//------------------------------// // Examined Wisdom // Story: The Adventuring Type // by Cold in Gardez //------------------------------// “Everypony seems to be taking this well,” Nutmeg said. His voice was pitched low, intended just for Rainbow Dash, who sat beside him against the wall of Twilight’s bedroom. “Everypony else, I mean.” The else in this construction referred to Nutmeg, Rainbow herself, and the other four ponies who were not changelings. The changeling – Twilight Sparkle? Rainbow wasn’t sure any more – lay atop the bed, once again wearing an alicorn’s form. She was flanked by Rarity and Fluttershy, who pressed up against her sides and gently patted her mane while she hyperventilated into a brown paper bag. “Yeah, well, we deal with weird stuff pretty often,” Rainbow said. “This is, like, seven out of ten. Maybe eight, tops.” They fell into a companionable silence for a few minutes, broken by the constant crinkle of Twilight’s paper bag, her panicked gasps for air, and the quiet murmurs of support from Rarity and Fluttershy. Eventually Twilight’s breathing slowed, and she pushed the bag away from her muzzle. “Okay,” she said. “Okay. I’m fine. I’m... oh no no no nono—” “Breathe, darling,” Rarity said. “Inhale—good, just like that. And again. There, see? Now, speak slowly, alright?” “Alright.” A faint sheen of sweat glistened on Twilight’s face, and her lips had faded to a pale gray. Still, her breathing sounded better, and her wings no longer trembled like leaves. “Obviously, there’s a mistake. A mistake with the spell.” “Twilight, you know we love you, right?” Fluttershy said quietly. Her voice was slow and smooth, rising and falling like waves with each syllable. Hypnotic, almost. Dash had heard, once, that when speaking with animals, they understood your tone if not your words. Hearing Fluttershy speak now, Dash could believe it. “Remember what you said just a few minutes ago?” Applejack asked. “Something about us accepting everypony as they are an’ caring for them? We ain’t judging you. Little… surprised, sure, but that’s all.” “You’re still the same bookworm we’ve always loved!” Pinkie added. “I mean, I assume you are. This could always be one of those situations where Twilight Sparkle was replaced by a changeling like Princess Cadence was and now the real Twilight’s all tied up in the dungeon growing slowly weaker as each day passes without discovery. Oh, oh! Plot twist! What if you replaced the real Twilight so many years ago that you actually forgot you were a changeling and really believed you were a pony up until this moment?!” Twilight grew progressively paler as Pinkie continued, her eyes widening and the tips of her ears wilting into her mane. She started to pant for breath again, and Rarity shoved the paper bag over her muzzle. “Darling, calm down. Pinkie’s just… being Pinkie.” Rarity scowled at Pinkie for good measure. “None of us believe you’re a changeling infiltrator.” “But you can’t know that!” Twilight protested. She shoved the bag away feebly. “You have to assume the worst! Everypony has to!” “I don’t know much about changelings,” Nutmeg said. “But it occurs to me that your reasoning earlier is still valid. If you were a changeling infiltrator, why would you go through all the trouble of bringing us here and casting a real detection spell on yourself?” Everypony pondered that. Even Twilight seemed taken aback for a moment. For the first time in minutes, her ears started to perk up. “You’re right, why would I do that?” she said. “This is a pretty simple logic problem, after all. You don’t know if I know if I’m a changeling, right? But if I did know that I was a changeling, I wouldn’t expose myself like this, unless I wanted you to think that I didn’t know that I was a changeling. But what if I suspected that one of you suspected that I knew that you knew that I was a changeling? Then I might’ve exposed myself in this manner to make it seem like I didn’t know that I was a changeling and your suspicions, while correct, were nevertheless groundless because I wasn’t a malicious changeling.” Oh, this was like chess! Rainbow gasped quietly at the realization. “But what if we suspected that you knew that we suspected that you suspected that we knew you were a changeling? Then exposing yourself like this is exactly what we would expect a changeling infiltrator to do!” Twilight sat up straighter on the bed. “You’re right! Except I might have suspected that you suspected that I knew that you suspected that I suspected that you knew I was a changeling. In which case, exposing myself would allay those suspicions, wouldn’t it? Because you wouldn’t expect me to do it!” “Oh my gosh!” Rainbow jumped up on her hooves. Her wings bounced at her side with excitement – the picture was becoming clear in her mind, like a chess board with a dozen pieces all lined up waiting to attack a single square. “If I expected you to suspect that I knew—” “Okay, stop,” Rarity said. She held the tips of her hooves to her temples. “We’re getting off track here. Darling, we already told you it doesn’t matter, and frankly this little display proves that you’re still the same socially clueless didact we know and love. As far as I’m concerned, we can put this whole thing behind us, and just go on with our lives as nothing happened.” “Yup. Like it never happened.” Applejack stood and stretched. “Nothing to it.” “It’s silly to get worked up over,” Fluttershy said. “After all, Thorax and his changelings are so nice. Maybe you could turn all colorful like them, too?” “I don’t think it needs to be a secret, but if that’s what everypony wants, there’s no better secret-keeper in Equestria than me!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I’m still checking the dungeon though. Just to be sure.” “Well, if it will make you feel better, we can check the dungeon,” Twilight said. She stood and shook her wings out, then stepped down from the bed with only a slight wobble in her legs. “We just cleaned down there last week, so I’m not even embarrassed about all the clutter that would normally be—” A quiet chime interrupted her from below, in the castle’s public areas. A moment later, they heard Spike’s voice carry up through the crystal halls: “I’ll get it!” “Huh. Expecting company?” Applejack asked. “No, it’s probably a delivery,” Twilight said. “The only ponies I’m expecting are you girls and… oh. Oh. Oh no.” “Who, darling?” “Oh!” Pinkie exclaimed. “It’s the cops!” “Is it pirates?” Rainbow Dash frowned. “Because there was that one time you hired pirates to hunt me down and steal those books from me. Do you remember that? I remember that.” “Okay, first off, those weren’t pirates,” Twilight said. “They were privateers, which are completely different. Second, they weren’t stealing anything from you; those books were civil property—” “Wait, what’s this?” Pinkie asked. “You hired pirates without telling me?” “Privateers, who legally recovered civil property from a debtor. And yes, before you ask, I would do it again, so please consider that carefully next time your books are about to go overdue. Anyway—” The door opened, bringing Twilight to a stop. Spike popped his head in. “Hey, Twilight. Your brother’s here with Cadence. Oh, hey Rainbow. Welcome back!” “Hey Spike.” She waved. “How you been?” “Oh, you know. Same same. What’s wrong with Twilight?” What was wrong with Twilight was that, at the moment the door opened, she had frozen like a rabbit cornered by a wolf. Her mouth was still open, waiting to complete her thoughts on privateers and overdue library books. Her eyes were wide, though they focused on the distant horizon and not on anything in the crowded bedroom. Her ears fell limp against her mane. One hoof remained raised, mid-gesture, as she segued from one never-ending point to one that would never arrive. “Eh.” Rainbow shrugged. “She’s fine.” “Twiley!” Shining Armor chose that moment to arrive. He bulled through the door, sweeping Spike up and depositing the little dragon on his back as he rushed over to his sister and wrapped her in a massive, enveloping hug that left only the tip of her mane visible above his muscled forelegs. Rainbow found her eyes lingering on those muscles longer than they should’ve, and she looked away with a flush. “Oh, it’s been so long! Weeks!” He gave her another squeeze then set her down, using his hooves to straighten her tussled mane. “We got your letter and came as soon as Candy found a sitter for Flurry Heart.” ‘Candy’ followed a few steps behind. Cadence was looking slimmer than Dash remembered, apparently having made progress in burning off the excess fat from her pregnancy. She was part pegasus, Dash supposed, so she probably had a fast metabolism. The alicorn half-walked, half-floated over to her husband and nuzzled Twilight’s cheek. “Oh, ah, hey! Ha ha,” Twilight’s mouth stretched out in a rictus of a smile. “Shiney! Cadence! You must’ve caught the early train from the Empire! Thank you so much for coming!” “Anything for you, Twilight,” Cadence said. “And I see everypony is here! Whatever you were alluding to in your letter must be important indeed. And— I’m sorry, I just noticed your guest. Hello, sir.” Their eyes turned to Nutmeg. Shining seemed curious. Cadence glanced between him and Rainbow Dash, and some odd look came over her features. She smiled warmly at him. Best head that off now. Celestia only knew what sort of ideas Cadence could get in her head, especially around Rarity. “Hey Shining, Cadence. This is Nutmeg, Captain of the Orithyia and my business-partner-slash-friend. Nutmeg, this is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince-Consort Shining Armor. They’re, uh, kind of a big deal.” “I never thought I’d be in the same room as one princess, let alone two.” Nutmeg dipped his head in a polite bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Rainbow Dash has told me how you helped her save the world on many occasions.” “I admit I was surprised when Twilight said that the great Rainbow Dash had taken up as a crewmember for a merchant vessel,” Cadence said. She slid forward, her steps flowing like water in that manner only the most beautiful and confident of mares could master. Dash had tried to emulate it before, of course, but her legs were made for speed, not grace. “I trust she’s proven a valued mate?” “Cadence!” Rainbow jerked back, mortified. Even Rarity wasn’t this blunt. “Oh, I’m sorry, isn’t that the term?” She somehow contrived to look innocent. “Crewmate?” “We try to keep the rank structure informal,” Nutmeg said, smooth as cream. Either he was as oblivious as most stallions, or just difficult to get a rise out of. “I think of her as my friend and partner.” “Mhm.” Cadence eyed him for another long moment, then turned away with a grin that promised more later. “Anyway, Twilight, thank you for inviting us down. I needed an excuse to get away from the little monster. So what’s so important you needed both of us to jet down here?” “Oh!” Twilight licked her lips. “Well, uh…” “Nothing, it turns out,” Rarity said. She slipped a foreleg over Twilight’s shoulder and pulled her close. “We had a little puzzle from Celestia, but it turns out we solved it ourselves! I hope you weren’t too inconvenienced by rushing down here on our behalf.” “Really?” Shining frowned. “The letter made it sound important.” “Nope, nuthin’.” “Um, it was… what they said.” “I promised not to tell!” “Girls, stop,” Twilight stepped in between them. “I know you mean well, but Shining is my brother and Cadence is like a sister to me. I… I have to be honest with them. That’s the first step to accepting what I am.” She turned to her brother and took a deep breath. “Shiney, Cadence, I… whew… ah… okay this is hard to say. I recently found out something about myself. Something, uh, that might be hard to accept at first, and I was thinking of keeping it hidden. But the girls here reminded me that no matter who – or what – I am, there are ponies who love me, and I can confide in them. So, I need to tell you that—” “Shh, shh…” Shining Armor stepped forward and wrapped his forelegs around her in a gentle hug. A moment later Cadence joined them, and the three sat together as one. “We know, Twilight. We already know.” “You… you do?” Twilight blinked rapidly, and tears began to well up in her eyes. “But, you never said anything—” “We never had to, Twilight.” Cadence nuzzled the top of Twilight’s mane. “This doesn’t change anything about who you are. In fact, I think it’s incredibly brave of you speak up like this.” Nutmeg leaned in to whisper in Dash’s ear. “Should… should we be here for this? It seems very personal.” “Yeah.” Dash shrugged a bit. “We kind of over-share a lot, though. Don’t ask why it just kinda started a few years ago.” Back in the center of the room, Shining Armor was starting to cry. “I’m… I’m so proud of you, Twiley. You’ve always been the bravest pony I know. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you, and I will always love you for who you are.” “We both will,” Cadence added. “And this? This is an opportunity, Twilight! There are so many mares just like you, who have the same feelings you do. And I know that out there, somewhere, you can find one who will love you!” “Wait,” Twilight said. “What?” “And, not to be crude, but speaking as a stallion I gotta add something here, okay?” Shining said. “Stallions think that is super-hot. I mean, I don’t because I’m your brother, but most of us? That’s a serious fantasy. So if you’re ever looking for, like, a third wheel, it’ll be easy to find one.” “Whoa,” Rainbow whispered. “Really?” Nutmeg tilted his hoof back and forth. “Stop, stop.” Twilight squirmed out of her brother and Cadence’s grasp. “You think I’m sexually attracted to mares?” “Well.” Cadence looked around the room. Her expression started to slip, shaded with an edge of doubt. “Aren’t you?” “No!” She paused. “I mean, uh, that’s a complex question! Like, what does ‘attracted’ mean, exactly? That’s a—” She stopped so quickly her jaws clacked shut with an audible click. She squinted at Cadence and her brother, took a deep breath, and started over. “That’s not important. That’s not why I wrote you, and it’s not what I wanted to tell you.” Twilight paused, swallowed, and looked around. When nopony spoke, she licked her lips before continuing. “I don’t know how it’s possible, but… I’m a changeling.” A silence followed. Shining Armor and Cadence stared at her, their expressions blank. But just for a moment, Rainbow Dash saw their eyes dart toward each other. Before she had a chance to wonder what that portended, Shining broke the silence. “Oh. That.” Several more seconds passed while everyone digested those two words. Twilight was the first to react. She spoke so quietly Dash had to lean in to hear her. “What do you mean, ‘that’.” “Well, uh.” He looked at Cadence again. She shook her head minutely, and he plowed ahead alone. “We, uh, we kinda knew that, too.” Twilight stared at him. She stared at him so intensely that Rainbow Dash, safely off to the side, felt uncomfortable by proxy. She half expected him to burst into flame any second. From the way his shoulders tensed and his coat sparkled with a sudden flop sweat, he did too. Cadence slipped into the line of fire. “Twilight, I know you’re probably very confused right now—” “Growing more so every minute, actually.” “—but the most important thing to remember is that none of this changes who you are. You’re still the same mare you always were. Just, you know, a changeling.” “Okay.” Twilight pressed her hooves against her temples, rubbing them in little circles. “Let’s start from the beginning. How did you know I was a changeling?” “Uh, hello? I’m your older brother,” Shining said. “I was there when mom and dad brought your egg home from the hospital.” Silence again. This time Applejack broke it. “Yup, I’m out.” She stood, gave Twilight a brief hug, then walked to the door. “See ya for lunch t’morrow, sugar. Later ya’ll.” “You knew?” Twilight fumed at her brother. “You’ve known my entire life and you never said anything?!” “What was I supposed to do? Just one day randomly bring up the fact that my sister is a changeling? Do you know how awkward that would feel? You know I hate awkward situations!” “Awkward situation?” Twilight was starting to twitch again. Rarity edged closer with the paper bag. “I just found an hour ago in front of all my best friends that I’m a changeling! You know what would’ve been less awkward than that? Learning it from my family!” “Honestly? I thought you knew already,” Cadence said. “Look, this isn’t a big deal, Twilight. It doesn’t change who you are.” “Okay, can we go back to the egg thing?” Pinkie said. “I’m having trouble getting past that.” “It changes what I am!” Twilight shouted. Her wings started to twitch at her sides, and her hooves rose a few inches off the floor. “That’s even more important!” “No it isn’t, Twiley.” Shining Armor stepped forward, a hoof outreached toward his sister. “Nothing will change the fact that you’re my sister and I love you.” “Like, was it in a bassinet?” Pinkie asked. “Did it have one of those little paper bracelets the hospital puts on newborn foals ankles?” “Hush, Pinkie.” Rarity stepped up and set a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Can’t you see how serious this is? It’s no time for jokes.” “No I really need to know—” “I can’t believe you never told me!” Twilight shouted. Another round of tears began to well up in her eyes. “My own brother couldn’t be bothered to share the greatest secret of my own life with me! I… I… I think I need to be alone for a bit.” With that she closed her eyes. Her horn glowed, and a blinding lavender flash stole away Rainbow Dash’s sight. She blinked away the afterimages, and when the room returned, Twilight was gone. Shining Armor looked stricken, ready to cry himself. Cadence pulled him into a hug and whispered something inaudible into his ears. The other girls looked at the couple, at each other, and at the empty spot where Twilight had stood. Everypony seemed at a loss. Finally, Rainbow Dash shook herself. She leaned against Nutmeg’s shoulder, a nice, cozy, confidential distance, and whispered. “I gotta be honest, I suspected it all along.” “Really?” “Yeah, she’s never showed any interest in stallions as long as I’ve known her.” “Ah.” Nutmeg looked like he wanted to say something more, but he just shook his head. Finally, he continued: “Should we go after her?” “She wants to be alone,” Rainbow Dash reasoned. “I think she’ll come back when she’s ready.” Nutmeg nodded. “Fair enough. Should we go look after your house, then?” “Yeah, sounds like a plan.”