//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Thinking Like An Infiltrator // Story: The Half of It // by Shapeshift //------------------------------// Another week later I finally had a major breakthrough in the progress of how my changeling magic detection needed to function to pick up on all said magic. I was able to isolate some patterns that were exclusive to changeling magic and find a method to detect them using spells and nothing else. I learned from Act at the beginning of infiltrator training that changeling resin had magical features, so I specifically tested the stuff with the spell. It turned out that it was detectable with the new addition, so I was able to detect potential fillynappings by hive infiltrators! Unfortunately, Hamartia hadn’t met my friends and I at the bar yet, so I was a bit let down by that. I was also feeling the same about the first time I waited in the park for the mystery mare. I wasn’t expecting her to be there the first time, but I was hoping on it. So at opportune times I thought about how to go about finding her on my own in a more efficient manner. I eventually decided on something that I thought was pretty clever. Though, as usual, my method would have too much risk if tried with a standard changeling shape-shifting spell. I personally wouldn’t even use my first modified shape-shifting spell. To start, I went through my usual daytime disguise changing routine, opting to make the disguise the exact same mare I was looking for. I also started my detection spell in case I ran into a hive changeling. Because it was in the middle of the week and right after lunch time for most ponies, I went to wander around one of the markets. After about a half hour, no one who knew the mare came up to me so I proceeded to think up another good location to wander around. After about an hour, someone who knew the mystery mare came up to me looking a bit surprised and confused. “Hey Metrion! I thought you had class at three thirty today.” I turned to see a muscular mare hauling a cart of crates that contained weapons, as their labels suggested. “Yeah, well the professor canceled class for the day because he was sick," I said in a slightly irate manner. The mare let out an amused snort. “I always find it funny when a biology teacher gets sick. Obviously not when they contract something truly terrible. Oh! Once I’m done with moving these to the Guard supplies, we can go bungee jumping! An hour and a half is definitely enough time for it!" she said, completely oblivious to my tone. “No.” “Oh, come on! It’ll be fun! There might be some first timers you can laugh at even if you don’t like it yourself.” I unenthusiastically responded with, “I doubt there would be very many.” I need to lead her into telling me which biology class it exactly is. I still have too much trouble with this kind of info extraction. “Yeah, well you still need to get out more. And going to your classes doesn’t count.” “Who are you? My mom?” She rolled her eyes and said, “If I have to be. How’s school, dear daughter? I hope you haven’t accidentally opened up another portal to a nightmare dimension.” I knew she was going to probably make jokes about the mystery mare again and that biology was ripe with embarrassing joke opportunities. So ignoring the last part of what she said, I told her, “I’m going to go study. Bye," in a deadpan tone and walked right away. The last thing I heard the mystery mare’s friend say was, “Have fun looking at pictures of stallion bits!” Despite all my infiltrator training so far, I couldn’t help but blush at that, though it didn’t matter much because she couldn’t see it nor would I expect it to be out of character for the mare I was pretending to be. Considering the mystery mare’s age, she’d be highly unlikely to need an introductory biology course of any type. So her class is probably on the pony body it’s self and only has a bit of info on other associated things here and there. So I left the city to change into a different unicorn mare with a brown coat, blond mane, and a fly swatter cutie mark. I then headed over to Celestia’s School and grabbed a course schedule book to look through. It turned out to have all class listings and schedules for the current year, which was good because the next semester was listed as well as the current. I looked through all the pony biology class schedules and quickly found the correct one, which I headed off to. Upon arriving at the class’s door, I took a glance inside and noticed that my mystery mare was highlighted by my detection spell. Sitting down near the door, I waited for the mare’s class to be over. I was still wondering what a disguised changeling would want me to do for them. I didn’t know whether or not he was still with the hive, so it could have been anything. Did he need help looking for another changeling? Did the somebody that he knew supposedly get abducted by the hive? One thing was for sure: if he wanted my help for revenge of some kind he would have little to no chance of me having anything to do with it, let alone killing anybody. Eventually the classroom door opened and students started coming out. The disguised changeling soon came into the hallway and I approached him, saying, “Excuse me, you’re the mare with the pest problem, right? I was told that you needed a specialist.” I also made sure to let him know that I knew that he wasn’t who he appeared to be through emotion alone, so no one would suspect a thing. He seemed to catch on because he was surprised but also a bit suspicious about me, though he didn’t show it much and said, “Yeah. But I’d like to talk about this in private. Let’s go to the music practice hall.” I knew that every music hall room was designed to be soundproof, so I agreed. While heading over there I took note that her demeanor wasn’t far off at all from Cordial’s description, as vague as it was for infiltration. Once we arrived at the music practice hall, we entered one of the small rooms meant for single ponies to practice in. It was just big enough for two ponies to comfortably fit in, which was about what I was expecting. He locked the door, closed the window blinds, and said, “You noticed that I’m looking for the changeling hunter. If this is another joke, I swear I’m going to-” I then cut him off with, “I am and I know that you’re a changeling.” He reacted with wide eyes, so I added, “But I have no reason to take you in. At least, yet.” “Good. I don’t need the hive to be disappointed at me for going a bit rogue and getting a pony’s help. Though, for a pony it’s impressive how fast you figured me out.” The way he talked at this point had some malice in it, especially on the word ‘pony’. “I can tell in a matter of seconds. Hive infiltrators take a bit longer," I said. “In any case, someling in the hive is pretending to be someling who’s a higher rank. This is highly frowned upon in the hive, yet no one believes that this is going on. I need to know your secret for detecting us so fast.” “My method isn’t possible for a changeling to do.” He got a bit frustrated with that and asked, “Why?” I gave a mildly amused look and told him, “I wouldn’t give it to you regardless and you don’t need to know why.” Despite his suspicion of me he said, “Then you’ll have to help me find and capture a changeling hiding somewhere in Equestria," then became even more serious and looked me right in the eyes. “I’ll also want you to stop interfering with our hive affairs.” I gave him an equally serious look and told him, “I can do the first, but the second isn’t going to happen. At all.” “Then what do you want?" he asked with a bit more malice. Though it didn’t phase me. “The only thing I could possibly want from the hive right now is to know which changeling during the Canterlot attack encountered a pony with winter colors and green eyes.” “I’m not an infiltrator.” I sighed and rolled my eyes, “I don’t care much how long it takes, if that’s the problem you think I’ll have with it.” He was silent for several seconds, likely thinking on the possible agreement so far. “Fine. You help me find the changeling and you get your pointless info. It’s not like a pony can infiltrate the hive.” I gave a slightly devious grin, which he ignored. “A deal it is. We can meet any Sunday, noon to one at the Pond Springs Park. Look for the mare with a purple coat and black mane.” “Okay, bye," he unenthusiastically said, then opened the door and left. I left the room right after him and headed to the outskirts of the city, though after a few minutes I noticed there was always a disguised changeling not far behind me. Every turn I took, he also took. So I wandered around town until I either thought of or found a suitably secluded location. If he was trained in assassination or infiltration, he might be trying to kill or capture me. Though before I found a good spot, he just up and left. Because I went around the city for a full hour and only one hive changeling knew my current disguise, I guessed that it was Metrion. If he tried it again, I’d be sure to have a good place to bait him to beforehoof so I could keep him in line. To help make sure I wasn’t followed, I went through a castle checkpoint to confuse any potential stalkers. I then headed back to the city outskirts to change back to my usual disguise, then I started back home. Though when I entered a residential area my detection spell picked up something at least as big as a pony in somebody’s house. I thought it was a changeling cocoon, so I passed by to be sure. It definitely looked like one and I quickly went back outside the city to change disguises again. Though after getting back to the house the chrysalis was gone and a disguised changeling was present. What I opted to do was knock on the front door, which the changeling disguised as a pegasus stallion answered. He would’ve actually greeted me, but as soon as he opened the door I took him in my magic and slid him aside so I could enter. While still holding him in my magic, I told him, “If I see your horn glow, I will hit it. Hard," before I changed into a changeling and started hogtying him with resin. “You are wondering how I knew what you are," I said in my interrogation voice. The infiltrator narrowed his eyes and responded in an accusatory tone with, “You’re the one who found out some of our infiltrators. We’ll find and eliminate you, traitor!” I gave a light chuckle and told him, “You think I at least used to be a changeling. Well that’s cute, but it’s wrong. I have told the others that I am not as I seem. I guess none of you believed me. As for your threat, considering your culture shuns the use of magical and technological advances, it is practically empty.” He responded with, “Whatever trickery your using won’t hide you from the hive for long!" as I finished tying him. I smiled. “Oh, I expect you to take a long time to find me out, but I know I would not want to do it for the rest of my life. I will reveal myself to the public long before your hive could ever eliminate me.” I suddenly changed into his disguise, and as I was closing some of the blinds I noticed a magic noise, which I quickly turned to. Almost on instinct I took the infiltrator’s head in my magic and managed to keep his face on the wall. Once I was close enough, I did exactly as promised and the infiltrator let out a grunt of pain while squirming a bit. I then gave him a serious glare. “But on to why I am here. I saw the cocoon and you would not have made one for no reason, so where did you take the pony?” “What makes you think I’ll tell you?! Especially after that!" he said while he still made small grunting noises, as I probably gave him a head splitting pain. “No reason worth mentioning, but I know that cocoon will be on it’s way to the hive soon, unless I see it," I told him. The infiltrator responded with a simple, defiant, “You won’t.” But I ignored it and told him, “Your uncooperative attitude, as with every other hive infiltrator I have crossed paths with, will only result in you being an embarrassment to the hive and your fellow infiltrators.” I then took him in my magic and started dragging him into the basement while he squirmed and told me, “Whatever psychological game you’re playing won’t work on me or the hive!” In a neutral tone I said “We’ll see. But that’s not the only game I’m playing.” After entering the basement, I cast the interrogation stun on him. I then took a chair and set it facing away from him, though I sat on it facing him with my front hooves on the top of the chair’s back and my head resting on my hooves with a neutral expression. “Now I think it is time we talked.” The infiltrator responded with a rhetorical “Who are you? My psychologist?” I shrugged slightly. “Somepony has to be. Now, as it currently is, no matter how hard the hive works, you accumulate no progress. The hive has had insufficient resources, no increase in population, worse is that the hive's pride is undoubtedly plummeting, and worst of all, you all look more like prey than ever before.” The infiltrator irately but impressively retorted with, “We’ve had progress where it matters, population doesn’t matter when we could bring down Equestria with just a few well placed infiltrators, the changelings that are leaving the hive for an indolent pony life are at fault for the hive pride falling, and we can still take what we’ve always taken from ponies!” I allowed myself to raise an eyebrow while telling him, “Changelings are leaving the hive because they are tired of it’s views on progress. Would you be able to take down Equestria before too many of the infiltrators leave? Even if the hive did, how long could you all hide it? The citizens or other kingdoms would eventually find out and those kingdoms may never trust ponies and changelings again!” As I went, I started emitting passion due to the subject at hoof. “Is the hive going to cocoon all the ponies like they are the hive’s emotion crops to keep up an appearance? If that is the case, sure, you would not have to worry about going hungry but the same thing will happen if the hive makes peace with Equestria. You would still have an easier time working for your food. Chrysalis will be breaking hive tradition out of desperation either way. In fact, she already broke tradition when she attacked on the day of the royal wedding. But all of this is not just for her to decide. This is why they are leaving the hive. To have a voice and live among like-minded individuals.” The infiltrator’s only verbal response was, “You’re… ” with wavering malice in his voice and opening then closing his mouth, as if he couldn’t find anything to say. His doubt was rising, but he was stubborn. So I continued. “If you have figured it out by now, if someone thinks they are not being oppressed, they will never free themselves. I question the reasoning behind many of the laws I know in my government that make me uneasy.” “You’re paranoid of Equestria," he responded, as I could sense his confidence rise. But I retorted with, “I have lived in Equestria as myself to a higher degree than any infiltrator that has not left the hive, therefore I have the fuller experience. I see, and most importantly, feel the effects of many of them and therefore I know which ones feel right to me. At this time, hive infiltrators only know Equestria, they must have a full experience to understand. Only then will you and the others see it for what it really is. I am sure Nictis and Sky could say the same.” At this point I couldn’t help but be radiant with passion, while the infiltrator was merely suspicious. “How do I know that you’re not lying?” “By doing as I do. See ponies as friends, trust them like they trust each other, under a disguise that is simply your own species. There would be very few to suspect such a thing, and no dues to pay if you decide to leave. As an infiltrator you should know that the chance to be completely anonymous is taken because it gives you the opportunity to act exactly as whoever you want, including who you always wanted to be, with little consequence.” I knew that if he actually tried to do as I said, he'd likely become attached to the things that ponies have. Acting as themselves will likely increase their chances of developing attachments to other sentient creatures, and therefore increase their chances of physically and mentally leaving the hive to live in Equestria. As for the infiltrator’s response, he remained silent again for several seconds until he asked, “Why are you torturing infiltrators with uncertainty?” At that point I got up while charging a spell, said, “That, my dear infiltrator, is the right question," then cast the full stun on him. I did my usual cocooning to him, put "As long as your Queen's ideology is diplomatic hubris, the hive's hamartia is self extinction" on the resin slab, then hung the thing in the basement and went back home. It didn’t seem likely that anybody else lived there, so there was less of a chance that any Equestrians would find him before any hive member. Also, infiltrators are given the most freedom so they can operate with the highest efficiency, but with the hive knowing that somebody’s meddling in their operations, they’d likely be required to report in somehow every once in a while. Overall, I started to enjoy messing with them immensely.