//------------------------------//
// 13 - Deployment 
// Story: Hidden Hands 
// by David Silver 
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Derpy set the phone receiver down. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."

Turner shook his head. "Think nothing of it. I'm sure your co-workers are worried about you."

"Nah."

Turner tilted his head at the flat denial. "How can they not be?"

"Well, um..." She wriggled in place before suddenly lifting into the air. "I'll get your luggage!" And she was gone, vanishing up the stairs towards his private room.

Bon Bon smiled a little. "Derpy Hooves is known for getting lost at times. I'm sure this is hardly the first time she's vanished for a while. Now... Besides your ability to swap forms, do you possess other abilities I should be aware of?"

Turner hiked a brow. "Well, if you're expecting me to breathe fire or something of the like, you'll be in for disappointment, ma'am. The power to get the closest shave a pony should ever want is enough of a power." He raised a hoof, shaking it as if he were wriggling fingers he currently didn't have. "The fingers are quite nice. They're like having scientific instruments attached."

"Mmm." Bon Bon peeked her head into the back, looking up the stairs that Derpy had gone. "Find--" She didn't get to say more than that, as Derpy came streaking back down the stairs and Bon Bon had the good sense to back out of the way.

Derpy grabbed the edge of the door as she came, swinging right into the front section of the store in a deceptively smooth motion. "Ready!" The suitcase hanging from a crooked hoof swung dangerously with the abrupt turn, but came to a gentle halt, set on the ground in front of Turner. "Here you are."

Turner reached out a hoof, replacing Derpy's leg with his own to start pulling it along by the handle, allowing it to roll instead of dangle. "Well, that makes me ready then." He grabbed a placard from the counter in his teeth and trotted over to the door, hanging a 'Closed for now' sign. "I hope that doesn't inconvenience anyone too terribly."

Bon Bon strode for the front door. "You can come back after we've done what we go to do."

Derpy shook her head as she followed them out of the store. "I mean, you could... or you could come back to Ponyville." She smiled, full of hope. "You know a lot of ponies really miss you, a lot! Some of them spend all night worrying about you."

Turner doubted 'some' of them did that. Just one. One, very special, pony. He started to say something, but aborted it. Even if Bon Bon and Muffins knew his secret, they were walking through the dusty roads of Appleloosa. It was hardly a private setting. He nodded to the ponies they past, getting tips of hats and friendly waves in return.

It seemed he had earned the admiration of many in his short time in the town. He thought back to working alongside Fluttershy, a national hero. He didn't deserve those accolades. All he did was give her a speaker to sing through.

Derpy landed next to him and bumped him, a wing wrapping around to hold him close. "You look sad," she pointed out bluntly. "Can I help?"

Turner felt some of his gloom being chased away. It was hard to be sad with Muffins pressed close. "You already have," he reported truthfully. "Come on, let's not miss the train."

They hastened their steps, cutting through the town in a direct line for the train station. Derpy lifted from the ground and zipped ahead, buying their tickets for them by the time they arrived. She spread her wings, the tickets caught in her feathers, allowing her to fan them out. "Ta da!"

Bon Bon reached up and took one in her teeth. "Thank you. I'll see that you're reimbursed."

"Reinwhat now?" Derpy tilted her head.

Turner reached out a hoof, nudging another ticket free. "Don't worry about it. She just means she'll pay you back proper for the tickets you bought for us."

"Why didn't she just say that?" Derpy nabbed her own ticket, which became an impromptu preening session as she nibbled at her feathers in a sudden grooming fit. "How far do we have to go?"

"Secret," replied Bon Bon. "Speaking of that..." She tucked the ticket away and pulled out two blindfolds danging from her teeth. "If you'd kindly?"

Derpy tilted her head. "I bought the tickets. I know where they're going." Despite her words, she took one of the blindfolds and began tying it to her own head, her wings helping in the process. "How's that?"

Bon Bon moved around Derpy and pulled it just a little tighter, then approached Turner. "I'll lend a hoof." Both earth ponies, they were no strangers to giving an assist when it came to such tasks. She nodded at her two temporary companions. "Alright. Just because you purchased the tickets doesn't mean we'll be getting off there. We may, or may not. Just do as I say and we'll be there soon enough."

A few others on the platform watched the blindfolding with casual interest. Was it some kind of game?

A new female voice suddenly spoke. "Do I have to wear one too?"

"No you do not." Bon Bon turned to face Spring Rain. "This is the changeling I was speaking of. She'll be getting off at a different stop, and be picked up by others."

Spring shrank back. "What if I don't want to be picked up by others?"

Bon Bon patted her shoulder gently. "They're nice people. The changelings have turned a new leaf. You'll be welcome there."

Spring wriggled her nose. "What's so special about them anyway?"

A train came powering towards the town, coming to a halt with the screech of working breaks. Bon Bon pointed at it. "Our ride is here. I'll explain once we're aboard. Help me guide these two to their seats." She bumped Turner, already being closer to him. "Let's go."

Derpy was guided by Spring. She smiled curiously. "So you're a changeling, huh?" Spring did not reply. "That's kind of neat," continued Derpy, unphased by the tension. "Can you turn into anything? I'd like to see that. Are you a nice changeling?"

"I try to be..." muttered Spring awkwardly. "Watch your--" She had to dive to stop Derpy's hoof from going right into the gap between the platform and the train. "--step..."

Derpy never knew the danger, stepping right on Spring and then up onto the train, unaware that it had been anything but a perfect mounting.

Bon Bon helped her young ward back to her own footing with a little smile. "Thanks," she whispered, then hopped aboard the train after Turner.





Guilty woke with a muttering. She sat up in a cot that wasn't hers. "What the..." She looked across the room to the bars. Bars?! "What...?" She hopped down from the cot and trot, noticing her legs as she went. Her holes were showing. She tensed even as flames restored her pony disguise.

She peeked out of the bars. She was in the little jail that Appleloosa had. She could see the sheriff taking a nap at his desk. How had she been caught?!

She sank to her haunches. She was going to be left in there forever to rot, or maybe they'd do something awful to her and make it quick and painful. She grit her teeth, trembling. This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all! She had made friends, connections. She was... still a lousy changeling.

She flopped and sank against a wall of her cell, sighing in defeat.

A buzzing caught her attention, but it was brief. She heard hooves land on the ground outside. What kind of pegasus buzzed? Was it a foal?

The large form of an adult stepped in, but it wasn't a pony, or a changeling. She wasn't sure what it was. It was brightly colored with bright shells that made up its body. It turned towards her, eyes shining with a variety of subtle hues. It met her gaze, the two looking at one another.

Guilty took an uncertain step back. Had the ponies made allies with some other insect-like species? Was it there to devour her?

It walked past her cell, approaching the sheriff. "Good morning," it said in a soft male voice. For all its intimidating size and impressive horns, it sounded... meek. "Is that her?" It pointed towards her cell.

The sheriff pushed his hat up. "Huh? Ah howdy, pardner. Shoot, ain't never seen you up close before." His chair fell forward as he stood up. "That's her, uh, Thorax was it?"

"Mmhmm." Thorax turned towards her cell. "I'm glad you didn't hurt her."

"Didn't hurt me?!" Guilty crashed against the bars in a sudden rush. "I didn't do anything! Why am I in here?!"

The sheriff lifted his shoulders softly. "Word is, she's imitated ponies, and at least one case of foalnapping. Reckon that sounds as 'something."

Thorax flinched softly. "Oh. Was anypony hurt?"

"Not that I heard." The sheriff nodded as he approached the cell at a leisurely pace. "A tourist caught her, brought her in with a bit of a bump, but mostly unharmed."

Reminded of it, Guilty felt over the bruise left from... She remembered. She had tried to fool Bon Bon, and this was the result of that. She might have been a lesbian, but that sure didn't affect her ability to kick rumps. Guilty sank to her belly. "Well, what are you going to do with me?"

Thorax approached behind the other with a little smile. "Well, that's up to you, actually... I know we all... did things we're not proud of, under Queen Chrysalis' rule."

Guilty bounced up to her hooves, making the sheriff shy back in surprise. "What do you know about her rule? You're not even a changeling! What even are you?!"

"A friend, perhaps?" He smiled as he gestured at the cell.

The sheriff stepped forward, key dangling from his hoof. "Ya sure ah should let her go?"

Thorax nodded slowly. "Yes, and I am a changeling." He raised a hoof to point at himself. "This is what happens when you start giving love, instead of taking it."

"It's kind of tacky." Guilty scrunched up her nose.

Thorax only laughed. "I've heard that before, but better tacky than hated, I say. We've become friends with the ponies, and the dragons. We build, instead of destroy." He took a step towards Guilty, even if the bars still divided them. "What's your name?"

Guilty pinned her ears back a moment before taking a step forward towards him, eyeing him intently. "I'm Guilty. Guilty Pleasures. You're Thorax... supposed changeling."

With a rush of flames, Thorax was gone, replaced with the form of pony royalty. Twilight Sparkle spread her wings. "I imagine," said Twilight in her proper tone, "That only a changeling would do that."

The sheriff jumped back. "Yer giving me the willies. Please don't imitate ponies, or I may have to toss you in there too."

With a fwoosh of fire, Thorax was back. "Sorry! I didn't mean to upset you. I was just showing her." He pointed at Guilty.

Guilty shook her head slowly. "Alright, so... what do you want from me?"

Thorax's  antlers glowed as he took the key from where it had fallen. He slid it into the cell door and twisted it open. "I want to take you home. There are other changelings that'd love to meet you, learn about you, and welcome you as one of our own. You don't have to be alone anymore."

Was it true? Part of Guilty eyed the offer hungrily. Being a lone changeling had been a hard path to walk. But... that? "What if I don't want to... do that?" She wobbled a hoof at Thorax's form.

"Then don't," spoke Thorax confidently. "Come. You're still a changeling, so you're welcome." He pulled open the cell door. "Let's go home."