly, they nodded. Twilight trotted away to rejoin Sky.
As they approached the cafe, customers quickly began to take notice. He was just ascending the steps up to the front patio when Sunflower stepped past the tables, coming to see what the commotion was.
They both flinched back. She withdrew a step, startled fear surging through her at the sight of a changeling only a couple yards away, and he cringed at the horrible sensation coming from her. Even expecting the reaction hadn't softened the blow any.
Fortunately, it seemed the sight of the changeling cringing back stirred something in her. The fear swiftly faded away to the background. She just stood there, perfectly still.
This was a dumb idea, he thought. He wasn't sure what he was expecting. The changelings had done horrible things here, and these were the ponies most directly affected by it. Here he was, just waltzing right up to somepony likely traumatized by the experience -- by him -- and expecting it to go well. He slumped a bit, head drooping. No, he shouldn't be here. Being here was just going to make things worse. "I'm... sorry," he murmured, turning to leave.
Those words seemed to jar something loose in Sunflower. "Wait. What?"
He halted, glancing back at her. She seemed confused and concerned. Part of him wanted to simply continue on and leave, but he hesitantly turned back to her. There was no point in leaving right away, the damage had been done. He came all the way here and startled this poor mare, he should see it through. His voice shuddered faintly, throat tight. "I... I remember you, from the attack. I think I attacked you. I think I might have hurt you. I just... I wanted to say I'm sorry. For everything."
She was looking at him as if nothing he had said made any sense. He supposed, in a way, that it didn't. One of the creatures that had gleefully attacked her was here now, apologizing for what it had done. Her eyes roamed over him, as if searching for answers, then looked over the ponies that had followed him here. There was the strangest sense of surprise and recognition.
"You're that pegasus," she said, having drawn the connection. "From a few days after the attack. You're Sky?"
He nodded weakly. So she realized who he was. How he'd talked to her under the unwitting disguise of another pony.
She was shaking her head now, looking halfway lost in thought. "No..." He winced at the rejection, but she continued on. "No, I think you're mistaken."
"I... I'm sorry," he said, lamely. "I'll go."
He was starting to turn away when she spoke again. "No. I don't think any of the monsters that attacked me would be here apologizing for it."
Glancing back to her, he was suddenly struck by what he didn't perceive. There was no anger or hatred. Even more surprisingly, he could feel a faint trickle of compassion. Confusion welled up in his mind. "But... I did attack you."
"Maybe," she said, quietly. She was looking at him very seriously, considering him a moment before speaking again. "But... now you're here. Would... would you do it again?"
"No!" he blurted, then somewhat more restrained, "No, never."
A faint smile crossed her face. "You don't sound like you're one of the monsters that attacked me." He wasn't sure how to take that, still so confused by her reaction. She continued, "Maybe you were before, but... I think that's changed, hasn't it?"
When he didn't respond, her smile grew a bit more. "Consider that 'apology accepted.'"
He shuddered, a tension he hadn't realized had been building suddenly leaving his body. He looked back to her, vision blurring slightly as his eyes threatened to tear up, and managed a weak smile. The sensation coming from Sunflower was still weak, but warm and friendly.
Another thought suddenly occurred to him. He fumbled at the small pouch hung at his belly, extracting a few coins to offer to her. "Um... here. For the sandwich and drink."
Sunflower looked skeptically at the offered bits, as if trying to figure out what he meant. Realization came a moment later, and she smiled again, raising a hoof. Unexpectedly, she gently pushed his own hoof back. "It was a gift. You don't pay for gifts." She considered a moment later, then added, "Though you can always order another, if you're that eager to give me bits."
Food seemed like a poor choice just before attending a party, which was sure to offer plenty. However... "How about some of those drinks?" he asked.
Her smile grew a bit wider. "Sure thing."
A few minutes later, they were walking through the streets again, and Sky was almost giddy. So far, things had gone better than he had hoped for. Sunflower even seemed to like him, despite their past. Relief and happiness filled him, lending a bounce to his step that hadn't been there in days.
It was made a little more awkward by the cup cradled in one hoof, leaving Sky to somewhat awkwardly hobble along on three legs. He really didn't know how Pinkie Pie managed it so smoothly. His mood was so improved that he didn't even make note of the confused reactions of the ponies he passed in the street.
Still, this was somewhat awkward, he thought. Encouraged by the good mood, and acting on a sudden whim, he embraced the thought of desire that ran through his thoughts.
A moment later he was staring straight forward at his cup, floating in front of his face and cloaked in a faint shimmer of green.
Surprised, he came to an abrupt halt, and the green aura vanished. He lunged forward, fore-hooves fumbling at the cup, only barely able to catch the cup in time. He sat there, in the middle of the street, cup clutched to his chest.
And then he let out a laugh. Again he thought of that desire, admiring the subtle but complex thoughts that flowed from it, and a moment later he shakily lifted the cup again in his magical grip. It was unsteady, and his control was poor, but he did it. He couldn't help but let out a happy squeal.
"Reflexive," Twilight said softly, beaming at him, and he happily returned the grin before turning back to his drink, tanking a long sip. He swore it tasted even better than it had before.
The actions of this strange changeling back at the cafe had evidently had some effect even on the guards following them. Personal distrust had faded to a mere professional attentiveness, and one of them even allowed a faint chuckle at the overjoyed changeling, looking much like a foal who had just learned a new trick. The other guard didn't join in the chuckle, though likely only because he took the momentary distraction to sneak another sip of his own drink, provided by the changeling and his friends for their escorts.
The good mood carried with them through the streets, right until he came to the sight of the palace's main gate, and the knowledge of what lay beyond. Dozens, maybe hundreds of upper-class ponies, in the palace grounds, with him, stuck in the middle of it all. The happy mood was immediately subdued, buoyed only by the happy feelings of his friends.
Their escort stepped forward to inform the gate guard of the situation. Apparently the word had already reached them, as they only eyed Sky skeptically, while their escorts clarified the situation. Soon they were ushered in; Twilight hadn't even needed to bring out the royal decree again.
Entering the broad lawn that served as the central area of the garden party, Sky was struck by just how different the reaction was. The surprised moment of fear was familiar, but what followed was... colder. Nervousness seemed largely negated by the presence of guards. None of them seemed curious about him, at least personally. Disdain, however, came strongly from most of the crowd.
He didn't belong here. That was the obvious thought.
He also gathered from the look of most of his friends that they felt the same of themselves.
Twilight spoke, sounding a little more nervous than usual. "Well, Rarity. This would be your forte. You should probably take charge."
"Indeed," Rarity replied, stepping up next to Sky. "The most important thing is to mingle and be friendly. Show them that you can be refined and respectable."
He very much doubted his chances with that. He hadn't the slightest clue how to behave at a fancy gathering like this. And mingle? What was he going to talk about? "Nice town, glad we didn't completely wreck it?"
The pang of nervousness was distracted by a sly grin from Rarity. "Aaand... I had been thinking of something that might just help us."
That conspiratorial look was a little worrying, he had to admit. "...What's that?"
"Well, the hardest part is going to be finding sympathetic ears that are willing to listen, rather than simply dismissing you from the start. And it just so happens that you can sense emotions." She tilted her head toward the gathering. "Perhaps you could find ponies who are more likely to be receptive, who don't seem as displeased to see you here."
He paused, turning his head to look over the crowd.
"...Preferably without being too obvious and staring at them," Rarity added, softly.
He ducked his head. Right, discreet. It did feel vaguely underhanded, but he was only looking for somepony who would be willing to talk, nothing more. That wasn't too manipulative, was it? "Maybe those two, over at the right of the fountain?"
Rarity hardly even glanced. "Ah, yes. I remember meeting them at a charity dinner. Seemed like a very reasonable couple. Come, we'll work our way over to them."
She did not lead him straight over, instead setting a wandering course, making a few greetings and even stopping to chat for a few moments. She seemed to know several of the attendees, if by name only in a few cases, and a few of the ponies seemed to relax in their opinion of him after a few words. She encouraged him to speak, offering a few questions to him, and he did his best to answer politely, though he was a bit brief in his nervousness.
The two he had pointed out actually approached them, rather early on. They were genuinely curious about him, and he managed to loosen up just a little, enough to carry on a conversation. It made for some progress, but not much. Any time Sky thought it was going particularly well, he would look around to see that out of the party of a hundred or so, only half a dozen seemed to have opened up to him, and even then only barely. Most of the crowd only regarded him with disdain, as if they were scandalized by his presence. He had even seen several leave the party, and some of them were rather less than quiet about their reasons.
Before too long, Sky had retreated to the edge of the main lawn. He got less glares there, at least. Rarity was still out socializing -- and trying to pass good word of him, she assured them -- but the rest of his friends had joined him.
"Well, it's goin' better than most of the fancy parties we've been to," Applejack said, kicked back with a large plate of hors d'oeuvres that she was snacking from. "No sign of property damage or impending injuries."
Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, was laying by Twilight, trying to give the unicorn her best puppy-dog eyes. "Pleeeease?"
"No, Pinkie," Twilight sighed, for what must have been the twentieth time. Apparently she thought better than to let Pinkie indulge any of her plans to "improve" the party. Staving off the inevitable repetition of the question she added, "If it's any better, we can do a proper party tomorrow."
Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was practically fuming off on the side. She had gotten in an argument with one of the other guests. He hadn't heard what it was, and she refused to say, but... There was a subtle change in her emotions when he asked that made him think it was about him.
Sitting on the sidelines, and receiving mainly angry glares from the other party guests, Sky just wished for it all to be over.
A few minutes later, he noticed a sudden shift in the mood of the crowd. Some commotion had drawn their attention, and a moment later he saw the reason making its way through the crowd. Celestia had arrived.
Sky felt a cold rush of fear go through him. Previous encounters meant nothing compared to this. Then, he had been worried about being socially awkward or uncouth, offending the Princess in some manner, but the worst outcome there was a reprimand or disapproval. Now, seeing her approach through the reverential crowd, he feared for his life. She was a being of immense power, able to move the sun itself through the sky, ruler of an entire kingdom and guardian of its subjects, and he had wronged her.
He tried to keep from shaking as memories of his dreams crept through his head. She had not yet looked at him, turning her head back-and-forth to greet various ponies, but her course was set straight for him. More distant guests watched the procession, and several had cast smug, dark glances his way. Their thoughts were obvious enough: "Now you're going to get it."
Wisps of her happiness and compassion tickled at his mind, beautiful and enticing. He recoiled, fighting to close off his senses, terrified of the reaction she would have to him intruding upon her emotions.
Closer and closer. Celestia's wings were held loosely out from her sides, framing her appearance and making her already grand figure seem just that little bit larger. A few steps closer, and she turned her gaze forward, toward Sky and his companions. He had to force himself to not back away, but he couldn't keep himself from ducking his head, fearfully. A few faces in the crowd grinned at that reaction. Celestia still smiled.
"Twilight Sparkle," she said, in her clear, beautiful voice.
Then her gaze turned to Sky. He stared fearfully into her radiant, smiling face, his heart practically stopping. "Sky." He narrowly restrained a whimper.
"Everypony," she continued, looking over the rest of the group. He gasped faintly, breathing again now that her attention had moved on without leaving the smoldering husk of a changeling in its wake. "I do hope that you are all enjoying the party?"
He missed most of the short conversation; Applejack had complimented the food, while Twilight seemed mostly eager to talk with Celestia. It was a brief visit, though. "I am afraid I can not stay and enjoy the party with you. Duty calls." She sighed slightly, then smiled again. "May I see you all afterward? We'll be finishing at ten, and I think we have a few things to catch up on."
Sky thought that sounded horribly ominous. Maybe, just maybe, it could be innocent, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it.
"We'd love to," Twilight said.
Celestia nodded in return. "Good. Enjoy the rest of the party, and I will look forward to seeing you tonight."
Now she was leaving, Sky watching as she made her way back out of the party. Several other ponies were looking on, seeming surprised, even disappointed, that Sky was still there.
He sat heavily, no longer trusting his legs to hold him up. Relief swept through him. She hadn't obliterated him, hadn't had the guards imprison him, she hadn't even spoken to him harshly. In fact, she didn't even seem to react to him at all. "...Celestia isn't blind, right?"
"What?" Twilight said, surprised. "Of course not!"
"...Okay," he said, trying to think. Surely she didn't find it unimportant that there was a changeling standing right there. Oh, she'd even addressed him by name! She knew he was a changeling, and had been there under disguise before! That couldn't be the kind of thing she would just overlook. But why didn't she say or do anything? Was she just waiting for them to meet up tonight, so he could be dealt with away from the public eye?
He sat there, mind racing. He really did not want any part of this party, much preferring to just sit here, unnoticed, trying not to think of what could go wrong.
Some of the other guests, however, had other ideas.
"Excuse me?"
Sky looked up to see a well-dressed stallion looking at him, with a polite smile. He spoke again. "I couldn't help but notice you speaking with the Princess..."
The visit had apparently drawn a different sort of interest to him. Seeing what appeared to be a favorable visit from Celestia, several of the guests ventured to speak with Sky. Something in the tone of the party had changed. While it was obvious enough that many still did not like his presence, a good number of the other guests made their way over to indulge their curiosity. Some were doing it for purely selfish reasons, he could tell. Likely, they wanted to be seen giving attention to the same things as the Princess, or simply desired a good story of the evening. Some, however, seemed genuinely curious about him, and a few now seemed pleased by his presence.
It wasn't enough to make the formal party fun for him, but at least it distracted him from worrying.
Plodding down the hall of the palace after the party, the worrying had returned full-force.
Sky hardly even noticed the servants, of which there were still many, even this late in the evening. Most of them were either too preoccupied or to experienced to make any visible reaction to an unusual guest. Instead, his attention was turned mostly inward, to his thoughts and fears. He quietly followed Twilight and their escort through the halls, only occasionally looking around.
Something in him half expected to see those flames creeping up along the walls.
Reaching the grand double-doors at the end, Sky stopped. He had the sudden urge to look back, the images of his dreams tickling at his mind. There was nothing there, of course.
The doors opened. He hesitated, standing still a moment, before following the others in. They entered a huge conservatory, the walls and ceiling open to the sky beyond. During the day, it would have offered a grand, sweeping view of the land below, but now it showed the night sky, the sparkling lights of thousands of stars spread out above them. And there, at the edge of the terrace, sat the Princesses.
"Welcome," Princess Celestia called out to them. They approached, making their greetings. All except Sky, who followed along silently, eyes cast down to the ground. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself, as futile as that was sure to be.
"Sky."
He twitched, looking up to Celestia, who was looking straight at him with a faint smirk. He tried not to shrink back under her gaze. "P-Princess..."
The smirk faded, and a sadness entered her thoughts. Sky cringed back, panic threatening to overcome him as that happy, peaceful expression started to fade and darken.
She sighed softly. "I suppose this has gone on long enough. Please, Sky, sit."
He did as he was told, mechanically following her instructions. He wanted to run, to leap off the terrace and fly as fast as he could go, but he knew he couldn't hope to escape. He couldn't run, he couldn't fight, his only prospect was to hope for mercy.
Celestia waited for him to sit before continuing. "I hadn't realized that this was going to be so hard upon you. Please, do not be afraid. I don't want any of my subjects to fear me." She offered a faint, encouraging smile.
He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Certainly he didn't feel any less fear, even though he didn't sense any hostile emotion from her. He winced again, trying to force away the emotions.
"I am sorry you found this so frightening," Celestia said, looking somewhat concerned now. "There isn't anything to worry about, Sky. If I had thought ill of you, I would never have agreed to Twilight's request, or have extended an invitation to that party."
"But you didn't..." Sky hadn't meant to speak, but her words had confused him. It didn't make sense at first, but then realization struck. "...you knew?"
Celestia's smile grew a little, and she nodded. "For almost as long as Twilight Sparkle did, I suspect. It was rather tempting to intervene, but I have put my trust in her many times before. I knew she would be capable of handling things herself."
Sky glanced back to Twilight, who looked torn between anxiety at the situation and happiness at the compliment. Then he looked back to Celestia. "So... what happens now?"
"Now?" Celestia said, sounding amused. "Well, next I had been thinking of having a snack before going to bed."
Sky blinked, drawing a soft chuckle from Celestia, followed by a wave of her hoof. "Relax, Sky. Twilight would not have arranged a surprise visit to plead your case to me if you had not proven yourself to her and her friends, and that is more than sufficient for me."
"So..." Sky nervously fidgeted. "That's... That's it, then?"
"Of course. There's certainly going to be no banishing or..." Celestia paused, then looked over to Twilight. "How did it go again? Thrown in a dungeon in the place they were banished to?" Twilight blushed, drawing a soft giggle from Celestia. "I don't know where some ponies get these ideas."
Even before saying it, he knew it was a bad idea. "...Even though I helped attack Canterlot?"
He had expected her expression to falter or fade, or even turn to anger. He hadn't expected the smile to grow. "Yes, Sky. Forgiveness is important. It is something that I hope can be extended to every being that truly seeks it, regardless of what they may have been in the past. Do you remember what I told you, on our first meeting?"
"...Yes?" he answered, uncertainly. She had said quite a few things, and he wasn't sure which one she was referring to.
She must have noticed that uncertainty. "Every pony has done something they regret. They do not, however, have to let that shape their future. All I would ask is that you try to lead a good life."
He nodded, silently.
"You knew?" Twilight asked, looking to Celestia. "At that first visit, you knew?"
Celestia just smiled and nodded to her student, before looking back to Sky.
"That said, there is something I would like to ask of you."
"What is that?" Sky asked, full of trepidation at the sudden change in the conversation.
However, Celestia just smiled. "These events have given me some hope, Sky. Hope that you will not be the last changeling to desire peaceful relations. Hope that you can serve as an example of how we can exist in harmony, rather than as foes. I don't imagine that it will be easy, that prejudice can be averted so simply, or that all changelings would accept our friendship. It will take much work... and I would like your help."
Sky blinked in surprise. "My help?
"Yes," she said with a nod. "An ambassador of good will, so to speak. Somepony who can show ponies that changelings are not all monsters, and who can show changelings that we can coexist openly and peacefully. Somepony who can act as a diplomat. If you're willing."
"I..." he stared flatly, completely lost at the thought. Here he had still not entirely convinced himself that he was going to leave this conversation alive and un-imprisoned, and he was being asked for help, even offered what sounded to be a highly-placed job, by the Princess herself!
"I'm afraid it won't offer much work, particularly at first. Other than showing up here on occasion, there's little that could be done. You could even keep your residence in Ponyville, if you desired," Celestia said with a slight smirk, sweetening the offer.
"I... yes!" he said, starting to smile despite his unease. The expression brought out a grin from Celestia.
"Good! I won't bore you with all the details now, it's far too late for such official business. I will arrange to have something sent to you in Ponyville. Now then," she said with a chuckle, "I have refrained from prying for far too long, and my curiosity has been rather hard to restrain. If you would be willing, I would love to hear what has occurred since your last visit."
The conversation was at least a good distraction from his own thoughts. He talked of the past weeks, soon joined by his friends, adding their own details and perspectives, while Celestia and Luna listened attentively. Before long, he let himself go with the more relaxed atmosphere of the gathering, and by the time the story had finished, his worries had faded to the background. He was even smiling, again.
Eventually, Princess Luna rose. Her voice was firm and clear, but friendly. "Unfortunately, we have duties we must attend to. And thou needest thine rest, dear sister. My nights are short in the summer, and thy dawn comes early."
Celestia heaved a reluctant sigh, rising as well. "Yes, indeed it does. Summer makes me envy how soundly you can sleep when it is still light out." She leaned in to fondly nuzzle her sister, before turning to say her goodbyes to her guests.
As Celestia walked gracefully away, Luna stepped up next to Sky. She stood there silently a moment, looking down to him. He sensed sadness in her, and concern, but also a curious sympathy. "Thou art finding this difficult, are thou not?"
He nodded awkwardly. "Yes, Princess."
She smiled. "Please, call me Luna."
"Of course," he said quickly. It seemed a strange contradiction, the formal-sounding speech combined with the request for a more informal mode of address, but who was he to question a Princess?
"It gets better," she said, softly. When he looked questioningly at her, she continued. "The ponies of this land can be very forgiving, even to the worst of foes. Surely thou hast witnessed this."
He nodded.
"But thou art still concerned. Not just by them, but by thine own actions."
He nodded again.
"Of course," she said gently. "Other ponies can be very forgiving, but forgiving thyself can be much more challenging. It will take time, but it shall get better." She smiled knowingly. "Take this from a pony who knows."
Sky looked to her curiously, opening his mouth to question her, but she had turned away, following after her sister. He stood there, silent, until Twilight stepped up beside him. She was smiling at him.
"Come on, Sky. We should get some sleep, too."
He smiled back, and looked over the faces of his friends, all gathered here to support him. The worry and anxiety of the day faded behind him, leaving a wonderful feeling of happiness. "Thank you. All of you."
"Are you looking forward to going home?"
Home. Ponyville. He had his friends. His apartment. His work. And now, he had hope again. His life lay free before him. The specter of doom was gone, and through the lingering worry and regret, his future waited, with all the joys he had dreamed of.
"Yes. Yes I am."
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If anyone knows about how hard it is to cforgive yourself, it would be Luna, wouldn't it?
In retrospect, it should have been obvious that Celestia knew and that this was a sort of test, both of Twilight's ability to handle the situation on her own and of Sky's true intentions. If Twilight could work out Sky's identity on relatively circumstantial evidence, Celetia probably coudl see right through his camouflage with her first glance. However, she is skilled at seeing the person inside and that is why she acts the way that she does.
The interaction with Sunflower was particularly interesting; it put me in mind of the moment in the second of the Bourne movies where Bourne goes to visit the daughter of his first victims to apologise. It is less an apology as it is being given an absolution in the face of true penitance.
1147982
At least I have been told the most recent movie has no redeeming value... *Crosses hooves*
Lovely. Now you've given me a reason to actually watch the sequel to that horrid movie.
Wow, I realy enjoy reading this story, and the reaction of ponies, guard, and even Celestia and Luna were well made, I wonder why this story is not more popular, hardly any comments at all.
Will there be a sequel?
Funny thing: back when such distinction existed in the English language, "thou" was singular, and "you" was plural or formal. Thus, in reality, whenever Luna says "thou", she is being familiar and non-formal. The opposite of what most modern readers will get from that word.
As a popular song says: "And isn't it ironic, don't you think?"
I got a startling image of a gangster all blinged up with 6 eyecandy girls when sky came out of the train.
"Hey, that new guy that waged open war on Canterlot a month ago and just had a PTSD breakdown and thinks he's evil? Let's send him to a high-class party full of stuffy, judgmental aristocrats that were right in the middle of the attack."
"Why stop there? Let's dress him up in faux war armor!"
Seriously though, this story is good.
The conversation at least a good distraction from his own thoughts.
there should be a "was" in there somewhere.
Dat outfit...
I want fanart of that, dammit!
Would be a hilarious start
Well, that was a lovely ending. Onto the epilogue!
)
(gods, I'm gonnabe a total wreck at work tomorrow
2608527 down boy.
If Rarity had stuck with gold along with the sapphires, he could have been decked out like a Protoss! Yeah, en taro Celestia!
Rarity telling Pinkie "not that kind of party" reminded me of this scene from "best night ever":
Since this is being thought and not spoken, shouldn't it be in single quotes or italics?
led
also, scene break just prior
discreet.
thy
art
reminds me of a story where a changeling queen (NOT Chrysalis) had her leg-holes filled in with something like glowing Amber.
8325771
Anything but corks. That's just going too far, even if it does make it easier to swim.
Go figure Celestia didn't send word ahead about him coming to Canterlot. :V
8616307
What? But how about a cork ball stuck over his horn--for safety's sake?
Those things are rather pointed, you know.
8325771
I literally just read that fic, right before reading this one.
You’re definitely talking about Flitter