//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Rarity The Spy // by The Infinity Doctor //------------------------------// "Rarity! So nice to-" "I'm not RARITY!" I snapped, cutting off the purple mare "Get it through your thick skulls! God, put out an A.P.B for all I care!" "How did you...why are you..." the unicorn stammered, then shook her head "what is your name then, if it isn't Rarity?" "Spy." I replied tersely. "Woah, you're a spy?!" the rainbow cried, shrieking in excitement "That's so awesome! Wait a minute...who're you a spy for?" "No-one that affects you," I said, being as vague as possible "directly, at least..." "Well...'Spy'; I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is Rainbow Dash." Twilight said, motioning to herself, and then to the winged-woman. "A pleasure, I'm sure." I said gruffly. "So..." Rainbow began "are you a changeling?" "Rainbow!" Twilight admonished. "What? If she's a spy, then we can't rule out the possibility!" Rainbow argued. "That's no reason to just out-right ask her, though!" "Yes it is! Think about it, she-" she said, pointing to me "comes into town, the very week that Rarity and Spike are up in Canterlot; that doesn't seem the least bit suspicious to you?" "Well...eh...yes, it does, but it was still rude!" "You really shouldn't jump to conclusions," I said, not believing that I was actually engaging in conversation with the two...furries? Was that the right term? Screw it. "especially with someone you just met." Twilight's eye twitched. "Why is it that everypony assumes that this town is so speciest?" Twilight stated flatly. He heard Rainbow groan beside him just as the unicorn appeared to be getting ready to launch into a rant. "I mean, it was just one incident! Zecora forgave us, right? No harm, no foul! Right?!" 'Panic attacks apparently still exist...' he thought to himself, now muzzle-to-alien-muzzle with the unicorn. "Uh, right!" he fumbled "Uh- who's Zecora?" Another twitch of the eye. "Right, right! You haven't met her! Let's go right now, we've got time!" Twilight grabbed at his gloved hand and tugged, walking towards the door of the library. He shook out of Twilight's grip, backing away from the unicorn. Rainbow now sported a huge smirk, threatening to turn in to a full-on grin. "Is she always like this?" he asked. "Nah, just when she's crazy." Rainbow replied. He shot her a flat look, sighing as he dug into his pockets. "Doesn't answer my question, smartass..." he muttered. "What did you just say?" Rainbow asked angrily, the multi-chromatic mare now gripping his tie firmly. "I said- it doesn't answer my question." he stated, finally removing a thin, flat case from his breast pocket. Cracking it open, he discovered a small console on one side of the case, and the other contained several cigarettes held in place by a black, elastic band. 'Awesome! I can disguise myself!' he thought with glee, despite being the source of Rainbow's ire'But who can I disguise myself as? There're no mercenaries here...' "Hey, buddy- are you listening?!" Rainbow shouted, snapping him out of his amazement. "Huh? Uh, no- I wasn't...sorry..." Rainbow tugged on his tie, forcing the cloth to constrict around his neck. His vision began to go fuzzy, he felt the disguise kit slip from his hand as he felt the back of his head start to prickle, meaning the loss of blood flow. "R-Rainbow..." he gasped. She tugged tighter, and he began to choke, thinking that he was going to turn as blue as Rainbow if she didn't let go. "What?" she replied, another smirk coming to her muzzle. 'Is- is she seriously oblivious?!' he thought incredulously 'Ponies must be super-human...' He gagged, and his vision finally failed, slipping off into unconsciousness, but not before he vaguely felt his tie being loosened. 'Merde...' His nerves suddenly caught fire, forcing him to jump. He sat up, discovering himself to still be in the library. Leaning forward, he placed his head in his hands, then immediately removed them in disgust- his mask was cold and damp with sweat. He took in his surroundings, appearing to be in a laboratory. 'I'm alive?' he thought, once his brain had caught up with what was happening 'How am I alive?' He rolled off of the table, his hooves touching to the wooden floor. He ran his hands down his front, smoothing out his suit. He immediately remembered that he wasn't a guy anymore, and uncomfortably shifted as he became aware of his feminine assets. It didn't feel...that much different- he still felt the same...but the absence of his features from before he fell into this candy-coated carnival of crazy was noticeable. He ran a hand through his mane, now realizing just how much of it there was. Moving on to the ears, he giggled as he felt the tips of his ears, feeling the wonderous feeling of the fabric of his gloves brush against them. 'That could come in handy...' he thought 'I don't know how it would, but it could...' Last but not least, he carefully touched at his horn, unsure of how it would react. Hell, it could explode, for all he knew. It didn't, thankfully- it was so alien to feel it. It felt just like bone, and he wondered how the biology of a unicorn was possible, if that was the case. He decided to explore a bit more, later, and began his journey up the stairs, wincing as his mask shifted, the dampness of it rubbing uncomfortably against his fur. 'That's right...I've got fur now...' Well...if that wasn't a sobering thought, he didn't know what was. Almost every part of his body was covered by his suit, unlike the five or so ponies he'd come into contact with. He began to wonder what it would feel like to be 'out there' like they were, what grass against his bare fur would feel like. He filed it away to possibly be experimented with later, and instead focused on what was beyond the top of the stairs. He quickly found out, as he entered the library proper, discovering Twilight, Rainbow, his double, and a tall, alabaster, winged-unicorn with an ethereal rainbow for a mane turned to stare at him. "Mon dieu..." he muttered.