//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Captive // Story: A New Way // by Phoenix_Dragon //------------------------------// Chapter 7: Captive The sun was slowly making its way toward the horizon as Twilight strolled out the main gate of the castle with Sky and an assortment of ponies and changelings following her. In addition to the pair of Royal Guards acting as an escort, she was accompanied by Rarity and Fluttershy. Sky, for his own part, had been joined by Skiris and Trip. The two followed along with slightly jittery movements despite their smiles, equal parts nervous anticipation and optimism. “...And after that I have an invitation to Lady Prim’s art show,” Rarity was saying, “though I’ll have to keep the visit short if I’m going to attend Lord Star’s dinner party. The whole day is going to be simply hectic, but I think I shall manage well enough.” Sky had been mostly quiet up until then, but spoke up now. “Weren’t you doing something about looking for signs of Infiltrators?” he asked. “Are you still going to have time with all those gatherings?” To his surprise, Rarity laughed softly. “But of course! That’s the whole point, my dear. These little soirees are always filled with all manner of rumor, gossip, and scandal.” She shrugged slightly, flashing a playful smile. “True, most tend to be more on the order of who’s seeing who and various fashion faux pas rather than anything concerning the well-being of Equestria, but if there are any imposters among the elite of Canterlot, those seemingly insignificant mistakes are precisely the kind of thing that would give them away.” She paused as they finished crossing the short drawbridge and stepped onto the street. For the most part, most ponies paid the group little attention, though a fair number of ponies paused to acknowledge Equestria’s youngest princess with a smile or kind word. Twilight returned the gestures gracefully, if still a bit shyly. Her attention was caught a moment later by the sight of a few dozen ponies gathered around a unicorn, who was using a small box as a dais as he addressed them. Sky couldn’t make out what he was saying, only that he sounded agitated, and that many of the ponies seemed similarly affected. Rarity quickly spoke up again. “Though on that note, I can’t stay too long, there’s a charity dinner tonight that I especially wish to attend. Wouldn’t it have been much quicker to take one of the royal chariots? I know you’re not one for taking advantage of your new social standing, but it seems such a shame to let them go to waste.” Twilight finally looked back to Rarity, allowing an awkward smile. “I know, but I’d rather walk. It’s been a while since I’ve just been out to see Canterlot, and I kind of miss it. Besides, I wouldn’t mind having a chance to talk with Shiny and Cadance before we have to get back to business.” “You could always tell your guards to go slow,” Rarity teased. “I’m pretty sure that’s within your authority, now.” “Well, sure,” Twilight said, chuckling. “But why bother with the chariot at all, then?” “What’s the point in having nice things if you don’t make use of them once in a while?” Rarity said. “Not that I can really complain of having a nice walk through Canterlot. It is such a beautiful city.” Rarity was grinning as she cast her gaze across the view before them, the city sloping down before them, cast in clean white, blue, and gold. Even the increased number of guards contributed to the view, their golden armor gleaming in the sunlight. Twilight merely smiled in response as they continued on. “Should I really be here, then?” Sky asked. “I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your time with family.” “Don’t worry about that,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “We’ll be fine, and, well… as much as I’d like to have a casual evening with them, we’ve got a lot we need to deal with fairly soon. Besides, you’re a friend.” Sky smiled a little. “Thanks. But if you’re really wanting somepony to catch Cadance and your brother up on what’s happened, Nictis would probably have been better for it. I’ve got to admit, I’m a little lost on some of it. He’s better at understanding all that subterfuge stuff.” “You’ll do fine,” Twilight said with a chuckle. “Besides, Nictis is busy helping Miss Tea. I think they’ll be out for a bit. You’ll do fine.” “I guess,” Sky replied reluctantly. “I did see him back at the castle, just before I met up with you.” He frowned slightly. “Though he didn’t look very happy...” Nictis grumbled as he plodded on down the castle hall, head hanging low. “No need to grumble,” Subtle said lightly as she walked beside him on three legs, eyes darting quickly over the bundle of pages held precariously in the fourth. “Even if things didn’t turn out as decisively as we had hoped, this wasn’t without value.” “It’s still disappointing,” Nictis muttered. Subtle opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a loud metallic clang and a few startled yelps from the castle staff; they both looked back to at Thunder Chaser, who had apparently just kicked his own helmet down the hall. “What a complete waste of time!” he growled, while a few of the nearby staff glanced warily in their direction before hurrying along in their duties. Behind Thunder Chaser, Autumn and Feather both held similarly disgruntled looks as they followed along, and he knew the feeling was shared by several other Guard members. They had been prepared for a fight, ready to go to action to protect Equestria from a potential threat. That anticipation had turned to ash at what their raid had discovered. Nothing. The tension in Thunder Chaser’s body slowly seeped away, his ears drooping. Finally he sighed and walked off after his abused helmet. “It wasn’t a complete waste,” Subtle said as her eyes returned to her papers. “If nothing else, we know for sure that this was one of their safe havens. It’s given us something to track. Someling acquired this property for their use, and that gives us one more lead than we had this morning.” Nictis grumbled, reluctantly adding, “And it removed that safe haven.” “That too,” Subtle said with a nod. Nictis frowned for a moment, and only reluctantly added, “And it also might make them more hesitant to take action. It’ll make them harder to track, but it may also keep them from accomplishing much.” “We can hope,” Subtle said, turning a smile to him. “And we still have that one you all managed to capture out in the city. I’m not expecting much from an interrogation, but maybe we’ll luck out and you can get something useful out of him.” That brought Nictis’s head up. “Me?” he asked, alarmed. “I’m not an interrogator. Don’t you have ponies that could do that better than me?” Subtle laughed softly, a surprisingly genuine expression of amusement beside the disappointment they all felt. “And just how many hostile foreign agents do you think we’ve had to interrogate?” she asked lightly. “I’m sure there are a few investigators or the like who could do competently, and I suspect I could do well enough in a pinch, but I think this is just the sort of thing for a former Infiltrator.” “Technically, I was never fully--” “You know how they operate, you’re well-versed in how deception and manipulation work, meaning you understand how to recognize such behavior, and you can sense emotions.” When he hesitated, she chuckled. “You’re an ideal interrogator, especially when dealing with a changeling Infiltrator.” “Except they think I’m a traitor,” he replied, looking away. “They’re going to be hostile to me the moment I show up.” “Only if you let them know it’s you.” He frowned at Subtle, who simply smiled in reply. They held their silent argument for several seconds, before Nictis finally sighed. “I was kind of hoping I’d be done with pretending to be a pony for the day,” he said, “but I guess you’re right.” “Well, you don’t have to go in a disguise,” Subtle said, shrugging slightly. “I just think it could be a useful tactic.” “No, you’re right.” Nictis kicked his hoof against the ground again. “I don’t know if it’ll help much, but I guess it’ll be worth a shot. Still…” There was a surprising flash of sympathy from Subtle. “You don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable with it,” she said. “All things considered, I wouldn’t hold it against you, but I do think you’re probably the best suited to the task. And you know, I think this is something you’ll want to do yourself.” He watched her warily for a few moments, but finally shook his head. “I’ll do it.” “Well that’s good,” Subtle said, cheery once again, “because we’re almost there.” Nictis snorted, though he couldn’t help a shadow of a smile. “That figures.” “Oh dear,” Subtle said with a wry smile. “I hope that doesn’t mean I’m becoming predictable.” Nictis found it hard to not smile, despite himself. Maybe it was Subtle’s amusement that managed to stir up a bit of humor at the situation, he reasoned to himself. When he saw the pair of Royal Guard unicorns guarding a door ahead, any remnants of humor left him. Subtle quickened her pace just a touch, approaching them in the lead. “Sirs,” she said with a respectful nod to them. “How is the prisoner?” “Secure and in good condition,” one Guard replied. “His magic has been disabled. Nothing else to report. He’s been quiet.” “Sounds good,” she said before turning to Nictis. “Did you want to change before going in?” Nictis sighed, reluctantly calling up his magic. A moment later he was replaced by the same gray pegasus he had masqueraded as previously. Subtle nodded before turning back to the guard. “Okay. ‘Star Fall’ here will be interviewing the prisoner, if you’d please let her in.” The guard nodded, without even a hint of hesitation at the abrupt change in appearance and the new name. “Of course,” he said, stepping up to the door. He opened it, giving a quick look inside; a hint of concern flashed across his face before he stepped aside to allow ‘Star’ to enter. The door shut behind Nictis as he entered the small room. It was a simple space, stripped of all furniture and other items that might be misused by a prisoner. The room had no windows, the light being provided by a single glowing stone set in the ceiling--some sort of enchantment, Nictis was sure. Despite being relatively spartan compared to the rest of the castle, it was still fairly nice, with a couple plush sitting cushions set out on the polished stone floor. Those cushions were currently unoccupied, however. Instead, the other changeling was curled up in the corner, sitting very still. His eyes were wide, fixed on the newcomer. As Nictis approached, he could just make out the faint stain of dried tears on the other changeling’s cheeks. The changeling hastily raised a trembling foreleg to wipe at its eyes before speaking in a timid and shaking voice. “P-please don’t hurt me. I was just trying to get f-food…” The trembling and apparent terror would have been truly pitiable if his emotions hadn’t been perfectly calm. “We’re not going to hurt you,” Nictis said patiently, before giving the other changeling a disapproving look. “So you can drop the act.” There was only the faintest sensation of concern or frustration from the other changeling, too faint to make out clearly, and vanishing an instant later. “It’s n-not an act!” the changeling insisted, expression growing more fearful. “I-I never hurt anypony! I just want to help feed my siblings!” Nictis responded with a frown. The changeling’s game was clear enough. It may well have worked on a pony; their sense of compassion may well have led them to replace suspicion with sympathy. It was that same compassion that had led to ponies accepting changelings like Nictis, and he couldn’t help but find it infuriating that this changeling would be exploiting that, even as a small part of him admitted the value of such a tactic. Likely sensing the momentary flash of frustration, the other changeling pressed harder. “We’ve just been so hungry,” he whined, curling up a little more. “I just wanted to help them. P-please…” Even as his attempt to prey upon this apparent pony’s compassion failed to produce the desired results, the changeling’s emotions remained remarkably calm. Unfortunately, that calmness meant that Nictis’s secret advantage was essentially useless, and the other changeling’s attempts at emotional manipulation would be a constant hindrance to any actual conversation. He gave the other changeling a flat, disapproving look. An instant later, green flame flashed across him, revealing his true form, still holding the same expression. “Oh,” the other changeling said, his pitiable and fearful expression immediately falling away. Only the faintest hints of emotions met Nictis’s senses, too faint to discern. Nictis held the expression for a second. This was unfamiliar territory, and he had little idea of how to proceed. Time to improvise. He raised his head as he stepped toward the changeling, eying him critically. “Not bad,” he said in a neutral tone. “It’s a clever enough of a tactic, exploiting ponies’ sympathies to distract and divert them. Unfortunately, you failed to account for the fact that there are several changelings who now call Equestria home.” The other changeling hardly reacted. “Yes, I am aware that some have betrayed the hive, just as I’m aware of who you are.” “Then you should also be aware that simply feigning emotion visually is no longer sufficient,” Nictis said. “A skilled Infiltrator doesn’t just pretend to show emotions externally, they know how to stir up those emotions within themselves, to create a more convincing act. It’s a skill that’s even more necessary, now that you may need to fool other changelings.” He paused a moment, as if reconsidering the changeling before him. “Standards in the hive must have fallen since I was last there, but at least they haven’t fallen too far. Even if your ability to feign emotions is lacking, your ability to restrain your own feelings is admirable. In fact, that might prove very beneficial to both of us.” “Unlikely,” was all that the other changeling said. Nictis paused, considering the other changeling again. “What’s your name?” The other changeling remained silent for a moment before finally replying, “Fade.” “Okay, Fade,” Nictis said, seating himself in front of the changeling. “Unless the situation in the hive has gotten particularly strange since I left, you’re an Infiltrator, which suggests that you’re intelligent. You’ve shown creativity and adaptability in your methods. You’ve shown the ability to keep your emotions well in check, suggesting that you’re able to look at a situation logically instead of emotionally. All I want is for you to do that now.” Fade remained silent, watching him impassively. “Your tactics show that you know ponies can empathize with changelings,” Nictis said. “What would happen if we, the whole hive, tried to coexist with them?” “I know some ponies who are very hostile to the idea,” Fade replied. “And I’m sure you’ve encountered many more ponies who would go against them to support us,” Nictis countered. “Enough that you consider exploiting sympathy a valid tactic, even against those pledged to protect Equestria from threat. The guard that looked in, what did you sense from him?” “Surprise, suspicion, concern, and sympathy,” Fade replied, mechanically. “From strongest to weakest.” “I know some of the Royal Guard, and I’ve worked alongside several of them,” Nictis said. “They’ve dedicated themselves to protecting Equestria and all its subjects. They are the ponies who have to deal with hostile changelings. They even had to fight many of us a year ago. They have more reason than any to be hostile toward us, but they haven’t hesitated for a moment to extend their protection to changelings who are willing to live in peace alongside them. I’m sure you’ve noticed that.” When Fade remained silent, Nictis spoke again. “You didn’t answer my question, though. What would happen if we try to coexist with them?” “It doesn’t matter what I think,” Fade replied. “It is not my place to decide the course of the hive.” “You’re an Infiltrator,” Nictis said, sharply, but Fade cut him off before he could continue. “And you’re not.” Nictis remained silent for a long moment, staring at Fade. “No. Technically, I never finished my training, and I was never confirmed as an Infiltrator. But I studied under Princess Ceymi, one of the most skilled Infiltrators in recent history. I learned many things from her, and many more from a decade of experience among ponies. Do you know what the most important trait for an Infiltrator is?” Fade remained silent, eying him doubtfully, so Nictis answered for him. “Adaptability. A lack of flexibility leads to weakness. The ability to adapt to any situation is what makes us strong. Our greatest defense was stripped from us when hundreds of changelings came plummeting out of the sky over Canterlot. Despite that, the hive is still clinging to the old ways of doing things, while refusing to even consider something new. So tell me, what good can come of this?” “That’s not my responsibility,” Fade replied. “You’re an Infiltrator,” Nictis repeated. “That means you’re expected to have initiative, to actually think through what you’re doing and act in the best interests of the hive. Do you really think it’s beneficial to the hive to taunt and provoke the leaders of the most powerful nation in the world?” “It doesn’t matter what I think.” “Even if that were true, that isn’t a reason to not think at all.” Nictis leaned forward, staring into the other changeling’s eyes. “You’re still avoiding the question. What would happen if the hive tried to coexist peacefully with ponies?” Fade remained silent for a long moment, his eyes and mouth twitching a few times, as if fighting off the urge to snarl and glare. Finally, he spoke. “I don’t know.” Nictis sat back, relaxing slightly. “How much time have you spent among ponies?” There was a momentary hesitation before Fade answered. “Almost a year.” “Not very long, but probably long enough to see how ponies really behave,” Nictis said. “And how old are you?” There was a slightly longer hesitation. Even with the characteristic lack of distinct pupils, it was easy enough to see the faint movements of the other changeling’s eyes as Fade thought; while ponies seemed to make a big deal about the day they were born, it was generally considered little more than unimportant trivia in the hive. “About seventeen years,” he replied. “You’re only barely younger than me,” Nictis said, surprised by the answer; Infiltrator training was extensive, but it seemed unusual for an Infiltrator of his age having less than a year of practical experience. He set that information aside for the moment and continued on. “Do you remember what was said about ponies when you were a nymph?” Fade didn’t answer. “I do,” Nictis said. “It was held as an absolute certainty that ponies would react with horror and hostility if they discovered our existence, that they would never tolerate something that fed on them. It was believed, beyond any doubt, that they would wipe us out.” He looked straight into Fade’s eyes. “You know that Chrysalis can be wrong. And you know that if she can be wrong once, she can be wrong again.” Fade wavered slightly, anger teasing at Nictis’s senses, but paired with a lingering hint of concern. Both were blotted out a moment later, but Nictis spoke again before Fade could reply. “Look at what you’ve seen here in Equestria. Forget what you’ve been told, what do you think?” The other changeling looked away, expression neutral as he thought. It was several seconds before he spoke again. “Ponies are easy to exploit. They’re too trusting, and too passive. They are ideal prey: full of love, vulnerable, and unwilling to strike back meaningfully.” “You may find you’re wrong about their willingness to fight,” Nictis said, a slight bitterness to his tone. “Although I hope it doesn’t come to that. But you’re still limiting yourself to what you’ve been told about ponies. Think further.” Fade snorted. “That is what I’ve observed,” he said. “Not what I was ‘told’.” “But that’s not true,” Nictis said. “You’re still assuming them to be prey, as you were taught, rather than coming to that conclusion yourself.” “They are our food,” Fade replied. “Of course they are prey.” “But you’ve seen changelings living alongside ponies. We’ve been able to feed off ponies without treating them as prey. It’s shortsighted to assume they must be prey when you’ve seen otherwise.” Fade’s eyes narrowed slightly, though Nictis saw the faint twitches of the other changeling’s eyes as he thought. “Your way seems… functional,” he reluctantly said, before quickly adding, “but it’s also vulnerable and inefficient.” “Compared to the hive’s methods?” Nictis asked. “Every changeling who has come to Equestria has mentioned how tightly love was rationed. The hive may not be starving, but the supply of food has been strained, and it’s only going to get worse. Here, though, we don’t have to worry about that. We get all the love we could possibly need.” “And it requires far more changelings devoted to gathering food than infiltration does,” Fade replied. “Hence, inefficient.” “They may not all gather as much as an Infiltrator,” Nictis conceded, “but they can gather it passively, and without extensive training. They can do whatever they want with their time, and still gather food.” Fade gave a faint shrug. “That doesn’t matter. The more changelings sent to Equestria, the fewer there are to work in the hive.” “What if the whole hive was in Equestria?” Fade bristled at the question, mouth opening before clamping shut again. He remained silent for several long seconds before slowly relaxing. “Then it would be even more vulnerable than before.” “Vulnerable to what?” Nictis pressed. “You said you were convinced ponies weren’t willing to strike back.” “And you said you believed they would,” Fade retorted. It was Nictis’s turn to hesitate. “If necessary, to protect themselves… yes. But they’re not going to try to wipe us out or subjugate us. You know ponies desire peace, but you should also know they’ll act to protect themselves, and that’s why they may fight. They know how many innocents are held in the hive. Celestia wants to negotiate their release, but if that doesn’t work, Equestria will do anything they can to free them. You know what will happen then.” Fade shook his head, but there was a hesitation to the movement, an uncertainty. “Ponies are too soft-hearted for that. They would not condemn an entire species to starvation.” “You’re right,” Nictis said with a nod. “Which is why they have given us an alternative, a way that feeds changelings without the need for the imprisonment of innocents. If the hive refuses, and changelings starve, it will be the hive’s fault. Their consciences will be clear. They’ll be sad for the needless loss of life, and they’ll do everything they can to help those who come to them in peace, but they’ll know they did the right thing, even if it was hard.” Fade’s eyes met Nictis’s, narrowing slightly in challenge. “So even you think they consider the lives of thousands of changelings to be less important than the lives of a few dozen ponies.” Even with the grim subject, Nictis has to focus to avoid a feeling of smug satisfaction as Fade said exactly what he had hoped for. He did, however, allow a small smile. “I didn’t say ponies,” he pointed out. “I said innocents. They want all the captives freed. Pony, griffin, donkey, even changeling, it doesn’t matter to them. The princesses don’t want changelings to die, but they will not allow the hive to victimize innocents, not when there’s another way. They’ve given the hive another way. If changelings die, it will be because of Chrysalis’s stubbornness.” There was a hesitant pause before Fade spoke again. “Do you really believe that?” “I don’t want anyling to die,” Nictis said, “but… yes. More importantly, they believe it. Ponies are not a violent species, but they’ll protect those they see as innocent. They won’t hesitate to do what they believe is right.” “Then they would be throwing away their lives,” Fade said. “Any assault on the hive would kill far more ponies than it would save.” Nictis frowned. “You haven’t known many Royal Guard members if you think that would stop them.” He could see the tips of Fade’s ears unconsciously droop just a hair. “...Then even more changelings will die.” “If the hive doesn’t make peace with Equestria and free those it’s enslaved.” Nictis leaned in again, and Fade’s eyes widened slightly, surprise and suspicion mixing as he detected something he clearly hadn’t expected from Nictis: sympathy. “I know what many in the hive think of me, and I know what Chrysalis thinks of me, but I have not turned my back on the hive. I don’t want anyling to die, especially over something that can be easily avoided. You, you’re a sworn Infiltrator. It’s your duty not just to bring in food, but to protect the hive. If we are going to save the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of changelings, we need to ensure that Equestria and the hive come to a peaceful arrangement.” Fade looked away. For a moment, he was silent. His mouth opened as if to say something, then shut again to silently think some more. The cycle repeated several times, and each time, his posture slackened faintly, his ears drooping just a little more. Nictis found it particularly painful to watch. Eventually, Fade spoke, though there was a rawness to his voice. “You are… correct,” he said, giving a slow shake of his head. “If we do not meet Equestria’s demands, we are going to face hard times. If the hive is going to survive… we must stand together. I can not turn away from the queen.” Fade’s calm and emotionless focus was failing. Fear and grief began to seep through as he glanced back to Nictis. “I’m… sorry.” Nictis sank slightly, sighing. “Isn’t there anything you could do to help?” Fade shook his head again, the motion even weaker than before. “The most I could do is repeat what you’ve said,” he weakly replied, “but I can not act against the queen’s wishes. The hive will not survive being torn apart like that.” Nictis reached out to place a hoof on Fade’s shoulder, which drew a moment of surprise from the other changeling. “If Chrysalis refuses peace, the hive may not survive anyway.” Reluctantly, Fade turned away, his head hanging low. “I know.” Nictis watched him silently for a moment before letting his hoof slip away, and rose to leave. Even if Fade wouldn’t help them, it felt wrong to just leave him like that; he particularly hated the calculating voice in the back of his mind, suggesting that letting the other changeling stew in his misery may make him more pliable in the future. When he reached the door, he drew in a deep breath, and let out a long sigh. Then, taking on a mask of calm neutrality, he opened the door and stepped out. Outside, Subtle was lying by one of the hallway walls, papers scattered about her as she pored over the information, while an aide stood nearby with yet more documents. The studying came to a momentary halt as she looked over to him. “That was quick. How’d it go?” Nictis spoke without emotion. “He’s definitely an Infiltrator. He seems competent, but the details make me suspect the hive has had trouble producing enough Infiltrators. It sounds like he’s familiar, and has likely had contact, with some ponies who are opposed to the idea of changelings living freely in Equestria. And he seems convinced that Chrysalis will not agree to a peaceful solution.” Subtle frowned. “Well that’s disappointing. I mean, it confirms some of our suspicions, sure. It tells us we might be on the right track, keeping an eye on the more discontent groups of ponies. It’s not as proactive as I’d like, but it’s something. Not that we’ll have any lack of unhappy ponies in the next couple days.” “The Guard ceremony?” “Among other things,” she replied. “Did you see the group of ponies gathered outside the castle?” Nictis shook his head. “I noticed they were there, but no details. I was a little distracted.” “Well, it seems we’ve got a little mini-protest thing going on.” She picked up one of the papers, eyes flitting across the page. “Apparently, there was a lot of talk saying that Chrysalis has Infiltrators taking over the castle and the Royal Guard under the guise of peace talks, and that her remaining free to roam the castle rather than being imprisoned is proof.” “I imagine she wishes that was true,” Nictis grumbled. “I bet,” Subtle said with a soft laugh. “Fortunately, it’s not the most practical plan. She might manage some sort of small-scale infiltration, but it would be short-lived. With the current security measures, they’d need to replace a few hundred members of the Guard for it to last more than an hour. Maybe a few dozen, if they knew the exact right ponies to impersonate. Even then, it’s just a matter of time before the deception would be discovered, and there’s little they could accomplish.” When Nictis looked questioningly to her, she added, “Don’t worry, the Guard is taking every precaution to ensure  that won’t happen. If any of her Infiltrators are as skilled as you, we can’t guarantee that they’ll be unable to replace somepony, but we can at least ensure that the deception is short-lived, and that the damage is minimal.” “Unless they impersonate somepony outside the castle,” Nictis pointed out. “Which reminds me,” Subtle said, her smile fading. Turning to her aide, she reached out for a bundle of documents. “Gimme.” The aide awkwardly shuffled the load she was holding, until Subtle pulled out the folder she was grabbing at. Dropping it to the floor, she flipped it open, shuffling through the papers within until she pulled one from the stack. “An hour ago, the Captain of the Guard received a complaint,” she said, eyes scanning across the page as she spoke. “The pony in question claimed he had been harassed by three Royal Guard pegasi. He said they had accused him of being a changeling, treated him very rudely, yelled at him, and at one point shoved him. The commander was going to look into it, but the captain had no names and only a vague description to go by.” She looked back up at Nictis. “Sometimes, some of the younger members of the Guard can be less than distinguished in their behavior, but if those changelings are trying to cause dissent, it’s possible these weren’t ponies at all. What do you think?” Nictis slowly nodded. “Risky. It draws attention, and is particularly counterproductive if discovered. It’s… crude, but that also means it’s simple to execute.” “Not terribly clever, either,” Subtle replied, her smile soon returning. “I suppose I shouldn’t complain too much, it’ll make our job easier if they’re exposing themselves so much. I just expected something… better.” After a moment of thought, she asked, “You mentioned they might be having trouble training enough Infiltrators. I don’t suppose that their standards might have dropped enough that this is the best they can manage?” Nictis hesitated before doubtfully replied, “It’s… possible.” She thought a moment longer before shaking her head. “I suppose we shouldn’t be so optimistic.” She quickly swept her pile of papers into a more manageable stack. “I’ll have to speak with the captain. If they really are impersonating the Guard out in Canterlot, and in such numbers, we need to take advantage of it.” As soon as she finished gathering the documents, she added them to the aide’s already-sizeable load. Turning back to Nictis, she asked, “Was there any other information you got from him?” “Not exactly,” Nictis replied, which earned him a questioning look. “Then… what, exactly?” Subtle asked. “I think he wants to help us.” “Really?” Subtle said, though he could clearly hear her doubt. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?” Nictis frowned, hesitating a moment before answering. “I talked with him. He seems very calm and calculating, and I think I convinced him that peaceful coexistence can happen, and that it would be far better for the hive than the alternatives. Unfortunately, he seems convinced that Chrysalis would never accept such an arrangement, and that the hive will only survive if it sticks together. He’s not willing to take action for us, or betray the hive by giving up information. The only thing he’s willing to do is to tell other changelings the same thing I told him, and there’s some obvious problems with that.” “Like how we’d have to let him go in order to talk to the other infiltrators,” Subtle said. “Does he expect us to do that?” Nictis shook his head. “We hadn’t gotten that far.” Subtle frowned, thinking for a moment. Nictis could feel the suspicion rising as she spoke again. “Do you trust him?” “No,” Nictis replied. “But I do think he was being honest about this. He made it clear that he’d continue to do as he was ordered, so he wasn’t trying to sugar-coat it.” Subtle continued to think for several more seconds before replying. “Too bad we don’t have any other changelings for him to try to convince,” she said, then shrugged, a hint of a smile returning. “But maybe we can fix that. Come on, let’s go talk to the captain.” A faint bounce was returning to her step as she walked down the hall, her aide trailing behind her. Reluctantly, Nictis followed along, silent as conflicting thoughts and feelings ran through his mind. The train station in Canterlot was a familiar sight for Sky. About once a month, he would travel to Canterlot for a day or two to fulfill his duties as the ‘Counselor on Changeling Affairs.’ Even so, while the sight was quite familiar to him, the sight of him was not so familiar to many of the ponies travelling through the station. Fortunately, with all those regular trips, he’d gotten quite a bit of practice in looking as friendly as possible. He wore a soft smile, careful to not show his sharper teeth, walked in a casual and relaxed posture, and basically did all he could to appear as soft and non-threatening as hard chitin, long fangs, and a sharp-tipped horn could be. Results were somewhat mixed, naturally. While quite a few greeted Twilight, he easily drew more attention than the young princess. He made a point of smiling to anyone who showed interest, which also let him focus on picking out their emotions more clearly from the chaotic mix of the crowd. It was quite an improvement on his first visit--that is, his first post-invasion visit. Most of the onlookers were simply curious, if occasionally a bit cautious. Many of the travellers passing through the station had probably never seen a real, live, friendly changeling before laying eyes on him. A few were even eager and excited, smiling back and offering greetings as they passed. It wasn’t all perfect, of course. While many reacted welcomingly, or at worst, indifferently, there were still quite a few less-pleasant reactions, as well. The clearest was the pair of upper-class unicorns who, on seeing him, stuck their noses a bit higher into the air, a visual representation of the disgust and disapproval they felt toward him. They didn’t even bother to acknowledge Princess Twilight as they passed by. Their reaction didn’t really bother Sky, though. They probably reacted about the same to most other ponies, too. Others were not quite as easy to dismiss, such as the nervous mother who quickly guided her child away, despite the colt’s excited interest. “Looks like we’re just barely in time,” Twilight said, drawing his attention back as they neared the edge of the platform. “The train from the Crystal Empire should be here any moment, assuming it’s running on time.” “I do hope it is,” Rarity replied, casting a quick glance up to the large clock hanging over the platform. “I would very much like to see your brother and Princess Cadance before I have to run off to all these other social engagements, and I’m not sure if I’ll have any free time over the next couple days.” Fluttershy spoke up for what was probably the first time since leaving the castle. “Are you going to be there for dinner, tonight?” “Oh, of course,” Rarity said, nodding. “And breakfast, too, but it’s quite a different thing getting a few words in over a meal than it is spending some time together without interruption. Why, I’ll probably even have to leave breakfast a little early for a fancy brunch gathering I plan to attend.” “A day packed full of high-class social gatherings,” Twilight mused, flashing a smile. “I hope you’ll manage.” Rarity sighed, dramatically lifting a hoof to her forehead. “It is a truly daunting task, but with the fate of Equestria in the balance, I shall persevere!” Her speech complete, she let her hoof return to the ground, a hint of a playful smirk crossing her lips while Twilight and Fluttershy giggled softly. “Oh,” Twilight said, turning back to the tracks, “and here it comes.” When Nictis had described his terror upon first seeing a train, Sky had laughed at the absurdity of it. The moment he saw the incoming train, however, he could perfectly understand the other changeling’s reaction. The crystalline monstrosity that came barreling down the tracks only superficially resembled the locomotives he had seen before. The lead vehicle combined a sleek and solid body with a massive, jagged prow that could probably toss other trains out of its way with casual ease. It was like some sort of heavily armored siege engine, one that spent its time hauling hundreds of tons of cargo when it wasn’t busy driving through castle walls. Sky took a step back as the train sped toward the platform at an alarmingly high speed. Just as it seemed it was about to overrun the station, the brakes kicked in, bringing the train to a halt precisely on-target. As he stood there blinking in surprise--a reaction shared by many of the other ponies within the station--a door opened, and a pair of guards clad in crystal armor stepped out. Following them came the rulers of the Crystal Empire. “Twiley!” Prince Shining Armor led the way past an amused Princess Cadance. He trotted forward, greeting Twilight with a hug. “Good to see you, too,” she replied with a chuckle. After a moment she looked past him, smiling as she motions with her hoof. “And you, Cadance.” Shining stepped back for a moment to let the two princesses exchange a quick hug. “It’s always so wonderful to see you, Twilight,” Princess Cadance said, her smile growing. “Even with the circumstances being what they are.” “Right,” Twilight said with an awkward smile. “‘Fate of Equestria’ again, and all that.” Cadance replied with a soft chuckle. “Not that there’s ever a bad reason to spend more time with my favorite sister-in-law, but we should really arrange to get together at some more peaceful time. Maybe a girls’ night out, without having to worry about affairs of state or the like.” “I’d like that,” Twilight replied, her smile growing again. Cadance turned to greet the rest of Twilight’s companions. “Rarity, Fluttershy, always a pleasure to see you.” There was the faintest hesitation before she continued. “Counselor Sky. And…” she trailed off, looking to the two changelings standing awkwardly behind him. Sky could see the faint unease in her expression, despite her efforts to hide it. Beside her, Shining was regarding him; he seemed fairly friendly, despite the faint, lingering concern. Sky quickly turned to gesture to the other changelings in turn, rather than let the awkwardness linger. “This is Skiris and Trip.” “Ah,” Cadance replied, with a hint of recognition in her voice. The two changelings hastily bowed to her. Trip spoke, practically stumbling over himself as he did. “Princess Cadance. I… we… we wanted to come and say how sorry we are for our part in the attack and beg your forgiveness for--” He came to a halt as Princess Cadance raised a hoof to cut him off. “Please, don’t,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve already had quite a few changelings who offered similar apologies, and as much as I appreciate the gesture, I also recognize that it wasn’t your decision to make. There’s no need to apologise.” Skiris and Trip both stared in wide-eyed surprise as she motioned for them to rise, and quickly complied. Cadance hesitated for a moment before continuing. “In fact, I feel as if I owe the two of you an apology for my initial reaction.” She ignored the quick shaking of their heads as she continued. “I’ve met so many friendly changelings over the past year, but every time, the first thing I see is Queen Chrysalis’s face. I know it’s not fair to any of you, for the risks you’ve taken in parting ways with her, but my first encounter with your kind was… less than ideal.” They both murmured apologies, but Cadance shook her head. “It’s kind of funny that I’ve spent so much time reassuring changelings who were apologizing to me. It’s practically become a little routine, by now. Would you like to hear it?” Skiris was still staring wide-eyed, while Trip hastily nodded and said, “Yes, please.” “We should probably talk on the way,” Shining pointed out. “Celestia is probably expecting us as soon as possible, and we’ve got a bit to catch up on.” “Yes, of course,” Cadance replied with a sigh, then motioned for the pair of anxious changelings to follow; Sky simply looked amused, but held his tongue for the moment. They began to make their way through the crowd, and he couldn’t help but notice the number of raised eyebrows their procession gathered as Princess Cadance spoke with the pair of changelings following at her side. “What Queen Chrysalis did was horrible, but I know that wasn’t your decision,” she said, giving a slow shake of her head. “I’ve heard of the teachings in the hive; how blind obedience and duty is revered, and how your knowledge of the outside world is limited to what you were taught, but what you were taught about ponies was wrong. I admit, I had some doubts at first, even with Twilight’s support, but not any more. Many changelings have taken the risk of leaving the hive once they learned the truth, and came to Equestria to seek forgiveness and a better life. I couldn’t call myself a princess if I couldn’t find it in me to forgive somepony who went to such lengths.” She smiled, and this time there was no lingering unease to the expression. “In some ways, I find changelings fascinating. Some call me the Princess of Love; I’ve always had a connection to love, and have always done my best to help it flourish. If our first meeting had been on more friendly terms, I probably would have been thrilled to meet a species that can draw sustenance from love itself.” With that, her smile turned sad. “But ponies aren’t the only thing the hive was wrong about. It’s wrong about love, too. Every changeling I’ve met told me that they were taught that love wasn’t for them, that it was something only ponies and other ‘prey’ should feel. Some even think that changelings are incapable of love, or that it’s a weakness, but they’re wrong. Your species needs love to survive, but you’ve been denied the chance to know what it really is. You’ve been denied the chance to ever experience it for yourself. It’s heartbreaking to think of. “I know there are some who worry that changelings are monsters,” she said, pausing for a moment to look back to the two changelings. “But after seeing love find a place in the hearts of several changelings, I could never think that.” Both Skiris and Trip looked as if they would be blushing, had they been ponies. Skiris seemed to have develop a sudden need to blink repeatedly, almost as if there was something in his eye, while Trip quietly replied, “Thank you.” “Of course,” Cadance replied with a nod. There was a moment of silence as they passed through the doors of the station, making their way into the street. Cadance chuckled softly, speaking with a more casual tone. “Actually, I’m glad to finally meet the two of you.” Trip stumbled. “Y-you are?” His eyes widened. “Wait, you’ve heard of us?” “Some of the first changelings to live in Equestria? You may not be as famous as Sky, but you’re known. I also had a bit of a personal interest, after hearing how close you two were. Hearing about you was one of the things that gave me hope.” They both looked surprised, ears pinned back as Trip protested, “We’re not really, erm… special.” “I’ve heard how the hive’s teachings look on things like friendship,” Cadance replied, a hint of darkness in her voice that vanished in an instant. “But then Sky told me of the pair of you. How one of you was injured, and the other refused to return to the hive alone. It was encouraging to hear of such friendship growing between changelings, even without the influence of ponies. I was kind of disappointed that you were never with Sky on the few occasions I ran into him in Canterlot.” She smiled as the pair of changelings shuffled along in awkward silence, although they were both smiling. Sky let the silence linger for a couple seconds before speaking. “Aaand I told you so.” Skiris and Trip managed to look even more awkward, shrinking back as they nervously chuckled. Cadance was merely amused as she looked back to Sky. “I take it they’ve been worrying about meeting me?” “Just a bit,” Sky said with a nod. Cadance chuckled softly, and shook her head. “Well, there’s no need to worry, you have nothing to fear from me.” Her expression relaxed slightly. “But I understand. Lots of ponies fear things, even when they know they don’t need to. I know I have. It’s been a rather unusual year.” She shook her head, giving a small chuckle. “Though I think Shining’s had a harder time of it than I have.” Shining Armor chuckled nervously, though Sky thought it sounded a little forced. “Eh, maybe a little. I’m responsible for keeping a lot of ponies safe, so it’s hard to not be a little paranoid. I can’t help but worry that Chrysalis might send some Infiltrators posing as friendly changelings instead of ponies.” He gave a wry smile before lightly bumping his shoulder against Twilight’s. “But I think I’ve learned to trust Twiley’s judgement over my own when it comes to changelings.” She blushed slightly and nudged him back as he continued. “Fortunately, it’s been pretty quiet in the Crystal Empire. The preparations for the games are about all that we’ve had to worry about.” “So I’m afraid we don’t have much in the way of exciting stories, lately,” Cadance said as she smiled to Twilight. “Knowing you and your friends, though, I’ll bet you’ve got a few to share.” “I might have a few,” Twilight replied, returning the smile. The rest of the trip was filled with stories and laughter as Twilight told her sister-in-law and brother of her and her friends’ latest adventures, misadventures, and silliness. Rarity and Fluttershy chimed in to add a few extra details. Mostly Rarity. Sky simply listened in, remaining silent except for the few occasions when a story involved him--or in one case, Rainbow. This was a time for Twilight and her family, and he didn’t want to intrude on it. Instead, he found himself watching Cadance and Shining Armor. This wasn’t the first time he had met them, and it was certainly less awkward than their first meeting. Not that he could blame them; they had about the worst possible introduction to changelings. In fact, Sky could sympathize quite a bit with that. He could also sympathize with the subtle glances Cadance cast to the towers of the castle they were making their way toward, the happy expression fading for just an instant. Each time, the smile returned a moment later as she looked back to Twilight, but the glances grew more frequent as the castle drew nearer. As they approached the gate itself, Rarity spoke up. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I really must be going. Fate of Equestria and all that.” After saying their goodbyes and parting ways, Cadance looked over to Twilight. “‘Fate of Equestria,’ hmm?” This prompted a laugh from Twilight. “Oh! That, right. There was some concern that some changeling Infiltrators might be hiding in the city, so Rarity is spending her time mingling among the elite of Canterlot to see if anypony stands out as suspicious.” “That must be a tough job,” Cadance said with a smile, “but I’m sure she’ll find a way to manage.” “I’m sure!” Twilight agreed, laughing again. Cadance let her laugh a moment, even though her own smile was slowly fading. Shining seemed to notice this as well, and stepped in. “Though on that note, we should probably get down to business.” “Yes,” Cadance agreed, her smile fading away to nothing. “I’m actually looking forward to the chance to face Chrysalis again on even terms, but we should probably know what we’re walking into.” “Yeah,” Twilight replied with a hint of sadness as the relaxed and friendly conversation came to an end. “That’s part of why I asked Sky to come along. Between the two of us, we should be able to fill you both in on everything that’s happened.” “That sounds good,” Cadance replied, before turning to Sky. He hesitated, suddenly finding himself at the center of everypony’s attention. “Well, uh… where should I start?” “Might as well start from the beginning,” Cadance said as a stern, almost grim expression took hold. “What has Chrysalis done this time?”