//------------------------------//
// 11 The Interrogation 
// Story: The First Twilight 
// by darkforce95 
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"Here Twily, let me help you get to your feet." Shining Armor went to 'Twilight's' side and slowly raised her up.

<<Okay, you're going to have to listen to me if they are going to buy that you ARE me.>>  Twilight said, mind awash with ideas.

"What do you need, Princess?" Star Dusk asked.

Princess Celestia cocked her head to the side eyeing over 'Twilight', "We... were getting no where with the interrogation of that changeling.  And were wondering if you could have a look.  You can be much more perceptive than most other people so we hoped you could enlighten areas we may have glossed over."

<<Okay, now I want you to quote me word for word.  She already looks like she feels something's off.>>

Fine, fine...

"Of course, Princess.  Though I'm not sure what I could really do that you two haven't done already..." said Star Dusk.

"Don't worry Twily, maybe a new face will be all it will take to throw her off." reassured 'Twilight' as he set her on her feet.

"If you think so."





Behind the magically enhanced one way window, the three stared at the clearly relaxed prisoner sitting in a chair, still bound, across from another chair with a table between them.

"If anything, she's relaxed more and more since we started.  Like she's had counter-interrogation training." commented Shining Armor.

"That might be the case..." said Star Dusk absentmindedly.

"Twily?"

"Oh- Uh, I mean, if you two haven't been able to get anything then that might be the reason why.  Heh." He corrected.

"Right... Regardless, if you can at least disorient her mental state a bit, perhaps we can get some new information." Princess Celestia added.

Star Dusk stared intently at the carbon copy of Twilight in the room.  

"Shining Armor, I need you to knock on the window in about 5 minutes.  Like you want to talk over what I 'found' or because I'm getting no where."

"Huh?"

<<I wouldn't put it that way!  You're gonna bring attention to us!>>  Twilight's apprehension was pervasive in their shared consciousness.

Relax, I've got a plan.

"If you're sure Twily."

'Twilight' opened the door and walked in, instantly drawing attention from the detainee.

"Well, well, well... Hello there princess!" she said mockingly, "I didn't think I would have to see you in this process."

"Well, you left us no choice.  I had to step in."

"Hah!  Like you could do any better than your brother or the Princess.  You don't even have any proper interrogation training!  I know," she pointed to her head. "Remember?"

"J-just because I don't have proper training doesn't mean I can't-"

"Oh, this will be fun.  I know everything about you and you don't know a thing about me.  Let's see how long you last before your brother knocks on the window."

<<How did you know?  When Shining knocks on the window, she'll think exactly what you want her to.>>

Interrogation training.  Now watch and learn, you may need this in the future.

'Twilight' sat across from her, looking very uncomfortable by comparison to the changeling who looks exactly like her.

"W-well, are you going to say anything?"

"And what?  Ruin the surprise?  Hardly." she leaned back in her seat, looking as confident as possible.

"S-so there is something happening.  This 'surprise'."

The prisoner cocked an eyebrow, "So you aren't a useless interrogator..."

<<I could have caught that one!>>

"Doesn't mean that you'll get much more than your brother did."

"So we've established that there is something.  Now let's establish what."  'Twilight's' demenor changed.

<<The last time changlings were here, they wanted to feed...>>

"Like I would-"

"You're a changeling.  The last time your kind was here, the goal was to feed on our love.  So it must have to do something with that."

"Yeah, like that was a hard conclusion to come to." she said, her frustration growing.

"Then stop me when I'm wrong." 'Twilight' said with her confidence growing in kind.

<<Why attack so broadly?  You would think that they would want to stay under the radar until it was too late... Is there something they need now to force a move on our hand?>>

"So, since hiding didn't work that time.  You tried a full frontal assault.  But why in Ponyville.... Less defenses?  The fact that I was there since I was the main catalyst for thwarting the plans?  Maybe... especially considering the memory copying technique you all developed."

"You got a big head, you know that?" she interrupted irritatedly.

"I'm not done.  So, attacking me to take me down... No, No that's not right.  You went to attack Star Dusk first... Why?"

<<Why indeed... The first thought would make more sense.  Take out all opposition.  They shouldn't have known you were here.  And even if they did they shouldn't know you.>>

That's a great question...

The detainee looked curiously at the long pause 'Twilight' was taking.

"You're so smart, but you can't see what's in front of you?" she taunted.

"I'm stuck on how you found out about Star Dusk.  He wasn't a factor in the invasion.  It wasn't even widely known about his abilities.  Did you know who he was before this?"

"Well, I'll give you credit on getting further than the other two.  But if you can't work it out, I'm not telling you anything."

Twilight wracked her mind for thoughts on how or why to no avail.

Time's up.  Just as Star Dusk predicted, there came a knock on the window.

"Awww, too bad.  Maybe you need to hit the books a little more.  Though only experience could give you real insight."  

Confidence now was back with the prisoner as 'Twilight' got up and walked to the door, frustrated.

"So, what did you need me to knock for Twily?"

Twilight, I'm gonna borrow your magic.

<<Not like I can argue about it, but what for?>>

Star Dusk gathered Twilight's magic and formed a disguise of himself.  A perfect replica, except for the color of his eyes.

"Excellent!" praised Princess Celestia.  "She'll think you are Star Dusk and that will get her unnerved.  But the eyes are off...."

"Shoot.  Well, hopefully she won't notice."  'Twilight' wished aloud.

<<You kept my color eyes on purpose, why?>>

Patience, you'll see. he reassured as he walked back in the room.

"Good show!" he exclaimed.  "Now, let's get to real business."

Shock passed over the changeling's face.  "You, but... That's impossible.  You should be in a coma or worse!"

"I was, but I got better." he said while sitting down.

There was a silence pervading the room as both parties stared each other down.  After a few minutes, the prisoner lean back with a smirk on her face.

"Hoo, you had me going there for a second, princess."

"Princess?  Really?  What makes you think I'm anybody but me?" asked Star Dusk imitating the move.

"You screwed up with the disguise.  His eyes don't look like that."

<<I hope you still have a plan because she's back in her groove.>>

"You spent a lot of time looking at my eyes huh?  So you did know who I was before getting to Ponyville.  Or at least you have a superb memory..."

Star Dusk leaned forward and rested his head in one hand.

"I'm gonna bet on the former."

"Yeah, well. That's not the important thing now-"

"I'm not finished." he cut back.  "Don't interrupt.  Now regardless of that fact, you came to the dressing room with some intention toward me...."

"Like you're so special."

Star Dusk quickly grabbed the table, raised it up, and slammed it on the floor harshly.

"Don't interrupt." A deathly seriousness invaded the room.  "'Kay?" he finished with a smile as he went back to his pensive thoughts.

<<What the heck was that for?>>

Really old interrogation tactic. Now, I know she won't sit at that warning so I'm going to ask you to trust me with what comes next.

"You came in disguised as Twilight.  Wanting to get me away... away... What for?  Maybe to keep me safe?  Nah, more to make sure I don't mess up the plan..."

The changeling shifted in her seat a bit, eyes still staring at Star Dusk as he was walking though this in his mind.

<<That's it isn't it?  They tried to take you out of the equation and take out the ones that got in the way the first time.  After all, Cadence and Shining Armor were there too.>>

There's something more to it.  It's hard to explain, but I feel it in my bones...

<<MY bones.>>  Twilight felt the smirk from Star Dusk as minutes pass by in the interrogation room.

"The only thing I wonder," Star Dusk said, breaking the silence, "Is how you knew that all the royalty was there.  Without them, of course take over would be easy.  But, there was no way to know that they were there.  How-"

"I'm done helping.  You can walk it through on your onesies." she cut back, clearly frustrated with the amount of time passed with the same thought.

In one motion, Star Dusk stood up, levitated his chair over to barr the door, and grabbed her head and slammed it forcefully into the table.

<<What are you doing?!>>

Star Dusk ignored both Twilight and the jiggling of the handle of someone trying to get in the room and proceeded to grab her by her throat and slammed her up against the wall.

"I told you not to interrupt.  That was your third strike." he spat at the changeling.

"Hah." she choked out, "Three strikes?  I haven't seen this kind of interrogation for years."

Star Dusk turned around and threw her back in her chair.  He quickly came up on her and leaned the chair backwards while putting his foot up on the table, staring straight into her eyes.

"Oh, you know this game do you?  Well, I have a variation on it that I like to do.  After three strikes-"

"Every time I interrupt you, you're gonna make sure to break some part of my body?"

Star Dusk quickly retreated away from the bound woman in shock.

"Probably gonna start with my fingers, easy to break plus leaves enough space for the criminal to think about both the pain and the answer to the questions he's asked."  she recounted.

<<She already said she knew about the tactic, what's wrong?>>

The changeling continued, "Then what?  Move on to dislocating the shoulder?  No, you were always meticulous with this version of the 'game'.  You would go to the elbow next and if you were too enthusiastic you would pop the shoulder too.  That always frustrated you."

H-How could she know?

"This wasn't a documented version of interrogation, how could you know-"

"Come on, Starshine.  Did I really stump the man who was able to deduce almost anything from the smallest of details?" she said with a warm smile.

"You can't... You can't be..." he stammered in disbelief.

"You can'tve forgotten your old partner.  Remember?  It was old Starshine eyes and-"

"Sparkling Gauntlet..."