Silver Shield

by David Silver

14 - Fast Returns

Silver sped up a little just as the hive came into view, which was just when Fast least wanted to live up to her name. Despite this, she did not let Silver get too far ahead, trailing behind the prince with an uncertain expression.

"Hello," greeted Silver. "Who's the princess these days?" His eyes darted between the guards.

The guard on the left looked past Silver, to Fast in her usual ruddy red form. "She isn't coming to try and take it back, is she?"

Fast winced, but Silver was undeterred. "No, I don't think she is, but there are a lot of things left unsaid. Let's do things right." He gave a little smile. "May I talk to whoever's acting princess?"

The second guard walked past Silver. "Why did you run off like that?" she demanded of Fast. She had not learned subtlety since last she spoke with Celestia.

Fast fumbled a moment, trying to think of something right to say, but in the end sagged. "I was scared. I was scared and I panicked and I did something stupid."

"'Least you're honest." She turned back to the hive. "Follow me."

Following the guard, they were led through the hive, but they did not make it to the princess. Another changeling had much more pressing business with Fast.

“The Fast Change!” The colorful love-bug nearly tackled the former princess. “Z-978 knew the Fast Change would not leave without saying good-bye! The stinky Stand In has told lies about the Fast Change! She said the Fast Change did not care about the changelings! She said that Z’s sister had been arrested and could not come back to the hive! But Z-978 is a loyal soldier to her Princess, and she is not an ugly bug anymore! She is a pretty changeling and she does not need to hide herself!”

“You were always a pretty changeling, Z.” A nervous changeling guard moved quickly beside the exuberant mare. “You didn’t have to change to be pretty.” He then turned to the couple. “Greetings your majesties. We, at least, are happy to so see you both.”

“Z is happy to see Surprise’s friend the Fast Change!” The mare amended. “She does not know this pony who was not there when we buried Surprise.”

Silver gave a little laugh. "I've only heard indirectly, but it's nice to meet you all." He looked over the lovebug and glanced around. It seemed some were changelings, the sort he could recognize, and others were the new love bugs. Had they not all changed? "I'm Silver Watch, nice to meet you."

Fast was less certain, reaching a hoof to hug Z gently. "Stand In wasn't totally wrong… I did run off. I was a stupid meanie face and I ran." She leaned in close. "But no matter what mistake you make, it can be fixed, right? I'm back to do things, uh, right. Has Stand In been a good princess?"

“She… insisted on the conversion, your majesty.” Chitin offered cautiously. “She means well, but she is bitter. A lot of changelings are. After everything that happened… I understand why you closed off the hive like you did. But with you leaving the way you did… it confirmed the worst of suspicions for some. They say that you didn’t really care. They say that we should have fought… like the rogues…”

Fast made quite the face. "And throw away everything? Whatever we look like, we're still… us." She poked the little changeling in the chest but the hoof slid up until it pet over the top of a small head. "You're a changeling and proud of it! That's my problem. I… want to be a unicorn again." She flashed an uneasy smile. "That's what I was to start. You know that, right? I have two unicorn parents and grandparents and cousins and…" She clopped a hoof on the ground. "I did what I had to! For you, for all of you."

The guard nudged Silver aside a little, whispering quietly, "Let them talk."

“The Fast Change has to take care of the Fast Change.” Z nodded brightly.

“I don’t mean to criticize your majesty, you’ve done so much for us already. I’m only telling you what ponies and changelings are saying. There have been so many rumors. About you… about what actually happened during the invasion.” The guard stammered.

“The Chitin follows the Fast Change. So does Z-978.” The mare interrupted. “But we do not know what has happened. The Stand In has said that the Fast Change ran away and that Diane is a traitor, and her sisters turned against Diane, Z-978 has seen this and it is a thing that happened. The Stand In says that her sister has been arrested.”

Fast pointed a hoof at herself. "I'll explain what happened to me, at least. Chrysalis, lord high buttface, was defeated, again. In the process they found a way for changelings to become sources of love instead of takers of it. Celestia got real happy and rushed to tell me. I tried it, with Stand in… It worked." She put that hoof behind her head, looking awkward. "I got scared. If I went ahead with you all, that would mean there would never be a way back to where I wanted to be, to be a unicorn. It wasn't because I didn't love you all, because I do! I do so much…" Her head hung. "I guess I wasn't that good of a princess…"

“The Fast Change WAS a good princess!” Z stamped a defiant hoof. “She saved the changelings from the stink-face queen! She took in Z-978 and her family when the Train Wreck was burned and buried. She was a good princess and a good changeling and a good pony. Z is sorry that her sister could not see that. She is sorry that selfish changeling do not want the Fast Change to take care of the Fast Change. But the Fast Change IS Z-978’s princess. She will be happy if Z-978 wants to marry the Chitin. He is not, maybe, a big stupid stink bug all the time.”

“I… uh… we kind of... “ Chitin stuttered incoherently.

Fast's eyes darted between Z and Chitin before a big grin formed. "You'll invite me to the wedding, I hope right?"

The guard prodded Silver and led him away a little bit down the hallway. "Why did she come back?"

"I told her she couldn't just drop her life here, even if she wants to go another way. You've been family. Family supports each other, even when they change. Especially when they change, ideally."

The guard smirked. "Is that a changeling pun?"

Silver blinked. "Oh god it is. I didn't mean it!"

She laughed and prodded at him. "You're as goofy as the reports implied."

“Has… Is it true Diane has been arrested, your majesty?” Chitin scuttled nervously. “It’s been bothering Z a lot. I know she did some really bad things… is it… how bad was it?”

Fast let out a little sigh. "She has, but…" She lifted a hoof high. "This is Canterlot, Celestia's part of it, specifically." She pointed that same hoof at Silver. "I won't let him let them abuse her. We'll find a way. He's good at that." She smiled a little. "We'll figure it out."

“Z’s sister is not bad pony. The stupid-faced nopony pushed her…” Z cried softly for only a moment. “Z trusts the Fast Change. She is the Princess of the changelings. She will be there when Z marries Chitin. She will be there when… does Fast Change think that we should have a funeral for the Train Wreck?”

Fast winced faintly, considering that heavily. "Well, look… Funerals, they're for living people. Dead ponies aren't gonna say much about it. So if you want one, you have one, end story. I--We'll be there, either way, right?"

The guard glanced between Silver and Fast. "She's writing checks you'll have to cash. Are you alright with that?"

Silver quirked a crooked smile. "I've gotten used to that. She isn't saying anything too unreasonable. I'll do my best."

“She’s trying to come to terms with… he just disappeared, your majesty, and Carrot is still listed as missing after the attack in Baltimare…” Chitin smiled apologetically. “I know you and the prince were… friends… It would really mean a lot to Z, your majesty. I know you have other changelings to see. Thank you for your time, and remember, you’ll always be our Princess, no matter what any changeling or any pony says…”

Fast let out a soft sigh. "Don't say that." She rose up to her full height. "I'm sorry for running, that was wrong, but I did, and I'm not the princess anymore. Your friend? I hope. Even family… But that specific title? I gave it up. Give your new princess respect. She's adjusting, just like I had to. It's hard. Help her, please."

The guard glanced sideways at Silver. "Listen to her work them."

"Work them?" Silver blinked softly. "Pretty sure she's saying what she means."

"You think so?" The guard trotted up to Fast. "You're being honest, huh?"

"Huh?" echoed Fast as she turned to look at the guard. "Aren't I usually?"

"So then it was just the cold truth then. Someone came out and said they loved you, and you ran."

Fast looked lost for just a moment before she began to pale. "You!"

With a rush of magic, the guard was no longer there, instead the love bug known as Stand In was left. "Me. Tell me your 'truth', Fast. Tell it straight. We're all listening."

Fast took a timid half-step back. "I can't even say how badly I fouled it all up." Something clicked in her. "Wait! You?" Stand just stared at her evenly. "I guess you did…" Fast hung her head. "I'm the worst. You deserve someone way better than me."

Stand reached up a hoof gently, only to accelerate at the last moment, slapping Fast across the snout. "Damn you! You don't get to tell someone that. Did you even consider me? Was I anything but a convenient…" She snorted ".. Stand in for you?"

Silver wasn't sure what to do, looking between the two rapidly. "Um…" Not his proudest diplomatic moment.

Fast reached up a hoof to her stinging cheek. "I deserved that. Stand In, I'm sorry, and I know even saying that doesn't change a damn thing. All I'm asking is that you take care of them, all of them." She waved a hoof wide. "Because I know you can."

Stand In stepped right up to Fast, bumping their foreheads together with a low clunk. "So you won't have to?" Fast was quiet. "Answer enough." She sank to her haunches, sighing deeply. "Answer enough… When I first met you, I was convinced you were a child playing pretend, but you beat that. You raised a powerful hive full of happy changelings. You were the princess we needed so badly." She quirked half a smile. "I can't be angry at you forever because you couldn't be that image we'd built up."

Fast took a timid step forward and reached out a hoof. The two crashed into one another, hugging tightly as Fast's form flashed, becoming the changeling queen that she truly was. "I'm so sorry."

"Dummy." Stand bonked her on the head. "You made your choice." She pointed to Silver. "He's waiting for you, but you better visit, or you'll make the grubs cry, and I would never forgive that."

“Facehugger will want to see her Auntie the Fast Change!” Z interjected with unabashed enthusiasm. “She has her father’s smile, and the Stand In says she is a healthy, pretty grub.”

Silver waved Fast along. "Go and say hello." He let out a little breath of relief. That could have gone much worse. "You can come back again after we see that human."

Author's Note:

A happy ending, yay! Written in collab with Kiki, who I blame for all typos.

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Comments

[harts fire]

I am so happy to see this work out in the end.
and I am hoping that with time Fast Change can find her onw life and happiness.

[tsaukpaetra]

The tsauk-- erm, this unit-- consarndit! We!thought this was nice. Stand-in was clearly bitter about the departure, but Silver's influence strikes again and paths for stabilized (for once).
Is it too much To hope for Stand-in to try embracing the pony way? She's stuck to the old ways and will make things harder it and doesn't fully adapt...
Keep going! ;)

[Daremo]

sink-face - stink-face

It’s been bother - It’s been bothering

for you time - for your time

---

Bad ending avoided?

[David Silver]

8020873 One of many.

[Boulder]

Fast let it a little sigh. "She has, but…" She lifted a hoof high.

out ?

[Fresnor]

Facehugger the grub... Is she going to meet Pinkie sometime?

[Cursed Quill]

Another changeling has much more pressing business

had

about the fast change!

Fast Change!

[sorenxoras]

“Facehugger will want to see her Auntie the Fast Change!”

One changeling is not like the others.