In Sheep's Clothing

by Kydois

Chapter 11 — A Lingering Ripple

NOW

Nymph

I regret staying up over the night.

I had everything wrapped up at the guardhouse by late in the afternoon, including plans for extended time off due to the assault. With my stomach growling, my legs weary, and myself still a little numb from the changeling’s acid-y spell, Lily and I stopped at a small coffee shop. Seated at one of the outside tables, I chewed ruefully on a fresh daisy sandwich.

I squinted as the sun rose ever higher and reminded myself to grab a pair of sunglasses. Canterlot may be one of the most beautiful cities in Equestria, but it was also composed primarily of white stone, and the reflection from the sun in a clear sky on the longest day of the year from that stone was currently attempting first-degree murder on my sleepless retinas. After the second such attempt in three days, I decided quite resolutely that the sun was the bane of all existence.

Luckily, the few other patrons at the coffee shop were in various states of sleep deprivation and would hopefully pay little attention to me if I decided to fall asleep in my food. Still, I imagined their eyes boring into my back, even if I knew they had little reason to bother with me.

I sighed. I want to be home, away from all the noise and light and social contact. What I wouldn’t give just to be back alone in my little hole in the sleeping chambers, surrounded by books and absolutely noling else.

“Y’know luv, I still cahn’t believe this came from a plant,” Lily said loudly, waving a piece of bread around in her mouth as she disassembled her sandwich.

I groaned and rubbed the middle of my forehead with a hoof. As much as I wanted to sleep, there was much on my mind and, more importantly, I was still several blocks away from the closest bed to pass out in.

I rolled my shoulders, readjusting the scarf and Crystal around my neck. "Do you think that the other changeling was really looking for the guard schedules?" I sent through the link.

"They were already out on the table, were they not? Does the sergeant keep anything else of note in his office?" Crystal replied smoothly.

I pursed my lips together. "No, not in particular. There might be a few records of anyone we need to bring in, but those are usually with the bookkeepers. He might keep a few of our personnel files in there though. Think they got away with that?"

Crystal seemed pensive. "Depends on what is in those files. How many did they make off with?"

“Din’t look like much, I dun think.” Lily said to my surprise, her mouth full of chewed greens. ““E wos really tryin’ to book his arse outta dere and nicked wot ‘e could.”

I took another bite of my sandwich, trying not to look in Lily’s mouth. "So likely some schedules or somepony’s files, but…”

I frowned. "If they knew the beats we walked, they could stalk us better."

"And?"

"They’d be able to kidnap somepony and replace them if they knew where to wait. Most guards patrol in pairs though. It wouldn’t be that easy."

Crystal humphed. "That is of no matter as long as they can be isolated and taken unaware," she said dismissively. "Assume the worst and that they are able to kidnap and replace your fellow guards. What then?"

My chewing slowed. "I won’t be able to trust anyone in the guard. And they might come after me next."

"First lesson when dealing with rival changelings. Suspect everyone." Crystal said. "As for coming after you, I think it unlikely, for now. They stopped following you."

My brow furrowed. "But why?"

“Probably ‘cause they dun’ think you’re a threat, what with one of them givin’ you a right proper whuppin’!”

I slid my empty plate to the side and slammed my head into the table.

"Could be a variety of reasons," Crystal continued, amusement wafting off of her, “though I believe it is because of your reaction to his spell, the one I told you not to mention."

I lifted my head up, ignoring the looks the other patrons gave me. “I’ve been meaning to ask about that. Why—”

“Because one, it was tailored towards changeling magic. While I may not look it, I know my way around magic and this form has significantly heightened those senses. When the spell soaked into your scarf, I got a very close look at its arcane construction. The bolt had the outer makings of an Acid Splash and would appear as such to any casual observer, but it was clear it was different when it contacted your fur. It was attempting to unravel your transformation, and it very much should have done so had it not suddenly failed to recognize your disguise.

“I am quite interested in... discerning the particulars of that interaction, and I would very much like to analyze you as you transform to get a better sense of your magic.”

I pursed my lips, and let out a contemplative hum as I scooted my chocolate smoothie over and drank from the straw. If Crystal was right about that spell, did that mean my transformative magic was different enough from a changeling's that it simply didn’t work, or that I had some other form of resistance? “That can wait until tomorrow,” I groused as I massaged my forehead. “Let me get some sleep first. Did you have another reason for me to keep quiet?”

“Of course. Princess Celestia was in the room. While wise and benevolent, her involvement may hurt more than it helps, especially since changelings have thus far been relatively unknown to the ponies.”

Her attention seemed to turn towards Lily. “I am already extremely concerned that she has taken an interest in you, Lily. What did she talk about with you?”

“Nuh uh, luv!” the disguised merpony sang. “That’s between me an’ the Lightbringer!”

“Lily.” I could feel the power of Crystal’s deadpan look.

Lily let out a snorting giggle before latching onto her scalding cup of coffee, downing the rest of it in a gulp, and setting it onto the table with a thunk. “Oh, don’t get’cherself in a bunch, Crystal. Din’t really talk ‘bout much,” she said with a slightly overly wide grin. “Chatted a bit about me and Watchie, how we came to Canterlot, bit about my home, uhh…”

“Please tell me you did not bring up your real origins.”

“Oh, f’course not, luv!”

“That is a mild relie—”

“The Lightbringer actually figured it out ‘erself!” Lily continued unabated. “Right smart one, she is. Think my sharp teeth were showing, and she kinda guessed it from there.”

Crystal was completely silent for several uncomfortably long seconds until finally, she let out a huge exasperated breath. “My… transformation spells keeping Lily an earth pony must deteriorate with distance.”

“She also wants to meet’cha too, Crystal!”

“...I will consider it when I am more presentable. If she approaches you again, tell her that I am a bit self-conscious at the moment.”

I blinked. “Crystal? You seem to be… taking this a lot better than I thought you would.”

“What Lily has revealed cannot be unrevealed, save for if Celestia forgets it herself. It is unfortunate, but moving forward, we must be cautious about what information gets to Princess Celestia. She will be much more likely to poke her head in our business now that she knows that Lily is a merpony and that she is affiliated with a powerful mage capable of completely changing half of her body.”

I groaned and lay my head on the table. “Of course. It’s not enough that I need to interact with ponies. I also need the one pony who could vaporize me with a blink of an eye interested in me.”

“Perhaps not necessarily in you, unless you have any other distinguishing characteristics you have not told us about.”

I breathed out a long sigh. Though I had gained some insight into my own character through how others seemed to see me and my own impulses, the one thing the memory spell did not seem to bestow upon me was, ironically, my own memories. “Nothing that comes to mind beyond my injury in the Everfree several days ago.”

“I see,” she said, though it was obvious that she didn’t entirely believe me. “Celestia did mention you had a ‘life-threatening injury.’ Was that when you assumed her place?”

I laboriously picked myself up and dropped a few bits on the table before trudging away like a zombie. Lily just grabbed a hoofful of bits from a bag and tossed it to the table before following suit, her light skip showing no signs of sleep deprivation.

We walked in silence, moving with the crowd as they wound their way back homes for rest. I was… unsure of how much I wanted to reveal to Crystal or to anypony really of how much I had messed up. It’s been maybe two days since I’ve met her and Lily and it feels like I’ve known her for way longer. Maybe it was just because she was there when I nearly died at the hooves of another changeling, but her solidarity in the face of uncertainty was such a great lure.

But what if she was just prying me for information for the enemy?

But then why bother with Lily? The mere notion of the merpony carrying around a talking gem seemed way too absurd if they were trying to learn about me, not to mention the encounter I just had.

I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of my scarf around me and the weight of Crystal hidden inside. I felt her emotions through my empathy sense and found her genuinely curious and methodical, a taste like fine wheat. An uninspiring flavor, yet still savory enough to try more.

If she were just a voice from a gem, would she be able to generate emotions?

I made up my mind, and spoke through the link. “It was, b-but I wasn’t the one who gave her that injury.”

“...Go on.”

I took a deep breath. “I was attacked by a manticore. She came to help me, but we were both mortally wounded. Before she died, I cast a memory spell so I could take her place, and I survived by allowing her friends to take me to a hospital.”

“Stop there. You cast a memory spell?”

I sighed, my face twisting into a grimace. “I’ve been told repeatedly after the fact that I was never supposed to do that alone, and that I was lucky to come out of it coherent.”

“Impossible. The most recent memory transference spell as I remember it had fail safes against such an occurrence.”

My brow furrowed. The spell was supposed to have fail safes? “I cast it exactly as I was taught.”

“Then that will have to be another thing you show me once we are in the privacy of your home and you are rested enough to channel your magic precisely. Unless you were using an archaic form of the spell, it should have required two casters. What insane changeling would go out of their way to reconstruct the spell from the ground up just to remove those locks?”

“I… I don’t know.” Was my broodmother the one who changed it? Why did she teach me a flawed spell?

I turned the corner to my apartment complex. My gaze slowly panned across Overwatch’s home, and I felt anew just how alien of an environment I had ended up in. On one side, my hive and my mother, the broken spell, and the questionable mission into one of the most dangerous regions in Equestria. Even Dexter and Sinister seemed confused as to why I was here.

On the other, a pony in Canterlot, her memories inaccessible, her impulses and muscle memory pulling me about like a puppet on a string.

I stumbled inside her home and plod down the hallway to my bedroom.

Is it saying something when Crystal is the most trustworthy companion I’ve met?

Comments

[link4]

and lo do i move thy story to the tracking shelf.. from it's hiatus shelf.

[Latrans]

It's alive! IT'S ALIVE!!

[Twilight_Shimmer]

9216907
NyaHAHAHAH!!! ALIVE!!!!

[sporklasagna]

This is really interesting. I love the idea of a spell gone wrong creating, like, almost a hybrid changeling.

[Bloody_Tofu]

Ohh ohh yes!!! Oh so glad this isn’t dead!!!

[kitkataddel]

Seesh, been a while since I've read this. Imma need a refresher.
Because of that, though, I thought Lily was drunk when she went up to Celestia. But nope, turns out that's just how she's speaking.
In all seriousness though, I'm glad there's new chapters, and with a potentially interesting twist, too!

[LostArchivist]

Insert Twilight's "Yes dance" here (I can't find a gif. I've tried.)

It's back! Yay!

I WAS wondering about that spell. Interesting tidings indeed. Hrmmm...
I wonder if someone's trying out a new form of infiltrator (replace the ponies with changelings who are them...?) or if she's that pawn mentioned from last chapter.

[VanillaWaffle]

Never thought I'd see this story updated. Sweet.

[TuxOKC]

I'm resting all of the early chapters to unread. It's been too long waiting for updates, so I have to start over now. yay!

[NekroPony]

Ah... This was a good surprise update.
God Lily is adorable
Overnymph moreso though.

[lazyreader19]

-inhales deeply-

[Silver Echo]

Its nice to finally see an update, I absolutely love this story and love the characters. Nymph is adorable and Lily is hilarious to watch in her antics,

Welcome back

[deathaanator]

2018 is the year dead fics come back to life.

[Midknight Defender]

What insane changeling would go out of their way to reconstruct the spell from the ground up just to remove those locks?

I'm gonna guess the same one that put you in that stone, "Cryssy"

It was attempting to unravel your transformation, and it very much should have done so had it not suddenly failed to recognize your disguise.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the... irregularities around Nymph's use of the memory spell have basically made her no longer Nymph, but Nymph-Overwatch/Overwatch-Nymph. So it isn't really a disguise for her. If she'd tried to wear any other form, I'd guess it would have stripped the disguise off like pyjamas off of The Hulk. But not one that she basically sees as her natural self, rather than as a disguise.

[Razzy]

And the plot thicken... Well, two plots, counting Celestia's.