"So how is the whole Changeling situation working out, Twilight?" Rarity asked as she, Twilight, Spike, and Wayfarer walked among rows and rows of amateur paintings.

The exhibition had started, and many Ponyvillians it seemed had taken up painting over everything else. They'd set up the displays on sheets of drywall, arranged in an empty field near the Caravan's encampment to resemble an art gallery, only with a lot more grass and a clear view of the sky. Most of it was very low quality, as to be expected, but there were a few pieces that even Wayfarer could tell were made by ponies that had real potential behind them. That did not include his own however. His rendition of Twilight's tree was barely recognizable, but he certainly enjoyed the experience regardless. Twilight was a bit miffed that she was so busy with the changeling yesterday that being part of the exhibition hadn't even crossed her mind, so Rarity's question seemed to annoy her more than anything.

"It's doing well as it can be," she sighed. "Chitin is actually very polite and well spoken. They've been answering all my questions to the best of their ability. But that doesn't mean much since, apparently, Chitin is separated from something called a 'Hivemind' and has trouble recalling even basic information about Changeling Social structure. They said that, as a drone, his queen didn't think he needed any important information, so they were pretty much a blank slate when the Caravan found him."

"That's kind of freaky," Spike said, shivering. "Being a puppet with no personality of your own, just... existing? How could anypony live like that?"

"Well I guess being a blank slate at least means they have no desire to hurt anyone, right?" Wayfarer asked.

"There is that." Twilight nodded, then something caught her eye. She made a sharp turn away from the other three and walked up to a very peculiar painting. It was an abstract work, swirls of blacks and greens vortexing into its center, drawing the viewer in with its eerie yet mesmerizing pattern. Looking down at the introductory label at the bottom, she hummed in bemusement. "Speak of the devil."

The label read 'Hivemind ~by Chitin'

"I thought the exhibition was just for Ponyvillians?" Spike asked aloud.

"Oh no," came a voice from behind the group. They turned around to see Vivid, the pony who vouched for Chitin on the first day. "It's open to all ameteur artists. We've been teaching Chitin all sorts of things since we picked them up, little guy just soaks it all up like a sponge." Vivid joined the other four in examining the painting the changeling had made. He tilted his head to the side, pursing his lips in thought. "Though I must say, the images they render when they paint are never really all that clear. They can paint objects from real life, but it all looks like blurry photographs. His abstract stuff is his best work, they said it's the best way they can find to explain their, 'changelingness.'"

Twilight oohed at that and summoned up a quill and parchment and started to take notes of the painting.

"Hey, listen," Vivid continued, his ears flopping to the side in embarrassment. "I wanted to apologize for acting the way I did the other day. I get really protective of my friends sometimes, specially Chitin. Thanks for giving them a chance your highness."

"You don't have to apologize," Twilight said, not taking her eyes off the painting. "Wanting to protect our friends is completely natural. That being said, you did assault a member of the Royal Guard and the Royal Family, so if you want to apologize to someone, maybe Shining Armor should be the pony you look for."

Vivid snorted and rolled his eyes. "I'd get right on that, but at the moment I'm busy helping out with the exhibition. We honestly didn't expect so many ponies to go for painting over everything else. Heh, Gust and Hourglass are probably grumbling with jealousy right about now."

"Do excuse me," Rarity said, catching Vivid's attention and smirking at him. "While it is very polite of you to offer up an apology, I believe you may have skipped a step and failed to give us a proper introduction."

Vivid seemed very flustered at that, especially when Rarity batted her eyes at him for added effect. "Oh, ummm, my name is Vivid Dreams. I'm from North East Isles. The Coltish Highlands to be exact."

"I thought I detected the slightest hint of an accent from you!" Rarity stepped closer to Vivid swinging her hair to the side a bit. "Well, Mr. Dreams,"

"Please," Vivid said, suddenly taking a step towards Rarity in turn and giving her a smirk of his own, surprising her. "Just Vivid, 'Mr. Dreams' sounds exceedingly corny."

"That it does," Rarity responded, recovering from Vivid's approach as she brought a hoof up to his purple neckerchief and lifted it up, pretending to examine it's stitchwork. "Well, Vivid, shouldn't a handsome and well dressed stallion be chomping at the bit to give a sincere and heartfelt apology to someone he's wronged?"

"That he should," Vivid hummed, lifting his own hoof and taking hold of Rarity's. "If you happen to find a 'handsome and well dressed' stallion, do let me know, because all I see right now is a lovely mare with the most awe inspiring violet mane I've ever seen in my life." Once again Rarity lost her focus as Vivid gave her a sultry glare. "I'm sorry, I seem to be getting lost in those sapphire eyes of yours. What were we talking about, Miss...?"

"Rarity," she breathed out heavily, before clearing her throat and doing her best to turn the charm back on. "Just Rarity, if you please."

"I do please," Vivid said, before bending his neck and placing a small kiss on her hoof. Immediately Rarity pulled back shock, and like a magic spell breaking Vivid went into a panic. "Oh jeez I'm sorry! Was that too much? I didn't mean to go that far! You just started trying to charm me and, and then I just assumed I could flirt back and I should have just realized that wasn't what you wanted and... and... I'm sorry." He trailed off, crossing his front hooves and doing his best not to look in Rarity's general vicinity.

"No no no!" Rarity quickly said, quickly stepping forward and placing a hoof on Vivid's shoulder. "I was just... unprepared for you to try and out charm me! Usually when I do that stallions just fall at my hooves! You're the first pony to actually try and turn it back on me. You're..." Rarity paused, then she giggled a bit. "You are rather good at it."

"Th-thanks... I guess?" Vivid said, still obviously nervous. "I have some... mentors, I guess you could call them. They were just supposed to teach me about the arts and how to talk to people, but they would flirt with me all the time and they sort of encouraged me to flirt back. I shouldn't have taken that sort of familiarity with you though."

"No, I started it. I'll take the majority of the blame." Rarity continued to smile at Vivid, who eventually smiled back.

"Your mane, it really is beautiful though."

"And you are a legitimately handsome stallion, Vivid."

"That is very kind of you to say." Vivid shuffled in place, a blush started to creep through his grey coat. "I promise I'll go find Prince Shining Armor as soon as the exhibition is over and give him an honest apology for hitting him. But I do have to remain here for now... say, umm, would you mind terribly if I asked you for something?"

"What is it?" Rarity asked.

"Would you model for my next painting? You can have the finished piece when it's done, I'd just like to see if I can capture that hair of yours."

Rarity smirked and brushed a hoof through her mane. "Trust me darling, no acrylic in Equestria could capture beauty such as this."

Vivid laughed at that. "Maybe just a fraction of it? It can't hurt to try, right?"

"No, it most certainly wouldn't." Rarity sauntered up to Vivid's side and pushed at his shoulder. "Could we do it now? You just need to hang around here for the exhibition, but that doesn't mean you can't still paint while we wait."

"I actually have some of my supplies here now. Let's find a place with a little less hoof traffic though, I don't want to get in anyone elses way."

"Of course, lead the way good sir!" As the two unicorns walked in step with each other, Rarity turned to Twilight, Wayfarer, and Spike and called out to them. "Don't wait up you three!"

Wayfarer and Twilight shook their heads in bemusement. Spike, however, looked like he was about to blow his top. Behind them, Elizabeth stepped around the corner, a confident smirk on her face as she approached them. She looked absolutely giddy, right up until Court Drama stepped in front of her.

"Miss Elizabeth," he sighed in exasperation. "You've been neglecting your tent since we got here."

Elizabeth tried to push Court out of the way, her annoyance clear in her voice. "I've been waiting for one of these new Persona users to walk into my tent. But not one has seen fit to grace my presence with theirs!"

"Shhh!" Court hissed as he started to push her away. She relented and allowed herself to be lead away from the crowds. "If you're so excited to meet them, then you can come with me, I'm going to have a word with one Miss 'Sunny Skies' and one Mister 'Scrawl,' but after that, you go back to your tent and tell people their fortunes."

"Very well then," Elizabeth huffed. "But I simply do not understand all the cloak and dagger going on."

"Because," Court said, his eye flicking over to town hall, just in time to see a figure disappear from it's roof. "Trust is hard to build when your allies were being toyed with before you arrived."