Harlequin could feel that something was wrong before they even stepped through the door. She knew little about medicine—the Swarm never had hospitals or doctors when anyone in it could be suddenly empowered with the knowledge to treat whatever wounds were present.
Even without anything to compare against but her last visit, there was so much suspicion. Where there had been only a handful of doctors and the sick before, the ponies she sensed inside now seemed healthy and numerous. They were… waiting.
“I, uh…” Harlequin stopped in the hallway, right at the top of the stairs. The doors into the medical wing were shut, without any guards outside. There was no reason to have them inside the castle, when there were so many so close. “I think I’d like to give that changeling more time to recover before I visit him. Now, uh… now wouldn’t be a good time.”
Azure Sigil stopped in the hallway, raising an eyebrow and staring at her. “Harlequin, you aren’t avoiding this. I know you’re feeling guilty—that’s normal, it’s fine. But running away from the things that scare you doesn’t make them go away. Confronting them is the only option. We’re going to go in there and find out what happened to the changeling you hurt. You’re coming with me.
Can she make me? Harlequin glanced down the stairs, shifting on her hooves and spreading her wings. She could just try and run away. But she was in the castle, and the invasion had only been days ago. If she ran, there would be hundreds of soldiers to bring her down. Then they would have reason for thinking she was guilty.
Can’t get away. Have to go through. Finally she nodded and started walking again. She adjusted the sword on her belt a little, settling its weight comfortably against her side. Could she even use it to fight ponies? She didn’t really know how to use a sword! She could wave it through the air, but… that wasn’t really the same thing.
The door opened, and she winced involuntarily—her senses for pony emotions were apparently working fine. There were just about a dozen pony soldiers in the room. Two of them sat by every entrance, and four more around the bed of the injured changeling.
Not a single one of the other beds was occupied.
Codex was still here, covered in several layers of bandages. His body was bruised, and there were plenty of pony medical supplies around him, holding him together. They probably don’t even realize that the care is more important for him than what they’re actually doing.
“You’re back,” said Dr. Atrium, with a tone of forced casualness. She barely even saw Sigil—her eyes were only for Harlequin.
Queens I’m in trouble. But now she’d walked into the room with all these guards. If she tried to run from the ponies, she wouldn’t even make it to the door. It’s what you deserve.
“We’re here to check on the patient,” Sigil said, apparently oblivious to any changes in the room. “Harlequin here was overcome with concern for the prisoner injured during her first watch. We’re here to help you deal with him.”
“Harlequin will be happy to hear that we saved his life,” Atrium said. “The operation wasn’t easy, but we managed. There was some internal bruising, damage to the exoskeleton that needed to be repaired. We used medical glue for most of that, should hold together until he molts again.”
“Good,” Sigil said, turning back. “See? And you were worried about him. I don’t know what we were so concerned about. How long will he have to stay here?”
“Another week or so, until the glue sets,” Atrium said. She shifted uneasily, staying out of reach of Harlequin.
What do you know?
The ponies in the room were moving. She hadn’t turned around once, but she could feel more minds emerging from somewhere just outside, blocking off the door.
“Well, I guess we can come back then,” Sigil said, turning back the way they came. “Officer Harlequin here is stationed in the second upper garrison, red brigade. You can contact her for help when it’s time to move the prisoner. Can’t they, Harlequin?”
“There’s… something else,” said a guardspony, the one that had been sitting beside the door when they walked in. Harlequin hadn’t noticed before, but as he stood, she realized there were bars on both of his shoulders. A colonel—high enough that he had a magic sword of his own. He was also a unicorn, his body aged enough to have lines, but not weaker for it. “The prisoner spoke with us. Shared some information that we need to verify.”
“What did he say?” Sigil’s eyebrows went up, and she glanced briefly at the pony’s breast just as Harlequin had done. “…sir,” she added, just a little awkwardly. “We’re curious about that ourselves.”
“I bet.” The pony tapped his hoof, and the whole room sprang into action. Guardsponies rushed them from all sides, knocking over empty cots and shoving past medical staff. Spears and swords and crossbows were suddenly pointed at them both. Sigil froze, but she didn’t make a single hostile move. Her expression was shocked, bewildered, but unafraid.
“You got information from a changeling,” she said, voice flat. “And you trusted it enough to react like this? Sir.”
The pony’s horn flashed, and he drew the sword into the air in front of him. The blade remained still as he held it there, close enough to swing towards either of them if they tried to move. I could run. It probably wouldn’t hurt too bad. Quick.
But Harlequin didn’t entertain that thought for long. She’d lived through the siege, she was going to live through this. Somehow.
“Some stories are convincing enough to be worth an investigation. Surely you would wish no less precaution shown in your own squad, if you heard that one or more ponies might be compromised.”
“I would,” she admitted. “But there’s no point. We’re both loyal ponies of the princess. Harlequin here was just sworn in yesterday.”
“Indeed. I have no doubt you would say that, Captain. You would say that, and so would a changeling spy who had found a way to infiltrate the palace. This changeling here—Codex—he claims to have been a pony until recently. That much is obviously absurd, but some of the other things he said… about Harlequin, for example. Apparently she’s one of them. I find it hard to believe that any captain in my command could be so incompetent as to allow that.”
Harlequin wanted to back up, but she couldn’t go more than a few steps before she reached the spears pointed at them from every direction.
Azure Sigil glanced around the group. “You just said you’re not taking what he said seriously. He claimed to be a pony. Why believe this accusation? Harlequin isn’t some spy, she’s saved ponies. I have a dozen witness accounts of her fighting against changelings during the invasion. What does that make her?”
The captain shrugged one shoulder. “Perhaps she’s a traitor to her kind, who only cared about saving her own skin. Their queen was that way, why not those under their command. Or… the other possibility, you’re both changelings. You know as well as I do we can test you.”
Sigil nodded. “A waste of your time, sir. I promise you. Look at your sword—that’s the test I used on Harlequin there. She has one of them herself, you might notice. Where’s the magic to strike down Equestria’s enemies?”
“That… isn’t how they work,” the pony answered. He moved the sword slowly through the air, then sheathed it again. “The Helios-blades sense intention, Captain. They can’t judge the character of a stallion, tell you whether he is good or evil. Only the princesses can do that. But they can tell you if he intends to hurt you or not. You could fool them easily by not wishing violence. I’m… surprised you don’t know that. But I guess few ponies have ever used the blades. You can’t be held responsible for not knowing. But if you’re one of them…”
His horn began to get brighter. “Hold still, both of you. If you resist, we’ll take that as an admission of guilt and confine you for interrogation. If you’re honest ponies of the princess, you will allow us to make certain of your loyalty.”
Is this what you thought was a good idea, Codex? How am I supposed to get you free with the others if I’m in jail with you? She could see that future coming like a runaway boulder as it crashed down the hive, crushing anyone in its path. She wouldn’t be able to roll out from this one in time.
“We won’t resist,” Sigil said. “But I wouldn’t mind an apology when this is over, sir.”
White light built around his horn, and Harlequin knew the spell before he even cast it. It was the same thing Sigil had done, but this unicorn was older and more powerful. His eyes glowed faintly, and a mist seemed to drift from around him as the magic built in the air.
Then the spell crashed down around her. For an instant she heard Codex from his bed, coughing and moaning and trying to cover his face. But he wasn’t fast enough. Harlequin was, lifting a wing to shield her eyes, but it made no difference.
For the second time, Harlequin was cast into darkness, far from the stolen love of ponies. Magic drifted away from her, like a flower wilting under intense sunlight. The shape of angry ponies became only dim outlines she could barely see. Outlines wrapped in red thread, tying them about their hooves, around their necks. The thread reached for her, though it never touched.
She tried to move, tried to lift her hooves… but they wouldn’t respond. Everything was so heavy.
The ringing in Harlequin’s ears finally faded, and the ponies’ words came back into focus. Shapes were still unclear, and she could do little more than drool. But she could feel it. This is what the drones went through. This, but they barely had any minds of their own. Suddenly alone, cold, confused. Had any of them survived?
“It’s fortunate that we listened to the injured changeling. This probably explains why the others attacked it so violently—they didn’t wish for it to reveal their scheme.”
Harlequin moaned, rolling onto her side. She felt something slide off her back, and realized it was the belt. She was back as herself, the ponies towering over at twice her size and with five times the hatred.
All except for Azure Sigil, who didn’t even look at her. Shame radiated from her thick enough that it was even stronger than the hate the others felt. Shame and despair.
“We will have to reward this one,” the colonel went on, striding past Harlequin and gesturing at the bed. “A private cell for him, far from the others. Conditional on his behavior, of course.”
“I…” Codex had been further away from the blast, apparently far enough that he was already starting to recover. He spoke in a choking rasp. “Isn’t this proof? I’m telling the truth! I’m a pony! I have a wife in the city, Upper Limit! A son… Celestia, they need to know I’m alive. I’m not a changeling!”
“The princess will evaluate your case,” the colonel said, turning away from him with annoyance. “Be silent, prisoner, or we’ll remit our generosity.” His eyes narrowed, focusing on Harlequin. “As for you, I wish very much for you to resist arrest. Please, draw that sword. No doubt you planned on slitting the throat of the pones who took pity on you. Starting with your friend there, Captain Sigil. Her life is over after today, letting you in here. She spoke for you; do you know that? Do you even care?”
Maybe she should’ve fought back. It would be better—she didn’t think she could face anyone after today.
“No,” she muttered, lowering her head. “I won’t fight. It’s what I deserve if you want to kill me anyway.”
The colonel grunted. From his emotions, it seemed like he wanted to. But that passed quickly. “Very well. No… no special treatment for this one. Captain Sigil, take her to the common prison. She can fend for herself in there with the others. Make sure you warn the guards about the pony she was impersonating.”
"Fiat iustitia et pereat mundus"
But revenge is no justice.
I knew it couldn't last forever. Codex though, it doesn't matter what you say or do. You're still a changeling and didn't take the suggestion the beating implied.
Well that didn't go all to well. I wonder how she will get out of this, maybe the princess will offer her a deal upon hearing codex's story.
I have no more pity for Codex.
I still have pity for Codex. He saw a chance to prove his loyalty, and took it.
Further, he's going to be able to prove his identity under intense questioning, and the princesses will then be informed that some ponies were turned into changelings against their will. His actions are justified.
Harlequin is best served by complying, and while the best thing she could do would be to demand an audience with the princesses she's unlikely to do that.
I find it funny how they keep spouting one of the elements. Honesty wasn't accepted till a lie was told. Generosity is given begrudgingly with hostility being free. Kindness isn't to be had and loyalty is only given to those of the same race. Hope friendship puts the ponies in their place.
I would think so...doesn't Sigil outrank you?
Oh, of course, they choose to believe what he has to say about Harlequin, but nothing about his claims he was once a pony. Can't they pull up a census of ponies or employment records or something that would show there was a pony named Codex in the right place for all of this during the invasion, then look to see if any bodies matching said pony named Codex was recovered or not? You know, just to double-check, seeing they seem so keen about that and all?
What--really? Has he mentioned that before and I'm just forgetting? If he hasn't, why hasn't that detail come up before?
Now that's a little unfair. You already know the changelings were master deceptors and already fooled practically all of you in getting the foothold needed to even stage the invasion in the first place, so I think you're overestimating all of your abilities to see through the changeling disguises reliably in every circumstance, the same applies for Sigil. Reprimand her for not considering it and playing it safe given the circumstances, sure, demote her even, maybe, but I don't think you need to end her career over this.
Further, you're overlooking one key detail--Sigil supported Harlequin via test of character, and surely could see that even if she is a changeling, Harlequin isn't like the others, a trait that is worth supporting and making use of. You have here a potential ally that knows far more about the enemy than you could ever hope to currently, and you're tossing it away out of what I strongly suspect to be a desire for vengeance, assuming she's just the same as all the rest when there's already evidence showing that may not be the case (like that sword...I know you just said it doesn't work like Sigil described, but it still demonstrates that Harlequin doesn't have an intent to harm). The fact she's not even trying to resist her fate further demonstrates that.
*Sigh*...but that all said, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, given circumstances. The changelings as a group have, up to now, given the ponies little reason or want to trust them.
Oh, and Codex, you better keep your trap shut for now and take the offer for a private cell, because if you don't and go back into the group prison, you're going to be even more of a dead 'ling than you were before, and you won't have Sigil coming to your defense again this time.
Still, I guess I can't blame him for trying. If he can prove he was in fact a pony once, then all of this would still work in his favor. It already has in some ways, if he's not an idiot and plays by the rules put before him, which is probably the big problem he still has--he seems to have a problem seeing past his own snout, metaphorically speaking, and recognizing the bigger picture.
Well, the ruse was going to fall through eventually. I just didn't expect it to do so quite so quickly. Hope you're proud of yourself, Codex.
As for Harlequin, I don't see much good in her future, if any. Poor thing.
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Really? I have all the pity for Codex. He was turned into a changeling against his will by Harlequin, got beaten up by all other changelings for trying to convince the still free Harlequin to help him prove it, is still not believed to have been a pony even after telling the ponies nothing beyond the truth and Harlequin still does absolutely diddly squat to help him.
If anything, it's Harlequin who's running out of pity for me. Guilt is nice and all, but pretty useless if you just sit on it.
But the one I'm feeling the most pity for is Sigil. Sigil was just trying to do the right thing, trying to rebuild a place that's fallen to chaos. And now "her life is over" just because she got tricked by a changeling? The entirety of Canterlot got tricked by changelings. Right up to and including all the Princesses. What makes this case so special that it requires ostracizing a pony whose only apparent crime is that she got tricked by one of these very changelings?
That... honestly makes no sense. Unless it was a lie trying to make Harlequin feel guilty. That's the only way that claim makes sense.
I suspect Codex is suffering some form of PTSD after being forcibly and turned into another species.
So why should he help Harlequin if he doesn't even percieve himself as a changeling?
He is acting on autopilot trying everything to prove that he was a pony since nopony seems to believe him.
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Not only that, but Sigil's the one who understood the ponies needed to be the better creatures and still treat their changeling prisoners fairly and justly, and not give in to the temptation of anger and hatred towards them. The Guard needs ponies like her, as many as they can get, or I fear it'll be the ponies who commit the greater atrocities in the end, whether they meant to or not.
Further, the Guard's short-staffed from the invasion--that's the whole reason Harlequin was recruited in the first place. Now it's going to be short on not one but two members. And now doesn't seem like the time to be kicking ponies out over petty things when you still need every helping hoof you can get.
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The thing is, Sigil was her "sponsor" for lack of a better term. There's a responsibility there. It's likely not going to be as bad as suggested, but she will face consequences. The guard is basically equestrian military, so they take stuff like this very seriously.
Not a fan of this chapter because that is not how they would confront Harlequin.
First off if they were convinced they had (likely) TWO changeling spies, then they would figure that they had survived scans before -- which means there were a much bigger threat and relying on the scan they used (even though it did work) was not a good idea.
You wouldn't put them together like that. You have all three in one spot -- how do they know that they wouldn't teleport on the accusation?
MUCH more reasonable would have been that they would have tried it on them ALONE in a much more secure circumstance. You would make sure one of them was busy somewhere while the other one was brought before a princess or at least a magic restricted area with a bunch more magical support before dropping the boom.
It is also completely unreasonable for them to put Harlequin in with the other changelings. Again I'd be really suspicious that Harlequin wasn't faking here. Assuming that Harlequin was at least partially immune to the technique used, it would be JUST the kind of thing a real changeling would do to feign coming completely under the spell, then rescue all of the other changelings once jailed.
Plus if there is one there must be more. That was just too insecure a way to do it. Too many ponies knew.
I feel like the guard is screwing up in how they are handling this, but them not screwing it up would require them having knowledge they either don't currently have or have no reason to believe.
Hopefully an interview with the princesses clears things up a little. Equestria really needs to know that they have one or more ex-pony changelings in custody.
Why the cliff hanger again? Aaaaaaa
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Are you kidding me? I'm surprised it didn't fall sooner. Most ponies used situational evidence and trust. It was like they wanted to believe that. Like some form of cognitive dissonance. It was utterly ridiculous.
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Some folks seem to believe he should turn on Equestria the moment the Changelings forcibly made him look different. That that would be the moral choice. Oh, and not tell the ponies they have an infilitrator working to free all their prisoners, which is exactly what Harlequin is.
That's just... baffling.
As for Sigil, well, maybe Sir Sparky is projecting all the guards' shortcomings on that one mare. That makes it easier to deal with his own conscience. To be completely fair, though, Sigil has seen Harlequin react to the anti-ling spell and thought nothing of it.
Well, that stage of Harlequin’s social development ended quickly.
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If I read it right, Harlequin's practically riding by the seat of her pants trying to find a way to free the prisoners. Its a unique and scary feeling not having the hive mind to assist you. She has to be a full individual now. And its not like she can confess or anything like that. It wouldn't do anyone good. Especially when the changelings are literally starving. Her sins will catch up to her but it shouldn't be now. I don't even know what helping Codex would mean at this point?
As for Codex, yes, he tells truth but he isn't really in a position to do that and he should know it. I mean we know now it got him somewhere but the logical thing someone would do first is think over what to do instead of yelling the plans of the changelings while you're in the same cell as them. Snitches get stitches indeed. That and objectively, his actions are causing more harm than good. There must be "innocent" changelings in the cells starving as well. It's sympathetic what's he doing but its partly lost because we can see a more clearer picture.
Sigil though. That's government for you. One mistake and someone gets canned. It's sad, but not unexpected. This is wartime after all. Pretty sure people irl get put under the bus for far less.
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To me, its more that he should be aware he wouldn't have much weight with Equestria anyway. I don't expect him to help changelings but he did brought the beating to himself. And again, we have a clear picture. All captured changelings are starving. Something has to be done but Codex's actions have made the situation worse.
Gray and gray all around.
As for Sigil, its a time of war. I don't think anyone would allow the Captain to give Sigil a free pass. Especially with what's at risk.
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It would explain his actions. Though he'll have to snap out of it sometime. He might have a better cell but no doubt he still has little weight with his kin.
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What exactly should Codex know better? He got transformed into a changeling and then ripped from the hive mind before it could transform him into a loyal drone. He's a pony in changeling skin, he knows nothing except that he was transformed into a changeling against his will and that he is being treated like one both by ponies and by other changelings. Of course he's going to panic and try to convince anyone that he's not a changeling. If he does nothing, nothing will change and he will always be treated like a changeling.
As for Sigil... I'm not really convinced that it's just a case of 'that's the government.' Not in Equestria, where the response of said government to a tyrant returning from the moon and trying to conquer Equestria again was "sure, go share the throne with the sister you tried to overthrow. Also, could you manage the dreams of every pony in Equestria? Thank you, you're a dear."
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I didn't expect Codex to know better. The panicking is a natural response though I hoped he would have breathe in and out and think a little. Plan it out. As much as he hates it he knows he'll be considered the enemy and there's no way he would be trusted. He only got lucky because H got found out and even then he's being kept at arms length.
And Nightmare Moon was sort of cured by magic so you got that. That was a high profile case. This was more of a lower management affair during a time of crisis. The royals are probably too busy handling other stuff to look into this now. It shouldn't be surprising you'd see this. It's the bureaucracy. Even normal MLP showed the more realistic aspects of pony (human) society. The Captain may or may not have passed the buck to Sigil. She was the immediate cause that allowed the infiltration. She would be held accountable. She would probably be allowed to appeal. Whether it was justified or not is debatable but this is a completely realistic situation in the real world and even in normal MLP.
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And yet, by that metric, every member of the guard is complicit and should see their careers in the gutter, what with the entirety of the guard having been infiltrated. It just doesn't make sense for Sigil to be singled out like this.
And of course Codex knows he won't be trusted, but his choices are convincing ponies he's not a changeling or do nothing and be treated like a changeling anyway. There's really not a lot of ways to plan this, and honestly the ponies are kind of digging their heads into the sand by not at least giving the matter some thought given how Codex ratted out an otherwise secure infiltrator and got damn-near killed for his trouble.