I watched in shock as these three Changeling were being brought to the castle. Where did they come from? Was there another Changeling attack? Are they going to be imprisoned or will Princess Celestia punish them beyond that? Those questions rushed through my mind when there was a knock on the door. "Come in." I said as I turned to the door to see who it was.
"Princess Celestia says there's something―"
"That I should see?" I cut Striker off as I turned back out the window. "Is it the three captive Changelings?" I said as I opened the window to better hear what was going on. "So where did they come from?" I asked as Striker walked up next to me.
"Apparently the Changelings attacked Ponyville three days ago. Most of the town was found trapped in some kind of pods." Striker said as we saw a pony in the crowd throw a rock at the Changelings, missing all of them and hitting a bar on the inside. "These three were captured and are now going to be interrogated, after that the Princesses will decide what happens to them." He continued as a Changeling slightly more buff than the others picked up the rock and threw it back at the pony, nailing him in the forehead. One of the guards pointed his spear at the changeling through the bars. The Changeling then put the spear through a hole in both his forehooves and quickly took the spear from the guard and pointed it back at him. Two of the Unicorn guards charged magic and pointed their horns at the Changeling. The Changeling then slowly released the spear and let out a hiss loud enough for me to faintly hear at the castle. After that, the Changeling turned away from the crowd and to the castle, and then to my window.
I ducked down as fast as I could to stay out of the Changeling's sight. Why I didn't want it to see me I'm not sure. "Anyways, it turns out--" I couldn't hear what Striker was saying as I suddenly heard very loud ringing in my ears, Along with this ringing I could hear a deep distorted voice speaking, but I couldn't understand what it was saying. I didn't know what was happening, but the pain that came with it was excruciating, and it made me clutch my head.
"You okay, Fragment?" Striker asked as the pain faded as quickly as it came.
"I... I don't know. I was hearing something in my head, but now it's gone." I said as I looked back out the window and saw that they had passed.
"Think seeing those Changelings was giving you a flashback?" Striker asked as I closed the window then grabbed my cloak from the closet and put it on.
"I don't think so, that was too different to be a flashback. But what were you saying about this Changeling attack?"
"The Changeling Queen, Chrysalis, captured three fillies and brought them to the Changeling kingdom. We should get you to Princess Celestia, there's more she wants to talk to you about. I'll talk along way." Striker said as he walked to the door. As he lead me to the Princess, he told me about how Queen Chrysalis made Twilight and her friends, excluding Spike, journey to the Changeling kingdom where Twilight fought and defeated Chrysalis herself. I asked about what Spike was doing here and Striker told me that Spike had been trying to contact Princess Celestia but couldn't, so he decided to come straight to Canterlot to talk to her and while in the process of explaining what was going on, he got into the fight here.
"And there was something about a bucket, but you'll have to ask Spike about it." Striker said as we reached the throne room. The guards opened the doors and we walked in. I saw Princess Celestia sitting in her throne talking to Prince Blue Blood.
"And what should I tell the Press at this time?" Prince Blue Blood asked.
"Tell them the truth. The Changelings we've captured have not been interrogated yet and I provide the media with answers myself once they have been. As for the possibility a third Changeling attack, while I think that's unlikely, I will assign more guards to Equestria's borders. Now if you'll excuse me, I have much to do at the moment." She said as Prince Blue Blood nodded and began to leave. Me and Striker stepped aside as they left.
"Good morning, Fragment." Princess Celestia said warmly as me and Striker bowed. As we stood back up, I noticed Princesses Luna and Cadence enter from a different hall along with Shining Armor. "I assume Striker told you about the Changelings." She said as she rose from her throne and the others approached us.
"I saw them outside when I woke up. And Striker told me about the attack on Ponyville." I said as I noticed out of the corner of my eye the mix of emotions that Shining Armor had. "So what are you going to do with them?"
"I am unsure right now, but it's time to see what these Changeling know, and I want you to be with us." Princess Celestia said as she and the others began walking down the hall that Shining Armor and the other Princesses came from.
"Why do you want me to be there?" I asked as we walked with them.
"Because I believe you should have a chance, if you want, to speak with them. Perhaps one of them knows you." She said as we walked. I thought about the possibility of one of them knowing me, and I wasn't sure if that would be a good thing or a bad thing.
"Did I mention that you have a huge scar on the back of your head?" Striker asked.
"Scar? What scar?" I said as I felt the back of my head. It felt like a crack in a rock or something, but it didn't hurt to touch.
"There's a scar where your skull was cracked." Striker said as I couldn't feel anything on my head.
"What does it look like?"
"Like a big dark purplish zigzag with some parts branching off on the back of your head."
"After all that feeding I did I have a scar?" After a short walk, we reached the interrogation/observation room. As we walked in I saw Sinistar was already here and was staring through the window watching the Changeling.
"Any change in behavior?" Shining Armor asked as Sinistar glanced at us.
"None. He's just been sitting there. In fact I'm pretty sure he's asleep." I looked into the room and saw a Changeling with it's head on the table and it wasn't moving other than it's chest rising and falling from breathing.
"Well let's wake him up." Shining Armor said as he and Sinistar left the room and entered the other as the rest of us watched. Princess Celestia pressed a button and a red light came on. Shining Armor and Sinistar walked into the room as the Changeling's eyes opened. "So... the Changelings attack Canterlot and fail, so you attack a more vulnerable settlement?" Shining Armor said. The Changeling sat up in it's chair and looked at Shining Armor with a blank expression. "You're in a lot of trouble with Equestria now, but we'll take it easy on you if you help us. We want to know what the Queen is planning. What her next move will be." Shining Armor said as he leaned closer to the Changeling looking it in the eyes. The Changeling just tilted it's head in response.
"Can it even talk?" Striker asked.
"I can talk, so why wouldn't it?" I countered as Striker nodded. After a few more questions that were answered in the form of a confused facial expression and more head tilting, Shining Armor and Sinistar came back to our room and the Changeling was sent back to it's cell.
"Well that was unhelpful." Shining Armor said with sigh.
"We still have two more Changelings to deal with, maybe one of them will provide something useful." Sinistar said as we all heard talking as the door to the interrogation room and a different Changeling was brought in, and already this Changeling was different.
"And he said that it was a part of his 'master plan,' to which I replied, 'your master plan lacks plan' and then I got sent to the brig." The Changeling spoke in a kind of high pitch voice as the guard who brought him there looked like he was about to kill this Changeling. "And you know what happened next?" The Changeling continued as the guard left the Changeling next to the chair and slammed the door shut as he left. "Fine, be that way." He said as he made a pouty face and that guard came into our room.
"Have fun with that one, he doesn't stop talking." With that, the guard left. Shining Armor and Sinistar went into the room with the Changeling.
"'Go out into the world,' They said. 'Be somepony,' They said. Well how was I supposed to know that's not what they meant?!" The Changeling ranted.
"Do you know why you're here?" Sinistar asked.
"One of life's great mysteries, isn't it? Why are we here? Is it all just so―"
"Do you know why we brought you to this room?" Sinistar said with his eyes narrowing on the Changeling.
"I'm not here to get my dry cleanings, that's for sure. I'm going to guess that it has something to do with that cupcake I stole, but I think it's ridiculous that I'd get dragged all the way here for petty theft. But you don't know how good those cupcakes were. And I―"
"You're here because of your part in the attack on Ponyville." Shining Armor said in clearly frustrated tone. A tone that either the Changeling didn't notice, or didn't care about, as for the next five minutes he continued to blab on about every subject, going from things like the idea that if Princess Celestia raises the Sun and Princess Luna raises the Moon, then who makes Volcanos, to who was the first one to have a cup of tea with a plate. All the while completely ignoring the questions that Shining Armor and Sinistar were trying to ask. Shining Armor even at one point used his magic to hold the Changeling's mouth shut, which did nothing to stop the Changeling from talking, only stopping the rest of us from understanding. Though I don't think any of us really understood what he was talking about anyway. So that Changeling was sent back to his cell and the next one was being brought.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take." Shining said as he picked up a cup of coffee drank about half of it in one gulp as the interrogation room's door opened and the last Changeling was brought in. This was that large Changeling that threw a rock at that pony and disarmed a guard. "Let's try this again. Are you ready Sinistar?"
"I guess." Sinistar said as they once again went into the other room. "You have committed crimes against Equestria and it's citizens, do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" Sinistar said as the door closed behind them. The Changeling, like the first one, just stared silently, only instead of having a confused look, this one had more of a hateful glare.
"We could imprison you for a very long time as a terrorist to Equestria, but the Princesses are willing to cut you a deal if you cooperate, so we have some questions for you, and if your answers are true then the Princesses will speak with you themselves and make a deal." Shining Armor said. The Changeling did nothing but glare.
"Shining, can I talk to you in the other room?" Sinistar said causing everyone other than the Changeling to look at him. Shining Armor nodded and they returned to our room.
"Why do we need to talk?" Shining Armor asked.
"We need a new strategy. We've been getting nothing out of them, and we need to know if their Queen is going to make another move, and nothing we try is getting them to help." Sinistar said as there was a pause for thought.
"Maybe I can try." I said, causing everypony to give me a surprised look. "Maybe being a Changeling will make him more likely to talk. And not just go on and on about nothing like the last one."
"Are you sure about this?" Princess Luna asked.
"Well we haven't exactly been getting anything out of them, and what's the harm in it anyway?" Sinistar said as he looked back into the other room, where the Changeling was quietly sitting.
"What do you think, Shining?" Princess Cadence asked. Shining Armor paused and thought for a few seconds.
"I think we don't have much choice. Sinistar is right, we haven't been making any progress with them, so why not let Fragment try?" Shining said as Princess Celestia nodded "Come on Fragment, we're going in there." He said as we walked out of the room. As the door closed behind us and Shining Armor gave a nod to the guard at the interrogation room, he opened the door. When Shining Armor walked in, the Changeling's eyes were locked on him, when I walked in the room, it's eyes widened and became locked to mine. I noticed this changeling's spines that were supposed be on the back of his neck appeared to have been mostly burned off.
"You've caused a lot of trouble while―" Whatever Shining Armor was saying was made un-hearable to me as that ringing and distorted voice came back with pain more intense than ever. Within a second I was one the floor screaming in pain, my eyes clenched shut and my hooves covering my head trying in vain to hinder the pain. Then the pain suddenly stopped, and I opened my eyes. I saw Shining Armor's horn glowing and pointed at the Changeling, who was glaring at me. "Are you okay, Fragment?" Shining Armor asked as I slowly stood back up.
"I... I don't know. What happened?"
"Well, well, well..." The Changeling spoke in a mildly deep and calm voice. "Seems something's wrong with you if you cannot hear me." He said as I realized that I recognized his voice, but I couldn't place it.
"What are you talking about?" I asked as Shining Armor watched the Changeling closely.
"You want me to talk? Then you'll have to leave." He said to Shining Armor.
"I'm not leaving you two alone." Shining Armor replied as his eyes narrowed.
"Yes you are, or you're not getting anything out of me. And besides, we all know about the room behind that 'mirror,' so it's not like you'll miss anything." The Changeling said as he turned back to me. After a short moment of silence, Shining Armor left the room, leaving me, relatively, alone with this Changeling. "So..." He began. "What has been done to you that made you turn against your own hive?" He asked while he glared at me.
"No, that's not how this wo―"
"No." He interrupted. "It works by you answering questions until I know why you've betrayed us. And then if I am satisfied with your answers I will answer your questions." He said firmly as I glared back at him.
"And why should I answer anything you ask?"
"Because you have questions as well, and I will not answer them without answers of my own." I gave pause to that as I weighed my options. If the Queen is planning another attack, then we need to know about it. But what will his questions be about...?
"Fine. But we're going to take turns and I get to ask the first question."
"Deal. Now ask." He said as he crossed his forehooves.
"What did you do to me when I walked in here?"
"I used our Hive Mind. The minds of Changelings from the same hive are linked in a form of hive mind similar to an ant hive, but our hive mind is at will. It is an ability that all Changelings are capable of using, though it is usually used by higher ranked Changelings. When it is used, all Changelings within a six mile radius will hear it, however it seems that whatever has been done to you causes pain instead of receiving our thoughts." He explained. "How long have you been working with them?" He asked with narrowed eyes.
"About a week. What's Chrysalis' next move?"
"I wouldn't know. I was given orders to infiltrate Ponyville and make sure those three specific fillies were taken."
"You expect me to believe that you weren't told about any other plans she may have had?"
"We take this one question at a time, Now it's my turn." He said with a smirk as I growled a little at him. "What did they do to you that made you turn your back on us?"
"They didn't do anything to me."
"Then why―"
"No, I'm pretty sure it's my turn now." I said with my own smirk. "What was so special about those fillies?"
"Those ponies, the ones who ruined our plan, two of them are related to them and the other is a friend of theirs. Now explain to me in depth, why are you helping them?" He said as I tried to get a sense of his emotions, and got nothing. I couldn't smell his emotions, even though it was obvious he had them. Rather than focus on that I answered the question.
"I'm helping them because they helped me. When I woke up I was bleeding and had a broken leg, and the ponies, who's town you just attacked, helped me. They fed me, gave me shelter, and got me medical attention. All of that even though we attacked them. This is the least I can do to repay them for everything. Satisfied?"
"There is a vital detail that has not been brought into account. Why didn't you return to the hive when you could? Does all that the hive done for you mean nothing because some ponies helped you? Have you forgotten the oath you swore?" He said, raising his voice slightly. "Tell me... What is my name?" When he asked that question, I knew he knew me because it sounded as if he expected me to know the answer.
"I don't know what your name is."
"And why is that?" He said as his glare intensified. As an answer, I turned around so he could see the back of my head. "A scar?"
"I have amnesia. When I woke up, I was in pain, my leg was broken, and I didn't remember anything." I said as turned back around to face him. "And they told me about the attack, about what we did. And even though they thought I was a part of it, they help me heal, and they gave me their love to feed off of." He seemed surprised by that last part but didn't seem to really care.
"Now it makes some amount of sense." He said as he leaned back in his chair. "But tell me, what do you know about the attack?"
"They told me that Chrysalis captured and replaced Princess Cadence, used some kind of hypnotism or mind control on Shining Armor, that from feeding off of him she was able to overpower Princess Celestia, and―"
"Well I see that they told you all that was obvious." He cut me off. "But there is a very important question that has not been answered. I don't think that the Equestrians even asked that question."
"And what question might that be?" I asked as I leaned over the table and got close to his face.
"Why?" He said simply. "Why did we attack Canterlot? What did we have to gain?"
"Power. All the love in Equestria to consume and become powerful." He just laughed at that answer.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Is that what they've told you? They never really were ones to gather the truth of our kind. Our kind has survived for thousands of years by taking the form of another and feeding off the affections towards that being. Staying for as little as a few hours to as long as a year, but we would never permanently replace someone. This is how we lived, until about three hundred years ago, the civilizations we had been siphoning off of took notice and became hateful of us. They did everything in their power to expel us, and over the years we've become desperate, and becoming aggressive is how our Queen has kept us alive. She is too prideful to let anyone other than her most trusted know that we didn't attack because we could, but because we had to." He explained with a very serous expression. "The sad part is that we've only ever done what we needed to survive, nothing more. All of this you used to know. Every question you've asked is one you knew, and now I challenge you, ask me something you want to know. Ask me something about who you are." He said as he leaned in at me with a glare.
"Why should I?"
"Because I've been cooperating. Unlike the others, I have answered the questions you asked.
"How did you know the others weren't cooperating with us?"
"Ha, ha, ha, who do you think told them not to? Now, I ask that you do something that could actually prove to be of some use to you. Ask me something about yourself." It confused me that he seemed to want me to know so much, it made me think that he might know me. I didn't trust him at all, he might be telling me all of this just to trick us, but I had no proof of if he was lying or not. I didn't think I should give him the benefit of the doubt, but I decided to play along a little with a question that was hard to ignore with his voice sounding so familiar.
"... What's your name?"
"Gezähnt. Major Gezähnt." My eyes widened at the name. This was the Changeling that helped me after that fight with the Colonel and one of the Changelings who was with me over Canterlot. He chuckled as he spoke. "Ah, so my name still means something to you? Interesting for someone with amnesia." Gezähnt said with a slight smile. "So have you been deceiving them or is there something more interesting than that to this?"
"I haven't lied to them! Sometimes I get flashbacks, and you've been in two of them. I would have told Princess Celestia about them, but with the Secretariat comet that has been a bit hard to do." I said more to inform the others in the observation room than to Gezähnt.
"And what is it that you remember about me?" Gezähnt asked with a risen brow.
"I remember you taking me to the infirmary after I got in a fight with a Colonel, and I remember you me and that same Colonel over Canterlot before the attack began." I said as he nodded a little.
"Colonel Tödlich. I recall both of those events quite well. Do you know why you were with two highly ranked Changelings moments before the attack began?"
"Do you know why I don't care?" At this point I figured he didn't know anything that would help us, and even if he did he probably wouldn't tell us, so I decided I was done with him.
"Don't be so simple, brother. If anyone I'm the one you should trust."
"Don't call me brother, and give me one good reason why I should trust you." I said as we glared at each other.
"Why should you trust them? All that you know about our kind is whatever they've told you. All you know about anything is what they've told you. Any lie, any trick, any betrayal, you would only know their side of it. Have you not wondered why they're helping you? Perhaps they wish to study Changelings and learn of any weakness that we might have, or perhaps simply dissect you for research. Do you really think they would be so forgiving for nothing?"
"You have no idea what you're talking about, and trying to get me to question why I should trust them isn't a reason to trust you. You don't have a reason for me to trust you so you're just trying to turn me against them."
"You should trust me because we were friends. I helped you to the infirmary while others laughed at you, because you questioned an order that was foolish and would have gotten Changelings killed if it were not a exercise. We've been friends for more than a decade, fought together, served the Queen, and risked our lives for other Changelings. After all of that, do you think I'd betray you?"
"That's not a reason to trust you. Everything you just said could be a lie."
"When you start thinking like that, then you shouldn't be interrogating. Trust what I say or not, but know that you're not the one who loses something from distrusting me, brother."
"I'm not your brother. Maybe what you said is true, but the fact is that the Equestrians have been helping me, and I'm not going to stab them in the back. You'd be better off believing I'm dead." I said as I walked towards the door.
"Is that what we should tell your wife?" I stopped in my tracks when I heard that. I slowly turned to face Gezähnt and saw he was staring at me with a risen brow.
"What did you say?"
"Did you believe you were leaving nothing behind in the hive when you forgot everything? You have family beyond our band of brothers. You have a wife and two sons back in the hive who believe you're missing." Gezähnt said as I thought about this. "Do you want the Queen to tell them you're dead? Should they hold a funeral for a Changeling who is clearly alive?"
"... No... No, you're lying!" I desperately wanted to believe he was just lying to me to get in my head, but just the thought that I was leaving a whole family behind that was worried about me scared me. I didn't want to do that to anyone, but I couldn't know if this was a trick or not, and that drove me crazy. Gezähnt got out of his chair and leaned across the table as he glared at me. At this point I saw that he was about four inches taller than me.
"Look into my eyes and tell me I'm lying. And then ask yourself if you're the one who's lying." After he said that I tried to read his face for any signs that told me he was lying, but I just saw him staring at me like he was about to murder me. I couldn't stand it, and with a growl of aggravation, I turned around to leave. But when I opened that door he spoke again. "Pleasure talking to you again, Captain." With that last taunt I slammed the door behind me and began heading back to my room.
I needed to blow off some steam...