‘My most venerable Queen, I am somewhat surprised at the lengths some ponies will go to help others. These, Cutie Mark Crusaders, seem to want nothing in return for making their town a better place. One example, they built a bridge for a pegasus just to make it easier for her and guests to get to the house. It reminds me of our own hive relationships. We work together for the good of the hive, much like these three do for their town. As much as I loathe their company, I find that one thing something about them that I can respect. The least of your servants, Ash Eater.’
Scootaloo sipped from her glass of punch. It seemed that Princess Twilight Sparkle had gone to extra lengths to procure some fine food, still a rare thing in Equestria since the war had ended, just to let everyone know how seriously she took her mission to help the ponies and changelings become friends.
She and Ash Eater had been together for two months, and aside from a few small problems, things had somewhat quieted down. This event was the beginning of planned weekly releases of changeling prisoners to former EUP soldiers who volunteered to take them in as Scootaloo had done. Princess Twilight had her hooves full screening the volunteers to make sure they shared her vision of unity.
While there were only ten more prisoners being released on this day, Twilight hoped to be able to ramp up the releases to fifty or even a hundred at a time. Scootaloo couldn't help but think that such a number was a lofty goal, and she was concerned that Twilight might have been opening herself up for setbacks. Still, the sooner they got the prisoners paroled, the better for them. Guarded though she was, Chrysalis seemed pleased with the arrangement.
The media had made far less of a fuss about this ceremony than they had about Ash Eater, but they were still out in force. The pegasus could only wonder if the Princess of Friendship had timed this event intentionally to coincide with the surviving buffalo herds returning to their ancestral stampeding grounds.
The orange pegasus sipped her punch, musing that the last time, when Ash Eater had been released, the air was stiflingly thick with anticipation, almost dread. This time there was a much more casual feeling about all of it. Ash Eater was standing with his fellow changelings, telling them about his experiences so far, and Scootaloo was as happy as everypony else to stand back and give them the space to feel less scrutinized. She'd been able to meet with the pony mentors previously to share the small amount of wisdom she had gained.
“Something funny?"
Scootaloo looked up, nearly choking on her drink when she realized it was Queen Chrysalis speaking to her.
“Funny?" she managed to get a single word out.
“You were smirking," there was a brightness to the changeling monarch's green eyes, almost as if she were amused or happy.
“Oh, not really. I was just remembering. When we let him out, everypony seemed to think the war would start up again any second. They all seem more relaxed today."
Chrysalis pursed her lips, "Indeed. The contingent of guards around the perimeter has no doubt put them at ease."
Scootaloo had become so accustomed to seeing guards that she hadn't considered it. She was about to comment further when a spark filled the changeling queen's eyes. It was as if she had only just recognized something.
“You were in the throne room that day."
Having been in the throne room many times, Scootaloo needed to ask, "Which day?"
“When we first invaded Canterlot, at the wedding, and again when I came in to attack Shining Armor during the war."
“Yes," the pegasus was still somewhat confused, "I thought you knew."
Chrysalis shrugged, "I knew you from Shining Armor's interrogations and everything that followed, but I only just realized that you were the same pony there at those times."
The Queen's brow furrowed, "When he gained the advantage in the fight, I thought I heard... Did you tell him not to kill me?"
Scootaloo's mind returned to that day... the battle to retake Canterlot that had been waged, followed by the surprise of a hundred changelings getting inside their defenses... Shining Armor had been in a frenzy, near madness as he battled the queen, his power augmented by the Alicorn Amulet. She came back to the moment.
“Yeah, I did."
“Why?" curiosity was in Chrysalis' expression.
“At the time, I was afraid you would be a martyr. I guess I thought if you were alive, there would be a chance to stop the war."
It was now Chrysalis who smirked, "Well thought. I can see why Princess Twilight Sparkle chose you to be her first envoy."
Scootaloo felt herself smile uneasily, unsure how to respond to what sounded like praise from the leader of her former enemies.
“I suppose when it comes down to it, you saved my life. Thank you."
Scootaloo felt her eyes go wide. She had only thought she'd been confused by her interaction with the changeling monarch to that point. At the genuine expression of gratitude she felt totally lost. She was relieved to see Princess Twilight Sparkle approaching and managed to collect herself enough to form a nervous reply.
“It's a small matter."
“How's it going?" the Princess of Friendship cordially greeted the pair.
“Fine," Scootaloo answered. "I thought Ash Eater and the others would feel more comfortable if I wasn’t listening in."
“We've given that some discussion already. If we can agree on a format, we may want you two to come up a day early next time to have a little more time with the next group so they are even better prepared to meet each other."
“Sure thing," Scootaloo feigned excitement at the prospect. "It'll be better than just the few hours we had this time."
“Oh? I expected you'd be too busy with your Crusader work," Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. "Ash Eater tells me that your group keeps quite busy getting your projects accomplished."
“Sure, I guess," the pegasus shrugged, a little surprised that their work had been mentioned to the Queen.
Twilight added, "I'm glad to hear you're still at it. I don't think you'd mentioned any new ventures since you finished that bridge."
“Oh, no. Most of our activities are smaller than that. Sometimes ponies only need a foal sitter for a few hours, or maybe they just need an extra set of hooves, or a shoulder to cry on. Other than the bridge, I think we've only had one other construction project, and that was repairing a staircase."
“So you are experts with construction?" Chrysalis asked.
“Well enough,” she answered modestly. “When it gets to the really difficult stuff, we find somepony who knows more. It helps that I’ve been working on a construction crew since I got back to Ponyville.”
“And you require payment for these projects?” the queen asked nonchalantly.
The question hung in the air for a moment. Scootaloo wondered if the monarch was driving at something specific and was curious as to what the changeling queen could have on her mind.
“Not really. We do these things to help others that need it. We do take donations if somepony wants to fund our work. But that all goes back to materials or if we need to hire an expert."
“I see," the queen replied guardedly. Her attitude shifting to a much more social tone as she changed the subject, "I am pleased to hear that Ash Eater is behaving himself."
Twilight chimed in, “The work you two have done to this point has been invaluable.”
“Thanks,” Scootaloo regarded her ward for a moment.
She still couldn’t shake the instinctively defensive feelings she felt when seeing him, especially in a group of his kind. As much as she knew they were not supposed to be a threat any longer, a knot in her gut wouldn’t allow her to trust them. In truth she’d never been certain whether they could do anything better than tolerate each other. Still, there was no hatred on her part at least.
“We’re working through it all,” she finally added.
Ash Eater approached the group with one of the newly freed changelings and his pony mentor, a butternut unicorn stallion with electric blue eyes and a mane to match. He had a distinctive scar that ran from just below his jaw down into one shoulder. The wound by which he had earned it had been, no doubt, nearly fatal.
“My Queen, princess, Scootaloo, this is Klixis and his mentor..."
"Azure Shimmer," the stallion volunteered.
"It's so nice to see you," Twilight cordially greeted.
If the Princess of Friendship bore any animosity toward the changelings at all, it was totally undetectable. Ash Eater seemed almost happy, a state in which Scootaloo had never seen him prior to this moment.
"We've been friends since..."
"Hatching, I think," Klixis finished the thought.
Ash Eater made what almost passed for a giggle. Scootaloo was amazed to see him with his guard down.
"We certainly found ourselves in plenty of mischief over the years," Klixis smirked.
Scootaloo attempted a joke, "So are you the one that taught him to be such a troublemaker?"
Ash Eater scowled.
"Not me, no," Klixis grinned, "Of the two of us, I was always the good one."
His friend scoffed, "The good one? Who was it that convinced me to dig through a trash pile looking for that... what was it?"
"A doll."
"That's right! My sister's doll, which wasn't even lost!"
Scootaloo felt surprised at the mention of Ash Eater having a sister. She had never even considered if they had a family structure that was anything like that with which she was familiar.
Klixis grinned wide, "But you didn't know that until you had finished searching your side of the pile."
"Yes, and you were just sitting over on the other side, pretending to help without doing a thing!"
The group chuckled at the story. Klixis' good natured demeanor was something of a facade, Scootaloo suspected. She couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but the way his eyes kept scanning the group made her suspect he was nervous. In truth, she would probably have felt at least as skeptical were their roles reversed.
When she found an appropriate moment to do so, she would have to ask Ash Eater about his family. Even if tolerating each other was the best they could achieve, it was a social nicety she would have to explore sooner or later.