“I really have to wonder why Twilight is not the head of Magical Research and Development, dear sister. She is clearly outpacing them in spite of limited resources and even more limited time. Why not bring her to Canterlot?”
The usual breakfast table that the sisters shared was covered with detailed notes and reports from Twilight containing her discoveries, her theories, and even a great deal of speculation about yet-untested magic and changeling culture as a whole. Despite the disorganized nature of the notes, a decent editor could have easily turned them into a small book.
“Because I do not wish to push another towards the path that Starswirl took long ago,” came Celestia's reply. “It is also quite important that Twilight gains a good deal of life experience as well. Magic is not simply drawn from books alone, after all.”
Luna let out a murmur of agreement as she looked over one of the papers. “Still, it is intriguing to think what she might do if given access to one of the Canterlot labs.”
The two siblings entertained that idea for a minute. “Perhaps a few years down the road?” suggested Celestia.
“...Agreed,” said Luna with a nod, taking a sip of her coffee. “So how does Chrysalis fare?”
“Melancholic as of late. I don't think her last meeting with Twilight went well. I can only imagine what Chrysalis thinks about a pony being able to deconstruct and recreate their magic.”
“And what of the so-called ‘changeling elders’? How do we respond to them?”
Celestia shook her head. “In truth, there is little we can do overtly. Were I to spread the word about the changelings, there would be accusations, hunts, and paranoia. It would ultimately do more harm than good.”
The irritation was plain on her sister's face. “Sitting around and doing nothing seems even worse.”
“I have instructed the guards to keep a close eye on new arrivals to the city. I have stressed the need for vigilance and I've taken care to explain the delicacy of the situation to the guard captains. I have every faith they will conduct their troops accordingly. Until we have a truly infallible method of detection, we must rely on Chrysalis being interested in helping herself, and by extension, us.”
“Why not simply utilize Cadance and Shining like before?”
Celestia gave her sister a sad smile. “Even if it were practical to utilize such power on a consistent basis, I could never ask Cadance to willfully end lives. Although she didn't show it, she was very shaken when she learned of the casualties she inflicted upon the changelings despite them being the aggressors.”
Luna sighed and slumped in her seat, once again looking over the copy of the threatening letter Twilight had received. “Is there truly nothing to be done?”
“We can place our faith in Twilight, dear sister. Even putting aside the advances she has made in the field of changeling culture, I can think of no better pony than her to make inroads to Chrysalis.”
---
Having been Celestia's student for most of my life, my schedule had often been one with hers, rising with the dawn and going to bed when the sun set, even when I'd stayed up reading. Even after staying up late to compile the last of the notes and papers, I was still up early.
My recent conversation with Chrysalis still consumed my thoughts. Had I been too harsh with my words? I stood by what I had said, but I had to wonder, given that there were other changeling hives besides Chrysalis' own, why hadn't any of them tried to ally with Celestia? Was Chrysalis really the only changeling to ever defy the elders?
My thoughts turned back to the note that had been delivered right to my door. It had been simple and straightforward. ‘Release Queen Chrysalis or there will be consequences.’
The letter had conveyed a lot despite its brevity. It implied that however great the elders’ power may be, Chrysalis was beyond their reach. It also suggested that they were watching. Chrysalis had been outing changeling agents left and right, but she could only be in so many places at once and there always seemed to be more.
Come to think of it, how did Chrysalis sense enemy changelings, anyways?
The thought intrigued me and I filed it under the growing list of questions to ask Chrysalis later, my mind already flicking down the next item on the checklist to think about. What sort of 'consequences' could the changeling elders mean? Outright assault seemed incredibly unlikely, but taking hostages wasn't out of the question. Chrysalis had done as much herself to lure me away from Celestia.
So who would the most likely targets be? The list I composed was quite long and rather grim, assessing vulnerability, emotional impact to Celestia, and bargaining value. Doubtless, Celestia had already considered all of this. Would she give up Chrysalis for a single pony? Probably not. A dozen, maybe? If the elders did stoop to that sort of foul play, wouldn't it be all the more important to keep Chrysalis safe so we could learn to fight back against them?
I didn't have an answer to that. All I could do was hope that Celestia had a plan, and in the meantime, work on puzzling through the enigma that was Changeling Magic.
Luckily, my schedule was open today (I’d already finished next month's schedule), and since I had nothing planned, there was plenty of time to run tests!
Ideally, I would have had another pony around to observe and assist me with these experiments, but if things did go wrong, there wasn't another pony in Ponyville who had the magical talent to help me out. Besides, I knew exactly what I wanted to try, and according to my research, there was no chance of getting stuck. Unlike the changelings, who could take a shape and hold it with no additional effort, my own changes required constant energy to maintain.
Recalling what Chrysalis had said about copying from a template, I considered a few options before settling on Lemony Gems. She had been in attendance at Cadance’s wedding, so Pinkie had definitely met her, hopefully avoiding any 'new pony in Ponyville' alarms.
Keeping her image in my mind’s eye, I let the change flow over me. It was easier this time, and less taxing, perhaps because I was trying to change into another unicorn instead of a changeling.
It was hard to gauge the accuracy of my disguise, drawing from memory, but a quick glance in my mirror showed a pretty convincing yellow-furred and blue-maned unicorn looking back at me. It was definitely a good start, though the real test could only take place out in Ponyville.
While not quite the perfectionist that Rarity was, I'd remembered Lemony being proud of her appearance and took the time to run a brush through my mane. I dug through my closet and found a pair of saddlebags I hadn't worn since Rarity had performed a hostile takeover of my wardrobe. With the addition of a sunhat, I now looked more like a tourist. I would draw some attention, but there was no risk of the real Lemony Gems showing up and causing a panic.
Besides, I was trying to hide in plain sight, not blend into the background.
Grabbing my telescope, I sighted in on the train station. Blind teleportation was possible, but risky. The version I used wouldn't put me inside a wall or anything, but the fail-safe to keep that from happening felt like running muzzle-first into a wall.
In a flash I was gone. A second later I was stumbling around, disoriented, behind the station.
“Nnhh...note to self, transformation and teleportation don't mix,” I groaned. Steadying myself and thankful I'd skipped breakfast, I trotted into Ponyville to begin my field test.
---
“Aw, ponyfeathers...” The familiar voice made my ears perk up and I soon spotted Applejack and her cart, overloaded with produce and one wheel stuck in the mud.
Fighting back my initial urge to run over and help, I took a moment to assess the situation. Then I reminded myself that experiment or not, ignoring Applejack when she needed help was incredibly callous. Putting on the face of a good-natured stranger, I approached with a smile.
“Hello there, miss, would you like some help?”
Mildly surprised, she looked up, trying and failing to put a name to my face. “Mighty kind of ya, miss. Ah appreciate the offer, but it's a mite heavy with some fragile produce.”
She must have thought I was going to try and lift the precariously balanced cart with magic. “Oh, I'm not nearly that strong,” I said modestly. “Don't worry, I won't even touch the cart.” Dipping my head towards the wheel so I could hide my horn and the color of my magic, I cast a series of spells in swift succession. The first separated the water from the dirt. The second packed the dirt tightly beneath the wheel. Finally, the last one raised the earth beneath the wheel to make it less of a valley and more of a gentle slope. I was finished in seconds. Visually, there was nothing more than a flash of light.
“That should do it,” I said with a smile. “Go ahead and pull.”
Still skeptical, Applejack tugged carefully, and the wheel popped free. Her guarded expression broke into a warm smile. “Well shucks, sorry I doubted ya. That'll save me some time.” A hoof was offered to me. “Name's Applejack.”
Taking it, I braced myself for the enthusiastic shake and wasn't disappointed. “Lemony Gems,” I replied, wincing slightly as I tried to shake some feeling back into my leg.
“Can I offer you an apple? Least I could do.”
Having expected as much, I offered up a bit. “Three, if you don't mind. I was hoping to visit your stall at the market anyways.” Placing two in my bags I took a bite out of the third. “Mmm...just as good as I remembered.”
“Have we met before?” asked Applejack with a hint of confusion.
“Oh, very briefly at Canterlot,” I replied. “Your catering service was quite wonderful, and I've been looking to get another taste.”
Even without my Aura Sight, I could sense the pride coming from her. “Ain't no better place to get it than the source.”
“It would almost be worth moving from Canterlot,” I said playfully, finishing off the apple in a few bites. “Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to tour the rest of the market before the next train leaves.”
“Y’all have a good day, then,” said the earth pony before hitching herself up once more and walking off.
It wasn't until she was gone that I let out the breath I was holding. “I just lied my flank off to the Element of Honesty,” I mumbled before shaking my head and following the path to the market. Applejack was not going to take this well if she found out. Unsurprisingly, it had been she who had protested most against the arrangement with Chrysalis.
As casually as I could manage, I moved around the marketplace, visiting various stalls and striking up conversations. The morning crowd was sizable, but I still spied Fluttershy doing the rounds for her animals and it didn't take much to spot the perfectly groomed mane of Rarity in the window of the spa for her morning pick-me-up.
Thankfully, Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen, although that was only a small comfort.
Nopony gave me more than a second glance. The spell was perfect. No suspicious looks, no tricky questions, and even the shopkeepers were more than happy to gab away to a pony they didn't know. No wonder Chrysalis had taken this place; the town was full of gossips and well-mannered ponies with very little in the way of advanced magic training.
The sight of a multi-colored tail hanging over the edge of a cloud briefly made my breath catch, bringing to mind Chrysalis’ last words. Logically, I knew what I needed...no, wanted to do, but coming right out and doing it felt more challenging than facing down Discord.
Maybe I didn't have to do this directly, though. Maybe there was another pony who Dash could talk to and-PINK!
“Ahh!” I stumbled backwards as my vision was suddenly filled with pink. The worst case scenario was staring right at me and instead of her usual smile, her visage held a certain intensity to it.
“Um...hi?” I said weakly, trying not to balk under her gaze.
Pinkie didn't respond. Her tail twitched and her eyes narrowed before she leaned in close and sniffed. When her ears twitched, I got the distinct impression that I was being scanned in some way.
“Pinkie Sense fully operational. Conflicting data received. Running defragmentation.” Still as a statue, Pinkie continued to stare at me, my sense of discomfort growing, until she finally blinked. “Oh hey, Lemony! Welcome to Ponyville! I’m Pinkie Pie!”
The vast mysteries of the changeling culture and their magic were a puddle compared to the unfathomable depths of Pinkie Sense. “I’m...sorry, I don’t remember meeting you.”
“I saw you at Cadence’s wedding, twelfth row, third pony from the right. Did you cut your mane? I remember it longer...”
“You...remember that?”
“Of course I do, silly!”
I had no idea if Pinkie was suspicious or not, but I had to end the conversation quickly. “I'm sorry if this sounds like an odd question, but would you happen to have a spare yellow ball with a red star on it?”
“Ooh, you bet I do!” The pink mare zipped away, quickly finding one of her emergency stashes and pulling out the ball. “I always keep a stash of balls just in case- hey! Where'd she go?”
---
Back in my original form and panting slightly, I kicked off my saddlebags and let them drop into a bush along with my hat. Maybe I'd overdone it with the series of five teleports. Pinkie's tone had been quite casual, but it was hard to shake the feeling that she’d seen right through me.
I withdrew an apple from my saddlebags, quickly consuming the treat to help recover my energy. I was willing to call this a tentative success despite the random Pinkie variable, though the fact that my mediocre acting skills were enough to accomplish this deception was not an encouraging sign.
Figuring that Pinkie was probably going to turn the town upside-down searching for Lemony, I turned my thoughts to other potential experiments, my eyes drifting skyward towards the cloud that Dash was still sleeping on. Subconsciously, I drew up her schedule in my head. I’d made a habit of keeping track of my friends’ weekly routines so I could plan get-togethers, and right now, my mental checklist was telling me that Tank was due for a checkup later today. Slowly, a plan began to form in my mind. Part of me knew this was unscrupulous, maybe even downright unethical, but I could test my magic and definitively see if I had a chance with Rainbow Dash.
And this way, nopony was in danger of being hurt.
---
“Oh, hello Twilight,” came the soft greeting as Fluttershy opened her door. The bag she was holding in her mouth indicated that I'd arrived in the middle of feeding. Perfect.
“Fluttershy, I really need your help with something!” I said, putting a slightly desperate edge to my voice.
“Oh no...it's not another dragon attack, is it?”
“No, that's next Tuesday. It's Owlowicious, there's something wrong with him! I would have brought him here but he protested every time I tried to move him and I didn't dare try teleporting.”
“That's even worse!” Disappearing inside, she returned a few seconds later with a small veterinary kit strapped to her back. “What are his symptoms?”
Very carefully I described a set of vague conditions that could have pointed to any number of things, knowing that Fluttershy would automatically assume the worst and work backwards from there.
“Let's get going...then...” she said hesitantly, suddenly remembering the incomplete task she was leaving behind. This was the chance I had been waiting for.
“I'll take care of feeding them,” I offered quickly. “I remember exactly how to do it, and I won't be much help with Owlowicious, either.”
“Oh thank you so much, but just remember-”
“I remember,” I insisted, giving her a nudge towards the path. Letting out a sigh of relief as she finally turned and galloped away, I quickly got to work, levitating several feed bags at once to quickly finish the task. Angel Bunny was last, a carefully prepared bowl of greens being his afternoon meal along with my own personal addition that would make the little demon feel like taking a nap afterwards.
With a scant minute to spare, I found Fluttershy's full-length mirror. Making sure I wasn't in view of any animals, I unleashed my magic and felt the green fire envelop me.
---
Rainbow Dash took a look at the window and sighed before turning away to knock on the door instead. While she could get away with surprising Twilight via a window entry, the last time she'd done it to Fluttershy the pegasus had bolted into her panic room and it'd taken a good ten minutes before she could be coaxed out.
Gently, the door opened. “Oh, hello Dash, you're right on time. Go ahead and bring him inside.”
Picking up Tank, Rainbow brought him to the makeshift checkup room where several of Fluttershy's instruments lay, many of which seemed closer to weapons. “So how is he?” asked Rainbow, noticing the intense way in which Fluttershy seemed to be staring at him.
“Oh, um...he's quite content. You two go very well together. How has he been eating?”
Rainbow shrugged. “Same as always, I guess? I've just been following the instructions you gave me, and he eats everything I give him.”
“Good...” she said, continuing with her checkup as Rainbow watched. “Has he been in any bad crashes?”
“Not against anything more solid than my head,” grumbled Rainbow, rubbing a hoof over a spot that was still tender. “He's got an amazing tendency to crash into ponies.”
Fluttershy nodded. “And I see you've been keeping him nice and clean, too.”
“I make sure to toss him through a few rain clouds every day,” joked the Pegasus. To her surprise, this barely seemed to get a reaction from her when other jokes in the same vein had elicited horrified looks and stern lectures.
“Just so long as you catch him,” came the reply as she checked Tank's mouth.
Rainbow's mouth opened in shock. Fluttershy never joked when it came to caring for animals. The only reasonable explanation was that something was seriously distracting her. “Something wrong, Fluttershy?” asked the pegasus carefully.
“Hmm? Oh, it's nothing, really.” Her reply had been quick. Too quick.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Fluttershy, the only pony worse than you at lying is Applejack. C'mon, you know I won't tell anypony if you don't want me to.”
The demure pegasus was quiet for several moments. “W-well, it's actually about you.”
Rainbow blinked. “Me? Did I do something wrong?”
“Oh no, nothing like that. It was one of your fans who had a pet I checked up on a while back. They wanted to ask you something but they were too nervous to do it themselves. I...might have agreed to help them, since...”
“Since you know what it's like being too nervous to talk to somepony?” finished Rainbow. “No worries, who was it?”
“Th-they asked me not to say,” came the apologetic response.
“Alright...so what did they want to know?”
“They wanted to know if you were dating anyone.” Her voice was almost a whisper now.
Silence followed as Fluttershy busied herself with Tank's examination, though Rainbow couldn't help but notice her friend's ears perking up slightly and turning in her direction.
“Well...no, not right now,” answered Rainbow Dash finally. “I've been really focused on my flying and training. Honestly? I'm not really looking for a serious relationship, you know me.”
Rainbow couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but something had just changed in Fluttershy's posture. “Of course, I'll be sure to...to let her down easy, then.”
“Thanks, Fluttershy. Besides, they've already lost awesomeness points for trying to get you to do the hard part,” she teased.
Fluttershy flinched slightly at the reply, but it passed before Rainbow could comment on it. The pink-maned pegasus gave the turtle's head a gentle rub before smiling at Rainbow. “He's doing wonderfully. Thank you for taking such good care of him, Dash.”
“Nah, it's nothing,” said Rainbow modestly. “It's only because you taught me so well.”
---
It wasn't until I was sure that Rainbow had disappeared behind the clouds that I let my disguise drop, my mane darkening along with my fur as the green fire rushed across my form and removed the wings. It had taken a good deal of self control not to fidget or ruffle the uncomfortable appendages, and I couldn't help but be thankful I didn't have to deal with them on a consistent basis. Give me a horn and a good set of legs any day.
I wasn't depressed from the indirect rejection I'd received; it was more of a wistful feeling than anything else. Rainbow Dash was racing towards her dreams. She didn't have time to slow down or stop for someone like me, and I couldn't really blame her. Most of the Wonderbolts had the same outlook.
My mind continued to wander as I made a few minor changes to complete my deception, namely dealing with a few small adjustments to Fluttershy's books, striking Dash's name and scheduling Tank's next checkup a month down the road. The last of the changes were well in place before I spotted Fluttershy coming up the road at a sedate pace. Clearly her panic over my owl had made her forget Tank's appointment and now there was nothing left to remind her.
When she entered the house, I made sure she was seeing me putting a sleeping Angel Bunny into his bed for an after-meal nap. “How'd it go?” I asked quietly.
“I gave him a full checkup. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, but be sure to tell me if things get worse or if anything changes,” she said, gently urging me aside so she could take over the care of Angel Bunny. “Did anything happen while I was away?”
“Nope. Everything was peaceful. Thanks for helping out, I'm glad it turned out to be nothing.”
Ten minutes later as I was walking back towards the library, I was still trying to convince myself that this was for the best. Things wouldn't get awkward now, and my friendship with Rainbow would remain stable even if it'd never be more than that. I'd be able to get over this in time and at my own pace. Besides, it's not as though she'd rejected me specifically, she'd just said she wasn't interested in a relationship...or anypony who couldn't work up the confidence to ask her face to face.
Lost in my thoughts, I almost ran muzzle-first into the library door, having barely paid attention to the trip back. Inside, I was greeted by a rather irate owl.
“Whoo!”
That was definitely an angry hoot. “I'm sorry, Fluttershy wasn't too intrusive, was she?”
In response, Owlowicious turned his head away from me and gave me another, more indignant-sounding hoot. Resolving to get some of the good treats for him next time, I looked around for my number one assistant. “Spike, you here?” Only silence answered. Oh well, I could put off reorganizing the returns until he got back.
Right now, though, I needed something to take my mind off of Rainbow Dash. I looked around the library for a book to read, but nothing seemed appealing. It didn't take long for my thoughts to return to changeling magic. Maintaining the forms of Fluttershy and Lemony Gems had been taxing, but I still had enough reserves for perhaps a few minor experiments.
Making sure that the door was locked and the blinds were drawn across the windows, I brought my mirror into the center of the library, letting my magic warm up. Green fire surrounded me in a circle, despite my attempts to give it a different color. This time though, I only let it spread out over my mane, changing a single part rather than my whole body. It was much easier than a full-body transformation, especially since I wasn’t changing my magical signature. I was starting to become more efficient with the magic too, discovering new pathways for it to take and toning down the blazing green flames to much smaller embers.
Maybe throwing myself into this was my way of coping, but it was easy to avoid thinking about today's events when I was hovering on the edge of a magical breakthrough and wrestling with magical exhaustion.
“I wonder if the mass remains consistent...” The thought was a bit intriguing. So far, I'd only tried transforming into ponies and a changeling, all around my size. Letting my magic free, I focused on the form of Cadance, figuring it would be a decent step up.
Almost immediately, I felt like my body was being stretched . It was more uncomfortable than painful, sort of like one of Rarity's tight-fitting corsets. It was much harder to maintain, as well; the urge to 'snap back' had increased from a gentle tug to an irritating pull, and the damned wings felt remarkably uncomfortable. Everything felt shaky, but I was holding it for now.
Taking a breath, I tried to see if I could take it one step further, picturing the form of my mentor and long-time teacher. My mane shifted colors and my fur began to lighten, but before I could stretch any further, the magic snapped.
Being forced back into my own form felt like someone had taken my tail and yanked with Applejack-level strength. I felt dazed and sore, and the backlash had caused a small shockwave that sent several books tumbling to the floor.
“Stupid...big flanked...Celestia,” I groaned, trying to clear my head.
Once my magic had stopped fluctuating, I thought up one last form I could try. Granted, I had no idea how her biology worked, but the last time I'd turned into a changeling, all I’d really had to do was recall the unique magic signature and let my magic follow along the path.
Standing in front of the mirror, I let my magic pour out. If I hadn't pulled the blinds, there was no doubt that all of Ponyville would have seen the green flash.
A second later, and panting slightly from the effort, I stood in the middle of the library as Queen Chrysalis, complete with her jagged horn. Intriguingly, it had been a far easier shift than with Cadance. Her body felt...sleek, and almost stretchy. Despite being rather tall, her mass was quite a bit less than a pony of her size, and although the holes in my legs felt incredibly odd, they weren't hard to walk on. Even the diaphanous wings weren't as uncomfortable as I thought they'd be.
I was about to drop the transformation when something buzzed at the edge of my consciousness. Faint, but steadily growing stronger.
Curious, I allowed my magic to touch the feeling. My vision blurred and darkness seemed to wash over me. There were crystals. Another wave of darkness and I was looking out towards a squad of grim-faced stallions watching me with barely restrained hostility. Another flash and there was Chrysalis, sitting on a throne of crystal. Her eyes went wide and her head shot up, and for a moment it seemed like she was looking right at me. Her mouth opened and words began to form-
“Twilight?”
My concentration shattered and my mind came back. What the buck was that? Turning my head, I saw Spike standing in the doorway, wide-eyed and frozen in terror.
“Spike? How-” I stopped abruptly as the sound of Chrysalis' dulcet tones reached my ears. Oh buck me. “Wait, hold on!” I got out, hurriedly dropping the transformation, but the sight of the green fire only seemed to panic the young dragon further.
He bolted. Desperately, I tried to reach out with my magic and grab him, but I was feeling fatigued after so many transformations, and he slipped from my magic hold.
“Rarity! Rainbow! We've got changelings! They got Twilight!”
Buck me sideways.
---
“Now I know what you're thinking, Chrissy...did I load the standard party streamers, or is this packed with the one-of-a-kind Pinkie Pie Party Favors? To tell you the truth, in all the excitement, I kinda lost track. But being this is a Mark II Ponyacci-approved high-velocity Party Cannon that can decorate a room meant for five hundred ponies, you have to ask yourself one question: ‘Do you want to party?’ Well, do ya, punk?”
“No, Pinkie, I really don't.” Internally, I added this to the very lengthy checklist of very good reasons not to have Pinkie Pie as an enemy.
“Hmph. Party pooper,” she grumped, tapping the cannon with a hoof and making me flinch.
Rainbow had been the first to respond to Spike's frantic cries, hurtling through my window with a look of rage on her face and tackling me to the ground before I'd even gotten a word out. She'd barely finished her demand to know where 'Twilight' was before the door had burst open via one of Applejack’s kicks. Rarity was right behind her, and with an impressive amount of magical power that I didn't often see from the purple-maned unicorn, I had been caught by her magic and forced into the perfect position for Applejack to use some more solid bindings in the form of her trusty rope.
And then Pinkie had shown up with her cannon on a hair trigger.
“Alright, Chrysalis, spill it! When did you replace her, huh? And what did you do with her?” Even though I was bound and helpless, Rainbow still looked like she was a centimeter away from physical violence. Maybe it was because, at least from her perspective, this was the third time the changelings had pulled one over on her.
“I haven't done anything with-”
“And drop that disguise already! Spike caught you red-hooved!”
“This isn't a disguise, it's really me. I was practicing changeling magic.” And I'd forgotten that Spike had a key. Not one of my finer moments.
“Tell us something only Twilight would know, then,” demanded the pegasus.
“Ah don't think that'll work this time,” cut in Applejack. “Queen Chrissy here could've gotten everything from her already.”
There was a moment of silence as my friends contemplated this. “What if we blasted her with the Elements of Harmony?” suggested Dash.
“I don't think we could do that without Magic,” mused Rarity. “Perhaps we could see if the Element of Magic worked with her?”
“Ah don't really feel comfortable letting her near that thing,” said Applejack cautiously. “Or giving her a chance to use magic at all.”
There was another moment of silence as my friends contemplated what to do. “May I make a suggestion?”
“No!” The shout had come from everyone but Fluttershy, who so far hadn't said a word.
“Please?” I tried again, this time turning towards Fluttershy, who looked to be the most doubtful.
“We could at least hear her out,” came the quiet response a moment later.
Rainbow looked torn, but thankfully caved to Fluttershy's calm words. “Fine, but if she makes one wrong move, partify her.”
“Not gonna move a muscle!” I said hastily, sweating a bit. Clearing my throat, I turned to my number one assistant. “Spike, could you take a letter, please?”
---
Ten embarrassing minutes later, I was free from my bindings and trying not to look at an amused Celestia. “You seem to have progressed further than your notes indicated, Twilight.”
“I hadn’t been intending to go quite this far,” I replied sheepishly.
“Well, I'm sure your friends have already taught you a valuable lesson on how ignorance can incite panic, so I will spare you the lecture this time.”
“Sorry, princess,” I said glumly, my eyes downcast. “I will make sure to take sufficient safety measures in the future.”
“I'm certain you will, but I'm afraid I cannot let this incident go without some form of consequence. The rest of you are dismissed.”
Rainbow was the first to speak. “Now hold on a sec! We were the ones who panicked! Twilight didn't do anything except practice magic in her own house!”
“Ah agree!” came Applejack a breath behind. “We oughta share the blame too!” This came with a murmur of agreement from the rest of my friends. I really was lucky to have them.
“Very well,” said Celestia in a manner that made me wonder if she'd been expecting this. “Then I charge the five of you with keeping Ponyville calm. Explain to them that there was a magical accident that has been resolved safely. Keep the details of Twilight's magic to yourselves.”
One by one, they filed out to spread the information through their respective channels, though Rainbow took a moment to give me a reassuring pat on my back. “Sorry for, um...tackling you like that...again,” she said with a small giggle at the end.
I giggled too. “No worries, I'm getting used to it.”
The door closed behind her, leaving me alone with Spike and Celestia. I shifted nervously, trying not to let my timidness show.
“Twilight, I would urge you to make Spike aware of your activities in the future. It is not common knowledge that there is a changeling hive beneath Canterlot, and I'd prefer not to let speculation ruin this chance at peace.”
“Of course, princess,” I said, fighting the urge to bow my head in shame.
“That said, I am very happy with the progress you have made, both with the magic and with Chrysalis herself. I can only guess the reasons why she singled you out for these talks, but I'm satisfied with the results so far.”
The praise gave me a shot of confidence that I sorely needed, and looking at Celestia's warm smile made my heart swell with pride. “I think I almost have something. I'm on the verge of a breakthrough, I can feel it.”
To my surprise, the alicorn stepped forward and gently brushed her muzzle against mine. It was the first time she’d done so in a long while. “I am thankful, Twilight, and very proud...and I wish I didn't have to ask this of you, but...”
“You want to know if I can work faster?” I filled in once I noticed her hesitance. “You're worried about the other changelings.”
Celestia sighed. “Yes, to both,” she said finally. “The very last thing I wish is to put undue pressure on you, but until there is an infallible way of detecting changelings, we are at constant risk.”
Slowly, I leaned back and sat down on the floor, wishing I had more to give her. And there was still one question nagging at me. “Princess...if you don't mind my asking, if you do find a spell or some magical way to detect changelings, what are your plans for Chrysalis?”
Celestia’s answer came faster than I thought it would, giving me an encouraging sign that she had been thinking this through. “I intend to keep that knowledge known to those whose fields of work would require it. Should Chrysalis accept a formal alliance, I fully intend to use her agents in other nations.”
That revelation momentarily floored me. “You mean like...espionage?”
Celestia nodded. “Yes, they would be wonderful, especially among the griffons.”
“But...we're allies with the griffons!” I blurted out.
“And we remain allies precisely because we have spies in each other’s company,” came Celestia's calm response. “The minotaurs, griffons, and diamond dogs all have agents in Canterlot, and we continue to enjoy peace because of it.”
I took a breath and thought that through. Celestia would never spontaneously attack another nation, but if I ruled a nation next door to a being powerful enough to command the sun, would I trust her word alone? Could I even look at that sort of situation without bias?
Still, despite my conflicted feelings, I could at least be sure she wouldn't abandon Chrysalis once she'd acquired the information she desired. I’d always assumed as much, but it was nice to be...certain.
“I think there might be a way to get results sooner,” I said hesitantly, trying to come to grips with my revelation, “But you're probably not going to like it.”
“If you need any resources, I will do everything in my power to provide them,” said Celestia immediately.
“Then...I need to see Chrysalis. Inside her hive.”
---
“So that's what twitchy tail, flank shake, ear twitch, and mane curl means!” The first words spoken by Pinkie minutes after the group had left caused the party to halt.
“Er...what does that mean, dear?” asked a puzzled Rarity.
“Well, I thought my ‘New Pony in Ponyville’ sense went off but when I found the new pony she didn't feel new but she looked different so I examined her reeeeally close and she got super nervous but I couldn't tell if she was new or not new and then she distracted me and went POOF before-”
“Maybe skip to the point, Pinkie?” suggested Rarity kindly.
“Oh! Well, obviously Lemony Gems was actually Twilight in disguise, duh! She must have been seeing if she could fool other ponies!”
There was another collective silence. “Wait, ya don't mean that yellow unicorn with the blue mane, do ya?” At Pinkie's nod, Applejack groaned. “Well she pulled one over on me, then. Anyone else get fooled?”
The silence stretched on for another minute as each of the ponies contemplated their day, all wondering the same thing. The rainbow mare in particular had her brow furrowed and lagged behind the group as she replayed the morning’s events, her eyes drifting towards the pink-maned pegasus...