//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: "Intervention" // Story: Change-Ling Your Attitude // by Grazy Polomare //------------------------------// Life in the hive resumed its boring, day by day procedure. The air was just about as dry as one expected, and the stalactites continued to drip with the icky fluid from above. Workers were secreting new resin, towing large cauldrons without even making a pip. The sentries were stationed here and there. Their jobs were just as boring, their lives just as fair. And if you thought there were rhymes in this changeling hive, you will be surprised to know you are wrong. And the reason really is, that these changelings rarely sing songs. In a tiny, rundown chamber near the Main Corridor was a tiny office. Here and there, filing cabinets had been hastily stacked on top of each other, to form some sort of demented fortress. There was no desk, just a rotten bean bag bed and boulder. On the far end was a shelf that was sparse, its only books being Conspiracy Theories for Dummies, MonsterQuest: Humans by Lyra Heartstrings , and How to Track and Hunt the Ellusive Chupathingy by Grazing Plains It wasn't the most spectacular office, but it had a purpose. And that purpose's name was Reflect. The changeling in question had just landed in the entrance, a fungi milkshake tucked in his hooves as he trotted towards his bean bag, code named "Think Bag". It was a rather clever name, and one that Reflect congratulated himself on. Settling down in the cushiony surface, the changeling pulled out a brand new scroll, the ink still fresh. As it turned out, Operation: Just Desserts had been a total flop...or so they say. He was banned from ever entering within a hundred meters of the school, and for safe measure, restricted to 50 meters of space from any filly, colt, foal, and or anypony accompanied with a minor. Thankfully, his Queen had bailed him out again and he was allowed to return to the Hive, with the one condition he pay back the school with his own money. The cupcakes themselves, despite being given out for free, had cost him a hefty 200 bits! He would have to manage his savings carefully now, less he wanted to lose any more bits to the wretched education system. The scroll in his hooves was a summary of his sentence, although why the court felt the need to give it to him was anypony's guess. But in other news, he had learned Raindrops was being put on suspension for some incident involving her manager, although the exact reasoning behind this incident had not been discussed in the small circles he was able to infiltrate. Not that it mattered, considering the pegasus was going to anger management. "I'm just glad I'm not going to that joint," Reflect chuckled, "queers go to anger management. Queers lose their cool. But professionals have standards, and when we do things, we do them right!" Reflect crumpled the scroll into a trash ball, tossing it off the rubbery resin of his chamber before it bounced back on his eyeball. "OUCH!" Reflect growled, "Stupid scroll." He flung the trash ball back at the opposite side of the wall, where it rebounded off the wall and on his snout. "OUCH!" Reflect rubbed his snout, "Stupid scroll!" Once again, he threw the trash ball like a pitcher trying to kill the batter, only for it once again to rebound and hit him in the eye, then rebound off the floor and into his snout. "AAAAGGGGHHHHH!!" Reflect raised the trash ball, a wild look in his icy blue eyes. Aiming towards the entrance, he was just about to let the revolting trash ball fly when he saw a jet-black drone standing in the front. "Reflect?" the drone called out anxiously. The changeling froze, the trash ball still in his hooves. Carefully tossing it on his desk, Reflect gave a quick salute. "Yes," he answered, "Reflect, General of Intelligence." "Errr...Compound," the drone saluted, "I'm here to tell you about...well...you know?" The changeling was beginning to sweat, and his eyes were constantly shifting to other parts of the room. Reflect titled his head in confusion. "I know what? Speak up queer!" The drone just rolled his eyes. "The Queen has requested your presence-" "AHHAAAAAA!" Reflect jubilantly pumped his hoof in the air. "I knew she'd re-consider!" Without saying another word, the general happily followed his subordinate down the sleek black corridor. Reflect would have brought some more intel, but he figured he wouldn't alarm his Queen with a ton of paperwork. It was about time Chrysalis took notice of his achievements. Perhaps she too had seen the signs. Mind control was a big problem and one that Reflect was working on rectifying. It wouldn't be the first time he'd save his hive either. He was right about Carbon being power-hungry. He was right about Double being a nut. He was right about Aurora being a bigger nut. He was close to proving General Switcher as a backstabber...although somehow his Queen had dismissed him to conduct stupid reports in Froggy Bottom Bog. What this hive would do without me. Reflect smiled. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Just right there," the drone indicated with a tentative hoof. Reflect was in Hive H, this chamber being one of the cocoon recovery rooms. Although why his Queen wanted to meet him here was anypony's guess. Reflect just assumed she wanted to meet in secret. Taking in a deep breath, Reflect put on his sternest gaze, puffed up his chest, and trotted in. "Hello Your...what is this?" The chamber had been converted to a living room, with boulders moved over to form some sort of circle. Around it, sat several changelings. Queen Chrysalis sat in the front, with a beige-colored stallion at her right. On her left, sat his two old friends, Zeth and Vapor. And at the very end was Morpheus, who was "twiddling" with his hooves. "ZETH!" Reflect held his hooves out, "VAPOR! What brings you two queers here?" Oddly enough, Zeth didn't seem to acknowledge Reflect's presence, only managing a wave. Vapor at least gave him a meek smile, although that was about as far as he was able to get. "Hey Reflect," Zeth replied timidly. "What's going on?" Reflect guffawed, "you guys look like you're in a trial? What happened? Somepony get arrested? Oh you guys missed it! There was this crazy mare the other day by the name of Raindrops who-" "Reflect," his Queen spoke out in a deafening tone. The changeling remained silent, a frown now plastered over his smirk. The beige pony on her right gave a slight cough, which rustled his bushy brown mustache. Interestingly enough, the pony in question seemed to be bald at the top, his mane receding to the bottom. Reflect noticed these things, and suspected mane gel was the primary cause. "Why the sudden get together?" Reflect motioned to all the changelings around. "Morpheus looks like he's ready to wet himself. Zeth and Vapor here-" "Reflect this is an intervention," the Queen sighed. There was no explosive outburst or any form of yelling. Instead, Reflect just tilted his head in confusion. "Excuse me? What did you say?" "What your Queen is trying to say Reflect," the beige pony got up, "is that this is an in-ter-vent-ion!" "I heard her the first time ****!" Reflect shouted, causing everyone to gasp. "What I want to know is what...the buck...IS GOING ON?!" "Reflect," his Queen began irritably, "just-just sit down okay?" "This is a circle of trust," the pony tried to spread his hooves to encompass the entire room. "You're surrounded by friends and family here." "I don't even know you!" Reflect pointed his hoof accusingly at the beige pony. "Forgive me," the beige earth pony stood up, putting up a friendly hoof. "My name is Doctor Chocolate Filling, but please...call me Dr. Fill." Reflect ignored the outstretched hoof, his eyes riveted to his mother and Queen. "Why is Dr. Queer and the rest of you throwing me an intervention?" "Reflect your behavior is hurting every-" Morpheus began, before Zeth muffled the changeling with his own hole-covered hoof. "What Morpheus is trying to say," the Queen explained, "is that we all feel that your behavior has not only been unproductive to Ponyville...but to the swarm as a whole." "I don't get it," Reflect spat back, "I was just doing my job-" "You broke into a school," Chrysalis interjected, "and literally incinerated all the cupcakes to a crisp. You consider that a job?" "They were laced with mind control!" Reflect defended. The changeling queen merely facehoofed herself once more. She had hoped Dr. Fill would actually be of some use in this intervention, but so far, it seemed she was doing most of the talking. As for Reflect, well, at least he wasn't tearing the doctor to shreds. "Reflect," she said smoothly, "me and the council have met..." "And?" Reflect tilted his head. "And," his Queen continued, "We've felt that you need to go to anger management." "WHAT!" Reflect slammed his hoof on a boulder, which was pulverized into tiny pebbles. "ANGER MANAGEMENT! I CAN CONTROL MY ANGER JUST FINE!" "No you can't," his Queen hissed, "you're clearly unstable, you have extreme paranoia, and you're a grouchy groundhog almost every single day of the month!" The changeling was silent, as if actually contemplating those words. Vapor and Zeth both just sat there, awkwardly trying to give their best smiles. It was if they were trying to reassure their comrade that there was nothing bad with anger management, which there was. Zeth had finally decided to take his hoof out of Morpheus' mouth, the commander gagging a bit, but otherwise healthy and not choking on his own saliva. "Why am I even here?" Reflect yelled back. "I don't have a problem! In fact I feel that you should all know that...MORPHEUS HERE HAS A DRINKING PROBLEM!" "WHAT!" Morpheus jumped out of his seat as fast as a rocket. "THAT'S A STINKIN' LIE!" "No it's not," Reflect retorted, "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I BEEN FORCED TO DRAG YOUR LAZY ARSE OUT OF THE PUB?" "Oh and thanks for leaving me at the police station," Morpheus spat back. "I had to pay a fine for that!" It was true that at the station, Morpheus himself was fined 50 bits for drinking. Thankfully, the commander had somehow passed out before he could spend all his extra bits. "You're welcome!" Reflect hissed, "and I'd do it again too!" "You suck!" "YOU SUCK!" "BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" The Queen's voice boomed like a concert stage mike. Although it managed to silence both parties into submission, they still gave each other dirty glances as the Queen spoke. "Reflect, Morpheus may have his own problem, but you on the other hoof are causing a lot more trouble then he is-" "With all due respect," Reflect pointed at Morpheus, "I don't see why Morpheus here can get away with everything under Celestia's Sun while I make one mistake and get criticized for it!" "I understand your grief Drone 754," the Queen was really trying to say it in the sweetest voice she could manage. She would never be doing another intervention again after this. In fact, she preferred her way of just stating the facts and sending the drone on his way. Interventions were just an emotional whirlpool that complicated matters rather then simplified them. "Do you?" Reflect finally took a seat, burying his head in his hooves. "I-I just can't believe this resin-secreted trash. I mean...really?" "Reflect it's for the best," Dr. Fill began before Reflect cut him off with a threatening hiss and flutter of his wings. Normally, most ponies accepted interventions without causing this much of a fit. But Dr. Fill was not among ponies. Changelings were clearly more emotional in some aspects. "Reflect?" Zeth began cautiously, "Reflect do you wanna at least discuss this?" "No." Reflect answered bluntly. "No I don't." Chrysalis was on the verge of going insane at this point. She knew it was illegal to kidnap ponies and put them into cocoons, but she couldn't resist the urge to stuff Dr. Fill in one and just say he got lost in the desert. After all, how bad would it be to have a changeling psychiatrist in the hive? "Well Reflect you have no choice," the Queen rose from her boulder, already moving towards the entrance. "You start your first seminar in the Ponyville Town Hall the day after tomorrow just after breakfast." The general looked up to give his Queen one more look of loathing before getting up himself. "Fine. I'll go." "Good-" "BUT I JUST WANT EVERYONE HERE TO KNOW," Reflect bellowed, "THAT WHEN I'M GONE, WHO IS GOING TO BE MONITORING YOUR MEETINGS? WHO IS GOING TO BE THERE TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE SAFE? NO ONE. THAT'S WHO! AND NOT WHO THE CHANGELING! THAT GUY SUCKS!" The group slowly trickled out of the corridor, with Vapor and Zeth escorting Reflect in the front. Queen Chrysalis motioned for Morpheus to walk by her side, Dr. Fill tagging behind. "Morpheus," she whispered, "I just want to let you know that you'll be hearing from me soon about your...libations issue." "Oh no Queen," Morpheus chuckled, "Reflect was just-" "I have the police report," Chrysalis sneered, "and the tapes from that karaoke club." Morpheus wasn't a changeling who wished harm to befall on others. But if Reflect could have decimated anything in that room, he deeply wished he had pulverized the smug look on his Queen's face. Thanks a lot for nothing jerk! "Umm Chrysalis?" Dr. Fill began sheepishly, "Where's the exit?" The Queen turned towards the rather short earth pony, her face filled with concern. "Did no one tell you? You're not leaving doctor." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I just find it aggravating you know?" Ponyville Cinema was a rather quaint theater with around 8 rows of nice, comfy, cushion-like seats. There was even a little popcorn stand where one could buy freshly roasted pecans and soda for reasonable prices. Despite all the public places he had been banned from, this was one of the few places Reflect actually tried to be on good terms with. For him, the movies were a great escape from the mundane routine that his life had become. With Morpheus currently occupied, Zeth and Vapor had managed to convince Reflect to spend a night out before he had to attend this anger management seminar. And this being one of the few places he was still allowed into, they decided that a movie didn't hurt anyone. "You know Reflect," Zeth happily munched on another kernel, "it might not be that bad!" "Yeah," Vapor added, "I mean, you'll meet new ponies, and get to know the town and stuff." "I already know all there is to know about the town." Reflect stated blankly. Indeed, he had tried to wire Ponyville, but the janitors were thorough and 90% of his equipment had been lost. But that was only 90%. The theater itself was decently crowded. The lilac coated unicorn that Reflect had to come to know as Sea Swirl was sitting two seats to the right from him, while Shoeshine was sitting one row up. Also, to no pony's concern, Cheerilee was also sitting in the theater next to a couple composed of a bright, sea green unicorn and a beige earth pony with a pigment blue mane and rose-colored streak. In fact, the two seemed to be so close to each other that the three changelings began to snicker. "Are you two dating?" Zeth chuckled at the duo. The pair gave him a scathing look before turning back to the screen. "I'd say they were," a sly voice whispered. Reflect turned to see Sea Swirl moving up to the trio, her eyes wide with excitement. "I would know!" "Okay..." Reflect scooted just a little farther to the left. "So are you three like...brothers or something?" "Technically yes," Vapor nodded, "we're all from the same mother see-" "You know," Sea Swirl began, "I saw the documentary that Raindrops made. I have to say I'm impressed." Reflect simply grumbled in his own seat. Ever since his Queen had announced that ponies would be visiting the hive, he had gotten a bad feeling about it. But no one bothered to take his opinion into consideration, and sure enough disaster followed their arrival. Although the film crew did try to clean up after themselves, much to the Queen's delight, Reflect still didn't like that documentary crew. The fact that their hive was now public knowledge only made him squirm in his seat. "Have you ever been bowling?" Sea Swirl asked. "Have you ever not talked to a stranger before?" Reflect scolded. "Lady, you barely know us-" "Oh come on Reflect," Zeth patted his brother on the carapace, "you need to chill down a bit." "Yeah," Sea Swirl agreed, "I thought changelings were supposed to be adorable and stuff." "Who planted that in your mind?" Reflect cringed. "Do you even know how stupid that sounds? Next thing you're gonna tell me is that there is a bunch of art out there depicting these cute wittle changelings with their innocent flanks up in the air, making friends with ponies?" "Not to mention how bad an image that gives the rest of us," Vapor expressed in a matter-of-factly voice. "Or the fact that almost no changeling would let you cuddle them," Zeth added. "It's just bad taste." "Yeah," Reflect concluded, "Sea Swirl. You show me one piece of art that has a changeling looking all cute with a pony and I'll buy you the next round of popcorn when we meet in the theater-" "Or bowling alley?" Sea Swirl interjected enthusiastically. "Not the bowling alley," Reflect sighed, "Just stop it with the bowling alley-" "Shhh!" Zeth motioned to the screen, "it's starting!" The entire audience grew silent as the light faded into darkness, the screen now being the only source of illumination as the daily ads popped up. Nothing special yet, just Gecko Insurance, some hat store called Mann Co., String Shop, and well...some spa treatment center that actually looked interesting. After the ads rolled in, the real action came with the latest blockbuster hits. Reflect was practically holding on to his seat, turning to his left and right to see both changelings on either side just as captivated. Currently it was just a filly dragging herself along a rather dismal background. Not that he particularly cared about this latest preview but...OH MY SWEET CHRYSALIS ON A SUNDAY IT'S AN EXPLOSION! The mere awesomeness he was seeing right now made him grip his seat. The narrator's voice was already pumped up for the movie, and he even promised action too! Movies were the one thing Reflect accepted without doubt because...the way he saw it...they were already being presented as given lies anyhow. But the better the lie, the more enjoyable the film. And besides...who didn't like explosions? "I bucking love this guy!" Zeth hissed into Reflect's ear. The changeling nodded energetically, his guts turning inside and out as the camera panned to show the red hooves of...an ALICORN! Reflect didn't even know they had the special effects for that kind of stunt! "Holy Hive!" Reflect jolted back in his seat, "Bucking Alicorn? And he's even saying the gum line!" This just kept getting better and better. Right now, the alicorn had just finished bucking that annoying filly off the camera, and he was now raising some sort of spaghetti gun at an unseen foe. All three changelings were gripped into the narrative until Donut Steal fired the steaming-hot pasta...on a group of cardboard cut-out changelings. It was like a shot to his chest. All three changelings just stood there, unable to comprehend what they were seeing. It wasn't that they felt particularly offended...well...maybe a just a bit. Okay. maybe a lot. Vapor was the first to murmur his disapproval. "That's depressing." Reflect felt like that searing hot pasta was in his own stomach, making his blood boil as he started to strangle the sides of his seat. He couldn't hold it down, the rising inferno burning his throat, begging to get out and splatter whatever obscenities he had in store for them. This was more then an outrage. This was rustling his jimmies to the point where he was feeling his own stomach heat up under the friction. The movie now was just another testament to his failure. Another irritating trifle in his carapace. Another Morpheus getting drunk on his night out! Before any of his friends could stop him, Reflect leaped out of his seat, his hoof pointed accusingly at the screen. "WHO IN THEIR FLYING FEATHERED MIND THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNNY!? WHO?! AND I KNOW IT ISN'T WHO THE CHANGELING!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apparently, three changelings could indeed get kicked out of a theater for cursing out loud, despite the movie being rated for adult audiences. Not that Reflect particularly cared, for whatever love he still had for movies was lost in that one preview. "That was an outrage! Queers run the movie industry now! I can't believe it," Reflect glared at the ground, as if it had something to do with that pathetic excuse of a film. "I almost wanted to watch it too." "Reflect, it was just a movie," Zeth argued, "you can't just lose your temper to a preview." "What movie were we going to watch anyhow?" Vapor asked. "I forgot," Reflect muttered, "I'm pissed now. And then I have to attend that stupid anger management-" "Reflect," Zeth held his friend with two hooves, locking eyes with the intelligence general. "Calm down okay? This is why the Queen wants you to take a trip to anger management. You need it." But the intelligence general simply shoved past his friend, trotting down the empty, lonely street to probably spend the night in his surveillance shrub. As his two hive mates looked on, they couldn't help but a feel a tinge of regret for their friend's predicament. They knew Reflect was a hard egg to crack. But they had also seen Iron Will's seminar in Manehattan. If this minotaur could do the trick, then perhaps Reflect might change his attitude after all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Give me another one," Morpheus was chugging cider like a calf chugging milk. The bar-tender, a blue colt with a cider mug as a cutie mark, only gave one concerned glance at the jet-black equine before sliding another foaming mug into his outstretched hoof. As it turned out, his Queen might be sending him him to some little workshop called EA, Equines Anonymous. This could be his last night. If he did go, his Queen would be keeping tabs with the counselor to make sure Morpheus' alcohol levels were still relatively low. The commander continued to gulp down the foamy beverage before settling it down with a resounding thump. Then, he stumbled to his hooves, raising the mug up in the air. "Here's to Reflect Fury! Go burn in Tartarus you prancing show pony!" And with that he collapsed on the stool, snoring like a babe.