"So, how sure are we that this 'Cricket' character is a changeling?"
As Princess Cadance and her husband, Prince Regent Shining Armor, enjoyed the carriage ride to the hospital (the carriage wasn't really necessary, but since it was only a day after Sombra's defeat, the Crystal Ponies were desperate to give their new ruler the 'royal' treatment as gratitude. Hopefully, the new would wear off soon, and they'd start treating her a little more like a normal pony...), Cadance smiled, then said, "Well, we'll have to actually meet him before we can make a decision, one way or the other. However, there's a great deal of evidence in favor of that conclusion."
Shiny nodded, then said, "Right. Let's go over all of that one more time. I want to make sure I have it all straight."
Cadance chuckled, then said, "Much of it is circumstantial: he arrived in the Crystal Empire at the same time it returned, which was the same day of the failed invasion. His injuries are consistent with having collided with a building at incredibly high speeds. Moreover, what information he'd given regarding his past is spotty, and some of it is inconsistent. Not surprising, given the amount of medication he's currently on: even an expert dissembler would have trouble keeping their facts straight in those conditions. In addition, there's a sizable lump of information from Ling. Remember her?"
The knight chuckled, and nodded. Ling was hard to forget: Up until he had met that dear little lady, he'd been prepared to write off the entire changeling race as irredeemable. There were still elements that were, in fact, rotten to the core, but that little changeling, with a hug, a stick of chalk, and a blackboard, had helped change his mind.
The little lost changeling had no useful knowledge regarding anything that might be considered of a military advantage, but she had obtained a complex understanding of the social structure of the entire hive. Inside of that adorable little package was a mind as sharp as a razor, and since she couldn't speak, she watched, and she listened, to everything going on around her. And she was, in spite of her disabilities, more than willing to gossip.
"Well," Cadance continued, smiling at the memory, "In addition to having given us a veritable who's who in the aristocracy of the changeling swarm, she was able to give us a list of notable's within the commoner caste as well. And do you know what the name came at the very top of the list?"
Shiny grinned, and asked, "Cricket?"
Nodding a little more seriously, Cadance said, "Commander Mole "Seven Tricks" Cricket. Seven Tricks, I understand, is due to his exceptional physical prowess in seven different areas. Now, this is from a little lady who may have a serious crush on him, so I can't guarantee just how much of what she relayed is accurate, but if even half of it is true, then before he was promoted to commander, he had a service record that would be impressive on a twenty year veteran."
Shining Armor raised an eyebrow at that: one of the things that had shocked Shiny was how early changelings started inducting their young into the military. That meant that Cricket had an earlier start, of course, but the idea of a fifteen-year old being THAT good was worrying. Imagine what he might do when he reaches adulthood...
Cadance continued, her expression a little sad, "However, that stopped three years ago, when he became commander. It had been a lifelong dream of his to reach that rank, but when he got there, he was in for a terrible disappointment. Before the current queen, that rank was one to be proud of: it meant that you were a personal adviser to the queen herself, and had a direct hoof in running the hive, regardless of your birth. However, the current queen uses the role of commander as a scapegoat to cover up her own failures. The commander has no actual power over the running of the swarm, but when the queen fails, it's his fault."
"Ouch," the knight said, wincing in sympathy. That couldn't have been fun to learn. "And given that the recent invasion was a complete and utter failure..."
"If he returns to the swarm," Cadance said, nodding sadly, "He'll be given a severe punishment that he did nothing to deserve."
That was a large part of why Shiny felt nothing but sympathy for the common changeling: lead by an incompetent monarch and a group of greedy aristocrats far more interested in maintaining the status quo than in improving the lot of the average changeling, the only reason why the commoners had not yet revolted was simply due to the fact that they didn't actually realize just how bad things were for them, compared to the rest of the world...
"Which is why the plan, right now," Shiny asked, a wry grin on his face, "Is to offer him political asylum?"
"Exactly."
---------------------
Once the carriage let them off at the hospital, Cadance and Shining Armor entered and approached the front desk. The building was... rustic. It had apparently been top of the line a thousand years ago, but... well, that was a thousand years ago. Enough said. One of the first orders of business in the days to come was to get the Crystal Empire caught up with the rest of Equestria...
After the initial bowing, cheering, pledges of eternal loyalty and gratitude, Cadance asked the nurse at the front desk where 'Cricket' might be located. The nurse, an admittedly attractive brunette with a tan coat, answered, "Room 27, it's up three flights of stairs, at the end of the hall on your right, your highness."
"Thank you," the princess said, then asked, almost as an afterthought, "Ah, and I understand that there's a number of youngsters staying here. I'll need to have a word with them as well. Where might they be?"
The nurse giggled, and said, "Room 27, your highness. The children have grown rather attached to Mister Cricket. They won't hear a word about being put anyplace else, even if it means they have to camp out on the floor."
Well, that was surprising...
Shining Armor asked, "And, ah, how is Cricket doing?"
"Well," the nurse admitted, "He could be better. He was mending quite nicely, up until yesterday."
Cadance, an eyebrow raised, asked, "What happened yesterday?"
The nurse chuckled, then, looking a little ashamed, said, "I really shouldn't laugh, but it is kind of funny. You see, he saw the king outside the window yesterday, just before his defeat, and after hearing all about what those kids had gone through, Mister Cricket got so angry that he forced himself out of bed, in spite of all of his injuries. He started making his way for the window, yelling something about pounding the fiend into the ground, head first. The children had to restrain him, as he was prepared to launch himself right out the window, in spite of the fact that he's in no shape to fly. Of course, the whole thing made his injuries worse, and pushed his recovery back at least another three weeks."
No, THAT was surprising. But in his place, Shining Armor might well have done something similar...
The nurse finished, saying, "He's resting comfortably now, and about this time, he should probably be reading to the children."
The two nodded, then went upstairs...
------------------
Once up the on the third floor, the princess and her husband could clearly hear someone enthusiastically telling a story...
"...And so, after a long and perilous journey, brave Sir Sterling Silver confronted the villainous salamander, Piras, in it's lair. The dreaded beastlord bared its fangs, and roared it's fiery fury..."
What followed next was a roar of such terrible fury that Shining Armor had to check himself before he dove for cover. In spite of knowing that it was just an imitation, it was a perfect match to the real thing. It was not a sound you forgot, and during his service in the guard, he'd heard that kind of roar more times than he'd like to remember.
Cadance, on the other hoof, seemed unaffected, and in fact giggled. "No wonder he's so popular," she said, smiling wide. "It's hard to find a foalsitter who's willing to do the voices when they're reading a bedtime story."
Shining Armor saw a young minotaur poke it's head out the doorway, then pop back into the room. He was certain that he heard a child's voice say, "Incoming..."
"But the gallant knight was not deterred. The knight called out a challenge," the storyteller continued, then briefly slipped into a voice that sounded suspiciously like Shining Armor's, saying, "Have at thee, foul beast!" Returning to his normal tone, he said, "He drew forth his mighty weapon, and with a courageous charge, he struck down the villainous viper with a brutal blow from his legendary lance." There was an assortment of yays from inside the room.
As Shining Armor and Princess Cadance entered the room, they saw a group of over twenty children, of various ages and species, gathered around a pegasus with a brown coat, and a black mane and tail, reclining in a hospital bed, both back legs, and one foreleg, in casts, and his body covered in bandages. The pegasus turned his head to see the visitors. Shining Armor was shocked by his youth. Being told that the changeling was ten years his junior was one thing: seeing it for himself was quite another. If his appearance now in anyway mirrored his actual appearance, he was still years away from his full growth. He'd have an impressive build in a few years...
A cute little griffin with snow white fur and feathers, and startling blue eyes, nudged the pegasus gently, and said, "Finish the story, Cricket!" The cry was echoed by the other children.
Cricket blushed, then turned back to the book, saying, "And so, our hero, after having rescued his fair bride, Princess Radiant Prism, the two returned home to their kingdom. Secure in the knowledge that he had, once and for all, saved his peaceful homeland from the depredations of the terrible fiend, and those that served the dread beast, the knight hung up his helm and armor, and retired. And they all lived happily ever after. The end."
There was a thunderous applause, as the children expressed their delight at a story well told. Cricket blushed slightly, smiled at the assembled youngsters, then closed the book. He turned towards the two visitors and said, "Sorry. They get a little upset if I don't finish the story."
"That's quite alright," Cadance said, a smile on her face. "I understand completely. And as one foalsitter to another, I have to say, you're an excellent storyteller." Cadance giggled as the compliment caused the changeling to blush. Her expression still quite pleasant, the princess said, "Mister Cricket, it is a pleasure to meet you: I've heard a great deal about you, and I find that you more than live up to the descriptions I've been given of you. I am princess Cadance, and this is my husband, Shining Armor. I need to have a talk with your young wards. My husband, on the other hoof, needs to have a word with you in private. Do you mind if I take them off your hooves while the two of you chat?"
Cricket smiled, possibly in spite of himself, then shook his head, saying, "I don't mind, your highness. Just keep a close eye on them: if you don't, they'll get into all kinds of mischief."
The princess giggled, as did the assembled youngsters, and after a minute or two, it was just the changeling and the knight...
------------------------
Mole Cricket looked up at the knight, and knew that he could very well be facing his own destruction. He sighed, then decided to just dispense with subterfuge. If he was serious about becoming a knight, then he'd have to start acting like one.
Steeling himself, the changeling asked, "How much do you know?"
The knight seemed stunned by the directness of the question, then nodded, and answered, "Enough to suspect you're a changeling. Given the circumstances, you did a pretty good job of keeping it under wraps, but nopony's perfect. Or is it 'nobuggy'?"
With a wry chuckle, Cricket said, "It's nobuggy." He dropped the disguise, and asked, "So, how is this going down?"
The knight's eyes widened, then, after a moment, said, "Well, right now, I thought we'd just talk. According to the doctors, you're not going to be getting out of that bed for a few weeks, and after that, there will be a lot of physical therapy before you'll be back on your own four hooves again. That means you've got plenty of time to decide what you want to do with yourself after."
Laying back, the changeling asked, "After. Right. Well, regarding that, I have an idea, but before I start making any plans, I need to ask you a very serious question."
Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, then said, "Oh? Well, fire away."
Staring up at the ceiling, Cricket asked, "What, asides from a miracle, would need to happen if I wanted to become a knight?"
-------------------------
This changeling was full of surprises. Shining Armor had expected a game of subterfuge and veiled questions with double meanings: a verbal game of cat and mouse, more or less, before reaching this point. Instead... Cricket was being almost brually direct. And that last question had nearly floored the knight...
...Yet at the same time, it was a perfect opportunity. Celestia had disclosed plans she'd formed, after meeting Ling and getting a lowdown on the inner workings of the swarm, about how it might be possible to 'steal' the commoner caste away from the queen and the aristocrats. A major portion of that plan required a sort of 'role model', an example that could be used to prove that in Equestria, a changeling would have the opportunity to become a productive citizen, and a valued member of society. Ling, as adorable as she was, would be a long-term project as this 'role-model'. Cricket, on the other hoof, was already well-respected among the commoner caste. If he became the 'role-model', it might be possible to execute those plans within a couple of years. It was still a long-term goal, but it cut the time it would take for things to come to fruition down by at least a decade...
Raising an eyebrow, Shining Armor asked, "A knight, huh? Well, I won't say it's impossible. There are a few requirements to becoming a full-fledged knight. Ah, mind if I sit?"
The changeling gestured with his free hoof to a nearby chair, and said, "Feel free."
Shining Armor pulled the chair over, and sat. "Well," he continued, "Knighthood like you'll find in those storybooks has changed a bit since those stories were written. In those days, a knight was typically just a noblecolt who rode out on the orders of their ruler to go and solve problems, or lead armies in battle. Now, while these days, a pony might get knighted just for having performed a great service to the throne, that's an honorary title: it usually doesn't grant any sort of rank, or any of the responsibilities, that you're probably thinking of." Clearing his throat, the knight made a dismissive gesture, and said, "Those aren't what you're looking for, I think." The changeling nodded.
"Right. Now, there are multiple orders of knighthood throughout Equestria, and the rest of the world, but most of the modern orders have the same basic requirements. First, they require endorsement: somepony who is already a knight, or is well respected by one of those orders, has to recommend you. Once that happens, you're considered a 'squire', essentially a knight in training. Depending upon which order you are in, you might end up being a squire for several years before you move to the next step, but a lot of that will depend upon what kind of test they have for moving up to the next rank, and how many candidates they allow to move up each year. Do you follow me so far?"
Cricket nodded, and said, "I think so. The next step?"
Shining Armor nodded, then said, "The next step up comes after you've completed the training portion, and it's decided that you might be up to the task of becoming a full-fledged knight. At that point, you are appointed a knight-probationary. That means that you're given all the authority, and responsibility, of a knight, but it can be taken away if you mess things up, and you can be overridden by a full-fledged knight, if one is on-hoof. Essentially, it's a test to prove that you're worthy of becoming a knight, not just in terms of physical prowess, but in character as well. I won't lie to you, this means that you'll be expected to do a lot of dirty work: tracking down wanted criminals, the kind that normal law enforcement is ill-equipped to deal with; capturing dangerous monsters that are terrorizing the countryside; even performing dangerous missions in time of war. If you prove you can not only meet, but exceed, the expectations of your rank, all that remains will be another endorsement by one or more individuals of note, and you'll be granted full knighthood."
Cricket cocked his head to one side, then asked, "It's that simple?"
"Well," Shining Armor coughed uncomfortably, then said, "It sounds simple, but it can take years to accomplish. Like a said, a lot of it depends on you. But just because you've gained full knighthood doesn't mean the road stops there: there are multiple ranks within any order of knighthood. Even the most basic orders will often have at least three, and some have five or more. For many, attaining knighthood isn't a goal, but the first step towards higher aspirations. And it's possible to be a member in good standing within multiple orders of knighthood. There are veterans out there who are members of five orders of knighthood, or more."
"In all honesty," the changeling said, smiling, "Just getting my hoof in the door of one of those orders could be a lifetime's worth of work."
Smiling in response, Shining Armor said, "Well, don't sell yourself short. While there are a few orders of knighthood that are a bit old-fashioned regarding who gets to join, there are more than a few out there that would see a changeling aspiring to their ranks as a chance to help make history. I mean, they won't just grant you knighthood if you ask for it, but they'll give you a fair shot."
The knight's ear twitched as he heard a noise outside. "We'll have to cut this short: your fanclub is on it's way up. My main reason for speaking to you today was to ask if you'd be interested in asylum here in Equestria, and from the sound of it, you're more than willing, I take it?"
His expression grim, Cricket nodded, and said, "Definitely. There's nothing left for me back with the swarm."
"I'd heard something similar myself," Shining Armor said. "So, we'll continue this conversation another day. For now, focus on recovering. You've got a long road ahead of you, and you'll need all your strength to walk it."