Gladiator

by Not_A_Hat

43 - Bugs

"They say there're cragodiles down here."

"Huh." I stepped over a piece of trash, blessing my new boots for the zillionth time. My thank-you for Rarity was rapidly escalating; at this rate, I'd have to create some sort of sentient sewing machine to repay her.

"No, really!" Applejack sidled around the rungs of a ladder and followed me slowly. "Somepony brought them for the zoo, and they escaped. Now they live down here and eat anypony who ventures in!"

"Cool." She snorted in disgust at my careless answer.

"Aw, come on." She shuffled disconsolately. "At least pretend you're frightened! You're as bad as big Mac."

"Look, Applejack." I glanced back at her; she was still wearing her Stetson. "It's not that I don't care. But even if there are cragodiles living in the Manehatten sewers, we're with Princess Celestia. I’m pretty sure they won't bother us while she's here." I gestured ahead, to where a warm golden glow lit our way. The tallest pony in the group was stooping low, trying to keep her horn from scraping on the roof.

We'd been hiking through the sewers for the past half-hour. Celestia was taking us to meet the changeling Queen; Applejack had volunteered to come.

"Yeah…hey, Wes." Applejack lowered her voice and I fell back to walk next to her.

"Mmhmm?"

"Is she angry at you?"

"The Princess?" I frowned. "I don't think so. Why?"

"Seems she snapped at you pretty hard, at lunch yesterday."

"Oh. Um, well." I grimaced. "I was being stupid, and she called me out on it. I was letting my emotions run away with me, and basically…well, I guess bigotry isn't something she thinks much of."

"Still, never thought I'd see the day Princess Celestia snapped like that."

"Heh, well." I shrugged. "I guess she feels it's Ok with a friend. I mean, you know me, right? I'm not going to just roll over if somepony gets angry. If they're wrong, I'll stand up and yell back. I've been trying to be better about dealing with my anger, but I failed pretty hard, there. She called me out on it, and she was right; I was being an ass. Not just to her, but to a whole bunch of…well, changelings I hadn't even met."

"You going to be okay down here?"

I rubbed my sweaty palms on my pants.

"I think so. I mean…" I paused, feeling my emotions and searching for the center of stability meditation offered. "I've been practicing this for a while now, and I think I'm getting better. I don't default to fight-or-flight when I see a changeling anymore, I hope. She seems to think I'll be OK." I nodded to the alicorn.

"Friends, huh?"

"I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yeah, well…I mean, she's a great leader. I look at what she's built, and it's amazing. She works hard for her ponies and believes in what she's doing so much it hurts, but she won't budge on her principles one inch. I mean, if she'd been serious about separating me from Twilight, she could have cut us apart and let me die."

"She'd never!"

"I know. That's why I respect her. You have any idea how hard it is to find a leader like that? But as for friends… That's a bit tougher. I mean, she wants to be my friend. But I'm not entirely certain…it's like, sometimes she's just so alien, you know?" Applejack hesitantly nodded. "Anyways, I'll try. And you should, too. She'd like to be your friend, I think."

"Sure." Applejack grinned. "Love to see what Granny would do if I had her over for supper."

"Ahhh, I’m sick of this!" Up ahead, Celestia suddenly stopped dead. "I'm shrinking myself. This is getting ridiculous. Hold still for moment, you two." She gathered her energy with a flash, and a second later, a surprisingly petite white earth-pony with a pink mane and much less flamboyant sun cutie mark stood before us. She stretched and jumped, enjoying the extra space. "Much, much better! Remind me to change again when we return."

"Your Majesty?" Applejack hesitated. "Could you always do that?"

"Yup!" Celestia pranced forward. Although she'd lost her horn, the golden glow continued on. "I call myself Sunny Skies when I use this face. What do you think?"

"You look…cheerful." I nodded. "Very cheerful. It's nice."

"Oh, really." She shot a wry glance over her shoulder. "I guess I am less imposing. Still." I shrugged to Applejack, who shrugged back. "I should have done this as soon as we started!" She sighed as she came to side passage, a look of annoyance crossing her face. "Aaaaand, we're here." She frowned, sticking her lip out in a sulk. "No cragodiles, even. What sort of sewer is this? Pfff."

We followed as she stomped into a dark archway. Her golden glow showed a barred doorway; she rapped imperiously, blurted a codeword, barely gave the door time to open, and swished through.

Inside, we found another dark, damp tunnel, but this time without dirty water and garbage. A changeling, faceted eyes glimmering in the ethereal light, watched us enter and bolted the door behind us. I quelled a shiver. Celestia glanced at the ceiling; it was much higher. She sighed, and undid her spell.

"I like being Sunny Skies." She shrugged. "Maybe I need another holiday." She took off down the hallway, which slowly sloped downwards.

"So, there're changelings living underneath Manehatten?" Applejack stepped up beside her, trying to get her attention.

"Surprised me, too." Celestia shrugged. "It's entirely possible they were here first, and we came later. We have found some incredibly ancient changeling artifacts."

"Have you been here before, then?"

"Once." She glanced down at the smaller pony. "I came down here to negotiate with Queen Tezeca."

"Tezeca?" I asked, raising my voice a little. "That's an odd name."

"I thought the same." Celestia shrugged. "But Tezeca is old. It's entirely possible her name is from a forgotten language, or has a secret meaning."

"Huh." I rubbed my jaw, and shivered. "If you weren't here, there's no way I'd be down here."

"I don't blame you." They slowed, waiting for me to catch up. We continued like that, Celestia in the middle, and Applejack and I at her sides. "These hives are not the most friendly places."

"Greetings." A voice shivered out of the dark, and we stopped.

"Greetings, Tezeca." Celestia nodded to the blackness ahead. "For the benefit of my friends, would you show yourself?"

"Ah, of course." The voice was dry and papery, but not actually unpleasant. A glimmery luminescence grew around us, a clearer, whiter color than Celestia's golden glow. As it rose, it revealed the Queen we'd come to meet.

Tezeca was nearly as tall as Celestia. She was definitely a changeling. Her eyes were faceted domes, a rich, royal blue. Patterns seemed to swirl across them as I watched, suggesting a starred iris and slit pupil. Her wings were tattered lace, her horn crooked and jagged. She was covered in black chitin, thick armor-plate like Wraith had worn. Besides the similarities, though, there were distinct differences. The holes in her legs were more fluted, almost decorative, and her left fore-hoof was bone white. Across her face, just below her eyes, yellow bands of color twisted. They looked symbolic, decorative.

Wisps of black power gathered around her horn as she finished casting. She gave us a pleasant smile, marred slightly by long, regular fangs.

"Welcome to my home."

"Thanks." I nervously nodded, unsure of how much honor I needed - or wanted - to show. Applejack followed suit.

"Please follow me. I have prepared an area for our conference." She turned, and we proceeded deeper into her domain.

---

"Woah." Both Applejack and I stopped and stared as we entered…a garden.

It had to be a garden. There was nothing else to call it.

We were in a cavern, deep under Manehatten, the city with pavement layered thickly across the dark earth. But here below, plants flourished.

A luminescent fungus was smeared across the ceiling, giving the area a dim, dreamlike glow. Glimmering motes hung in the air, and tiny fireflies swarmed around and about, glittering clouds of light.

"Woah." I said again. It was worth saying.

I had no idea if that was enough light for a normal plant, or even the right color. But the plants here were definitely not normal.

I saw vibrant flowers, beautiful in hue and shocking in symmetry, that turned as I passed. Vines of glistening berries wafted delicious fragrances at me. Grass rustled pleasantly underfoot and smelled like…well, grass. Everything was lovingly tended, each and every plant carefully arranged and pruned to fit into the available space. Not a weed was in sight, and bare ground was vanishingly scarce.

We followed convoluted trails. Not just the plants, but the landscape was sculpted as well, carefully arranged into a hundred little vistas by the mind of an artist. I passed through an arch, cunningly carved to mimic natural erosion. We climbed a spire, in single file, only to walk across the twisted and woven branches of a topiary, cleverly and intricately bridging to another region. The whole place was chock-full of mystery, a wonderland of hidden treasures.

Changelings built this?

My jaw slowly dropped further and further as we made our way inwards. The light brightened gradually; we moved from the dim twilight of the edges, into a more brightly lit center. Looking up, I could see that much of the light came from a tall, twisted tree towering in the middle of the garden. It's rough bark shone golden, emitting a flat, hueless radiance that gave the surroundings a surreal cast. A fountain rose from its roots, dancing down dark rocks to babble beautifully into a pleasant pool. Under the branches of the tree, on a rock in the center of the pool, cushions were arranged in a circle. A tenuous bridge arched the distance, gossamer-thin streamers of metal seeming barely enough to take my weight. Tezeca led us fearlessly, though, and we crossed without mishap.

We settled into a circle, around a hexagonal table that rose to my knees when I sat cross-legged. There was something oriental about its red enamel.

As we made ourselves comfortable, changelings appeared on gossamer-quiet wings. I froze. They stepped inwards, motions synchronized like clockwork, and with one tiny clink, the table was set. They ghosted away, leaving us staring at an array of snacks and drinks as dazzling as the garden we had just traversed.

"Tea?" Our host offered, motioning to a squat, fat pot. I hesitantly nodded, and she poured for me.

It was delicious.

Celestia broke the silence. She sipped her tea appreciatively, and gestured to the glowing tree above us.

"I hardly believe my eyes. Is that truly an Eyrir Cypress?"

"Yes." Tezeca gave a secret smile and set her cup down. "It is."

"Incredible. I thought them extinct after the blight."

"They were. I saved a half-dozen seeds, storing them until the sickness was gone." The changeling shrugged. "If you take the long-term view, much tragedy can be avoided."

"Heh." Celestia shared her smile. "I see; indeed, that is why we are here." She pointed to me, gesturing with a wing. "This is my chosen ambassador, Wesley Kilmer."

"Hmm.' Tezeca scrutinized me. "You are a…human? What is that?"

"A bundle of contradictions. Dust on the wind. Fearful and wonderful; nearly divine, mostly insane." I shrugged. "We are a lonely people; if you ask us for a description of ourselves, you will get a different answer from each."

"You have the soul of a poet."

"Hah!" I laughed, harshly. "If that's true, it was bequeathed me in pity, like all else worthy in my life. As a great man once said, 'I get by with a little help from my friends'. Suffice to say, a human isn't so very different from a pony." I shrugged. "Maybe a bit less stable in some ways, but that's as much a strength as a weakness. If you need an ambassador, I'm willing to do it, as a favor to my good friend Celestia." I set my cup down and leaned back.

"I hear my sister has mistreated you."

I shrugged.

"For what it's worth, I would like to apologize on behalf of my race."

I spat into the pond.

"Fair enough." The Queen sighed, eyes flickering. "I built this garden myself." She gestured expansively, taking in the crinkled topology, a thousand tiny compositions. "In nature, the raison d'etre of a hive is growth. It serves the Queen, and the Queen produces eggs. Thus, the hive grows. Eventually it splits, and the process reoccurs." She sipped her tea. "Changelings, however, are not insects. Ponies, living in power and peace, are not presented with the same conundrum. When you are built for one thing, but that one thing is the worst choice, as Wraith and Chrysalis' showed, what should you devote your life to? I built this garden as a study. Interdependence. Mapped. If you like, one day I could show you the diagram. Tell me, Celestia, placed in my predicament, what would you do?"

"Cry." Applejack's head whipped around, as the Princess gave an abruptly honest answer. "Then work my flank off."

"Heh." Tezeca grimaced wryly. "That neatly sums my succession. It was not a good day."

We sat in silence for a while. Tezeca studied me; I studied indifference. The snacks were good, almost up to Pinkie's standard.

"Wes." I looked to the Queen, raised an eyebrow. "I am appointing you ambassador."

"'k."

"To facilitate your work, I'm bequeathing you this." She motioned to what I'd previously assumed was a rock. It uncurled into a bug. "It is both to honor your position, and act as an aide."

"What?" I studied the changeling, confused. It was fairly small, about the size of a teenage pony, and patterned in some ways after Tezeca. It had the same fluted look. Its eyes, however, were a flat, pearlescent gray. I knew there was some variance in changeling anatomy; maybe they were specialized for something. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it is yours. Do with it what you wish."

"What is this?" An inkling came to me, and I didn't like it.

"It is what you make it."

"No, I mean…." I stopped, stymied. "You can't just give somepony away like that!"

"Actually, I can." She waved her teacup. "Changelings are not like ponies, or, it seems, humans. Most of my hive is very simple, in mind and in function. Didn't you notice, under Wraith, how few of her bugs actually thought?"

I nodded slowly. I'd picked up bits, but never really understood the hive mind. Soldiers were semi-autonomous, and it's not like I had much connection to even them. My lip curled in disgust.

"Drones, hatchlings, and others; most of them can simply be considered an extension of myself. Generals and agents are the exception, not the rule. If I tell this bit that you are its owner, it becomes so." She shrugged. "And now it is."

"But," I turned my teacup in my hands, agitated. "I don't want it."

"Then unmake it." She shrugged. "I am no longer concerned. Such a thing cannot be undone."

"I can't just kill-!" I cut off, angrily. I could. Mechanically, it wasn't difficult; once you knew how they went together, changelings weren't hard to take apart. I knew the vital points, the weak spots in that black armor. It wouldn't be hard at all. Thoughts whirled treacherously in my mind, a thousand rationalizations sapping my will. What was one more bug, in the grand scheme of things? My hands were already dripping with ichor. It could hardly think. It wouldn't hurt. This one was soft and new. I fingered my straight-razor; no need for my knife. I pictured it fluttering out, thrown with a flick of my wrist, sinking into brittle shell. I wouldn't even stand up. The corpse would fall cleanly into the pond. I could get a new razor.

It would only be murdering a defenseless innocent.

I shook my head, driving my thoughts back. My anger, previously simmering impotently under my breastbone, suddenly snapped into focus. I wasn't angry at the bug, but the Queen. Not the message, but the writer. My heart was hammering in rage, my pulse pounding out a war-song against the inhuman monster who could do such things. I wouldn't kill here; the one who deserved my anger was beyond my reach. I grit my teeth, and slid the razor back into my pocket.

"Ah. Success." Tezeca smiled, slightly. "Wes, your Princess has laid on me a heavy burden. If I'm to truly have peace with Equestria, I'm required to convince one human that changelings can live in harmony with others. That you have come this far gives me hope for my hive's future."

Mouth suddenly dry, I swallowed convulsively. The scene spun, and I saw everything from another angle.

"That was a test?" I stumbled over the words, nearly choking. "A lie?"

"It was a test." Celestia's smooth voice calmed me, slightly. "However, she was sincere."

"Darn tootin' she meant it."

"It's truly yours. If it displeases you, terminate it." The Queen shrugged. "There was no lie. Neither of us will complain."

"<Damn.>" I sank my head to my hands, my heart and brain still lurching with emotion. This was getting more and more complicated, and I still wasn't sure how I felt. "Fine. There's nothing I can do about this now." I cast Celestia a disgusted look. "Anything else you plan to spring on me?"

"Truly, I’m sorry." The Princess laid her ears back. "I couldn’t dissuade her, Wes. Please don't hate me."

"Pfft." I laughed, suddenly finding my penitent Princess silly. "Nah." I waved a hand dismissively, as I realized how ridiculous my racing emotions must look, melodramatic and jerky. "Really. I know I've got anger issues. I mean, that's part of why I thought this was a bad idea in the first place. But now that we're committed, we might as well go whole hog." I laced my fingers and turned them outwards, to a salvo of tiny pops. "I've given you leave to use me as a pawn, in hopes you'll be worthy." I shrugged. "I've been claiming I can do better. Little silly to complain, when all you've done is call me on that. I'm only glad I passed."

"Me too." Tezeca grinned, suddenly personable. "Well, Celestia had every confidence in you. It's now official; you are ambassador to the changelings. Also, once the issues with the rogue hive are resolved, you will rule on whether it's possible for changelings and ponies to live in harmony. Justice and equity demand an unbiased account; please do your best to learn all you can."

"Sure." I reclaimed my teacup and filled it. As long as I was sinking, might as well drown.

---

"So, you're an…agent." I almost said 'infiltrator', but stopped myself.

"Yes."

"And your name is Onyx."

"Yes."

I grimaced, glancing sidelong at the second changeling assigned to me. We would be working together on cases. He was a free thinker, not part of the hive mind, able to operate in total independence. This was the same bug Diligent had paroled, back in Wraith's hive. He still had scars on his chitin, and he didn't seem to think much of me. I didn’t blame him; last time he'd seen me, I'd literally been holding a hammer over his head.

"Fine. Well, we're working together, now. Let's try to get along."

"As you say." He nodded to me. My new…aide, I guess, tripped along behind him with mechanical movements. He'd taken charge of it, coaxing it along and directing it as we made our way through the sewers. Celestia led the way, once again in the guise of Sunny Skies. I gave him another glance, sighed, and fell back to walk beside Applejack.

"What did she give you?"

We'd sat and…well, visited, with Tezeca for a bit longer. The Queen had been personable, solicitous, even. I'd been terse in response, still trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened. Applejack, actually, had done the most talking. She'd been fascinated by the garden, and when we left, a drone had presented her with a neatly wrapped bundle.

"Cuttings." She limped, shuffling through the packet with one hoof. "Seeds, sprouts, and notes." She glanced up at me. "Whatever else she is, Tezeca ain't' no amateur. Ah dunno how well these will do out in the sun, but it'll be interesting for sure."

"Cool." I thought back to my garden, the half-hearted attempt I'd been making behind my house. It was dwarfed in every way by what we'd just left. "If you get some going, let me know. I'd like a few of those for my own collection."

"Righty-ho." Applejack nodded. "Hope you've got time. You're busy now, Wes."

"Heh, don't I know it." I shrugged. "I'll make time as I can." I listed my new responsibilities in my head, and sighed. "If I can."

---

"'Scuse me. Pardon me. I'm with the IPB. Government, coming through."

Applejack, Onyx, and I were elbowing our way sharply through a throng of ponies. The ponies, in turn, were clustered around a closed door. This was the first of my 'peace operations', directly after meeting with Tezeca. Celestia had gotten a report and dispatched me post-haste, while she and Rarity discussed returning to Ponyville. I was still trying to figure out just what sequence of small mistakes had landed me in this monumentally colossal mess. There was no way I could be the right choice for this job. Now I just needed to think up a reason that would let me quit, without stabbing needles of betrayal through my conscience.

"Open up! We're with the IPB!" I rapped sharply on the door.

Nothing.

"Let me." Applejack stepped forward, and gave the planks a resounding kick. "Open up, Blackie! We're coming in, one way or another!"

A moment's silence.

"Applejack?" A voice rumbled from the other side of the door. The surrounding ponies hushed, and the lock clicked. With a creak, a crack appeared. "Izzat you?"

"Let us in!" My forthright companion inserted her nose in the crack and levered. The door swung open, and we slipped through. It shut behind us with a bang.

I surveyed the room, stomach fluttering. I was here as an official, and the new pressure already weighed on me. A circle of ponies, tough and battle worn, sat around a table. At the foot, very alone and very, very hopeless, sat a changeling. I calmed myself with a few deep breaths; seeing them like that was still a shock, despite my training. The seat at the table’s head was vacant. A tall, imposing stallion, with a light gray coat and a tan mane, stood by the closed door.

"You in charge here?" I asked, with more confidence than I felt. He was chewing a dimly glowing cigar.

"Yeah." He gave me a flat look and turned back to Applejack. "What are you doing here, Jackie?"

"I'm with him." She nodded to me. "You've got trouble, Uncle Black."

"Sure." He nodded. "What's it to you?"

I pulled out the seal I'd been given. It was heavy gold, about the length of my thumb, and deeply embossed. I passed it to him, wary of his reaction.

"I'm Wesley Kilmer, first and only Equestrian ambassador to the Tezecan changelings." I drew in a slightly quaking breath. "As you may have noticed, I'm not a pony. Because of this, I can't be mimicked. Princess Celestia has appointed me to do my best to solve problems like this."

Black inspected the signet and sneered, before tossing it back to me.

"Allright. So?"

"First, I wanted to say thanks." I gave a slightly relieved sigh and tucked the signet away before nodding to the ponies around the table. "You and yours went out of your way for me yesterday. Without that I'd have likely met a messy end, and I'm deeply grateful for your help."

"Well." His sneer faded slightly, and I saw him re-evaluate me. "That's nicely said." I shrugged. I was just glad they were this calm.

"Applejack has helped me out in the past. As a friend, I was wondering if you'd like help with this…" I waved to the changeling "…problem."

"Hmm. As a friend." He chewed his cigar and nodded slowly. "I might see clear to that, on account of family." He glanced at Applejack; she nodded, slightly. "Fine. Join us." He waved us over to the table.

"Hold on a second." I gestured hesitantly to Onyx, who looked like a pastel-green earth pony with a light blue mane. "This is Onyx. He looks like a pony, but he's working with me as the first Tezecan changeling ambassador to the ponies." There were a few sharp breaths at that, but nothing more. "In a few days, Princess Celestia will have more to say on this, but for now, you need to know two things. Remember." I gave him a telling glance. "This is secret information, for now." I saw him grin at that; he understood the value of secrets. We were handing him a sword against his enemies. I only hoped it wouldn't cut us.

"I've been told that this is one of the few families in Manehatten who value truth. The last, as it were, real business ponies." There were nods; Applejack had explained to me that, although these ponies might buck the law, even this branch of the Apple family considered themselves honorable. "Well, I'm giving you truth here, unvarnished and bitter. Truth is, there are changelings among us. I don't like it, either." I sighed, and ran a hand over my face. "Truth is, they're not all of a kind.

"Like ponies, some want to live in peace. Some want to run and hide. And some…well, some want to hurt us. For now, we're officially at peace with the Tezecans. It's my job to find out what sort of changeling we've got here, and work with Onyx to make sure something we can both live with gets done. If you will?" I waved to my compatriot. He gave me a worried look, but dropped his disguise. The magic flickered and faded, leaving behind a battlescarred bug. There were a few more gasps. I waited for a second and nodded; things were going well so far.

"Right." I sat down at the table, taking a place near the foot, but not next to the changeling. "If you don't mind, what's going on here?"

"This…this roach killed Pearlette!" One of the ponies spat.

"We don't know that! What if she's still alive? We need to find out what happened!"

"Yeah. Why are we wasting time here? Don't changelings answer to knives?"

"Stop!" Black Apple shouted, frustrated, and slammed a hoof onto the table. I felt the solid oak lift nearly an inch, and tried not show surprise; the Apple Family don was a shockingly powerful pony. "Just…stop." He sank his head to his hooves. "Listen, Mister Kilmer, this ain't easy for me. This morning, everything was looking up. We'd just hit Tweed where it hurt, and word on the street is that obnoxious glitterpony Glisten packed her bags and ran. I was hoping for a nice quiet day, where we could capitalize on our gains. Relax a bit. Then, I get a note from my right-forehoof here." He motioned to the hard-bitten mare sitting next to him.

"We run a square gig here, Wesley. We're not in this for the money, we're in this because sometimes ponies need a bit of help, and in this city, a bit of help handed out tends to come back to you. We've made good on that, and it's taken us far." There were a scattering of nods around the table. "Anyways, the note says bad news, come quick, there's trouble. So I drop my breakfast and off I trot." He shrugged. "What else could I do? I did the same for you and Jackie. It's the way we work. Well, soon enough I find myself talking to Kriss, there." He nodded to a pony marked with a curvy dagger. "Tell it again, Kriss."

"Sure, boss." Kriss nodded. "Well, it's simple enough. Pearlette owed me money." He shrugged. "Not much, but some. I'm no nag, but I've been wanting a bit, and I thought I'd go ask. What goes around comes around, amirite? Right. Well, I set up a meeting. We got some lunch and talked. I thought she was acting a bit off, and everypony knows that changelings are everywhere nowadays. So when I ask her about the money, and she acts like she don't know, I'm a little antsy. I back her into a corner and now she acts real suspicious. You learn to get a read on somepony, working this job.

"So, I've about had enough; I yell a little, thinking to scare her. To my surprise, she just…changes. She looks scared now, and right so. She realizes the cat's out of the bag, and tries silence me, but I’m too fast for her. Off she goes and I follow after with a few nearby ponies. I lost her, but put the word out. Don't take long for us to nab her; she's acting all innocent, like we'd buy that. Everypony knows changelings replace ponies. All I want to know, is where Pearlette is. I don't even care about the bits." He slammed his wavy dagger into the table, where it shuddered. "One way or another we're going to get answers here, Black. You'd best do something soon."

"Hold up, y'all." Applejack tapped a hoof on the table. "It ain't right to act before hearing the whole thing." She turned to the changeling. "What's your story, miss?"

"M-me?" The changeling seemed surprised to be addressed, breaking out of its fugue slightly. I nodded to Onyx.

"Speak, agent." He held up a seal, just as intricate as mine, carved from black stone. "Queen Tezeca commands."

"O-ok." She drew in a sniffling breath, and raised her head slightly. "I'm Pearlette, a head of the Black Apple Family." There were hisses at that and she quailed a little, but soldiered on. "It's true! I never saw Kriss! I…" She sagged a little more. "I just wanted to be a good leader."

"Come on, now." Applejack scanned the group. "Can't you tell she's not lying?"

"She's a changeling!" One pony spat. "You know they can't be trusted!"

"And why not?" Applejack asked, reasonably. "This may be news to you, but not all changelings are as dumb as Chrysalis. Most changelings don't replace ponies; it's too much hassle, in this city. If they want to move in, they do! Who's to stop them? It's possible Pearlette was a bug all along and y'all never knew."

"Really?" Black Apple gave her a hard stare. She nodded confidently.

"Heard it from the big bug myself. Tezecan's don't bother with stupid ploys; who's going to notice another new face 'round these parts?"

"But, what about attacking me?" Kriss lifted a bandaged foreleg above the table.

"It might not have been Pearlette." Everypony turned to me, including the bug. I hid a wince with a shrug. "I'm the ambassador to the Tezecans. Turns out, they aren't the only hive. Chrysalis is defunct, and so's Wraith…you may not have heard of her. But there's another, and for some reason, they're starting trouble. Turns out, if you can make yourself look like another pony, you can make yourself look like another changeling."

"Hold up." Kriss leaned close to me, across the table. "There's bugs out there, using us for their dirty work?" That got a rustle of murmurs.

"Maybe." I shrugged. "Just saying, don't take things at face value."

"But!" Another pony stamped a hoof. "She's still a bug. What are we going to do about that?"

"Why do anything?" They gave me confused looks. "Ok." I sighed. "I'll make this clear. I don't think Pearlette's replaced anypony. You chased a bug, and caught a bug, I don’t think they’re the same bug. Chances are, she's been a bug all along. That's a big lie, but it's not like killing your friend. Think about this. If she's really worked with you all that time, you'd better have an awfully good reason to hurt her. Do you have any way to prove who she is?" I glanced at Black Apple. He nodded slowly, and walked around the table. He leaned close to Pearlette and whispered in her ear. She got a confused look, but whispered back after a second. His expression went from grim, to shocked, to slow dismay.

"It's her, alright." He walked back to his place, slumped onto his cushion and thumped his head into the table, visibly distraught. "Listen up, Apples! This is Pearlette, your friend, and a head who's done stellar work with us for years!" He raised his head, and surveyed every single one of them. "If it wasn't for my misgiving, and the help of our new friends, we'd have killed her."

He stopped. I watched, as the realizations sunk in around the table. Kriss took it especially hard, ears wilting.

"You…" A hesitant, disbelieving voice came from the foot of the table. "You believe me?"

"I do." Black gave her a firm nod. "And I should have let you speak! I ain't ever told nopony every time you watched my back. If you'd had a mind to put a knife in it, I couldn't have stopped you. It's that made you head, really. The rest of it was just formality." He grinned, some of his dark mood dissipating. "Well, all y'all, what's the holdup? We got our friend back!"

"Just a second." Another pony yelled, right before general celebration broke out. "Does that mean she's been…leeching off us? All this time?"

"No!" This time, the outburst came from the accused. Pearlette stood and flickered; after a few seconds, she looked like a dark gray mare with a rich pink mane and tail, streaked with ash. "Never! Chrysalis was an idiot." She spat disgustedly. "Sure, it's possible to suck emotions out of a pony. But that's wrong. I'd never do that! If I'm a good leader, I don't even have to! The ponies under me, the things they feel towards me; all of that, it's no different than what they feel towards any of you, who do a good job and pass a little help around. When some of that comes my way, I store it up, and send it back to my…" she paused. "My other family. How many of you send bits home?" She glared around the table. "Is that so different?" Her disguise flickered again. "Sure, I might look a little different. But we've got pegasi and unicorns here, too. Don't…" She stopped, emotion thickening her voice. "Don't hate me. I don't think I could swallow it."

"Onyx, can you wrap things up with her?" I leaned over and whispered to my fellow ambassador. "I'll make sure she's not in any danger from Black." He nodded.

"Well, sir." I walked around the table; the mob leader rose to meet me. "Is this going to be OK? I can't leave if both of you don't feel safe."

"She won't hurt me." He grinned. "She's had plenty of shots in the past. And I won't let any of these ponies lay a hoof on her." I glanced to Onyx, who listened to Pearlette and nodded to me.

"Good." I sighed deeply in relief and tapped hooves with Black. "Then I think my work here is done. Again, thanks for your help. Let me know if something like this comes up again, and watch the news; the Princess should be taking a stand on this sort of thing soon. If you can, try to calm the city down a bit. The last thing we need is reckless stampeding, especially if it's what the other bugs are working towards."

"Sure thing." He gave me a grin. "Nice doing business with you; you've done me a favor today, and I appreciate that."

"You're welcome." I nodded back and turned towards the door. Applejack took a moment to make her farewells and followed with Onyx. We elbowed our way through the throng outside, ignoring yelled questions and shouted threats. My mind was whirling. I'd just helped save a changeling. It was a new experience.

I thought back to the emotions that had swirled through that small room. She hadn't been so bad, right?

Well, we would see. No need to rush to a decision.

Comments

[sjo3989]

thanks for the update!!

[DarklightArk]

Its update day! Nom nom nom

[hs0003]

Nice words.
I'm currently ill, can I have some more words?

[Not_A_Hat]

4295891 Yup! Tomorrow~!

4295463 You're welcome!

[Nihatclodra]

I tried looking into what "Tezeca" meant... closest I found was the Greek word "Teza", which means "Madness".

[damnaion]

43# hummm and cool

[Crescent Quill]

4297676 I have two questions about the story so far 1. how big is the changeling Wes got from Tezeca? As big as a foul or as big as a normal changeling/pony? I need something to compare it to to get a good image of it 2. Is Onxy the changeling he got from Tezeca?

[Not_A_Hat]

4794769 Onyx is not the changeling he got from Tezeca. He first met Onyx when he was involved in destroying Wraith's hive; Onyx was held prisoner there. Celestia took custody of Onyx, and returned him to Tezeca, who made him ambassador to the ponies. He works with Wes, but the circumstances are different.

The changeling he got from Tezeca is slightly smaller than a normal pony at this point. It eventually grows slightly, but it's never significantly larger. This might also be unclear. I'll make a note for when I get to revision.

[StarChaser01]

4795992 when I first read about the nymph (the baby changeling) I pictured (and still do) it to be small enough to fit in the average person's hand, like a little kitten... and then it grows fast...

[Dj7291993]

Yeah, well…I mean, I she's a great leader.

Just "she" or "I think she". Though I'd go with the first.

"Truth is, they're not all of a kind."

Like ponies, some want to live in peace. Some want to run and hide. And some…well, some want to hurt us. For now, we're officially at peace with the Tezecans. It's my job to find out what sort of changeling we've got here, and work with Onyx to make sure something we can both live with gets done. If you will?"

Remove the closing quotation mark after 'kind', add an opening one before 'Like'.

So, I've about had enough;

Add opening quotation mark.

I glanced to Onxy,

"Onyx"

[Theresa]

Really Celestia he has ptsd thanks to changelings and you know that he doesn't like killing unless necessary and you want to test him by poking the buttons.