//------------------------------//
// Introduction and Round 1 
// Story: Spot That Changeling 
// by Inspector Brown 
//------------------------------//

	“Okay, everypony, here are the rules,” Spike said to his six pony friends.  “The six of you will close your eyes and tap your hooves against the table until I tell you to stop.  The tapping will cover up any noise we happen to make.”  By “we,” he meant himself and the changeling standing beside him.  “Thorax will choose which of you he will try to impersonate.  I will escort the pony he chose out of the room.  When I tell you to open your eyes, it will look like nothing has changed, but one of your friends will secretly be a changeling.
“For the ponies who remain at the table, your job is to use logic, communication, and sheer gut instinct to determine which of the ponies you see is not who they appear to be.  Remember, no bringing up personal details or inside jokes that only the six of you would know.  The round ends when four out of the six of you can come to an agreement about who you think is really Thorax in disguise.  Then, I’ll bring the dismissed pony back into the room, and the truth will be revealed.
“If you all guess right, you get a point.  If Thorax fools you, he gets a point.  First side to five points wins the match.  Questions?”
“Just one,” said Rainbow Dash.  “Not that I’m not totally psyched to beat a changeling at his own game, but, why are we doing this?”
“Because we need to be vigilant against all conceivable threats,” Twilight Sparkle explained.  “If a changeling infiltrated our group, and disrupted the harmony of our friendship, all of Equestria could be in jeopardy.  Personally, if I’m going to be fooled by a changeling, I’d rather that changeling be a friend than a foe.”
“And besides,” Thorax added, “if I get good at impersonating you guys, I could serve as a decoy to protect you from any other villainous threats.”
“Yes, that too,” Twilight agreed.
“Okay,” said Spike, “now that that’s settled, let’s begin the game of Spot That Changeling!  Everypony close your eyes and start tapping your hooves.”
The sound of twelve hooves rapping was surprisingly quiet, Twilight thought to herself.  It did make a lot of noise, but it was easy enough to tune out.  Plus, Spike could be heard over the noise.  “If you feel me tapping you, you are the one who Thorax is replacing this round.”  Twilight did not feel Spike’s claw on her.  Immediately, her curiosity sprang to life.  Who was Thorax replacing?  Would she be albe to spot him right away?  If she couldn’t ask personal questions, what kind of questions would reveal a changeling?  She didn’t want to admit this to her friends, but the suspense was kind of exciting.
“Okay, you can stop tapping your hooves now, but don’t open your eyes,” Spike instructed.  “Thorax is in position.  I’ll give you just a moment to compose yourselves before you look.”
Twilight took a deep breath to calm her nerves.  She could do this.
“Ready, set, Spot That Changeling!”
Twilight opened her eyes, and true to Spike’s word, nothing looked unusual.  Applejack sat in her throne immediately clockwise from herself, followed by Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.  Twilight looked carefully at each of her friends in turn, as they all did the same.  There was a changeling amongst her friends, but finding him was not going to be as easy as eyeballing him.
It was Rarity who finally broke the silence.  “Well, I must say, whichever of you is Thorax, you’ve done an impressive job so far.  I can’t tell which of my friends you’ve replaced.”
“I know I’m in no position to criticize anyone for bragging,” said Rainbow Dash, as she glared at the pony sitting opposite her, “but that sounded a little self-indulgent to me, Thorax!”
“Excuse me!” Rarity shot back.  “How could you possibly think that I’m the changeling?”
“The changeling could be anypony, Rarity,” Applejack said.  “Don’t take offense to being doubted.”
“But I’m not the changeling!”
“Not that I don’t believe you,” Twilight chipped in, “but that’s exactly what Thorax would say if we asked him.”
Rarity snorted in irritation.
“Just answer honestly,” Applejack said.  “Rarity, are you the changeling?”
“I most certainly am not,” Rarity said flatly.
“Do you think that I’m the changeling?”
Applejack’s second question threw Twilight for a loop.  Why would Applejack ask that question?
“Um…well, I suppose it’s possible,” Rarity said.  “Not that I’m accusing you, mind you.”
Now Twilight got it.  If Rarity were the changeling, she could answer with confidence that Applejack was not.  Her uncertainty was a sign that she was still a pony.
“Okay, let me ask Twilight.” Applejack turned to face her.  “Twilight, are you the changeling?”
“I am not,” Twilight said, hoping her sincerity came across as genuine.
“Do you think I’m the changeling?” Applejack followed up immediately.
“You could be.  For all I know, you could be.”
“Do you think that Rarity is the changeling?”
“Rainbow Dash does have a point,” Twilight admitted.  “Rarity’s comment might have been self-congratulatory.  But honestly, I don’t think Rarity is the changeling.”
“Um, can we please stop calling him ‘the changeling’?” Fluttershy interrupted.  “He’s our friend, and he does have a name.  I think we should use that name.”
“You’re right,” Twilight said.  “Fluttershy, are you Thorax in disguise?”
“No.  I’m not Thorax, I just thought we should use his name out of respect for him.”
“Do you think that I am Thorax in disguise?”
“I don’t know.  He could be anypony.”
“Do you think that Rarity is actually Thorax in disguise?”
“No.  I think Rarity was just trying to be nice.”
“That does seem consistent with her personality,” Pinkie Pie added.
“Yes, and I’m glad so many of my friends noticed that,” Rarity said.  “Well, those of you who are my friends, and are not pretending to be my friends.”  Rarity narrowed her eyes at Rainbow Dash.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow Dash said, putting both front hooves on the table.
“That’s a good point,” Pinkie said.  “Rainbow Dash, are you the changeling?”
At first, it looked like Rainbow was shocked at Pinkie’s accusation.  But then, Rainbow scrunched up her face, and composed herself.  “I am not the changeling,” she said in an even tone.
“Do you think that I’m the changeling?” Pinkie followed, picking up on Applejack’s strategy.
“I don’t want to believe it, but you could be.”
“Are you still suspicious of Rarity, after all the discussion we’ve had?”
“I don’t know,” Rainbow Dash admitted.  “I mean, I guess I see the point you guys are trying to make, but I just can’t rule out the possibility that Rarity might be a changeling.”
“Is there anypony else you suspect, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight jumped in.
Rainbow ran a hoof down her muzzle.  “I noticed Applejack has asked a lot of questions, but nopony has asked her anything yet.  Applejack, are you the changeling?”
“Nope,” Applejack quickly answered.
“Do you think that I’m the changeling?”
“You have been acting pretty suspicious, but I’m not certain.”
“Girls, I thought we agreed not to call him ‘the changeling’, remember?” Fluttershy said.
“I don’t think Thorax would be offended if you called him a changeling,” Pinkie said, “because that’s what he is.”
“Unless you know something that we don’t,” Applejack said to Fluttershy.  “Are you trying to tell us something, Thorax?”
“I’m not Thorax,” Fluttershy said calmly.
“Do you think that I’m Thorax?”
“Not at all,” Fluttershy said.  “You’ve been speaking with an honest demeanor that I’ve come to expect from you, Applejack.”
“Fair enough,” said Applejack.  “But if I’m not the change…er, I mean Thorax, then who do you think is?”
“Oh, I hate to say it,” Fluttershy said, “but I still think it’s Rainbow Dash.  She was just so mean to Rarity over her compliment to Thorax.”
“I disagree,” said Twilight.  “Rainbow Dash was just being overly aggressive, nothing out of the ordinary for her.”
“Oh really?” Fluttershy said back.  “Then you do you think is Thorax in disguise?”
“Right now, I’m leaning towards Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said.  “Pinkie Pie, are you Thorax in disguise?”
Pinkie pursed her lips and shook her head no.
“Okay, do you think that I’m Thorax in disguise?”
“Not at all, your highness,” Pinkie said.  “You have a good head on your shoulders.”
“Wait a second,” Rarity said.  “Pinkie would never address Twilight by her honor title.”
“That’s it, Pinkie’s the changeling!” Rainbow Dash said, pointing an accusatory hoof in Pinkie’s direction.
“No, I’m not!” Pinkie protested.  “I was just trying to be polite!”
“Okay, I’m convinced, it’s Pinkie,” Twilight said, adding her hoof to Rainbow’s.
“Pinkie,” said Rarity.
“Pinkie,” said Applejack.
Pinkie slammed a hoof on the table and pouted.
“That’s four votes for Pinkie Pie,” Spike announced.  “This round is over.  If I can direct your attention to the door, I will reveal the missing pony.”
Everypony watched as Spike walked over to the entrance to the throne room.  He threw the double doors open wide, revealing Pinkie Pie (the real Pinkie Pie) out in the hallway.
“Super job, you guys, I knew you could do it!” Pinkie said as she bounded her way back to her throne.  “Sorry, Thorax, but you picked the wrong pony to mimic.  There’s nopony quite as Pinkie Pie as Pinkie Pie!”
Thorax dropped his glamour and glared at Twilight with his compound eyes.  “I thought we said no personal stuff.  How was I supposed to know Pinkie didn’t call you by your title?”
“None of my friends address me that way,” Twilight explained.  “It makes me feel uncomfortable.”
“And it’s not her fault the matter got into the conversation,” Rarity pointed out.  “You were the one who said it, after all.”
Thorax snorted.  “All right, fine.  But don’t expect me to make the same mistake in the next round.”  He stepped down from Pinkie’s throne, and walked back over to Spike.  Pinkie took her seat.
“That’s one point for the ponies,” Spike said to cheers from his friends.  “Ponies lead one-nothing, playing to five.  Next round, eyes closed, hooves tapping, now!”