//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11 - Cicada 
// Story: To Be a Changeling 
// by PlagueRat 
//------------------------------//

Just a small flight away from Las Pegasus, built near the beautiful Southern Luna Ocean gulf, was the city of Applewood. Due to the local weather pegasi keeping the area’s climate warm and pleasant almost all year round, which in turn made filming that much more easy, it was the home to Equestria’s largest moving picture studios. It also included the neighborhood of Applewood Hills were many of Equestria’s famous actors and musicians lived. This is where Cicada, disguised as Harmony Honey and accompanied by a realtor, shopped for a property to call her own.

So far she had viewed over half a dozen mansions and despite the indoor swimming pools, perfectly manicured lawns, backyard tennis courts, theater sized viewing rooms, mosaic tiled bathrooms or fully equipped kitchens, none had what she was looking for. She could tell her realtor, Mrs. Cheery Abode, a middle aged unicorn mare with peach colored fur and dressed in a caramel colored blazer, was getting frustrated. While the mare was putting on a pleasant façade, Cicada could taste her emotions growing increasingly sour.

“I’m afraid I don’t have many properties left dear,” Cheery said, “and I’m not sure if this next one will really be a good fit for you. It was built by the Trotsylvanian horror actor, Hucul Fantomă, and is a little… eccentric.”

As the carriage they traveled in rounded a hill, Cicada could completely understand what the realtor meant. The mansion was just as big as the others she had viewed today but that was really the only similarity; it was more akin to a castle than a home.

Behind an ornate black iron fence, a pathway of cobblestone parted a lawn of healthy grass and was flanked on both sides by a long hedge cut to chest height. It ended at two sets of stone steps, leading up to an entrance alcove and curved around both sides of a small marble fountain. In the fountain was a statue of an earth pony mare, standing on her hind legs, and holding a large vase on her shoulder from which water endlessly flowed.

The building looked to be two stories overall with multiple high pitched roofs. In a few places green ivy clung to the dark stonework walls and was carefully cultivated to grow around the manor’s many windows without obstructing the view. The most prominent feature was a tall octagonal shaped spire topped with crenelations located in the front and halfway to the right end of the structure.

“Oh my,” Cicada said as she exited the carriage with Cheery and followed her through the entrance gate, “it is rather unique.”

“Mr. Fantomă was a method actor,” Mrs. Abode explained while the two of them walked, “and took his roles seriously.”

Using her unicorn magic, Mrs. Abode levitated a brass key from a side satchel and unlocked the large wooden entrance door. After she flicked a small copper colored wall switch, the rooms lights turned on to reveal a dusty and cobweb infested two story foyer. To the right was a grand curving stairway, made of dark wood that led up to a balcony which ran the circumference of the foyers second floor.

“Now then my dear,” Mrs. Abode said, “how about we start with the west wing?”

The wooden floor creaked under their hooves as they traveled a hallway of peeling wallpaper.

“The first door on our left is the sitting room,” Mrs. Abode explained, “overlooking the front lawn and a wonderfully cozy place for one on one chats with guests. On the left we have the music room, were Mr. Fantomă kept a wondrous pipe organ. Unfortunately when he passed it was auctioned away. Back on the right is the billiard room and opposite to the left, the drawing room with a fireplace made of marble imported from Trotsylvania. Again on the right we have a powder room with the hallway ending at the library with a den attached.”

The library was massive, two stories tall with a spiral staircase that led up to a walkway that gave access to the higher shelves, all of which were currently empty.

“The library has a fun little secret right here,” Mrs. Abode said as she trotted up to a sconce on the wall. She turned it to the side causing one of the bookshelves to rotate outward and expose a dark passage behind it. “One of the many secrets Mr. Fantomă had built around his home. This one goes up to a hallway outside the master bedroom.”

“You know, Mrs. Abode,” Cicada said with a grin, “I think I’d like to see more.”

Over the next hour Cicada was led around the entire manor and shown all the different hidden passages.

In the east wing she viewed the dining room, kitchen with walk in pantry, laundry room, and another powder room. At the end of the wing was a glass conservatory and while all the stone planters were currently empty of any flora, one of them did hold a secret stairway underneath. This one led to the wine cellar.

Behind the foyer was a grand ballroom, two stories tall with a vaulted ceiling, and a crystal chandelier. Also adorning the ceiling was a fresco painting of nine thestral ponies flying through a star filled sky. It turned out the ponies in the painting were of Mr Fantomă’s many children.

Outside the ballroom, in the back of the mansion, was a wide patio with short stone walls running along its edges. Beyond the patio, across a few yards of grass, was a large pond. A wooden bridge led to a little island at its center which was host to an open gazebo that was surrounded by flowers.

Since Mr. Fantomă had so many children, bedrooms mainly took up the second floor, all of them with private bathrooms attached. The master bedroom was the largest, had an outdoor balcony adjacent and was complete with ‘his and hers’ walk in closets. There was also a playroom on this floor, painted with a night’s sky theme. 

The octagonal spire was apparently for Mr. Fantomă only and it was here he did his rehearsing for rolls, worked on paintings or simply went to hide away. The tower’s first floor was where he refined his rolls, often doing so while watching himself in the huge full length mirror that was built into the wall. An art studio took up the second floor, and still held a fresco of a Trotsylvanian landscape that could do with a touch up. On the top floor would have been the actor’s private study-trophy room, where he kept his awards and souvenirs from his many frightening rolls.

“Well, that’s just about everything,” Mrs. Abode said. “The only places left are the wine cellar and the um… ahem, dungeon.”

“Dungeon?” Cicada gasped. “You’re pulling my tail.”

“Afraid I’m not,” Mrs. Abode chuckled slightly, “Mr. Fantomă had the basement modeled after a dungeon, complete with cells. But ah, the iron barred doors have been removed, for safety reasons. Now they are more suited for storage rooms.”

The pair walked down a set of stone stairs ending with a short hallway that stretched ahead to a dead end. On the left side was a door leading into a large and non stocked wine cellar and on the right, the entrance to the dungeon.

Cicada took one long contemplative look around the large room.

“I’ll take it,” she said with a grin.






One month later.


A disguised Leech grumbled to himself while he trotted across the cobblestone pathway leading up to the mansion. He was extremely unhappy about having to take a detour away from Las Pegasus, even though he hated Las Pegasus, just to collect love from Cicada for the hive. What made him even grouchier was how she left her post. The only reason he knew she was in Applewood now was because she left a note behind for him at the safe-house.

He reached for the elaborate brass door knocker when he stopped at the manors doorway but before he laid a hoof on it the door swung open. Cicada, disguised as Harmony Honey in a fluffy baby blue bath robe, grinned at him from inside.

“Oh hello, are you here to check the plumbing?” she asked, batting her eyes at him.

Ignoring her, he stepped over the threshold and stomped right past her. Once she closed the door behind him he dropped his disguise and turned toward her angrily.

“What the hive do you think your doing?” he spat, voice rising with each sentence. “Why did you leave your assigned feeding grounds? How did you get this big house? Don’t you remember you’re supposed to be sending the bits you earned back to the hive so the other infiltrators can blend in better among the ponies? Don’t you know how much trouble you’re going to be in?”

Cicada waited patiently for him to stop talking, her vulpine smirk never leaving her muzzle

“Leech, I need to show you something,” she said to him. 

A green fire swirled around her form, breaking her disguise to reveal a changeling much taller and very different looking than the Cicada that Leech knew. He looked up at her, mouth open and at a loss for words.

"Follow me Leech,” she instructed, passing him and heading deeper into the manor, “We have a lot to talk about.”