//------------------------------//
// Chapter 23 
// Story: Off Duty 
// by awf 
//------------------------------//

It was the moment of truth. Celestia couldn't help leaning a little against Rawsthorne as they sat on the couch. Mrs. Turner was in the comfy armchair and Glowbug seemed perfectly happy sitting on her haunches beside her owner. The mare didn't know too much about the middle-aged woman in front of them. She lived alone, but Celestia didn't know what had happened to her husband. There had to have been one at some point, because she had a daughter somewhere.

The unicorn was there to help her around the house and chat with her on the evenings. Glowbug herself had told her that much. It was, by no accounts, a bad life. Aside from occasional punishments, which were necessary because Glowbug was - in Celestia's opinion - a little bit spoiled, the pony had free reign of the house and could go outside on errands. She was allowed to attend the pony meetings and even had an allowance.

Yes, the mare was technically a slave, but there were ponies worse off. On some level, Glowbug seemed to know it, which was why she had never really tried to escape. She was generally good, aside from occasional mischief.  Right at the moment, the unicorn wasn't entirely certain why they were there. She had been happy to visit, but quickly noticed Celestia's uneasy, worried mood.

The disguise was still there when she had woken up.

"So, tell me what exactly is the problem?" Mrs. Turner asked Rawsthorne. "Something about the ring I loaned you? It worked perfectly for Glowbug."

Celestia looked pleadingly at her owner, who sighed and obliged her earlier request. "I'm sorry about this, Mrs. Turner," Rawsthorne said slowly, "but I need to ask you: can you keep this a secret? I would very much prefer that word of this doesn't get out."

"Word of what, dear?"

"Please, a promise?" he insisted and Celestia's heart swelled with pride and gratitude.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. Is this a lawyer thing? Confidentiality, or what's it called? Anyway, I promise I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Not exactly a 'lawyer thing', as you put it, but thank you. You too, Glowbug? Supple doesn't want you to tell the others, okay?"

The unicorn looked at the man with wide, surprised eyes, but she also agreed. "Fine, fine. I promise too."

They were intensely curious and Celestia couldn't keep a neutral expression anymore. Her ears sagged and she looked down. Luckily, Rawsthorne explained the problem.

"I'm afraid Supple Branch isn't all she seems. Apparently she is well-known in her home country, so she adopted a disguise on Earth to avoid certain types of danger."

Here it came. As soon as Glowbug heard, she would know everything. That reminded her and the Princess looked up sharply.

"E-excuse me, Gregory? Could I tell Glowbug myself in the other room?"

It was a strange request, but her owner shrugged and nodded.

"Come with me, p-please."

The unicorn was now extra curious and quickly followed Celestia to the kitchen. She waited for her to shut the door, then pierced her with a stare. "Well? Why all the secrecy? Who are you really?"

Celestia gulped in trepidation. "Look, it's complicated. I told Gregory I'm well-known, but I haven't told him exactly who I am. Once you know, you'll understand, okay? Just promise me you won't tell him."

The unicorn stared in stunned silence. Finally, she managed to get words out. "Just who in Tartarus are you, Supple? All the secrecy. Is there a single person on Earth you haven't lied to?"

Celestia nearly whimpered as she considered the question. Maybe the only human she hadn't lied to about her identity - only because he hadn't asked - was Denis. The irony was palpable.

"Please?"

Her fear and worry came through and Glowbug softened. She went and hugged her friend. "Shh, it's okay. Just tell me. I promise I won't give out your secret. Are you like a wanted criminal or something? Some celebrity? What?!"

Celestia took a deep breath. "I'm an- an alicorn."

The reaction was very different than she had expected. The unicorn practically hissed and leapt away. She stared at Celestia with a mixture of fear, suspicion and animosity. It surprised her for a second, but then her mind connected the pieces together and the alicorn felt her own fur rise in response. She took a few steps backward.

"You! You are a- a-" Celestia felt faint and seriously considered flinging the door open and running for it. She was not ready for this, and neither was Rawsthorne.

She nearly slapped herself in the face. Glowbug's name was a dead giveaway! Stupid, stupid Celestia! The hiss had given her the final clue she needed. No pony ever made a noise like that!

"-Changeling!"

Now Glowbug looked panicky. "How do you know?!"

The mares stared at each other. "I should blast you right now! How long have you been hiding?!"

"Me?!" Glowbug spat. "Look at yourself! You're doing the same thing!"

Being compared to one of the evil little bugs?! It made Celestia growl. "I am not! I don't feed on Gregory love! Parasite!"

They kept watching each other. The alicorn had her magic wound up and ready to loose. The changeling was undoubtedly doing the same. Of course Glowbug wouldn't be a match for an alicorn and they both knew it. Unless she was Chrysalis herself, but if that were the case, she would have struck already.

Judging from her face, the Glowbug was thinking the same thing. "Which one are you?"

There was no point in hiding it. "Celestia."

Another hiss and the creature pushed herself further into a corner. "Usurper!"

It wasn't a word she was expecting. "What?! What are you talking about?"

"The Queen said you stole her rightful throne! Usurper! Deceiver! Tyrant!"

It shouldn't really surprise her that Chrysalis would stoop to lies, but the words still stung. "Am not! Your Queen is the deceitful one, creature!"

The door opened and both humans came in, staring. "What's all the racket?" Rawsthorne asked, but Celestia stepped in front of him protectively.

"Please leave, Gregory. She is dangerous. I've got it in hoof."

Mrs. Turner slipped past before the alicorn could stop her, and she didn't dare use any of her magic for a spell to pull her back. She might need all of it for the changeling.

"No, wait! You don't know what kind of creature she is!"

The woman stood in front of her pony and glared. "A changeling? Yes, I know."

It made Celestia reel back. "Well... Then you don't know what she does!"

"Feeds on emotion," the woman said.

Celestia felt her mouth drop open, especially when she saw Glowbug's smug grin. The unicorn rubbed her face against the woman's leg, possessively, like a cat.

"Supple, Mrs. Turner explained it to me. That's why the horn ring did what it did. It was designed to force Glowbug to keep her pony shape. There are no secrets there. Except, it seems, between you ponies."

Mrs. Turner continued the explanation. "Really, Supple Branch. You assume too much. I'm aware what Glowbug is, and what she needs to live. She's helped me through some tough times, so there's plenty of love for her to eat."

It was a world gone mad! Not only was the woman knowingly keeping one of those things in her home, she was willing feeding it, too!

She looked helplessly at her owner, who shrugged. "I don't see a problem with it, Supple. Besides, is it any more of a secret than yours?"

"Yeah! You can drop the act, Mr. Rawsthorne. I know who she is. Right, Celestia? Or should I say..." the unicorn announced smugly.

She was about to tell him her full title! Rawsthorne could not learn it from Glowbug! Celestia had to be the one to tell him! She wasn't ready! Everything would go wrong!

In her panicky desperation, the alicorn saw no choice but to throw herself on the creature's mercy, if there even was any. "Please!"

It was a quiet plea. Maybe it was pitiful enough that it softened Glowbug's heart, or maybe the years on Earth and interacting with ponies had made her nicer. The unicorn didn't say it. She even relaxed a little.

"Okay, so now that's over with, let's see about your problem, shall we?" Mrs. Turner said, as if the entire thing was solved.

The worst part was that Rawsthorne seemed to think the same. They went back to the living room, calling for the mares to follow.

Celestia stepped in front of the unicorn to block her path and lowered her voice. "Please don't tell him. Or the others. Please. I can't believe I'm doing this, but I am asking for your help."

Glowbug glared a little. "I'm not a monster like you think I am. If I tell the others anything, you'll tell them about me. I happen to like my friends!"

Undoubtedly they were a part of her diet. It nearly made Celestia sick, but she had no real choice. "Okay. I won't tell about you and you keep your mouth shut about me. Deal?"

The changeling nodded. "Deal. But only because I like you. Celestia or not, I considered Supple Branch my friend."

It felt as if the changeling was showing her up. It made the alicorn blush in shame and hang her head. "Well, you nearly snapped my head off when I told you!"

Now it was her turn to seem embarrassed. Glowbug replied: "I reacted, okay? It was a shock. You did a good job hiding it. I mean- you video-sexed Heavy Hoof! And then blam! You've really been Princess Celestia all this time. Way better disguise than any of mine!"

Was it praise or derision? She couldn't be quite sure, not with one of them, so Celestia decided to take it as the former.

"Anyway, I left all that behind. I don't want to go back. It's a good life here, compared to the Hive. So please - you ponies always talk about second chances. This is mine." The unicorn simply walked around her and followed the humans to the living room. Celestia went after her.

How many times has her world turned upside down on Earth? She had lost count. This time, the short and simple of it was was that Princess Celestia was a bigger sneak and liar than a changeling! She walked behind the unicorn in complete shock, but Rawsthorne quickly reminded her of the real problem.

"So, it seems the ring prevents this changing magic. So how do we turn her back?"

The unicorn examined her for a moment. "May I? Just a harmless probe. It may tickle a bit."

Celestia nodded.

Glowbug concentrated for a moment and this time her horn went green. Changeling magic, undoubtedly! Disgust warred with her worry that she would be stuck in her disguise. In the end, she let it happen, even if she imagined it felt cold and slimy.

"Hmm. You had the ring on, and then you changed into something without a horn. Well, that was stupid. Why couldn't you have picked a unicorn for your disguise? It would have let you use your magic."

Why indeed? Just one reason, really. "I wanted to be more inconspicuous."

Glowbug barked a laugh. "What? Humans would notice a unicorn, but ignore an earth pony? Yeah, good luck with that. Even those who know the difference don't give a shit when they see you have a horn ring."

"Well, are you going to help or not? Can you even do anything?"

The green glow was back and the changeling prodded at her. She came closer to peer into her eyes for a moment. Then walked around, touching her flank with a hoof, prodding at her knees.

"Well, it's a complete disguise. Hmm," the unicorn said to herself and continued her inspection.

"Where do your horn and wings go when you change, anyway?"

"I don't really know. Someplace else. But they're still attached to you, if that's what you're asking. Just not... here. Hopefully, mine go to the same place as yours."

Her owner pointed out: "The remote for the ring doesn't work."

"I know," Glowbug replied. "The scientist at the facility, who studied me and made my first ring said pretty much the same thing. That I shouldn't change into anything other than a unicorn, because it would be tricky to get it back."

"Tricky?" Celestia didn't like the sound of that. She completely ignored the news that Glowbug had been studied by humans like a lab animal. Perhaps later, when she was back to herself, she would feel some pity.

Suddenly the unicorn lowered her head and examined the alicorn's belly from below. "There is one thing we could try."

It filled Celestia with relief. If there was one thing to try, even if it didn't work, that usually meant there were others, and the changeling would think of them, if she had to.

"Anything!"

Glowbug looked at Mrs. Turner. "Take my ring off, just for a minute. I don't wanna end up stuck like her."

If she had any doubts about the trust between the two, it was dispelled now. The woman smoothly brought her remote from her pocket and unlocked the ring. The changeling levitated it from her horn with a sigh of relief.

"Why do you force her to wear it at all?"

"So I don't slip up and change accidentally," the unicorn explained.

"And because you're a brat sometimes and need a timeout from your magic to get you back in line," her owner added.

It made Glowbug turn red. "Yeah, also that."

"Okay, I'll change to my... normal shape. Please don't freak out."

At first Celestia thought that was meant for Rawsthorne, but the mare was staring directly at her. Undoubtedly she was worried about more of Celestia's instincts and prejudices surfacing, but she didn't wait for confirmation. There was the too-familiar green glow and the creature stood before them. Rawsthorne gasped in surprise but not - Celestia was proud to notice - in disgust.

"Gimme your remote," the changeling told him. The human obeyed and held it out. Glowbug easily grasped it in a simple levitation spell. "Well, I hope this works," she proclaimed.

"What will you do?"

"I'll take the remote to the same place our limbs go when we change. And then I'll unlock your ring from there."

"What?! How?!

"Simple. I'll change into something that doesn't have a head," Glowbug explained as she placed the remote in her teeth, so that she would push the unlock button if she bit down.

It was ridiculous, but she was the expert, out of the four of them. It did sound reasonable, if a little crazy.

"Ready?"

Celestia swallowed and nodded. Whatever Glowbug was, helping the alicorn out of this mess would go a long way to proving herself truly different.

"Yes."

"Here we go." The changeling was enveloped by the green glow again. When it was gone, the sight made the alicorn a little queasy. It was still her body, but a smooth stump where the head should be. It was a very disconcerting sight and both humans grimaced a little.

Then, suddenly, Celestia felt the magic grip her and she transformed back into herself. A moment later there was the green light around Glowbug again and she ended up in her unicorn guise. She spat out the remote.

It had worked! The alicorn felt herself going weak at the knees as relief washed through her. She sagged a little and would have collapsed if Rawsthorne hadn't grabbed her around the neck to steady her.

"That's great. See? I told you Mrs. Turner and Glowbug would be able to help us," he pointed out. It was true, the human had said that, but at the time it was just a little white lie to help her sleep.

She reared up to hug her owner and peppered his cheek with kisses. "You did! Thank you! Thank you so much!" She was both laughing and crying at the same time, happy that the disaster was averted.

They were so preoccupied with their little celebration that Celestia barley felt the horn ring being tugged off.

"You probably don't need this anymore," Glowbug said. "I only have a few of them and no way to get more."

In her elation, Celestia let her owner go and swooped up the unicorn in a full, winged and hooved hug. She planted a kiss on her cheek also. "Thank you!"

Glowbug made a face, but then smiled a little. "Well, you just paid me back, so we're even."

"Paid you- what?"

The changeling kept her smile. "The thanks. It tastes delicious, by the way."

Perhaps the Princess dropped the unicorn a bit too quickly, but she made her face remain neutral. She hadn't really felt anything as Glowbug took her emotion, but knowing it had happened wasn't entirely pleasant by itself.

She hurriedly went to hug the woman as well. "And thank you, too, Mrs. Turner. Both for letting us borrow the ring and coming to help right now!"

The woman was staring a little. "My, you're a pretty thing! I don't know why you'd ever want to hide this, sweetie! You're lovely!"

The alicorn blushed. "Uh, thank you."


However grateful, Celestia was still glad to watch them go. Seeing Glowbug around the pony meetings would be hard, but the alicorn would keep her promise if the changeling kept hers.

"I'm happy I'm back to normal, but that is one secret I could have lived without knowing."

"What? Glowbug being that- what did you call it? Changeling?" Rawsthorne asked. He closed the front door and turned to stare at the mare. "Why would that be such a problem?"

The Princess didn't enjoy bringing those memories up, but he deserved an answer after the little show he had seen between herself and Glowbug. "Changelings keep trying to take over my... uh, country. They feed on emotion - love and joy and friendship, and they want to turn ponies into a food source. I've always considered them enemies and monsters."

"Well, Glowbug seemed nice enough. Maybe living on Earth has changed her," he said, repeating her own guess.

"I thought the same thing. We'll see."

The mare felt for the sun. It was directly above them. Time to do some work. At least it would distract her. "I'll get lunch started."

"There's still your room. And your toys in the bathroom sink. And the laundry," Rawsthorne pointed out, rather unhelpfully.

That reminded her and her ears folded down in despair. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. "Oh. Right. I'm still in heat, but now there's no ring."

He laughed at her sudden misery and laid his hand on her withers in a show of comfort. "You can handle it."

She didn't feel quite as confident, but Celestia still gave him a faint smile. "We'll see. Just don't say I didn't warn you if I come for you in the night."