//------------------------------// // Stalemate // Story: Mirage // by Trump-12 //------------------------------// Applebloom peeked through the curtains. "They're coming! Get ready." The three of them rushed into their agreed battle formation (Applebloom at the door with a thrown together catapult and some old rotten apples they found under the table, Sweetie keeping watch at the window, and Mirage at the back of the tree house, using her spells. An amplified version of Twilight's voice came through the walls. "Scootaloo, we know you're in there, and we know you're a changeling. Come out quietly and nopony has to get hurt." Applebloom opened the door slightly and launched an apple. A squelching sound could be heard, followed by a scream. "Ew, ew, ew. Get it off, get it off!" Twilight's voice returned. "Mature. You have a minute to come out, or we're coming in. We took down a massive group of changelings in Canterlot, so one on its own shouldn't take us long." Mirage finally responded. "Good luck with that!" she called. "Chrysalis' drones were a bunch of starving pansies who couldn't understand friendship if it bit them on the flank. I have ten years of training in changeling magic, royal blood, and a pair of friends who love me for who I am. In tactical terms, an unlimited power supply. "That means I can do this..." A sphere of green light formed around the clubhouse. "For as long as I want. I don't want to hurt anypony, Twilight. I just want to be allowed to live my life, and let everypony else live theirs." Applejack sidled up to Twilight. "Uh, Twi? Did she just say royal blood?" Twilight groaned. "Unfortunately." Applejack looked at the green barrier. "Think she can maintain it?" "If she's even half as strong as Chrysalis, then yes. Easily." "Think she's tellin' the truth about not wantin' trouble?" "I don't know, Applejack. She didn't have the Crusaders mind controlled, which means they're following her out of personal loyalty. If she wanted to cause trouble, I doubt they would stand by her like this." "So, what do we do now?" Twilight sighed. "If she's telling the truth, and she really doesn't want to hurt anypony, she might be willing to negotiate." She looked back up at the tree house and reactivated the amplification spell. "If you want to talk peacefully, step out onto the balcony. You can keep the shield up if you want, but I'd like to see who I'm talking with." There was silence for a moment. Slowly the door opened, and out stepped Applebloom. Sweetie Belle quickly followed, and behind her was the being they assumed to be Scootaloo. The comparison to Chrysalis was unnerving. This changeling had none of the holes which had covered Chrysalis and her army, making her just as imposing, despite her smaller stature. The changeling spoke in a voice similar to Scootaloo's, but with the same buzzing undertone as Chrysalis had. "You want to talk. Let's talk." "Scootaloo -" Twilight started before being interrupted. "Mirage. My name is Princess Mirage." "Princess? Then your mother is -" "Queen Imago of Everfree Hive." "Who?" Mirage sighed, "Another queen, duh." "How are you related to Chrysalis?" Mirage stared at her. "I'm not. "Don't lump all changelings together just because one queen went mad with power. Chrysalis only ruled about a tenth of us, the rest of us think she was insane. Claiming that all changelings agree with Chrysalis is like us suggesting that all ponies think eternal night would be a great idea." Several eyes widened with that comment. "So, if you want to base your opinions on us on our version of Nightmare Moon, go right ahead. I'll stay right here until my mother sends someling to rescue me." She sat down for emphasis. Twilight looked at Applejack. "Do you think she's telling the truth?" "Ah dunno, Twi. Ah wanna believe her, but changelings are natural born liars." She looked up at the changeling sitting on the balcony. "Mirage," she called. "If you don't want trouble, why all this?" "You expect me to just let you arrest me when I haven't done anything? You wish. I've heard the way ponies have talked about changelings this past week, and I know that there's no way in Tartarus I'd get a fair trial. So no, I won't let you arrest me. I'm staying right here." Twilight couldn't deny Mirage's words. Ponies everywhere were terrified of changelings, simply because they could be anypony. Even an innocent changeling would be condemned by an Equestrian court at the moment. "What do you want, Mirage?" "You obviously don't have the authority to decide not to arrest me; I am a changeling after all. I want to speak to somepony who does." Applebloom was seen to jump up and whisper in Mirage's ear. The changeling laughed before continuing. "We also want three bags of Bon Bon's best bon bons, two packs of sugar-coated daisies, four of chocolate swirls since I don't like the daisies and three bags of deluxe toffees." Twilight sighed yet again. This was going to be a long day. Applebloom looked at Mirage curiously. "Why didn't you ask for strawberry delights?" The changeling smirked. "You'll see. One way or another, we'll be out of here sooner, rather than later." Lyra looked at Bon Bon suspiciously. The confectioner was behaving as she always did. Bubbly and cheerful, and just a little bit flirtatious when nopony was around, she was Bon Bon through and through. Or was she? Was the Bon Bon she knew just a mask? If she was the changeling from last night, she had done an incredible job of hiding the truth. But other details suddenly made sense. Bon Bon had claimed that her parents died when she was young, but she never spoke of an orphanage or of foster parents. Lyra had written it off as not wanting to talk about a bad experience, but now she wondered if it was just conservation of detail. The less she said, the less likely she would be caught in a lie. Lyra was just making the decision to test her suspicion when Pinkie Pie appeared from behind one of the sweet stands. She hadn't seen Pinkie come in, but given that this was a mare who broke all known laws of physics and magic on a regular basis, that didn't mean much. "Hi Bon Bon!" Bon Bon smiled. "Hi, Pinkie. What can I get you today?" "I need lots of packs of sweets. Three of deluxe toffees and premium bon bons, two of sugared daisies and four of chocolate swirls." Lyra knew Bon Bon better than anypony, which was why she noticed the slight change in her expression. It wasn't much, just a minor narrowing of her eyes which meant she was suddenly taking this conversation seriously. "OK, Pinkie." She started pulling boxes of sweets out from under the counter. "How's your day going, anyway?" "Great, but it got a little scary for a bit." "How so?" "Oh, Scootaloo's a changeling princess and all three Crusaders have sealed themselves in the clubhouse." "What?!" Bon Bon shouted, but Lyra was no longer listening. She thought back to the previous night, and had to admit that it added up. Mirage had told her that she spent most of her time in Ponyville, and several of her mannerisms had been vaguely familiar. Now that she had a specific pony to compare with, it made sense. She was certain that Mirage was the changeling they had cornered. Now she just had to decide how she felt about that. So lost in thought was she, that she hardly noticed Bon Bon close up the shop and run upstairs. Dear Princess Celestia, You may remember, from previous letters, a young filly named Scootaloo, a member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and one of the flower fillies at Cadence's wedding. It was last night discovered that 'Scootaloo' is, and in fact always has been, a changeling, but when we prepared to confront her about this, the other Crusaders alerted her to our intentions. All three of them are now sealed in their tree house behind a powerful shield. Scootaloo, or Princess Mirage as she calls herself claims to be the daughter of another queen, unrelated to Chrysalis. She also claimed that Chrysalis only ruled approximately one tenth of the total population of changelings, and that most others believe she went mad with power and will step in if she acts out again. Princess Mirage wishes to speak with somepony who can overturn the order for her arrest for being a changeling. I do not have such an authority, so I request that you please send somepony who does. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle Queen Imago, Your daughter has been exposed. She and her friends are at the clubhouse with the Elements surrounding them. Bon Bon