//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: Open and Out // Story: The Lion's Roar // by I Am The Night //------------------------------// The whiteness of the snow turned the darkness of the winter a faint, welcoming shade of pink against the landscape. The wind howled softly, echoing about like wind chimes clashing together. Guided by nothing more than that, Lyon trekked forward with a gentle plop of his hooves against the snow. The tracks behind and beneath him were deep, but he knew that up here, they would be covered again in an hour. The wind brushed against his fur coat, sending a collective shiver through his body, even to the very core. Cold weather was common here, but in the winter it was far worse. Not many of the others traveled far beyond here unless to make trips to the villages days from here, whether that was to trade goods or to fish at the nearest lake—and even that was a few hours' walk. Lyon let out a numbly yawn as he felt exhaustion begin to creep up on him. But he knew he couldn't go back yet. Not without her. Finally, after a good twenty minutes of walking into the thickest branches of woodland that the forest could ever offer, he was there. Standing before him was an old, decrepit shack, seemingly devoid of life—at least on the outside. The shack in reality was an explorers' den with a well sitting in the center, a well that stretched seemingly hundreds of feet downward. A brief expedition years before revealed nothing at the bottom, and was far too damaged to provide any use, and so Lyon and the rest of his group filled it with concrete and sticks to prevent any accidents, whether to them or anyone passing through. The shack itself showed its time, having been abandoned for at least one-hundred years for reasons unknown. But every once in a while—it was her temporary getaway. As soon as Lyon was no more than a few feet from the door handle, he could hear her gentle hums, and a brief glance through the nearby window revealed a faint glowing candle light that occasionally flickered to momentarily illuminate the interior, though the darkened tint of the window made it difficult to see it. The stallion gently opened the door, slow enough to keep it from creaking, and he entered the shack. The singing of the young mare before him became that much clearer. The song was entirely unfamiliar to Lyon, but the melody, among everything else, was nonetheless lovely. The young mare always seemed to have a knack for the art of music. If she failed to entice a listener with her words, then she could woo them with her voice. She could make anyone laugh or reduce them to tears with just a few changes in her tone. She was an opera singer of the wild. And yet, she was too shy to let the world hear her roar. Especially since she stopped singing the moment she noticed the stallion standing by the door. "Y-You scared me," she stammered, clutching her chest. Lyon grinned faintly, content that he could still do so. "Come on," he said to her, leaning his head to the door. "It's getting late." "Is it?" The young mare trotted over to the window and looked out to find that it was dark with the mix of pink. "What time is it?" "Almost time for bed, missy. C'mon." She trilled her lips. "I'm not a baby, Lyon." "Yes, but you're still growing. And growing changelings need their sleep." "Doesn't that include you, too?" Lyon rolled his eyes. "I'm sleeping fine, thank you very much. And once I know you're back home, I'll be able to sleep a lot better." The young mare hummed to herself and looked to the door, then glanced around the room, showing a clear reluctance to want to leave. It wasn't that she was afraid of going home, not at all. She just didn't want to. Here, she could be whoever she wanted. But the chill of the evening air gave the mare shivers through her body, and she let out a small groan. "Okay." Hopping off the small makeshift cot with a loud creak, the mare made her way out the door, Lyon following behind her to shut it. It didn't take long for the stallion to catch up to her, and his immediate decision was to engage in conversation. Anything to keep the cold away. "So, you learn anything at school today?" he asked. She shrugged. "We just learned about some plants today." "Really? What kinds?" "... There was one that makes you sneeze to death." Ah. That one. Lyon was glad they were nowhere near a patch of those things. He had a feeling the teacher probably left some of the more... gruesome parts out. "Oh! Well, that's... cool," Lyon half-exclaimed awkwardly. It didn't take long for the conversation to start dying, but by then, the two of them had already returned to the village. Lyon knew the layout of the place now like the back of his hoof. Within minutes of reaching the town limits—after a quick inspection by the guards, of course—the two reached the town home, a homey cottage settled next to a river. Grabbing the key from under the mat, Lyon unlocked the front door and allowed the young mare inside. As soon as he entered, he closed the door behind him. He turned around to see the mare already making her way to the stairs. "Do you want me to make you something to eat?" he asked. "No thanks," she replied. "I think I might get ready for bed." "Oh. Okay then." He watched as she started her way up the stairs, but as soon as she reached the halfway, he called to her. "Sky?" She turned to Lyon, but said nothing, yet she was attentive. "You know you can talk to me about anything... right?" "I know." An awkward silence brewed between the two ponies, Lyon staying silent as if beckoning Sky to say something. Anything. Not just 'I know.' "Good night," she said with an uncertain tone as she continued up the stairs, before inevitably disappearing behind a corner. Lyon sighed quietly and glanced at the living room aimlessly. "Good night, kiddo." Lyon felt uneasy again as he awoke the next morning. To his luck, it was not as severe as it had been the day before or even the days leading up to the wedding. But it was still there, creeping on him yet never pouncing. It was a kind of uneasy he hadn't felt in years, but this time it was easily avoidable. Ish. He stretched his back on the recliner, letting out a brief moan as his bones cracked. Glancing around the living room, he noticed the sunlight passing through the window, indicating it was sometime in the early morning. Looking ahead of him, he could see Rainbow Dash sleeping soundly on his couch, her blanket having fallen to the floor at some point during the night. Two things immediately ran through his mind: He was capable of sleeping through Rainbow Dash's snoring after all... ... And what happened last night was real. Just like all the nights and days before it. Getting up slowly from his chair, Lyon tiptoed into the kitchen and began to make himself a quick breakfast, all the while catching his brain up on events. Eventually, the sound of chirping birds outside became clear, and Lyon found himself yawning, all the while Dash continued to sleep several feet away. He found himself looking at her for more than a moment before making the decision to fix her a plate, as well. He knew her long enough to know a hearty breakfast for someone like her was a buffet for literally anyone else, but two eggs should suffice. Once the plate was set and placed down on the counter, Lyon went back to his thoughts. He was both looking forward to and not looking forward to today. He remembered the promise he made to Twilight and the others the night before, that they would ask him average questions, such as what he did before coming to Ponyville and where he naturally grew up. It wasn't that he hated to talk about it. It's just that he knew once he started talking about it, it would just go on and on. Soon it wouldn't just be about his time in Baltimare or Manehattan. It would be questions about the hive, his siblings, more about his mother. Then when the time came... Sanctity itself. Sanctity... why did he have to mention that? Then he remembered he really had no choice. Anything else would've come off as a lie, and who knows where just a single lie would lead. Hell... it led him here, so... he didn't know what to think of it. He hated lying, but there were times it was necessary—even if he didn't know he was lying. It made him wonder how long the fib would've gone on had he not shown up at the wedding. What if he stayed home, rejected Celestia's offer? What if he decided to bugger off elsewhere like Appleoosa or Manehattan? Would he even be sitting here thinking this? Surely, Chrysalis would've come back some other time. He knew his mother too well even after all these years. She was not the kind of person to give up easy. The blood on her hooves could more than vouch for that. A cracking yawn filled the silence, followed by the creaking of springs and cracking of bones. Lyon broke his thought and glanced over to the couch just as Rainbow Dash awoke from her sleep. Initially when her eyes opened, she recoiled at the sight of the chair where Lyon slept being empty, and darting her eyes around the house until they eventually fell upon the stallion himself standing in the kitchen, and her body relaxed. "Oh... uh... hey," the mare said slowly. "Good morning to you too," Lyon answered with a dry chuckle. Despite that, he couldn't be too upset at her for being cautious. He more than definitely would've done the same in her hooves. Rainbow stretched her limbs again as she lifted herself off the couch and started for the kitchen. "You made breakfast for me?" she questioned, noticing the extra plate. Lyon nodded. "Figured you probably didn't wanna fly all the way back home just to make some food." Rainbow shrugged briefly, but still thanked him a moment later. With both hooves, she grabbed her plate and hovered over to the nearby table to sit down. Lyon watched as she readied herself to dig in, only for her to stop just before the fork went into her mouth. She eyed it suspiciously, trying her hardest not to make it obvious. "... It's not poisoned, if that's what you're looking for," Lyon said almost monotonously. "I know that! I just, uh... wanted to... make sure I had enough?" Lyon wasn't at all convinced, but he didn't chastise her. Once she noticed he wouldn't budge, she apologized. "Don't worry about it," he responded as he dug into his own plate. Dash still couldn't help but egg herself on. "Just being cautious... you know...?" He nodded back. "I know. But I'm still Lyon, you know? Remembering who I am doesn't mean I'm gonna start poisoning all my friends." "Well... have you done it before?" "... What?" "Poisoned someone. Ya know, put rat poison in their coffee, stuck an antacid tablet in their pancakes?" Dear Celestia, how barbaric. "No," Lyon lied. "... Oh." "How do you even—" "Daring Do." "Jeez, the writer's gotten pretty gruesome in the last few years, hasn't she?" "Well," Dash hung, leaning against the table, "it's nothing too crazy. You think it will until Daring Do or the other good guys manage to stop the problem before it even begins. But there's always that fear, you know? It leaves you on edge." Lyon agreed with her. He wasn't as into the Daring Do books as Rainbow Dash, but he could easily get into them every once in a while whenever a new edition released. Before the wedding, his only memory of the series was the first time Rainbow introduced him to it after her flying accident a few months back. But now he remembered starting the series back when the first ever book hit the shelves—fifteen years ago. Yearling's come a long way since then. Once Dash eventually got into her food, Lyon took his plate and rinsed it in the sink before setting it on the drying rack. While doing so, Rainbow asked what the plan was for the day. "Well... Twilight did say she wanted to come back over today to ask more questions, remember?" "Yep. So, you got any good stories in your noggin you wanna tell us?" Lyon tilted his head away hesitantly. "Nothing too... much, like I said. Okay? Just tame stuff for the time being." "How tame are we talking...?" "Uhm...?" Lyon paused. The goal was for tame, but he couldn't think of anything quite so tame. Favorite type of music? Where he grew up? Surely, they wouldn't find much satisfaction from something like that, would they? Devil's Advocate, it is then. "What would you suggest?" he asked Rainbow Dash. She trilled her lips briefly as she took a moment to think. "Well... off the top of my head... things like your favorite book, what kind of music you listen to, maybe your favorite hobby before coming here to Ponyville?" "Well, I can easily answer that last one. Archery." "Really? Since when?" "Since I was a hatchling," Lyon answered. "Since my mother considered me of the warrior class, naturally we were trained to fight as soon as we were able. I ended up having a better hoof in ranged combat." "So, with arrows?" "Anything we could send far, really. But my mother didn't want me relying solely on an arrow to save my life. In general terms, ranged combat was secondary; we were trained on close quarter. If an enemy managed to get physical, we needed to be ready for it." "So you kick butt pretty hard, I imagine?" Lyon shrugged. "Sort of. It's..." He froze. "It's been a while since I really fought anypony. Or just anyone, really." "Why?" "I'm not exactly the type of person to go and start trouble. If I can, I keep to myself." "When was the last time you really got into a fight? Other than the wedding, duh." "Pfft," Lyon trilled, "years ago. Long before I came to Ponyville. I think I was staying out in Mareland. I was at this tavern by the beach, just kind of keeping to myself... when this one guy who'd been there probably longer than I had starts mouthing off to me, thinking I was some mare he tried to hit on earlier in the night." Rainbow snickered. "You sure you weren't disguised as her or something?" Lyon mock laughed. "Ha ha." But in fairness... he'd done it before. "Anyway, the guy starts spewing the most absolute random stuff in my face, then tries to swing at me. I knew it was coming, so instinctively I ducked. He struck a guy sitting next to me, and I guess since he didn't fully see it go down, he thought I was the one that hit him. So his first instinct was to also swing at me." "Seems fairly easy to deck two drunks, right?" "When every punch they don't land on me ends up hitting someone else? Far from it." "Let me guess... bar fight?" "Try full blown riot." "Wait, what? How?" "My memory's foggy, but while the drunk ones were kicking the crap out of me or each other, the locals outside apparently got the wrong idea. Everyone inside was smashing furniture and destroying property, which in turn, led to said locals using the opportunity to smash things up themselves. By the time I even got out of there, that whole street was filled with ponies looting and dancing on burning wagons." "Wait wait, before you that, go back to the fight part. What did you do?" Lyon almost forgot about the original point of the story, shook his head with a chuckle, and continued. "The drunk guys were pretty easy to hold off. It was just dodging their "hits" and keeping enough distance for them to get distracted by some other ponies. But it was the sober ones that were tough to deal with. I remember this one posse that was there, looked like they knew a good deal of fighting too. They had their sights set on me, so avoiding them wasn't going to happen. "I landed a few good hits on a couple of them, but they were able to pin me down for the rest. Everyone ignored us and these guys just landed blow after blow." "You didn't even fight back?" "I did, but... I didn't mind it all that much. I could've easily gotten out of that situation at first. But I didn't. I let them have their fun. As weird as it is to say, I... I don't know, I guess it just felt nice to not fight first." "Well, obviously you're still here, sooo what changed?" Rainbow asked with a faint smirk. Lyon sighed. "They tried to burn the only picture I had left of my friends." The smirk disappeared. "Your friends?" "Other changelings that left the hive over the years. We saved up some money for some cameras and had our photos taken. When... things happened, that photo was the only thing I had left of them. And those fuckers tried to burn it." Rainbow recoiled faintly, not enough to be noticed. She hardly ever heard Lyon swear, even before the wedding. He always said he didn't like it. Maybe, to an extent, he was right. "As soon as I saw them take it, I lost it. I fought just like I was trained: Smart and quick. I grabbed my things and ran out of there before anyone could think to look and notice." "Did you... kill them?" Lyon shook his head. "Nopony died, as far as I know. But the riot that sprung from that bar cost Mareland millions of bits in damages and repairs." "Jeez, how big was this riot?" "Enough to span ten city blocks. It was the worst violent incident in the city's history since its founding." "And you alone were responsible for it?" "Yep," Lyon chuckled sheepishly. "I know it's not exactly something to be proud of... but it's not every day you get to tell folks you were responsible for the Mareland Bar Riots." While Lyon laughed to himself, and while at first Dash wanted to alongside him, the mare found herself staring almost hard at the stallion's form. "Wait... you mean... the Mareland Bar Riots?" Rainbow Dash asked slowly. "Well yeah," Lyon answered nonchalantly, still coming down from his giggly high. "Unless there was another riot I missed in recent years." But Rainbow still wasn't laughing, and that alone forced the smile to fade from Lyon's face. "Why? What is it? What's wrong?" The words got caught in her mouth at first, but she hesitantly answered. "Lyon... those riots happened sixty years ago." There was something about the mention that made Lyon's heart skip a beat. Maybe it was the time frame, or the fact that his friend reminded him of the time frame. Or was it both? "... Oh yeah." Lyon took a sip from his mug of coffee. He completely forgot he even poured it. His mind seemed to clear after the first few steps, but his mind had still been clouded by the blotches leftover from the potion's effects. "... I guess that memory isn't as recent as I thought it was," Lyon added sheepishly. "Heh... whoops..." He didn't know what to say, beyond that. "So... you're... older." And neither did Rainbow, apparently. "Yeah. Something like that." "I mean, that's not a bad thing or anything, just... bizarre. I mean, you look so young..." "That's just the disguise, really." "Out of how many?" "Not many. I didn't really like changing form much." "Huh. Okay." Rainbow got up from the table and moved over to the counter, standing almost opposite Lyon. "So who'd you base this guy off?" "No one. I created this form from scratch." "You can do that?" "Wouldn't be very useful if we couldn't." "Point taken." Lyon downed the rest of his coffee and rinsed the inside of the mug out in the sink, hesitating to fetch another full cup. It was his awkward tick. The silence, the uncertainty of what can be said next, it was always unpleasant. He knew what the next question would be, and he was glad it was only ever asked twice. "So how old are you?" Make that three times. "Old enough," Lyon answered simply as he set the now clean coffee mug on the drying rack. "That doesn't really answer my question." He looked at her. "I know." Before Rainbow Dash could say any more, the sound of knocking cane from the front door. A hint of a pink bushy tail and the sound of magical aura indicated the others had come back to the house. As planned, of course, but this early? "I'll get it," Rainbow said. "Take care of my dish for me, old man?" "Excuse me?" "You heard me." Lyon twisted his tongue around with an urge to grumble something, but didn't have the bother for it. Shaking his head, he took Rainbow's near empty plate and dumped the rest of the food into the garbage before placing it into the sink for washing. Rainbow had taken that news fairly well so far. Or maybe it was still sinking in. Wasn't every day that your twenty-seven year old friend had vivid memories of a riot from more than thirty years before he was born. It was something he didn't want turned into a bigger deal, but he didn't like to talk about it. Not only did it make him feel old—it reminded him just how many things he had forgotten that was better left forgotten. Rainbow opened the front door, and upon doing so was greeted by her closest friends. The fact that she opened first gave momentary relief to those who were still wary at best. For Rarity, it took a bit more convincing. "Ow!" Rainbow yelped as Rarity punched her shoulder carefully. "What was that for?!" "Just checking, darling." "I'm not a ghost, for Pete's sake. Besides, I think it'd be pretty easy to tell if I was replaced. No one can ever match my awesomeness so well." "Or your boastfulness, apparently..." Rarity muttered aloud earning an unamused look from the pegasus. "But that's a good thing! ... Almost." Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes and leaned her head toward the house. "Come on, let's go inside." The girls and Spike followed each other—Pinkie hopping behind them—as their eyes fell on Lyon who stood by the kitchen counter. He exchanged a faint smile as he focused on washing Rainbow's plate. "Good morning, Lyon," Twilight greeted in a hopeful tone. "Did you sleep well?" "More or less," he answered. "I'm feeling a lot better than I did a few days ago, for sure." "That's good." Lyon asked the same question back, and the answers were more or less the same as his own. There wasn't much conversation to go on beyond that, and so the girls all retreated their way to the couch, bringing extra seats as last night, while Lyon walked over to his chair and adjusted it to sit up. "How long have you two been up?" Twilight asked. "Me, twenty minutes," Lyon answered, then pointed to Rainbow. "Her, ten I think." "Don't be expecting me to wake up this early too often, you know. Your couch is just uncomfortable... that's all." Lyon rolled his eyes and turned back to Twilight. "I didn't think you guys would be coming over this early for story-time," he joked slightly, but got serious again. "Don't you guys have work today?" "Work can wait a bit," Twilight replied. "But we didn't entirely come here to hear more. We know that's what we planned on, but..." The mare's sentence trailed off, earning Lyon's concern. "But what?" "It's nothing bad. But I've been updating Princess Celestia on our situation." Lyon shifted slightly in his seat, but the precursor helped soothe his worry, if only for a bit. "Okay... What did she say?" "Initially, she was checking up on all of us. We had all left Canterlot in such a hurry to catch up to you, we left the princesses and my brother worried sick." Lyon frowned and instinctively apologized to Twilight, but she only waved it off. "It's fine. Regardless, I've been writing to her since we got home the other night. I was in the middle of writing another letter to her yesterday when you arrived at the library. This... turn of events, I didn't think to finish the letter." "Does she know? About what I've told you?" "Not yet. I haven't written to her regarding anything from last night or the night before. She's practically in the dark about it. And I know that the longer I keep from telling her, the more dire the situation becomes and the more likely she'd be willing to send the Royal Guard after you." Lyon looked at her in confusion. "Then... why not just tell her?" She clicked her cheek, looking to Spike and the others briefly before looking back to him. "We figured that... it's best that you write to her instead." Lyon was taken aback slightly. "Are you sure...?" "Darling," Rarity interjected, "with all due respect, you did blow up a jail cell and evade a military force only two days after a foreign invasion. I've no doubt the princesses see you as a potential asset... the same way we all did at first." "I was unconscious for two days?" Many of the girls nodded. Lyon didn't make any further mention of it. "How will she know it's me who's writing the letter?" "I'll be writing a letter shortly to let her know the situation. After which, we'll send yours." "What should I say?" Lyon knew it was a ridiculous question, but it was better to be prepared instead of sending a potential nothing-burger of words and hope the Royal Guard didn't break down the front door. Twilight looked at Lyon firmly and genuinely. But Applejack was the one to answer. "The truth, sugarcube. Just tell the truth." "So you believe me?" Twilight smiled faintly. "You haven't lied to us yet. I don't see a reason to start now, do you?" Lyon laughed in a similar manner. "You're right about that." To prevent any lingering, awkward silence from arising, Lyon got up from the chair and started walking over to the kitchen. "Well... while you're all here, is there anything you guys want? Drink or food?" Many answers were simple nos or that they had already eaten breakfast before arriving, which wasn't far fetched at all. And whether it was a lie, Lyon wasn't at liberty to suggest that, nor an urge to. "Nope!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I already had my share of cupcakes for the hour, but thanks!" "... I was gonna suggest eggs, but... okay." Fluttershy looked over to Lyon. "Um, do you happen to have any tea packets?" "Yeah, of course. What kind of tea do you like? I've got plenty of sweet tea and some honey tea you sent me a few months ago." "Oh! You still have those?" "Yeparooni," Lyon answered in a joking manner, hoping to stir some laughter. All it gained was a happy snort from Applejack. Lyon cleared his throat. "You wanna help? I know you make yours a bit different than others." "Sure! I mean, if you're okay with that." "Always," Lyon smiled. "Your tea is always better, anyway." Fluttershy couldn't help but let a blush slip as she headed over to the counter to help Lyon prepare the tea. Spike offered to help as well and Lyon immediately insisted he do so. As the three of them were occupied, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie looked at Rainbow Dash. "How'd you sleep?" As if reacting to it, Rainbow stretched her body which made brief cracking sounds. "This couch isn't as comfy to sleep on as I thought it'd be," she joked. "but I slept good." "Did you two talk about anything last night? Or this morning?" Rainbow shifted her posture slightly. "A little bit this morning. He made me some eggs and I got kinda curious." "Curious how?" "Well, first I asked him how he got so good at kicking butt." "I'm guessing from mama?" Applejack questioned, to which Rainbow nodded. "The way he talked about her, sh' seemed like more of a general or dictator than a mom." "That whole thing's pretty obvious. But that's not the weirdest part." "What do you mean?" Rarity asked. "I asked him the last time he got into an actual fight before the wedding, and he reminisced about how he got into a bar fight in Mareland." "So he's certainly lived an exciting life?" Rarity asked sarcastically. "If you call being the one responsible for the Mareland Bar Riots... then yeah. He's lived an exciting life." The very mention of it got Twilight's attention. "Wait, the Mareland Bar Riots? The Mareland Bar Riots talked about in history lessons?" "One in the same," Rainbow replied with a brief pep. Applejack turned to Rainbow. "No offense sugarcube, but since when have you ever picked up a history book?" "I did history in school!" Rainbow exclaimed defensively, yet kept her voice low. "I mean, sure I didn't do great, but I still listened to the teacher!" The mare then cleared her throat. "When I wanted to..." "I don't understand," Rarity spoke in confusion. "What is it about these riots that are so significant?" Twilight and Rainbow turned to Rarity, with the former answering and the rest listening. "Rarity, those riots happened sixty years ago." "What...?" was all she could say, while Applejack and Pinkie were left with looks of bewilderment. "But... surely, that can't be right?" "It is. I remember reading about them too in some of my history books. It was financially the worst riot they ever experienced since the city was founded." "Then surely he means a different Mareland riot, right?" "There hasn't been a riot in Mareland in sixty years," Twilight corrected. "Even if there was a smaller one, it still would've been documented." "And, if I'm putting things together right... Lyon was there... and caused it...?" Applejack asked. "Sorta," Rainbow answered in a sheepish manner. "According to him, a couple drunks tried ganging up on him and things got a bit out of hoof." Rarity raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't exactly call the worst riot in a city's history "a bit" out of hoof." While Rainbow tried justifying her answer, Twilight sent a glance over to Lyon, who'd become entangled with Fluttershy and Spike. Fluttershy was holding up a small tea packet to Lyon's nose as if asking him to smell it. He did so, only to recoil wildly in the process. "Oh gods, what is that?" he asked with a shiver. "Peppermint." "Brrrrr~" Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle, and Spike held back laughter as the two watched Lyon shiver as if it would help dissipate the scent faster. Twilight eyed his movements, the strut in his arms and legs, the brief cracks in his face, or the color of his eyes. Even his smile was something to observe. His voice, the way it vibrated and the highness of the pitch. "But he looks so young," Twilight said to herself, though Rainbow had finished her answer quick enough to overhear. "Well, he did say it was part of his disguise. And if he's telling the truth, for all we know he could be a grumpy grandpa behind closed doors." Applejack glanced briefly at Lyon then turned to Rainbow. "He sure don't act like a grandpa." "Maybe he's just that good." The farmer rolled her eyes at the thought. Nopony could fake being older or younger than they actually were. As depressing as it was to admit, watching her uncle Chestnut grow into an elderly pony showed just how easy it was to grow vulnerable and frail, to lose all sense of equinity or identity. Even Granny Smith would fall under the veil. But Lyon showed no such veil. But that assumed what Rainbow was told was true; but Lyon hadn't lied to them so far, so like Twilight said, why start now? "How old is he?" Applejack asked Rainbow Dash. "He didn't say. He didn't really wanna answer that one." "Why not?" Rainbow only shrugged. "In any case," Twilight spoke up, "I think we should only ask him questions he's comfortable answering. If he decides not to answer, we won't push him." "You sure about that, hon?" Applejack asked curiously. "The last thing I want is him feeling cornered. He may be a changeling, but it's still Lyon, and he's our friend. Right?" At first, none of the other girls answered, almost seeming hesitant to. They weren't opposed to the idea of Lyon still being their friend, but with such a discovery, there couldn't be any harm in taking caution... right? "I think he's still my friend," Pinkie Pie said after a few moments of silence. "Look at him over there. He's smiling and happy and having a good time. I can tell if somepony's faking a smile... and that one is as real as any smile before it. And if he's willing to look his friends in the eyes and give them a smile they can't look through, then I don't care if he's some old grumpy stinkbug in disguise. He's still Lyon, and he's still my friend." Twilight and the rest of the girls watched Pinkie's expression seriously, but there was no change or facade. She meant it. And looking at Lyon standing in the kitchen again, each of them could see why she would think and see that. Perhaps there was a truth to that. Lyon told nothing but truths to them, and the way he moved and talked to Fluttershy and Spike left zero indications of anything that he wouldn't do. Twilight heard a sigh behind her from Applejack. "I'm with Pinkie," she added. "This whole thing might be a tad unsettling... but I can't get used to things if I'm sleeping with an eye open around him, right?" Rainbow agreed a moment later, on account of her interactions with him earlier in the morning. Rarity however seemed hesitant to give a proper answer. "It's not that I don't trust him," she started, "but should we still keep an eye on him? For his safety?" "What's that supposed to mean?" Applejack questioned. "Certainly his mother might come looking for him, or if—Celestia forbid—the public finds out what he is, wouldn't they try to hurt him?" "I'm sure Celestia and Luna will be making sure to watch for any other changelings, especially Chrysalis," Twilight said. "As for the public... I don't think they'd try to hurt him as long as the princesses can trust his word." "But would they trust the princesses' word, in that case?" Twilight scrunched her lips and snorted, her expression neutral. And yet her tone was far from it. "I hope so." In the hour before high noon, deep within the castle grounds, Princess Celestia sat upon her throne, tapping her hoof away gently at the sidearm. She had been sitting at the throne all morning since seven o'clock. Luna insisted that she stay longer, but Celestia wouldn't allow it no matter the guilt. Luna was a good sister, but Celestia didn't want her to risk her own health, especially not so soon after recent events. If anything happened, she wanted her able and ready. Celestia's assistant, Raven Inkwell, stood by the pair of thrones and stared forward to the double doors at the end of the room. Occasionally she would blink as if to adjust her eyesight, before her head started to slump forward only to shoot back up again. She attempted to hide it from Celestia subtly, but her movements were far too obvious. "Slept well, I see?" Celestia asked in a sarcastic overtone. Raven opened her mouth to answer, only for a yawn to replace her words. She closed her eyes, face flustered in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Princess," Raven said. "I-I tried to sleep, but... it's been—" "Don't apologize, Raven. I understand." Celestia gave a gentle sigh. "I can't imagine anypony has been sleeping well." "I don't think I can until we know we're safe." "Don't say that. You need your sleep." "But my job—" Celestia stood up from her throne and walked over to the unicorn, towering over her by several feet. Raven almost recoiled, like she spoke wrong, but the way Celestia looked at her seemed to calm her if only for a second. "Raven... I'm saying this to you as a friend, not a princess. Okay? To Hell with your job right now. Your health is more important than taking my schedules or making sure I get enough tea for the day. I want you to go back to your room, get into bed, and don't come out until you've gotten your sleep. Understand?" Raven looked away, trying to find words to defend herself with, but she knew Celestia was right. She couldn't do her work if she wasn't able to keep her eyes open. With a hesitant nod and a hug from Celestia, Raven left the room soon after, leaving Celestia alone with herself. A few minutes later, a member of Shining Armor's Search Team entered the room. Celestia took one gaze at the sunrays on the floor to know it was noon. Time moved faster than she realized. "Your highness," the guard said with a bow. Celestia nodded and motioned him to stand. "No need for that, lieutenant," Celestia replied. "Any update?" "Yes, ma'am. We've tracked apparent movement within the crystal caves." "Several?" "No. It seems to be singular. We haven't found the culprit as of yet, but Captain Armor has guards patrolling the caves at all times. It should be a matter of time before we can apprehend the suspect." "Alright then. Thank you, lieutenant Gray. Carry on and report to me at midnight if possible." "Yes, ma'am," the guard obeyed, and as quick as he entered, he was gone. Celestia didn't return to her throne, but instead walked over to the nearest window to her right, and peered outward. From here she could see the valley below Canterlot in its entirety, from the rivers streaming downward to the vast Everfree Forest to Ponyville nearby, looking far smaller at a distance than it truly was. The sight of Ponyville reminded Celestia of Twilight. She hadn't received any letters from her since sometime yesterday afternoon. It was normal for Twilight not to write letters for days, at least in the case of a friendship lesson. But these letters were of a more pressing concern, at least for the moment. And going nearly a day without any form of communication was worrying—putting it lightly. She only hoped she was okay. Then suddenly in a flash, as if on cue, a scroll appeared at eye level. The tension building within Celestia's chest eased itself greatly. But her curiosity had arisen as she noticed not one, but two scrolls had materialized in front of her. She checked each scroll's signature line near the straps. Twilight's initials were easy to identify and confirm authenticity. But the other she hadn't recognized, only written initial being the letter L. "Could it be...?" Celestia asked herself as she chose to open Twilight's scroll first, hopeful yet concerned. Dear Princess Celestia, I'd meant to write this letter to you yesterday regarding some more recent troubling news. However, some interesting developments had come up, and it left me conflicted on what to do or what to tell you, as I didn't want the situation to spiral out of control. But in any case, I'm okay, Miss Sunbutt. Celestia chuckled to herself, recounting the time Twilight called her by that name when she was no more than a mere toddler, years before she became her student. The mention of it in the letter was one of many phrases to confirm this was Twilight who wrote the letter—as un-subtle as it was—and it put Celestia's mind at further ease as she continued to read. At first, I was hesitant to accept the news as truth, but repeated use of the truth telling spell proved that to be impossible. We were able to track down the changeling back to Ponyville, and... it turns out what he told Shining Armor was the truth. The changeling was Lyon all along, living in disguise under the use of a memory wiping potion. We have been asking him questions, and every answer he has given us has been true. Beyond some slight personality changes, he continues to act no different than he had before, at least to us. There are various topics he seems wary of answering though according to Rainbow Dash, such as his age. He mentioned having been caught in the Mareland Bar Riots of 6899FE, which means changelings might potentially have a longer lifespan than an average pony. I want to ask him more questions, but I don't want to feel like I am treating him like a prisoner. That was my mistake the other night purely out of anger, and I hope I didn't hurt my friendship with him. But I can trust him more than I did earlier, and I hope with his own letter, you can as well. I'd also like to hope we can discuss this issue in Canterlot with him by our side, if that's okay with you. I think we can trust Lyon. And I hope Equestria can too. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle Celestia rolled up the scroll and set it on the window ledge. She wanted to hope it wasn't the case, that one of her own little ponies wasn't a changeling. But if he was able to win Twilight's trust easily, even if it took the use of a truth spell—which she'd have to ask how she managed to obtain it another time—then surely he was as she says and claims? Changelings did not seem capable of manipulating powerful magic, and certainly not truth spells. And if recent events were to be example... Twilight seemed right to trust her instinct. With a guilty sigh, Celestia levitated the second scroll before her. Her curiosity before was confirmed through Twilight's letter. If this was from him, she wondered what he was thinking in that moment, whether she could trust the written words. But she trusted Twilight well. Undoing the string, Celestia opened the parchment and began to read its contents. Celestia, I don't even know where to begin. I spent a while looking at this blank paper and wondering what I could say. But I remembered what Applejack wanted me to say: the truth. So I will do just that. My name is Lyon. In my people's tongue, it is Libaax, "lion" in our language. I was born and raised as a fighting figure for my mother Chrysalis' changeling army, in her hopes that she would rule the world for her children to prosper. As soon as I was old enough to know how cruel it really was, I left the hive. I haven't stopped running. Five years ago, I had my memory altered through Zecora, the zebra living in the Everfree Forest. I've lived under an alias ever since, my memories picked to define who I was. I never lied to Twilight or any of the others, nor you... because I genuinely believed I wasn't. I didn't know Chrysalis would try to attack Equestria. The only indications I had were a single recurring dream. For everyone's sake, I'll spare those details. But that was all it was, just a nightmare, right up until it wasn't. I did my best to save your niece Cadance. I wish I could've done better, but I didn't want Cadance to get hurt. Or worse. But I want you to know that in spite of everything you and the rest have gone through over the last few days, I want to assure you: I am not a threat to you. You have been kind to me in the time before the wedding, and I know leading up to it, you were only trying to protect your family. I would've done the same. Twilight and the others are at my home right now in Ponyville, watching me write this letter in silence. It's a bit awkward. But I think it would put matters at ease if you would come now. Surely you're looking for answers, and I'd be glad to give them. My only request is that they're not too personal. It's better that way. Maybe when we've all gotten to know each other more. My door is open. And you are always welcome. Sincerely, -Lyon Celestia rolled up the parchment and pondered for a second. An opportunity awaited her, the chance to know more about this crea—about Lyon, about the changelings. But if he had no indication Chrysalis was planning to invade, then surely he would be of no help in the days leading up to the wedding. That didn't mean he was useless, but it would prove difficult to predict the Queen's future plans, and she knew there was a plan. She knew she had no choice but to trust Lyon, especially if Twilight could do so easily. She only hoped she wasn't making another mistake. "So what was it like? Travelling the world?" It was one of already a dozen questions Twilight and the others had been asking Lyon since breakfast. Many of them were simple questions such as a favorite food or favorite hobby—apart from archery—or even what music he liked. But that didn't satisfy Twilight enough. She wanted to know more, bigger. And the moment Lyon casually mentioned travelling the world, she took the bait. "Well," Lyon began, "it wasn't necessarily traveling as it was relocating. But it was interesting. Seeing society beyond the hive was something I hadn't thought of until I had to. Griffons and Mules and Yaks either living apart or living together, depending on the situation. Saddle Arabia was probably the most "exciting" of the bunch." "How so?" Twilight asked. "There was this festival they used to have every year. The Festival of Tidings. It's a lot like the Friendship Festivals Equestria has, only this one was more... romantic than platonic. Instead of embracing those we cherished, we instead held ourselves close to those we loved. We would tear down the walls and confess our feelings to our interests and crushes, our love at first sight." Rainbow recoiled in her seat with a scoff. "Oof. I can imagine how that went." "Actually, better than you'd expect. Sure, some would be rejected, but more often than not the feeling was mutual. The idea was for participants to bring only those they saw as more than a companion, but a partner and a lover." Lyon paused and found himself staring off at nothing, reminiscing on the details with a sad smile. "Someone you wanted to spend the rest of your life with." Spike and the others found themselves smiling along, yet frowning at the sight of Lyon's own sadness. It was clear there was something about it that came to mind. And if what Rainbow claimed he said was true... "Did you ever... find anyone?" Twilight dared herself to ask. Lyon didn't answer at first, only looked at Twilight. He seemed to eye her for longer than usual. She didn't know what it was about the way he looked at her, but it started to... hurt. "No. I never brought anyone." Twilight's horn went red for the first time. All of them saw it. "It's okay," Twilight said. "You don't have to tell us." "I don't mind." Red again. Lyon could only wince. He didn't know if it was out of nervousness or shame. Maybe it was both. Twilight again insisted it was okay. Lyon nodded at first, but a few moments later his eyes shut and he snorted. "I messed up again, didn't I?" "What do you mean?" "The Festival doesn't exist anymore, does it?" Twilight hesitated to answer, but Lyon glanced at her as if assuring it was okay to tell him. "They stopped the Festival almost one-hundred years ago." Lyon grimaced faintly. The only ones to raise an eyebrow were Fluttershy and Spike. "Of course they did." It was quiet at first, though mainly out of confusion despite the newfound knowledge, until Lyon spoke up again. "I'm guessing Rainbow already told you then? About this morning?" "Wait," Spike spoke up, "what happened this morning?" "I was telling Rainbow about the last time I got into a fight. The same fight that ended in the biggest riot this side of Equestria in decades." Green horn. "Woah. Really?" "So you were telling the truth?" Rarity asked in a quizzical manner. "Or perhaps it was some variation of it? Perhaps a twisted phrasing?" Lyon paused and glanced to Twilight's horn. "I was involved in the Mareland Bar Riots." As expected, the horn glowed green yet again to confirm what was on their minds, while Spike could only repeat the date of when the riots began. Sixty years. No matter how many times they said it, they couldn't fathom it. Yet, Lyon insisted on retelling what he'd told Ranbow to the rest of them. How he drunkenly dashed out of the front doors to find ponies tipping over wagons and setting fires, how he ran past ponies dancing madly in the roads, or how some of the locals sprayed rioters with water hoses to quell their chaos. All of it told in ice clear detail. Every answer he gave was met with a positive reaction from Twilight's horn, so if he was somehow lying, he was doing a good job at making it seem true. "So how'd that go for ya?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I'm betting the law went pretty hard on you for causing all that." "I know I said I was involved and responsible... but it was entirely accidental. I only dodged the first guy's hits, only fighting back in self-defense. As soon as I could, I got out of there. I did get arrested the next day, but once I explained my side of the story, they let me go. I read a few days later in the paper that the guy who attacked me was the one who got charged for the damage. If he's still alive today, I bet he's still paying for it." "Do you remember his name?" "Not anymore." "But," Fluttershy spoke up, "if you're... that old, then why do you look so young? In both forms, i-if you don't mind me asking?" Lyon looked to Fluttershy, biting his cheek while doing so, as if again hesitant to answer at first. "Like alicorns, changelings have a much longer lifespan than the common creature. Pony, griffon, yak... a single changeling could outlive any one of them—assuming they weren't careless in their youth." The very mention of the word "outlive" piqued their curiosity. They all knew what it meant, but they were further curious. "By how long?" In their own dismal way, if Fluttershy's followup question was any indication. "Long enough," Lyon answered after a few moments of silence. Twilight's horn still turned green because Lyon wasn't exactly lying... unfortunately. And Twilight was still curious. Maybe she thought it was curiosity. Maybe it was really worry. "How old are you...?" Either way, her question was far from optimistic. Lyon wanted to not answer the question, and they could all see it. But the longer he waited to answer, the older they perceived him to be. And he was sure eventually, with every ticking second, they would be right. Instead, he beat them to it. He didn't want them to face it alone. "Five-hundred and nine. I'll be five-hundred and ten two months from now." The following silence was so deafening that even a pin dropping to the floor would be lost in the quietness. There was no big jaw drop from any of them, nothing but open mouths and the want to say something, but failing to say anything. Lyon looked over to Pinkie Pie, whose face shared the same stunned look as the rest of them. "Guess I really am older than all of you combined, huh?" he asked, calling back to the morning of the picnic. A harmless joke at the time. But now it was— knock knock knock The sudden noise at the front door halted the conversation and startled nearly everyone for a moment. Lyon looked at the front door and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting any visitors today— Oh. OH. Getting up from his seat, the stallion walked his way slowly over to the front door and peaked out the window. Confirming his suspicions, he pulled the door open. Standing before him, Princess Celestia, Shining Armor, two additional royal bodyguards, and the newly wedded bride, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Or was it bride-to-be still? At the very sight of her presence, Twilight and the others bowed to Celestia briefly, before Twilight stood up and ran over to Shining Armor, embracing him in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're alright, Twily," Shining said first. It didn't take long for Twilight to notice Cadance standing there as well and gifted her a similar hug, careful not to hurt her. The injuries on her body seemed very minor, and her overall appearance, Lyon noticed, was a vast improvement since the wedding. The two guards stood motionless, though seemed ready to act at the first opportunity. And then there was Celestia. Vibrant, calmly, elegant as always, yet Lyon knew there was an intelligence within her that showed her willingness to think first, charge second, and if thought enough, there was no need for a charge. Celestia was a leader who knew how to lead, when to be careful. And here, she was being smart. "Lyon, I presume?" Celestia had of course met him plenty of times, but this was the first time she met him as he truly is. He bowed before her, but not like the others had. He planted one hind leg forward and the other back in a kneeling position, his arms rested upon his shoulders. "Don Keneme Pok Wel." "Excuse me?" Celestia asked innocently, her head tilted to the side. "It means "I am humbled and grateful."" Celestia nodded, then raise a hoof in a lifting motion. "Thank you, but there's no need for that." Without argument, Lyon stood up once more, motioning for the princess and others to come inside. Celestia thanked him as she entered the homestead, Shining and Cadance following behind while the two guards took post beside the front door to ward off any passersby, some of whom had appeared for only moments before returning to their business. Lyon thanked the guards and shut the door behind him. He insisted for the three new guests to sit on the couch. The girls attempted to make new space for them, only to realize it was impossible due to the small size, even though it could hold almost the six of them. Lyon and Fluttershy proceeded to grab a few chairs from the kitchen and place them beside the couch for the others to sit on, while the three made themselves comfortable. "I take it you read my letter, then? If you don't mind me asking?" Lyon asked Celestia. "I wasn't sure if you'd be too busy." "I did," Celestia answered, "and while I have been quite busy, especially regarding recent... altercations... Twilight's safety, including the rest of you, has been my utmost priority." Lyon sighed at the mention of altercations, but he said nothing of it. "I understand." "Good. Then onto the matters at hoof. How have you been doing the last few days?" "I'm good," Lyon said. "A bit anxious, but otherwise... I'm fine." Twilight's horn in response turned green. Celestia noticed this straight away and politely asked to disable the spell, to which her student obeyed. With a small flash of purple, the spell was disabled. "I can easily tell when somepony is truthful or not. A trick of the eyes, the way their voice squeaks and shudders. And given the rather warm response between your friends, I can't see any reason to keep such a spell active. Unless there's something you wish to reveal?" "No, ma'am," Lyon said shaking his head. The answer was met with no red or green light, but Celestia could easily tell he was telling the truth. "Good. Then shall we begin?" "If you're ready... sure. What would you like to know?" "Let's start with your name then, shall we?"