//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 - High Society: Act 2 // Story: Bug In The City // by PointlessGizmo //------------------------------// The substitute 'Trixie' cautiously paced through the castle's softly illuminated corridors, not entirely sure where 'she' was going. Leech began to wish he'd remembered to ask Trixie which way the dining hall was, but the shock of having such an outlandish scheme foisted upon him made his mind go blank. "Let'zz zzsee... dining hall meanzz food. Food hazz zzsmellzz. All Leech needzz to do izz follow deliciouzz zzsmellzz." he thought, quite pleased at the speed with which he concocted a workable strategy. Raising his nose into the air, Leech's nostrils soon became filled with the most appetizing aroma he'd ever come across. He wasted no time in following the tempting fragrance, his cautious trot turning into a crazed gallop as he attempted to find the source of the promising scent. He wasn't just interested in finding the dining hall now, he wanted to sample whatever was giving off such an incredible smell! Leech rocketed past marble pillars, and raced around corridor corners, all the while getting further and further away from the actual location of the dining hall. Leech neither knew of or cared about this, however, as the sensation in his nostrils drove him to find whatever was causing it. Several minutes later, the olfactory trail led him to an impressive set of doors in a dead-end corridor, in a far corner of the castle. Pressing his snout against the door, Leech breathed in deeply and nearly fainted from the unmistakable scent of extremely high-grade food. Wasting no further time, Leech eagerly pushed open the door to discover that the room wasn't quite as he'd expected. Most notably, the lights were turned off. This wasn't so much of a problem for Leech - as a maintenance drone, his eyes were adapted for work in low-light conditions, which gave them their green coloration. Peering through the blackness, Leech could see that there was no dining table or chairs - most unusual, for a dining hall. In fact the only major piece of furniture was what appeared to be... a bed? A bed with two silhouettes atop it, somewhat familiar silhouettes engaging in some sort of.. play fighting? "What zzsort of dining hall izz thizz?" wondered Leech, "The food zzsmellzz great, but..." Leech's thought processes stopped dead as the five-watt light bulb inside his head once again flickered into life. He'd been so distracted with locating the source of the smell, he hadn't stopped to consider that his own sense of smell differed from that of a pony. What smelt delicious to him might not smell so good to a pony, and vice-versa. The food he could smell was, in fact, very highly concentrated love, and NOT pony-type food. Catching the scent of it had caused him to momentarily forget he was meant to be acting as a pony, and instead rely on his changeling-senses to locate nourishment. So instead of the dining hall, he had in fact been led to... ...Shining Armor and Cadence's bedchamber. Right in the middle of them producing a buck-ton of ultra-potency changeling chow. Leech continued to stand in stunned silence, contemplating the magnitude of his folly whilst fervently hoping that the preoccupied lovebirds couldn't see him - or rather, Trixie - in the room's scant illimunation. A hope that was very quickly shattered, as the 'play fighting' shapes atop the bed suddenly ceased to move. "Shining!" came an urgent whisper through the dark. "Look! The door's ajar! Somepony's in the room!" ---------- What followed was possibly the setting of the new Canterlot land speed record, as the pretend Trixie shot out of the room as though he'd been launched from a party cannon, hoping he could lose his pursuer before he had a chance to get his bearings and turn the lights on. Leech became a blue-coated, adrenaline-charged blur as he thundered through the labyrinth of pristine corridors that comprised the castle. Not far behind, he could hear the clacking of hooves angrily pounding against the polished floors as Shining Armor attempted to apprehend the uninvited intimacy invader. "Leech izz dizzguizzed azz Trixzzie!" he thought, horrified. "Room wazz dark, zzso Leech hazzn't been zzeen yet. But if Armor pony catchezz up and catchezz glimpzze of Leech, Trixzzie'zz dreamzz are over!" Summoning every milligram of strategy and cunning his fear addled brain could muster, Leech took cover in an alcove and quickly altered his form to resemble a royal unicorn guard. Using his magic, he hurriedly removed Trixie's best evening cloak and stuffed it into a nearby pot-plant, covering it over in a thin layer of soil. Just as he had finished, the fuming Shining Armor came roaring around a corner and approached him. "You there! Guard! Tell me, has a pony run through here just now?" he asked the 'guard', panting with both exhaustion and fury as he did so. "What did this pony look like, Armor pon- I mean, sir?" stuttered the 'guard', awkwardly. "I don't know, I only got a fleeting glance, and it was dark. Could be anypony, I just wondered if you'd seen any suspiciously behaving ponies in the last couple of minutes." Shining Armor explained, calming himself a little. "I'm afraid not, but Lee- erm... that is, I will put out a security alert at once." promised Leech, becoming more nervous the longer the conversation continued. "Good, thank you. Good evening to you." Shining Armor said briskly, turning on his hooves and trotting at a more serene pace back to his bedchamber, to comfort his wife. Breathing a massive sigh of relief that Shining Armor was gone, and feeling his legs become weak as the adrenal rush fizzled out, Leech coated himself in green flame and re-emerged as Trixie once again. Digging the cape out from the plant pot, he hastily fastened the now creased and filthy piece of cloth around his neck. Satisfied with the cloak despite it sitting much too far to the left on his flank, he renewed his attempts to find the dining hall. ---------- "Trixie! Where have you been, and what happened to your cloak?" asked Fancy Pants as 'Trixie' finally made her way back to the table. "You've been gone for a full fifteen minutes! You've missed dessert!" "Trixie is sorry," said Leech, disappointed that the actual food didn't smell anywhere near as good as high-grade love, "but Trixie isn't feeling too well. Trixie went for a short stroll in the gardens, and Trixie's cloak fell off into a patch of mud." "Ah, I see." Fancy Pants responded, nodding his head. "I must say, you don't sound too well either, your voice sounds... different somehow." "Well, Leech has a sore throat, you see and-" Leech gasped as he clasped a hoof to his mouth, realizing he'd used his own name whilst disguised. "Ah, and he's passed it onto you." interjected Hoity Toity. "Typical vermin species, bringing their diseases into our fine city. Another reason why you should dump that undignified gutter trash where it belongs!" Leech felt relieved that his slip-up hadn't raised any suspicion. Relief that very quickly gave way to shock and indignation. "Vermin zzspeciezz?" He thought crossly. "The nerve of zzsome poniezz. Zzspeciezz izz no reazzon for Trixzzie to... wait a moment. Did he zzsay zzsomething about Trixzzie getting rid of Leech?" Leech's moment of somber contemplation quickly ended as his attention was drawn by a turquoise hoof waving at him from further down the table. Looking down the lengthy line of seated ponies, he could see the hoof was attached to Photo Finish. One of her entourage stood behind her, feeding her the last remnants of her dessert. After she had finished chewing on last morsels of the apple meringue, Photo Finish addressed what she believed to be Trixie. "Ze photos zat ve so beautifully crafted zis morning shall be ready to publish tomorrow. Soon, Trixie vill be ze most magical pony on ze catvalk as vell as ze stage!" she announced, grandly. "Oh, that's nice, Trixie guesses." Leech fumbled, attempting to sound interested. "Tell me, Trixie," continued Photo Finish, "vhat vas your favorite ensemble of ze day?" "Why didn't Leech azzk Trixzzie about Trixzzie'zz day in more detail?!" Leech thought, his mind a blur again as he searched for an answer. "Well... er.... Trixie liked them all!" Leech beamed, settling on the most vague answer he thought he could get away with. "Come now, do not sit upon ze fence! Ve haf a promising future ahead of us, but I need... ze feedbacks!" insisted Photo Finish. "Ugh... aah... the all-black one?" Leech said, thinking of the monochrome chitin armor he wore day in, day out. "Zzstupid anzzwer, zzstupid anzzwer..." he thought, sure he'd blown his cover. "Ah, excellent" gasped Photo Finish, dramatically. "Ze all-black cloak vas my favorite too. Ve shall definitely be using it again in your next shoot - together, ve shall claim black cloaks back from ze territory of shady travelers and ze Pale Pony of Death!" "I must remind myself to get my designers working on black cloaks - I've got a feeling they're going to be big news, very soon!" Hoity Toity added excitedly, a pen clasped between his teeth as he jotted a note onto a small notepad. 'Trixie' sighed once more as he slid back into his seat, the adrenaline surge once again subsiding. He didn't know exactly how many more lucky guesses would get him out of trouble, and he had no intention of staying around long enough to find out! Looking at the clock, Leech was overjoyed to see that it had just gone ten o'clock - the banquet would be drawing to a close very shortly, and Leech saw no harm in leaving fashionably early! "Well, it's been very nice meeting you all." he said abruptly, imitating Trixie's voice as best he could. "But Trixie really must be going now. Trixie has a show very soon, and must get the cabaret!" "Please," said Fancy Pants, standing up also. "Allow me to give you a ride in my carriage." "NO!" Leech quickly responded, remembering Trixie's instructions and taking Fancy Pants aback. "Well, at least let me walk you to the gates." Fancy Pants offered, recovering from the surprise. "Trixie thinks that'll be OK..." Leech muttered with a forced smile, somewhat flustered as he tried not to arouse any further suspicion. ---------- After bidding good night to the other guests, Leech and the still mercifully unaware Fancy Pants made their way out of the lantern-lit halls of the castle and emerged into the serene glow of Luna's moonlit night. As the two made their away across the gardens, the only sounds being the gentle rustle of the grass beneath their hooves and the chirping of crickets, Fancy Pants turned to 'Trixie' and smiled. "They loved you tonight." he began, kindly. "You're definitely a worthy party guest. Trixie... I have a proposition for you." "Awkward... awkward... AWKWARD!" Leech thought frantically. "As it happens, I'm on the organization committee for the Grand Galloping Gala, which takes place next week. Do you have a ticket?" he asked, leaving Leech somewhat relieved that it wasn't the kind of 'proposition' he'd been afraid of. "Umm... no?" Leech replied uncertainly, not entirely sure whether Trixie had a ticket or not. "Well, good. I've pulled some strings, and I've managed to get you booked to play the main stage at the Gala! The cabaret will seem like a mere sideshow when you've played to a Gala audience!" Fancy Pants said. "So Trixie - do you accept?" "Oh, yes!" gasped Leech, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Trixzzie will be zzso pleazzed with Leech!" he thought, his excitement causing him to involuntarily bounce on the spot. "Excellent, that's what I like to see!" Fancy Pants said with a grin. "And Trixie... good luck with your show tonight! I shall see you at next week's Gala. Goodnight!" Leech said his (or rather, Trixie's) goodbyes to Fancy Pants, and hurried away into the lantern-lit streets of Canterlot. He felt much better to be out of the gaze of Canterlot's social elite, and began to search for a place where he could switch back to his usual changeling self. Trixie's show would be starting very soon, so he couldn't afford to let anypony see him roaming the streets as her - this would only lead to confusion and suspicion as to how she could be in two places at once! Noticing a nice, dark, alleyway tucked between two buildings, Leech darted down it. Not bothering to check the area around him, confident that he was totally shrouded in the darkness of the alley, he deftly shed his counterfeit Trixie exterior and revealed his true changeling form. After the green flames had died down, Leech stood still for a few seconds - he suddenly had a strange feeling he'd seen a series of white flashes accompanying the usual green one that occurred during his transformations. "Probably juzzt zzstrezz. Trixzzie owezz Leech for thizz evening!" he thought, shrugging the nagging feeling off and happily trotting back to the apartment. "Zzstupid posh poniezz! Trixzzie would never get rid of Leech, ezzpecially now Leech hazz landed biggest gig of Trixzzie's life for her!" ---------- Some time later, as the clock tower in Canterlot's main street chimed midnight, Leech lay on the couch in the apartment and gazed up at the ceiling. Despite his success in securing what would surely be the performance that would firmly place Trixie in the ranks of Canterlot legend, he was troubled by what he'd heard during the dinner. What if Trixie DID want to send him away? What if he was a hindrance to her? Was that why she didn't help him during the conflict with Blueblood in the store? Does she even need an assistant now? Presently, he heard the front door swing open, and he quickly derailed his train of troubled thoughts as he leapt to his hooves. "Trixzzie!" he said gleefully. "Trixzzie izz home! How did show go?" Trixie said nothing. She merely shuffled over to the couch with her head held low and her eyes closed. She silently hauled herself onto the couch's cushioning softness and buried her face in her hooves. "What'zz wrong, Trixzzie? Did poniezz not like Trixzzie'zz show? Tell Leech who poniezz were, Leech will show them!" said Leech boldly, standing on his hind legs and boxing the air in front of him with his forehooves. Trixie looked up, her mouth turned into a slight smile at Leech's antics, but her eyes still a picture of sorrow. "No, Leech, it's nothing like that. The show was a great success." she said softly. "I managed to snag three decent tricks before the show, and perform them all without a hitch." "Then why izz Trixzzie zzsad?" asked Leech, not fully understanding. "It seems that I only had a finite amount of changeling magic infused with my own. After finishing the show tonight, my horn felt... different. Or rather, it felt the same as it did prior to my brief stint as a changeling hybrid. On my way home, I tried to duplicate some ponies' talents, just to make sure I still could. But I can't. I burnt through the last of my leftover changeling magic in tonight's show." she explained, her voice wavering slightly. "Zzso thizz meanzz..." gasped Leech. "Yes, Leech. I now only have my own magic and my sleight-of-hoof tricks to rely on once again. There's little hope that I can learn any advanced tricks properly in time for my next show, so unless I find a new way to augment my own power in the next two weeks, I'm finished!" Trixie continued, ending her mournful monologue with a defeated sigh. "Two weekzz..?" enquired Leech. "Yes, my next show is in two weeks. It's very fortunate I don't have any important shows between now and then - if I practice very hard, I might be able to perform a passable Prismatic Orb Shower under my own steam." "Erm... Trixzzie. About that timezzscale. It'zz a funny zzstory, really..." began Leech, who would have been sweating if changelings had sweat glands. "Grand Galloping Gala izz next week... and Fanzzy Pantzz helpzz run it." "Yeah? So?" replied Trixie, looking confused. "He azzked Leech... or rather Trixzzie... to be main zzstage act. And... well... Leech zzsort of zzsaid 'yezz' on Trixzzie'zz behalf..." The comforting blanket of silence and peace that had descended over Canterlot for the night was suddenly pierced by the shrill, incensed scream of a stressed-out unicorn whose day had just gotten a whole lot worse. "YOU. DID. WHAAAAAAAAT?!"