The sound of out of sync hooves on a wooden floor echoed throughout the theater. On stage a group of unicorns attempted a choreographed number for their audience of three. From head to hoof both mare and stallion alike were dressed in a smooth shiny black material along with a pair of semi-transparent insect-like wings strapped to their backs. Each one also had a pair of round goggles covering their eyes, tinted blue and crafted to appear multifaceted. Unfortunately the restrictive costumes worn by the dancers only caused their latest effort to end up just as uncoordinated as the previous ones.
“I think that’s enough everypony!” called out the first of the three audience members, a porcelain furred pegasus mare with a wavy dark amber mane. “Let’s call it a day.”
Light murmurs drifted from the dance troupe as they looked from one another, ears back and unsure, before finally trotting from the stage to disappear behind a set of dark red curtains.
“Well that went poorer than expected…” sighed the second audience member, a spectacled earth pony stallion with periwinkle fur and a slate blue mane that he kept tied back in a ponytail.
“You need your prescription updated Free-step, because poor doesn’t even start to describe that disaster,” grumbled the peach-orange unicorn mare beside him, her muzzle scrunched up in obvious distaste. “You have to talk to your dancers again.”
“Allure, I’ve told you twice now that it’s not the dancers,” said the stallion, Free-step Hustle, before removing his glasses so he could press a hoof against the bridge of his muzzle, “it’s the costumes. You need to tell the designer they’re still not flexible enough.”
“I’ve already talked to her about it,” said the unicorn, Allure Endeavor, as she levitated a small mirror from her satchel and began checking for any out of place hairs in her bright lilac mane, “and she said if more fabric was added it would make the dancer’s legs look flabby at the joints and it could slip down and cause them to trip over their own hooves.”
“Well we’re probably going to run into the same problem with the reformed version of the costumes too,” said Free-step while replacing his glasses. “What about using a different material?”
“I’ve suggested that too,” said Allure as she re-applied her lipstick. “She told me a lighter fabric would make the design look like a common gaudy Nightmare Night costume. Other materials won’t breathe enough for the dancers and will leave them overheated. I don’t think you want to see them slipping on their own sweat across the stage.”
“Then what about trying another designer?” suggested Free-step. “I don’t know, get a second opinion or something.”
“Free-step, dear, I’ve worked with Misty Motif for years. She’s one of the best costume designers in Applewood. She’s worked on over a dozen movies and twice as many plays. I trust her judgement,” said the unicorn as she returned the mirror to her bag. “Besides, it would be too expensive to remake the costumes anyway...”
“Allure, dear,” the stallion said through his teeth, “despite how good Miss Motif’s costumes look, my dancers can’t move in them. If they can’t move, they can’t dance.”
“Then why don’t we just have them dye their fur black?” said Allure, throwing up her front hooves with exasperation. “Then they’ll be able to move around all they want.”
“My dancers won’t dye their fur,” Free-step said with a frown, “and I’m not going to force them either. It also won’t fix the issue if the other costume is just as restrictive.”
“What if we just get real changelings as back up dancers?” interjected the pegasus causing the other two to turn and stare wide-eyed at her.
“H-Harmony,” stammered the unicorn, “you- we- there’s no way that could be done.”
“Why not?” asked Harmony Honey, innocently tilting her head to the side as she looked from the mare to the stallion with her bright blue eyes. “I’m confident you could teach them the routine.”
“It, it would be too dangerous!” exclaimed Free-step. “They could attack me or you or the audience!”
“I agree,” said Allure firmly. “They could spirit you away. Put you in a cocoon and drain your love. As your agent I will not allow you to be placed in such a hazardous situation.”
“Wow, I didn’t think the changelings were that bad,” said the confused pegasus. “Since they reformed I thought they’ve been nothing but friendly.”
Free-step and Allure blinked at Harmony in unison.
“Wait,” said Free-step, “are you talking about the reformed changelings?”
“Of course,” said the pegasus with a chuckle and a quirked eyebrow. “From what I’ve been reading about them in the papers, they don’t drain ponies of love anymore and they’ve been looking for ways to intermingle with the rest of Equestria. Why not offer them an opportunity?”
“I don’t know Harmony…” the unicorn said.
“I know it sounds a little crazy but just think about it,” the pegasus said excitedly. “My new album is all about love, about how strong and powerful it can be. We were going to have ponies dressed up like changelings, pretending to steal love throughout the show until the end when they discover it’s better to share love than to steal it. Why not have real changelings who’ve experienced that first hoof and give them the chance to show Equestria they’re serious about living peacefully alongside ponies?”
Both Free-step and Allure adapted thoughtful postures. The stallion hummed to himself, brushing his goatee with the tip of a hoof while Allure stared up at the ceiling, clicking her tongue against the back of her teeth. Harmony just watched them with a small smirk.
“I suppose I could reach out to some of my contacts and see if your idea is feasible... and safe,” pensively said Allure. “What about you Free-step, what do you think?”
“I could teach a minotaur ballet, given the proper amount of time,” the stallion said. “If you’re both really serious about this then I’ll try my hoof at teaching changelings to dance.”
“Wonderful!” Harmony said, clapping her front hooves together. “This is so exciting!”
“Harmony, I wouldn’t get your hopes up too much,” interrupted Allure. “Changelings, even the reformed ones, are still a complete mystery to almost everypony. This entire thing might never even get off the ground.”
“Oh stop being modest Allure,” the pegasus said with the added hint of flattery. “If anypony can pull this together it’s you.”
----------
Just as Celestia’s sun slowly set over the horizon a yellow carriage slowed to a stop before the large stonework mansion. Gracefully the porcelain furred pegasus steeped from the cab, flicked back her mane, adjusted her wings, and then handed the stallion strapped to the coach a small bag of bits. He tipped his hat, thanked her and trotted away, leaving her standing before the imposing iron gates to the manor grounds.
For a brief moment Harmony entertained the idea of using her key to unlock the barrier, but then she just shrugged, flapped her wings a few times and flew over the fence. She could have skipped using cabs too and simply flown home; but she had the extra bits to spend and enjoyed using them to have ponies cater to her.
Upon reaching the mansion’s large wooden entry door the pegasus landed and began to rummage around in her satchel for her key. She hopped back in surprise when the door suddenly bolted open to reveal an angry looking unicorn with a banana colored coat and a fiery red mane. The shock passed quickly and she rolled her eyes at the stallion before pushing past him.
“Where have you been?!” the unicorn grumbled, closing the door none too gently behind her. “You’re late again!”
“Your concern for my well being is touching,” Harmony responded, playfulness in her tone. “But I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
The stallion opened his muzzle to issue a retort but the pegasus continued on, heading deeper into the manor and leaving him behind. After a moment of standing by the door, utterly astounded by her brazen dismissal, the unicorn clenched his jaw and stomped after her.
“You were supposed to be back hours ago!” he called out to Harmony as she vanished around a corner and into a dark hallway. “You can’t keep leaving me here to take care of everything by myself! Are you even listening to me?!”
He received no response.
“Okay, that’s it Cicada!” he hissed and rounded the corner, “I’ve had enough of-“
A field of orange magic surrounded the unicorn and flung him back against the wall, abruptly cutting him off mid-sentence. Distracted by the jolt, a circle of green fire flickered over his body, burning away his disguise and revealing his black carapace. When he shook away the shock he found himself immobile, held a good few hoof lengths from the floor, and staring into the darkness at an angry set of burning orange eyes.
“I think it’s past time I educate you on how things are going to be around here,” Harmony’s voice said in a dual tone as if another creature was saying the same thing along with her but just slightly out of sync.
“C-Cicada, I,” stuttered the changeling, his blue eyes wide and ears folded back.
“Leech,” Cicada, tall, imposing and reefed in shadows, calmly began, “we’ve known each other since the day we hatched and some of the earliest memories I have of you, involve you complaining. I’ve tolerated it for years. I’ve tolerated it because I like you... But, lately, all this complaining you do is getting old. So it’s going to stop today. Understand?”
After giving her a single nod, the cowed changeling was lowered gently back to his hooves for his subservience.
“I need you to come to terms that things are very different between us now,” explained Cicada. “I’m not just some infiltrator anymore and you need to realize that; so going forward, you will not talk down to me, you will not yell at me, and you will not tell me what I can and cannot do.”
Leech nervously licked his suddenly dry lips and gave a single nod again.
“Good,” said the looming figure, her posture becoming more relaxed. “Now that that’s out of the way, we can move on to what has you so upset. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that it’s either about the larva themselves or you being bored of watching them.”
“Yeah-” Leech started to say.
“Yes, my queen,” Cicada corrected him.
“Yes, my queen,” said Leech after a pause. “They’re hungry and getting cranky.”
“Well momma’s back,” she chuckled, turning around and walking away. “I’ll feed and tend to them until the morning. You can go and do whatever you want, just be back before sunrise.”