//------------------------------//
// Chapter 32 - Flaws In The Theory 
// Story: Second Chances, Many Changes 
// by ASGeek2012 
//------------------------------//

"Really, Candy, I'm all right," Sweetie Belle said in a soft voice, though she was no more anxious than me to break off the embrace. I had all but scooped her up as soon as she stepped off the train. I blushed faintly as the other ponies looked on, but I didn't care. I caught Princess Luna smiling out of the corner of my eye.

"We kept an eye on her the whole time," Apple Bloom said.

"Yeah, even though we could've been up front getting our monster-fighting cutie marks," said Scootaloo.

"Too bad there ain't no protectin' Sweetie Belle cutie mark, or we woulda gotten ours fer sure!"

Sweetie Belle giggled. She clung to me when I partially broke off the embrace at Rarity's approach. Rarity had not looked very happy when she had first disembarked, but now her lips curled into a smile as she gazed at us.

Rainbow Dash flew off the train. "For the last time, AJ, I'm a pegasus! I know a flying critter when I see one. It had to be a huge bug of some sort."

Applejack trotted out after her. "An' I've been a farmer earth pony my whole dang adult life. I don't care if it had wings, I know a bear when I see one."

"Well maybe one too many apples fell on your head, because that was a big bug!"

"Consarn it, Rainbow, git the clouds outta yer noggin! It was a bear!"

"Bug!"

"Bear!"

"Bug!"

"Bear!"

"Oh, enough, already!" Rarity snapped. "You two have been arguing about it all the way to the station. I'm tired of hearing it."

Scootaloo's ears drooped. "Now I really do wish we got to see it."

"Yeah, tell me 'bout it," Apple Bloom said. "Sure woulda been neat seein' a bear big enough ta stop a whole train!"

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "Um, Rainbow Dash said it was a bug."

"Yeah, but Applejack knows these things. It was a bear all right."

Scootaloo frowned and turned to face her friend. "Rainbow wouldn't make a mistake like that. It was a bug!"

Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes. "Well, she did now, an' it was a bear!"

"Bug!"

"Bear!"

"Bug!"

"Bear!"

Sweetie Belle tightened her hug. "Candy, make them stop, please?"

I had already grown as tired of hearing it as Rarity. "Girls, please, cut it out. No use in arguing about it."

Twilight trotted off the train, followed by Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. "Especially since you may all be right," Twilight announced. "I think that creature shared aspects of both."

I broke off the embrace fully with Sweetie Belle, though she stood close to me. "Just what happened?"

Twilight approached me. "First of all, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Princess Luna was with me the whole time."

Twilight turned to Luna. "Thank you, Princess, I really appreciate this."

"It was my pleasure, Twilight," said Luna. "If you have things in hoof now, I will return to Canterlot."

"Yes, we can take it from here."

Luna turned to me. "It was good to see you again, Candy Swirl. Hopefully we can meet again under less dire circumstances."

I smiled. "Thanks."

She wrapped a wing around me briefly before leaping into the air. She rose for a few wing-beats before vanishing in a flicker of teleportation magic.

"To answer your question, Candy, we were attacked by a creature I had never seen before," said Twilight. "I thought for sure that the attack was some sort of diversion arranged by Sevfivtoo in order to strike at you in Ponyville, but none of my wards tripped."

"Something did happen while you were gone, but it had to do with Cherry," I said. "I wasn't attacked. The changeling may not be intending to do that."

"Yes, you mentioned that in the letter when you explained your encounter with Discord."

Rarity trotted over to us, a look of disdain on her face. "If Discord is to be believed. After the Gala, I'm having my doubts."

"Still, he's given us valid clues in the past." Twilight looked thoughtful. "And if that's true here, this attack may have been unrelated."

"That don't sit right with me, Twi," said Applejack as she and the others approached. "Jus' seems too convenient that this here bear--"

"Bug!" Rainbow snapped.

"Bugbear!" Pinkie chirped. The other ponies stared at her. "Bearbug, maybe? Or something fancier, like Pandabee? How about Ursawasp? Or maybe Fluttershy should name it!"

Fluttershy swallowed. "Um, all I know is, it was scary. It didn't even respond to my stare."

"Scarybear, then," Pinkie said. "Scarybug? Buggyscare? Or maybe--"

"Bugbear it is," Twilight announced. "At least until I do some research on it."

"Whatever ya wanna call the consarned thing," said Applejack. "I don't like the timin'."

"I still say I should've followed it," Rainbow grumbled, folding her forelegs.

"I didn't want to separate us, Rainbow, in case that had been the intent," said Twilight. "And I'm not going to take any chances, Applejack. I'll assume a connection unless I discover otherwise."

"At least it looked like it was headin' away from Ponyville," said Applejack. "Last thing we need is worryin' 'bout that thing attackin' the town."

"So you really don't know for sure if this had anything to do with the changelings?" I asked.

"Nothing happened on the train when they went to fight the monster," Sweetie Belle said.

"Yeah, and we stuck together the whole time," said Apple Bloom.

"They weren't even gone very long," said Scootaloo.

"Felt like a while to me," said Rainbow Dash. "But time seems to slow down when I'm being awesome."

"It sure do fer those hearin' 'bout it over and over," Applejack muttered.

Sweetie looked up at me. "Twilight scanned everypony on the train afterward, too. Not a single changeling anywhere."

"Let's head back into town," said Twilight. "Candy, can you come by the castle this afternoon and tell me what happened with Cherry?"

I nodded. "Sure. I'll need my shield spell renewed anyway."

"It should have another day or two of charge left on it."

I ran a hoof through my mane. "Uh, well, that's part of what happened. Cherry tapped into its energy to talk to me in my dream."

Twilight's pupils shrank slightly. "Really? I didn't know she could do that. Did she tell you how she--?"

"Perhaps it would be best to renew her spell now, darling," said Rarity. "Just to be safe."

"That's a good idea." Twilight's horn lighted. "Candy? Stand still, please."

As Twilight applied her magic to my pendant, Rarity turned to me. "I thought we'd head back to the boutique first for some lunch. I'm rather famished after our escapades."

I felt the familiar tingle pass over me just before Twilight lifted her head and said, "There."

"Thanks," I said.

"Come along, Candy, Sweetie," said Rarity.

I fell into step alongside Rarity, Sweetie Belle trotting alongside me. "I, um, heard about the incident at the Gala," I said.

Rarity frowned. "Worst. Gala. Ever. Do you know how well green ooze comes out of chiffon?"

"Um, well ..."

"It doesn't. And I won't even begin to describe the sheer embarrassment of having my dress taken off in front of everypony! Add being a pervert to the list of Discord's crimes."

I raised an eyebrow. "But, wait ... if we all don't wear anything ... um ... then why ... uh ..."

"Yes, dear?"

I shook my head. "You know what? Not important. Maybe it was good I didn't attend after all."

"I did miss you, Candy," said Sweetie Belle. "Did you miss me?"

I glanced down and smiled. "Of course I missed you. I'm very glad you got back safe."

"I'm looking forward to spending more time with you."

"So am I."

She smiled, and I felt better. At least it was one less thing to worry about now.





I tried not to appear impatient as Twilight took on a thoughtful look at the conclusion of my tale. All I had left out was the part about wanting to get Michelle a new body. She slowly paced the length of her library, her hooves echoing in the uneasy silence. Spike fidgeted as he glanced between Twilight and me.

I finally had to prompt her. "Twilight, you don't really think this stuff about Zecora's potion causing a problem is true, do you?"

Twilight stopped and turned towards me. She uttered a soft sigh. "Starswirl may indeed be right. He may know something we don't."

My heart sank. "But it doesn't make any sense! Wouldn't Zecora have said something by now?"

"I haven't seen her since you took the potion. In her efforts to refine it, she may have indeed found a problem."

I stomped a hoof. "I don't believe this! What about how Starswirl kept Princess Luna out of my dream? Or the way he broke it off just when she wanted to talk to him? That's not the least bit suspicious? You don't think he's hiding something?"

"There could be a, um, perfectly reasonable explanation for that!" said Spike. "Right, Twilight?"

Twilight stepped up to me. "Right, Spike." Her horn glowed, and my pendant levitated from my chest. "Keeping Princess Luna out was likely an honest mistake. Breaking off the dream may have been just some bit of magical interference. We honestly don't know enough to think otherwise."

I had no words. I simply stared in open-mouthed shock. I had expected some resistance from Twilight due to her fanfilly devotion to Starswirl, but not a complete dismissal.

"I'm sorry, Candy, I know this is hard for you to--"

"No, this is stupid!" I tried to back away, but the pendant remained firmly in Twilight's grip. My eyes widened. "Wait, what are you--?"

"Hey, Twilight!" Spike suddenly shouted over me. "Maybe you should be careful with that thing! You don't want to break it!"

"Huh?? But ... um ..."

I trailed off when I saw Twilight give me an urgent look and shake her head once. "I doubt I could break it just by handling it, but I do think I should cast a spell on it that will check it for any damage that Zecora's potion might have caused. It will take a while to complete."

I held my tongue only by sheer application of will. I bit my lower lip when a sphere of energy suddenly enveloped my pendant.

Twilight uttered what sounded like a sigh of relief as the pendant dropped back into place. "There. Now we can talk without being overheard. I already suspected that Starswirl and Cherry were aware of their surroundings outside the pendant, so when you just confirmed it, Candy, I was prepared."

I stared at her in both shock and at least a small amount of awe.

"And as much as I hate to admit it, I think you're right," said Twilight. "The avatar of Starswirl is hiding something."

"So no way he really could've made a mistake with Princess Luna?" Spike asked.

"Not a chance, Spike. At the time the pendant was created, Princess Luna had started her dream-walking duties. If the avatar has all Starswirl's memories of that time, it would know that. He could've easily allowed the Princess into the dream while keeping out other influences."

I ran a trembling hoof through my mane. "You really had me going there for a minute."

"Sorry we had to do that, Candy," said Spike.

"Honestly, I don't think the avatar will be fooled by this ruse for long," said Twilight. "But I had to do something."

I swallowed hard. "Twilight ... y-you don't think Cherry is in danger, do you?"

"The avatar hasn't done anything overtly hostile, so I'm hoping not."

"What about what Cherry said about Zecora's potion?"

"That makes no sense to me at all," said Twilight. "If that had caused a problem, either Zecora or I would've sensed it. I still intend to help Cherry manifest on her own. If anything, it's critical in helping me understand the pendant."

My heart thumped. "I-I want to use that potion again, Twilight. Please."

"I'm willing to talk to Zecora about it," said Twilight. "But it does risk upsetting Starswirl's avatar."

It had not been lost on me that Twilight had stopped referring to the entity strictly as Starswirl. "I don't care, Twilight. Maybe in that setting she'll have trouble keeping things from me."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked. "I thought it was the avatar doing that."

I hesitated. Michelle's warning to me echoed in my head: you'll only be disappointed. "It, um, had to do with something else Cherry and I talked about. I ... I want to get her out of that pendant. I want her to have a new body."

An uneasy silence fell, and I could hear my own heart beating. Spike fidgeted again and glanced at Twilight, who gave me a sad look.

"It can be done, right?" I said, though my heart was already sinking.

"Candy, I ..." Twilight started in a soft voice. "I ... I wish I could."

"Why can't you?"

Twilight stepped over to the table where the pile of old books lay. "What you're asking me to do is create life." The books glowed, and she plucked one from near the center of the pile. "I don't think even Starswirl ever intended that."

I took a deep breath when my vision blurred with tears. I wiped them with the back of a hoof and gritted my teeth until the urge to cry had passed. "Maybe he did. Maybe that was his intent all along, and you can finish it. Just like you completed that spell."

Twilight turned towards me, levitating the book before her. "Candy, this is a journal of one of Starswirl's friends, one that I hope will give me some insight. He passed on during Starswirl's lifetime. It's the same for many of these. He lived a long time and lost a lot of friends to old age or circumstance."

"So?" I snapped.

"So he was no stranger to losing somepony close to him. Even he understood there are some things not even magic can change."

I didn't want to hear this. I didn't want to believe Michelle was right. Why give her the chance of continuing on and deny her a proper life? Had Starswirl's motivations been cruel all along? Had he taken Michelle's spirit into the pendant just for his own amusement? Or, worse, to conduct some sort of monstrous experiment?

And now here I was treating the damn avatar as if it were the real thing.

I shook my head. "No. I don't believe this."

Twilight sighed. "Candy, please, I don't think you understand the limitations of--"

"And I don't think you understand what's going on!" I shouted. "You know what Cherry said to me? She said don't let Twilight pursue that. She didn't say not to tell you about it, or not to ask you about it, she said not to let you do it! Like I was supposed to stop you from doing it!"

Twilight hesitated. "But if Starswirl had already told her that it was impossible--"

"She never said that." I sighed. "Fine. Keep thinking it's impossible. But Cherry was hiding something from me. I know her, Twilight. She's never ever been this elusive with me. She's ... she's afraid of something, something she thinks you'll find out."

Logic could not support me here. I had little more than my own feeble intuition. I could avail myself of no facts or figures, nor could I even describe this as "reasoning" in even the broadest sense of the word. I had only what my heart told me.

Twilight lowered the book slightly and stared at it. Her eyes took on a distant look, and she ruffled her wings. She put the book aside and stepped up to me. "All right, you've made your point."

Spike gasped. "T-Twilight ... you're not ... y-you're not really going to try to--!"

"No, Spike," said Twilight firmly. "I still maintain it can't be done, but ... but let me assume for now that this is what Starswirl had intended. Maybe it will help me unravel this mystery. I'll talk to Zecora as well."

This was not the complete victory I had wanted, but it was more than I had feared I would get. Perhaps I hoped that her own curiosity would take hold, and she would come through for me, and for Michelle. "Twilight, thank you."

"Please don't get your hopes up, Candy," said Twilight. "Even if I do find evidence that this was Starswirl's intent, it may well have been a dead end."

I didn't want to believe that, but I nodded just the same.

Twilight's horn glowed. "I'm going to remove the spell from your pendant. Let's continue as if I had convinced you to go along with what Cherry told you."

"I do intend to honor her request about me listening to what this changeling of Matilda's has to say," I said.

Twilight smiled faintly before she lowered her head. The shield around my pendant dissipated with a soft pop. "Good news, Candy. It looks like no damage was incurred to the pendant."

I took a quick, deep breath. "Thanks. And, um, thanks for explaining stuff to me. I guess we'll do what Cherry wants."

"Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Twilight asked.

"Well, not about the pendant. What exactly happened on the train?"

"I'm not quite sure yet," said Twilight. "Whatever that creature was, it was highly resistant to magic. I doubt I did more than ruffle its fur."

My eyes widened. "Is that even possible?"

"Ponies have yet to explore the entire world. There are many lands we know little about. It's possible this bugbear had to adapt to magic-based hazards or predators." She paused. "And magic is not an all-powerful, do-everything force."

"Yeah, even when Twilight had to deal with an Ursa Minor, she had to be clever about it," said Spike. "I mean, she wasn't an alicorn back then, but still."

So was that as much managing my expectations as answering my question? "And no idea yet if it had anything to do with changelings?"

"Seems kinda weird to arrange for the diversion and then don't do anything," Spike said.

"Especially considering Discord's hint," said Twilight.

"So you're really buying into what he said?" I asked.

"The hints he gave us earlier about you proved to be correct, if in his roundabout way. So please let me know if anypony attempts to lure you outside of Ponyville for any reason."

"I will," I said. "I promise."

"Meanwhile, I'm going to look over the wards again," said Twilight in a tired voice. "I want to make absolutely sure Sevfivtoo can't come anywhere near this town. Like I told Applejack, I don't want to take any chances. Spike, this might take a bit. Please don't delay your dinner if I'm late."

Twilight's horn glowed, and she vanished in a pop of teleportation magic.





"Heya, Candy, wait up!"

I stopped and turned my head. "Heya, girls," I said, smiling as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo trotted over to me after I had left the castle. "What's up?"

"Well, we were gonna round ya up fer a meetin' of the Crusaders," Apple Bloom said.

"Yeah, but Sweetie Belle said she didn't want to go," said Scootaloo.

I tilted my head. "Wait, I thought all you girls were still grounded for another week or so."

Apple Bloom smiled and waved a hoof. "Naw, Applejack an' the rest felt bad that our first Gala kinda got ruined, so they let us off the hook."

Scootaloo fluttered her wings, her hooves leaving the ground for a second. "I actually thought it was the best Gala ever!"

"Dang right! Even the train ride back was excitin'!"

"The whole thing with the Smooze sorta did ruin our chances at a ballroom dancing cutie mark, though."

That had to be their safest of attempts yet. Knowing them, though, they would find a way to make it dangerous. "So why didn't Sweetie Belle want to join you?"

"She said she wanted ta spend more time with ya," said Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo made a face. "You two going to do sappy sister stuff together?"

"Hey, ain't nothin' sappy about doin' stuff with yer sister," Apple Bloom said proudly.

"I meant like curling each other's manes and hooficures and all that."

"Oh, yeah, that is kinda sappy, ain't it?"

I wanted to feel flattered that Sweetie Belle chose me over her friends, but a renewed sense of unease crept over me. Should I head home right away and stay with her to ensure she remained safe? Or should I convince her to go with us to the Crusader clubhouse where we'd have strength in numbers in case something happened? Where was I supposed to draw the line between genuine concern and paranoia?

My mind returned full circle to Discord's "clues" that Twilight was taking seriously. Yet did that include Discord's comment about Tree Hugger? Or was I wrong to relate it to my conversation with Miss Cheerilee? Princess Luna had supposedly dispelled that concern, but something still bothered me about it.

"Anyway, we're sorta looking for something to do," Scootaloo said.

"Um, girls?" I said. "Would you happen to know where Miss Cheerilee lives?"

"Well, sure," Apple Bloom said. "It's not real far from the schoolhouse."

"Can you take me to see her?"

"Oh, she's still in Fillydelphia," said Scootaloo.

"No, she ain't," said Apple Bloom. "She's right here in town."

My eyes widened. "Wait, you saw her?"

"But I thought she said she was visiting relatives," said Scootaloo.

"Granny said she saw Miss Cheerilee in the marketplace a few days ago," said Apple Bloom.

"Did Granny talk to her?" I asked.

"Tried ta, but Miss Cheerilee was sneezin' up a storm an' lookin' a little under the weather."

"Aw, I hope she's not sick," Scootaloo said.

"If she is, we can go cheer her up!" Apple Bloom said.

My stomach clenched. "Yes, let's do that. Right now."

"Sure thing! Come on, Crusaders!"





Sometimes being a teenager was like being bad at archery: the actions are sharp and quick, but often miss the target. Thus we were halfway to Cheerilee's house when I realized I had led the Crusaders on another potential changeling hunt. Apparently my new-found resolve had nudged some of my intelligence aside. At least I realized this before it had completely leaked out my ears.

"Why are we stoppin' here, Candy?" Apple Bloom said as we stood some half-dozen or so houses from Cheerilee's place.

"Um, well, I thought if she really was sick, maybe you and Scootaloo don't want to catch what she's got."

"She's got a point," Scootaloo said.

"Yeah, but how're we gonna cheer her up if we're way back here?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Maybe I should just go on ahead and check on her," I said.

"But then you'll get sick, won't ya?"

I seriously considered concocting a story that I had some sort of alien super-immunity that protected me from their germs, but I doubted they would buy something so far-fetched.

"Hey, wait, I got an idea," Scootaloo said. "Why don't we head over to the hospital and see if they'll give us some of those masks and stuff that the doctors use?"

"Great idea, Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom said. "Come on, Candy, we'll jus'--"

"I think I'm going to stay here and wait for you," I said. "I'm, uh, kinda tired and don't want to do a whole lot more trotting."

"No problem! We'll be right back."

I watched the two fillies gallop back the way we had come until they were out of sight. My heart pounded as I stepped up to the house: a quaint little thatched-roof abode with heart-shaped windows and smiley-faces on the front door similar to her cutie mark. I rapped my fore-hoof gently on the door and took a step back. Nopony answered. I tried again, but still nothing. I glanced at the windows; they all appeared dark.

"I don't think she's going to answer."

I stumbled off the front deck at the sound of the voice from just above and off to the side.

A gray pegasus mare with a pale yellow mane and oddly skewed eyes landed next to me, saddlebags draped around her barrel. She blinked rapidly, and her eyes uncrossed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

I forced a small smile. "It's okay. But, uh, what did you mean about Miss Cheerilee not answering? Isn't she home?"

The pegasus grabbed several letters in her teeth from her bag and poked them through the slot in the door before turning to me, her eyes having gone wonky again. "She's home, but she's probably asleep in bed. Poor thing."

My stomach churned. "Wh-what happened to her?"

"She got sick in Fillydelphia and came home early. She's got a nasty case of pony pox."

I had no idea what that was, but if she wasn't in the hospital, it likely wasn't much worse than flu or chicken pox. Still, they had knocked me flat when I had them as a kid. "Princess Luna had said her dreams were disturbed."

The mare gasped, blinking and shaking her head, pupils shrinking in her now straightened eyes. "Wow, you talked to Princess Luna? Like, outside of a dream? That's really cool. How did you manage to get an audience with her?"

"Er, well, it's a long story ... um, can you tell me when she came down with the pony pox?"

The pegasus looked thoughtful, or at least I guessed she did, since her eyes had skewed again. "Had to be at least two or three days ago. I had the pony pox once. I felt absolutely awful for almost two weeks."

"So there's no way she could've been up and about yesterday?"

"Oh, no, not at all. Have you never had pony pox?"

"Um, no, never."

"You're lucky. Only feather flu is worse." The pegasus shook her head and uncrossed her eyes. "Are you okay? You look kinda pale yourself."

Oh, don't mind me, I just learned that the pony claiming to be Sweetie Belle's teacher was the monster that murdered my friend.

Or was it really Sevfivtoo? How could it have gotten past Twilight's wards? What the hell was its game? Why talk to me about the Crusaders? Or give their parents and siblings advice? Should I go straight home and check that Sweetie Belle was okay, or did the changeling want us together for some nefarious reason?

"I'm fine," I lied. "Thank you for the help."

The pegasus smiled. "Of course."

I galloped away from the house and tried to guess the most likely path the Crusaders would take to and from the hospital. I spotted them near the marketplace and gestured towards them with a hoof. "Girls! Over here!"

They cantered over to me. "What are you doing over here?" Scootaloo asked.

"Aw, it don't matter," Apple Bloom said, her ears drooping. "The hospital won't give us nothin' anyway."

"I found out Miss Cheerilee has pony pox," I said.

They gasped. "Oh, no, that's awful!" Scootaloo cried.

"What are we gonna do now?" Apple Bloom said. "She must be feelin' real bad."

My mind raced. "Um ... how about ... making a get-well card for her?"

"That's a great idea!" Scootaloo said.

"Oh, but we need Sweetie Belle fer that," said Apple Bloom. "She's real good with her magic now, an' she's got a great eye fer detail."

"I'll take care of convincing her to come along," I said as I turned away. "We'll meet you at the clubhouse."

Despite all the precautions and protections, despite how clear the threat seemed, I felt hideously exposed, and I could not place why. I desperately needed a new perspective.