//------------------------------//
// Torn apart 
// Story: Conversion 
// by CrutioAstarothChaos 
//------------------------------//

Shiftlight struggled against his bindings. Even though Buzzer kept asking him not to, he couldn’t help but fight the unpleasant sensation. He never before has failed so miserably, and he never before was tied up like this.
“I tell you; if you keep struggling, they will never trust us!” Lime said for the hundredth time.
“Harg, hrm, hgn!” Lancet replied, a rope constricting his jaws.
“That won’t really help either.”
“Maybe you can convince them to unbind us at least?” Zaffre asked, lying at Lime’s left side. “They seem to trust you enough to let you sit there without ropes!”
“I’ll try,” he replied, looking up at their captors.
Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack were all eyeing them with disgust written all over their faces. Twilight was in another room with Spike, writing a letter to Princess Celestia, and Pinkie Pie was with them; her voice, as she tried to explain everything to the lavender unicorn could be heard even from behind locked doors.
“Maybe you think you could –” Lime started, but Applejack cut her off.
“Nope,” Applejack replied firmly.
“Not even a bit?” Buzzer pouted.
“Well, we’re not being very nice to our prisoners, girls!” Rarity said. “They after all have showed no sign that they would try to escape; and they did ask politely!”
“I don’t trust them!” Rainbow replied, her gaze murderous enough to pin Buzzer to the wall.
Lime let out a sigh, and with a flash of his horn he burned away the ropes binding his brothers. Their guards almost jumped upon them, but surprisingly the three changelings were still doing nothing when the ropes were gone. Lancet and Zaffre were still lying on the ground, and Buzzer was still sitting with a reassuring smile.
“If we wanted to escape, there would be little chance that you could stop us,” Buzzer said. “We’re here, because we decided to be here. We’re waiting for a special somepony.”
“And who might this ‘special somepony’ be?” Twilight asked from the top of her stairs, accompanied by Pinkie and Spike. “A disguised changeling? Some ally from far beyond our borders, here to give you amnesty?”
At this second there was a knock on the door.
“This couldn’t be Princess Celestia; I just sent the letter for her!” Spike said shocked, running to the door to open it.
As the baby dragon threw the door open it revealed a tall blue figure standing in the doorway, accompanied by two grey coated royal guards in dark purple-blue armor.
“Princess Luna?” the ponies asked in shock, not noticing Buzzer standing up and walking to the princess.
The changeling bow down in front of the monarch of the moon, as she entered the library with her guards. Luna passed the bug, and walked up to Twilight.
“We request that thou give us a private space, and some time alone with thine prisoner,” Luna said in her old Canterlot manner.
“You mean this changeling?” Twilight asked, her mouth agape. “But why? I mean –”
“Twilight Sparkle, all will be clear once we have done our investigation,” Luna said, somewhat annoyed. “We ask of thee that thou cooperates with us in this matter, until we ourselves have completely understood the situation.”
“But… yes, your highness,” the unicorn replied defeated. “My private study room is at your disposal; it’s this way.”
“Follow us!” the moon princess growled at Lime.
Buzzer stood up and to the confusion of his brothers followed Luna without question or hesitation. Shiftlight and Thorax exchanged disturbed looks, as the princess and Lime disappeared behind a small wooden door.
Inside the study room, Luna used a spell to muffle every sound to the outside world, and draw the curtains on the windows. After she felt secure, she sat down behind the round table in the middle of the room, and motioned for Buzzer to do the same. After a minute of sitting silently, Luna took out a letter and began reading it.
“Your Majesty, Princess Luna,” the moon princess read out loud. “You may remember me as Lime Biscuit from Ponyville; we have met in the library, and you gave me an important task: to keep an eye out for any trouble caused by changelings. On that matter I have nothing noteworthy to report.”
“You also asked us to report any changelings we might encounter, and on that subject, with my deepest apologies, I have a confession I should’ve made a long time ago,” Luna lowered the letter and looked at Buzzer. “Because my brothers and I are changelings.”
The moon princess put the parchment gently on the table, staring at it with a weak smile, shaking her head slowly.
“We came here with our best intentions, to protect our subjects and we get fooled by the very creature we tried to find!” Luna said sadly. “We should’ve seen through thine disguise!”
“Princess?” Buzzer asked softly.
“What?!” She snapped. “Art thou trying to mock us? Or pity us? Wasn’t it enough that we were unable to find the right pony for the job, and trusted a changeling with the task of finding himself?”
“Princess!” Lime tried again with a little more force. “With all due respect, I think you made the right choice!”
“That’s nice, coming from a changeling!”
“Why?” Buzzer raised his voice in anger. “Aren’t we entitled to the right to say nice things? Changelings can only be cruel, right? We attacked Canterlot, because we were forced to! It was either obey, get killed or suffer fate much worse!”
“Because there is a fate worse than dying isn’t there?” Luna asked, trying to mock the changeling.
“Yes there is!” Buzzer yelled, rising up, losing his temper. “It is to be locked up with the part of my kind that is starving, and suffer a fate of becoming their next meal, or starve to the point where I must feed on others to survive!”
The last statement of the changeling shocked the princess, and Buzzer quickly noticed himself, and sat back on his haunches. Luna blushed, and with a weak cough she changed her tone.
“Thou said in thine letter that thou wishes to explain thine actions,” Luna said. “We think we are ready to hear thine story.”
“I’m sorry princess, and thank you,” Lime said. “Well, to be honest, our story begins back in Canterlot; we were part of the invasion force, tasked with flushing out ponies to the streets.”
“The three of us, my brothers and I, were tasked with searching the sewers for anypony who might’ve taken it to their heads to hide there. After an hour of searching we sensed the ground shake, and when we emerged to the surface, every last one of our kind were gone. Except for us.”
“They were banished from Canterlot by the combined power of Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amora Candenza.” Luna explained. “We don’t know what happened to them afterwards.”
“Well, after struggling for four days in the city without feeding, we decided not to go back to the hive,” Buzzer continued. “Because there is a huge chance that the hive is in a vicious turmoil right now, and if we were to return, we would be thrown onto the front line to become cannon fodder.”
“So thou hast decided to come here,” Luna concluded. “For how long?”
“We thought that a year would be enough for the hive to calm down.” Lime replied. “We created these aliases, and took up these jobs, where we can get love without forcing ourselves on anypony.”
“Thou still are criminals for what thou hast done back in Canterlot,” Luna pointed out.
“I know that, and I accept it. But tell me princess: have you chased any other changelings except us?”
“We can’t really say we have,” Luna confessed.
“Then the responsibility for my brothers’ fate falls on my shoulders,” Lime sighed. “It was my idea to stay away from the hive, to come to Ponyville and I suggested to my brothers to drop their disguise and help the village. Every decision we were supposed to make together I overruled, and now thanks to my efforts, they are in a situation that could very well mean their end.”
Luna leaned closer to the changeling, curious of what he was trying to say.
“I don’t care what you do to me.” Buzzer said. “Throw me to jail, put me on trial, put me in stocks for display, give me to the masses so they can lynch me, I deserve it. But spare my brothers, and let them go free.”
“And why should we?” the princess asked softly. “What could thou possibly offer us that would make us even consider such a deal?”
“I know everything about the hive,” Lime answered. “And by now I think it’s obvious that I wish to help my kind. Down to the very last grub we all were forced to invade Canterlot, and we came back from your city empty-hoofed. If you want to put someling on public trial, wouldn’t it be best for all if it would be the changeling queen?”
“Thou would be willing to betray thine queen?” Luna asked, not believing what she heard.
“I would be more than happy, if it would mean that someling gets a chance to help my hive! Since I was born I watched the hive degrade to a point where it became necessary to take action. My queen made a decision, which probably put the hive on the slippery road of self-destruction. What would you be willing to do, to stop your little ponies from tearing each other apart?”
“Answer us one last question,” Luna said “Why hast thou not come forward before?”
“You dwelled in my dreams, and made me fear your power. Still you ask?”
“We do, because we are unsure why thou decided to suddenly trust us.”
“I trust you, because when I followed my queen, I did it out of fear,” Lime explained. “And during this short time, while I didn’t have to extract every last drop of love from your subjects, I had the opportunity to watch them. To make plans of my own, to have fun, and feel… loved by some. Sure I wore a mask, but bad reputation has that curse; and I aim to help everyling I know, to have the same chance. Even if they have to wear a mask for the rest of their lives.”
“Thou has huge dreams,” Luna smiled weakly, standing up and heading for the door. “’Tis a shame we must crush them and take thou into custody.”
“So, do you accept the terms of my deal?”
“Should we?” She looked back over her shoulder with a grin. “Or should we expect a second invasion if we don’t?”
“That wasn’t funny,” Lime said, following the princess.
 
Twilight was confused. Or to be honest, she was more than that, but in her disturbed state ‘confused’ was the only word her dizzy mind could come up with. Did the princess just order her to release the changelings without so much as batting her eyelashes?
“Princess, I am very unsure this is a good idea!” Twilight exclaimed. “They are changelings after all!”
“Changelings, who, by thine very own confession, helped thou fight off the timberwolves?” Luna asked.
“Yes, but…”
“Changelings, from whom two have surrendered by their own free will, and the third got no chance to do such?” the princess continued.
“True, but still…”
“We trust them completely.” Luna stated.
“What?!” Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Applejack and Rarity asked all at once.
“Forgive me Princess, but, may I try a spell to check that you are not under changeling influence?” Twilight asked, unsure if she could push her luck.
“By all means, we ask of thee to do so!” the night’s ruler said with a smile.
“But Princess, if I may be so bold, aren’t they enemies of our state?” Rainbow Dash asked. “They attacked Canterlot, if I remember correctly!”
“Yes, we are aware of that,” Luna replied. She seemed to have anticipated this charade. “And this very changeling offered that he helps us track down the real culprit willingly!”
“You did what?” Lancet and Zaffre asked, both shocked. “Brother have you gone mad?”
“Really, you think that the way our hive lived before was such a good one?” Lime asked back. “Don’t you all see what we managed to do here? We were living with these ponies! Not exploiting them, not using them as a mean to an end, but actually befriend them, learn from them, and they showed on more than one occasion that they would be willing to help!”
“You became very sentimental!” Shiftlight growled.
“Tell me brother; did I not see you smile when we parted ways yesterday?” Buzzer asked.
“And you hugged me!” Zaffre added. “You from all of us!”
“We had the freedom of choosing in these past days!” Lime stepped closer, putting a hoof on Lancet’s shoulder. “Wasn’t it… unfamiliarly pleasant?”
Shiftlight stared at the ground. He found it hard to admit, but Lime was right; he felt relaxed. More relaxed than ever before. But to betray their queen for this? Betray everyling?
“I know what you think.” Thorax said. “But giving an opportunity like this to everyling?”
“The hive is wretched the way it is,” Lime added. “It is time we change something else, other than our appearances!”
“Then I wish you luck!” Lancet stood up, and hugged his small brother. “I hope you succeed!”
“Thank you brother!” Buzzer said, returning the hug. “And I hope you two enjoy your new free lives!”
“Just give us a howl, if you need us!” Zaffre said, following Lancet’s example, embracing Buzzer. “We’d be happy to lend you a hoof!”
“Before you go, I want to know who you were posing as!” Twilight asked. “Well, I guess we all do, except Pinkie, but would you mind showing us?”
“Well, I don’t,” Lime said, looking at his brother’s, both nodding. “All right then. Ladies, it’s been a pleasure; allow me to reintroduce you my brothers, Zaffre and Silver Lancet!”
The two changelings shifted to their disguises when they heard their names, and Lime did the same after they did.
“I’m looking forward meeting you in some more civilized manner!”
All the mares except Pinkie were standing there mouth agape. The pink mare walked up to Lime and hugged him tightly.
“Oh, this reminds me!” Buzzer said, when the mare let go. “Pinkie I want you to give the cupcake I left on the counter to Lyra for free. And give another one just like it, say it’s from me. I don’t think she’ll understand, but if she asks where I am, tell her I had an important business in Canterlot!”
“Oki-doki-loki!” Pinkie said in an unusually sad tone. “Just promise you will come back!”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly!” Lime said, waving a hoof to them as he and Luna left the library.
 
“We can’t promise anything good for thou during the court,” Luna said on her flying chariot. “But we promise we’ll try to put in a few good words.”
“There is no need, Princess,” Buzzer said, bound in shackles. “I’ll accept whatever punishment they might bestow upon me, if there is a chance it’ll help my hive.”
“Why art thou doing this?” the princess asked in a soft voice. “Thou had the choice to remain undetected, and continue to live like that. Why give it up?”
Buzzer looked at the sky, feeling the gentle breeze for a moment. He thought about it for a long moment, silently thinking what was the most accurate answer. Was it logical? Fruitful? It wasn’t even changeling-like to behave like this, then why?
“It just felt right.”