At the boutique, Rarity was in the kitchen. This did not become notable until I heard an odd noise from within. I peeked around the corner to see a broom and dustpan glowing in Rarity's magic, shards of glass glittering in the light.
"There you are, Candy," said Rarity. "You were gone for quite a while."
"Um, yeah, some other stuff came up." I glanced down as Rarity swept up more shards. "What happened?"
"Just a minor accident. Sweetie Belle lost her grip on a large jar I asked her to fetch from the fridge. Nopony was hurt." She looked at me. "Everything okay?"
I debated how much to tell her. Until I knew what sort of danger followed me -- or for that matter, that I carried around in the form of an eavesdropping pendant -- I didn't want to endanger Rarity as well.
No, keeping this from her was stupid. She was my fosterer. She was my mother for all intents and purposes, regardless of whether I could address her as such. "I, uh, just found out that Miss Cheerilee is sick. Pony pox."
Rarity sighed. "The poor thing. Pony pox is not particularly dangerous, but it makes one feel awful." Her pupils shrank slightly. "Oh, dear, I hope I don't come down with it. I just talked to her a few days ago. And you spoke to her ... ah ..."
"Right before the Gala," I said.
Rarity frowned. She dumped the contents of the dustpan in the garbage bin and trotted over to me. "Candy, are you sure of this?"
"As sure as I can be."
"Because a pony doesn't come down with such an ailment overnight. Did she show any sign of being sick when you spoke to her?"
"None whatsoever. In fact, she was supposedly too sick to be up and about that day." I ran a hoof through my mane. "The Crusaders want to make her a get-well card. They're at the clubhouse now. I thought I'd bring Sweetie Belle over."
"I have half a mind to tell you 'no' until I know what's going on," said Rarity.
That's what I had been afraid of. "I know, but I thought ... I thought I might talk to Applejack about this. She sounded like she's already suspicious that something's going on, and her farm would be the safest place for both me and Sweetie Belle right now."
Despite all words of reassurance and my own efforts, twinges of guilt over my mother's death still assailed me. By no stretch of the imagination was Rarity helpless, nor was this situation at all the same, but logic did not always prevail in my addled teenage brain.
I just didn't want anypony I loved to be hurt.
"All right," Rarity said in a low voice. "But I'm coming with you."
I let out a relieved sigh. "I'll go fetch Sweetie Belle."
I ascended the stairs as fast as I could. I had set only a single hoof in Sweetie's room when she bolted to me and drew me into a tight hug. "You were gone for a long while, Candy. Is everything okay?"
No, nothing was okay, and I would have preferred to keep this from Sweetie Belle, but she was as smart as her older sister. "I just learned that Miss Cheerilee is sick."
Her pupils shrank. "She is?"
"Yeah. Pony pox."
"That's terrible. She must be feeling really bad."
I tilted my head. "Well, yeah. Your friends want to make her a get-well card."
Sweetie Belle smiled. "That's really nice."
"I told them we'd meet them at the clubhouse."
"Oh, You mean right now?" Sweetie asked. "I did kinda want to spend time with you today."
"We will, but with our other friends, too." I smiled. "I promise, tomorrow we'll spend as much time together as we can, just the two of us."
Sweetie nodded. "Okay, Candy. Thanks. You're right, we really ought to do something for Miss Cheerilee."
I broke off the embrace. "You better get your art stuff together."
"Okay." Sweetie Belle glanced around her room. "Um ... I need to use the little filly's room first, so I'll meet you out front."
I nodded. "Sure thing."
My gaze lingered on her for a moment before I turned away. I thought for sure she would have made the connection. Or maybe she had, and she didn't want to show me her worry or fear. That was very sweet, if misplaced. She should have known by then that I would never judge her for that.
"I don't like this one bit, Applejack," said Rarity as I trotted over to them just within sight of the Crusaders' tree house.
Applejack frowned. "Join the club." She turned to me. "You okay there, sugarcube?"
"I got the Crusaders working on the get-well card," I said. "I told them I had to use the bathroom. I, uh, didn't want to miss this."
"Are they safe by themselves?" Rarity asked.
"Big Mac's around doin' some apple-buckin'," said Applejack. "Anypony who even thinks of harmin' them is gonna get the wrong end of his back hooves."
"That's all well and good so long as it's not a changeling disguised as one of us!"
"But how did it get in?" I said, as if still hoping for some other explanation. "Twilight's wards were supposed to keep it out."
"Unless it was already in town when they went up," said Rarity.
"I don't think that's it," said Applejack. "'cuz I'll bet the whole dang farm that it was Sevfivtoo who set that critter on us on the train. Even a changelin' can't be in two places at once."
"But why?" Rarity said. "There was no point to the attack. Maybe it had nothing to do with this sordid mess."
"I still don't buy that. An' yer all missin' somethin' mighty important here. Twilight didn't say those wards would keep any changelin' out. She said it would keep Sevfivtoo out."
My stomach clenched as I recalled when Twilight first set the shield spell on me ...
~~~
"These spells really are more of a precaution than anything else," said Twilight. "It's unlikely that Sevfivtoo will get close to you even if she does attempt to enter Ponyville."
"Why's that?"
"I've placed wards around the periphery of Ponyville to detect the approach of strong magical beings. It can't detect ordinary drones, but a changeling of Sevfivtoo's ability will stand out easily, regardless of what illusions she can cast."
~~~
Rarity gasped. "Are you saying there's another changeling about? Do you mean Matilda's friend Kevin?"
"He's not s'posed ta be in Ponyville yet," said Applejack. "Don't get me wrong. I don't trust 'im even half as far as I could buck 'im, but Twilight ain't stupid. She told me she found out from Matilda where that changelin' was hidin' out an' got ponies ta watch 'im."
I wished she had told me that! I would not have freaked out about it quite as much.
"But that leads us back to square one," said Rarity.
"Not quite." Applejack turned to me. "Twilight filled me in about yer meetin' with yer friend. Didn't Cherry say Sevfivtoo had a companion?"
I paused to recall that detail. "Um, yeah, she did. Wun-something-or-other."
"Wuntusix, I believe was its name," said Rarity.
"But Twilight thought it went back with Chrysalis and left Sevfivtoo behind," I said. "And Cherry just barely mentioned it, like it didn't matter."
"Mebbe she honestly didn't think it did," said Applejack. "But I'm not so sure."
"Surely Twilight has considered this," Rarity said.
"I said Twilight ain't stupid, but she ain't perfect, either. An' she's been runnin' herself ragged. She might not be seein' the forest fer the trees."
I remembered how Twilight had sounded tired just before she teleported away to check the wards. I had not thought anything of it.
"She does tend to get rather focused on one aspect of a problem," said Rarity.
I had unwittingly compounded it by trying to set her on a new task concerning a body for Michelle, but I had no intention of backing down. "So what do we do now?"
"I think we gotta assume there's a changelin' in Ponyville right now," Applejack said. "Ya had the right idea in gettin' the Crusaders together, Candy. Fer all their faults, they sure as hay know how ta watch each other's backs."
I managed a small smile. I liked hearing that I had actually done something right. "Should I tell them what's going on?"
Rarity rolled her eyes. "So long as we don't have a repeat of their escapade in the White Tail Woods."
"I won't let that happen," I declared.
Rarity smiled. "I know you won't, dear. I trust you to do the right thing."
"An' I trust ya, too, Candy," said Applejack. "Go tell 'em that there's a changelin' on the loose, an' that they need ta be dang careful 'bout the company they keep. Mebbe jus' keep 'em distracted with that card fer Miss Cheerilee."
"Somepony should check on her," Rarity said. "Just to make sure she's safe."
"Who told ya about her illness, Candy?" Applejack asked.
"I didn't get her name," I said. "She's a mailpony. Um, gray-coated pegasus, yellow mane, bubbles for a cutie mark, had kind of wonky eyes."
Rarity sighed. "Yes, definitely double-check."
Applejack smiled. "At least Derpy's heart is in the right place. Rarity, why don't ya see what ya can find out about Miss Cheerilee? Meanwhile, I'll go talk ta Twilight."
"Are you going to try to convince her to keep Kevin away from Ponyville?" asked Rarity.
"I'm gonna trust Twilight on that, 'specially since the Princesses seem ta wanna hear what he has ta say."
"I think we all should be present for this little meeting just in case."
"Sounds like a great idea ta me."
I certainly thought so. I had already grudgingly accepted that I would meet this changeling face-to-face, but that didn't mean I had to feel vulnerable in its presence. "I think I should get back to the Crusaders."
"Yes, please do," said Rarity. "Don't let them out of your sight until we get back."
Applejack stepped up to me. "An' one more thing. Keep yer wits about ya. Take note of everythin' ya see or hear. Don't take nothin' fer granted."
"I'll try, Applejack." I paused. "Um ... Sweetie Belle said Twilight scanned everypony on the train afterward. That's true, right?"
"Yep. That was one of the first things she did when that monster was gone, since it took us so long ta drive it off."
"Nearly a full hour," Rarity muttered. "With all that smoke and steam from the engine, it's a wonder my coiffure survived intact."
I hid a grin behind my hoof. Applejack outright smirked. "I'd pay bits ta see yer mane get mussed up fer once."
"Hmph. You would. I suppose the Gala didn't count."
"Naw. Green ain't yer color."
One corner of Rarity's mouth rose. "And you realized that on your own? Perhaps I'll make a fashion-conscious pony of you yet."
Applejack's pupils shrank. "Tarnation, I hope not!"
I giggled. "I better get back to the Crusaders. I'll see you later."
What had once been just another oddity of this world I now drew on for support: their ability to maintain their good humor even in dire circumstances. It helped me feel a little more sane.
Apple Bloom's pupils shrank to points. "A changelin'?? Right here in Ponyville?!"
Sweetie Belle shivered slightly. She had snuggled up to me almost as soon as we had arrived. I really wished she would confess to how scared she was. If anyone knew how worse off somepony could be by keeping things to herself, it would be me.
"How did it get in?!" Scootaloo cried.
"It wasn't supposed to be able to," said Sweetie. "Twilight's magic was supposed to keep it out."
"Who cares how it got in?" cried Apple Bloom. "The important thing is, where is it now?"
"Look, I don't think it's near us right now," I said. Or at least I hoped. "There's nothing to worry about."
Apple Bloom jumped forward, her hooves clopping against the wood floor of the tree house near the edge of their interrupted art project. "There's plenty ta worry about, Candy! It could be anywhere!"
"It could look like anypony!" Scootaloo said.
"It could be doin' anythin'!"
"It could be planning anything!"
"Yes, I know," I said, impatience creeping into my voice. "But you don't need to panic, not when--"
"Where are we gonna look first?" Apple Bloom said.
Scootaloo fluttered her wings. "Oh, I know! The marketplace!"
I blinked. "Wait, what??"
"Good thinkin', Scootaloo!" said Apple Bloom. "It has lotsa ponies it could look like there."
"Where did we put the net?" Scootaloo said, looking around.
Apple Bloom trotted over to her saddlebags. "An' the mallet! Don't ferget that!"
"You still got that thing you didn't know what it was but looked really useful?"
"Um, not sure. I think it rolled under the table behind ya when--"
"Girls, stop!" I yelled. "We're not going to hunt the changeling!"
Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's ears drooped. "We're not?" they said in unison.
"No, we're not. Period. End of sentence."
Sweetie Belle pressed herself a little more firmly against my side. "Maybe we should listen to her. Going after a changeling sounds kinda dangerous."
I wrapped a foreleg around her without taking my eyes off the others. "Maybe you've forgotten that changelings are willing to kill! Really, girls, there are a lot safer ways to earn your cutie marks."
Apple Bloom's gaze shifted. "Umm ... who said this hasta do with our cutie marks?"
Scootaloo gave her an odd look. "But I thought you were saying the other day you still wanted to get a cutie mark for -- ouch!" Apple Bloom had kicked her lightly in the side with a single hoof. "Er, I mean ... right! Nothing to do with cutie marks."
Sweetie Belle frowned. "Apple Bloom? Scootaloo? Not helping."
I smirked. "And you're both terrible liars."
Apple Bloom sighed and plopped herself down on her haunches. "Aw, dang it. I'm sorry, Candy. Yer right. I jus' feel like we're real close to gettin' 'em."
I glanced down at their incomplete art creation and smiled. "Well, maybe you are. Can't you get it in, um, get-well-card-making?"
That sounded far-fetched even to me, but just maybe it would distract them long enough to forget about changeling-hunting for awhile.
Scootaloo stepped up to the edge of their project. "Well, it is starting to look nice."
Their "card" looked larger than the pony it was intended for. The backing was a heart-shaped piece of red construction paper, a layer of white with a lacy edge atop that, and a crude but serviceable drawing of Miss Cheerilee in the center swaddled by blankets and a box of tissues at her side. They had started to color it in, though the first attempts had a few ragged trails outside the lines.
"We're gonna put 'Get Well Soon' at the bottom and sign it with our hoof-prints!" Apple Bloom said with a smile. "We could use yer help, though, Candy."
"Sweetie Belle's having some trouble with the coloring," said Scootaloo.
I glanced down at Sweetie. "You okay?"
She smiled at me. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired."
That would explain why she had dropped the jar earlier. The first thing I learned in magic training was that fatigue could affect energy flow. Exhaustion made my magic wobbly, and I had dropped things as well. While Sweetie had a lot of energy most of the time, she just had a traumatic experience on the train. Everypony had their limits.
"I started to do her mane," Sweetie said. "Do you want to finish it?"
I smiled and held her a little tighter. I grabbed a pink crayon in my magic.
"I'll go get the glitter fer the trim," said Apple Bloom as she stepped away.
"We're still kind of disappointed that we didn't get to help the others fight the monster," said Scootaloo. "So I guess that's why we got a little carried away about the changeling."
I applied the crayon to the drawing. "You girls did the right thing by hanging back."
Apple Bloom returned with a bottle in her teeth which she dropped at her hooves. "Ta be honest, more I think 'bout it, more I'm sure we never woulda got there in time."
"Yeah, we were way back in the last car," said Scootaloo.
I stopped coloring. "The last car?"
"We didn't know yet that our groundin' was canceled," said Apple Bloom. "So we wanted ta have a meetin' of the Crusaders, an' nopony was usin' that one."
"You were alone?"
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "We tried."
"Lyra Heartstrings was with us," said Sweetie Belle.
I glanced down at her. "The whole time?"
"Yeah."
"Well, at least from just before the train stopped," said Scootaloo.
"She rushed in sayin' she thought she saw somethin' outside," said Apple Bloom. "Then the train stopped."
My heart fluttered. "What did she see?"
"Just the bugbear," said Sweetie Belle. "It passed by the car. Then the train stopped soon after that."
"Yeah, that's right," Apple Bloom said, nodding slowly.
"I had forgotten about that," Scootaloo said. "But things happened kinda fast. I remember that now."
"It went right by the windows and headed towards the engine just before she came in," Sweetie said. She shivered slightly. "I ... it kinda scared me."
"Is that why ya were nervous 'bout goin' ta fight it?" asked Apple Bloom.
"I didn't want you to know," Sweetie Belle said in a soft voice. "I was embarrassed about how much it frightened me."
I gave Sweetie Belle a gentle squeeze despite my own rising anxiety. At least she finally admitted how she felt.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Not that Miss Heartstrings would let us leave anyway."
Sweetie looked up at me. "I really don't want us going after that changeling, either. I guess I'm a little more scared of it, now, too."
"Aw, I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom said. "I woulda never suggested goin' after it if I knew ya felt that way."
"You were just so enthusiastic about it the first time," Scootaloo said.
Sweetie Belle smiled faintly. "I know, but ... I just want to be safe right now."
"I think that's a great idea," I said in as steady a voice I could muster.
My mind raced. Applejack's words echoed in my head: Keep yer wits about ya. Take note of everythin' ya see or hear. Don't take nothin' fer granted.
But wasn't this all said and done? Twilight had scanned everypony. Applejack had confirmed that. Everypony was safe. Yet despite all efforts, a changeling was loose in Ponyville. A grand chess game played out before me, yet I couldn't see all the pieces. Like the chronicle of events from the Crusaders: it sounded right, it sounded logical, it fit with everything I had been told.
And yet a new piece had been introduced: Lyra.
~~~
"And I am the real Lyra this time."
"Oh, sorry."
"It's okay, Candy," she said with a sigh. "You're not the first pony I've had to say that to."
~~~
But ... no, that was weeks ago! Yes, a changeling had taken her place briefly but they had found the real Lyra, or so I had been told. She would have been scanned along with everypony else on the train.
Unless Sevfivtoo found a way around that, like she had when she circumvented Twilight's mind magick detection spells at the castle.
Something else didn't make sense, a detail that sat in the back of my mind, but that I couldn't grasp. Something that didn't fit. Something that--
"We should get back ta this," said Apple Bloom.
"Yeah, we don't have a lot more time before dinner," said Scootaloo.
That was it. Time.
~~~
"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."
~~~
"Girls?" I said in a slightly quavering voice. "One more question: how much time passed from when the train stopped and Twilight and the others came to check on you?"
"Hmm, I dunno," Apple Bloom said. "Wasn't long, I don't think. Half hour, mebbe?"
"Oh, no, way shorter than that," said Scootaloo. "Fifteen minutes, tops."
"I'm sure it was longer than that, Scootaloo."
"I'm not really sure myself," said Sweetie Belle. "After Miss Heartstrings had arrived, things got kind of weird anyway."
"Rarity had said it was almost an hour," I declared.
Apple Bloom looked confused. "Huh, really? Didn't seem that long. But she was doin' the fightin' with the others, so I guess she must be right."
"Maybe it just seemed shorter," Scootaloo said.
"It must've been the excitement," said Sweetie Belle.
Or somepony casting a spell that messed with their heads. Like a unicorn pony. Or a changeling. Or both.
Or ... it could be what it seemed. Lyra had entered the car when she saw the bugbear go past the window, and the combination of fear and excitement messed with their perception of time. She kept them there not for some sinister purpose, but for their safety. With the monster at the head of the train, the rearmost car was the safest place to be.
Either way, I wasn't going to sit on this information, but the last thing I needed was the Crusaders thinking Lyra was a changeling. I couldn't trust them not to take matters into their own hooves.
Except, possibly, for Sweetie Belle. She was acting the most responsible of all. Considering she was likely in the greatest amount of danger, this suited me just fine.
"Is dinner not to your liking, Candy?" said Rarity.
I flinched and stared at her. "Huh?" I glanced down at my plate. "Oh."
"You've barely finished half your dinner."
"I, uh, just have stuff on my mind, that's all," I said.
Rarity gave me a serious look. "Anything you wish to discuss with me?"
I glanced at Sweetie Belle, who gave me a warm smile. I smiled weakly in return. "Yes, actually, but, um, it can wait until after dinner."
Why I felt the need to hide this from Sweetie when I had just extolled her responsible nature eluded me. Perhaps it simply stemmed from my desire to protect her.
Rarity nodded. "Very well. Perhaps some good news will make you feel better. I verified what you had learned earlier. Miss Cheerilee has indeed taken ill with pony pox but is otherwise fine."
"Oh, good," I said. "I mean, not good that she's sick, but--"
"Why did you have to check on her?" Sweetie asked.
Rarity smiled gently at her. "I assume Candy told you and your friends about the changeling threat?"
"Yeah, she told us all about that."
"Well, since Miss Cheerilee is confined to her house, this was to ensure it didn't take advantage of her incapacity."
Sweetie Belle nodded. "I get it. That's good to hear, then."
"Did you get a chance to finish your get-well card?" said Rarity. "I can have it delivered for you when you finish it."
"Not yet," Sweetie said. "We'll have to go back to finish it tomorrow."
"I'm sure we can get that done fairly quickly," I said. "Then we can spend the rest of the day together."
Sweetie smiled. "I'd like that."
I looked at Rarity. "I'm not sure this can go through the regular mail. It's kinda big."
Rarity smiled. "No worries. I can have it delivered personally."
"But wouldn't that expose somepony to the illness?"
"Fortunately, Lyra has had this particular strain of the pox before, so she's immune."
My fork clattered to my plate. "Uh ... did you say Lyra? As in Lyra Heartstrings?"
"Yes, dear. She's the one you met a few weeks ago on your way home from the castle with the books Twilight gave you."
"Why Lyra?" I demanded.
Rarity looked a bit nonplussed at my tone. "She's the one who confirmed Miss Cheerilee's condition for me. She's been doing Miss Cheerilee's shopping while she's laid up."
My heart pounded. I glanced at Sweetie Belle. She had cleared her plate and was tipping her glass of juice back to get at the last few swallows.
Rarity tilted her head. "Candy, is something--?"
"We need to talk," I murmured. I lifted a hoof to hide my muzzle from Sweetie and mouthed the word "alone."
Rarity nodded once. "Sweetie, dear, if you're done, you can be excused."
Sweetie carefully set down her glass. "Okay. Candy, can you come by my room when you're done?"
"Sure, Sweetie." I watched her hop off her chair and trot out of the room.
"What is it, dear?" Rarity said in an urgent voice.
"The Crusaders told me Lyra was with them in the last car."
"Yes, that's right."
"Is there any chance at all that ... that Lyra could be a changeling?"
Rarity's pupils shrank to points. "My stars, whatever gave you that idea? Candy, if things were not already such a large mess, I would think you being a tad paranoid."
I thumped a fore-hoof on the table. "Look, maybe I am! Don't think that hasn't crossed my mind, too. Did you talk to Lyra on the train?"
"No, but I was there when Twilight spoke with her."
"Did she say she saw something fly past the window?"
Rarity paused. "Why ... yes, she did. That was why she went into the car."
"Did she say what she thought it was?"
"She said she couldn't tell," said Rarity. "It flew by too fast."
"The Crusaders told me they saw it, and that it was the bugbear," I said. "And that it was headed towards the front of the train."
"Well, that makes sense."
I face-hoofed. "No, it doesn't!"
Rarity frowned. "She was obviously concerned for their safety."
"For something that flew by so fast she couldn't identify it? Flying away from the car with the Crusaders? When there was no other indication of danger?"
"The train had stopped suddenly!" Rarity declared. "What more indication does one need?"
"But the Crusaders said she was in the car right before the train stopped!"
Rarity's mouth dropped open. "Wh-what?? That's not ... that's not what Lyra said."
Gotcha.
Gotcha, you monster.
I leaned forward and propped my head up on one fore-hoof. "Oh, really, now?"
Rarity's frown deepened. "Surely there must be some sort of logical explanation. Twilight scanned everypony, including Lyra. Including all her friends, even though we were right there with her the whole time."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, it's not like Sevfivtoo ever got around Twilight's magic before."
Rarity sighed. "You've made your point. Very well. If you would be so kind as to clean up, I'll head out long enough to let Twilight know."
"Thank you," I said with a relieved sigh. I hopped off my chair and started levitating plates and silverware to the sink.
"Honestly, sometimes I wish we were fighting another Tirek. At least then one knew who the enemy was." Rarity trotted towards the door, paused, and turned. "Oh, and Candy?"
"Yes?"
"No banging your hooves on the table. It's bad manners."
I uttered a dramatic sigh, but I gave her a tiny smile. "Sorry."
I washed the dishes and set them to dry before heading upstairs. Sweetie Belle gave me a hug as soon as I stepped into her room. "I heard the front door," she said as she hopped up onto her bed. "Did Rarity go out?"
I sat next to her. "Yeah, but she'll be back soon."
"So you think Lyra is a changeling, huh?"
My moment of shock did not last long. I narrowed my eyes. "You were listening in on our conversation."
"Just a little. But it makes total sense."
"It does?"
Sweetie nodded. "I mean, she lied about when she entered the car, right?" she said in a slightly quavering voice.
"Well, that, and other stuff, too," I said. "You going to be okay?"
"I think so. Once Rarity tells Twilight, I'm sure she'll take care of it." Sweetie smiled and snuggled against me. "Besides, I have such a great sister who I know will protect me."
My eyes became misty, and a wide smile stretched across my muzzle. I wrapped my forelegs around her and hugged her tightly. I glanced towards the window as the sun sank below the horizon. "Do you want to go on to bed, Sweetie? You said you were tired earlier."
"Maybe in a little while," she said softly. "I'm feeling better now."
I had every intention of living up to her expectations of me. What befell Michelle -- and my original mother -- would never happen again to those I loved.
I would sooner die than let that happen again.