//------------------------------//
// Chapter 17: Lost and Found 
// Story: A New Way 
// by Phoenix_Dragon 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 17: Lost and Found

The early morning sun shone softly through the windows of Sky’s quarters, announcing the dawn of another day. He finished a long stretch and buzzed his wings for a moment to loosen up, then reached out with his magic to pick up his necklace. Slipping it on, so the cloud-shaped sapphire rested against his chest, he set off to begin the day.
He had only gotten to the door out of his chambers when he halted, looking down. Someone had slipped an envelope under the door. Picking it up, he found that it was unlabeled, and contained a single piece of folded paper within.
Unfolding that paper, he saw that it contained only two lines:


	Sky and Nictis


	143 Clover Lane


He frowned, turning the page over, but that was all the letter contained. He continued to read those lines a few more times before finally sighing. He hadn’t even left the room, and already things were getting interesting.
He stepped out the door and went straight to Nictis’s. The faint sound of talking leaked out past the door as he stepped up and knocked, and several seconds later the door opened to reveal the same energetic pink unicorn mare he’d met a few days before.
“Oh, hi!” Cotton Candy said, her eyes glancing down to his chest for an instant. “Counselor Sky, right? You must be here for Niccy.”
“Yeah,” he replied, a grin forming. “I’m here for Niccy.”
She giggled and opened the door all the way. “Come on in! We’re just hanging out and chatting, can always use some more company!”
Inside were a couple more ponies Sky hadn’t met before, but recognized immediately from Nictis’s stories. The big white stallion, at that moment casting a questioning look his way, was surely Big Shot. On the opposite couch sat a pony that could only be Spark Wheel. Dark-gray coat, fiery mane, golden eyes, and of course, the pair of gears for a cutie mark. Nictis had described the pony enough times that Sky probably would have probably immediately recognized him in a crowd of random strangers. It was even easier when he was sitting right next to Nictis.
And grinning, Sky noted. So was Nictis. It looked like a perfect happy moment, one he thought Nictis truly deserved, and he suddenly worried that he was about to disrupt that.
Nictis looked over, calling out, “Hey, Sky!” The grin was already fading, however, with a hint of concern; Sky may have been smiling, but the other changeling could tell something more was up. “Why do I have the feeling my day is about to be made a lot more complicated?”
Sky couldn’t help a dry chuckle. “Because you’re a clever changeling,” he said, floating the letter over. “Somepony slipped this under my door.”
Taking the letter in his magic, Nictis looked at it, and frowned. Then he continued looking at it, staring for many times longer than it actually took to read. “Yeah,” he dryly said. “This doesn’t sound at all like a trap.”
Spark’s grin had disappeared as well, and now his ears perked up alertly. “A trap? What?”
Sky, on the other hand, simply nodded. “It does seem rather suspicious.”
“Very,” Nictis said, still mulling over the letter. “Anything else?”
“Just the envelope it came in,” Sky said, floating it over. “Blank.”
Nictis took it in his magic and looked over it anyway, flipping it over and peering inside it.
Spark had leaned in beside Nictis. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “What’s it say?”
“It just has Sky and my names, followed by an address.” Nictis folded the letter and passed it and the envelope back to Sky.
Spark sat back, wearing a frown identical to Nictis’s. “...Think it’s the same changeling as last night?”
“That would be my guess,” Nictis replied. He even smiled a bit, probably in wry humor, Sky thought. “Especially since they tried the same thing with Sky, earlier.”
“The same--you were attacked?” Sky asked, stepping forward, and feeling rather unhappy that he only now heard about this.
Nictis must have noticed that feeling, as he returned a more comforting sensation in return. “No,” he said, “they never got that far.”
Spark leaned forward, wearing a look of concern as he addressed Nictis. “You’re not going, are you?”
“Sure I am,” Nictis replied. “Sky, myself…” He smiled. “And a few dozen Royal Guards.”
Sky watched silently as the pair looked to each other. There seemed to be a silent communication between Nictis’s soft smile and Spark’s worried expression. After a few moments, the worried look faded, and before long a hint of a smile started to appear.
Then Spark’s ears pinned back, a faint blush crossing his cheeks. “Just, uh, you know… be careful and all that.”
Nictis chuckled softly, reaching up to touch a hoof to Spark’s side; Sky found himself smiling at the sight. “Don’t worry,” Nictis said. “Hopefully we can deal with this and be back quickly. The negotiations with Chrysalis have mostly calmed down, so I’m hoping I can get some more free time.”
Spark was smiling quite broadly at that. “I’d like that.”
They hugged. There was no hesitation in their happy embrace. Sky wasn’t the only one smiling at the scene, either. Cotton Candy was sprawled lazily across a nearby chair, looking on with an almost giddy grin.
Big Shot’s expression was much more neutral, watching the pair of them as if he were evaluating the situation.
They exchanged gentle nuzzles and drew back, and Spark blushed again. Nictis chuckled softly, a hoof pressing comfortingly to Spark’s shoulder. “I’ll see you later, then.”
When Spark nodded, Nictis drew in a breath, sighed, and slid off the couch. The smile slipped away. “Okay, Sky. Let’s see what’s going wrong now.”
Sky managed to stay silent until they had exited into the hall. “Sooo… last night went well?”
The contemplative frown that had taken hold of Nictis’s expression melted away, a soft smile taking its place. “Yeah.”
Sky smiled a bit more as well, nudging Nictis’s shoulder with his own. “And to turn your own little question around on you, does that mean you two are officially a couple?”
He was answered with a soft snort of laughter and a surge of happiness from the other changeling. Nictis turned his head to smile to Sky. “Yeah, I think so.”
Sky grinned, wings lifting him up to give Nictis a tight hug as the other changeling continued walking. The feeling of Nictis’s happiness was wonderful, and he savored the rarely felt and well-deserved emotion.
Eventually Nictis playfully shoved back with his shoulder. “Okay, okay, enough,” he said, though the tone was lighthearted. “Let’s just find Subtle and get this taken care of so I can get back, all right?”
“Right!” Sky said as he let go of Nictis. He couldn’t help doing a quick loop before dropping to the ground again, walking with a distinct bounce to his step.





It was about two hours later when the pair of them stepped out of the small alley and onto Clover Lane. It had taken only a few minutes to find Subtle, but there had been so much to do afterward. Records were dug up, plans were made, and guards were briefed.
The house that had been the subject of so much planning and speculation lay just before them. It looked like an ordinary house, a simple little two-story building with all the usual flourishes of architecture a Canterlot house tended to have.
“So, what do you think is going to happen?” Sky asked, mostly so they weren’t walking in complete silence.
“Maybe we’ll find a nice pony that’s going to give us some useful information,” Nictis replied. “More likely, it’s a trap.”
A soft grunt sounded behind them, Golden Aegis’s only contribution to their conversation. Apart from the soft clinking of his armor, he followed in silence. He was the only member of the Guard accompanying them at the moment, but Sky knew that could change in an instant.
They turned off the street, walking up a short walkway that crossed the diminutive front lawn, and stepped up to the front door. Pausing, the pair of changelings considered the door for a long moment, before Nictis looked to Sky and inclined his head toward the door.
Sky sighed, reached up, and firmly knocked.
He jerked his hoof back and froze as the first knock pushed the door open several inches, creaking softly as it moved. After a couple seconds of silence, and a quick glance to Nictis, he reached out again and pushed on the door, slowly swinging it all the way open until they could see into the vacant entryway. Doorways led off to other rooms, and a staircase led up to the second floor. There was no sign or sound of any occupants.
Sky was considering calling out, but halted himself as Nictis took a step back. “Yeahhhh,” the other changeling quietly grumbled, then look to Golden Aegis, giving a quick nod.
Nodding in return, the Guard captain stepped back and gave a sharp motion with his hoof. Moments later, a dozen Guard members trotted around the corner, hustling to meet up with their captain. Above, a few armored ponies--and one armored changeling, Sky noted happily--flew past, taking station above the suspicious house.
As the lead ponies of the ground-bound Guard approached, Golden Aegis stepped off to the side to meet them, speaking in hushed tones. “Quick and quiet entry. Go loud on any contact.”
The three leading ponies nodded, turning back to pass the word along. Moments later they split into two groups. Four of the guards, the only ones bearing spears, stepped back to the center of the lawn and turned back-to-back, keeping eyes in every direction. The rest quickly lined up beside the door, shoulders-to-flank, silent except for the quiet clinking of metal when they touched.
Sky joined Nictis behind Golden Aegis, where he would hopefully be out of the way.
A few quick nods were exchanged, finishing with one from Golden Aegis. The moment he did, the line of ponies flowed into the house. The first half split off through one of the doorways, no doubt following a path planned out with the blueprints Subtle had dug up. The other half went up the stairway, disappearing out of sight above.
The four with spears moved, as well. The instant the last guard had passed through the doorway, the spear-bearer that had been facing the house turned and thumped a hoof twice on the flank of the pony behind him. Together, the four of them turned and moved into the house, fanning out in the entryway.
Golden Aegis stepped inside after them, and Sky cautiously followed.
Inside, it looked like a completely normal house. There were the usual decorations: a few empty vases, some houseplants, even a few framed photos, mostly showing the same pair of smiling unicorns.
The sudden thumping of hooves directly above him caused Sky to flinch back, baring his teeth, even reflexively pushing a bit of magic into his horn as he looked up. There was nothing to see, though, and the muffled thumps continued as the guards upstairs passed above them. The ones downstairs emerged from the opposite side they had disappeared, having completed their circuit of the house. The lead pony halted at the door below the stairs, and they lined up shoulder-to-flank once again.
The moment the last one was in position, the lead pony threw open the door, and they poured through it, descending into the basement.
The upstairs team was just starting back down the stairs, rather more relaxed than when they had gone up, when one of the unicorns that had gone downstairs returned, horn glowing.
“Sir, we’ve found a pony!”
Sky found it rather concerning how the unicorn’s eyes had flicked over to him and Nictis.
Whether Aegis noticed or not, he looked back to them as well. “Come on,” he said, then turned and followed the other guard.
Exchanging glances, Sky and Nictis followed.
The stairway down into the basement was narrow and dark, lit only by the horns of the unicorns leading the way. A small part of Sky almost expected the basement to be some dank and decrepit pit, but of course, it was dry, clean, and well-maintained, as was fitting for a home in Canterlot.
Reaching the end of the stairway, they emerged into the basement, and he immediately saw the pony they had found.
She was a tall, lean, and elegant-looking unicorn mare, reminiscent of Nictis’s favored disguise. Unlike Meadow Song, however, this pony had a pale white coat, and a cutie mark of three symbols that Sky couldn’t quite place. They looked somewhat like stylized half-peeled cobs of corn.
She was also suspended upside-down in a changeling cocoon.
Another unicorn guard was crouched beside the cocoon, horn lit as he examined the apparently unconscious mare. On seeing their arrival, he nodded to Golden Aegis. “She seems to be in good condition. No obvious injuries, and her lifesigns are stable.”
Golden Aegis nodded, and looked to Nictis. “Looks like this would be your area of expertise.”
Nictis’s ear flicked, and Sky thought he saw a hint of a grimace. “I’ve barely even seen a cocooned pony before,” Nictis replied as he stepped up to the cocoon. His eyes narrowed as he peered in at the pony inside. “Though I’m familiar with the basics. If she’s in good condition, she should be perfectly safe, but we should probably get her out. Especially if we want to figure out why we’re here.”
Aegis nodded again. “Do it.”
Nictis ducked his head, then brought it back up, stabbing his horn into the bottom edge of the cocoon. Fluid gushed out as he tore a hole in the clear membrane. He stepped back, muzzle dripping, as the pony sunk downward. Sky and the nearby guard added their magic to Nictis’s as they gently slid the pony through the hole, floating her away from the cocoon and the expanding puddle in the center of the room before gently setting her on the ground.
The unicorn guard who had examined her before crouched beside her again, quickly repeating his scans, while Nictis and Sky stood on her opposite side, watching.
She looked to be in good shape, if rather messy. Her coat was ragged and unkempt, while her matted mane lay plastered wetly to her side, and she was thoroughly soaked by the fluids she had been suspended in, but she appeared to be in good health.
“Will she wake up on her own?” Aegis asked, and Nictis nodded.
“Yes. How long it takes will depend on how long she’s been in the cocoon, and how deeply they put her under, but she should start regaining consciousness at any moment.” A couple seconds later he frowned, a flicker of magic wicking away the remaining fluid from his face before a much larger wave of green fire washed over him. Sky gave a questioning look when the flames revealed the form of Meadow Song.
“She was abducted by changelings,” Nictis said in his disguise’s soft, feminine voice. “She may not like waking to the sight of a couple changelings looming over her.”
Sky frowned, but he nodded. His own magic flared as he took the old, familiar disguise of an orange pegasus.
The unconscious pony took a breath, but halted halfway into it as a sudden fit of coughing racked her body. Nictis knelt down, gently rolling her to the side. The coughs soon turned to retches, the wet sound filling the room as more of the fluids drained from her mouth. Soon the retches turned to coughing again, which in turned died off as well. “She had to clear the fluids from her lungs,” Nictis explained, lifting his hooves from her shoulder as he sat back. “She should be waking up soon, though I can’t say how coherent she will be.”
The phlegmy sounds of her breathing slowly cleared up, until she was resting peacefully. That lasted only a second before one of her forelegs twitched, followed by a soft groan. After a few almost inaudible murmurs, her foreleg moved again, and her eyes cracked open.
Nictis placed a hoof gently on her shoulder, speaking in a soft, reassuring voice. “It’s time to wake up.”
Her barely-open eyes blinked repeatedly as her head lifted. Her eyes were open only just enough to see her unfocused gaze as she looked around. Finally she spoke, in a voice that likely would have been quite beautiful if not for being so weak and slurred. “Why… why is everypony in my bedroom?”
“It’s okay,” the unicorn guard helpfully said as he finished his scans. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not worried,” she mumbled, head wobbling. Then Sky saw her eyes widen a bit, her legs tensing. “Why would I be worried?” She weakly demanded. “What should I be worried about?”
“Absolutely nothing,” Nictis cooed as he gently stroked a hoof along her shoulder. “You’ve just been asleep for a while.”
“Oh,” she replied, relaxing as she looked up at him, though she had difficulty focusing her eyes. Her expression turned confused. “Why am I wet and sticky?”
“We’ll get you cleaned up soon,” Nictis assured her.
“Oh,” she replied again. “Thank you.” She lifted a shaky hoof, blinking several times as she tried to focus on it. “I’m not bleeding, am I? Am I dying?”
Nictis smiled down at her. “No, you’re not.”
“Oh,” she said yet again. “Good.”
She let the hoof drop again as she looked slowly around. She stopped when she got to Sky, alternating between squinting and opening her eyes as much as she could, which admittedly, wasn’t much at the moment. Her expression turned to one of confusion as she studied his face as best she could, then his necklace, and finally his flank, before looking back to his face. “...Counselor Sky?”
Sky’s ears stood up in surprise. After exchanging a quick glance with Nictis, he nodded. “Yes… though I’m surprised you recognized me.”
She let her head fall back to the ground, raising a hoof to cover a yawn. “Oh, yes,” she blearily replied, giving a tired wave of her hoof. When she looked back, her eyes seemed a bit more focused, and her words weren’t slurred together quite as badly. “I make a point to know all the important ponies in Canterlot. Couldn’t… urgh.” She rubbed at her eyes a moment, groaning softly, before continuing. “I couldn’t get by in high society without knowing all the important names and faces, after all. Though I’m a little confused. Why are you… wearing your pony face?”
Sky gave an awkward smile. “Ah. We, uh… given the circumstances, we thought you might be uncomfortable waking up to a couple of changelings.”
“Nonsense,” she replied with another wave of her hoof. “Cepha has been around long enough that I am quite used to it.”
Cepha. That was a name Sky recognized. Cepha had moved to Canterlot to take up a job offered by one of Rarity’s friends, Fancy Pants. Suddenly, Sky knew who this mare was. “You must be Fleur de Lis.”
He also glanced back to her flank. So that’s what those look like.
“I am,” she replied with a weak smile. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Counselor Sky, though I would have preferred to meet you under different--” She stopped and looked around, blinking. “Actually, I’m not quite certain what the ‘circumstances’ are at the moment.”
Nictis reluctantly answered. “You had been put in a changeling cocoon. We just found and released you.”
Fleur’s ears perked up, and she blinked a few times as she processed the statement. She eventually raised a sodden hoof, peering at it. “...I suppose that explains this,” she said. Then her eyes widened as she planted her hooves on the floor, pushing herself up weakly. “Oh, my goodness, I’m sorry you had to see me in such a disgraceful state!”
Nicits and Sky both stepped in to help her to a sitting position, while reassuring her that it was perfectly okay. Once upright, she wobbled a little, but stayed up on her own, her blurry-eyed attention turned to Nictis. “You...” Her eyes dipped down to his necklace. “...must be Nictis.”
“I am,” he replied with a nod. Seeing that she was mostly stable, he stepped back, transforming back to his natural form. To her credit, Fleur didn’t flinch back at the flash of green flames, merely blinking some more at the brightness. She continued to stare at him for a few seconds before her attention slowly drifted away. After another moment of silence she shook her head, blinked, and looked down at herself, eyes widening again.
“No,” she said. “No, no. This will not do. I… I must fix this.” Her horn lit up, and Nictis moved in again, raising a hoof to her side.
“Easy,” he said, his tone gentle despite the complete change in voice. “You should be gentle with your magic until you’re fully recovered.”
“I have more than enough for this,” Fleur replied, attempting to wave off his concerns, though she aborted the gesture as the lack of support made her wobble further. Returning her hoof to the ground, she focused instead on her magic, the weak glow around her horn wavering significantly. Soon a shimmer appeared around her head, sweeping back over her body.
The change was dramatic, as all the moisture was wicked away and her hair quickly groomed in the magic’s wake. It was no professional job--Sky saw plenty of those during his spa trips--but it was a remarkable improvement.
“There, at least I’m somewhat presentable. That--” She wobbled further, groaning as her head drooped. “Oh. Oh my, that took more out of me than I expected. I… I may need to rest a moment.”
“Take your time,” Sky said, blinking in surprise at his own voice. He shed his disguise in a flash. “There, that’s better.”
Seeing that she was recovering nicely, Aegis stepped up and removed his helmet. “Missis Fleur de Lis,” he said as he bowed his head. “I am Captain Golden Aegis of Their Highnesses’ Royal Guard. Counselor Sky and Nictis are aiding in certain investigations, and I’m sure they will have some questions for you regarding what happened. For the moment, however, once you’ve recovered enough to travel, I would like to take you to Canterlot General, just as a precaution.”
“Of course, thank you,” she replied with a gentle smile, though her nodding head still wavered wearily. At least her gaze was more focused, and it quickly returned to looking around, finally settling on the deflated cocoon in the center of the room. “Where am I? And… how long was I in that… thing?”
“You’re still in Canterlot,” Sky told her, “in a house in the upper city. As for how long, we’re not certain.”
“A few days, most likely,” Nictis added. “Possibly a week.”
Sky noted he didn’t ask for recent events that might pin that time down. Apparently it wasn’t time for questions just yet.
“A few…” She blinked silently for a couple seconds before her eyes widened with a sudden intake of breath. “I must return home!” she declared, lurching up to her hooves. Her legs wobbled drunkenly, hooves sliding a bit on the damp floor. Both Sky and Aegis moved in to help before she could fall, but Sky was closer, stepping in close to her side to offer support. She mumbled a weak “Thank you” in reply as she leaned against him, and began the laborious process of walking.
The slick floor produced a few slips and skids, and the narrow staircase made for slow progress, but her weight steadily lifted from his shoulder as they made their way up. On reaching the entryway, she halted, weight lifting entirely as she stood on her own. She raised her head, eyes closed as she took a couple deep breaths, and opened them, her eyes focused once again. “Okay. Let us go.”
Her steps were slow and careful, but her legs were no longer wobbling whenever she put any weight on them. One hoof after the next, Fleur de Lis walked out the front door.
A small crowd had gathered a respectful distance back, undoubtedly drawn in by the sight of the Royal Guard raiding a house in their neighborhood. While not a main street, there were several dozen ponies curiously watching, with more passing by.
Sky saw Fleur de Lis’s jaw tense for just a moment before relaxing and putting on a pleasant smile.
As they made their way to the street, Golden Aegis called back. While a few of the guards remained at the house, the rest quickly fell into formation. A couple even moved forward to clear the way, though the thin crowd parted on its own, ponies murmuring among themselves.
Sky could feel a hint of embarrassment from Fleur, though she made no outward sign of it.
“Fleur de Lis!” A unicorn stepped out from the crowd. He was short of breath but trying to hide it, and held a notepad and pencil in his magic. “Quick Word, from the Canterlot Times. Can you tell us what’s happened here?”
“Oh, nothing to worry about,” she replied, turning her smile to him. Her tone was almost playful, with no sign of the fatigue that had filled her voice earlier. “I’d love to stay and talk all about it, but at the moment I want nothing more than to go home and rest. Perhaps we can talk later?”
“Any comment at all that might tell us what’s going on?” he pressed.
Golden Aegis took the opportunity to step in. “We can’t comment in too much detail, as this is part of an ongoing investigation. We believe Fleur de Lis was the intended victim of a crime, but I’m afraid that’s all we can say at the moment.” The murmurs intensified at the news, though there were no further interruptions. Quick Word simply scribbled in his pad for a moment before galloping off.
Once they had passed the crowd, Fleur’s smile vanished, a faint tingling of fear reaching Sky’s senses. Her pace picked up smoothly, and before long they were travelling at a brisk walk.
Fortunately, they didn’t have far to go. After only a few blocks, they approached the gate of a sizable estate. As Fleur’s magic opened it, she finally cast aside the pretense of elegance and broke into a trot. The sense of fear had grown stronger, and her eyes were wide, fixed on the front door of the large house.
Sky and Nictis stayed right on her heels, the guards hustling along after them.
Fleur threw open the front doors as she rushed in, calling out, “Fancy!”
The stallion in question turned from the housekeeper he had been talking with, and the smile on his face vanished as he looked between her and the Royal Guard escort, all quickly filing into the grand entryway. “Fleur? What’s wrong?”
She stepped forward, looking ready to run to him, but then halted again. “Fancy? Is it really you?”
With a confused expression, he approached. “Hmm? Of course it… is…” His eyes widened a bit, ears standing up alertly.
Golden Aegis stepped up. “Sir, I’d like to perform a simple dispelling, for everypony’s safety.”
Fancy Pants blinked a couple times at him before finally nodding. “Y-yes. Yes, of course.”
With a nod, Golden Aegis’s horn lit up, sending a faint flicker of magic across Fancy Pants. He followed up with a moment of consideration before turning the same spell on Fleur de Lis, to no more effect. Finally, he nodded.
With a relieved sigh, Fleur stepped forward, wrapping her forelegs tightly around a shocked Fancy Pants, who lifted a single foreleg to return the gesture with. He seemed too stunned to speak for a moment, but he finally managed. “What happened…?”
When Fleur didn’t speak up, Sky stepped forward. “We found her in a cocoon. She’d been abducted by a changeling we’re trying to track down.”
“A cocoon?” Fancy Pants repeated, then turned his head to Fleur. “You mean… it wasn’t you?”
Fleur shook her head, burying her muzzle against his neck, and with a relieved sigh Fancy Pants wrapped his other foreleg around her as well, the pair of them sitting as they hugged. “Oh… oh thank Celestia you’re okay. I’m sorry. I should have known something was wrong. I should have seen…”
They were gathering a crowd, once again. Several more household staff turned up, including the changeling Sky recognized as Cepha. Their eyes met for a moment, giving a little flash of friendly recognition before their attention returned to Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis. All of them looked concerned, though none approached the couple
The housekeeper Fancy had been talking to, a brown earth pony mare, went straight to Cepha. After whispering a few words, Cepha’s expression turned to one of shock, a hoof moving up to his mouth. That reaction caught the attention of several others, and after a bit of prompting, he turned and whispered to them, many of whom reacted in the same way.
When the pair finally parted, Fleur was smiling, and that was all it took for Fancy Pants to smile again, as well.
Nictis quietly spoke up. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping you could answer a few questions. They might help find the changeling responsible for this.”
Fleur quickly wiped a hoof across her cheek before nodding. “Yes. Yes, of course. I’d be quite happy to help.”
“In that case, do you have any idea when you were abducted?”
After a moment of consideration, she shook her head. “I don’t know. I think I remember… going to bed the night of Bell Toll’s gathering.”
“A week ago,” Fancy Pants said. “Of course.” He brushed a hoof along the side of her neck. “I’m so sorry, my dear. I should have known… no, I did know something was wrong, I just never imagined…”
“What was wrong?” Nictis asked.
Fancy was quiet for a moment, continuing to stroke gently along Fleur’s neck. “Fleur has always been such a lighthearted, playful, and utterly charming mare. She is the most delightful pony I have ever had the good fortune of knowing.” The couple shared a smile, until Fancy Pants reluctantly turned to Nictis, his expression growing more serious. “That… impostor… I knew there was something wrong. She knew just how to act, but there was something cold in there. It was subtle at first, but it was there.”
He sighed, shaking his head, and again looked to Fleur. “I am sorry, my dear. I feel so ashamed that I should mistake that impostor for you.”
Fleur leaned in, nuzzling into his neck. “No need for shame, dear.”
“If you don’t mind,” Nictis said, “what do you mean by ‘cold?’”
“At first, I thought she was just feeling down,” Fancy Pants replied, shaking his head. “Fleur’s always been friendly with everypony, but this Fleur… she was distant at times, mostly with the staff. Especially with Cepha.”
He glanced back to the changeling, who nodded faintly in return, before looking back to Nictis. “In fact, she voiced a few concerns about changelings that seemed particularly unusual, all things considered. They were always voiced in such mild ways, and she quickly retracted them, but it was enough to be concerning.”
He shook his head again. “It was all little stuff, here and there, but it was worrying. Other ponies were noticing, too.” He turned a smile to Fleur. “It’s such a relief to have you back.”
She giggled softly. “It’s a relief to be back.”
His expression softened, looking to her with a touch of concern. “You are well, then?”
“As well as can be expected for sleeping a whole week,” she replied as she rose, standing far more elegantly than she had before. “Although I must say,” she added with a playful smirk, “it was a far more exhausting experience than I would have expected.”
Fancy’s smile turned into a full grin at that, while she put on a mock-concerned expression. “Although I’ve missed a whole week of grooming and aerobics, and I’m sure I’m hopelessly out of touch for current events by now.”
“It has been an interesting week,” Fancy Pants said. A moment later he looked back to Sky, Nictis, and the squad of guards standing in his entryway. “Oh, dear.” He quickly stood, offering a smile. “I’m afraid I’m not being a very gracious host, am I? You’ve done so much for Fleur and myself, and here I am neglecting you.”
One of the servants, a dark-red unicorn stallion, quickly stepped up. “Sir, shall I bring refreshments for your guests?”
“Yes, thank you, Cherry. That would be excellent,” Fancy Pants said with a smile and a nod.
Cherry nodded, turned, and trotted off.
“Now then,” Fancy Pants said, looking over the small crowd gathered before him, “Words can not express just how much this means to me. I want to thank you, all of you, for finding and rescuing my wife. Fleur de Lis means everything to me. If there is ever anything I can do for any of you, you need merely ask.”
Fleur leaned in against his side, smiling. “And I, as well. Thank you all.”
“We were glad to help,” Golden Aegis replied. “The opportunity to aid the ponies of Equestria is what drew all of us to the Guard.”
“And that sort of dedication should be rewarded, I think,” Fancy Pants said with a grin. “Now, I imagine you have more questions you need to ask. Let us go to the sitting room; we may as well be comfortable while we do this, yes?”
A few more of the household staff were arriving, and Cherry made his return. He froze for a moment upon stepping into the hall, looking to the guards in surprise, then concern, before continuing toward Fancy Pants.
A chill passed through Sky at the same instant a buzzing of wings exploded beside him. He looked up to see Nictis shoot up into the air, a foreleg jabbing out toward the ponies before them. “Check all of them!” he shouted. “Sky! Chirrup! Thunder! Follow me!”
Sky was moving before Nicits had even said his name. In an instant they had blown past Cherry, passing through the doorway the startled pony had just stepped out of.
Nictis and Sky swerved and darted down the hallway, pausing just long enough to peer into a small storage room along the side of the hall before continuing on. They burst into the kitchen, the pair of armored Royal Guard fliers charging in after them.
Sky darted to the side and around an oven, while Nictis swept right over the large central table. They crossed paths again on the other side of the room, flying through the only other door and into a large pantry. Again they split, hurtling down different aisles, until they reached the door on the far side.
Nictis threw the door open with his magic, and the four of them flew out into the backyard of the estate.
Sky immediately pulled up, shooting up above the roof before pulling a tight loop into a hover. He quickly scanned all around, adrenaline pumping, his body demanding action. He was unsurprised when he found nothing suspicious. After a few moments he pitched back, pulling another loop to shoot straight down to Nictis.
As he pulled level, Thunder Chaser drew up close to the pair of them. “So, Niccy,” he asked, “was that what I think it was?”
“She was here!” Nictis growled. “She was right there, in a room with a dozen guards and two Infiltrators, and we didn’t have a clue!”
“Yeah,” Sky replied with a grimace. “But why?”
Nictis’s snarl disappeared, and after a moment’s consideration, he nodded. “Let’s get back to the others.”
At a much more relaxed pace, they returned the way they came. When they emerged again in the entry hall, the unicorns of the Guard were checking over the last of the household staff, who were talking anxiously among themselves.
Nictis flew over to Golden Aegis and landed beside him. “Apologies if I overstepped. I felt time was of the essence.”
Aegis nodded; he didn’t look pleased, but neither did he look upset. “I understand. We’ve been placed at Miss Tea’s disposal, and I understand that she has appointed you to act in her stead when she is absent.”
“All the same, I’ll try to avoid doing that in the future, if possible.”
Meanwhile, Sky approached the gathered ponies. He was just opening his mouth to speak when Cherry turned to him, urgently asking, “Was that a changeling?”
Sky shut his mouth, blinked, and opened it to reply, only to be cut off again.
“I mean, a different changeling,” Cherry clarified. “Because he looked just like Cepha, but when I arrived here, I found Cepha already waiting for me.”
Sky shut his mouth again, and simply stared at the pony for a couple seconds before replying. “Why don’t you just tell me what happened, um… Cherry, was it?”
“Yes,” the pony replied with a nod.
Nictis stepped up beside Sky, asking, “Do you have a last name?”
“Yes, of course I do,” Cherry replied with a tight frown.
After a moment, he added, “It’s Bouquet.”
“Cherry Bouquet,” Nictis said. “And what happened?”
“Cepha--that is, somepony who looked just like Cepha--came into the kitchen and told me that Fancy Pants wanted to speak with me right away in the entry hall.” He frowned again. “I hadn’t expected to see half the Royal Guard in here, or to be almost run over by a pair of angry changelings.”
Surprisingly, it was Cepha himself who responded, stepping up and placing a hoof gently on Cherry’s shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on them,” he said. “They were just trying to catch that other changeling. He’s probably the same one who abducted Fleur de Lis, after all.”
Cherry was silent for a moment, but finally nodded to Cepha. “Okay.” To Sky and Nictis, he continued, “Anyway, after talking to me, he continued on into the pantry. I didn’t consider why he might be going there, I just put down what I was doing and came out to see what Fancy Pants wanted.”
“Thank you,” Sky said, and Nictis nodded as well.
Several guards were trotting off in pairs as Sky and Nictis returned to Fancy Pants. The stallion greeted them with a smile, though they could feel the concern he was feeling. “I assume you must have some questions you wish to ask us?”
“We do,” Nictis said, and Fancy nodded.
“Come,” he said, indicating one of the large double doors leading out of the main hall. “Let’s sit and talk, while these fine ponies finish their search.
The room he led them was spacious, with several chairs, cushions, and couches. Bookcases lined three walls, interrupted by the occasional picture or statue, while the fourth was filled by large windows that looked out over the thin slice of city between them and the open sky beyond.
Fleur laid herself out on one of the couches, giving a good appearance of elegance, though nobody missed the faint, relieved sigh as she relaxed. “Nothing to worry about,” she assured them with a smile. “My legs took an entire week off, and they’re rather unhappy about going straight back to work. Nothing a bit of exercise won’t cure, I’m sure.”
The rest of them sat as Nictis addressed Fancy Pants. “You said the changeling who impersonated Fleur voiced unusual concerns about changelings. Could you clarify?”
“Yes, of course,” Fancy said. “That’s one thing that has me perplexed. She kept bringing up little concerns and doubts. She’d muse about the possibility of some changeling being a spy, or question if they were just being nice to coax out some food.”
Fancy gestured a hoof toward Nictis. “She always had something to say about you, any time your name came up in the news, and I’m afraid it was never favorable.” He shook his head. “It was particularly strange, since Fleur was the one who had encouraged me to hire on Cepha in the first place, and she had never once had a complaint of him.”
“Cepha’s been doing well, then?” Sky asked.
“Quite well,” Fancy replied. “I dare say he’s one of my better hires. I was a little reluctant to hire him, of course. It was nothing against his species, but a question of ability. Managing a mining team and managing a household staff are rather different jobs, after all. Still, it seems having a natural empath with an interest in keeping ponies happy can do wonders for morale. Merry Hearth left some big horseshoes to fill with her retirement, and he still has a fair bit to learn, but I couldn’t be happier with the results.”
Fleur chuckled softly. “I’ve dealt with many a show manager in the past. I know from experience just how much difference a bit of empathy can make.”
“You see?” Fancy said with a chuckle, though it faded quickly. “I really should have known something was wrong. Even Cepha came to me, worried that he’d done something to disappoint Fleur. When I asked her about it later… she didn’t say anything directly against him, but what she did say implied the same kinds of doubts.”
He sighed, shaking his head. “It simply doesn’t make sense to me. Why would a changeling impersonate my wife, and then try to convince me changelings were untrustworthy?”
“Chrysalis is upset with the number of changelings leaving the hive,” Nictis replied. “It seems she was trying to stem the tide by encouraging anti-changeling sentiments in Equestria.”
Fancy Pants frowned, considering that for a moment. “That strikes me as a rather backwards way of solving the problem.”
“I would have said ‘moronic,’ myself,” Nictis said. “But it fits with her worldview and her pride. Fortunately, the negotiations seem to have diverted her attention toward a much more satisfying solution.”
“Negotiations?” Fleur asked, cocking an eyebrow. “What’s this, now?”
Sky chuckled softly. “It’s been a busy week. We’re working out the final details of a peace agreement with Chrysalis. It’s mostly just hammering out the fine details, now, but it should benefit both Equestria and the hive.”
“Of course, Chrysalis is probably only going along with it because she sees it as a way to more power,” Nictis said with a faint grimace.
“I see,” Fleur de Lis said, looking off thoughtfully. “It appears I have some catching up to do.”
Nictis turned his attention back to Fancy Pants. “Well… I suppose the next step will be to go over everything this false Fleur de Lis did. Everywhere she went, what she did and who she talked with, all of that. The more we know about this changeling and what they were doing, the better.”
“That may take a while,” Fancy replied. “While the past week was not exceptional, we were still rather busy. Quite a few engagements and all.” He considered it for a few moments before smiling and rising to his hooves. “Let me bring Cepha in, and I will fetch us some parchment and quills. There’s quite a bit to go over, and I’ll be quite happy to record everything we can remember, if it might offer some opportunity to discover what this impostor is up to.”





“She’s playing us,” Nictis grumbled.
“Seems that way,” Subtle agreed from where she sat, perched on the edge of the large table. Nictis paced back and forth between her and where Sky sat on a cushion. The grand Canterlot Castle architecture made the large room feel particularly empty with only the three of them present. “The question is, why?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Nictis replied. He turned, finally coming to a halt. “She’s been fishing for reactions. She instigates a confrontation with Sky and Rainbow Dash, but then doesn’t attack--”
“She threw a table at us.”
“--She shows up at Spark and my outing but does nothing except let us know she was there, she sends Sky a letter leading us to a cocooned pony, and then sends a pony to us that she’d just been impersonating just to let us know she was there. I can only think of two reasons she’d do that.”
He sat, lifting a forehoof. “One, she’s trying to distract us from something. Not something immediate, since most of these events didn’t cause much disruption, but they could be attempts to throw us off her actual plan.”
“Eh, I doubt that,” Sky said. “Seems a bit reckless. If Dash or I had been a little quicker, we might have grabbed her, and it’s not like we had the slightest clue what she was doing before then.”
“And giving up Fleur de Lis seems to be giving up a strategic resource,” Subtle added. “Both a source of food and power, and a position alongside an influential pony. If she could guarantee some gain for it, I might see it as a possibility, but you just handed me a complete log of all her activities this week, thanks to this. This cost her, and I doubt any skilled Infiltrator would accept such a cost without getting something out of it.”
Sky smirked. “Well, we are going on Chrysalis’s word that she’s skilled.”
Nictis snorted softly in amusement before lowering his hoof to raise the other. “Two, our reactions were what she was after.”
Subtle silently nodded.
“Just to see how we reacted at the time?” Sky asked. “Because the only change that came outside of that has been the Royal Guard escorts Dash has been complaining about.”
“I understand she wasn’t terribly happy of that decision,” Subtle noted.
“She dubbed them the ‘no fun patrol’ and spent the entire evening losing them in the city,” Sky replied, grinning.
“I understand the guards weren’t too happy with the decision, either,” Subtle added with a matching grin. “I even hear some guards were considering using that job as a punishment for slacking pegasi.”
“Yes, Sky,” Nictis cut in, “I think it was to see our reaction. It’s the only thing that makes even partial sense to me, though I’m still not sure what that gets her.”
“Know your enemy,” Subtle said with a shrug.
“Yes,” Nictis said. “But what does she know from it? What was she looking for, and how does that help us?”
“Well,” Sky said, idly tapping a hoof on his knee, “she’s not just going after pony-and-changeling pairs, any more, but she’s still been targeting couples.”
Nictis frowned.
“Three times is looking like a pattern,” Subtle said, nodding.
“Yeah,” Nictis agreed. “Setting Fleur de Lis free didn’t, but it led directly into an encounter that did. Then again, there was a changeling involved there, too. He just wasn’t as centrally involved.”
“Hmm,” Subtle mused, as the room descended into silence. It only lasted a couple seconds before she suddenly spoke up again. “Oh! That reminds me, I tracked that letter you were given, Sky. Went through five different sets of hooves before we found where it started. Ends up, it was handed to one of the guards at the main gate by none other than Fleur de Lis herself.”
“Of course it was her,” Nictis grumbled.
Sky just shrugged. “It was probably too optimistic to expect anything more.”
“I know,” Nictis said. “What about the house we found her in?”
“Found out some more about the couple that owns it,” Subtle said. “They work for Fancy Pants, too, just not at his estate. They’re both on vacation to the Crystal Empire. Doubt there’s anything more there, but I sent a message north to make sure they’re okay.”
They went silent again. Nobody moved, all thinking away, until Subtle shrugged. “Well, we need more information, and it’s not going to magically show up just by wishing for it.” She lifted a thick stack of parchments. “You two go relax. I’ve got some reading to do. Some of these entries look promising.”
Sky’s ears perked up. “Think anything will lead to her?”
“Nah,” Subtle replied. “She had to know we’d learn all this, so she’s almost certainly distanced herself from anything we’d find. It won’t lead us to her, but it may tell us what she’s been doing.”
“And I get the impression it’s not going to be quite as simple as Chrysalis thinks it is.” Nictis sighed as he stood up. “Well, if that’s it… I think I’ll go see what Spark is up to. I was hoping I could spend some more time with him, and I doubt I’m going to be very productive sitting around, stewing on partial information.”
“Oh, yeah,” Subtle said. “If you wanted to get out of the castle for a while, you might be able to hook up with Skiris, Trip, and Cara. They arranged to head out to see the city and get some food. Guards are all ready and everything.”
“Maybe,” Nictis said, though he frowned a little. “I’m not sure that hanging out with a bunch of changelings is really what he’s looking for.” Still, he considered it. “Where were they planning on going?”
“Where else do visiting changelings go for food and drinks?” she replied with a grin and a gesture toward Sky.
“I really should ask Sunflower if I can get a cut of all the business I send her way,” Sky said, grinning. “Or maybe just a free drink.”
Nictis gave an amused snort. “Yeah. Maybe. I’ll see what Spark thinks.”
Sky chuckled, then looked back to Subtle. “Hey, speaking of which--”
“Last I checked, Rainbow Dash was listening to Twilight and Chrysalis hammer out the final details of the negotiations,” Subtle replied, still grinning. “And by ‘listening,’ I mean ‘annoying them with her snoring.’”
“Hah! Thanks, Subtle,” Sky said as he took to the air. “You’re kinda awesome.”
She chuckled and waved the stack of parchments. “You two go have fun. I’m going to get busy reading. So many secrets. And don’t you worry, I’ll give you a call if I come across anything juicy.”
They said goodbye, and the pair of changelings headed to the door, while Subtle turned her attention to the parchments. “Okay, princess. Let’s see what you’ve been up to.”