//------------------------------//
// How many holes does it have? 
// Story: Guessing Games, or, How Many Changelings Fit In A Breadbox? 
// by ErraticOverlord 
//------------------------------//

	The second hand slides slowly down the clock face and the interrogator looks at Edward with an unflinching smile. "Let's start with the obvious: what did the changelings steal from Canterlot during the feint invasion."

Edward rolls his eyes. "Yeah, that's what I thought the obvious was too."

The interrogator's smile grows wider. "Needler, hit him."

Needler squirms and eventually stands and slaps Edward across the face, a look of pain appearing on her face for a moment as she does so. "Please, Needler, at least pretend you mean it. Hit him again, harder."

Needler slaps Edward again, this time with enough force to knock his chair over.

The interrogator nods. "That's better. Pick him up."

Needler picks him up and sets the chair upright.

"What did the changelings steal?" The interrogator presses.

Edward glares at the interrogator. "You'll have to do much better than that."

The interrogator shrugs. "I neither have to nor intend to do anything; that's Needler's job."

Needler gulps.

The interrogator motions to Needler. "Bend his wing."

Needler casts a nervous glance at the interrogator then grabs hold of Edward's left wing in her teeth.

"What did the changelings steal from Canterlot?"

Edward clenches his teeth. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The interrogator waves a hoof at Needler and she turns her head, eliciting a sharp snapping noise.

"Gah! Damn it." Edward twitches his leg as spasms of pain slide through it.

"Did you know I used to be a doctor?" The interrogator asks, inspecting Edward's newly created wound.

Needler exchanges glances with Edward.

"It's true. I remember my daughter used to love to play with my stethoscope and whatnot." The interrogator stands and stretches his legs for a minute. "You know, even though changeling wings are designed a bit differently than pegasi wings, there are plenty of nerves all throughout them. To obtain flight you need these nerves so you can meet the different flying requirements varying with wind speed. These nerves are completely necessary for you to fly."

With another wave of his hoof, Needler grabs hold of his other wing in her teeth. "However, when Needler snaps your wing these same nerves act as a bane to you. Each nerve lights up and sends the information directly to your brain in a not so gentle manner. I guess what I'm trying to say is," the interrogator leans down next to Edward's ear, "this is going to hurt a lot."

Needler snaps Edward's other wing and he cries out in pain. His head hits the table with a thump and he breathes heavily.

"I see fit to tell you that I'm enjoying myself quite a lot. I can keep asking you questions and Needler will just keep hurting you." The interrogator turns toward him again.

Edward's limp form moans.

The interrogator leans closer. "Assuming you still possess the ability to speak, what did the changelings take from Canterlot?"

Edward rolls over and glares at the interrogator. Needler starts moving toward him but the interrogator holds up a hoof and she stops.

The interrogator sits down again.. "Do you want to hear something funny about changelings? They don't have any originality, and that's not hyperbole. You see, changelings can only mimic what they can see so if they mimic somepony they've only seen wear a hat, then if somepony tries to remove the hat they revert to their changeling forms. Interesting, isn't it? That means no hat, no sunglasses, no saddle, and no cutie marks. Basically, the only thing they can do is approximate how somepony would look as they get older, no more." The interrogator leans over until he's eye level with Edward, lying on the table. "It's a pretty big flaw, if you ask me."

The interrogator leans back down in his chair. "You have quite a lot of holes on you, don't you Edward? Needler, make a new one."



(*)



Edward spills blood onto the floor. The interrogator peers at it. "Huh, so it is red. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised. Oh well."

Edward coughs, spilling more blood onto the floor. The interrogator looks up at the clock. "Our time is up for today."

Edward's ears twitch.

"Fortunately, we're going to continue past our time until I get something out of you."

Edward slumps even further. The interrogator laughs. "You were waiting for that, weren't you? Thought you could hold out till time was up, didn't you? Your lack of originality foils you once again."

Edward coughs again.

The interrogator composes himself once more. "What did the changelings steal from Canterlot?"

Edward mumbles something.

The interrogator grows serious. "Speak up."

Edward rolls over so his face is up. "A book of stars."

The interrogator smiles. "Much better. Tell me about the queens. Are they only created from other queens or is it something else?"

Edward chuckles, blood foaming to the top of his mouth. "One death, two death, three death more. That's the first step in a changeling core. Pain here, pain there, pain all around. This is the second step before you're crowned." Edward chuckles again then convulses, a look of pain flashing on his face and a trickle or blood running from his mouth down his cheek.

"That's not a very good answer."

Edward convulses again, then lays still. The interrogator sighs. "I suppose that's enough for today."

He waves at the mirror and the guards take Edward away to his cell after a mare tends to his wounds.



(*)



Edward lies in his damp cell, still breathing but for the most part unmoving.

Are you all right, Edward? Needler's voice comes through the link once more.

Edward closes his eyes. No.

There's a pause before she continues. I'm sorry.

About the torture, or about how I caved and told him everything? Edward snaps at her.

I wouldn't call what you told him everything. She says, skeptically.

Edward rolls over. I would call it enough.

It's not your fault.

Chrysalis would see it differently.

Through the link, Edward could almost feel her shake her head. It's not like he can tell what we're doing here just from what you told him.

Edward sits up in his cell, suddenly. That's just it, isn't it? 'Just from what I told him,' what else does he know? How did he know about what he called 'unoriginality' in changelings? How did he know you were a changeling? He must be getting this information from
Somewhere, but where?

Edward, you said he was clever. Maybe it was just an elaborate guess he was checking your reaction for. She says.

No, there was something off. Something when he was listing what we can't do that was strange. If I could just remember, then we'd have something. Edward lies down again, his brows furrowed.

Get some sleep. You'll need it when he starts all over again to try and get something else out of you. She says, her yawn coming through the link.

How much longer until Awakening?

Once more, he could feel her rolling her eyes through the link. Sleep, Edward. Now.

Edward rolls over onto a slightly dryer part of his cell and, after a few restless hours, goes to sleep.