//------------------------------//
// Part 5 - Subjective 
// Story: Lone Wolf: A Halfling Side Story 
// by Dee Pad 
//------------------------------//

Guise spooned a mouthful of strawberry ice cream into his mouth, savoring the sweet, natural flavor.  Sweetmint's ice cream had become a delicacy for him.  Out of all the pony foods he'd tasted since moving to Canterlot, her frozen confections were by far the best.  He'd said as much in the past, and even if he didn't want to admit it to her face, the fervor with which he consumed her creations was evidence on its own.

But he suppressed his enjoyment of it for the time being.  At home, it didn't matter, but he was in public right now, seated at a table at Rocky's Road.  There were a couple of other customers present, as well as Sweetmint's two dopey coworkers, so Guise would rather not display any emotion that wasn't utter indifference, both to avoid drawing attention to himself and maintain his own dignity.

The only reason he was even there was to wait for Sweetmint to clock out, but a little ice cream after working in a hot kitchen all day was always welcome.  But it seemed like Sweetmint had to work a little late today; some customers were still coming in even though Guise knew it was past closing time.  He actually felt a little bad that he may have been contributing to that, but something struck him as very strange.  Even though making ice cream was Sweetmint's passion, it was rare to actually see a smile on her face whenever he'd visit her at work.  He knew she had little patience for her coworkers and how her work there was apparently going unappreciated, so it was surprising to Guise to see such a chipper grin on her face as she served the latecomers.

Guise shrugged it off.  It wasn't like she didn't have good days.  If everyday at work was a struggle for her, she likely would have gone on a rampage by now.  So he didn't think too much of it as he continued to enjoy his ice cream treat.  But that was a little hard to do when there was an irritating distraction right next to him.

Guise clenched his eyes shut, his temple throbbing in annoyance.  He shot a sidelong glare to the table next to his, from where the sound of heavy mouth breathing originated.  It seemed like every time Guise came to Rocky's, Frosted Chips was wiping down the same table.  He was pretty sure he'd never actually seen anypony even sit at that table, probably because that greasy-maned kid was always there.  And what was he doing besides cleaning a mess that wasn't there?  The same thing he always does: staring at the backside of the parlor's other female employee as she served ice cream to the customers.

Guise knew comparatively little about Frosted Chips than he did about Tapioca, and in the case of her, that was more than he cared to know.  But all he knew about the kid was that he was Rocky's younger brother and blatantly smitten by Tapioca, though "smitten" was putting it politely considering how creepy it was with his constant gawking and heavy breathing.  If Guise was going to have to wait here for Sweetmint anyway, he figured he deserved to do so without this constant annoyance.

"What's your deal?" Guise asked tersely.

Chips didn't budge.  He only continued to stare at Tapioca's hindquarters, practically panting.

Guise shuddered slightly.  He didn't even want to think about what thoughts must be going through the kid's head.  "Hey."

The increase in tone snapped Chips out of whatever hypnotizing spell Tapioca's ass had put him under, finally directing his attention to the crimson stallion seated at the next table.

"I said, what's your deal?"

Chips just glanced back and forth, as though he still didn't understand that it was him to whom Guise was speaking.

"Do you even do anything around here?"

The brown stallion just silently continued to wipe the table down, as if that were an answer to the question.

"Banging your head on a brick wall there, hun," Sweetmint told him from behind the counter.  "I haven't been able to get a word out of him since he started here.  Rocky swears he isn't mute, but I've yet to see—or hear, rather—evidence to suggest otherwise."

Guise eyed up the quiet stallion.  Even though he and Sweetmint were talking about him, in the time that Guise had looked away, Chips's attention had once again returned to Tapioca.  "Hey."

Chips turned to him with the same amount of surprise as he had the first time Guise addressed him.

"Say something."

Chips just stood there awkwardly, remaining completely silent.

Guise just sighed.  Admittedly, a part of him wanted to mess with the kid a little and make the weirdo sweat, but his mane was probably already greasy enough without Guise contributing with his teasing.  At least his heavy breathing had stopped.

The other customers in the building finally finished off their ice creams and made their exit, leaving just Guise and the place's three employees.  Sweetmint was pretty quick to shut down all the machines and hurry over to the door to flip the "Open" sign to "Closed" before anypony else decided they wanted an ice cold treat, letting out a heavy puff of air as she pulled off her hairnet and apron.

"'Bout time.  I was starting to think this day would never end."

"Wait, Minty, we still have one customer left," Tapioca informed her, casting a sly grin at Guise.

"He's not a customer.  He's just waiting for me."

Tapioca stared at Guise with legitimate confusion.  "But... he's got ice cream."

"But he's coming with me once I leave, so it doesn't matter," Sweetmint explained with mild exasperation.

"What, I can't finish?" Guise inquired with a little bit of genuine disappointment.

Sweetmint rolled her eyes.  Guise detected a hint of impatience, not that he was too surprised.  "Fine, but hurry up."

Tapioca sat at the table with Guise, gazing at him with a sultry smile and tracing slow circles on the table's surface with her hoof.  "I can help you finish if you want."

Guise grimaced at the offer.  If Tapioca's grating voice wasn't bad enough, her frequent, less-than-subtle advances sent an uncomfortable shiver down his spine.  It didn't help that he always felt like a hole was being bored into his skull from the adjacent table whenever she decided to flirt with him, but it's not like he was at all intimidated.

Sweetmint, however, was quick to pull Tapioca's chair away from the table, giving the flirtatious mare a reprimanding glower.  "You have cleaning to do.  I'm clocking out because I've got shit to do."  She then turned to Guise.  "You can either get up now and come with me, or stay here and finish your ice cream while these two keep you company."

Guise glanced between the two other ponies, one bobbing her eyebrows suggestively, the other showing more emotion than usual with his defensive glare.  He then looked down at his half empty bowl of ice cream, then back up at Tapioca and Frosted Chips, then to Sweetmint, who was staring back with an eyebrow raised impatiently.  He hastily shoveled the rest of the strawberry ice cream into his gullet and stood up to join his girlfriend.  "You undaesdimade me," he slurred with his cheeks packed.

Sweetmint just smirked as she headed for the door.  "Right.  And how's your teeth?"

"F-Fine, fank you vewy muj," Guise answered with an unconvincing shiver as he swallowed the ice cream.

She had to stifle a snicker at his attempt to save face.  Sweetmint turned back to her coworkers briefly.  "Don't forget to lock up, you two."

"Bye, Minty," Tapioca bid her.  Her eyes then landed on Guise, half-lidded.  "Bye, Crimson," she cooed, prompting yet another disgruntled glare from Chips.

Guise just chose to do as he usually did and completely ignore both of them as he and Sweetmint left.  They started making their way down the street, but Sweetmint couldn't help but notice the uncomfortable grimace on Guise's face, smirking knowingly.

"That's what you get," she chuckled teasingly.

Guise shot her a glare.  "Don't act like I was the one being impatient.  You gave me an ultimatum, and I chose to have my cake and eat it, too."

"Was it worth the brain freeze?"

Guise twitched a little as the coldness lingered on his medulla, attempting to maintain his steadfast expression and failing.  "O-Obviously.  A little discomfort in exchange for good ice cream will always be worth it."

Sweetmint giggled somewhat bashfully.  "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Right.  It was your ice cream, so why are you complaining?  Did you want me to throw it away?"

She sighed apologetically.  "Sorry, I'm just in a bit of a rush, that's all."

"Why the hurry?  All things considered, you seemed to be in a good mood today."

"I mean, it's not like Tapioca and Chips haven't been dumb as hell today, but I've just got other stuff on my mind, that's all."

Guise noted the persistent smile on her face.  He wouldn't quite label it as "giddiness," but seeing her grinning as much as she was after work was a rarity.  "What kind of stuff?" he asked curiously.

While her smile remained, a rather embarrassed blush tinged her minty green cheeks.  "Remember that manga I reserved and the library sold it to somepony else anyway?  Well, they finally got some extra copies in, and just in time for the next issue, which is releasing tomorrow.  So I'm gonna blitz through that issue today in preparation for the new one."

"And what if they do the same thing as last time?" Guise inquired cautiously, recalling the first time that happened.

"If I show up there tomorrow and my reserved copy of the new issue isn't there, then heads are gonna roll."

Guise stared at her silently.  The innocent smile on her face as she said that was both cute and unsettling.  If there was one thing he admired about her above all else, it was her utter intolerance of other people's bullshit.  The fact that she would openly admit that she may inflict bodily harm on somepony if they crossed her one too many times was honestly pretty endearing to him, if not a little unnerving.

"Is it bad that I'm kinda hoping they screw up, then?" Guise said with a playful, yet still genuine grin.

Sweetmint shrugged.  "As long as you're willing to go to jail with me for being an accomplice to second-degree murder."

Guise turned his eyes up, pretending to give it some thought.  "I'll think about it."

By now the two of them had made it to the library and Sweetmint hurried in with a spring in her step.  Guise presumed that the extended wait she was forced to endure for her manga was actually making her even more excited for it, so did she really have any room to complain in the long run?  The receptionist behind the counter was the same timid mare that had been on the receiving end of Sweetmint's previous tirade, so when she spotted the mint green unicorn step inside, she became understandably uneasy.

"I'm just gonna be a few minutes," Sweetmint told Guise.  "I think I'm gonna apologize for my behavior last time, but still make sure to imply the consequences if it happens again."

Guise just chuckled inwardly at how sinister she sounded despite her smile and her "good" intentions.  He left her to it, not wanting to undermine her authority by idly spectating.  She wouldn't be long anyway, so he figured he'd just wander around until she got her manga.

Conversely to the first time he accompanied Sweetmint to the library, there was actually a decent number of people present today.  Most of the ponies were seated at the reading tables and quietly conversing, likely discussing the contents of whatever books they were reading.  But there were also several people gathered around some kind of display.  A small table had been set up with stacks of books upon it.  It appeared to be multiple copies of the same book.

Out of curiosity and a little boredom, Guise decided to see what the buzz was about.  Once he approached the table, close enough to properly assess what was going on, he stopped in his tracks.  Accompanying the books on the table was also a large portrait, as well as a bulletin pinned to the bookshelf the table was placed against, though Guise couldn't read it.  The portrait was much more important anyway, as it depicted a certain lavender alicorn.

Guise grimaced instinctively at the sight of her.  Twilight Sparkle.  Or rather, Princess Twilight Sparkle.  He wasn't sure when that mare got her wings—sometime while he was imprisoned in the dungeons of the changeling hive—but apparently she was royalty now.  It wasn't like Guise had anything personal against her, but her magical prowess was storied.  She was such a threat that Queen Chrysalis even had to adjust her approach to the invasion of Canterlot to include absconding with the Elements of Harmony, preventing her and her friends from interfering.  A lot of good that did in the end, but it was a testament to how dangerous she was to people like Chrysalis and himself.  Granted, it wasn't like she was there in person at the moment, so Guise really had nothing to worry about.

Still, he was curious as to what this all meant.  The books laid out on the table must have been written by her.  It wasn't like he'd be able to read them, but Guise picked one up to see if he could discern what exactly they were.

And he froze stiff.

Guise's reading comprehension was still rudimentary, but he managed to at least pick out the title of the book, one particular word causing a bead of nervous sweat to form on his forehead.

The Nature of Changelings.

He glanced around discreetly.  As he feared, the people gathered at the library all seemed to be checking out this book.  This was worrying.  If he was reading the situation correctly, then it appeared that Twilight Sparkle had written a book about changelings.  That meant that if people read this book—which they were—they were going to learn more about changelings and how they operate, and that was bad news for him.  It was possible that the contents of this book would contain information that would make it easier for the ponies to discern a changeling in disguise from a real pony.

What was worse, as well as aggravating, is that Guise knew exactly from where this information was coming: Shade and Chamella.  They were close friends with Twilight, and no doubt those goody-goodies were sharing everything they possibly could about their species' biology and abilities in case Chrysalis decided to launch another invasion.  Not only that, Guise had also met the alicorn in person a couple of times, and she was fully aware of what he was about.  It was entirely possible that he was even mentioned by name in this book.  But it was hard to determine exactly how Twilight Sparkle would have viewed him.  She may have written about his and Shade's tussle in the middle of Ponyville over his brainwashing of Shade's girlfriend, but she also could have mentioned his involvement in taking down Wraith and saving Shade's son.  She and her friends were willing to let him go when he left the Changeling Kingdom despite his past transgressions, but probably only because Shade and Chamella were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for helping them.  At the very least he was glad he decided to use a fake name, but this was still disconcerting.

Guise continued to stare at the cover of the book.  Perhaps this wasn't all bad.  He decided it may be in his best interest to actually purchase a copy for his own use.  He may not be able to read it well yet, but when he could, the information in this book may actually help him patch any potential holes in his facade.  Though he figured he may want to avoid letting Sweetmint find out he had it so as not to raise suspicion.

"Whatcha got there?"

Guise nearly jumped out of his fabricated skin when he heard Sweetmint's voice right next to his ear.  An uneasy stammer was all he could manage in response, glancing quickly between her and the book in his grasp.  A part of him wanted to just drop it, if only because he was now worried the color of his aura might start to tip her off.

"Is that Princess Twilight's book?  You planning on buying a copy?"

"Uh..."  How should he answer that?  Would saying yes be suspicious?  Then again, plenty of people in the library alone had copies themselves, so was it really that out of the ordinary?  Guise managed to compose himself, shrugging to try and appear detached.  "Sure.  Might be handy, you know?"

Sweetmint nodded.  "Yeah, it might be interesting to learn some stuff about changelings."

Guise forced back a regretful grimace.  He was hoping she didn't really care about changelings enough to have any interest, but considering where she lived, he shouldn't have been surprised.

She briefly glanced at the display table, sizing it up for a moment, then gave Guise a knowing smirk.  "And I bet you've got no 'ulterior' motives whatsoever, right?"

Guise's heart rate suddenly shot up.  "Wh-What?"

"No, no, it's fine.  I get it.  I mean, she is a princess, so it makes sense.  I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind, too."

Now Guise could only raise an eyebrow, both concerned and rather confused.  She had somehow deduced that he had other reasons to buy the book, but that second statement sounded weird.  What exactly was she trying to insinuate?

"Anyway, I got my manga," she continued, holding up the copy.  "So if you wanna go ahead and buy that book, we can head home.  I'm pretty excited to start reading this."

"Uh, yeah, sure," was all he said in response as he did just that.


*****     *****     *****


Sweetmint dropped herself down on the couch with enthusiasm, Persimmon hopping up onto the back of the couch behind her head.  She cracked open a cold beer, tore open a bag of potato chips, and prepared to delve into the fantasy world within her manga.  Guise was busy making a cup of coffee for himself, but was eyeing Sweetmint curiously as she starting munching on chips, her eyes locked onto the pages.  There was a smile of almost child-like wonder on her face as she read.  She must have been even more excited about this than she was letting on.  For somepony who claimed that she wasn't as big a dork for this stuff as some people were, she was looking pretty dorky right about now.

"Were you really that excited about this?" Guise inquired as he poured his coffee.

Sweetmint let out a groan, clearly disgruntled by his interruption when she was just about to get into it, though she managed to keep smiling.  "Look, I'm not usually like this for every issue, but the last one ended on a huge cliffhanger.  Then the copy I reserved got sold, so I had to wait even longer.  It was agonizing.  If any good came of that, it's made this all the more exciting for me.  I'm finally gonna get some answers to the questions the last issue raised.  At least I hope so.  Guess I'll find out soon enough."

Guise just rolled his eyes.  While he had been discreetly perusing her collection when she wasn't around, he really only did so for the action scenes.  He couldn't care less about the plot and characters, but mostly because he still didn't know what the whole thing was about due to his lack of literacy.  And even if he did, there were other, more pressing issues on his mind right now that would make reading manga a little low on his priority list.

He wandered over to the couch himself, sitting next to Sweetmint with his coffee, as well as the book he'd purchased himself.  Guise simply sat there, quietly staring at the cover.  The contents of this tome could potentially be harmful to his cause, so it was pertinent to read it.  Or at least try to read it.

Sweetmint tore her eyes away from her manga, observing as Guise just stared at the princess's book.  "Aren't you going to read it?"

Guise looked up suddenly, having forgotten for a moment that she was there.  "Huh?"

"I mean, the cover's not gonna tell you much.  Kinda gotta open it to learn anything," she joked.

Unfortunately, there was a problem with that.  He could just pretend to read it, but what if she asked a question about it?  And if he didn't read it, that would also look a little weird; she'd wonder why he bought it in the first place.  So, he opted to be dismissive in hopes that she'd back off.  "Why don't you just concentrate on your own book, huh?  You were pretty eager to read it just a minute ago."

"Alright, chill out, snippy," Sweetmint huffed.  "Geez, and I thought I was temperamental."  She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her lips curling into a sly grin, just like when they were leaving the library.  "I guess you really didn't buy it for the sake of reading it, huh?"

Guise stared back at her.  There it was again.  What was she trying to get at?  She was clearly implying something, but Guise could not for the life of him figure out what.  But whatever it was, Guise didn't like it and felt the need to hopefully misdirect her.  "Of course I did.  Why would I bother buying it if I didn't plan on reading it?  I just... don't feel like reading it right now, that's all."

Sweetmint knit her brow, slightly vexed by his odd answer.  "Then why are you just staring at it?"

"Hey, I told you I'm not really much of a reader," he answered defensively, desperately hoping to put this conversation to an end.  "I just have to be in the right mood, that's all.  Right now I'm just..."  He stared at the cover of the book again, his tone becoming more quiet and thoughtful.  "...thinking about stuff."

Sweetmint's confrontational expression softened when she noticed her boyfriend suddenly looking so serious.  She looked at her open manga for a moment, then closed it, placing it on the coffee table.

Guise took notice of that, raising an eyebrow.  "What's wrong?  Lose interest already?"

"Actually, I'm kinda curious about something."  She gently took Twilight Sparkle's book from him, looking it over herself.  "The changeling invasion was, what, a little over two years ago now?"

Guise tensed up a little, unsure of where this train of thought was going.

"You know, it happened not long after I first moved here."

Guise stayed silent.  She had previously told him that she'd been living in Canterlot for about three years, so she was around when he and the other changelings assaulted the castle.  He'd never thought about that until now.  Guise had been admittedly curious for some time as to what her opinion of changelings was, and now that the topic had been brought up, now seemed like an appropriate time to inquire.

"What was that like?" he asked.

Sweetmint puffed out her chest, attempting to look tough.  "Well, I'm not somepony who'll just hide under the bed when bad shit's going down, but..."  A crack appeared in her courageous exterior in the form of an uneasy frown.  "...it was still pretty scary.  I mean, I've never even heard of a changeling before that, so I didn't know what to expect.  I just kinda... stayed inside until the whole thing blew over."

Guise could definitely understand that.  As one who had participated in the attack, he knew full well such a choice was justified.  Guise even considered himself a particularly violent and bloodthirsty changeling, and he wouldn't have put it past himself to have torn into her if he'd encountered her during the invasion; he'd probably have done the same to anypony had he not been preoccupied with the goings-on in the castle.

"I know you didn't really experience it first hoof or anything, but you had to have heard about it after it happened, right?  What was going through your head?" Sweetmint asked him.

Guise pondered that for a moment.  How should he answer that?  What would sound most believable?  "I was pretty shocked.  Can't say I was expecting it.  But by the time news made it to Fillydelphia, the whole thing was already over."

"Still, it must've had some kind of impact if you were interested in buying that book."

Guise shrugged.  "Well, I am living in Canterlot now.  It'd be nice to prepare myself in case of another invasion."

"Makes sense.  Hopefully that's not gonna happen anytime soon, though."

Though he didn't really care what Chrysalis and the other changelings did anymore, Guise still would rather they didn't attack again now that he was trying to live in Equestria.  Unfortunately, based on his last encounter with the queen, she seemed like she was motivated to launch another invasion, but as for when she would be ready, he had no idea.

"What do you think about the changelings?"

Guise looked her in the eye.  This was a question he expected to come up at some point, yet he still hadn't quite figured out what his answer was going to be.  For his own purposes, coming up with an answer that didn't incriminate him would be ideal.  To that end, perhaps some more misdirection was in order.  "What do you mean?  They're dangerous, obviously.  How else am I supposed to feel?" he answered, making sure that there was a little noticeable disdain in his tone.

"Really?" Sweetmint reacted, looking a touch surprised and maybe even a little disappointed.

Guise suddenly felt like he'd made the wrong decision.  He figured that, since she had to experience the invasion herself, she'd been more inclined to agree with that viewpoint.  How was it that she had such distaste for most of the ponies around her, but seemed to be sympathetic toward the actual threats?

"But it's not like all of the changelings are bad, right?  I mean, there's those two living in Ponyville.  Apparently, they're really friendly."

Guise knew that full well, but he'd already hitched his cart, so now he had to pull it.  "But isn't deception the changelings' whole thing?  Who's to say they won't turn on us?"

"You really think they would?  One of 'em's married with a kid.  That's in kinda deep to do a heel turn now, don't you think?"

"And isn't that exactly how they'd want you to think?  Changelings get more powerful by feeding on love, right?  Chrysalis was strong enough to overpower Princess Celestia during the wedding, so how powerful do you think that guy in Ponyville is by now?  If he decided to turn on us now, who's gonna stop him?"

Sweetmint sat in silence for a moment.  Guise observed her closely.  She seemed to be mulling his words over rather seriously.  "I feel kinda bad for thinking you have a point, but if he was gonna do that, he probably would have by now, right?"

Similarly, Guise also felt a little bad.  Not for the changelings, and especially not for Shade, but for Sweetmint.  Everything he just said was actually steeped in truth.  He'd said directly to Shade's face that if he wanted to take over Equestria with the power he'd built up, he probably could.  Of course, knowing Shade, he'd never listen to him.  But seeing Sweetmint's reaction, he was starting to think maybe he should backpedal a little on his prejudiced viewpoint.

"Maybe, but that doesn't really excuse all of them.  But..."  Guise stared down at the floor.  It was ironic considering the stance he'd chosen to take in contrast to Sweetmint, but Guise knew that Shade and Chamella weren't the only changelings who had good hearts.  "...I guess it's not like they can't be good people.  Still, though, two out of thousands isn't a great ratio."

Sweetmint leaned back against the couch, Persimmon taking the opportunity to nuzzle into her mane.  "Yeah, I can see where you're coming from on that.  It's not encouraging, I'll admit.  But I don't feel like there's anything wrong with trusting the ones that want to be given a chance as long as they're nice people.  Everypony—or changeling, I guess—deserves a second chance if they want it, don't you think?"

Guise didn't answer, he just chose to contemplate her words in silence.


*****     *****     *****


Guise let out a long, disapproving sigh, trying to keep it from becoming a loud groan.  As if one trip to the library weren't bad enough, he was getting dragged along on a trip there once again for the second day in a row.  He didn't know why Sweetmint had been so insistent that he accompany her, but the weird thing was that she seemed to be under the impression that he was planning to go there himself.  She'd been acting oddly and saying strange things ever since he bought that book, and Guise had no idea what was up with her all of a sudden.

He had better things to do with his time today.  The previous day's conversation with her about changelings had given Guise a lot to think about.  He was even able to tune out the bickering chefs at work because his mind was so preoccupied by the subject.  He wanted to consider the stance he'd taken on the topic.  His intention was to act like he didn't trust changelings in order to throw her off the scent, making him appear less likely to be one himself.  He hadn't anticipated somepony like her being so sympathetic.

But Guise didn't have time to ponder that right now.  After their brief conversation yesterday, Sweetmint had powered through her manga and now she was eager to get to the next one, which apparently was available today.  But he had no idea why she needed him to go with her, even if she seemed to think there was a legitimate reason somehow.

Sweetmint was well aware of the grumpy grimace on Guise's face, and she retaliated with a knowing smirk.  "Don't be such a sourpuss."

"I didn't ask to join you out here.  I was content just chilling at home for the rest of the day."

Sweetmint rolled her eyes, though her grin never faltered.  "Right, like you weren't planning on this yourself."

"Seriously, what are you going on about?" Guise asked with growing annoyance.  "What reason could I possibly have to go to the library that doesn't involve you?"

She just snickered, as though she found his confusion and belligerence amusing for some reason.  "Look, you can play the tough guy card all you want, but I saw the way you were looking at that book.  You think I don't know what's going through your head?"

Guise's eyes widened slightly.  Before, the things she was saying were just confusing, but now he was worried.  She couldn't possibly have figured him out, could she?  Just because he was interested in a book about changelings?  Was that why she was trying to sympathize with the changelings yesterday?  Was she trying to discreetly tell him something?  Did she know and was trying to relay that she was okay with it to get him to reveal himself?  That couldn't possibly be the case, could it?  Just in case it wasn't, he kept his trap shut.  The last thing he wanted right now was to tell her the truth and find out that he was completely off base and ruin everything.

He inhaled a deep breath to try and reduce his heart rate, then simply gave Sweetmint a dismissive huff.  "Whatever you're thinking right now, you're wrong."

"Whatever you say, big guy," she said patronizingly, eliciting a disgruntled groan from her boyfriend.

By now, they had made it to the library and headed inside.  Similarly to the previous day, there was a crowd of ponies present.  The difference was that there were far more than yesterday.  The place was pretty lively for a library.  Guise had to wonder what exactly was going on.  He couldn't imagine that this many people would show up for a new issue of that manga Sweetmint was here for.  But the people had formed a line that extended almost back to the door, and it seemed to lead over to that table where Twilight Sparkle's books were placed yesterday.  But why would people suddenly be clambering for the book today?  Out of curiosity, Guise peered around the crowd to get a better look.

And if finding a book about changelings wasn't worrisome enough to make him sweat, what he saw today made his blood run cold.  It wasn't just the books that were there at that small table.  Now, along with them was the very mare who had written them; a lavender alicorn with a friendly smile on her face.

Guise nearly had a panic attack.  Even if he had no personal beef with Twilight Sparkle, that didn't mean he was willing to go anywhere near her.  If there were anypony out there who'd be capable of seeing through his disguise and ousting him, it was her.  She was the one who had sussed out Chrysalis after all.

"This is pretty exciting, isn't it?  Meeting one of the princesses?" Sweetmint whispered.

"Wh-What is she doing here?!" Guise stammered in panic, but had the wherewithal to keep his own voice down as well.

Sweetmint raised an eyebrow at his reaction, her ears folding back as she seemed to realize something.  "Wait, so you actually didn't know she was going to be here?"

"No!  I had no idea!"

"Oh.  I figured you knew she was coming to do a signing session for her book today.  I mean, it was on the poster with the books."

Guise just stared, bewildered and apprehensive and cursing how long it was taking for him to get even a slight grasp of the written word.

"Well, this is a little awkward, then," she said apologetically.  "You said you weren't much of a reader, so I just assumed you bought the book just to get it signed."

Was that why she'd been acting so weird?  She was just teasing him because she thought he was excited to meet the princess?  At the very least, that was one concern laid to rest, but now he had a totally different problem ahead of him.

Sweetmint shrugged.  "Well, you're here now.  Might as well get it signed anyway while you have the chance."  She produced the book Guise had purchased yesterday from her bags.  She must have taken it with her thinking that he was going to take it anyway.  "Who knows?  It might be a collector's item down the road.  Maybe it'll be worth some dough if we hang onto it long enough."

Guise was now faced with a dilemma.  While there was no guarantee that Twilight Sparkle would see through his disguise as long as he didn't do anything suspicious, there was also no guarantee that she wouldn't.  She knew Shade and Chamella personally; they were close friends with her.  Guise liked to think that he was a pretty good actor, but could he fool somepony who was knowledgeable enough of changelings to have written a whole book about them?  On the other hoof, would it look suspicious to Sweetmint if he tried to worm his way out of this?  What reason could he come up with that would be an acceptable excuse to duck out?  Either way, he felt that the latter option would be less risky.

"I-I'm not interested," he told Sweetmint, trying to maintain an air of apathy.

"What's wrong now?"  She smirked again.  "Don't tell me you're starstruck.  You?  I know this is a little sudden and everything, but I never expected you to be nervous in front of a celebrity.  You're usually pretty composed and confident."

Guise stared at her.  The way she'd said that and the way she was looking back at him made that sound like a challenge.  Was she trying to goad him into this, and, if she was, was he going to willingly take the bait to shut her up?  He glanced across the room to where the alicorn sat, idly signing copies of her book for the library's patrons with an amicable smile.  It wasn't like he had to actually talk to her or anything.  He'd just give her the book, she'd sign it, and they could be on their way.  No big deal.

Guise breathed a reluctant sigh of resignation.  "Alright, fine."

The two of them took their places at the end of the line, Sweetmint wearing an oddly excited grin.  Guise looked at her, a tad puzzled.

"I thought you were here for your manga."

She simply shrugged.  "I'll grab it on the way out.  I'm actually kinda excited to meet Princess Twilight.  You know, I've lived in Canterlot for three years, but I've never actually met any of the princesses.  I hear you can sometimes find them wandering around the city for one reason or another, I've just never been in the right place at the right time."

Guise could have done with fewer meetings with the princesses himself.  While he's never seen Princess Celestia or Princess Cadance in person, there was the one time he and Princess Luna were ready to kill one another during the invasion.  And, again, while he had encountered Twilight Sparkle multiple times, he was usually more preoccupied with other things to pay her much mind.  Still, he would rather completely avoid any interactions with the princesses if he could help it.  He may have been living in Canterlot, but considering the size of the city, it was unlikely he'd ever randomly bump into one of them.

At least, that's what he thought.  Today had already proven otherwise.  And Twilight Sparkle didn't even live in Canterlot.

The line gradually grew shorter and shorter as satisfied customers took their signed copies of Twilight's book home with them.  As Guise and Sweetmint got closer and closer, the tension rose, though for different reasons for each of them.  But eventually their turn came, and Guise was now face to face with the alicorn.

Twilight Sparkle gave the two of them a friendly smile, as she had for everypony else.  "Good evening," she greeted in a chipper tone, her time spent repetitively signing books apparently having not affected her mood in the slightest.

"It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness," Sweetmint said politely, bowing her head slightly.  Guise was actually a little surprised with how curt she was being.

The alicorn waved dismissively.  "Please, I'm here today as an author, not a princess.  No need for formalities here."

"Well, in either case..."  Sweetmint passed Guise's copy of the book to her.  "It'd still be an honor to have a signed copy of your book."

Twilight received the book and readied her pen.  "And how would you like this signed?  Just my signature, or should I personalize it for you?"

"I guess that's up to you, hun."

Guise suddenly looked up.  Sweetmint was looking at him expectantly, but he wasn't sure he'd quite heard her; he was too focused on maintaining his composure and looking for any sign of suspicion from the princess.  "Huh?"

Sweetmint rolled her eyes with an amused grin, turning back to Twilight.  "Sorry about him.  I think he's a little nervous."

"That's alright," Twilight responded with a quiet giggle.  "I've gotten a fair amount of that today.  I know I've been a princess for a while now, but it's still a little difficult to get used to people treating me differently."

Sweetmint nudged Guise in the side, earning an annoyed glare from him.  "Hear that?  You're fretting over nothing."

Guise only continued to glower at her.  If she knew exactly why he was nervous, she might not take that tone with him.

Seeing that Guise still hadn't said a word, Sweetmint groaned and gave the princess an apologetic smile.  "I guess you can just sign it to both of us.  My name's Sweetmint Scoop, and this is my boyfriend Crimson Neon."

Twilight happily signed the inside cover, then passed the book back.  "Do you have a copy of your own you'd also like me to sign?"

"Huh?"  Sweetmint was a little caught off guard by the question, her cheeks suddenly flushing red and looking awkwardly at the alicorn.  "Oh, uh, no.  I mean, not that I'm not interested, but we, uh...  We live together, so we can just share this one.  But I can buy a copy if you—"

Twilight lifted a hoof to stop her, smiling reassuringly.  "No, no, that's fine.  I was just asking, just in case.  Sorry if I put you on the spot there."

Sweetmint laughed off the slight misunderstanding.  "Right, sorry.  For the record, I am looking forward to checking it out.  But I actually came down here today to get the new issue of Kohl the Sentinel."

Twilight's eyes suddenly widened, a glimmer of interest in her purple irises.  "Wait, you read Kohl?"

Sweetmint blinked.  "Uh, yeah.  You've heard of it?"

A wide grin spread across the alicorn's face.  "Heard of it?  I love that series!  It's one of my favorite mangas!"

A similar smile dimpled Sweetmint's lips, pleasantly surprised by this information.  "Really?  I didn't expect a princess to be into manga, let alone one like Kohl."

"Are you kidding?" Twilight said with a chuckle.  "I cosplayed as Kohl for Nightmare Night once.  Even made the costume myself.  None of my friends got the reference, but it was still fun."

"Are you picking up a copy of the new issue while you're here, too?"

"I actually already have a copy.  I have them imported and delivered right to my place as soon as the new issues are released so I can read them right away."

"Wow.  That's dedication," Sweetmint remarked, visibly impressed.  "If I'm being honest, I'm not really into manga as a whole.  Kohl is the only one I read, but it's soooo good.  I guess I can't really consider myself 'cultured' like you."

"You shouldn't think of yourself as any less of a fan just because you don't read more manga.  As long as it's something you enjoy, that's what makes you a fan," Twilight told her with a reassuring smile.

"It's not like there are many people around that'll get on my case about it anyway.  I don't think I've met anypony else until now who cares about manga in the slightest."

"I know how that feels.  Back when I still lived here in Canterlot, I sometimes tried to organize meetups to meet other fans, but nopony ever showed up.  It's actually only in recent years that manga has started to gain more mainstream popularity, but Kohl is still a little niche.  You couldn't even get any manga here in Canterlot when I lived here.  Princess Celestia would order them from a comic book shop in Manehattan for me."

Sweetmint's eyes lit up.  "The place wouldn't happen to have been Four Panel Comics, would it?"

"Yes, that's it!  How'd you know?"

"I'm from Manehattan.  That's where I used to buy mine."

"Wow, it really is a small world, isn't it?"

What is happening?!

Guise could only stand there in utter, silent bewilderment at what he was witnessing.  Not only was Sweetmint engaging in idle, inane conversation with Princess Twilight Sparkle, but the two of them may as well have been speaking a different language.  He was just supposed to get the book signed and leave.  How had this suddenly devolved into a pair of dorks geeking out over a stupid comic book?

The stallion in line behind Sweetmint tapped her on the shoulder.  "Hey, we came here to get our books signed, too, you know?"

Sweetmint shot an icy scowl over her shoulder.  "Do you mind?  I'm talking to the princess."

The stallion didn't seem to appreciate her tone, but still took an instinctive step back.

"I'm sorry.  I guess we are being a little rude," Twilight said to the other ponies in line, offering an apologetic smile to them, as well as Sweetmint.  "I'm still signing for another half an hour, but if you're willing to stick around, we can continue our conversation when I'm finished."

Sweetmint beamed at the offer.  "Seriously?  You wanna just hang out and chat?"

"Sure.  None of my friends back home are into this stuff, so I don't have anypony to discuss it with.  It might be fun to share opinions with somepony for once.  You know, if you're not busy," Twilight requested hopefully.

The green unicorn replied with an eager smile.  "Even if I was, I'd blow it off in an instant to hang out with one of the princesses."

"Mint."

Sweetmint glanced over at Guise, a slightly confused look on her face.  "Oh, you're still here?"

Guise grimaced at her tone, but also saw it as his out.  "You're the one who dragged me here, but if you don't need me to stick around—"

"Yeah yeah you go on home I'll see you later," she told him with a dismissive flick of her hoof.

Guise didn't bother to say anything else and just took his signed book and headed for the door.

"It was nice meeting you," he heard Twilight call out to him before he left.


*****     *****     *****


Guise slapped a spoonful of cat food into Persimmon's dish, laying it on the floor for the cat to dig into.  Before putting the can back into the fridge, he took a small spoonful for himself, gulping it down without even taking the time to enjoy the flavor of what was supposed to be chicken.  But that wasn't enough.  He reached into the freezer to grab some ice cream that Sweetmint made, scooping a bit into a bowl and bringing it over to the couch with him.

He was a bit ruffled to say the least.  That encounter with Twilight Sparkle was the closest he felt he'd come to being found out, even if she didn't seem suspicious of him at all.  Just being in her presence was an unnecessary risk he didn't want to take.  And to make matters worse, Sweetmint had to get all chummy with her.  Who would have thought that the only other person dorky enough to read the one manga that she did was Princess Twilight?

Persimmon, finished with his meal, hopped up onto the arm of the couch next to Guise.  The changeling gave the cat a brief glance.  "She was making things needlessly uncomfortable for me," Guise vented to the cat.  "I know she doesn't get why, but I feel like I conveyed my feelings pretty well."

Persimmon obviously didn't respond.  In fact, he didn't appear to be paying attention at all and was just staring at the dairy treat that Guise was eating.  Guise rolled his eyes, but offered a spoonful of ice cream to the cat, which he happily began licking.

"Why am I talking to a cat?"

Guise finished off his ice cream rather hastily, having not learned his lesson from yesterday and giving himself another helping of mild brain freeze.  But it might have actually been helpful since he was feeling a little hot under the collar right now.  To that end, he got up to head for the bathroom, leaving the empty bowl on the coffee table for Persimmon to lick clean.

The changeling turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face.  He stared at his reflection in the mirror, his false, crimson coat dripping wet.  On a whim, Guise returned to his natural form, making it easier to see the ire in his blood red eyes and slotted pupils.  He honestly wasn't sure exactly why he was so upset about this.  It wasn't like anything bad came of the day's events.  Twilight Sparkle clearly had no idea that she had signed a book about changelings for a changeling, and the whole ordeal was over and done with now anyway.  Could he even call it an ordeal?  It was really nothing, and yet he was reacting as though it were.

Guise breathed a sigh.  Obviously he was just a little on edge due to the risk of being found out.  And Sweetmint had unknowingly made it worse by springing it on him out of nowhere.  Despite the strides he'd made, Guise had to admit something to himself: he wasn't just worried about being found out, he was scared.  The thought of being discovered was frightening to him, especially now that he had put this much work into his new life.  Being revealed not only meant having to leave Canterlot, but it would also grant the ponies knowledge of his presence, making any future attempts to rebuild his life all the more difficult, if not impossible.  And he didn't want to lose what he'd gained; good food, shelter from the elements, a cozy bed, a companion...

Guise stared into his own eyes as they widened slightly.  That wasn't a word he'd expected to come to mind.  Sure, Sweetmint was the least objectionable option in comparison to everypony else he'd met so far, but she was still ultimately a means to an end.  He couldn't afford to get attached in case he did need to abandon this place and start over somewhere else.  But that was the puzzling part; why was the possibility of getting attached even a concern?  If she was a means to end as he had convinced himself she was, then he shouldn't even be thinking about this right now.

He shook his head, donning his pony disguise once more.  He was just flustered, that's all; a little uneasy after coming face to face with that princess.  He was overthinking.

Guise decided to just stop thinking about it.  He grabbed his toothbrush to give his teeth a cleaning and his tongue a scrapping, if only to rid his mouth of the smell of cat food in case the ice cream hadn't done a good enough job.

He heard the sound of the apartment door opening, but it was accompanied by a voice.  And not just one voice, but two.

"...she did tend to be a bit... intrusive at times."

"Yeah, she's been like that since we were kids, and she's not shy about it either.  She's always been a firm believer that honesty is the best policy."

"Well, I guess she has that in common with Applejack, though her approach is certainly more abrasive.  But I could tell she has a good heart.  She did stick her neck out for them when all the other reporters were trying to back them into a corner."

Guise froze, the toothbrush nearly dropping from his mouth.  He wasn't surprised to hear Sweetmint's voice, of course, but the other voice was what was worrying.  He desperately hoped that that familiar voice wasn't who he thought it was.  But as much as he wanted to hunker down in the bathroom for a while in case he was right, he knew it was inevitable.  Guise rinsed out his mouth, spit into the sink, and swallowed his apprehension.  Stepping cautiously back out to the living room, he saw the realization of his fears standing in the kitchen with Sweetmint.

"Guess who's here!" Sweetmint said giddily, gesturing to the smiling, purple alicorn with her.

"Hello again," Twilight greeted amicably.

Guise glanced between the two mares, unsure what to make of this development.  "Uh, no offense, but what's she doing here?"

"We got pretty caught up in our conversation and didn't realize that the library was closing," Twilight answered.

"So I took a shot in the dark and invited her over," Sweetmint added with enthusiasm.  "Guess what she said!"

Guise just stared, bemused.  "Ye—"

"She said 'yes'!"

"We both figured that if we were going to talk about Kohl the Sentinel, we may as well have the reference material handy," said the princess.

"Right.  My collection's over there on the shelf.  I might not be a big manga fan, but I have every issue of Kohl."

Twilight wandered over to the shelf in the living room, picking up a stack of the books with her pink magic and looking them over with interest, but seeming more preoccupied with reorganizing them than actually viewing their contents.

"Do you want anything, Princess?" Sweetmint offered.  "Water?  Coffee?  Tea?  Uh..."  She took a look in the fridge, realizing now that they didn't have much to offer guests, let alone royalty.  "Beer, maybe?"

"Oh, I don't drink," Twilight informed her, though didn't remove her attention from her idle sorting.

An embarrassed blush tinted Sweetmint's cheeks.  "Uh, right.  Should've figured.  Sorry."

"It's alright.  Being a princess doesn't mean I can't drink alcohol, I just choose not to.  Actually, Princess Celestia enjoys a glass of wine every now and then.  I've even seen her get a little wobbly at garden parties occasionally." Twilight said with a snicker.

Sweetmint chuckled a little herself.  "Really?  That's kinda surprising."

"I know, right?  But, uh, I'm going to have to ask you to keep that information to yourself."  Twilight's cheeks flushed a little as she grinned somewhat awkwardly.  "Truth be told, I've never even tried alcohol myself."

"Then you're in the same boat as Crimson.  He's never tried it either."

"Anyway, to answer your question, a cup of tea sounds good," Twilight said gratefully.

Sweetmint hesitated, a look of realization on her face.  "Uh...  I may have only mentioned tea to be polite.  Me and Crimson are coffee drinkers.  I don't think I actually have anything for tea here."

"Oh.  Well, water's fine."

Sweetmint poured up a glass of water for the princess and placed it on the coffee table for her, then set the coffee pot for herself.

Twilight, finished reorganizing each issue of the manga by release, started toward the couch, but was stopped by a curious kitty staring up at her.  She gave the cute feline an admiring smile.  "Aw, who's this adorable, little guy?"

"That's Persimmon," Sweetmint answered as she prepared her coffee.

Twilight held her hoof to her mouth to stifle an amused giggle.  "Ah, like purr-simmon.  That's clever."

Sweetmint shot a smug smirk at Guise.  "See?  She gets it?"

"I never said I didn't get it, I just don't think it's funny," Guise grumbled.

Twilight gently pet Persimmon, running her hoof down the cat's back and eliciting purrs of approval.  Guise couldn't help but sneer at the feline, all the more evident now that Persimmon just picks and chooses to whom he wants to be nice.

"So, will you be joining us, Crimson?" Twilight asked him.

Guise was ready to give her a derisive and resounding "No," but Sweetmint chimed in with a scoff before he could.

"Not likely.  He thinks this stuff is for dorks."

"You don't like it?" Twilight said, looking a little disappointed.

"I never said anything about not liking it," he answered, casting a corrective glower at Sweetmint for implicating him.  "I've just never read it."

Technically, he wasn't lying, but that was more because he couldn't read it rather than a lack of interest.  But he wasn't about to admit that for fear of bringing his literacy into question, as well as wanting to avoid engaging in conversation with the princess.

"Just ignore him," Sweetmint said with a dismissive flick of her hoof in Guise's direction, accompanied by a teasing smirk.  "He'd only suck the fun out of it anyway."

As Sweetmint and Twilight took their seats on the couch with a stack of manga in front of them, Guise just went to the kitchen to get himself a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table.  He contemplated holing up in the bedroom for a while until the alicorn took her leave, but there was a hint of morbid curiosity in the back of his mind.  He may have acted aloof about the manga, but he did secretly enjoy what he saw within those pages.  Maybe if he stuck around and eavesdropped for a bit, he might be able to learn what it was actually about.

"So, when did you start reading Kohl anyway?" Twilight asked Sweetmint.

Sweetmint picked up a specific issue and held it up to Twilight.  "Around the time volume two started, I think."

"Ah, well, that's a good time to start.  From what I've heard, that's the most popular arc."

"Really?  Volume four's my favorite personally."

"Then you're in the minority there.  I like that arc as well, but apparently most fans dislike it because they feel it was a rather drastic turn in tone and story."

"I guess I can see that.  Going from simply investigating cultists and stuff to fighting hordes of demons and spirits might cause a bit of whiplash.  But I kinda like the high octane action of later volumes."

"It never really bothered me either.  But I've always enjoyed the series more for the character interaction rather than the action or even the overall plot."

"Yeah, the characters are great, right?  I'm personally all about Garek."

Twilight chuckled quietly with a slight roll of her eyes.  "That's a little cliché, don't you think?"

Sweetmint tilted her head in confusion.  "Whaddya mean?"

"The 'brooding anti-hero' archetype is always the fan-favorite."

"Hey, I mentioned that this is the only manga I read, right?  Cut me some slack.  I don't know all the tropes.  And he's a good character.  Are you gonna say he isn't?"

"No, no, of course not."

"Then who's your favorite?"

"Kohl."

"Hm.  I don't know.  I know he's the main character, but I always thought Kohl was kinda boring.  At least compared to the other characters."

Twilight shrugged.  "I can see that, but I've always tended to gravitate towards the main characters of stories, I don't really know why.  Maybe it's because I have a pet owl, too."

"Whoa, Sentry's not his pet, he's his sidekick."

"Right, right, thanks for the correction.  Even as a princess I'd never get away from the ridicule of making a rookie mistake like that at a convention or something," Twilight laughed.

Guise leaned against his hoof, letting out a long, bored breath through his nostrils.  Their conversation was even more boring than he'd anticipated, and he was completely lost to boot.  Maybe he'd have been better off stepping out for a walk.  At least then he could mitigate his boredom by going hunting or something, and it would keep him away from the princess for a while.

Twilight happened to glance in Guise's direction noticing the look of sheer boredom on his face.  "I think your boyfriend is feeling a little left out," she whispered to Sweetmint, though Guise had no difficulty hearing her.

"He's the one who just chose to sit there and do nothing but drink coffee.  It's not our fault he doesn't want to join in."

Twilight turned her sights to the coffee table.  Among the many issues of Sweetmint's manga was also the copy of the book that Twilight had signed for them earlier.  "Maybe a change of subject is in order," the alicorn suggested.  "We don't only have to discuss Kohl.  Let's talk about something we can all get involved in."

Sweetmint followed her gaze to the book, catching her meaning, but not appearing enthused by the suggestion.  "You wanna talk about changelings?"

Guise looked up suddenly, a reaction that didn't go unnoticed by the princess in the room.

"He bought my book, so I can infer from that that he at least has some interest or opinions on the subject."

"For the record, I haven't read it yet," Guise chimed in.

Twilight smiled, looking at Sweetmint.  "See?  He's been listening, so he's obviously feeling excluded."

Guise grumbled to himself, mentally kicking himself for walking straight into her trap.

"You might as well join us, Crimson," Sweetmint said, patting the empty spot on the couch next to her.

With a reluctant sigh and a roll of his eyes, Guise gave in and waddled over to the couch, planting himself to the right of Sweetmint, putting the green unicorn between himself and Twilight.

A look of regret suddenly came across Twilight's face.  "I'm sensing a little tension here.  Is this maybe a touchy subject for him?"

"Not really," Sweetmint answered for him.  "At least, not from what he's told me.  I think he's just a little worried since you're friends with the changelings back in Ponyville and he doesn't really trust the changelings."

"Mint!" barked Guise in disapproval.

Twilight raised her hoof calmly.  "No, no, it's understandable.  Most people don't know Shade and Chamella as well as I do," she said, oblivious to the irony of her claim.  "But take it from me, they're good people."

"Well, that's not really the issue," Sweetmint told her.  "It's more about all the other changelings."

Twilight nodded.  "I see.  Well, that has been a concern for us as well.  We all want there to be peace between ponies and changelings, but, personally, I don't think it's an unrealistic dream."

Guise had to think about this for a second.  Would it really be a good idea to maintain the stance he took during his conversation with Sweetmint?  It was obvious where Twilight stood in this debate, so she was going to try and refute any argument he came up with.  But did her opinion really matter?  Everything Guise was doing in this new life of his had to do with Sweetmint.  Whether or not Twilight looked favorably upon him wasn't really of much concern.

However, before Guise could even chime in, Sweetmint spoke instead.

"But he made a good point when we were talking about this yesterday.  Two friendly changelings out of thousands is not exactly encouraging.  I mean, if they want to be given a chance, that's fine, but how many are actually coming out here looking for that?"

"They're probably just scared that they won't be accepted," Twilight argued.

Again, Guise was about to speak up, but couldn't get a word in over Sweetmint.

"You've been to the Changeling Kingdom, right?" the unicorn asked.

Twilight hesitated at the question.  "Well, yes.  Shade's son was abducted and we went there to save him.  We were keeping that information under wraps for a while so that Shade and Winter could get their lives back in order and focus on the wedding."

"Okay, so when you went there, how many changelings did you meet that wanted to make friends with you?"

Twilight paused, the question having her a little dumbstruck.  Guise, too, was surprised to hear Sweetmint be so argumentative towards the princess.

Twilight broke eye contact, answering somewhat quietly.  "Well...  Just one, but she... was killed by another changeling..."

Guise grimaced remorsefully.  Of course, he knew exactly about whom she was talking.

"And that's exactly what I'm talking about," Sweetmint continued.  "Maybe they are scared to try, but there are just as many changelings—if not more—who'll kill their own kind if they turn their backs on the colony, right?"

Things went rather quiet after that.  Both Twilight and Guise silently thought about it, though the latter had to imagine that Twilight was attempting to formulate a counterargument.  Guise knew that Sweetmint really didn't have any basis for that assumption, but he couldn't exactly say she was wrong.  Wraith did kill Glory because she betrayed him, and he was willing to do the same to any changeling who did likewise.  Maybe Wraith was an outlier in that regard—a changeling who sought to take the throne—but even though Wraith was dead now, and even though Chrysalis seemed to be much more accepting and actually cared about her people, he hasn't heard of any instances of other changelings trying to do what Shade and Chamella had done since.

Twilight finally looked up, a more resolute expression on her face.  "We just need to show them that they don't have to be scared.  We'll give them that chance if they really want it."

"I just don't think this is something you can force," Sweetmint said.  "Making friends is all well and good, but if you're too pushy about it, they probably won't receive it very well.  The changelings don't really seem to be very receptive of that kind of thing to begin with.  I've heard the eyewitness accounts of the invasion—I was here when it happened.  A lot of those people said that the changelings looked like they were enjoying themselves during the attack."

"We really shouldn't base our opinions of the changelings as a whole on the actions of one group.  That's preaching the wrong message."

"This isn't about race, Princess.  Like I said, if they wanted to make friends, they're more than welcome to, but it's pretty obvious that most of them aren't interested in that.  I don't hate the changelings, I'm just trying to look at this more realistically."

"And I don't think that's an acceptable outlook," Twilight responded, knitting her brow slightly.  "I don't think it's realistic or conducive to doubt their ability to change and want better lives for themselves."

"And I don't want you pushing your own morals on us because you're a princess," Sweetmint told her, pointing an accusatory hoof at the alicorn.  "If the day comes that the changelings show up here and say they wanna be friends, I'll happily greet them with open hooves.  But until that day comes, they haven't done shit to earn our acceptance.  Your two friends are the only exceptions, and that's not enough to convince me that we're safe from another invasion."

The apartment went quiet again after that.  Twilight seemed to be mulling something over, though Guise highly doubted that she was second guessing her convictions; she looked more like she was wishing this conversation hadn't happened to begin with, and he couldn't say he blamed her.  He, too, was caught completely off guard with how heated this had gotten.  And he was especially shocked that it was Sweetmint who had done that.  Guise hadn't really said a word this whole time, but Sweetmint was basically just paraphrasing what he'd said yesterday.  The strangest part was that she seemed like she was in the same boat as Twilight until today, but now all of a sudden she was on his side?  What happened?

Sweetmint's face was visibly hot, her minty green cheeks glowing a dull red.  She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.  She was clearly holding herself back for the princess's sake, and Guise knew how hard that must have been for her.  She looked Twilight in the eye, apologetically, yet also defiantly.  "I'm sorry, but... I think you should leave, Your Highness."

Twilight sighed.  "I see..."  She finished her glass of water and stood from the couch.

Sweetmint leaned back against the couch, frustrated, but also visibly stressed and even a little worried.  Guise took notice of that, and had a feeling he knew why.  She'd just chewed out Princess Twilight and made it abundantly clear that she didn't fully trust the changelings, knowing full well the alicorn's stance on the subject.  Guise suddenly felt the need to chime in, standing up and stopping Twilight before she made it to the door.

"Hey, I don't want you to think she's a bad person, okay?  She's not," Guise told Twilight.

Sweetmint stared from the couch, but remained quiet.

Twilight sighed again.  "It's not that I think there's no credence to her argument, but—"

"But it's not her argument."

Both Sweetmint and Twilight stared at him, puzzled.

Guise held a hoof to his chest.  "It's mine.  Just yesterday, she was all for giving them the benefit of the doubt, and I was the one who didn't trust them.  Don't think less of her for regurgitating my words at you.  She was just trying to stick up for me."  He turned around to give Sweetmint an appreciative look.

A small, sympathetic smile appeared on Twilight's face.  "For the record, I'm not judging either of you.  I suppose, given my past experiences, I've just come to expect people to come around on these matters a little more easily.  I know you aren't the only people out there who still feel that way, but you've at least made it clear that you're willing, and that's good enough for me.  Now, it's my job as a princess to do whatever I can to make everypony's—and everychangeling's—lives better.  I won't try to force the issue, but I'm still going to try my hardest to make peace a reality.  I know it's achievable."

Sweetmint hopped up from the couch and hurried over to Twilight, the redness in her face due more so to shame than anger now.  "I'm sorry if I was a little out of line, Princess.  I really do want the best for everypony—and changeling—I swear."

Twilight smiled sweetly.  "I know."

"Y-You're welcome to stay if you want," Sweetmint told her in apology.

Twilight gratefully waved the offer off.  "No, I really should be going, but not because I feel uncomfortable.  I was actually supposed to meet with Princess Celestia for tea after my signing session, and I'm afraid I might be a little late now.  But if you want to get together again the next time I'm in the area to talk about the latest issue of Kohl, I'd be more than happy to meet up."

Sweetmint finally managed a smile again.  "Y-Yeah, I'd like that.  Thanks."

Twilight opened the door as she prepared to leave, giving the pair a wave goodbye.  "It was nice meeting both of you.  Enjoy the rest of your evening."

"You, too, Princess," Sweetmint said back with a wave of her own.

The moment the door closed and Twilight was gone, Sweetmint dropped to her haunches with a loud thump, the sigh that escaped her lungs almost as loud.  "Holy shit, that was stressful."  She cast a weak, but grateful smile at Guise.  "Thanks for jumping in at the last minute there.  I was actually afraid that I pissed her off.  I mean, I almost just kicked a princess out of my house.  How crazy do you have to be to do something like that?"

"You know, you didn't have to jump to my defense like that," Guise told her, holding out his hoof to help her back to her hooves.  His tone was uncharacteristically quiet, as well as appreciative, which Sweetmint seemed to pick up on.

"Yeah, well, you seemed like you were pretty serious about that stuff yesterday.  I didn't want you to think you were a bad person."

"So you'd rather make yourself look like the bad guy?"

"It's not like that was my intention!" she said defensively.  "I thought she'd be a little more sympathetic, but once I started, I just kinda kept digging myself deeper.  I was actually kinda terrified.  My heart's pounding like a jackhammer right now."

Guise gave her a smile; an honest-to-goodness, genuine smile.  "Well, whatever the case, I really appreciate it."

Guise leaned in, giving her a brief kiss.  If he was being honest with himself, he still wasn't entirely sure why he was so appreciative.  Why did any of that matter to him?  Twilight's opinion meant nothing to him.  His own opinions that he told Sweetmint about the changelings weren't really even entirely true anyway, but she still went to bat for him.  Did that matter?  Again, he wasn't sure.  But, he was pretty sure that that was the first time he'd ever initiated a kiss with Sweetmint.