“This is your last chance miss! Move out of the way!”

“Look sir! You have said that eight times now. I am in your way and I have no intention of moving unless you stay away from Black Star, so if there is anything that you plan to do about it, you should go ahead and do it because no amount of yelling is going to remove me from this location!” I was furious, these guards were in my room, threatening me with violence, talk about rude.

“Very well,” said another, more decorated guard, who stepped forward from the back. “You are also under arrest! You are hereby charged with treason against Equestria, aiding the enemy and—“

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” A loud, booming voice shuddered the walls of my room, a voice that could only belong to one pony. “Sir Mountain! You and your guards are to stand down at once.” All five guards spun around to find themselves face to face with princess Celestia. I have to admit that I laughed a little at their reactions; you seriously should have seen their faces.

The lead guard, presumably the one Celestia addressed as mountain, made a face as if about to protest, but apparently thought better of it and left, his subordinates in tow, just as he was about to leave, he turned his head, shooting Black Star and myself a harsh glare before turning around the corner and out of sight. I waited until they were all gone before finally letting out a sigh of relief. “Thank you very much princess, I wasn’t certain how I was going to handle all of—“

“It was no trouble Rarity.” Celestia looked happy, she even sounded happy, but I could tell, beneath that flawless princess mask of hers was a deep concern, a concern made more evident by her refusal to break eye contact from Black Star, who was still cowering in the corner, though perhaps more quietly now that there were no guards shouting at him. “Alright…” she said after staring for a few moments. “I… I need you both to follow me.”

“Whatever for princess?” I asked, genuinely curious.

Celestia sighed; I could tell that she regretted whatever was going on. “Rarity. You are one of the best friends of Twilight Sparkle and I trust you, but your friend is a changeling and you know what they are capable of, so as much as I trust you I would like to have a long discussion about your friend until you can convince me that he is no threat. Does that sound fair to you?”

Admittedly I expected Celestia to be more polar in her response, either trusting me completely or throwing Black Star in a dungeon without a second thought, though I guess that this way there would be less doubt among everypony else. “I suppose so, here let me just get Black Star off the ground.” I stepped lightly over to my friend; I think that being in the way of Celestia calmed him down somewhat as he actually responded when I nudged him. “Black Star?” I said cautiously. “It’s alright, Celestia just wants to talk to us, everything is going to be—“

“No it is not! She has no desire to speak with me, she just wants to throw me in jail like everypony else, I want to go home, where my friends are and where there are no ponies trying to kill me and where I—“

“Black Star?” Celestia interrupted. “I have never met you before and I know nothing about you, but Rarity’s trust in you is enough for me, so I promise to hear you and her out, no matter what I might think, so please, just come with me and we can get this mess sorted out and we can get you home.” I don’t believe that I’d ever seen Celestia trying to get somepony to trust her before then, it usually just happens, so watching her do it bordered on unnerving.

When I saw this have no effect on Black Star, I decided to try something else, so I laid down next to him, placing my head over his. “You poor thing,” I said soothingly. “So many ponies have hurt you in such a short time, it’s no wonder that you can’t trust anypony, but maybe…” I pressed my lips to his and allowed a loving warmth to swell inside of me before breaking the kiss. “Maybe you can trust me when I say that Celestia truly does have your best interests at heart, she only wants to talk to us so that she can be sure that nothing is wrong… okay dear? Will you trust the princess for me? Just this once?”

Black Star, who had ceased hyperventilating after being kissed, finally seemed to calm down a little bit, well enough to look at the princess without shaking. “Alright,” he said quietly. “I will talk to you, though I feel certain that I shall regret this but I guess this is my only real choice.”

Celestia nodded. “Alright then… I was going to take you both to another room, but since Rarity is still injured…” Celestia took a seat on the floor. “I think that it would be best if we stayed here, is that alright with everypony?”

“Of course it is.” I nodded.

Celestia smiled. “Good! Now Rarity, I want to hear from you first so tell me, how did you meet Black Star?”

I proceeded to fill her in on the first day, everything from Silver Thorn to Black Star’s night terrors, most of which involved reliving the accident that revealed his identity as a changeling. “… So by the time I finally calmed him down it was morning and time to get ready for my second day of business.”

“Interesting,” Celestia said as she sipped her tea, noticeably wincing, presumably at the story I had just told her. “Is this all true Black Star?”

Black Star smiled and nodded. “As far as I can remember princess,” he said turning to me, as if looking for approval.

Celestia nodded. “Very well. Rarity? Would you continue? As I said previously I want to hear everything.”

“Of course princess,” I said. “The second day.” I sighed. “The second day was interesting…”

“Rarrityyy!” Black Star yelled. “I don’t know what to do.” I hastily made my way down the stairs to find Black Star entangled in the sewing machine I had dug up for him to practice on. Evidently he needed more supervision with it. In all of my years of working with a sewing machine I don’t believe that I ever entangled myself in its workings; not even my first attempt when I was just a filly.

“Oh dear,” I muttered. “Let’s get you out of there okay?” I tried to use my magic to separate the entangled thread, but Black Star was struggling too much so I settled on another solution. “Black Star? Could you stop struggling and look at me please?”

Black Star froze and looked up. “Yes Rarity?” he said, ashamed.

“I need you to hold still for me. Alright?”

Black Star simply nodded and remained shockingly still as I removed the thread that was wrapped around him. “Terribly sorry about that dear. Are you quite alright?”

“I… I am just not used to working with my hooves I guess. I did stage lighting before all of… this,” he said gesturing to himself and everything else. “So needless to say I kind of suck at it.”

I sighed slowly, the store was opening in less than an hour and I needed to get Black Star into a good mood. “I think that I have a solution for you Black Star.”

“Really?” he said, clearly hopeful.

“Yes,” I said with certainty as a grabbed a small bell from one of my drawers. “I know just the thing.”

“Come one come all to Rarity’s Carousel Boutique! Where only the finest of gowns, dresses, and suits can be found!” Black Star was vigorously shouting as he rang the little bell that I gave him with all of his strength in an attempt to attract new customers to my boutique. A successful attempt I might add. There’s something about a handsome stallion that encourages young mares to try their hardest to be fabulous. “Spring casual skirts on sale today, only at Rarity’s Carousel Boutique!” Broke my focus with a young client, who was buying a cloak as a present to his mare friend.

“Your crier is really energetic,” he said curiously, looking out at Black Star. “Let me rephrase that; he’s completely flipping out.”

“He most certainly is,” I said, holding back a laugh as I too looked out at Black Star. I had known him for less than twenty four hours, but I knew that he was more introverted than his behavior outside would indicate, which to me meant that he was going out of his comfort zone for the sole purpose of thanking me. I felt a little flutter in my chest and a slight feeling of admiration. “I shall have to remember to thank him properly later. Now,” I said returning my attention to my client. “If you could just sign here Mr…?”

“Azure Blaze,” he said proudly, signing the paper. “If you don’t mind me asking, what is you’re assistant’s name? I find him…   dangerously fascinating. A stallion who isn’t afraid to make a scene; I can… appreciate that.” Azure Blaze. I will always remember how he looked at Black Star that day, his gaze was purely malicious and obsessive and I could see in his eyes that he was planning something, though at the time I hadn’t the foggiest idea.

“Oh…” I said awkwardly. “His name is… is…” My mind raced for a fitting name. “Oh! His name is golden guard!”

Azure seemed to wince at the name. “Golden guard? He doesn’t perhaps work for Celestia does he?” he asked practically hissing “Celestia”

“No…” I said, clearly displaying my discomfort. “He’s my friend and he works for me. He has no royal ties.”

“Excelle-! I mean interesting. I think that I’ll go talk with him myself and express my… appreciation for his enthusiasm.”

“Okay?” I said somewhat confused. “Have a nice day sir.” Maybe an hour went by before I heard the door opening again.

“Rarrityyy?” I heard Black Star calling. “I need your help again.”

“Yes dear, what is it?” I replied.

“A really weird Pegasus gave me a bunch of bits because I was ‘entertaining’ and I was wondering; what do I do with it?”

“Well,” I said happily. “It seems to me like you got yourself a tip, you can do whatever you want with it. Have you really never gotten a tip before?”

Black Star shook his head. “I worked stage lighting before remember? They do not exactly tip the lights guy. But I already know exactly what I want to do with it.”

*****

I have to admit that of all the things I though Black Star had in mind I never dreamed that his first reaction would be to take me to Sugar cube Corner for lunch. Of course I tried to refuse, after all it was his well-earned money and I had no rights to it. But he absolutely insisted and so I had no choice but to accept. I remember that no sooner had we sat down than Pinkie Pie appeared.

“Hi Rarity!” She thundered excitedly. She then turned to Black Star and smiled. “Hi Black Star! Fancy seeing you here!”

Black Star’s head cringed it was as if he was trying to cram his head into the rest of his body like a giant tortoise. “I-  am afraid you- are mistaken ma’am. My name is…” He turned shakily to me. “Uh. Golden Guard?  

“Nope!” Pinkie said poking Black Star on the nose and somehow creating an actual honking sound. “You don’t look like him. You don’t sound like him.” Pinkie Pie sniffed him for a moment before wafting the air away from her nose. “Pee yew. You don’t smell like him either. But you’re him and since today marks the end of a giamundo hugemazingly large hiatus since you last came here. I’m going to give you a ‘Welcome-back Black-St-“ I put my hoof over Pinkie Pie’s mouth in a desperate effort to keep her from revealing his identity to the group of ponies who had just entered.

“Pinkie Pie,” I hissed. “Could we speak privately for a moment?”

“MMMK,” Pinkie said through my hoof.

We walked quickly into the kitchen. I faced Pinkie, my back was to Black Star. “Okay…” I spoke slowly, trying to reign in my emotions. “I don’t know how you know that that pony over there is Black Star, but you have to keep quiet about it alright? You see Black Star-“

“Is a shape-shifty pony who didn’t know that he was a shape-shifty pony until something bad happened and now his family and friends are being big meanie mean pants and so instead of helping him they chased him away and so now he’s living with you; Right” Pinkie finished her rant, clearly out of breath, which was almost stranger than the fact that she already knew the particulars of my predicament. However, this was Pinkie Pie so I suppose such strangeness was to be expected.

“Umm… Quite,” I said softly. “You seem to have an acute understanding of my circumstances. So do you understand why perhaps I’d want you to be silent about Black Star?”

“Mmhmm.” Pinkie nodded. “You can count on me Rarity! I will keep this secret forever!”

“Good!” I said happily. “Black Star must be absolutely terrified by now, let’s go ease his concern shall we?” Pinkie Pie and I walked suspiciously into the main area, where a small line of guests was starting to form. It might have been less suspicious if Pinkie wasn’t humming secret agent music. Regardless; I sat down across from Black Star and smiled. In a moment Pinkie came up to us and smiled.

“So what can I get you ‘Golden Guard’” Pinkie Pie said forcefully. It is fortunate that it was the beginning of most ponies’ lunch breaks and so they were too tired from work to pay attention to our spectacle. Or else there might have been a problem.

“I forgot how frightening Pinkie Pie can be,” Black Star said as we left.

“She does have that effect on ponies,” I said happily

*****

Celestia stifled a laugh, “I can’t believe you narrowly escaped detection, even back then our guards were on alert for rumors of any changeling activity in Equestria. One false move and you would have been captured.” Celestia stared at Black Star in a passive, yet simultaneously scrutinizing way “Do you understand how fortunate you are to have made it this far Black Star?”

Black Star Cleared his throat “Extremely,” He said softly. I never imagined that a silly pony who gave me a tip would ever play such a crucial part in my life, in hindsight I should have guessed that a pony willing to tip that many bits to a sign holder had to have something up his sleeve.”  

“You mean this…” Celestia looked at some notes. “Azure Blaze? Just how important is he to this story?”

“Not very in terms of word count, I could summarize his entire role in a minute, but that’d ruin the story, and since I’m half convinced that my staying out of changeling jail depends on me keeping you entertained with my tail, I will save it for later.” Black Star Shuddered as he thought more of the special jail that Celestia reserves for changelings. “No his role was a lot of watching out for me in the shadows until Chrysalis got involved, honestly all of his help would have been meaningless if not for everything Rarity did to keep me safe before then.”