It seemed that the ponies had liked the reaction Twilight had gotten from Pincer; she'd taken over the Royal Guards' duty of interrogating him. She was warmer than the guards at first, more open to talking about personal matters such as asking about his tastes in literature and whether there was anything she could do to make him more comfortable in between her questions. Unlike the guards, she seemed more curious about scientific matters than military intelligence, asking about his muscular structure, his transformative magic flow, and a dozen other things he wouldn't have remotely understood even if he hadn't had pounding headache from his hunger.
He'd been doing his best to hide his symptoms of hunger from her, but gradually they had progressed from aggravating to intolerable. The pounding in his head had grown persistent enough that he couldn't read more than a page or two at a time without stopping to shut his eyes, and it had made listening to Twilight for extended amounts of time exhausting. His shaking and trembling, meanwhile, had gotten so bad that standing for more than a few minutes at a time was impossible. He lay down and shut her out the best he could in the hope that she would take it for stubbornness rather than weakness, but he couldn't stop his shivering.
Lacking the Guards' professionalism, Twilight had at first grown irritated at his continued silence. Even in the beginning she rarely questioned him for more than half an hour at a time before storming away, grumbling about how she'd probably have better luck in the library. Despite her frustration and his own attempts to hide it, his deteriorating health hadn't escaped her notice. Her questions had taken on an almost pleading tone lately, and she'd actually stopped a few sessions early not because she was angry, but because he'd reached the point where he could barely focus on her. Her anger faded a bit each day, gradually giving way to nothing but sadness.
Each time, she gave a parting promise that she'd find a way to feed him soon. It always sounded insincere, but that didn't seem to be out of any lack of commitment to the task on her part. She just sounded very doubtful about her own ability to do so.
The idea of someone feeling pity for him was a hard one to bear, but by every indication Twilight was. He'd never imagined that a pony could feel pity for a changeling, but he'd been training all of his life to catch false displays of emotion, and he saw none of the signs. Of course, he reminded himself, Twilight was a formidable magician who no doubt had the support of many other unicorns, a species known for their magical powers. Surely it wouldn't be difficult for them to cast a spell that altered his perception so that her pity appeared genuine, or brew a potion that could temporarily make Twilight a perfect liar.
But if they were willing to do that, why not just hypnotize him? No, that must have been beyond their capability; otherwise they would have just done so upon capturing him. It wasn't genuine pity, then. It was magical trickery. It had to be. There was nothing to do but remain on his guard for however long he had left.
Finally, one day, Twilight brought him a gift. As soon as she'd seated herself in front of his cell, her saddlebag popped open and a book floated out of it. She made no effort to hide the hopeful look on her face.
"I bought this at a bookstore here in Canterlot. It's called Becoming Your Character, and it's all about method acting techniques used by theater ponies. I'd heard from the guards that you liked reading about this kind of thing, so I thought I'd get this for you."
She turned the book to its side to slip it through the bars, setting it down at Pincer's front hooves. He looked down at it, then back at Twilight, who was silently begging him to open it. His face was uncomprehending.
"You're giving me this?"
Twilight nodded.
"To keep?"
She nodded again.
"And in return?"
Twilight frowned. "You're not going to start that again, are you? It's yours. Have it. No one's going to take it away. I know how hard this has been for you, and I thought you could use something to cheer you up."
With some effort, Pincer managed to steady his hoof long enough to wedge it between two of the pages and crack the book open. He flipped back and forth, trying to force himself to scan paragraphs through his headache, but the throbbing pain forced him to clamp his eyes shut.
"Are you okay? Is there something else I can get you?"
He shook his head and opened his eyes, concentrating as well as he could despite his body's weakness. He hadn't read more than a few words when he felt his quivering legs buckle beneath him, causing him to hit the ground jarringly.
"Stay with me, please." Twilight's voice cracked on the last word.
At a glance, he could tell it seemed far more detailed on the subject than any of the books he'd been permitted to borrow had been. It was something he would very much like to read, and it was his. He once again looked to Twilight, whose face showed no expectation that he give her information in exchange. The doubts he'd suppressed earlier burst into his mind again before he could throttle them.
What difference did it make, though? He would be going soon anyway. It was unheard of for a changeling to survive without love much longer than he had. He had a few days, a week at most. He'd been holding his silence for over a month; he didn't think another week would be difficult for him no matter how many gifts they showered him with. He wondered if he could finish this book before he was too weak to move.
If nothing else, he supposed, he could be thankful that his last days of consciousness would be at least minimally comfortable and free of guilt or shame. He'd held out. He had something to occupy his last few days without having had to ask for it or give the enemy information for it. Though he would never see his podmates again, at least he could take solace in the fact that he'd been able to keep them safe by taking his species' secrets to his grave.
Then he felt it.
It had been so long that at first he hadn't recognized it for what it was, but his instincts quickly took over and he immediately swelled with joy on a primal level.
Twilight Sparkle was giving him selflessness. Concern. Compassion. Something he could feed on. More importantly, it was love.
Automatically, he closed his eyes and began to draw in the energy flowing over him with every bit of strength his weary body could muster. Every ounce of awareness he had was focused on feeding and only on feeding, and he drank it as though he were a pony dying of thirst who'd been pushed beneath a dripping pump.
His source of nourishment had run dry long before he'd had his fill, and he grappled fruitlessly at the last traces as they ebbed away. It wasn't nearly enough to completely replenish him, not after he'd gone so long without, but slowly he could feel his terrible helplessness giving way to mere exhausting weakness. Each time his head pounded was less forceful than the last, and after testing a front leg he found he had the strength to lift it, and in fact had enough left over to plant it on the ground and start using it to push himself up.
Twilight was on the ground. For a moment he could only stare in confusion, but then the events that had just happened truly sank in. He'd really done it. He'd drained love from her, and that always caused physical exhaustion in the source of the meal. He hadn't been able to take much, so it was surprising at first to see that she had apparently lost a great deal of strength, but she had surely been just as surprised as he was.
He was still wrapping his mind around the seeming impossibility of a pony voluntarily and freely caring enough about him enough that he could feed off of it when cantering hoofsteps and shouts from somewhere to the right captured his attention. A pair of pegasus guards then trotted over to Twilight, one leaning down to examine her face and the other glaring at Pincer.
"What have you done to her?"
He tried and failed to find words.
"Don't give me that look. She was right in front of you. Make no mistake. If you've seriously hurt her, you will answer to Princess Celestia."
"She's conscious," said the second pegasus guard, glancing up. "Are you okay? Can you stand?"
Twilight nodded, and the guard standing over her stepped back. Slowly, swaying as she did so, she pulled herself to a standing position. After assuring the guard that she was fine, she turned to Pincer, mouth agape and eyes wide.
"Wh—how... since when..." She took a step forward and pointed her horn at him. "Okay, I'm done playing nice! You'd better start talking! What was that? How could you possibly do something like that? Your magic was blocked, and besides, you didn't even have the strength to st—"
Twilight raised her head and blinked.
"You... you're standing." She looked up and down, eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. "And you're not shaky, and you've got your head up and you're listening attentively. You're definitely more lively than you were, but there's only one way that could happen."
She smiled in apparent satisfaction, then looked over her shoulder at the guards. "Thanks for your help, but I've got it from here."
"Miss Sparkle," said one with concern, "that prisoner just attacked you with some sort of magic despite his restraints. It's too dangerous for you to be with unattended."
Twilight's smile didn't waver. "You don't have to worry. Trust me on this. I know exactly what he did and how to handle it."
The guard glanced at his companion, then back at Twilight. "Are you absolutely sure, Miss Sparkle?"
Twilight nodded. After a wary glance at Pincer, the guard sighed. "Very well, Miss Sparkle. If you need us, we'll remain in shouting distance."
"I appreciate the concern, but really, I'll be fine," Twilight said, now frowning. The guard nodded again and slowly began trotting away, his companion trailing behind him.
"Now," Twilight said, turning to Pincer and looking as though he might start trotting in place. "I'm glad I figured out a way to feed you love. I can't say I was expecting it to happen that way, but I'm glad you're on your hooves again!"
Pincer eased himself into a sitting position. "This... this wasn't supposed to be possible," he said, more to himself than her.
"What do you mean?"
"I shouldn't have been able to feed off that. That can't happen if you just wanted me alive for what I knew. You would've had to..." He sighed. "Cadance did something, didn't she?"
Twilight couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Cadance isn't here. She's never once come to this cell."
"She can cast love spells. She's the only one. It's the only way. She... she must be hiding or something."
"Cadance can only create mutual love. If she'd somehow turned invisible and been involved, you'd have felt it too."
"That I know of. That's what they told us."
"Well, do you trust what 'they' told you?"
"But... they also said... they said a pony would never care about a changeling if they knew what we were. So... then..."
"Then something they told you had to be wrong, didn't it?"
"Well...what we thought we knew about Cadance was wrong. It had to be. Either that or you somehow managed to change her spell and cast it yourself."
"Have you ever heard of a spell that could be cast without anypony nearby noticing?"
"No, but that doesn't mean it can't happen!"
"Then doesn't that apply to a pony caring about a changeling, too?"
"No, it doesn't!" Pincer waved a hoof in the air. "Look at us! Ponies don't like bugs, certainly not large bugs, and especially not large bugs that try to overthrow their government to feed off them!"
"Well, actually, I don't think you're some horribly ugly monster. In fact, to me you look kind of fascinating."
"Like an exotic test subject."
Twilight looked mortified. "What? Oh, no! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. Oh, I'm not sure how to put this..." She cleared her throat.
"Look, you're different from us and I find that interesting, but that doesn't make you any worse than a gryphon or a zebra. I don't think you're just some unusual life form to analyze and measure. Have I ever treated you that way?" She sounded as if there were a right answer to this question and she was expecting him to say it.
It was the sort of thing Pod Leader Scarab liked to do. Would Scarab have been proud of Pincer, of how well he'd resisted their interrogation techniques and how he'd refused to fall for their tricks? Or would it not have been enough? Certainly there were things Pincer could have handled better than he did. He took a breath, knowing he would have to die without getting that answer. There was nothing to do but continue to resist, as was his duty.
"You wanted me to trust you," he said evenly. "You don't care. You're faking it."
Twilight huffed, then took a moment to rub her eye with a hoof. She abruptly stopped and gasped, and Pincer found himself hoping she'd injured herself or remembered an important appointment or anything else that might end the interrogation.
His hopes were dashed when he saw her raise her head with an anticipating, hopeful look.
"Are you familiar with a spell called 'Want It, Need It'?"
Pincer didn't have to think long to pin it down. He'd recalled hearing from Antenna a few months before the invasion about a time when she'd been infiltrating Ponyville and had fallen victim to a spell that had seized her with an irresistible urge to take possession of a simple child's doll at any cost. She would've given up the world just to touch it, she'd said.
Terror seized him. Was she going to—?
"Why? What are you planning? Tell me! Why do you want to know?"
"You know what it does, then."
"Yes! Yes, I know! Now tell me! Why? What're you doing?!"
"I just want you to answer one question. If getting you to talk was the only thing I cared about, why didn't I enchant, say..." She glanced down. "...my saddlebag would work, and hold it out of your reach? Then I could get you to tell me everything if I told you I'd give it to you in return."
Pincer's training was not enough to stop him from shaking. "You... this is it... you... you're really going to..."
Twilight rapidly shook her head. "No. I didn't, and I won't. Because that would be a horrible thing to do to somepony. Can't you understand? I want to help you!"
Pincer stood there for a moment, taking in her words. As much as he hated to admit it, what he'd been seeing just didn't line up at all with what he thought he knew. There was no conceivable gambit he could think of her going through that would've been worth the trouble of not simply casting the spell on him and being done with it. It certainly wasn't worth the considerable effort that would've gone into the undoubtedly difficult task of finding some way to create love for him to feed on if Twilight had none.
Surely, though, there were some reasons she might have been unable or unwilling to cast the spell on him? Maybe it couldn't actually be used to get information out of someone because they would be too driven to get the object to even engage in conversation. Did that contradict what information Antenna had been able to gather? He didn't want to think it did, but he had the nagging feeling he'd heard somewhere that ponies under the influence of the spell still talked. Maybe they thought that having him willingly give them information would make good propaganda? Hardly. If anything, knowledge of a willingly cooperating changeling would turn public opinion against total destruction of The Hive.
No one at The Hive would have believed that ponies would ever treat changelings decently, though, even solely to get information. Cruel manipulation and calculated betrayal of trust just didn't fit with the idea that ponies thought changelings were too mindlessly brutal to pretend to befriend and too lacking in any sort of trust to betray. Ever since he'd gotten here, they'd been providing him with decent meals, proper medical care, recreation, and a reasonably comfortable place to sleep — treatment more like what he would expect ponies to give each other than what he would expect them to give a changeling.
All of that aside, it had been a terribly long time since he'd had the company of someone he could consider a friend. He couldn't be entirely certain he could trust Twilight, but in light of everything that had happened, the odds had become good enough for him to be willing to take the chance. Even if she didn't start out with the intention to, it was quite possible that she'd become invested enough in the role she'd taken to end up being sympathetic to him.
If nothing else, the possibility of gaining a sympathizer was worth the risk.
"Okay. I think... maybe you're not like that. I was just so sure. I never thought a pony could... I'm..." He swallowed and looked down.
"M—my mistake," he mumbled.
The silence that followed felt unreal, as though by uttering the statement he'd crossed the threshold into some impossible world that he was never meant to be in. Still, as when he made a mistake in The Hive, it was only proper to acknowledge his error and accept the consequences. Accepting that the impossible had happened, he looked back up, expecting her to prepare to mete out punishment. Instead, she was smiling delightedly.
"Well, I'm glad to hear you say that. I think we can get a lot more done now that we've opened up a bit."
"Wait... you're not mad?"
Twilight shook her head, then levitated a quill and piece of parchment out of in front of her from her saddlebag. "I was actually getting kind of annoyed you weren't considering that maybe you'd misjudged me. How can I be mad now that I've got the chance to really talk with you?"
"I couldn't really know you'd be different."
"Different from who?"
"The other ponies. Look, maybe you want to help me, but they don't. Ponies hate changelings. They still want to destroy The Hive, and even if you aren't in on it, That's what Celestia and the rest are doing."
She looked taken aback. "That doesn't even make sense! Whenever there's any sort of conflict with the buffalo, or the zebras, or the gryphons, Celestia always tries to settle things peacefully! She's raised me and taught me since I was a filly. Celestia isn't going to burn down your home and kill you all because you attacked us!"
"My Queen says otherwise, and my Queen has known Celestia for a lot longer than you have. This wasn't the first conflict between changelings and ponies, Sparkle. Celestia never liked us. She forced us into hiding long ago, and that's why we've always had to sneak and steal to stay alive."
"What, Chrysalis told you that? She was wrong about me, wasn't she? Don't you think that maybe she could be wrong again?"
"Do you think we chose this?" Pincer asked, baring his fangs. "Being outcasts, barely surviving, and the training... all those threats and beatings, if I'd ever had any choice... it was Celestia's fault!"
"Threats? Beatings?" Twilight frowned in concern. "W—what are you... did they really do that to you over there? How could they? And what would Celestia have to do with that?"
The traces of anger on Pincer's face vanished as quickly as they had appeared. "Ask her. Ask her about the last time your kind learned of us. She was there, and she was the one who sealed our fate," he intoned.
Skepticism colored Twilight's face, but she nodded. "Okay. I will. I'm sure that things aren't as bad as you're telling me, though."
"You'll find out. If she doesn't tell you the truth, she'll decide she's done playing nice and have you use that spell on me so she can go through with her plans. And Sparkle?"
Judging by the way Twilight's ears pricked up at the last two words, she knew he was getting ready to say something he considered important.
"My name is Pincer. When we're gone, will you remember it?"
Twilight frowned, her ears drooping slightly.
"Pincer," she said quietly. "So, you really do have names."
She nodded. "I'll remember it, but you won't be gone. I, along with Celestia, am going to prove we ponies aren't who Chrysalis says we are."
Twilight turned and walked away, back straight and pace steady. Once she was out of sight, Pincer flipped the book she had given him back to the first page and began reading it; after all, this book could very well be his last.
I think you accidentally a word
Totally worth the wait!
Gahh, I am so tempted to read this at work
2679264
Do it!
I'm doing it too!
I did read at work....
Finally, some progress! I was afraid that Pincer was going to drag out his silence until he died.
2679407
I'm reading this before work.
2679145
Or it's a substitution that only a grammar check would catch.
that=thought
Hee. Looks like friendship is enough for him to feed on. I like where this is going
2679407
2679425
You guys are a bad influence on me
...and I ran out of work and my boss isn't mailing me back.
YAY.
This part could use some work.
Yay, an update, and yeah, I can't see Celestia, canon Celestia as we won't go into...that here do anything to the Changelings. If anything, it's overzealous ponies such as the guards who did it.
If Celestia did have anything to do with this, I'd be royally surprised.
2679611 thought that works too, also I've been wanting to use that phrase for quite some time
2679145 Thanks, fixed!
2680080 Looking back, it was a bit unwieldy. Fixed.
2679194 Why, thank you! This was a hard chapter to write because of the drastic change Pincer undergoes, so I'm glad to see it being well-received.
2679264 2679407 2679425 Oh u guys Flattered as I am, I'd hate to see anyone get fired over this story.
2680096 Your questions will be answered next chapter
2680300
Eh. Boss wasn't there, and he wasn't responding to the emails in which I asked the information I needed to finish the stuff I was working on... so it was this or Minecraft anyway
(that, and, beautiful day outside, and no one was very eager to work. My colleagues all ended up spontaneously leaving 10 minutes early )
Rest assured, though, normally I just save the chapters as HTML exports (, throw them through a regex to fix the most glaring syntax horrors in it) and read it on the train on the way home (or back to work the next day).
2679194 I know right. The best chapter yet.
The plot thickens.
Interestingly loose definition of ‘love’. Quite possibly any positive emotion, from infatuation to fraternal care to respect could be enough for a changeling to survive on.
Celestia has a habit of throwing heavy punishments, likely without intending to do so.
I really doubt she wanted Luna’s banishment to last a millennium. DisQord could as easily have been rendered ‘safe’ by depowering him, rather than utterly immobilising him while leaving him aware.
If Celestia used the EoH last time the changelings came they could well have gotten the serrated end of the stick, regardless of what the Princess wanted.
2680800 possibilities but after a while being around people like tia that we all know in cannon and most fannon lots start being able to notice what you see as the mask for what it is, to cover who they really are
nice chapter by the way, I'll be waiting to find out what kind of tia we are dealing with in your story
a kind, decent enough ruler who has things done in her name that she has no idea about
or the kind of bitch that orders things done then makes those that do them "vanish" along with their families
Finally! :D Now things are going to get even awesomer :3
Great chapter, there. I look forward to seeing what Celestia says about the last time.
2680096 Could be that the changleings became so much of a threat that Celestia was forced to do something drastic.
Sort of like what happened at the end of World War II. "We can set them back horribly, or we can do it the old fashioned way and make it even worse on both parties."
2681805
It could be. I didn't think about that when writing my comment.
My theory:
Celestia and Chrysalis were once friends long ago. Then one day Celestia ate the last ice cream sandwich and Chrysalis decided that she would take vengeance by raising an army. Generations of changelings were brought up being told that ponies were evil, that they were the enemy. Over time Chrysalis forgot why she was angry in the first place and started believing her own lies.
2682344 Hm... maybe.
Although, for a conflict on this scale, I find it more likely that Celestia stole the last Klondike Bar.
2682920
What would you do for a Klondike Bar? Would you go to war?
2683537 Would I go to war? No...
I would march forward to conquest.
hmm my guess is that pehaps they sided with nightmare moon during the nighmare campaigns and were cursed to feed off love as punishment? i dunno, i gotst nothing
2679671 It should be, friendship is a form of love after all.
Great chapter.
Well one problem solved, though the next one's going to be a little bit more complicated than just gaining trust/finding love. Can't wait to see how well that goes.
2679493 that's what I would have done...
Here's how I see it turning out: when the Changelings were there last time, Celestia was put in a position where admittedly she had to make a rash, last resort decision that resulted in the Changelings' current state of affairs. However, the result was not what she intended and she highly regrets the outcome, but she had no choice. If that is the case or something along those lines, it would definitely serve well to show Celestia's regret and shame.
This sort of thing with Celestia and her enemies seems to happen all the time. Her actions have unintended consequences, mostly unintended that is.
However, Pincers' paranoia, however self-righteous, does have some backing from his perspective. The ponies keep insisting to him that they are not what he believes, but when they ask him where the Hive is (I choose a kingdom, but that's up to the writer), in his head, he's probably thinking, 'Why would they want to know where it is if not just to burn it down and kill everyone?" Which is a good question given what he's been told of ponies, if not already answered and I haven't seen it.
2764224 Yes, please delete that and send it as a PM so that the chapter doesn't get spoiled for anyone if they happen to browse the comments.
This is great. Pincer is a very sympathetic character, a good person raised on propaganda trying his best to do right. And with the ponies, you hit just the right mix of distrust, dislike and the inherent goodness that they should exhibit. Many fics have the ponies go all racist (probably speciesist) when dealing with other species, getting seriously unpleasant, but you manage to have them be cautious and distrusting without derailing Equestria from the general utopian feel that it has in canon. For that, I salute you
Two specific nitpicks in the latest chapter, you have amazingly few grammar errors for a fanfic:
"The idea of someone feeling pity for him was a hard one to bear, but by every indication Twilight was." This is just a little clumsy, I suggest, for clarity "but everything pointed to Twilight feeling just that."
"but he'd been training all of his life to catch false displays of emotion, and he saw none of the telltale signs." Probably just me, but I think you should lose the "telltale", it's simpler and "telltale" just sees a bit too much somehow.
Great story, have a like, a fave and please update soon.
Happy writing.
Ah, so you are using the typical tyrant leader portrayal, those whom that lie to their people. One of those kinds of stories.
Poor changeling is going to realize all his life was nothing but a bloody lie.
Oh how I look forward to seeing the total amount of despair on his face when that happens!
It will be a most joyous occasion to celebrate.
Unless you pull the Discord trope.
If I see yet ANOTHER story use the flutterpony excuse...
...
Yes, I was being sarcastic about the first paragraph.
Partly.
So here goes how Chrysalis will have to be usurped, along with whatever committee that she has going on.
Cut off the head of the snake, and the rest of the body is harmless. Either that, forcibly reeducate them for their own good.
Extinguish them. For the pony master race...
Unless you actually plan on going for an actual in depth past where Celly here might have made some decisions that were not so wise.
That would certainly flex her out as a three dimensional character, one with actual flaws for a change.
th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/016/f/9/mlp_____never_leave_me_again_______by_willis96-d4m0l6u.jpg
2764742 Thanks for the suggestions, and glad you're enjoying the story
2784808
...Fluttterpony excuse? I've only read two stories where Changelings were corrupted Flutterponies, and of those two, only one of them blamed Discord. Clearly, I have been looking in the wrong places. Mind sending me a few links?
I love this story. I feel it was written very beautifully, and not just because of correct grammar. I thoroughly enjoy the story and hope it continues.
Excuse you, you're effing adorable, get in my bed, I need to hug you right now.
4026223 .....O MY
4026223 i.imgur.com/o34O7fZ.png
Hes breaking down D; Quick Pincer Slam your head into a wall until your brain swells and you die D:
I dont like the way your portraying Pincer. He sounds like he hates changlings as much as he hates ponies. He constantly puts changelings in a bad light and disparages them.
Thats now how you portray non human, or in this case, non equine species. They arent hateful, or weird, or monstrous. To them, we are the weird ones. Whats normal for us is strange for them. As this stand, all Pincer is is a pony with chitin on who happens to need love to survive. Everything else seems fine except for that.
Also: The guards should be more professional with the prisoner. No threats or backtalk or smalltalk.
Those are my two peeves, but the guard one is minor.
Chrysalis is a blasphemer and infidel, may she forever burn by the rays of the sun for the lies she has spread of the Goddess!
That was a... horribly offensive way of putting things. No insult intended I'm sure, but Twilight should watch what she says more carefully.
4833484 *Demigodess
2682920 What the Tim-Tam is a Klondike Bar?
5155045 According to Wiki it's a form of flavored american choc-ice, with funnily enough a tagline of "What Would You Do For A Klondike Bar?". Raise a changeling army apparently .