//------------------------------// // Act I ~ Chapter 8 // Story: Unending Love // by Azure Notion //------------------------------// Sweet Leaf walked down the stairs after her husband. She hated this. Her gut told her something was wrong and she’d been taught to follow her gut. That niggling, sinking feeling in her stomach usually meant her brain realized something was out of place, something that she didn’t. Though, it didn’t take her gut to tell her that. Before this whole disaster started, her and Roast would rarely get any unannounced visitors after closing hours. His friends and her collectors knew how busy they were in the evenings and how exhausting thirteen hours of work, six days a week could be. But here they were, receiving the third visitor at their private door in a mere week. She stepped down off the last stair turning the same as Roast towards the back door. Three steps later she froze. “Wait!” Sweet Leaf quietly exclaimed. Roast quickly turned his head to face her, an eyebrow raised in question. Something was very not right. The pony’s emotions outside, she could barely feel them through the door and they were everywhere. All over the place. “Who-whoever it is, they're full of anxiety and fear… and resolve and-and so much more.” A simple nod was all he gave in response. She watched as he turned back to the door, raising his hoof to the handle. She wanted to yell at him, tell him to stop, to run away in the other direction. They’d nearly been torn apart the very day before. Sweet Chrysalis, they hadn’t even been able to talk about that! Yet here it was, another attempt the world was making at them. She knew it. It had to be. What else could it be? But something stayed her voice. She didn’t know what it was, but all she could do was watch as that door clicked open, the torrent of rain making itself well known as it slammed into the pavement and the cafe. “Hello?” Roast asked, the pony seeming to be just out of Firefly’s line of sight. “Mister Roast?” Came the half drowned out response. Mister Roast? Sweet Leaf scrunched her eyebrows, then her eyes shot open. I know that voice! That’s— “Miss Aura?” Roast asked, his voice tinged with surprise before Firefly felt a wave of guilt and embarrassment come across him. “Ah. Oh. I, uh, wasn’t expecting to see you so... soon. Is there something the matter?” “Not in particular,” Aura responded. “I wanted to talk to you and Missus Leaf about, erm, about what happened yesterday.” “I think I understand. Though, I’ll admit your visit has come at a rather inopportune time.” “Oh, I see. Would it be better if I came back?” Roast sighed and shook his head. “No. I think it would be best to get this over with now.” He stepped back out of the doorway. “Please, come inside.” “Roast!” Firefly shouted under her breath. “What are you doing?!” “Missus Sweet Leaf?” Aura came into view as she put a single hoof on the step up to the door. A purple, hooded raincoat obscured all but her muzzle. “I’m not here to, well,” she paused, looking down at the floor for a short moment before looking back up to her. “I’m here on as good of terms as I can be. And… I’m alone.” Firefly stared back. She couldn’t sense anyone else, though that meant little and the emotions coming off her, they weren’t malicious, but still filled with that underlying nervousness. But that means little if she can manipulate her own feelings. “And what are those terms?” “I… Can I please come in and discuss it? This is very uncomfortable.” “Sweet Leaf,” Roast cut in, “this is something we need to discuss, even if I wish I’d been able to talk to you about it earlier.” I fully agree that we need to talk about it, but I don’t understand why Aura needs to be here for it. She glanced over at their guest, still out in the rain, and gave a little huff. “Fine. Come on in. You’re letting all the rain in anyway.” “Thank you.” Aura nodded her head to Firefly and in she stepped, her raincoat dripping wet as Roast shut the door behind her. “Please, Miss Aura,” Roast began, “take off your coat and we’ll put it in the closet. Then we can go upstairs and talk. Would you like something to drink? A latte or maybe a macchiato?” “Perhaps just a cup of coffee?” she replied, following Roast over to the utility closet next to the stairs. “Sure,” Roast opened the door and turned to her. “I can get that started as soon as we head upstairs.” Firefly mentally huffed. It was obvious he trusted her and even though she didn’t understand it, she needed to trust him. “You know what, I can take care of that.” Firefly spoke up, starting towards the stairs. “You help her hang up her coat and boots and then come up.” There was palpable confusion coming from Roast, though a tiny bit of pride rolled through Firefly as she glanced over and saw nearly none of it showed on his face. “Trust,” she silently mouthed at him and pointedly nodded at him. He returned her a little smile and turned back to Aura. Firefly turned her attention away from the other two and to the stairs, starting up the first step. As she ascended and followed their hallway, she couldn’t help herself from wondering. Why was Aura there? Roast knew something more, a good deal something more, than she did, but what was it? She pursed her lips as she reached the kitchen at the end of the hall. She could be lying about being alone. What if she still suspects me and this is just another interrogation session? Something didn’t sit right with her, but there was little to do about it now except do what she said. Stepping over to a counter, she pulled down a cup and saucer from a cabinet. Placing it next to the coffee maker, the nothingness at the bottom of the empty cup caught her eye. It would be easy. Transform my fangs back on and squirt some venom into the cup. She’d be paralyzed in minutes. She stared for a moment longer and then chuckled, incredulous at herself. And then what, Firefly? Put her in the closet? Tie her up and interrogate her? Yeah, no. She'd probably vomit it up anyway. Just make the coffee. You expect Roast to trust you and now you need to return the courtesy. Firefly pulled down the grinder and beans and went about grinding and making the coffee. As she was pouring the freshly ground beans into the machine’s basket, her ears flicked back at the sound of hooves making their way up the stairs. Quickly filling the tank with enough water for a couple cups, she flicked the coffee maker’s switch and turned around as Roast was entering the kitchen. “Here,” Roast turned to the dining chair nearest the hallway and pulled it out before stepping back out of the way. “Please, take a seat.” “Thank you,” Aura smiled and sat in the offered chair. Roast walked around the table and took his usual seat at the other end of the table. “Your coffee is just starting.” Firefly said, walking over and sitting down with Aura on her left and her husband on her right. “And thank you, Missus Leaf.” Aura nodded at her. Firefly merely put on a smile back at her. The other mare’s emotions had mostly settled, though that little bit of anxiety and some resolve still stuck around. That piqued Firefly’s interest quite a bit. “Alright, well,” Roast spoke up, “the coffee’s brewing and while I don’t mean to cut right to the matter, but, given the circumstances,” his eyes glanced over at Firefly for a tiny moment, “I’m sure you understand. Before we begin, is this about what happened after I... interrupted the interrogation?” “It is.” Aura nodded again. “I came by because I—” “Wait, hold on,” Roast held up a hoof. “Sweet Leaf and I haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet and she needs to know before we get into… that.” “I need to know what?” Firefly raised an eyebrow at him, the silence of the room filled by the coffee maker. “I, uh, well...” Roast falsely started, trepidation and guilt dripping from him again. “Ugh. Might as well get it over with. Sweet, I told Aura about you being a, uh… changeling.” Firefly’s eyes shot open and she sat back in shock. “You what?!” “I didn’t tell her everything!” Roast waved his hooves in the air. “Only that I knew you were one! And that I still love you and you’re not bad and—” “Are you insane?!” she shouted at her very obviously delusional husband. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! What were you—” A sudden fear rushing through the other mare gave her pause, but as her senses returned to her, the undisguised hurt flowing from her husband stopped her in her tracks. Good. Great. You just got done with a talk about cooperation and trust and you’ve already violated it to tartarus and back. Her eyes trailed over to Aura. And she’s afraid. She’s afraid and she’s not running or calling for help or anything. She came here, supposedly alone, knowing I’m a changeling. The anger in her slowly dissolved to the tune of the coffee maker giving its last few sputters and shutting off. Firefly settled back into her seat and closed her eyes, taking another of her calming breaths as she willed her mind to calm as much as it would. She opened her eyes and looked back up to her husband then to Aura, both staring back at her. Firefly let out a resigned huff. “I’m sorry. To both of you. I’m not… this is still new to me. I’m sure you can imagine my hesitation about somepony in your position knowing about us. Or anypony, really. But,” she looked over at Roast, “I’m trying to trust him and if he told you, then he must have had a good cause.” “I would say that’s true, Missus Leaf,” Aura said. “Yes,” Roast agreed before glancing over at Aura, “and now would probably be the best time to tell you what happened.” Firefly scooted her chair back. “Before we do that, I believe Miss Aura’s coffee is ready.” She stood and walked over to the machine and the cup next to it. For the tiniest moment, the empty bottom of the cup mocked her and she wondered if she really should have poisoned the cup. “Miss Aura,” Firefly called out as she grabbed the carafe with a wing and poured, “would you like any cream or sugar?” “No thank you. I prefer it black.” After setting the carafe back onto the warm plate, she took the saucer and it's cup in her wing and walked back to the table. "Thank you, Missus Leaf." Aura smiled and nodded as Firefly put the cup in front of her. "You're welcome," Firefly replied as she took her seat again and faced Roast. "Alright. I think I'm ready. Go ahead." "Right." He looked Firefly in the eyes. “Yesterday, Miss Aura interviewed me before your interrogation. I did everything I could to answer as if we were a regular couple. I’m not sure if she noticed anything, but it doesn’t really matter. The lieutenant brought me into the observation room during your interrogation, telling me to think about my love for you as hard as I could in hopes that it would pull a reaction from you.” He looked down at the table. “I tried really hard not to think about anything, but… “Seeing you chained up like you were, it-it made me furious.” He glanced back up, a fire in his eyes. “I couldn’t help it. Your wings bound, your hooves chained, that heart monitor. Except," the fire in him evaporated, "it suddenly dawned on me. They had you and I’d never see you again. And next thing I knew, I was throwing up. “The observation room became a hectic mess and I remember the lieutenant telling them to let Miss Aura know what happened before he took me out of the room and back to her office.” “It’s not my office, really,” Aura spoke up. “I was only borrowing it since Lieutenant, erm, another lieutenant was out for the day.” “Right. I, uh, forgot that,” Roast conceded before continuing. “Once we got there, Lieutenant Steel asked what the matter was, but I locked up. I had no idea what to say and it felt like saying anything at all would only lead to damnation. A couple minutes later, Miss Aura came in and after Steel told her what had happened, she asked to speak to me alone.” He breathed in deep and slowly sighed. “She told me she was certain that you were a changeling and reassured me that she’d find the real Sweet Leaf. She tried to comfort me, and kept assuring me that we’d find you, but… I knew she wouldn’t. Or rather that she couldn't.” Roast shook his head and stared down at the table. “I didn’t know what to do, so I did the only thing I could think of.” “So you told her.” Firefly took care to keep any accusation out of her voice. “Yeah. I told her that I knew about you, that I loved you, that we’d talked and come to an understanding. After a lot of questioning, she left. The lieutenant came a short time later to retrieve me and, well, you know the rest.” Firefly hummed for a moment. “I suppose that does make things a bit more clear. But,” she turned to Aura, “why did you come back in? Why that power move right before you let me go?” Refined Aura’s eyes flicked up to meet Firefly’s for a tiny moment before shooting down to her muzzle or perhaps neck. “I wanted you to know that I was serious, that it was important you answer me truthfully.” “I could have been lying. I could still be lying now.” Firefly narrowed her eyes. “Just like you could be lying.” She could feel the palpable disappointment in her husband and she understood it fully. But this was important. If Aura was double playing this whole situation, everything could end, right then and there. “How can I know you’re telling the truth?” Firefly continued, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow at the other mare. “You know, I noticed you did the same thing when you slammed your hooves on the interrogation table. Your eyes. They were on mine like a hawk on a mouse the entire time we were in there. But when you came back, same as now, you can’t meet my eyes. Why is that, Miss Aura? What are you hiding? Are you afraid of me?” Anger, embarrassment, shame, and hurt flowed through the mare and Firefly fought to keep the smirk off her face. Got her. “Well?” Aura took a deep breath, supposedly to calm herself as much of those emotions faded to mere embers. “It isn’t relevant to what we’re discussing, but as a show of trust, I won’t withhold it from you. I have a form of social anxiety and a part of that is a fear of looking ponies in the eyes. Looking you, or anyone, in the eyes is… terrifying to me. It’s a gateway to our souls and locking eyes like that leaves me feeling utterly exposed.” Firefly still wasn’t convinced this wasn’t still a whole intricate setup. Sure, it would have to be several layers deep at this point, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility yet. “Except during the interrogation, you seemed more than fine staring right into mine.” Aura nodded. “Yes. It’s been a long road to being able to do that. Can you imagine the kind of image a detective would give if they couldn’t look their witness or suspect in the eyes?” The pause was long enough that Firefly caught on the question was not rhetorical. “No, I suppose I can’t.” “Right. It would be the opposite of confident. It would show that I’m afraid and weak, just like you suspected me to be.” Firefly pursed her lips. She’s not wrong, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t still part of the game. “Through a lot of work with a therapist, I became able to ‘disconnect’ myself from that gateway between souls, so to speak. When I’m in that interrogation room, I’m no longer looking at Sweet Leaf the pony, I’m analyzing Sweet Leaf the suspect. My mind changes from a social perspective to a purely analytical one. I’m focusing on every action you make. Every shift of your eyes, every twitch of your ears, I’m taking it in. “And in that moment, it’s almost as if I don’t exist anymore.” She’d be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t getting frustrated with this mare’s toying around. “Then why haven’t you done that here? And where’s that confidence you seemed to boast so proudly yesterday? It seems like that would be quite helpful here.” The anger that flamed back up in her was rather satisfying. “Sweet Leaf,” Roast interrupted, drawing both mare’s eyes to him, “I think that’s enough. You’re crossing the line from distrusting into rude antagonism.” “No,” Aura said, extending a wing out at him, “it’s fine. I’m here to show honesty, even if it costs me a little more than I was ready for.” She faced Firefly again. “Do you know what it’s like to have crippling social anxiety? Have you ever been in a room, trying to be as small and insignificant as you can, but inevitably you make some loud noise or knock something over and suddenly everypony’s eyes are on you? “Maybe you haven’t. Maybe changelings don’t get mental disorders like we ponies do. In that moment, you lock up and your body yells at you to get out or run away, but all you can do is stare and hope to disappear and that moment lasts forever.” Aura closer her eyes again and took a deep, shaky breath. The mare’s anxiety was all over her, but as she breathed back out, it slowly petered back out. She opened her eyes and looked back at Firefly once more. “To deal with that kind of anxiety all your life can be a nightmare. I’ve come a long way in my personal life since those days. At work, though, the anxiety is still there, but it's different. “There are defined statuses and roles. There are clear expectations of me as a pony and I can focus on achieving those goals and fulfilling those expectations. It’s easier to be confident because of who I am, because of my position. Ponies know what it means to be a detective and I can become that pony and ignore that anxiety, if only because the mask has become so familiar. “But here, out in the wild, none of that applies. I can try to be confident, like I am now, but underneath, I have to keep a close check on my feelings.” The smirk Firefly had been holding back had abandoned her as Aura reached a wing out and grabbed hold of her coffee cup. The other mare didn't seem to be lying, there’d been anxiety bubbling underneath her facade this whole time. She seemed to have an excuse for everything Firefly threw at her. What was the right answer? Could she afford the consequences if she chose wrong? "I think you've done a wonderful job, Miss Aura." Roast smiled at her. "You've seemed very put together and confident to me since you got here." "Thank you, Mister Roast." She gave him a little smile back and set her cup back down with a clink. “Miss Aura,” Firefly drew their attention back to her, keeping her voice as inoffensive as she could. “Let’s say I believe you. Let’s say I believe you’re here of your own, personal volition and that everything that's been said is true. How can I know that? How can I know you’re being honest?” “That thought has run through my mind hundreds of times in the last eighteen hours and every time I try to solve that puzzle, I keep coming up blank. The only thing that seemed to have even the slightest chance of gaining your trust was honesty.” “Honesty,” Firefly parroted. “You say that as though you laying all your cards on the table wouldn’t get you hurt. Or worse. How do you know I’m not as dangerous as everypony seems to think my kind is?” “I might be hopeful, but I’m not stupid. Last night, I set in place measures that if something were to happen to me, everything I know about you and your husband would be sent to several places.” “And how do you know I haven’t had somepony watching you and every one of those measures you set?” Fear boiled up inside the mare and she glanced down at the table. Firefly clenched her jaw and fought to keep from huffing. She hated every bit of this. There were too many unknowns and no way to know the truth. It was a gamble and every collector was taught that gambles in the hive were never worth it. “If you did,” Aura began, “then I would have the answer to my question. I’d have made a mistake yesterday and would now suffer the consequences of my failure. My only hope would be that the changeling that replaces me would perform poorly enough that my fellow detectives and captain would notice.” She’s either calling the bluff or she’s really accepted the idea that we outwitted her. Where do I even go with this? I’m not an infiltrator, I was barely trained on mind games in the first place. If she is bluffing, there’s no way I can keep up. Aura glanced up and stared Firefly right in the eyes, even as anxiety built within the detective. “Did I? Was it a mistake?” “What am I supposed—” “No,” Roast cut Firefly off with a glare, “You didn’t and it wasn’t. There has been no watching going on and I'm certain there is no ulterior motives behind Aura's actions. I am tired of this and I know what we just talked about, Sweet, but this is plain stupid. You two are chasing each other around like the last two princesses on a chess board. The only way you’re going to come to a resolution is if you both concede. But what you two don’t even realize is you’re both fighting on the same damn side!” “Roast, you can’t know—” “Firefly, would you shut up and listen?” She sat back in her chair, mouth agape, hurt filling her more than she’d ever felt with him before. He… he used my name. In front of her. “I can know. It’s you who can’t. And I don’t blame you,” his voice and eyes softened alike. “I can barely imagine what it’s like growing up in a place where you’re taught to never trust. To have to live in a world where you’re always pretending and can never be yourself. With that dark cloud above your head knowing that everything could fall apart at the slightest mistake. “But that’s not where we are. You don’t know what Aura was like when we were in that office. She didn’t have to do any of this. The minute I told her about you, she could have simply walked right out and told everypony about us. But she didn’t. “Aura decided to help us. And do you know what her biggest concern was yesterday?” She felt like she was a nymph again, getting scolded by the caretakers and the only thing she could manage was a simple shake of her head. “Her biggest concern was finding you. Finding the real Sweet Leaf. So please understand that she’s not here to fight you.” Firefly stared at him and inhaled, unable to keep the shakiness out of her breath. “But how can I know? I almost lost you yesterday. If I really had…” She didn’t even want to finish that. “Because, think about it,” he softly replied. “She put herself on the line for you. Do you really think if the guard knew what she did, that they’d have just let you go? A creature they know so little about?” Firefly shook her head and broke away from his stare. Try as she might, she couldn’t poke a hole in his logic other than the same old argument. Except… “But why?” Firefly met his eyes again. “Why would she risk it? The guards know so little about us, but so does she.” She looked over to the mare sitting silently, Aura’s gaze faltering and resting on the table again. “Because…” Roast trailed off, his eyebrows bunching before glancing over at the detective as well. “I don’t know the exact reason. Miss Aura,” he said, prompting her eyes to him. “I still trust you, but why did you do it?” Aura remained silent for a few seconds before letting out a deep sigh. “It’s probably going to sound stupi—no, Aura,” she whispered to herself, “that’s a bad word. It’s going to sound strange, but I don’t have a lot of friends. It’s hard to socialize with my kind of… challenges, but even more so, it feels impossible that I could ever find a special somepony. “So, given that, when I interviewed you, I wanted to help you get back what I could never have. But, when you told me you knew she was a changeling and loved her anyway, it made me feel jealous. I couldn’t help but think, ‘here’s a couple who has a relationship so unlikely, yet I can’t even find a—,’ well, you get it. It took me a few minutes, but I pulled myself together and eventually came to the realization that if what he said was true, it wasn’t my place to pull two pon—creatures apart.” She wrapped her wings around and over her face. “Ugh. I must sound like the world’s sappiest mare.” “No, you don’t,” Roast said. “You sound like a pony who cares about others.” Letting out a sigh, she pulled her wings away from her face and settled them against her back. “Thank you, again, Mister Roast,” she said before turning to Firefly. “Does that satisfy you, Missus Leaf?” Aura not using her real name didn’t escape Firefly’s notice. “To as much of an extent as it could have, yes. I will also admit that having you as an ally, or at least a non-hostile, to Roast and I would be a very welcome change. But…” she hesitated. “But, the question comes back around. How can I know you aren’t going to call in your guard friends or use me to find other changelings? The mere risk I would be taking to trust you is enough to get me skewered from both the pony side and the changeling side.” “I can understand your hesitation and I will admit in return that the thought of using you to root out other changelings has crossed my mind. After all, changelings as a whole, at least with my minimal understandings and assumptions, are not exactly friendly to ponies. What are the chances that the one pony-friendly changeling in who-knows-how-many happens to fall right onto my back?” With enough squinting, Firefly could almost see Aura’s fears reflected in herself. “Then how could you justify it?” Aura chuckled. “It would make a lot of sense if both you and Mister Roast were changelings. I don't think he is, but if my assumptions are correct, your kind are manipulators and deceivers. What better way to lure me into a false sense of security than to play the good-cop, bad-cop routine on a detective?” What little of a grin she had left fell off Aura’s face. “My stupid—” she winced, “unrealistic sense of hope and desire helped fuel my justification. I kind of clicked with Mister Roast, or rather it felt like he clicked with me. Who he seemed to be and the kind of pony he is was appealing. And I thought that if he was that kind of pony, then maybe you could be too. And maybe… somehow, we could be friends.” Silence seemed to reign across the table. Firefly looked at Roast who had surprise not only exuding from him, but also displayed on his face. Firefly herself was even somewhat caught off guard by the admission. And Aura… she was downright embarrassed, the emotion flooding from her causing a visible tint to her cheeks. “Oh sweet Celestia.” Aura laid her forehead on the table edge with a dull thump. “That sounded even cheesier than in my head. Please tell me you’re going to replace me now and spare me any further embarrassment.” Firefly stared at the poor mare for a moment before looking over to Roast. He was looking back at her, one of his signature eyebrows raised in question before his eyes flicked over to Aura and back. She sighed and, though she wasn’t happy about it, her list of arguments was running very thin. Instead she mentally shrugged. “No, I’m afraid not.” Firefly said, watching as Aura sat back up and looked at her. “Not only would Roast not let me, but, in the end, I have no good way of subduing and replacing you. I could do it myself, but I doubt I could effectively replicate what you do or how you behave. I wouldn’t be able to fool any guards and if you suddenly disappeared, everything would point right back at me. “So, if this was a game, you’ve won. Congratulations.” A flash of green fire overcame Sweet Leaf’s body and in her place was the undisguised form of a changeling. She took a tiny bit of satisfaction at the wide eyed stare and slight gaping jaw of the detective. “Hello, Refined Aura,” the natural, two toned voice of a changeling filled the room as she extended her black hoof to the other mare. “My name is Firefly. It’s good to meet you.” Aura’s hoof slowly raised to bump against the shiny, proffered hoof. “It’s… good to meet you too.” “So, you say you’re here for honesty,” Firefly began. “If you wanted to, you could have me cornered. There’s nothing I can do without simultaneously destroying everything I have in Hoofington. Are you going to have me followed, to use me as bait for other changelings? Are you going to separate me from the love of my life?” “I… no, I won’t.” Aura shook her head. Firefly raised an eyeridge. “It sounds like there’s a ‘but’ waiting.” Aura opened her mouth, but couldn’t seem to find the words she wanted to say. She looked away for a moment before looking back near Firefly and trying again. “I don’t think it’s a ‘but.’ There are more changelings here in Hoofington and probably across Equestria as well. Even without you saying anything, I think Wavy Pallete’s marefriend was proof enough of that. Are those changelings a danger to ponies?” “What am I supposed to say to that?” Firefly huffed. “That ponies and changelings are suddenly going to get along now because some lowly collector and a detective became all buddy-buddy? I’m not their leader or any changeling’s leader. I’m just a love collector. I have no more control, or perhaps even less control, over them than you do over your fellow detectives or captain.” Aura’s eyes trailed away from Firefly and to the table in front of her. She stayed quiet, few emotions running through her, but seemingly deep in thought. After a long moment of silence, she spoke, “I suppose I don’t know what I was wanting.” She turned to Firefly again. “My job is to investigate crimes and help solve problems. I help the guard and one of their goals is to keep ponies safe. I’m committed to helping them with that and if there’s a threat, then it’s my duty to tell somepony that can send someone to stop it.” “Then you’re going to have to mare up and abuse our trust. My hive is my family and I won’t betray them. I love my husband, but if it comes down to having to choose between all us Hoofington collectors being taken down or just me, I will gladly fall on that spear.” “Sweet, please,” Roast said, drawing both mares’ attention, “don’t talk like that. We don’t have to go that far.” “No, Mister Roast,” Aura said, shaking her head, “it indeed won’t come to that. I keep trying to think of a metaphor that will set this whole situation into a neat, understandable box, but all I’m doing is drawing a blank. The one question that’s rearing its head to me is ‘why?’ Why are you different? What separates you from the rest of your… swarm?” Firefly scrunched her fanged muzzle. “First, we’re not a swarm. That makes us sound like a bunch of mindless insects. We may be part insect, but we’re a people just as much as you or any other sapient species.” “Oh, I’m sorry.” Aura bowed her head. “It’s alright. I wasn’t trying to harp on you. As for why I’m different,” Firefly shrugged and haphazardly held a hoof in Roast’s direction, “it’s half his fault and half mine.” She couldn’t help but enjoy the bit of indignation that sparked in her husband. “You see, a few years ago, I was a silly little changeling and he saw me in the undisguised form you see now. I didn’t notice and he had the gall to not confront me or tell anypony. Instead, he accepted his wife for whatever she was. “Oh and by the way, in case Roast didn’t tell you, I didn’t replace Sweet Leaf, I created her as my disguise.” Aura nodded and Firefly took that as her already knowing. “My second fault came in when I let Sweet Leaf’s feelings spill into my own. When he found out about changelings a few days ago, he finally confronted me. I ran away, but had to come back to get those love crystals your guards found. Of course the big lug tried to convince me to stay and I was sufficiently enamored with him that I made the absurd decision to do so. So, really, it was a series of unfortunate, or perhaps fortunate, events that led me to walking a fine line between ponies and changelings. Questions?” “I, uh,” Aura began, curiosity and confusion and intrigue spilling from her, “as one who is only equine, I have a great number of questions. None of them, however, are pertinent to the discussion at hoof.” Firefly hummed and asked herself if she really knew what she was doing. Was she really going to place her blind trust in a mare that nearly tore her life apart? Well, as I already said, it doesn’t matter. Roast would have a fit if I tried and it’s not like fighting back wouldn’t destroy my life as I’ve only now come to know it. “I noticed you’re not very afraid or anxious anymore.” Firefly put on what she hoped was a bemused grin. “You’re starting to sound like the Aura back in the interrogation room, too.” “O-Oh, I’m sorry,” Aura apologized again. “It was a compliment,” Firefly said. “You seem to be much more comfortable with us now. Perhaps you’ll be able to ask me those questions some day.” Aura’s ears perked up. “Ask you? I’m not sure I understand.” “You said one of the things you hoped for out of this was a friendship, no?” “Well, I did say that, but I wouldn’t say I was all that hopeful.” “Well, one of the things I happen to be lacking are friends who aren’t changelings.” Firefly looked over to Roast. “What do you think, honey? Think we could add one more friend to our circle?” “I… wouldn’t be opposed to it,” Roast said with confusion on his face. She ignored it for the moment. “Wait,” Aura said, holding up a wing, “Not but half an hour ago you seemed ready to kick me out of your home. Now you want to be friends?” “To be honest, I still don't really trust you and I will absolutely be far more wary about my surroundings now. But, Roast made some good points and, like I said, it’s not as if I can do anything about it without throwing away what I have with my husband. It's more like this. If we stay in contact, we can keep mutual tabs on each other. An unorthodox trust building exercise, if you will. And if we happen to shoot the breeze or have a nice dinner or go out for a nice game of bowling while doing so, then that's how it goes.” Firefly shrugged. “If that’s what you’d like,” Aura began, hesitation clear in her voice, “then I’d be happy to have a couple of… friends.” “Perfect!” Firefly grinned and clapped her hooves together. “Then if you’d follow me, we can get you into a nice, warm cocoon.” The small smile dropped off Aura’s face not for the first time that day and Firefly could see as much as feel the glare coming from Roast. “It’s a joke!” Firefly made a show of rolling the white pupil in her changeling eyes. “Very funny.” Roast deadpanned at her before turning to Aura. “Sorry, I’m still trying to train her in being a decent creature.” “Hey! I know perfectly well how to be a good pony,” Firefly said, changing into Sweet Leaf’s body and giving him a cheeky grin and a little wiggle of her eyebrows. “You did fall for me after all.” “And here I am questioning if it really was a good idea.” Roast stared at Firefly with his unamused glare and Firefly stared back with Sweet Leaf’s pleased grin. “Pfft!” Aura burst out laughing. Firefly and Roast both looked over to her before they too gave in. As Firefly belted out her own laughter, she felt relief flood over her. Maybe things really were going to be okay. “Are you sure you can’t stay any longer?” Fine Roast asked as they stood in the cafe’s downstairs kitchen. “I could make you a mean latte or macchiato. Or even another plain ol’ cup-a-joe.” Refined Aura smiled and shook her head. “No, though I do appreciate the offer. I really do need to get home. And other places. Those measures I mentioned? In case I, well, didn’t come back? I kind of need to go collect them.” “I suppose that would be a good thing,” Roast said. “Aura?” Firefly spoke, turning the mare’s attention to herself. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for the hassle I put you through today. And I appreciate the efforts you made to meet me in the middle.” “You’re welcome, Missus Leaf.” Aura smiled again, her eyes flicking up to meet Firefly’s for a short moment before darting back down to another part of her. “You don’t have to keep calling me that,” Firefly said. After a confused look came across the other mare’s face, she clarified, “I mean, I’d like it if you called me by my name. My real name. At least, when we’re alone like this.” “Okay, F-Firefly?” she stammered, a flush of delightedness spilling from her. “I think I can do that.” I’ve got to give it to her, Firefly thought as the mare donned her raincoat and boots. If this is still a ruse, Aura’s played her part flawlessly, right down to the emotions. She didn’t know how the future was going to play out, but she hoped their troubles were behind them. “If you’d ever like to have that cup of coffee,” Roast said, pulling the door open for Aura, “feel free to stop by the cafe any time. We’d be more than happy to have you.” “Thank you, Roast.” Aura nodded with her smile. “I think I’d like that.” She flipped up her hood and headed out the alleyway door, the heavy rain pattering against her purple raincoat. Roast shut the door and let out a long sigh. “Well, that happened,” Firefly said. “Yeah, it did,” Roast said, letting out a long sigh before turning to her. “I think… I think I’d like to go lay on the bed for a bit.” “That does sound rather nice,” Firefly agreed, turning with her husband and following his slow gait up the stairs. At the top, they turned left into their bedroom and she walked to the far side, stepping up onto her side of the bed and laying down half on her side with a couple hooves tucked under her. Roast did the same and gave her a smile before he laid his head down onto the pillow. It had certainly been a rather turbulent day and Firefly still wasn’t sure what to think about it all. The talk with Roast had gone better than Firefly thought either of them had hoped. Aura visiting like she did was alarming, but assuming her claims were correct, turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. She still held some skepticism, but— Her thoughts were cut off with a wave of anxiety and guilt from Roast. She looked at him, but his face and closed eyes were as neutral as they were unhelpful at providing context. Firefly wanted to say something, to ask him what was wrong, but at the same time, she wanted to give him space if he needed it. It became clear to her at that point that everything was very complicated now. When she was a mere manipulator in one moment and social bystander in another, everything was easy. But now with his knowledge of her and her desire for a real, authentic relationship, all that simplicity was gone. I’ll wait, she decided. If he wants to address it, he can in his own time. I don’t need to push into his private space all the time. So wait she did. His feelings shifted around with different flavors of nervousness and guilt and after a moment, her patience was rewarded. “Firefly?” Roast asked, raising his head from his pillow. “Hmm?” she hummed, lightly raising an eyebrow. “I’m… really sorry for what I said earlier. About telling you to shut up. That was wrong of me and that’s not something that should ever come out of my mouth to you.” Firefly chuckled, quite relieved that it was something so simple. “I think, given the situation, it wasn’t entirely uncalled for. I’m fairly certain you’re right about her and if you hadn’t shocked me out of my stubbornness, I probably would have walked myself in circles.” “I, uh, I’m also sorry for using your name in front of her.” She shrugged. “It would have come out eventually. You merely hastened my introduction.” “It still wasn’t my place to say it. I should have left that decision to you.” “Roast.” Firefly reached out a hoof and placed it onto his, giving him a little squeeze. “I’m not angry at you. There’s a lot of things that could have gone better in the last hour, but what came of it was a result that I don’t think either of us are unhappy about.” “I suppose you’re right. But would you have… well, if she had intended to do what you thought, would you have really…” He trailed off. Firefly sighed. “I honestly don’t know. Everything about it would have been a logistical nightmare. I have no way of doing anything with her if I did subdue her. There’s no calling back to the hive for help right now and, like I told her, there’s no way I could fill both her role and mine at the same time. “In the end, I think it would have been game over.” He looked down and sadness filled him. She quickly moved her hoof off his and onto his jaw, pulling his eyes back up to hers. “Hey,” she let go of his chin, “that didn’t happen and I don’t think it will, so there’s no reason to be so upset about it. We should be happy that we’ve made a new friend.” “Yeah,” he smiled, “you’re right, as usual.” “Pfft,” she laughed. “If all of that was me being right, then you need to get a check on your philosophy.” “Come on, you know what I mean.” “Yes, I know.” Firefly leaned in and gave him a little nuzzle, happiness filling her as he nuzzled her snout back. She trailed her nuzzle back and brought her lips to his. They shared a long kiss, but he pulled back just before tongue got involved. “So, uh, I've been wondering,” Roast started “Hmm?" Firefly's eyebrow rose in question. “I'm not wanting it for any particular reason, especially given the state of our lives recently, but are we… compatible? Down there?” Her eyebrows scrunched. “Compatible down there? We've done the tango plenty of times, so I'm assuming you don't mean like that.” Roast hummed in the negative. “No, I mean for, uh, foals.” “Ah.” She thought that's what he meant, but she wanted him to confirm it. With that came a grimace. “I hate to say it, but no. In fact, it's less that we're not compatible and more that there's nothing to be compatible with.” At seeing his confusion and head tilt, she clarified, “the only changeling that can reproduce is the queen. All other females are inert and lack the facilities to do so. The only way a female can reproduce is becoming a queen herself and that can only happen if our current queen dies. Even if we change into a different species or gender, we can't just create eggs or sperm out of nothing. Changeling magic might be strong, but it's not that strong.” There was still a good bit of confusion flowing from him. “But if you can't create either, then how do you reproduce at all? Do you do it asexually?” “Oh, huh uh.” Firefly shook her head. “The natural born male changelings are fully functional and the queen has her own caste of consorts.” “That's… interesting,” Roast said, “And a little sad I suppose. But there are other ways if we wanted to have foals.” “That there are. And, you know, lots of good things happened today,” she said smooth and low with a practiced lecherous smile, “With all this talk about foals, I think I know of one way we could celebrate.” He gave her a half grin and raised an eyebrow at her. “That sounds kinda weird considering one of the things you want to celebrate is making a new friend.” “Oh come on,” Firefly rolled her eyes and shoved at him, “do you want to ruin the mood?” “I’m only joking, Sweet. Come here.” Roast pulled her close and pressed their lips back together. Her eyes went wide and she let out a moan at the tongue he very swiftly added to the equation. Though, just as she was getting into it, he pulled back. “Honey?” he tentatively began. “I’ve kind of been having a thought for a little bit.” She merely licked her lips of their meeting and raised an eyebrow back. “You know how you can change into different ponies?” “Mmhmm?” Firefly wasn’t opposed to where this was going. “What are you thinking? Maybe a supermodel?” She shifted into some slender white mare from Canterlot she’d seen in a magazine. “Or a star?” Another shift into Sapphire Shores and she leaned in close with a whisper, “or was there something more specific?” “Uh, I mean...” he stammered and looked away. Firefly grinned and she could only think about the ways she could put even more flush onto his face and desire in his heart. She leaned in close, her eyes half lidded, and— “W-wait!” Roast put a hoof against her chest. “It’s not that I don’t find those attractive...” “Well,” Firefly leaned back and shifted back into Sweet Leaf’s form, “go ahead, dearest. I’m all ears.” His adorable nervousness was to die for. “I like you a lot more because it’s you. But, it’s more, uh, that I was wondering… are you able to change into a… male?” Now this was interesting. She’d never expected this of him and was more than happy to explore it. “I absolutely can.” Firefly shifted into a Sweet Leaf, but made several little changes, some less noticeable, but some much more noticeable. “My darling Roast,” Firefly said in a deep, masculine voice unable to keep the growing grin of her face at her husband’s deepening blush, “I absolutely can.” She leaned in again, eyes half lidded, but was perturbed yet again to feel his hoof against her chest. A squeak came out of him before his voice came back under his control, “S-sorry. I definitely do want to try it, but I was thinking we could start with just... you?” “Ah, that works fine too. We can work up to it.” She shifted back into Sweet Leaf. “That better?” “I meant more… you.” Her eyebrows raised again. “Well,” he clarified, “I was thinking more changeling you?” He wants... she half thought, taken aback. “You want what?” “If you’re not comfortable with it, that’s okay. But I would really like to be with the real you, even if it’s only once.” “I—” she didn’t know what to say as a pit deep in her chest felt… loved. “You’d want to be with me like that? You don’t find it… unsettling?” “Firefly,” Roast put on one of his sweetest smiles and she felt his hoof ever so lightly hold her cheek, “I could never find you anything but beautiful. You are the love of my life and I love every part of you.” Firefly's watery eyes flicked back and forth between his. “You are more wonderful than I could ever ask for.” She shifted out of her disguise and into herself. Her black changeling lips pressed into his, finally without interruption. “Yes,” she breathed out against him, “I would love nothing more.”