//------------------------------// // 16 Second Changes // Story: The Time Ponies and the Cutie Mark Thief Vs. the Queen of Hearts // by My name is R //------------------------------// Starlight put The Complete Adventures of Hemlock Stones: Volume 1 into her extradimensional pocket and led the way off the train. Twilight had decided to visit her niece, and Spike and Starlight had joined her. On the trip Spike had donned a disguise consisting of a fabrain coat, a large-brimmed hat, big red sunglasses, and a curly orange wig. Starlight didn’t think that anypony would mistake a dragon, even a baby one, for a pony except in the most casual of glances, but it made Spike happy, so she didn’t try to stop him too hard. Besides, it was pretty funny to see him ‘undercover’. They stepped off the train and into the station. Oddly, there wasn’t a ticket collector at the desk, so they simply continued through to the exit. Once they were all standing side by side on the platform Starlight spoke up. “Uh, disguise or not, Spike, I don't think you need to worry about being mobbed. Nopony's here.” They all stared at the train station’s platform and the path to the Crystal Empire proper. Not a pony was in sight, just an empty dirt path. There was even a real live tumbleweed rolling down the tracks. “It's like a ghost town,” Spike agreed. “I’ve got a baaad feeling about this,” Twilight said as they headed toward the city. Starlight agreed, something fishy was definitely going on. “Wait a minute, a tumbleweed!? Those grow in deserts and occasionally somewhat dry prairies, not green hills!” Starlight and Spike looked at each other and stifled their laughter. “Well it couldn’t have blown in from the icy wastes! That makes even less sense!” “You’re not going to go overboard on this are you?” Spike asked. At Twilight’s look he continued. “Like Pinkie’s Pinkie sense, or when our friends were suddenly hanging out with Discord, or finding the mathematically perfect organizational system?” Twilight gave an indignant response as they made their way further into the eerie silence. When they reached the city it was just as lifeless as the train station. There weren’t any signs of a struggle and there were no distant cries of panic. It was just empty. “Yeah, this is weird,” Starlight said, as they stopped at an intersection. “I guess I don't need the disguise after all,” Spike said glumly. But as soon as he took off his hat, wig, and glasses, a crowd of crystal ponies started to gather, zipping over from wherever they had been hiding. They started chattering excitedly, and one shouted, “It's Spike the Brave and Glorious!” “He's come to save us yet again!” another agreed. The crowd picked Spike up and started tossing him in the air, taking a few steps away from Starlight and Twilight and chanting “Spike! Spike! Spike! Spike!” “Save you from what?” Spike asked as soon as they quieted, though they continued their celebratory Spike tossing. “Yeah, what's going on?” Starlight asked. First there was nopony, and then they got mobbed. Though she supposed that meant Spike’s disguise had been both effective and called for. “Why was everypony hiding?” Twilight finished. Two mares who were the closest to them turned at the questions, frowns replacing their smiles as soon as they noticed them. “Oh, it sure looks like Princess Twilight and her pupil,” the purple one said. They looked at each other for a moment and the yellow one said “But how can we be sure?” “We can’t!” an orange stallion next to them interjected. His face was filled with terror. “Either one of them could be the... you know!” He ran off and was soon out of sight. Starlight and Twilight looked at each other, and Starlight pointed a hoof at the crowd. She was about to say something when the purple mare gasped loudly and grabbed her friend’s face. “What if this... isn't... the real Spike?!” she asked through her hyperventilating. She dropped her friend, who fell to the ground. Then the yellow mare got up and stood on her rear legs, fore legs spread wide. “Everypony, run!” The crowd who was holding Spike in the air turned to her, stared with wide eyes for a split second, and then ran off, the whole crowd vanishing as fast as it had formed. Spike fell to the ground with a grunt of pain. “Okay,” Twilight said. “Something strange is definitely going on.” Spike groaned and rubbed his head. “Ya think?” They started off toward the castle once more. Hmm. Not sure if someone is who they look like. Not the real Spike. Either of us could be the… something. Sounds like a mystery! And I was just reading one of the best mystery series out there, according to Inky at least, and she should know. Let’s see. It sounds like they're worried about somepony who pretends to be somepony else, but it would be hard for a mundane disguise to let a pony look like a dragon, so it’s probably a magical impersonator. “Hey, Twilight?” “Yes, Starlight?” “You ran into changelings at your brother’s wedding, right?” Twilight nodded. “What happened to them?” “Cadence and Shining Armor made a shield of love that ejected them out of the city. Why?” “I meant what happened to them after that. Do we know where they are or what they’re up to?” “Hmm. I’d have to ask Princess Celestia to be sure, but as far as I know, nopony’s seen any since then. You don’t think that’s what’s got everypony so nervous, do you?” “Maybe…” It wasn’t much further until they got to the castle. A pair of guards were standing watch at each of the roads leading to the central area under the castle. When they drew near the yellow guard held up a hoof in a ‘stop’ signal “Who goes there?” “Um, you don't recognize the Princess of Friendship?” Starlight asked. The guard put his hoof back on the ground, though it was clearly just so he could stand on it, and not an admission. “Of course we recognize her.” The other guard put his hoof to his chin. “But that doesn't mean it's really her.” “Then why did you ask who it was?” Starlight asked. “Whether it’s her or somepony pretending to be her, wouldn’t they both say the same thing?” “It’s standard procedure anytime we’re on alert ma’am,” answered the yellow guard. “Regardless, we'll need to see some proof of identification.” “We'll take care of things from here,” said Princess Cadence, walking up to them with Shining Armor by her side and Sunburst following behind with Flurry Heart. “Oh, Cadence, thank goodness!” Twilight called, smiling brightly for a moment before returning to her worried frown. “What's going on?” “We can explain, Twily... if it really is you,” Shining Armor said. Then he and Cadence shared a look and a nod. Cadence trotted up to stand before Twilight and took a sharp breath. Then she started bouncing in place. “Sunshine, Sunshine,” She dropped to the ground and covered her eyes with a foreleg, Twilight following suit. They both continued what was clearly an established rhyme and dance. “Ladybugs awake!” At awake they uncovered their eyes. Then they sat up and started playing pattycake. “Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” They turned until their bodies were parallel and wiggled. Then they hugged each other. When they finished Cadence stepped backwards to be beside her husband again and he called, “It's okay, everypony. It's her.” “Have you been having problems with changelings since we last saw you?” Starlight asked. Sunburst nodded as he stepped forward with Flurry’s stroller. “One’s been spotted nearby.” Starlight walked over to stand next to him. Spike held up a claw. “That’s not good.” “No, it's not,” Cadence agreed. “After Queen Chrysalis took my place at our wedding and invaded Canterlot with her army of minions, we're not taking any chances.” “Changelings feed off of love. And ever since Flurry Heart's Crystalling, the Empire is filled with more love than anywhere in Equestria. It's possible they've come for the baby,” Sunburst elaborated.  Shining Armor spoke next. “That's why we posted the extra guards, and why we're-” “Checking everypony's identity,” Twilight finished. Cadence sighed. “I'm sorry for all of this. Flurry Heart's really been looking forward to seeing you.” Flurry made some baby noises and Twilight walked up to her. Flurry reached out to Twilight, who gave her a hoof to grab. “Oh, she's gotten so big! Starlight and I will do whatever we can to help protect her.” “To be honest, having you here is already a big relief,” Cadence answered. The yellow guard turned to Shining Armor and whispered something in his ear. “The royal guards were wondering if Spike the Brave and Glorious would like to join in the search for the changeling.” Both guards broke into smiles at this. “Really?” Spike asked. Twilight frowned. “Uh, I don't know if that's such a good idea, Spike. It sounds dangerous.” “Come on, Twilight, this is Spike the Brave and Glorious you're talking to.” While walking past Twilight toward Shining Armor and the guards Spike held his arms up as if to show off big muscles, which he clearly didn’t have. “Have you ever known me to run from danger?” He stopped and put his hands on his hips, standing tall. Or at least as tall as he could, since only his frills went higher than Twilight’s shoulder. Twilight raised a hoof to her chin and averted her eyes upward. “Um…” Spike slouched and dropped his arms, looking disappointed. Shining Armor leaned forward. “He'll be safe with our guards,” he assured her. Spike turned to face him, taking up his previous pose. “Or will your guards be safe with me?” he boasted, pointing a thumb at his chest. Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes before grinning. Spike joined the guards, waving goodbye as they left. After they had caught up, Twilight had suggested that she and Starlight craft a protection spell for Flurry Heart. As much as Starlight wanted to keep talking with Sunburst, she agreed that a strong protection spell would be an excellent deterrent if a changeling tried anything. Though, she was skeptical that there was only one changeling. If it had been spotted in its natural form then it probably wasn’t one of their infiltrators. From what she had learned from Inky, it was probably a youngling in training, and it would have been with its trainers. Then as soon as it had been spotted they would have left town on the next train. Even so, it might be for the best if they practiced caution for now. At the very least it would keep the changelings from coming back for a while. After a while Twilight left to check on Spike and see if he wanted to join them and take notes. When she got back she was alone, but she seemed happy. “Hi Twilight. Did you find Spike?” “Yep! He’s hanging out with his pen pal. Did you know he had a pen pal?” Twilight excitedly continued to talk about Spike’s new friend, and Starlight started pondering something mildly distressing. DId Spike have any friends in Ponyville aside from the bearers and herself? She wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t think of any. “Hey Twilight, I’m going to head out for a bit. I’ll see you in a little while.” “Have fun,” Twilight said, though Starlight wasn’t sure that she had actually heard her. She was once more absorbed in study as Starlight stepped out of the library, closing the door behind her. While walking through the hallways on her way outside for some fresh air, she heard two of the guards talking. “Did you hear about Spike’s joke?” “The one where he pretended he had befriended a changeling? That was hilarious.” “Too bad The Captain shut him down. But I can understand, given his history with them.” Hmm. Spike has a new friend Twilight’s never heard of before, and he’s making jokes about being friends with a changeling? The game is ahoof! “Excuse me?” she asked the guards, who immediately straightened to attention. Seriously, what was it about the Equestrian military that made its members jump back and forth from casual to formal so much? “When was that?” “When he first came back from patrol, ma’am.” Starlight nodded. That means it would have been before Twilight’s meeting with his new friend… “And where is he now?” “Last I saw him he was leaving the castle.” She continued on her way, intent upon solving this new mystery. She would have liked to ask the guards for details about Spike’s ‘joke’, but that might cause problems if it was a friendly changeling and she blew their cover. When she got outside she saw a crowd of ponies gathered within sight of the castle, and as she approached she saw Spike among them, hoofing out autographs with a blue earth pony. No, not an earth pony, a crystal pony. She decided to wait until they left the crowd to talk to them, so she summoned her book and started reading, making sure to glance over at Spike and his friend every now and again. Thorax was enjoying himself immensely. It had been nerve wracking to meet Spike’s friend Twilight, but after that he felt much easier around random ponies. Spike had helped gather a crowd by talking to them and having Thorax hoof out autographed pictures, but after a while Spike had stopped talking and the ponies had stuck around to speak to him! Thorax could hardly believe his luck, ponies actually wanted to hang out with him! Sure, he had to pretend to be a crystal pony, but he wasn’t faking anything else. They were really interested in him! Something he had never felt in the hive. After they finished talking to the crowd and giving out pictures he and Spike started towards the castle, but they hadn’t made it a block before a pink unicorn with a purple mane stepped into their path. “Hi Spike. And what’s your name?” “Oh, I’m Crystal Hoof. Who are you?” “I’m Starlight. It’s nice to meet you Crystal Hoof. Would you care to join me for a snack? I have some things I’d like to discuss with both of you.” She grinned and tilted her head. “Sure. That good with you?” Spike asked Thorax. “Sure, that sounds like fun.” Starlight led them to a twisty alleyway, and at the end was a green house whose ceiling looked like a brown pointed hat. “Sunburst’s house?” Spike asked. “I thought he was in the castle.” “He is, but he won’t mind if we step inside for a bit. And I don’t want anypony to overhear us talking.” “Oh?” Thorax asked, grinning as a bead sweat formed on his brow, “Why’s that?” Starlight opened the door and gestured them in with a wave of her hoof. “Because I have some rather personal questions for you, and I don’t want to have random strangers hearing any of this if you don’t want them to know.” Thorax was starting to panic. They hadn’t gone over Crystal Hoof’s history, all he knew was that he had met Spike at the Equestria games! He took a deep breath while Starlight wasn’t looking and tried to calm himself. He’d just have to improvise. “Ok, I put some tea on to boil, and we can talk while it’s getting ready,” Starlight said as she trotted back into the room. “Would you like to sit down?” she asked, pointing at the wooden table in the center of the room. Thorax sat down, and Starlight sat across from him. “So, I know this might be awkward, but I promise that I have a plan that should help all of us.” Starlight’s horn lit up, followed by her eyes. Thorax squirmed uncomfortably. He wasn’t sure what Starlight was casting, but glowing eyes normally meant either really powerful magic or divination magic, neither of which were good news right now. After a short pause the glow faded and Starlight continued. “How long has it been since you’ve seen your family?” “Oh, um…” Not having a family would look suspicious, but what if she asked to meet them? “They moved to Equestria after the crystalling!” “What’s your birth name?” “Crystal Hoof? You already asked that.” “Really? That’s an odd name in the Badlands,” Starlight said, her smile flattening and an intense stare replacing it. Thorax froze. There was no way… Even if she knew he was a changeling the ponies didn’t know where the hive was! “Um… Starlight? Don’t you think calling the Crystal Empire ‘The Badlands’ is a little rude?” Spike asked, oblivious to the sudden tension. “Sure, it’s a little cold, but it’s pretty nice once you get to know it.” “Does Spike know?” Starlight whispered. Thorax just nodded. This was it. Starlight would tell the guards, and then- “You're not with the hive anymore, are you?” she asked aloud. “The hive?” Spike’s voice shot up an octave. “What are you talking about? There’s no hives up here!” “Spike, I know Crystal Hoof’s a changeling, and I just want to talk.” “Really?” Spike and Thorax both asked. “Really. They aren’t even the first changeling I’ve found living their own lives away from the hive.” “I’m… not?” “No.” Starlight smiled. “I can’t tell you much about them until I ask if they’re ok with you knowing, but I do know another changeling who left the hive. Speaking of, how long have you been on your own?” “I was part of the attack on Canterlot, but after I saw true friendship for the first time I couldn't just steal it and feed on its love. So I set off, looking for love to share. I couldn’t find anypony willing to give me a chance until Spike though.” “I have to admit, I probably would have assumed the worst of you too, if I’d never met Innn… her first.” “Inn?” Spike asked. “Ignore that. My point is, maybe we should talk to them first. I know Spike already tried to tell some of the guards, but what if we try talking to Twilight instead? She’s the ‘Princess of Friendship’, I’m confident that she’ll appreciate your desire to make new friends.” “Are you sure? My kind did some pretty terrible things at the wedding, what if she won’t forgive me for taking part?” Spike and Starlight shared a look. “Nightmare Moon,” said Spike. “Discord,” agreed Starlight. “Well, she actually still can’t stand him, but I think it’s more his personality than his past.” “Me.” “And Sunset Shimmer, and probably more I can’t remember right now!” Spike finished. “So yes, Crystal Hoof, I’m certain that Twilight will give you a chance.” “Actually, my name’s Thorax.” After a few minutes they had made their way to Twilight and Starlight’s room at the castle and settled down to wait for Twilight’s return. Before long she returned. “Oh, hello again Crystal Hoof! It’s nice to see you again. How was your afternoon?” “It was great, thanks,” Thorax said with a smile. “Twilight, I have good news,” Starlight offered. When Twilight turned to face her she continued. “We found the changeling.” “Really? That’s great! Did you capture it or did it flee?” “Neither. We sat down and talked out our differences, just like you offered to me, and he wasn’t so scary once we got to talking.” “Hmm… If they really are friendly that would be wonderful! But what if they were trying to trick us?” Starlight took a deep breath. “Twilight, I have something important to tell you, and I have to ask that you don’t tell anypony. Pinkie promise?” Twilight nodded. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” “Okay. So, Thorax isn’t the-” “Who?” “That’s the name of the changeling,” Spike answered. “Right. He isn’t the first changeling who left the hive and tried to make friends with ponies.” “If this is the part where you tell me you’re a changeling, I’m going to have to assume that either you’re lying, you replaced the real Starlight, or I’m dreaming,” Twilight deadpanned. Starlight snorted. “What? No, I met her since I moved in with you. She told me that she was a changeling after we’d only known each other for about a week, and two of her other friends confirmed that she had been living in Ponyville for years.” “That’s wonderful!” Twilight suddenly took a deep breath, a surefire warning of what was to come. “Why, just imagine how much we could learn about changeling culture! Do they have their own language, or…” As Twilight continued to ponder the equuspological significance of a willing interviewee of an entirely new race, Thorax trotted up to Starlight. “Is she going to be like this for long?” “No telling,” answered Spike. “It could be minutes or hours.” “Hours!?” Thorax gasped. “Sometimes days, but only rarely.” “I thought ponies had to eat and drink? Is that really just a changeling thing?” “No,” answered Starlight. “She just gets way too wrapped up in her research.” “Well, if she’s going to stay like this for a while I guess I can drop my disguise.” Thorax returned to his natural form in a burst of blue fire, which instantly drew Twilight out of her reverie. “You’re the changeling? It’s such a pleasure to meet you. Well, to meet you now that I know who you are. I have so many questions. Do you mind answering some?” She grinned as she conjured a notebook to her side. “You’re extremely lucky that Spike was willing to talk things over, you know that, right?” Inky asked. She had invited Thorax (currently in the form of Crystal Hoof) to the office so they could discuss ‘changeling matters’. Inky had asked Perfect to leave the house for the afternoon, not because she wasn’t supposed to hear this, but just to help make Thorax more comfortable. At least, that was the plan. “Y-yes ma’am!” Inky rolled her eyes. “Look kid, I’m not gonna bite.” She blinked. “I meant that figuratively, I’m not going to put you into a headlock or anything either.” “You can do that?” Thorax squeaked. Inky sighed. “Look, I understand that you have had a hard time in the hive, but if you keep hitting me in the face with terror and submission I might end up hurting you without intending it. Where’s your spine, grub? You and I-and theoretical others like us-may be nicer than the cutthroats in the hive, but we’re still predators! Show me your warrior spirit!” Thorax hissed, but it was less like a snake ready to strike, and more like a balloon that had finally given up on life.  “How are you still alive? The weak and timid don’t last long in the hive.” “Pharynx.” “Are you giving a reason why the weak and timid die off?” “No, Pharynx is why I made it so long in the hive.” “Are we talking about the same Pharynx? Purple wings and red fins?” “Yep, that’s him. Pharynx is my elder broodmate, and he always protected me when the other grubs picked on me.” “Huh. I never would have thought he had a soft side. But with a strong, ambitious young changeling like him watching your back. I can see how anyling could live through the hive.” After a moment’s pause Thorax spoke up. “So, was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” “You want to move to Ponyville under the identity of Crystal Hoof. I have my deputy getting the necessary files ready, but there’s also the matter of where you’ll live. Have you ever lived alone for over a month?” “No, not unless you count hiding after leaving the hive.” “Only if you had a job and a house.” Thorax shook his head. “In that case you should stay with somepony who knows that you’re a changeling.” Inky tapped a hoof on the table in front of her. “I have several friends who are trustworthy, but none that could easily put you up. Talk to Twilight, maybe you can stay with her, or maybe she’ll refer you to somepony she thinks you should tell.” Inky looked up at Twilight’s castle. Twilight’s castle. That was its only name, as far as she knew. “Hmm. It belongs to the Princess of Friendship, so maybe ‘The Castle of Friendship?” she wondered aloud. “Inky, you’ve been standing in front of Twilight’s castle for almost a minute,” Perfect Timing spoke from her place to the right and slightly behind Inky. “If you don’t want to tell her, you don’t have to.” Inky shook her head. “When she accepted Thorax with a hesitant but genuine welcome she earned the truth. Plus, I’m starting to consider the possibility of organizing a raid on the hive; crush it once and for all to make sure that they never threaten Equestria again. Maybe, if we take out the leaders and scatter the rest, the survivors could learn to be better? I mean, look at Thorax. I straight up asked him how he could survive in the hive without toughening up, and it got me thinking. How much of changeling… hatred? Aggression? That’s it, how much of changeling aggression comes from our nature… and how much of it is because that’s how we’re raised?” “You didn’t have a guardian watching out for you, and you turned out a decent pony.” “Perfect… Some days I find myself working out exactly how best to steal as much love from this town as possible without alerting anypony. Which ponies wouldn’t be missed as much. I never act on it, but it’s there. I am a good pony, but only because I try really hard. Most ponies seem to be genuinely nice as a matter of course in small towns like Ponyville, but in Manehattan or Canterlot they can be quite cutthroat.” Inky sighed. “The more I think about it, the more I doubt my old viewpoint that every dark impulse I have is because of what I was born as, and I start to think that it is because of who I was raised by. Maybe, in a generation or two, changelings could go from being criminals by default to a sort of shady second-class emigrants. Eventually changelings who went straight would outnumber the feral ones, and we would no longer have to hide what we are, to show who we are.” “That’s… quite a dream. And for what it’s worth I’m with you, helemaal.” “Thanks Perfect, that means a lot.” Inky took a deep breath. “Anyway, we’ve been waiting long enough. Let’s go.” Side by side they made their way to Twilight’s ‘Castle of Friendship’ for the first time. Inky knocked, and after several moments passed she checked the door. “It’s not even locked. I know that’s fairly normal in this town, but Princess Twilight Sparkle is the sort of pony I would have expected better from.” “Just because she’s a princess it doesn’t mean that she’s perfect.” “Not that, I meant that she has enemies, so she should keep her door locked. Nopony’s going to rob the grocery store, but Twilight probably has valuable magic stuff and she definitely has a reputation as one of Equestria’s heroes. If some creature wanted to attack Equestria, and it was fairly intelligent and had up to date information, taking Twilight out of the picture is an obvious first step. I can understand that she doesn’t want to spend money with guards, and they would be a bother around town, but could she at least lock the door?” “Any threat that can’t sneak past a locked door isn’t trying for stealth. And nothing incapable of breaking the door down has any business going after an alicorn,” Perfect consoled. “I suppose,” Inky conceded. “At any rate, an unlocked door to the castle of a princess could be considered an open invitation, and I doubt anypony heard us knock. Let’s see if we can find the princess ourselves.” Inky opened the door and led the way in. “Hello! Is anypony home?” In a few moments Spike came into the hallway. “Ah, Spike. Would you be so kind as to direct us to Princess Twilight?” “Sure. She’s in the library. Head that way and enter the open doors.” He paused, taking them in. “You aren’t reporters, are you?” Inky sighed. “How the mighty have fallen, that we are seen as nothing more than reporters. I suppose it could be worse, you could have called me a politician.” Seeing Spike’s confusion, Perfect spoke up. “We’re from the Ponyville Sheriff's Department. We’re here to talk about Crystal Hoof.” “What about him?” Spike asked in what was probably supposed to be nonchalance, but it clearly told Inky he was hiding something. Well, reminded her, since she already knew. “You can come with, if you’d like,” she offered. “It’s about his status as a former member of an enemy of Equestria.” “That’s not the crystal ponies' fault! Sombra used some nasty mind magic on them! Celestia welcomed them after he was defeated.” Spike's rebuttal had hints of anger and annoyance, though she also smelled his relief. Probably at no longer thinking that she was suspicious of Thorax’s hidden identity. Inky closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, letting it out in a sigh. “Look. I don’t want to get into details until we have a secure room, okay? I’m not trying to make things harder on the poor colt, I really do just want to talk. Can the three of us go see Princess Twilight?”  Spike slowly nodded and led the way to the library. As they walked the hallways, Inky felt an odd sense of familiarity, even though she had never been inside of Twilight’s castle before. It concerned her slightly, but they had more important things to think about at the moment. “Hey Twilight?” Spike called as they entered the library. Perfect shut the door. “Yes Spike?” Twilight answered, turning to face them. “Oh. Who are you?” “I am Sheriff Inquisitor, and this is my deputy, Perfect Pace.” As she was introduced Perfect bowed her head. “And we are here to discuss the peaceful cohabitation of changeling exiles in Equestria.” “You’re coming to my castle to talk to me about matters of state? Hmm. I think you’re the first ponies to do that.” Inky could tell that Spike’s fears were back in full swing. She didn’t need her extra sense, just functional eyes and a keen mind. And she wasn’t sure the second was a requirement. “Well let’s start by clearing the air of a few secrets, so we don’t keep beating around the bush. I spoke with Thorax about his new life, have you assigned him a roommate?” “Yes, he’s staying with Fluttershy…” Twilight trailed off as she realized which name Inky had used. Inky nodded. “I trust she is aware that he is a changeling?” Twilight nodded. “Yes. I’m glad that you two are also ready to accept him. It’ll be good for him to have friends around town.” Inky nodded in agreement. Really, she wouldn’t say they were friends, as such, but telling the Princess of Friendship that you weren’t friends with somepony? That would be like telling Princess Celestia that you had planted an oak in your yard so you didn’t have to be in the sun. Or telling a cow you had a pet snake. “Well, I spoke to Starlight and him about his history, and I assume that any crimes he committed prior to or during the wedding are to be forgiven in the eyes of the law?” “Of course!” Twilight responded quickly, though without anger. “He was afraid of Chrysalis and the other changelings, and he left their way.” “So… Since he has already seen the error of his kind’s ways, he need not pay for the things they made him do. I am glad you see things this way. Starlight told you that she knew another changeling who had left the hive, correct?” “That’s right. She told you too?” “No, she never told me,” Inky said, as she transformed into her native form. “I told her.” After a pause which felt more like nopony felt the need to say anything than that they were stunned into silence Perfect spoke up. “This is a new record for the least shocking that revelation has ever been.” “Yes,” Inky agreed. “Prior knowledge of other cases is a big help. Even more than being nearly strangers.” “Wouldn’t being strangers make it harder to trust somepony?” Spike asked. “Ah, but you’re forgetting the element of betrayal, my dear dragon.” “I think you got your Elements mixed up. Loyalty is the opposite of betrayal.” “Not the Elements of Harmony, she means the component,” Twilight clarified. “Ah. …So, are you a changeling too?” he asked Perfect. “No, I’m one hundred percent pony. Born and raised right here in Ponyville. “Princess Twilight. I have to ask you to be careful about who you tell about us. I give you permission to tell any pony who I am if they have already known about and accepted Thorax for a month. I leave it to him who he is alright with knowing about him.” “Well, if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to Princess Celestia about this. If you want I can avoid telling her about your pony identity, but I do want to tell her about this meeting.” Twilight paused. “What’s your real name?” “My real name is Inquisitor. I am the sheepdog, guarding my clan against my blood. I am a detective, rooting out both changeling imposters and ponies who have strayed from the guidance of the law. I am the appointed seeker of truths. My name is a truer name than many who have only one name throughout their whole lives.” Inky looked hard into the eyes of her newest alicorn princess, judging her response. “My name is Inquisitor, not because my parents chose it, nor by luck, or even destiny, but rather because that is what I am.” “I’m sorry if I offended you. Thorax acted like his pony identity was nothing more than a mask, so I assumed that you did too.” Inky nodded in approval. “He has only been away from the hive for three years, and he spent that time on the fringes of society. I have been living in one town, under one persona, for a decade. “But if you wish to know my given name, it is Whirligig. Never speak that name to a changeling, for that drone died years ago. If they were to learn that I yet live… I do not care for the sort of paranoia that I would need to survive an assassin from the hive. “That being said, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are already aware of me, so you can share any of this with them as well. I told them before the wedding fiasco.” “Wait. Princess Celestia knows? She’s known about the existence of changelings since before Shining Armor’s wedding?!” Inky took a step back, unsure of the cause of this sudden outburst. “She agreed only to tell those who both needed to know and could be trusted. I’m sorry if you are offended by her withholding information, but-” “Everypony thought Cadence was fine, and that I was just paranoid, and she knew?” “Just because she knew that changelings existed doesn’t mean she was considering them. If your friend started acting a bit crabby while starting a new project would you expect a changeling?” Twilight shook her head. “I suppose not.” “I do have a favor to ask you. Could you work towards telling either Princess Cadence or Shining Armor about the concept of friendly changelings? Perhaps with the aid of one of the other Princesses?” “Ok. I’ll see if Luna and I can get together sometime this month.” “Thank you.”