//------------------------------// // The Queen's New Shoes // Story: I Am a Pet Changeling // by Queen Sanguine Dreams //------------------------------// "Agent K?" I asked from the sterility of my Clean Room, "May I have a word?" They looked over the shoulder in surprise for a moment before excusing themself from their ear-based conversation, quickly turning around and placing themself very formally next to Soft, Timid and Rough. "Yes Blue, how can I help?" "Timid-- er, Karol mentioned that the news of my being here on Earth was detected by 'news outlets and the media'. Would I be able to speak with them?" I asked cautiously. I had no experience in speaking with large crowds, but If I was to survive as a Queen on this... planet, then I would have to inform the humans that I didn't intend to harm them. "I would strongly advise against that, Blue." Agent K warned. "The Media likes to take a spin on things to get ratings and to turn everything into a catastrophe so they can provide 'updates' on the situation. Nothing good can come from meeting them." "We already have a video of Blue dancing on youtube, what harm is there in a little bit more exposure to the public?" Timid asked defensively, their hands on their hips. Agent K ignored Timid and turned to me. "Queen Blue Sun, I cannot guarantee your safety if you are exposed to the public without preparations being made first. A guard detail, bullet-proof panels, a secure room, limited access, the list goes on and on. Walking out of this hospital into the middle of a crowd of reporters can only end badly." Agent K was very strong in their opinion, their emotions bringing up intense concern for my well being as well as their job. "How long would it take to prepare these things?" I inquired. Agent K scratched their chin. "About... three hours. We already have more than enough security, but we have to clear each camera crew and news outlet before we begin, as well as a room inside of the hospital that can fit your size. However, all of this can only happen after we're certain that any pathogens, diseases or sicknesses have harmed either yourself or the humans you've been exposed to." "Does stupidity count as an alien pathogen?" Soft snarked playfully. "Ricky hit Blue here in the face with a shovel on first contact." "Hey! We promised not to talk about that!" Rough protested. Agent K's eye twitched. "You what?" "I got better." I replied pleasantly as I could, my smile not really having the desired effect with Agent K. I guess doubled fangs and sharp teeth made them uneasy. Actually, Soft, Timid and Rough also had a small spike of concern and backed away from me. "Whoa!" Rough blurted, "Those teeth are scary!" "No offense, Blue, but don't smile for the cameras." Timid added in agreement. "What? I could've sworn that I had smiled before." I replied in confusion, my smile melting away. They shook their heads. Agent K held a hand to their ear once more, apologizing and turning away to speak with whomever had another ear like theirs. This lasted only a few moments though, as they soon turned and moved quickly towards a window. "Is something wrong, Agent K?" I asked while moving carefully towards them in my cramped room. Timid, Soft and Rough followed close by from the other side of the transparent wall. They looked through small dividers that blocked out the sun near the window, grumbling before replying to the ear-voice in hushed tones. Eventually they turned to face us. "We have a problem." They turned to me. "There are protesters outside." "Protesters?" Timid, Soft and Rough all asked in confused unison. "Who the heck could protest first contact with aliens?" Rough asked. Agent K moved to the side, parting the dividers open for the three to see. My side of the room had no windows, as it was sealed. "You gotta be kiddin' me." Rough complained. "It's them? Of course it's them!" Soft added in agreement. "Who is outside protesting?" I asked. All four of them turned to me with a disappointed though unsurprised scowl on their faces. "Westboro Baptist Church." They replied with matching groans. Timid pulled a latch on the window and pushed it upwards, their ear against a screen mesh. "God hates Aliens... Aliens are evil... Kill all Aliens. Very original." Timid quipped sarcastically, closing the window. "Why would they want to kill me? I haven't done anything to them." I asked with concern. "They're a bunch of idiots that hate literally everything ever. They probably even hate God." Rough groaned. I blinked. "Who is God?" The three of them frowned as Agent K dismissed themselves and left the room to begin preparations for my encounter with 'the media'. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you've never heard of god, but at the same time I am surprised." Rough commented. "Do you have any kind of deity you worship, Blue?" Now I was even more confused. "What is a deity?" "Its... like a god?" They provided unhelpfully. Timid spoke up. "The concept of God is basically 'Everything in the universe exists because of this all powerful being that created everyone and everything, so we have to worship him to get into paradise after we die'." "Could I meet them?" I asked. Timid blurted in laughter before covering their mouth quickly. Soft spoke up while Timid recovered. "Uh, no, Blue. This is sort of a touchy subject for humans but... God is something that doesn't really physically exist. They're more of an idea than a person." My mouth was open slightly in growing confusion. "So... they devote their lives to the idea of a figure that created everything?" Rough shrugged. "Sometimes. Other people just use God as an excuse to push whatever they're tryin' to sell. Like these Westboro goons. They'll put the name of God on anything and say he hates it in order to try and push their agenda across." The three in the room were becoming more upset the longer they talked about Westboro and God. "Um, perhaps I could speak with these humans?" I offered, hoping to ease their sour moods. "With how you look, those idiots would either try to start a riot or run away." Rough grumbled. With how I looked... hmm... "Would a different appearance help?" I asked. "Well if your other appearance is Queen Chrysalis, not by much." Soft replied. "Not, not Queen Chrysalis... Princess Celestia." I explained. "She is an Alicorn in Equestria, one of two ruling Diarchs that controls the sun. Her sister, Princess Luna, controls the moon. I remember that you liked earlier when I had become a pegasus, so perhaps assuming her form would help ease the concerns of 'the media'." "Controls the sun?" Timid asked skeptically, "Like with what, a big ship or something?" "No, Princess Celestia controls the sun each day to travel across the sky until it reaches the other side of the land, disappearing under the ground to make way for Princess Luna's night." They looked at me like I was either insane, or an idiot. "I think you just explained your version of God." Rough said with uncertainty. "I mean, That sure sounds like somethin' a god would do." "Yeah, but it can't be literal. That's not how suns work!" Timid retorted. "What does she look like, Blue?" Soft asked. "Seeing as how Princess Celestia is a bit shorter than Queen Chrysalis, this might hurt to transform into... well, unless I give some liberties and just make her form bigger. I don't know why I never thought of that before." I muttered, concentrating on my memory of the Solar Princess. White body, A design of a radiant sun on their flank as the cutie mark, Alicorn of course, Regal, tall in comparison to when I had been a drone, and... her mane. Oh grief, how was I going to pull that off? Perhaps I could simplify it? maybe just go with Pink throughout instead of that radiant nebula that never stopped flowing. I had no idea how that even worked! Teal-Blue flames began to lick at my hooves when Agent K returned to the room. "Oh Hell!" They blurted, rushing towards me only to be stopped by Rough and Soft. "Stay back, she's shape shifting!" The flames wicked across my chest plating now, replacing them with the regal attire of Princess Celestia with its gold necklace and amethyst centered gemstone. Agent K looked on in awe as my form finalized, my disguise completing with a flowing pink mane. I looked down at the scorch marks on the tile flooring, noticing that I had even remembered the gold hoof-shoes. "Haha!" I chuckled matronly in Celestia's voice. "Perfect copy... Well, aside from the mane." I looked up to see that not only was Agent K looking baffled, but Soft, Timid and Rough all held a feeling of wonder and amazement. "...What?" "You look gorgeous!" Soft squee'd, holding their jaw and performing a small tapping dance with their feet. Timid plastered themself against the transparent wall. "Oh my god I want to hug you so bad right now; how are you this pretty and gorgeous!? Could you always do that!?" Rough was chuckling at their reactions, and Agent K was stupefied. "Agent K?" I asked regally, "Are the Media ready?" They stared back at me with an open mouth. "Agent K?" I now asked in concern. Their hand moved shakily towards their ear. "Control... I have an update on Queen Blue Sun... I don't think we're going to need a guard detail. We're going to need a riot squad. Several, actually." There was a short pause as whomever else had a speaking ear communicated with Agent K. "Yes, trust me Sir. When you see Queen Blue Sun, you'll understand." "I hope that means something good?" I inquired while leaning as close to Agent K as I could from behind my wall. They turned around to look up at me. "Well, Possibly. The public is going to be awestruck just on the principle of you being a Pegasus/Unicorn thing, let alone an alien Pegasus/Unicorn." "Princess Celestia is called an Alicorn, Agent K." I clarified. They blinked at me. "R-right." They held their hand to their ear once more. "Alright, Information update for the press. We're continuing forward with this Q and A session, but Queen Blue Sun will be disguised as a 'Princess Celestia'. The public is not to know about her original form until a far later date, if ever." Agent K looked back to me apologetically. "I apologize for this, Blue, but your true form would probably create a panic by comparison to how you appear now. This 'Princess Celestia' plays into a great part of our own mythology, and would be far better to appear in public as from now on-- for your own safety, I mean." They returned to their earpiece. "Alright, how are preparations going?" A pause... "Good, get all of those media jackals into the meeting room. The humans that have had exposure to Queen Blue Sun haven't shown any signs of sickness from alien pathogens as well as Queen Blue Sun remaining immune to anything they might have been exposed to thus far. If any media ask about Queen Blue Sun's previous form, tell them it was a corruption in the video or something. Find all of those videos and delete them..." Agent K wandered off, still speaking into their ear about arrangements to be made. "Hey, Blue, how cramped is your disguise?" Rough asked. "I scaled up the form of Princess Celestia. No humans apparently know of her, so the size difference shouldn't be a factor. It's actually fairly comfortable, though my wings feel strange from being folded." I explained, expanding them to fill the entire room and blot out a nearby light source. "Blue, you're freakin' majestic." Timid happily coo'd with a smile. "What do you think the media will ask you?" Rough inquired. "I honestly have no idea." I replied.