All I really need's a smile, smile, smile!

by Lightening_Zing

New pony in the town! (Own Rev I)

One hundred fourteen thousand ninety hundred eighty two bits and forty two cents.

Over one hundred bits.

It was quite overwhelming sum for Pinkie. It was too much money. ...no, not too much. Her subjects needed more. Much more. They deserved more.

But for young mare, like Pinkie it was too much. She never saw such money. She never had more than one thousand bits in hoof and it was only when she paid for materials which Rarity used for Pinkie's Gala dress.
Rarity skills were free of charge, but paying for materials she used was right thing to do... and Applejack was insisting that they should pay Rarity for her wasted time on first batch of dresses. Rarity was all against that idea. They had quarrel about it.

Funny thing is how similar they are to each other. Both of them are hard working, Applejack tending to her family apple farm, Rarity trying to keep up with orders of customers. Applejack had to buck down thousands of apples each year, when Rarity had to design hundreds of new dresses each season. Applejack had to work from sunrise till sunset everyday in season, when Rarity sometimes had to work few days straight without sleep when she was closing to deadline. Both of them are very proud about their "brands". Both of them pushed to the limit to offer best products they could. Both of them took pride from their work. Applejack was ready to help anypony, even if she was already tired out after her chores on farm. Rarity was ready to shoot down profitable contract to have time for her friends.

Both of them repressed some parts of them.

Pinkie spied few times Applejack in her barn practicing her Manehattan accent or posture of high born lady. Sometimes she was playing some high class tunes on her farm violin. Applejack seemed to feel guilty after this, but Pinkie was sure Applejack somehow longed to this. Maybe her "down-to-earth" and weird accent was some kind of masking her inner desires. She was trying to be as down to earth as it was possible, closing to stereotype of dumb earth pony, when her mind was tempting to reach higher. Rarity once told that if Applejack took care about herself, brushed her mane, clean her coat with some shampoos and worked her manners a bit, she could trot through Canterlot like knife through butter. She said that Applejack is "diamond in rough".

Rarity on other hand... She was breaking down her shop machines to fix or improve them. She sometimes asked Cutie Mark Crusaders to buy her something from tool shop. Pinkie once took glimpse of some this secret projects of Rarity: mechanical wings, watches, some industry machines, probably to do something with fabrics... That's where Pinkie took concept of her helicopter. Rarity seemed to be inclined toward technology, what was very earth pony like, and... dirty, uncouth, unladylike, and much more thing what Rarity officially despised.

Of course, they were differences.
Rarity was rich, or seemed so, when Apples were fighting for every bit.
Rarity was trying to join high class, when Applejack officially disregard them.
Applejack was pretending to be a simple farmer earth pony, when Rarity was officially treating a something what anypony sane couldn't desire.
Rarity always knew how to manipulate ponies into helping her, what for Applejack was unfair.
Applejack was almost always saying what she really thought, when Rarity thought it was rude.
Rarity was proud about herself, when Applejack was trying to be humble.
And much more minor differences...

The sad thing for changeling like Pinkie was that they saw only differences, when they had so much in common. They major principles in life were similar, their creed of work was comparable, both of them cared for their reputation and other ponies.

"Sis!" Her train of thoughts was interrupted with unexpected mindlink from Chrysalis. She was happy, optimistic. ...and signal from her was stronger this time. Pinkie wondered if it was because Chrysalis was closer to her or because she fed.

"Hi! What's up?" answered Pinkie, not usual Pinkie-happy, but glad.

"I just had breakfast. Let say foals are tasty."

"Chrys, what I said about being evil witch? We are evil fairies!" Pinkie joked.

"Ooops... but stew was great. No bones clinching in teeth..."

"StEEEEEEEEWWW? You should make cupcakes!"

"I don't know how to bake, remember? But you look like you'd be good at helping me make some! ... Seriously, some foals gave me willingly some Love." Chrysalis was joking back. It was good sign. Pinkie was almost sure she wasn't lying, she couldn't sense anything suggesting lies in Chrysalis mindlink stream. But Chrysalis could still make a mistake in sensing pony's emotions reserve.

"Okay, tell me more!" Asked Pinkie, hoping for more details.

"I was resting in the park where this three fillies spied me..."

"CMC?"

"What?" asked Chrysalis, don't understanding this acronym.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders. Three fillies adventuring for their Cutie Mark..."

"Yes, them. Where I was... so, they started to asking me who I am, some short talk happened, and then, after learning my "Cutie Mark" they asked me to tell them story."

"Oh, which one you choose? Maybe "Amaryllis in Dreamcocoon"?"

"If I would choose this one, Equestria would just invite us for barbecue. And you know what? No masks needed!" Chrysalis answered with irony.

"Oh, I would finally stretch my wings! But, could we stay for the main course?!"

"I believe they wouldn't want it other way. I'm sure we would be main event of this party."

"I'm always main event of any party!" Pinkie stated proudly.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are... Back on the track. When they asked me for story, I told them one about cockatrice slayer, Reflecting Mirror. One of older fables. I used illusions to enhance the story. They liked my performance and praised me after all... Weird feeling. I mean, It went better than I excepted..."

"Easier than taking over Equestria, no doubt..."

"Less effective too... If only my plan worked..."

"What would you do with ponies if you won? It's something what is bugging me since we met."

"Use them as Love source of course! What's other use of ponies?" Pinkie could feel disregard, and underlying envy in Chrysalis stream. But there was something more...

"But how?"

"Dreamcocoons. We would create one shared dreamspace for all of them, imitating this world. They wouldn't know that they are in our power or that there was Invasion. They would exists peacefully in their dream of perfect world, when we would take real Equestria."

"It's... not bad idea." It was to some extent evil, but it weren't half of it what Discord or Nightmare Moon could do to Equestria. It was just stealing your real world and some of your Love, in exchange for other world. Maybe even better one.

"I may be evil in their eyes but I'm not stupid. That's why I ordered our soldiers to use non-lethal tactics when dealing with resistance from ponies. We could use everypony. Maybe some ponies would join us, when they understood that we don't want their doom... I was hoping that we could convert Celestia or Luna to our side."

"To control Sun and Moon?"

"This too. But if they would joined us, taking over Equestria would be easier, they would keep under control ponies trying to break from dreamspace, and, to be honest, they are good leaders. I hate to say that, but this land is in better condition than any other place where my scouts reached. It's like Utopia." Chrysalis was silent for a while, but Pinkie could feel she was thinking seriously about something. "Sis, could you point me to Fluttershy?"

"No biggie, but why?"

"I... made some mistake. I accidentally said that I know Fluttershy. So, I think I need to work out some backstory with her."

"Great!"

"Great?! Are you mad?"

"Nope! Well, maybe yes, but it is great anyway! Because you had to train you social skills among ponies!"

"I don't want to..." stated quietly Chrysalis.

"I know, and that is why it's great! Because you had to!"

"...It makes sense. So, how to get there?"

"Give me a second."

Pinkie displayed on her left internal eyelid schematic representation of Ponyville from pegasi eye view. In center of her view was simple blue dot symbolizing her, and around were other symbols symbolizing other ponies she could sense. Ponies were usually symbolized by their Cutie Mark and initials. Her mental map was joined with other information like who lived where and basic information about inhabitants. She just had to focus on one home to get all information she learned about ponies living there. She could did it other way, too, thinking about where pony lived would return this place spotted on her mental map. Ponies often wondered how Pinkie could remember almost everything about anypony; She just had whole catalogs about them inside her mind, like in some library.

"Okay, Chrys, where are you?"

Green dot lighted up inside park of Ponyville. When Pinkie focused on it she started to "digest" more information. Changeling, Queen, Chrysalis... Yup, she needed no more. In no time Pinkie marked few possible routes to Fluttershy cottage from Chrysalis current location.
But how she could send it her? She was out of practice in such thing. How she did it before? She was doing something like this without problem but it was ten years ago. Back then it was natural, she didn't had to think, it was like flying for pegasi, magic for unicorn, or walking for anypony. She knew it was time to use her imagination. She thought about sending a mail. First, write it down. Done. Second, pack it in envelope. Something "clicked" inside Pinkie's mind, so it was probably done. Third, address it. It was simple, she knew where she wanted to sent it. Again, something happened and Pinkie wasn't sure what was it. Fourth and last step, send it. Map disappeared, Pinkie had short black out on her both eyelids. Did something went wrong?

"Why it took so long?"

"I wasn't honing my mind link lately. Did you get it?"

"Um... yes... Well, thanks... I will go to Fluttershy now." Chrysalis felt suddenly very stupid, maybe it was remorse too and shortly after that she broke down her stream.

Pinkie turned down map and displayed her task list for today. Point one, two, three and probably four was done... So point five. Pinkie looked around, looking for some place where she could create her new disguise. Pinkie felt that if she only could transform into Celestia, or someone from Twilight family, she could get any information she wanted from this intelligent unicorn, but it would be too risky as she didn't knew enough them to behave like them. New pony then it is. Gender: mare, Pinkie never really tried to behave like stallion, or male of any species. Species, it was too obvious: unicorn. Twilight wouldn't be very interested in explaining spells to earth pony or pegasi, simply, there was no point in doing it.
Unicorn mare, next, cutie mark... Who would want to knew such spells... Either pony with knack into magic, or... idea! But how would cutie mark of sightseer look like? Binoculars? Map? Nope, too adventure related. Luggage? Closer, still not this... Camera! Often related to such professions as photographer or journalist but it can be interpreted into sightseeing. Yes, it can work... Colors, mane... Fur - light bluish, mane - darker blue, falling into purple, eyes... let them be yellow bright. Mane, simple ponytail. Tail not too long, not combed.

Last part... Name. Something related to her talent, or something general... Most ponies changed name after founding their talent. Something related to camera or tourism... Snapshot? Sounds good. Surname will come later as for now it wasn't necessary.

Pony known now as Snapshot was off to Twilight Library. She quickly regretted that she changed so early. She couldn't feed by the way going to Twilight. Reason was simple, ponies liked Pinkie's avatar, when Snapshot was unknown to them, so they felt almost nothing toward her. Yes, Snapshot could gather some background Love, but it would worsen mood of ponies around. Every place had it own emotional background, and every living being could feel it. If place was liked, it was giving back it's likeness to beings around like hot sand on desert was giving back heat... Maybe not so much and fast, but general idea was the same. Changelings were immune to such things, not like they didn't sense it, feel it, but it wasn't overriding them such strongly like ponies. It was only reason why Pinkie could raise up spirits of her friends in scary forest. She was simply unaffected and aware what really is going on.

Finally, Snapshot reached Ponyville Library. She raised her hoof and knocked few times. There was no response. After few seconds more, she cautiously opened door, and sneaked her head inside. What she saw made her flinch.
It wasn't darkness inside. It wasn't mess what made her afraid. It wasn't that she saw stacks of empty coffee mugs. It wasn't that Twilight was on verge of "mad Doctor" judging from her look. It was topic she dedicated herself to study.

Changelings!

Fairy tales, biology books, old history books, legends, bestiaries, even few new newspapers were lying on every available table. On black boards were scrambling of Celestia's prize student. Questions like "How to detect Changeling?", "Discorded Flutterponies?", "Unity or Individuality?" were scribbled down along her suspicions and ideas for spells.
But it wasn't worst thing.
Even anatomy charts hanging in few places weren't the worst thing. They looked new, like made only few days ago; they were showing internals.
The worst thing were parts of chitin armor and shells. Somepony ripped them from someling...

Snapshot heart started beating loudly. She was afraid that Twilight might hear it.
Twilight turned her head to Snapshot and smiled. Snapshot couldn't make out if it was evil or good smile... but it definitely gave her creep along her back.

"SPIKE! WE HAVE ONE HERE!" Twilight yelled with her horn glowing up. Snapshot jumped up, and hit frame of door with her head. She landed hard on her belly, tried to raise herself up supporting on her forehooves. Her eyes were perplexed, vision blurry and her eyes were ringing, recovering from Twilight yell, her heart thudding irregularly, lungs running almost out of oxygen, blood in her veins feeling cold. Pain was something abstract, she felt nothing, only that her body should rest now, that something is wrong. She realized that she can't run in this condition. She slipped, and hit floor with her jaw. She saw last one big blink of white light, and then... she was done.

Comments

[The One and only One]

OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Perteks]

Panie no kurna, to ty robisz tą historie czy nie ?

[The Kings Man]

Nice chapter but you still need work on the grammar. No, I am not a grammar Nazi.

[Lightening_Zing]

1533801

CLIFFHANGER!

1533840

Probuję. Będą następne rodziały... w końcu.

1533972

Thanks for kind words! I know my grammar is bad. I'm trying to improve, and hopefully, someday it'll be okay. Thanks for being honest.

[Assasin_Asha]

Changelings(or queens at least) = walking computers. LOVE IT!

You know, I kinda wonder... there is no dark tag but this chapter implies that they caught and dissected a changeling... and I have a feeling they are not really sorry about it. Plus Twi's behaviour... yeah... not dark, yet dark...

I teraz chociaż rozumiem niedociągłości językowe. A i tak mnie oczy bolą... sorka... późno jest... robię się sarkastyczny... taka moja wada...

Keep up the good work!