Interrogation
Shining Armor waited for Flash to catch up with him before heading down to the holding cells.
“So, uh, how do you want to do this, Cap?”
While there had always been criminals and drunks that needed to be locked up, actual prisoners of war were a rarity thanks to Celestia’s skillful delegations in maintaining peace between Equestria and the lands beyond.
“The good cop, bad cop routine?” Flash suggested.
“That sounds like our best bet-but, I think I’ll handle the more aggressive line of questioning, I know in the past you’ve had some issues with your temper, no offense. And I have more experience dealing in utilizing restraint.”
“Such as?”
Shining shot him a look.
“You really don’t think I’ve heard what others say about me? About how wealthy my parents are? How I got to be Captain and my baby sister just happens to be Celestia’s protégé? Or the ‘subtle’ insinuations on what the circumstances were for my relationship with Cadance?”
Flash regarded him with unease.
“So yeah, I do have a lot of practice keeping my temper in check. Make no mistake, as many advantages as it may seem like I had on the outside-the truth is I worked my ass off to earn this position.”
“So, you’ve heard about all that stuff, huh?”
“I’d have to be pretty ignorant not to.”
“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking….what were you and Rainbow Dash talking about in the hall?” Flash asked, deciding to change the subject.
“Dash wanted to come with us, but I told her that she wasn’t trained to deal with something like this.” Shining replied, nonchalantly.
“Wait, wait, wait…this girl helped your sister stop both Nightmare Moon and Discord, who were both practically gods with their powers, yet you won’t let her come with us in a controlled environment to interrogate some oversized bugs because she doesn’t have any training?” Flash asked incredulously.
“Well…yeah, but by that logic-”
“Look, I’m not trying to criticize you or anything, but I just don’t understand your reasoning here-are you afraid she’s going to show us up or something?”
“What!? No, I just-look, she’s one of Twilight’s best friends and she’s become a good friend of mine, too.”
“Uh-huh, just like how Cadance was a ‘good friend’?” Flash insinuated, slyly.
“What about you and this Sunset Shimmer?” Shining retorted. “Even after getting back to the castle, you seem to be spending an awful lot of time with her…”
“Even if what you’re suggesting is true, would that be a problem?”
“It might be. Whatever her intentions are at this point, there’s no denying that she’s dangerous and I think you should be on your guard around her-at least, until we get this who Changeling issue resolved.”
The holding cells weren’t too different than any typical dungeon; although, some of the cells had shackles as an extra precaution to restrain the more violent prisoners. Still being relatively early, most of the cells were empty, save for a tan stallion who was awaiting trial after attempting to murder his wife and daughter, who was still sleeping on his cot. Across from him was a cerulean mare with a red mane who was con artist, she was leaning up against the wall of her cell as she watched the guards walk by. At the very end of the hall was a another stallion, this one white (which appeared grey as it was covered in filth), who would rock back and forth in a fetal position while muttering nonsensical things to himself-he was being held until a psychiatric evaluation could be done on him.
In the middle cell, on the right were the Changelings, secluded from all of the other prisoners. Sitting on a stool in front of the cell was Stationary, a grey Unicorn guard who was reading a magazine. Stationary looked up as soon as he saw Flash and Shining Armor approach.
“Shining Armor! You have to help; there’s been a terrible mistake!” Twilight cried out from the cell.
“That guard is a Changeling!” Rainbow Dash added.
Flash’s jaw dropped open upon seeing Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Sunset locked in the cell. Shining Armor merely turned to Stationary. “How long have they been doing this?”
“All night,” he replied. “I get how they know about your sister and her friend, but how do they know that other girl?”
“It’s…a long story.” Flash replied.
“Isn’t it always?” he asked rhetorically. “So, how do you want to do this?”
Shining Armor glared at the Changeling impersonating Twilight.
“We’ll talk with that one first.”
Stationary pulled the key ring out from his armor with his teeth before unlocking the door to the cell.
“Alright, ‘Twilight’ your big brother wants to ask you a few questions in private.”
The false Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash glared as she was escorted out of the cell before Stationary slammed the door shut behind them and locked it.
“Don’t get too comfortable, I’m sure the Captain will be back to have a word with you next.”
Shining Armor lead ‘Twilight’ to the interrogation room at the end of the hall, stealthily casting the same chain spell that he had used on the Changeling he caught up to with Rainbow Dash, while Flash uneasily brought up the rear.
She must have sensed his uneasiness as she swished her tail side to side to accentuate her flank before looking back at him with a sultry grin.
Flash’s heart sped up as he felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment at the thoughts popping into his head before he realized what the Changeling was trying to do.
‘Relax,’ he told himself. ‘You’re a guard, just stick to the plan and try to look as stoic as possible and if you’re lucky, maybe the Captain won’t notice anything…off-’
Flash’s thoughts were cut short when the group came to a halt as Shining Armor opened the door, which had a small square window near the top so conversations could be observed. The room it revealed was dimly lit with a rectangular wooden table resting horizontally in the middle of the room. Neither guard had ever been in the room for an extensive period of time, given how quickly most conflicts seemed to be resolved so far in their tenure.
‘Twilight’ regarded Shining Armor timidly with watery eyes, while he managed to retain his steely exterior despite this. He shot a look at Flash before following the Changeling inside. Slowly moving towards the small viewing window, Flash couldn’t help but feel both curious and terrified with how they were able know who were important to them before impersonating their looks and voices so effortlessly. It seemed like the only strategic flaw these Changelings had were their behavior-based on everything he seen and heard about Twilight Sparkle-even before he joined the guard contradicted this Changeling’s impersonation of her.
“I’m glad you came to get me.” She started, “Those guards can be so mean…”
“Stop that.” Shining ordered.
“Stop what?” she asked, feigning confusion.
“That, you’re not my sister-you might look like her, but you certainly don’t act like her.”
“Shining, you’re scaring me.”
‘Twilight’ now adopted a wavering voice and began to massage her left foreleg nervously.
“Look Changeling, I’ve had a rough week thanks to you and your friends-so I’d appreciate it if you cut the crap and have the decency to speak to me face to face.”
“But, Shining it’s me-Twilight! The Changelings that you caught earlier escaped and ambushed me before locking me in that cell!”
“Really?” Shining pressed skeptically. “You, the most talented Unicorn in Equestria and personal student of Princess Celestia, the Element of Magic-couldn’t handle a group of just three Changelings by herself?”
“They…took my by surprise.” She replied quietly. “Why are you interrogating me? I told you what happened! Don’t you trust me?”
She then lowered her head.
“You’re my big brother, you’re supposed to protect me…don’t you love me anymore? That’s why you never told me about you and Cadance, isn’t it? I’m just not that important to you anymore…maybe I never was to begin with…”
Shining glared at her for a full minute before responding.
“We’re done here.”
He then got up and motioned for Flash to open the door before stepping out.
“Harder than you thought, huh?” the words slipped before Flash’s mind could filter them, resulting in a death glare from Shining Armor.
“He, she-it is a terrible actor, but it knew what buttons to push-it took everything I had not to slam it against the wall and start tearing it apart.”
“Do you want me to have crack at it, sir?” Flash offered.
“Do you think you’re up for it?”
Flash looked back through the viewing window to see Twilight’s doppelganger looking back at him from the table with a devilish grin.
“Yeah, my relationship with Twilight isn’t really that personal-so I’ll probably have better luck, no offense.”
Shining gestured for him to go for it as Flash entered the room.
“Hey there handsome, what happened to the other one?” she greeted.
“Why don’t we talk about you, instead?” He suggested.
“Why bother talking?” she asked, rhetorically. “When we can get to know each other intimately, in more ‘fun’ ways?”
Shining felt the anger rise up again, the fact that this creature was impersonating his sister and using it in an attempt to seduce his subordinate disgusted him to no end.
“Heh,” Flash replied. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m more interested in talking.”
“You’re no fun.” The Changeling replied, pouting.
“You do realize that the real Twilight Sparkle would never act this way, right?” he asked. “Now, since you’re obviously not fooling anyone-would you mind answering a few questions?”
“Maybe, would you mind answering a few of mine?”
“Fair enough,” Flash conceded.
“Why are you allied with Sunset Shimmer? We thought she had been exiled by Celestia.”
“No,” he replied. “Her exile was self-imposed, she was frustrated with her lack of progress in Celestia’s studies and set out on her own, sometime after which I assume she ran into you guys. Originally she returned to…well, I’m not entirely sure, but she hates you.”
“All because we did what was necessary to survive in Appaloosa, under the Queen’s orders.” She mused.
“You murdered her best friend, what did you think her reaction would be?”
“It was never our intention to kill her, we were attempting to feed off her, take her back to the hive, and convert her-but, she fought back and we did what was necessary to survive.”
“What gender are you really?” Flash asked, taking the Changeling off-guard.
“What? Can’t you see? I’m obviously female.”
“No, what gender are you really?” Flash emphasized.
“….Male.” The Changeling replied, reverting back to its true form.
“Gender is of little consequence as long as there is another Changeling or Equine.” He replied.
“Do you have a name?”
“Unless you’re of royal lineage, names are of no consequence-we go by rank, which is delegated through pheromones and specific mindsets once we are hatched-it’s far too complex to explain to you in words, but in your terms I would be ranked as the one-hundred and nineteenth infiltrator of my brood.” The Changeling explained.
“Hmm, that’s kinda long…do you mind if I call you something shorter?”
“There’s really no point, as soon as the Queen arrives-you and your precious Princess will be wiped out-if not outright converted to our cause as soon as your love expires.”
Flash leaned forward.
“Are you telling me that your queen won’t be willing to negotiate?” he pressed.
“We don’t negotiate.” The Changeling scoffed. “Your princess and her idiotic ideals of pacifism are part of the reason we targeted your kind in the first place.”
“Okay, so why tell me this now? You weren’t very cooperative earlier and it didn’t take too much time or effort on my part before you began opening up.” Flash asked, trying to mask his genuine confusion with a more assertive tone.
“As you’ve said earlier, I wasn’t fooling anyone and any information I do give you ultimately doesn’t matter-this will all play out the same way, regardless-Equestria will fall and the Changelings will take over.” The Changeling replied. “Not to long after that, me and my fellow infiltrators will be executed for our failure to complete the task we were assigned.”
“If you really believe that, then why give me and the Captain such a hard time?”
The Changeling shrugged, “Might as well have some fun before I die.”
“Are there any more infiltrators in the castle or heading here?”
“Probably, we’ve been gone long enough for the Queen to get irritated and send someone else to complete the job and capture or kill us as punishment-they’d probably be a guard or someone in the castle staff-too risky to try changing into more prominent figures this late…”
“Like Celestia?”
The Changeling burst into fit of laughter which with his vocal arrangement, came out as quite unnerving.
Flash waited patiently for the laughter to subside before the Changeling calmed back down, wiping a tear from his insect-like eye.
“Only the Queen has the power and physiology to change into something like an Alicorn.” He explained. “What I also find hilarious is how you ponies like to play soldier when you honestly believe your biggest weakness is your biggest strength.”
“And what would that be?”
The Changeling turned his head, so he was looking directly at the viewing window.
“Your compassion.” He replied. “Kindness, mercy, your loyalty to your comrades will kill you when it comes down to a real conflict-one like ours, where your precious ruler is too weak-willed to use your Elements to stop us thanks to the mental illness you call a ‘conscience’. Instead she wishes to ‘help’ us and be our friend-when the best thing you could do is make it easier and us and yourselves by submitting.”
“What you’re thinking of isn’t a soldier-it’s a sociopath.” Flash replied. “I’m a Pegasus-I know that we’ve had a long and bloody history with brutal war tactics and punishments-even towards our own. And while that might have worked for a time, I don’t think we would have allied with Unicorns and Earth Ponies if we didn’t realize that method was fundamentally flawed. If Celestia murdered or exiled Luna after she was purified by the Elements of Harmony, we wouldn’t have her guarding the night today.”
“How noble,” The Changeling commented dryly. “Unfortunately, I think you’ll find that most species don’t play by the same rules.”
“I know, but doing the right thing isn’t always smart, easy, or even rewarding-but, some of us can’t live with ourselves if we don’t at least make an effort.”
Flash got up and exited the room to speak with Shining Armor.
“So how honest do you think he was, Cap?”
Shining exhaled deeply before replying, “I think everything he said was the truth if he’s dead anyway, and the Changelings have no sense of loyalty outside of fear-then there really wouldn’t be any reason for him to lie.”
“Unless he’s still screwing with us,” Flash suggested. “You still want to speak with the other two?”
“Of course, we have to see how much of this matches up to determine how truthful they’re being.”
“And they’ll probably be playing the same kind of games…” Flash sighed.
“If it was easy, anyone could do it.” Shining reminded him. “Besides, as guards it’s our job to make sure everyone is safe-no matter how hard or tedious it is.”
He then gestured for the Changeling to follow them back to the holding cell, mentally preparing himself for the next couple of interrogations.
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Yay dashie
Awwwh.....I was hoping for one of the, to get punched in the face by Shiney Hiney
4702197
Admittedly, it wasn't a very well thought-out story with a weak concept.
5074569 5000189
Maybe the new author can deliver on that...
4042793
That's out of my hands now.