"It was a new pony," he confessed, head sagging. "She had the bits, paid 'em nice and fast too."
Spike blinked softly. "New pony? Pinkie didn't throw any 'Welcome to Ponyville' parties recently. What new pony?"
"Huh?" Snips canted his head with a confused expression. "Don't know 'bout that, but I never saw her before, then she dared me, and waved a bag of bits under my nose."
With a cluck of his tongue to replace more physical responses, Laud released Snips' abused ear. "Answer this, and be truthful. What did she dare you to do, and be as precise as possible."
"Um, uh..." He worried a hoof along the dirt of the ground. There was no solace among the faces around him, and the gloom of the oncoming night kept him from spotting anything else that looked like an easy escape. "Alright alright, she... um... said... 'Give Bon Bon a surprise while she's shopping' and I did! That's it."
Bon Bon suddenly bopped him on the head from behind. "You did, and caught Trixie and seriously hurt a guest not just of Ponyville but of the entire kingdom. Do you understand that? I have half--" Her words suddenly cut off as she winced and fell back, a hoof moving to her midsection. "Settle down in there..."
Laud was at her side in an instant. "Are you alright?" For all he knew of many things, the creation of life was... "Is there anything I can do to help?" His voice had lost its sureness as he became a scared partner, as countless males through the history of the universe before him and after him.
Spike let them have their moment, instead focused on Snips. "Look, you did a stupid prank. If that human hadn't been there, this wouldn't have been a big deal, but they were. You can help keep this as small a deal as possible. This wasn't your idea, right?"
"Right!" He reached for Spike's shoulders. "You believe me, don'tcha?!"
"I'm trying, so work with me." Spike patted him on the chest lightly. "Was this a mare, or a filly?"
"Filly," he squeaked. "About my age... I, uh... I was gonna ask if she was busy."
Spike rolled his eyes. "After this, I bet you changed your mind. What's her name?"
"She has a real fancy name!" He tapped at his chin softly as if to remember it. "Er-sat...sssss Ersatz. Ersatz Ador." He bobbed his head quickly up and down. "Can I go now?"
"Mmm, that's gonna be a no." Spike gently patted him on the shoulder as he backed up, letting the colt's hooves slide off of him. "There was one other creature there, remember. You haven't even mentioned them."
"Huh?"
Bon Bon gently pushed Laud's supporting hand away. "I'm fine, fine... I'm just not used to movement."
"It's... early, isn't it?" No expert was he, but Bon Bon wasn't even showing, let alone at the place he'd expect any of... that. "Should we get you to the hospital?"
"That will not be required." She smiled gently as she sat up tall. "I am a perfectly healthy mother-to-be. I can only guess humans go through this a little... differently. It's perfectly normal for a foal to get lively fast. It's a good sign!"
He matched her smile. A good sign? His worry began to visibly leak away, and he remembered what he was doing. "Spike, what have you gotten?"
Spike hiked a thumb at Snips. "Repeat that last part."
Snips had a hoof behind his head, rubbing softly. "About the other pony? He was about our age too, but he didn't say much. Just kinda followed her around. I, uh, asked if he was her boyfriend, but they both said no, so, you know, I figured--"
Laud thrust a hand in front of his face. "We are not interested in your dating opportunities. Did you get the first pony's name?"
"Ersatz Ador," repeated Spike. "The other one didn't give his name, but I'm getting an idea."
Bon Bon's brows fell together. "Probably the same one I'm getting... But what does she have against me in particular?"
Spike shook his head. "I don't think she was aiming for you at all."
Snips blinked at that. "But she said to go for Bon Bon."
"And she picked where?" prompted Spike with a grin.
"Uh huh."
"And she said when?" he rolled a hand, looking triumphant.
"Uh... huh? How does that change anything?"
Bon Bon put a hoof to her face. "I'm a moron. She was after Trixie. She was trying to frame Trixie. Badly."
"You two clearly know something I do not, starting with her name. Is this a pony you know then?" Laud was tapping a foot, looking impatiently eager to be enlightened.
"Yeah, c'mon. Tell us," joined Snips, only to be lightly thwipped across his good ear by Laud's fingers. "Hey!"
"You are still guilty of a serious crime, though your cooperation will be taken into account." Laud looked to his Squire. "Spike, if you would? While you do so, you can tell me what 'Ersatz Ador' means. Those are not Ponish words I learned, and most other pony names were clear modern words."
"Not always." Spike shrugged softly. "But usually. That one's old and fancy, like Snips said, 'False Love', or something like that. Only one pony, creature rather, would go around with that name, especially appearing out of nowhere to cause trouble."
"Chrysalis," both he and Bon Bon said in perfect unison. They nodded towards one another, clearly approving of the other's thought process.
"Who?" echoed Laud and Snips.
Snips recovered quickly. "Oh, that bug lady that kidnapped everyone before?" He shook his head. "Ersatz don't look nothin' like her..."
Bon Bon applies a fetlock over her face as Spike shook his head. "She's a shapeshifter. Of course it doesn't look like her. So, next question. Were you supposed to meet her?"
"A shapeshifter?" Laud's hand went to the hilt of his sword as if ready to do battle that very instant, though no enemies were in plain sight. "A literal demon caused this?" His hand drew from the hilt as a frown formed. "Today is your lucky day, foolish colt."
"It is?" He peered up at the angry human. "I can go then?"
"No, but you were under the sway of demonic forces. Assuming we can verify the influence is expunged, you may be shown mercy."
Spike leaned in, whispering, "This is the part where you say you don't like Ersatz and swear to never listen to her or any other strange ponies again."
Bon Bon put a hoof between them. "Not so fast... You can swear her off after we catch her. Helping us nab her will be proof enough in my book. Now, when and where were you going to meet with her next?"
"You seek to capture her?" Laud's jaw clenched, imagining. "You do not seek to chastise her on her wrongdoing, I hope? It would be a strange day when demons learn the meaning of personal shame, for that is a thing they give for others to carry, never themselves."
Spike lifted his shoulders. "If you kill her without giving someone the chance, you'll hurt yourself. I mean, politically, right? You told me to consider that angle. Your turn. The humans will probably be happy to have the body of a demon to blame, but how will ponies feel?" He leveled a finger at his mentor and boss. "With all due respect, I think you should consider that."
He was quiet a moment before giving a slow nod. "First, I would know all you know of this demon." He split his fingers to point at Spike and Bon Bon together. "You both seem knowledgeable about this particular fiend and its habits. Has it tormented ponies in the past then?"
Bon Bon heaved a slow sigh. "That she has. She made a real mess of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance's wedding. They kidnapped all of Ponyville... twice, the rest of Equestria along the way the second time. She has been offered the hoof of friendship at least once and slapped it aside. Megalomaniac and a touch deranged, she views anything that is not a changeling as food with an unfortunate habit of walking around."
"Twice!" blurted out Laud. "And still they would want a chance to parley with her? All the kingdom? Please tell me you speak entirely in jest, that this is some cruel joke meant to test my reaction." He threw a hand aside before turning it to a pointing configuration up at the castle. "It grows late and dark. Snips was your name? You're with us. While we walk, tell us when next you would meet this demon."
The street was quite dark, only the lights spilling out of houses allowing any vision at all. Street lamps were not much of a thing in the sleepy rural town of Ponyville. The band began their way up towards the castle, slowly picking their way up in the gloom. "Tomorrow," admitted Snips. "We were gonna meet for lunch." He got a dreamy smile. "Alone."
Spike elbowed him as he walked. "That's Chrysalis, remember? You don't want to go on dates with that. If she thinks you like her too much, you're a snack."
Snips squeaked with horror, jumping away and almost collapsing in the dark. "She wouldn't!"
Bon Bon's unseen eyes rolled mightily. "She would and she wouldn't feel bad about it. She'd shove you right into a cocoon and suck all the love right out of you until there was nothing left. She's not a reformed changeling."
Laud's step faltered. "Wait, you have redeemed these demons then?"
Spike nodded quickly. "Oh, yeah. Chrysalis is just about the only changeling that isn't reformed. The rest are super nice now. That's part of why she's extra grouchy, seeing as she used to be their queen, and now..."
"She is not," Laud finished, putting those pieces together. "You cajoled the minions of a demon prince away from them and turned them towards light. You ponies are... beyond description."
"And now that 'demon prince'," Spike made air quotes as he said that. "--is really mad and wants revenge. That's the basic summary, yeah."
"Uh... Well, she likes me." Snips looked secure in that fact, a smug smile on his round face.
"For a snack," finished Bon Bon with a more malicious smirk. "But, for now, we want you to go meet with her, tomorrow that is. We'll be following you."
"I will be following him." Laud set a hand gently on Bon Bon's back. "You are expecting and--"
"--I will throw myself off a cliff if you finish that sentence."
"That is a poor joke." He withdrew his hand, awkward silence replacing the conversation for a few moments. "I'm simply worried, for you."
"I know that," she sighed out, pushing ahead as the castle came close. "I know. Sorry, that was in bad taste... Stop treating me like I was made of spun glass! I survived an explosion that just shy of annihilated a human. If you can go, I'll be fine. If you're worried about me, you have no business there." She thrust a hoof at him with each emphasized word. "Like it or not, my gallant husband, I'm at least ten times tougher than you."
"You are a warrior true," he admitted with a smile. "But the life within you has yet come into its own. Can you say so confidently that it has the same durability as its mother? I don't want either of you to come to harm. You understand that, right?"
"I do..." She reared up, reaching a hoof for his cheek and gently cradling it. "I will be extra careful, and you'll be there, right by my side. Nothing will harm me, you wouldn't let them, and we'll pound their faces in if they try."
The door opened, spilling out bright light across the stairs leading up into the castle. Twilight stood there, smiling. "There you are! And Snips? I wasn't expecting any company."
"Hi, um, Twilight." He waved uncertainly at his new, mandatory, host.