//------------------------------//
// Round 7 
// Story: Spot That Changeling 
// by Inspector Brown 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight felt much better going into this round.  Thorax blurting out “horse apples” the moment he had been found out was the funniest thing she had witnessed since the game began.  It felt good to laugh again, after so much annoyance and anger.  She also felt pretty confident in her ability to predict Thorax’s next move.  At least, she was certain he wouldn’t pick Applejack.  Not this round, anyway.  Still, she did believe he wanted to touch all his bases, so to speak.  There would be at least one more round after this where he could.  But right now, Thorax would want an easy win.  Whichever side won this round would be one point away from clenching the match.
“Ready, set, Spot That Changeling!”
Twilight opened her eyes, and watched as everypony trained their eyes onto Applejack.
“No, everypony,” Applejack said before she was even asked, “I am not the changeling.  Again.”
“Well, neither am I,” added Rarity.  “It seems Thorax wasn’t interested in trying to capture my radiance for a second time.  Can’t say that I blame him, though, all things considered.”
“I believe you, Rarity,” said Fluttershy.  “But I’m not sure I believe Applejack.”
Applejack cocked her head at Fluttershy.  “And why, may I ask, is that?”
“It’s the way you said you weren’t the changeling.  You sounded disappointed.  A little too disappointed.”
“It’s only natural,” Twilight interjected.  “Applejack has had to question and doubt her friends for six rounds.  The rest of us have been given a break from the pressure at least once, but she hasn’t.”
“I’m just saying, I think it’s a little suspicious that she felt the need to say she wasn’t the changeling before she was even asked,” Fluttershy said.
“If that’s what you think,” Rarity said, “then why don’t you suspect me?  I said the same thing.”
“Because I don’t think Thorax would pick the same pony twice in a row.”
“I suppose that’s fair,” Rarity said, “but I still don’t believe Applejack is the changeling.”
“Well, then,” said Fluttershy, “who do you believe is the changeling?”
“I am a little suspicious of Rainbow and Pinkie each,” Rarity said.  “We haven’t heard a word out of either of them as of yet.”
“I’m not sure who I suspect right now,” Pinkie said.  “It’s still a little too early in the round to make any reasonably informed judgements.”
“I’m suspicious of Fluttershy,” Rainbow said.  “I didn’t believe for one second that Applejack was the changeling, and Fluttershy’s reasoning sounded pretty phony to me.”
“Now that I think about it,” Applejack said, “Fluttershy has been contributing more to the conversation than she normally does.”
“I thought I was supposed to be contributing to the conversation?” Fluttershy said.
“You are, Fluttershy,” said Twilight.  “But Applejack has a point.  It is uncharacteristic of you to speak up this early in the round.”
“I realize that,” said Fluttershy.  “But in previous rounds, my instincts weren’t as good.  I cast the deciding vote in the first two rounds we lost, so I wasn’t as willing to share my suspicions.  But I was right about Pinkie Pie in round five, and I did suspect Rarity in round six, so I feel more confident now than I did then.  That’s why I’m contributing the conversation more now, not because I’m a changeling.”
“You know what, that actually makes a lot of sense,” said Applejack.  “I believe you, Fluttershy.”
“Well, I don’t,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I mean, I’d be really proud of Fluttershy becoming more confident if I believed she really was Fluttershy.  Buuuut, that story sounds a little too much like a convenient excuse for the sudden shift in her behavior.”
Fluttershy turned to look Pinkie Pie in the eye.  “Pinkie, I am not the changeling.”
“I agree with Pinkie Pie,” said Rainbow Dash, as she pointed her hoof.  “My vote is for Fluttershy.”  Pinkie added her hoof as well.
“I still don’t believe you are the changeling, Fluttershy,” said Applejack, “but Pinkie does make a good point.  Why don’t you tell us who you think the changeling is?”
“To be honest,” said Fluttershy, “I’m still suspicious of you.”  She scrunched up her muzzle in thought.  “Although, now that I think about it, we haven’t heard anything but platitudes from Twilight so far.”
“That’s right,” Rarity said.  “Twilight, darling, are you the changeling?”
“No, I am not,” Twilight said.  “And I don’t believe Applejack is the changeling.  But I don’t think Fluttershy is the changeling either.  Her suspicion of Applejack sounds sincere.  It’s wrong, but it’s sincere.  Right now, my suspicion lies with Rainbow Dash.”
“Why me?” Rainbow said.  “Is it because I’m voting for Fluttershy?  Pinkie’s voting Fluttershy too, why don’t you suspect her?”
“Because she gave us a reason for her vote,” Twilight said.
“I gave you a reason for my vote,” Rainbow countered.  “The real Fluttershy would not be this assertive!  She’s the changeling!”
“I disagree,” Rarity said.  “Fluttershy is usually timid, but her explanation for her sudden boldness sounds reasonable to me.”
“Rarity, you can’t let your concern for Fluttershy cloud your judgement,” Rainbow argued.  “Thorax is just tugging at your heartstrings, making you feel pride for Fluttershy, so you won’t suspect her!”
“May I ask a question?” Fluttershy said.  “Applejack, are you the changeling?”
“Nope,” said Applejack.
“Okay, thank you.”  Fluttershy pointed her hoof at Rainbow Dash.  “Rainbow is the changeling.”
Rainbow chuckled.  “Nice try, Thorax, but everypony here knows you’re just trying to make me look bad for accusing you!”
“Fluttershy’s not doing anything, Rainbow,” said Twilight.  “The only pony making you look bad is you.  That is, if you are who you say you are.”  Twilight pointed her hoof at Rainbow Dash.
“Oh my,” said Rarity.  “It seems we have another battle on our hooves.  Fluttershy and Rainbow have two votes each.”  She turned to Applejack.  “And you and I are the only ones yet to vote.”
“I can’t rightly make up my mind,” said Applejack.  “I trust that Fluttershy is not the changeling, to be certain.  But Rainbow Dash is acting like, well, Rainbow Dash.  I just don’t think either one is the changeling.”
“I’m still more inclined to suspect Rainbow over Fluttershy,” said Rarity, “but I do see your point, Applejack.”
“Let me ask you something, Pinkie,” said Applejack.  “Two things actually.  First, why did you suspect Fluttershy in the first place?”
“Well, I kind of thought Thorax would be playing it safe this round, so I had a hunch it would be Fluttershy,” Pinkie explained.  “Then, when she talked about being more assertive, I guess I thought Thorax was using that as an excuse for being out of character.  So, I jumped on it.”
“Sounds reasonable,” said Applejack.  “Second question, do you still believe Fluttershy’s the changeling?”
“Um-hmm,” Pinkie confirmed.  “She did try to convince us you were the changeling, and then she suddenly pointed a hoof at Rainbow.  I thought that was suspicious.”
“Thank you,” said Applejack.  “Now, I still don’t believe it’s Fluttershy, so that made me suspicious of both Rainbow and Pinkie.  But after talking it over with Pinkie, I believe her reasons for suspecting Fluttershy are genuine.  Therefore,” and she pointed her hoof when she said this, “I’m voting for Rainbow Dash.”
“What?” Rainbow said.  “But you didn’t let me explain myself!  How is that fair?”
“You still have time to explain yourself, Rainbow,” said Rarity.  “You only have three votes on you.  I do suspect you, and I would simply love to cast the deciding vote.  So, if you have anything to say in your defense, you had better say it now.”
“Um…er…well,” Rainbow stammered, “It’s like what Pinkie said.  Fluttershy thought it was AJ, and now she thinks it’s me.  She’s flip-flopping, while trying to pretend to be more assertive!”
“I didn’t flip-flop,” Fluttershy said.  “Applejack convinced me she wasn’t the changeling.”
“So then why did you point your hoof at me all of a sudden?”
“Because you were trying to make my assertiveness out to be some kind of act!”
“Exactly!  You’re just mad because I found you out, Thorax!”
“Okay, I’ve heard enough,” Rarity said, and she pointed her hoof at Rainbow Dash.  “Sorry, but I am not convinced you are still Rainbow, and I don’t want to waste any more time discussing it.”
“Well, that’s four votes on Rainbow,” Spike announced.  “Let us see who you all should have voted for.”  Spike opened the double doors, and revealed Rainbow Dash.  Everypony cheered in victory.  Everypony that is, except Thorax, who was still in his Rainbow Dash glamour.  He pounded a hoof on the table.
“Rainbow Dash is cocky and aggressive,” he said.  “I was cocky and aggressive, it should have fooled you ponies!”
“You were cocky and aggressive to the wrong pony,” said the real Rainbow Dash.  “Flutters and I go way back, I would never pick on her the way you did.”
“Except, you did,” Fluttershy said.  “Out in the woods, after dark, just last month, remember?”
“Not helping,” Rainbow said through her teeth.
Thorax dropped his glamour.  “I just can’t win,” he huffed.  “You ponies have so much history together, so much camaraderie, and I can’t duplicate that.”
“Yeah, we are pretty tight,” said Rainbow.  “But you’re getting better at mimicking us, so that’s something.”
“A flawless glamour is worthless when the ponies you’re trying to fool can see right through it,” Thorax mused.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Rainbow.  “You only have to play one more round with us.  After we beat you, you don’t have to try impersonating us ever again.”
“Rainbow!” Twilight chided.
“What?”
“The ponies take the lead again,” announced Spike, “The score is now four-three, match point for the ponies.  Now, the sooner you start tapping those hooves, the sooner we can start round eight.”