The Changelings Are Due in Canterlot

by Meta Four

2. Epilogue: My Little Changeling

“I’m sorry,” Twilight said, staring up at the antiseptic white ceiling.

“Whatever for?” Rarity replied.

“Yeah,” Applejack added. “’Tain’t like this was your fault, sugarcube.”

“That was kind of fun, actually,” Rainbow Dash said.

“No, not this.” Twilight chuckled. “I mean our argument this morning.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy wriggled in her bed as much as she could. “Well, it really wasn’t so bad. You were right about how, you know, we should have responded to your concerns about Princess Cadance better. We’re all sorry about that.”

A chorus of agreements came from Twilight’s other friends.

Twilight flicked her ears. “But that doesn’t make me right, either!” A chain jangled as Twilight waved one hoof as far as she could. “I should have … I don’t know, just asked for an apology. Not held that over your heads to win points in an argument. So I’m sorry for that.”

“Of course we forgive you, dear,” Rarity said. After everypony else echoed the sentiment, she continued. “Really, it seems none of us have been on our best behavior these past few days.”

“Awwwww,” Pinkie Pie said. “I wish we could hug now. I owe you girls one as soon as we get out—don’t let me forget, Twilight!”

“Okay, I’ll hold you to that,” Twilight said. “You know what this reminds me of? There’s an old saying attributed to Clover the Clever: ‘If you’re imprisoned in some dungeon, the pony who comes to pay your bail is a good friend. But the pony who’s right there in the cell with you, saying, “Wow, wasn’t that fun?”—she is a very good friend.’”

Twilight turned her head to look around the hospital room, at each of her friends. All of them laid prone atop white sheets and thin mattresses on wheeled steel frames. Everypony bore some injury, whether black eyes, bruises, or bandaged cuts on torsos, limbs, or heads. Every leg that wasn’t in a cast or sling was hoofcuffed to a bed frame. Rarity and Twilight’s horns both bore silver rings engraved with magic-nullifying runes.

“This isn’t really a dungeon,” Twilight continued, “but I guess it’s close enough.”

“Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said. “Twiiiiiiilight.”

“What?”

“I think the nurse hit me too hard with that pain-be-gone spell. Because all that dorky stuff you said actually makes sense!”

“Ha ha,” Twilight deadpanned. “Oh, dear, I laughed at your joke. Does that mean my dose is also too high?”

“Well, as long as we’re feelin’ all hunky-dory, sugarcube,” Applejack said, “what about the thing that started the whole argument?”

“What about it?”

“Well, have you rethought the issue at all? Considerin’ what just happened.”

Twilight bit back the first reply that came to mind and instead said, “Are you implying that sort of anarchy is a logical outcome of my position?”

“Well, if the horseshoe fits …”

“I never wanted it to be like that.” Twilight sighed. “We need the rule of law, not angry mobs—but that still doesn’t change the fact we need be vigilant against the changelings. So, no, I haven’t really changed my mind.” She gave Applejack a weak smile. “Agree to disagree?”

“Dunno if we’re that far gone, yet.” Applejack chuckled. “So, what if that rabble had been chasing after a real changeling, not your old friend?”

“Well, I’d make sure she got arrested, of course. But she’d go into the custody of the Police or the Guard, not get beat up by random civilians. Suspects have rights, after all …”

Twilight trailed off as the room’s only door clicked, its latch unlocking. The door swung open, and Moondancer trotted in. “Great news, everypony!”

A Guard unicorn followed behind her. He lit his horn, and every hoofcuff in the room opened. “Ladies, we aren’t pressing charges against you,” he said as he pulled the nullifier rings off Twilight and Rarity. “You’re free to leave.”

The six bedridden ponies stared back at him.

“Umm, as soon as the doc clears you.”

---

Two weeks later …

There was a knock at the door.

Before Moondancer could look up from her book, Twilight said, “I’ve got it,” and shuffled across the library foyer. Though she had recovered further every day, there was a still a slight limp in her gait. Each time Twilight put weight on her right foreleg and flinched, Moondancer felt a tinge of guilt, despite the protests of her rational side.

Moondancer stood up, taking care not to wake Spike, who was curled up next to her.

Twilight opened the door. There was a white unicorn on the front step—her dark mane tied up in a bun, and a cravat around her neck. This was one of Princess Celestia’s aides. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Raven? What are you doing in Ponyville?”

“I’m here to serve you this.” Raven pulled a sealed envelope out of her saddlebag and gave it to Twilight. “You’ve been summoned to testify in court as an eyewitness.”

Twilight tore the envelope open and pored over the page inside. Moondancer cantered over to her side, saying, “Eyewitness to what? Is this about …”

“It is,” Twilight said. “The trial for the ringleaders of that gang that attacked you.”

“Lime Twist, Tiramisu, and Fitzgerald ‘Fizzy’ Watts,” Raven added.

“Wow,” Moondancer said. “That seems pretty quick.”

“Oh, it is. Just between us, Princess Celestia and the District Attorney both want the judgment passed down as quickly as possible. They want to send a message.” Raven squinted. “Moondancer?”

“Yes?”

“Well, that makes my job easier.” Raven pulled another sealed envelope from her bag and passed it to Moondancer. “The court also … requests your testimony as well.”

Moondancer swallowed and stared at the envelope. She didn’t open it.

“But,” Twilight cut in, “nopony’s demanding her appearance?”

“Correct.” Raven offered a small smile. “If you still aren’t comfortable returning to Canterlot, Moondancer, we’ll understand.”

Moondancer looked up from the still-unopened envelope. “Can I think about it a few days before I make a decision?”

“Of course. Oh, and Twilight, one more piece of business before I subpoena your friends.” Raven pulled from her bag a whole ream of oversized pages, plus one scroll. “Celestia said something about this being too much to deliver by dragonfire.”

“Ooof.” Twilight caught the stack of pages. “Spike will appreciate that.”

As Raven departed, Twilight unfurled the scroll and set down the stack. Moondancer picked up the top page.

It was a glossy poster, depicting a generic earth pony mare—and a giant magnifying lens that revealed her to be a changeling. Oddly, the changeling wasn’t smiling or baring her fangs, but instead wore a pensive expression. Text in two different colors surrounded the illustration. The black text read:

The Changeling Detectors Are on the Case!

There’s no need to fear changelings amongst us! The Princesses have assembled a task force to find and deal with the threat. So you can sleep safe and sound, knowing that Equestria’s best and brightest are watching out for you!

DO NOT CONFRONT CHANGELINGS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!

If you suspect somepony is a changeling, report them to the nearest Guard station or your local Police. Let the professionals handle it!

Along the bottom of the poster were portraits of a half-dozen ponies in trenchcoats and fedoras—some of the Changeling Detectors, apparently. One of the faces looked familiar.

Twilight sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Moondancer looked up from the poster.

“I can’t tell if Princess Celestia is taking this changeling issue as seriously as she should.” Twilight held up the scroll. “Listen to this: she says the Changeling Detectors will, and I quote, ‘find changelings and determine whether they pose a threat.’ Whether they pose a threat!”

“Would it make you feel better to know that Mint Truffle is on the team?” Moondancer held up the poster. “Look.”

“Huh.” Twilight grabbed it. “Didn’t see that coming.”

“I wonder what the Princess’s game is.”

Twilight smiled ruefully. “Fluttershy must have gotten to her.”

“You … think Fluttershy is wrong?”

“Yes. No. Uurgh.” Twilight shook her head. “I hope Fluttershy is right. But we can’t afford to plan on hope.”

She produced a roll of tape and tore off four strips. Then she held the poster up to the front door and taped it there. “I’ll believe there are good changelings when I see one myself.”

“Like the one that donkey knows?” Moondancer nudged Twilight. “What’s her name again …”

“Matilda! Of course.” Twilight’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed Moondancer’s shoulders. “I have so many questions for her, as soon as she gets back from her vacation. She could be just the insight we need for the whole changeling issue!”

“Yes …”

“But in the meantime …” Twilight let go of Moondancer, barely flinching as her bad leg hit the floor. Then she picked up the stack of posters and stepped outside. “I have to post these PSAs all over town, for Princess Celestia.”

“I can help!” Rushing into place at Twilight’s side, Moondancer grabbed half the stack.

As they trotted away from the library, Moondancer couldn’t help but smile. Willingly leaving the library, just to take a walk outside with a friend? That would have been inconceivable for her, not long ago; these past few weeks with Twilight and her friends had changed her.

She even looked like a different pony, and she had Rarity to thank for that. Her ratty wool turtleneck had been replaced by a new cashmere turtleneck; instead of a sloppy ponytail, her mane was pulled up in a tidy topknot; even her thick eyebrows had been combed to look less bushy. Okay, on second thought, Moondancer didn’t really look like a different pony. She just looked like a tidier version of herself—somepony who consciously chose her look, rather than slouching into it.

It was fitting that Moondancer should change now, when Equestria itself was changing. It had all started when that usurper, Queen Chrysalis, showed her true face at the Royal Wedding. That moment had cracked the foundation of the old way of life in Equestria—though few ponies, if any, realized it. Moondancer doubted if anypony would heed the new signs that were just now appearing, either:

One: Princess Celestia and the Canterlot District Attorney both wanted to send a message by passing judgment on the anti-changeling vigilantes.

Two: A task force had been assembled to find changelings, but they apparently wouldn’t be operating under the assumption that all of their quarry are dangerous.

Three: An allegedly anti-changeling batch of public service announcements had been printed up. Yet those posters urged caution, rather than fear or aggression. And the changeling on the poster was drawn as a sympathetic figure, not a dangerous predator.

Four …

There was a public bulletin board on the next corner. “I’ve got this,” Moondancer said, trotting towards it. She pinned a poster right in the center of the board, then stepped away. In no time at all, five passing ponies had stopped to examine it. As they murmured amongst themselves, Moondancer smiled and inhaled deeply.

Curiosity had such a rich, dark flavor—halfway between wood and chocolate. Moondancer’s love for it had only grown since she’d come to Ponyville. In retrospect, back in Canterlot she had overindulged to the point of near numbness, by spending so much time in those libraries. Now that she was on a more balanced diet, she could properly appreciate the subtleties of her favorite flavor.

Twilight was getting ahead. Moondancer took one last draught before turning away from the crowd and cantering after her. As she caught up, she gave Twilight a bright smile, and resumed her mental list.

Four: Twilight Sparkle, who had more reason to hate changelings than just about any other pony, still clearly wanted to believe that there were good changelings out there.

Five: Moondancer couldn’t fault the ponies for not seeing this, but the new public service announcements bore a second message, which was only visible in ultraviolet wavelength.

We can’t live in the shadows for much longer.
The Princesses already know about us.

“What are you thinking about?” Twilight’s voice brought Moondancer back to the present. “You look really happy.”

“This afternoon,” Moondancer said. “Fluttershy invited me to come over for tea. Say, would you like to come along?”

“I’d love to!”

At that moment, Moondancer made up her mind. That afternoon, she would tell Twilight and Fluttershy what she really was.

---

In the badlands beyond Equestria’s southern border, a black figure paced back and forth. “Curse it all!” Queen Chrysalis screamed at her far-sight spell. “Why isn’t Equestria on fire yet?!”

Comments

[JFalk]

The epilogue is very nice - much like how the show would take the Twilight Zone-like plot (and the changeling Moondancer twist was a good surprise )

And Chrysalis...: Where is the KABOOM? Where is the Canterlot-shattering KABOOM!

[Yami Vizzini]

Well, as I like to say, all's well that... ends a beginning well. Perhaps not quite as happy as we're used to, but hopeful.

I feel like Twilight and co. got kind of a bum deal getting arrested for being the target of an angry mob, but I suppose so was everypony else- when stuff like that happens, all the authorities can do is clamp down and sort it out later, which they clearly did. Still, here's hoping that they gave as good as they got when push came to buck.

[Meta Four]

6848020 Fair enough. I was torn about writing this part precisely because it would wreck the whole Twilight Zone tone.

The optimism of My Little Pony and the morbid cynicism of The Twilight Zone don't play well together. I guess both series have similarly high ideals (after all, a cynic is just a frustrated optimist), but Twilight Zone says "Here's how bad things will be if you don't live up to those standards," while MLPFIM says "Here's how great things will work out if you do live up to the standards."

So I separated this ending as a sort of compromise. That first chapter works as a standalone story (it pretty much ends the same place the original Twilight Zone episode did) for any readers who prefer the bleaker tone. And the epilogue is an optional thing for any readers who'd prefer a more optimistic tone.

6848442 Oh, yeah. They gave as good as they got. Rainbow Dash did say it was "kind of fun", after all.

[JazzyWaffles]

The twist with Moondancer at the end was great. Didn't see that coming at all!

[Meta Four]

8167069 Glad you liked it.

I picked Moondancer because I couldn't pass up the irony of Twilight unknowingly defending a changeling.