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// Chapter 28: Well, Fudge or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Princess 
// Story: There's a Changeling On My Couch, and Other "Tails" From the Far North 
// by Super Trampoline 
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	Ereton Parallax was quite surprised to learn that the music was not the Death Metal Screamo Dubstep Hardstyle Noisecore Thrashing she expected but instead something closer to an elegant waltz.
        “Hello my little changeling,” Princess Celestia said cheerfully. “Care to join me for tea?”
        This was not the greeting the changeling expected. At all. “uhhhh- buh-buh uhh? Wuh?” She tilted her head and scrunched her face quizzically . “You… aren’t going to… you know, sm-smite me?”
        “And why, dearest Ereton, would I do that?” Celestia asked, motioning with her head for Ereton to walk back with her to the dark living room. As they did, and Flashpan was preparing tea, Celestia lit the gas lamps with a flick of her magic.
        Ereton was flummoxed. “Becaaaauuse… I’m a changeling? Who’s evil?”
Celestia giggled. Awfully informal Ereton thought. “Ereton, If I freaked out over one little well-behaved changeling, I would have died of a heart attack centuries ago from much more freak-out-worthy causes.”
        Ereton hadn’t really thought about that. “Oh. I… I guess that makes sense. Being a princess must take a lot of patience.”
        “Yes it does. But I imagine so does being a changeling,” the alicorn replied.
        “What do you mean?”
        “Well, it must be hard to never be yourself, always pretending to be somepony else. So repressive.”
        “Meh (did I really just say ‘meh’ to the princess?), us changelings consider it part of our job. What someling else might consider restrictive we just consider a job description. Besides, if you a re a –ahem– low level infiltrator like I, you don’t have to take up specific personas. You can be whomever you like. So in a way it’s liberating. I really do like vanilla fudge.”
        “Oh?” the off-white alicorn raised an eyebrow.
        Flashpan came in with the piping-hot tea to answer her unasked question. “That probably doesn’t make much sense out of context. Ereton lived as a pegasus named Vanilla Fudge, who unsuprisingly loved vanilla fudge. She was one of the city’s two producers of candies and sweets. However, she now is sort-of-not-really in hiding since the incident six weeks ago.
        “Thanks Sweetie,” Ereton said. “It’s true! I do love fudge. But now that I’m not running my stand anymore, Double Bubble is edging in on my territory! Princess,” -the changeling looked up at her with big beady eyes as they sat on the couch sipping the caffinated beverage- “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I want to get back to selling and making fudge, but I’m scared now. Help me princess.”
        Celestia was touched. Here was a mare of a different species almost universally despised by her little ponies, and she was putting  her full faith, trust, and hope in their leader, herself. She pondered the situation for a minute, holding her nearly empty tea cup near her lips with her magic. Then she set it down and smiled.
        “Guards! Come inside please!” She shouted. Then realized it was four in the morning. “Oopsies,” she blushed.
        Said white pegasi appeared inside momentarily and saluted. “Yes, your highness?”
        “I have a new mission for you. See to it that this changeling, Ereton Parallax, also known as the pegasus Vanilla Fudge,  may make and sell her fudge unharassed. And that she doesn’t suck the love-life out of anypony.” Looking over at Flashpan who was sitting across from them she added with a wink, “Unless it is consensual.” Flashpan blushed. Turning back to the guards, Celestia concluded “Do you understand your mission sirs?”
The Royal Guards replied in unison “Ma’am yes ma’am!”
 She then turned to face Ereton who was trying and failing to hide her building excitement. “And as for you, Ereton, I expect a fifty pound shipment of fudge to arrive in Canterlot within the next sixty days. Luna and I need a new dessert after having been banned from every cake store in the kingdom. Do I make myself clear?”
Ereton burst into high pitched squeaks. “OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!!! YOU WANT ME TO BE THE ROYAL FUDGER? TO SERVE THE PRINCESS? SQUEEEEEE!” Forgetting all sense of decorum she jumped up and squeezed the princess in as much of a bear hug as she could muster. The guards moved to intervene, but the princess gave them a look that said “stand down, I got this.”
Ereton released her captive, and looked up, cerulean tears spilling from her compound eyes. “You don’t know how much this means to me. I can taste your love, your understanding, your acceptance. It feels wonderful. I…” She grimaced as her voice suddenly took a darker tone upon the arrival of a new thought. “How can you be so noble and wise, and yet let your subjects treat me so poorly?” she pleaded.
Celestia sighed a world-weary sigh. “Ereton, I have been a ruler for over a thousand years. As I told you earlier, there are so, so many bigger problems for me to worry about, like running a country. And as great of heights as our kind has accended to, at the end of the day I still rule over an often petty, herd-minded populace. I love and cherish each of them deeply, but to be frank (No offense Flashpan), ponies can be stupid. So I implore you to be patient, and to try to set an example both changelings and ponies can look up to. And send me fudge.”
Ereton couldn’t help but wonder at the grace, poise, and political tact and gentle decorum of the ruler sharing a couch with her. She felt determined. “I understand Princess. I shall be an inspiration to all who are different and oppressed. And I shall make you delicious fudge.”
Celestia nodded. “That is all I ask of you, my little changeling.”  She got up and motioned for the guards to step forward. “Allow me to introduce to you your escorts, Sweet Pea and Merry Weather Jr.” The two in turn stepped forward and shook hooves with Ereton and Flashpan. They seemed friendly enough, for the wee hours of the night at least. “In my absence they are authorized to use whatever means necessary to protect you and your fudge.”
She really likes her fudge Ereton thought.
“I really would love to stay and chat,” she continued, “but have several very important meetings scheduled for tomorr- today technically, and I’d like to get a little  sleep before I meet with the mayor pro tem at 11 . But I’m very glad we got to have this little talk. Sorry it had to be so secretive. But I assure you that I will see to you not being harassed anymore Ereton. And with that I take leave.” She turned to head out the door.
“Wait!” exclaimed Flashpan who had been quiet up until now. “Princess, if you knew about Ereton and what almost happened to her, why did you wait until now to show up?”
Celestia blushed. “Well… truth be told, when I first read about this in the paper, I didn’t believe it. A non-aggressive changeling in an outlying colony? An angry lynch mob? A heroic speech and rescue? I thought it was just tabloid hyperbole to be honest. I had to wait until the second round of news came back from here to affirm the veracity of the story. Unfortunately as I am sure you are well aware the ley line makes travel and communication to and from here very difficult. Even a being as powerful as I can’t just teleport through that level of magical disruption. So I don’t take the three day trip here lightly. I apologize for my doubt, and hope you understand.”
“I do Celestia. Thank you so much. Hopefully we’ll see you again before you leave Sparkler?”
“But of course my little pony,” she replied. “I wish you both the best of luck. Farewell, and may my blessing of peace be upon you. Huzzah!”
A flash of light, and she was gone.