Cheerilee's horn glows a deep green, an identically colored aura briefly surrounding her front door to close it after Lunar Trail turns away, leaving the couple in the dimly lit front room of Cheerilee's house – the only illumination provided by what little of the moon's light manages to sneak through the curtain-blocked windows.

"Still strange, seein' you use magic like that," Big Mac says after a moment.

"I could not, if you want," Cheerilee offers, ducking her head. "You've been wonderful these last couple days, but I know it's still a lot to get used to, so I wouldn't mind-"

"If Ah was gonna get all bothered about somethin'," Big Mac interrupts with a chuckle, "you usin' magic to close a door wouldn't be the thing ta do it."

"I know, it's just… you know what they say about straws," Cheerilee replies, a small smile forming on her lips.

Big Mac raises an eyebrow, "Good thing Ah ain't a camel then, huh?"

Cheerilee giggles, "Definitely."

Big Mac glances at a dark green loveseat pushed up against the wall behind them and to their right, a lighter green blanket partially covering it and a pink pillow laying on the closest of its hoofrests, "As far as stretchin' our legs goes… did ya want to wait a bit, or is there anythin' you need to do before we leave, or did you want to head on out right now?"

"I don't think – oh!" Cheerilee replies, her eyes widening, "There is one thing, actually, but it should only take a minute."

Turning, Big Mac follows Cheerilee into her bedroom, the glow of her horn barely providing enough light to see by as a thin, square shaped board floats out from under her untouched bed. She knits her brow, the board tilting sideways just enough to fit through the doorway to her closet before descending to cover the hole leading to her secret underground room. A slightly larger rug follows the board's path from beneath her bed to her closet, Cheerilee carefully adjusting it to hide all of the board's edges.

"In case, you know, somepony were to come in while we're away," Cheerilee explains, closing the closet door.

Big Mac shrugs, "Makes sense. To be honest, Ah'm not real sure it'll do a whole lot a' good in keepin' it hidden if somepony decides to break in and snoop around, but makes sense."

Cheerilee sighs, "Well, either way, that was all I needed to do. So, if you're ready to go, I am too."

Big Mac nods, "Alright then, let's get goin'."

Big Mac kicks the front door shut behind them with a hind leg, both he and Cheerilee taking a deep breath of the fresh night air as a breeze runs over their bodies, wicking away boredom induced fatigue as if it were sweat.

"So, where to?" he asks after a few seconds.

Cheerilee pauses a few seconds more, staring blankly at the house across the street from them, "Uhh… "

They share an uncertain look, turning away from each other as a bout of laughter breaks free.

"How 'bout we go check on Lyra and Bon Bon," Big Mac suggests once the humor works its way out of his system. "They ain't overly far from here, and not to the north either."

Cheerilee sucks in a lungful of air and nods, "That sounds like a good idea."

Moving from the door, Big Mac takes a right, Cheerilee staying to his right to put herself between him and the fronts of their neighbor's houses. Reactions vary as they walk, friendly waves far outnumbered by nervous smiles and averted eyes – a few even going so far as to trot to the other side of the street once they notice the bug pony beside Big Mac.

Upon turning the next corner, Cheerilee's shoulder grazes Big Mac's side, Cheerilee twitching and taking a half step away, "S-Sorry."

Big Mac stops, pulling Cheerilee closer with a foreleg, "We can go back to yer house, if ya want."

Cheerilee shakes her head, tucking a stray tendril of her membranous mane behind an ear, "No. We're already out, and I can't spend the rest of my life hiding in my house. Besides, I'm sure… " she stares at the ground, poking it with a hoof, "I'm sure it's only because ponies aren't used to seeing a changeling walking around town. Once they get used to seeing me like this, I'm sure everything will go back to normal."

Big Mac nods, "Alright, as long as yer sure."

Cheerilee smiles, "I am."

Looking up, she starts, three diminutive figures covered in cobbled together black fabric standing directly in front of them.

"So cute… " the unicorn of the trio sighs.

Cheerilee narrows her eyes at the figures, "Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo? Applebloom?"

"Oh, right," Scootaloo says, pulling off her mask. "Hi, Miss Cheerilee! Hi, Big Mac!"

"Are you two on a date?" Sweetie Belle asks, she and Applebloom likewise revealing their faces.

"Nah," Big Mac answers, "we're just goin' fer a walk. What're you three still doin' out this late? 'Specially you, Applebloom."

"We're seein' if we can get our cutie marks in bein' ninjas!" Applebloom replies, "Cutie Mark Crusaders, ninj… ninja… "

"Ninjutsu," Sweetie Belle provides.

"Yeah, that," Applebloom says. "Cutie Mark Crusaders, Ninjutsu Masters!"

"And we totally snuck up on you, right?" Scootaloo asks, her wings giving an excited flutter despite the fabric covering them.

"You definitely snuck up on us," Cheerilee confirms.

"Yes!" Scootaloo shouts, pumping her hoof once before turning to her two best friends, "And you both thought it would be impossible to sneak up on a changeling."

"But why were we able to?" Sweetie Belle asks, "Cheerilee can sense emotions, so she should have been able to detect us no matter how sneaky we were being."

"Just because I can sense the emotions of everypony around me, doesn't mean I'm always paying attention to them," Cheerilee explains. "Or that I can tell exactly where they're coming from. But back to Big Mac's question, why are you three still awake? Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" Her eyes narrow, "Are you supposed to be in bed right now?"

Applebloom shakes her head, "Nope, Granny said it was fine."

Sweetie Belle nods, "Rarity too."

"No problem for me either," Scootaloo adds. "Plus, it's not like we have school or anything tomorrow."

A pregnant pause follows, Applebloom breaking it with a whack to the back of Scootaloo's head, "Really, Scootaloo?!"

"Sorry about her," Sweetie Belle apologizes. "She's just really tired, since it is pretty late, and isn't thinking clearly."

"Hey!" Scootaloo objects, "I am not tired!"

Cheerilee waves the apology away, forcing a smile onto her face, "No, she's right. School is on hold for the time being, so it makes sense that nopony would have to wake up for it."

The three fillies glance at each other, Applebloom piping up first, "Ah'm sure you'll be able to start teaching again soon though."

"I mean, you have the princesses on your side," Sweetie Belle adds. "The school can't possibly stay closed for that long."

Scootaloo nods, "Yeah!"

Cheerilee sighs deeply, her smile relaxing, "Thank you. It means a lot to me that you'd still want me to be your teacher."

"Of course we do!" Scootaloo replies, "Everypony else we've talked to does too!"

"It's just some a' their parents who're causin' a huge fuss about it," Applebloom says.

"Well… " Sweetie Belle rolls her eyes, "and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon."

"Who cares what they think," Scootaloo scoffs.

Cheerilee's ears pin to her skull, "Well, given that her mother is a member of the school board… "

"In any case," Big Mac interjects, "Applebloom, Ah'm not sure what Granny said, but make sure yer home in an hour."

"Whaaat?!" Applebloom cries out, her eyes widening in utter horror.

Big Mac raises an eyebrow, "Ya may not have school tomorrow, but ya still got yer chores, and there's always more work to be done if school's going ta be closed fer longer'n that. Ah'm sure Applejack would much appreciate yer help too, seein' as how Ah've been busy recently."

Applebloom's ears droop, "Aww horseapples… alright."

Scootaloo prances as though the grass is made of fire, taking a few steps away from her friends and down the street, "C'mon girls! We gotta hurry if Applebloom's only got an hour left!"

Applebloom gives her friend a flat look, "You make it sound like Ah'm dyin' or somethin'."

"And you're forgetting why we were looking for Miss Cheerilee in the first place," Sweetie Belle points out.

"Oh yeah," Scootaloo says, her hooves calming as she again focuses on her teacher. "Cheerilee, we were wondering if you would be able get a message to Dawn from us, since it looked like you two knew each other pretty well right before Twilight revealed you were a changeling, and we have no idea how to get to where she lives."

Cheerilee shakes her head, "I'm sorry, girls, I can't – whenever I saw Dawn, she and somepony from her family came to me. I don't know where in the Everfree they live, or anything like that." She pauses, "Although… I do know somepony who might be able to help, depending on how the rest of the night goes."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders glance at each other, grinning.

"Well?" Applebloom asks after a moment, "Who is it?"

Cheerilee smiles, "Sorry, that's a secret. Don't worry about it though; I'll ask as soon as I get the chance and let you three know what they say."

"And no runnin' off into the Everfree to look fer her in the mean time," Big Mac adds, "vamponies keepin' it mostly safe or not."

"Fiiine… " Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle groan in unison. "Thanks, Miss Cheerilee."

Cheerilee giggles, "You're very welcome."

Scootaloo trots past the two adults, her friends beside her, "Alright, what else should we try to get our cutie marks in until we hear from Dawn?"

Cheerilee and Big Mac meanwhile meet each other's eyes, sharing a quiet laugh before continuing onwards.

*knockknockknock*

Lowering his hoof from the door, Big Mac stares at it expectantly, glancing at Cheerilee after several seconds of complete silence from within the house. She shrugs, the two of them directing their attention to the curtains drawn over the home's darkened front window. Eventually however, the door's knob glows and turns, the door cracking open to reveal a narrowed, light orange eye glaring out.

Cheerilee waves, "Hello, Lyra!"

Lyra's eye widens, the door swinging open, "Hi, Cheer-"

With a thump, the door stops half way, Lyra's ears folding down, "Whoops."

"Lyra why?" a muffled voice asks from behind the door.

Lyra grins sheepishly, a green glow engulfing the door to complete its opening and reveal Bon Bon, the changeling tenderly rubbing her nose, "Hello, Cheerilee. Hi, Big Mac."

"It's good to see you, Bon Bon," Cheerilee replies, her eyes drawn to the floating hand balled into a fist hovering near the ceiling a few feet behind Lyra.

Big Mac nods, "Eeyup. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Bon Bon says, lowering her bloodless hoof from her nose and shooting Lyra a glare. "It just hurts."

Lyra rubs the back of her neck, staring at the floor beneath her marefriend's hooves, "Sorry."

Bon Bon's gaze sweeps the street and rooftops behind Cheerilee and Big Mac, returning to them after finding nothing of interest, "What're you guys doing here anyway?"

"Well, we'd been stuck inside for a while, probably like both of you have been," Cheerilee answers. "And we wanted to stretch our legs a bit, so we decided to walk over and see how you two were doing."

"And, I guess, it's safe?" Bon Bon queries, "There's been one guard or another watching our house up until a little bit ago, and a couple of them-"

"-tried ta force their way in?" Big Mac finishes.

Bon Bon blinks, "Yeah. How'd you know?"

Big Mac tilts his head at Lyra's fist, "One of 'em already had a black eye."

"They tried to do the same thing to you two too?" Lyra asks.

Big Mac nods, grinning, "Eeyup. Ah definitely gave 'em more'n a black eye before they backed off though."

Lyra's hand flies forward, fingers unclenching to form a flat surface, "High five!"

Big Mac looks at the hand, then back at Lyra, "Uhm… what?"

Lyra sighs, "Hit it with your hoof."

Big Mac hesitantly raises a hoof, tapping the hand lightly.

Lyra pumps her right hoof, the hand reforming into a fist and mirroring the motion, "Yes!"

Bon Bon groans, resting her forehead on a hoof for a moment, though a smile remains on her face when she raises her head.

"Anyway," Cheerilee says, stifling a giggle, "one of the thestral guards stopped by to talk to us a little while ago. Apparently neither he nor the princesses knew this was happening, so he's going to tell them what's going on."

Lyra stares up at the night sky, an evil grin spreading across her face, "Serves them right. If only I could be there to watch… "

"Heh, if only," Bon Bon agrees, grinning as well. "Either way, I'm glad you're both okay too." She glances at Big Mac's bruised leg and bandaged ear, "Err… mostly okay. Were you planning on going somewhere else next? Or were you going to head back home after checking on us?"

Cheerilee sends Big Mac an uncertain look, "We, uh, hadn't thought that far ahead yet, actually. The thestral guard we talked to suggested avoiding the northern part of town, since that's where the Royal Guards are staying, but we hadn't really come up with anything beyond that."

"Well… there is that park pretty close by… " Lyra suggests. "There probably won't be anypony around at the moment either, and the sky is definitely clear enough to see the moon and stars."

"Laying back and doing some stargazing does sound pretty relaxing," Cheerilee admits.

Big Mac nods, "Eeyup."

Lyra meets Bon Bon's eyes, her own shimmering pleadingly.

Bon Bon exhales sharply. "If that's where you're going, I don't suppose you'd mind if we joined you?"

Cheerilee shakes her head, "Not at all."

Lyra flops onto her back in the middle of a small expanse of grass, well grown bushes combining together to form a leafy wall, blocking any outsiders walking by from looking in. Letting out a luxurious sigh, she stretches on the ankle length, dark green grass of the park, finishing the motion by rolling onto her side to languidly observe the remaining members of the group – her hand resting on the ground above her horn.

Big Mac chuckles, "Ah take it the grass is real comfortable then?"

"Mhm," Lyra replies, letting out a contented yawn. "Nothing on our bed, but sometimes it's nice to change things up, you know?"

Bon Bon gives Lyra a flat look, laying down on her belly beside her marefriend, "Just because everypony knows we're changelings now, doesn't mean you can start randomly making change-based puns."

"Ah don't see why not," Big Mac says, shrugging. "It'd sure make for a nice change of pace."

"I… agree," Cheerilee states, glancing between the three pairs of eyes staring at her before sitting, her ears drooping. "I couldn't think of anything."

Big Mac lays down next to her, nudging her leg, "That's alright. As long as you have somethin' by the next time we need ta annoy Bon Bon."

"Such wonderful friends I have," Bon Bon grumbles, smiling despite her words.

Lyra points a hoof at Cheerilee, "But if you don't, we'll need to take drastic measures."

Cheerilee giggles, laying down as well and leaning into Big Mac's side, "What did you have in mind?"

"Should you fail to think of a joke to annoy Bon Bon with," Lyra pronounces, "your punishment shall be to attend a lecture by Twilight on the history of jokes all the way from ancient times through to the present!"

Big Mac's head rises slightly, his eyes widening, "Ah dunno, Lyra… Ah'm not sure we need ta go that far."

Lyra shakes her head resolutely, "Unfortunately, we do. Like I said, drastic measures will most certainly be needed."

A pause follows Lyra's words, Bon Bon eventually looking up at the sky, her gaze following a trio of armored thestrals flying overhead before focusing on the mostly full moon lighting up the night, "Either way, this is definitely a lot nicer than sitting around inside all day."

"Eeyup," Big Mac agrees, observing the three thestrals hover midair for several seconds before continuing on their way – one splitting off from the other two as he watches.

"Mhm," Cheerilee says absently, her eyes tracing shapes in the stars above. "After these last few days, laying here like this feels a little like when I first saw the sky."

"Ah take it you didn't get ta go outside very much back at yer, uh, yer hive?" Big Mac asks.

Cheerilee shakes her head, "Other than gatherers, the soldiers guarding the entrance, and the patrols, almost noling does. The hive has everything we need, and it's more or less in the middle of nowhere, so a lot of changelings have never left the hive at all. But I overheard a couple other changelings talking about it, and I got curious, so I decided I needed to see it for myself. I managed to sneak out, after a few tries, and when I saw it… there are no words to describe what it felt like, to suddenly have absolutely nothing above your head for the first time. So I sat there for a while, staring up at the stars, until another changeling found me and brought me back inside. The hive never seemed quite the same after that. It was still home, and I liked it there, but… I wanted to be outside."

Big Mac nuzzles the closer of Cheerilee's ears, "Hard to imagine how differently things woulda turned out if you'd hadn't gotten curious."

Cheerilee blushes, her ear flicking, "Y-Yeah."

Lyra wraps her hooves around Bon Bon, pulling herself closer, "What happened when you first saw the sky, Bon Bon?"

Bon Bon snorts, "Well, it was nothing so dram-"

Suddenly, her body twitches, head turning to scan a section of sky to their left – Cheerilee looking towards the same location a split second later.

"Is something wrong?" Lyra asks, following their gaze to examine the apparently empty air.

"No, it's nothing," Bon Bon replies. "Though… I guess there's no reason not to tell you anymore."

Big Mac glances between the two changelings, "Tell us what?"

"A vampony just flew by," Cheerilee answers simply.

Big Mac blinks, turning his head to watch the same area of sky, "Ya mean, right now?"

"Yes," Cheerilee confirms. "They kept going and they're gone now, but they were there a little bit ago."

"Huh," Big Mac replies, his attention drawn to the lone pegasus within his line of sight before looking down at Cheerilee a couple seconds later. "And you could tell it was a vampony just by sensing their emotions?"

"I suppose… " Cheerilee answers slowly. "Though really what I sensed was that there was probably only one pony somewhere generally over there. I assumed they were flying because they were above the ground and moving pretty fast, and the only reason I could tell it was a vampony was because a vampony looking to feed has a very-"

"Very," Bon Bon interjects.

"-different feel to them than anypony else I've ever felt," Cheerilee continues. "I'm not sure if it's technically correct to call hunger an emotion per se, but if it is, then that's exactly what it feels like. It's something you learn to watch out for and avoid whenever possible, to say the least."

"Hmm… " Big Mac murmurs.

"Pinkie Pie is also pretty easy to tell apart," Bon Bon adds. "Twilight too, sometimes. And definitely Princess Luna."

Cheerilee's eyes widen, "You felt that too?"

Bon Bon nods, "Yeah, it's like… "

"She was two ponies?" Cheerilee asks.

"Yeah," Bon Bon confirms. "Or, one and a half, maybe? I dunno, it was almost like they were overlapping somehow. It was really weird."

Big Mac glances between them, "Ya lost me."

"Sorry," Cheerilee replies. "Princess Luna's emotions are just… strange. Anyway, as I was saying, all we can really sense is 'somepony is over there in that general direction', and vamponies sometimes feel things that non-vamponies never do."

Lyra taps her chin, "Do you know if either of us have been fed on?"

Bon Bon shrugs, "Everypony who's been here for a few years has probably been fed on at least once. I'm pretty sure they know we can sense them though, and I haven't noticed anything since you moved in."

Lyra holds Bon Bon tighter, "Aww~"

"Of course, there's apparently some vampony that likes feeding on changelings, and there's only three of us left in Ponyville, so who knows how much that actually means," Bon Bon grumbles, giving the grass in front of her a hard look.

"What about me?" Big Mac asks.

Cheerilee and Bon Bon glance at each other.

"Uhm… "

"Welll… "

Big Mac gives them a flat look, "Ah take it that's a yes?"

"You remember Midnight?" Cheerilee asks.

Big Mac nods, "Eeyup."

"Well, she really likes you – your taste, I mean," a green tint spreads across Cheerilee's cheeks, "the taste of your blood."

"Hm," Big Mac grunts, frowning.

"I did manage to get her to stop – mostly, at least – by offering to teach her little sister the basics of reading, writing, et cetera. Not that she really cared at first, but I think her parents liked the idea," Cheerilee says, her blush deepening. "I also wasn't sure what would happen if both of us were feeding on you and, w-well, I didn't want to share."

A small smile replaces Big Mac's frown and he gives the changeling leaning into him a gentle nudge, "Ah'm still not sure how Ah feel about the vamponies. Ah get why it's important they're here, and Ah guess it's pretty easy ta just ignore it and pretend nothing has changed, but hearin' they've definitely been drinkin' mah blood and probably still are every once in a while… either way, thanks fer lookin' out for me."

"You're welcome," Cheerilee replies, resting her head against the side of his neck. "And… don't worry about the vamponies too much. They're different, and may need blood, but they're similar in a lot of ways too, and can be pretty friendly in their own way once you get to know them. I'd definitely want Midnight or one of the other vamponies around if I ever decided to go into the Everfree for some reason."

Big Mac's shoulders tense in the beginnings of a shrug, relaxing after a pause and instead releasing a long sigh, "Ah'll take yer word for it."

Cheerilee smiles and closes her eyes, a comfortable quiet falling between the two cuddling couples.

The sound of multiple sets of hooves on the grass behind them shoves aside their peace mere moments later, a mocking voice drowning out the soft rustling of the bushes surrounding them, "Well. Well. Well."

In an instant, Big Mac is on his hooves as well, Cheerilee sluggishly pushing herself upright as he turns to face the speaker only to stop cold – five fully armored Royal Guards, three earth ponies and two unicorns, standing several steps away while an armorless pegasus guard beside them hovers a few inches above the ground.

The nearest of the newcomers, an earth pony with the Royal Guard's standard white coat and dark blue tail split by a single light blue stripe running down the center takes another step closer, smiling malevolently despite his black eye, scabbed lip, and a pair of dents in the right side of his golden armor, "Isn't that sweet? Parasites and traitors, having such a wonderful time in each other's company."

"If we're the traitors, why're you the ones who keep ignoring what the princesses said?" Lyra retorts, clustering just behind Big Mac along with Bon Bon and Cheerilee, her hand again clenched into a fist and floating above her head.

The lead guard glares at them, his neck and jaw muscles bulging, "Our loyalty may be to the princesses, but our duty is to protect Equestria. We are not going to stand idly by while they put the entire country at risk by allowing your kind to walk around freely, doing whatever you want after what happened in Canterlot."

"But we had nothing to do with the Canterlot invasion!" Cheerilee squeaks.

"And we believe you!" Another guard calls out, "Just come over here, and we'll show you how much!"

The lead guard smirks, those behind him laughing at the suggestion.

"And how's a bunch a' you beatin' up on three mares and a farmer protectin' anypony?" Big Mac asks.

The lead guard snorts, "As if they count as mares."

Big Mac grits his teeth, "How 'bout you come a little closer, then say that again. Ah'll give you a matchin' pair a' dents on the other side a' yer armor."

Bon Bon shivers, words tumbling from her mouth, "Do you really think Princess Luna or Princess Twilight is going to just suddenly be okay with you doing this?"

"Maybe. Maybe not," the lead guard replies, taking a swaggering step forward followed by the other two earth ponies and the pegasus, the unicorns lighting their horns. "But if not, Princess Celestia will. She was there, stuffed into a cocoon by their wretched queen-"

"She wasn't our queen!" Cheerilee and Bon Bon shout together.

The lead guard glowers at them, stopping only a couple steps away, "Princess Celestia will understand, even if we're the only ponies in this insane town who are taking the danger you pose seriously. We're only doing what needs to be done and what should have been done the moment you were revealed."

"And what, exactly, would that be?" a nearby voice from nowhere queries – two thestral guards shimmering into existence to the left of closest of the Royal Guards, the speaker mere inches away.

The lead Royal Guard's eyes widen, only to narrow an instant later, "What do you want, bat?"

"For you to answer my question," said thestral replies.

The lead Royal Guard sneers, "I don't answer to you, even if you are a Lunar Guard. The lieutenant-"

"-can go jump off a cliff for all I care," the Lunar Guard interrupts. "Now, are you going to answer my question, or-"

"Or. What?" the lead Royal Guard demands, their noses nearly touching as he fully turns to face the Lunar Guard.

"Or you'll just keep making things worse for yourselves," the Lunar Guard replies, unperturbed.

The lead Royal Guard snorts, "Is that a threat?"

"No, it's-" A white flash above cuts him off and illuminates the park, the corners of the Lunar Guard's mouth lifting in the barest hint of a smile, "Well, I guess you'll find out."

The lead Royal Guard steps away, head lowering as Luna and a third, panting thestral land behind the two thestrals already in the park, "Princess Luna, we were-"

"Digging yourselves an even deeper hole than we had feared," Luna interrupts sharply. "Yes, I can see that very clearly."

Another pulse of light fills the park, six fewer ponies remaining once it fades.

"Macintosh Apple, Cheerilee, Bon Bon, Lyra, you are all unhurt?" Luna asks.

Big Mac lets out a deep breath, but nods, "Eeyup."

"Good," Luna replies, turning to the Lunar Guard. "And thank you, Shadow Strike, for informing me of this situation and for preventing harm from befalling anypony here."

Shadow Strike bows, "Your timing was very fortunate as well, Princess. Had you arrived much later, I doubt this would have ended as well as it did."

Luna gives a single nod in response, disappearing in third flash of light.

Silence engulfs the remaining ponies – Lyra breaking it after only a few seconds, "So, I may not be a changeling, but I'm pretty sure Princess Luna was really really mad."

Bon Bon turns to stare at her marefriend, mouth opening and closing once before she finds her voice, "Lyra… just… seriously?"

*CRACK*

Hidden Glow rubs her ears, the small shock wave of Luna's reappearance beside her leaving her eardrums ringing along with rattling the windows of the rectangular room. Royal Guards stand only a few feet from them, the guards packed into the room at random amid two otherwise orderly rows of sleeping bags.

"Lieutenant Double Time, I believe this is everypony?" Luna asks.

"It is, Princess Luna," Double Time confirms, stepping forward to stand directly in front of her, "though I still do not understand why you have gathered us all here. Has something happened?"

"I suppose that is one way of describing the situation, yes," Luna replies, raising a hoof to point at the recently teleported guards. "Those six were caught threatening two of Ponyville's changeling residents along with the two non-changelings who were with them. In addition, they were apparently more than willing to drag members of the Lunar Guard and Night Guard into their misguided attempts to deal with the changelings, both in using them to continue surveilling the changelings as well as including them in their threats not two minutes ago. Based on what else we have heard, it also sounds as though they may have been acting under your orders. So, explain to me what, exactly, is going on here, including why members of the Royal Guard under your command seem to have reneged on their oath to protect all Equestrian citizens along with the more recent order to specifically aid in the protection of Ponyville and its citizens."

Double Time meets Luna's eyes calmly, "I gave the order for tabs to be kept on all changelings in Ponyville to ensure that they would not pose a threat or attempt to further undermine the town, preferably by having them remain in their homes for the time being. If anypony became overly enthusiastic in enforcing that order, then I apologize. I was also unaware that any changeling in Equestria could possibly be a citizen, as obtaining or claiming citizenship under false pretenses is a crime."

"That is your answer then? Complimenting the perpetrators as simply being 'enthusiastic', and deflecting with a technicality?" Luna asks, her eyes narrowing

Double Time shakes his head, "No, Princess. They did definitely go above and beyond what they should have done. However, I find it difficult to fault their reasoning for doing so. The changelings are a threat, and until absolutely proven otherwise, need to be contained."

"I see," Luna says. "And we suppose you therefore believe the vamponies should be treated similarly?"

Double Time shrugs, "Not especially. The vamponies, from what I understand, do not spend the vast majority of their time in Ponyville; they do not answer to the princesses, which isn't ideal, but they also do not answer to any other leader either; and their presence provides a tangible benefit, whereas the only real difference between any of the changelings here and replacing them with ponies of similar skills is that the changelings also drain other's emotions."

"Including Fluttershy?" Luna asks, her voice dripping with sarcasm and irritation, "Who is, in case you have forgotten, the Element of Kindness and savior of Equestria many times over."

Double Time hesitates, "She is… a special case, obviously."

Luna exhales sharply through her nose, "Obviously. And when you decided to order those under your command to contain Ponyville's changelings, why did you not inform anypony outside of the Royal Guard? Such as myself or Princess Twilight, for example, or if you thought us too busy, then any of the Lunar Guard. Surely if they are such a threat, you would want to cooperate with everypony available in order to best contain said threat, especially if the diplomatic fallout from such an action is to be kept to a minimum. If, or I suppose when the queens find out that their changelings have been persecuted simply because they are changelings despite Princess Twilight's and my own declarations, and by members of the Guard no less, any negotiations that begin will now start with us at a disadvantage."

Double Time frowns, "Why would we negotiate with them? They are parasites who have been infiltrating Equestria for who knows how long. They should first and foremost be removed from Equestria, by force if necessary."

"An interesting idea," Luna states, raising an eyebrow. "You would propose to start a war against a pony tribe of whom we still understand very little, where the consequences of their loss is very likely mass starvation, despite the Royal Guard's own severely lacking performance against a much smaller number of the same opponents in a location where you should have held nearly every advantage?"

Double Time grits his teeth, "Princess Luna-"

"But in any case, your delusional statement does not answer my question," Luna says, cutting him off. "Why did you not tell anypony outside of the Royal Guard of your intentions?"

Double Time takes a deep breath, "Because the Lunar and Night Guard answer to you, and now more than ever, I do not believe you truly understand the danger that changelings pose to all of Equestria, especially if there are as many queens as they say."

Luna stares at him, after a moment closing her eyes and sighing, "We suspected it might be something of that nature."

Double Time's brow knits, confusion clear on his face as he opens his mouth to speak.

"Be Silent," Luna orders, the house creaking under the force of her words. "The nation of Equestria was founded on the ideals of friendship, tolerance, and compromise; first amongst the pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns, and later the thestrals as well. Following these principles is what has led Equestria to become as prosperous as it is today, and what has kept Equestria at peace for so long, both before the Canterlot invasion and after. We understand better than most how easy it can be to let anger and fear rule one's judgment, but if we were to follow your path, and not even attempt to seek peace and understanding with those who have lived among us for so long… by the time the dust settled, Equestria would be gone, even if a nation using that name still survived."

"…it must be so easy for you to say that, after having slept through the entire invasion," Double Time replies quietly, his voice rising with each word. "If you had been at Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armor's wedding, if you had seen the changelings capturing ponies to use them as food, if you had seen Princess Celestia imprisoned in a cocoon, you would not have given your trust to any changeling so easily, or allowed them to roam Ponyville freely! If Princess Celestia were here, she'd-"

"YOU WOULD DARE PRESUME TO TELL US WHAT OUR SISTER WOULD OR WOULD NOT DO?" Luna bellows.

Double Time staggers backwards, "I-I-"

Luna closes the distance between them in two long strides, a patch of frost growing from each place her hooves touch as she stands over him, "You, and every Royal Guard here, will be out of Ponyville by morning. You will return to Canterlot and report to our sister, whom we will have informed of your insubordination. And, since you seem so convinced that Celestia will see the situation differently than I, she will be the one to decide your punishments. Am I understood?"

Double Time nods.

Without another word, Luna turns on her heel, her magic enveloping the door blocking her path and throwing it open – the wood beneath its hinges groaning in protest. Hidden Glow peers wide-eyed after Luna, sparing the assembled Royal Guards a glance before cantering outside after her.

Hidden Glow slows to a halt beside Luna a short distance from the Royal Guards' house-turned-barracks, glancing up at her after a couple seconds of silence, "Are you alright, Princess?"

Luna releases a deep sigh, continuing to stare up at her night sky, "Yes, we are fine. I had merely expected better of my sister's – of the Royal Guard."

Hidden Glow raises her gaze to the heavens the alicorn beside her had crafted, eyes moving from star to star to trace familiar constellations, "Mmm… "

"Um, Princess Luna?" a voice asks from behind them.

Luna turns her head barely enough for one eye to land on the speaker, a single earth pony Royal Guard shifting from side to side as he looks up at her, "Yes?"

The guard's eyes dart between Luna's nose, ears, and mouth, meeting her eyes only for the briefest instant, "I-I just wanted to, uh, to s-say, that… that-"

The shuffle of hooves behind him silences his stammering attempt to speak, eight more ponies trickling out of the house to stand beside him, "Um, w-well, I guess, we are very sorry about what happened. We all have great respect for the lieutenant, and honestly I don't completely disagree with everything he said back there, b-but… " the guard takes a breath, "but I also don't think that all changelings are our enemy, and no matter what, what he said was out of line."

"Way waaaaaaaaaaay out of line," another guard adds.

The first guard nods, "Yeah-"

"Perpendicular, even," a different guard interjects.

Luna gives them a flat look, her lips curving downward into a frown.

The first guard clears his throat, "Right, sorry. Anyway, what I mean to say is, if Equestria's princesses believe that we should be protecting the changelings here in Ponyville, then it's our job to do that, not to be second guessing and disobeying you behind your back if we disagree. And even if we weren't a part of it, we should have come to you ourselves and told you what was going on."

As one, the guards kneel, their heads bowed.

Luna considers the group of guards, half a minute ticking by before she speaks, "What is your name?"

The first guard raises his head and stands, the others around him following suit, "Shield Bash, your highness."

"There is nothing wrong with thinking for yourself about what you have been told to do, Shield Bash, and we would welcome you to voice your concerns to us. But, not doing so and instead disobeying our commands is unacceptable," Luna states, scanning the assembled Royal Guards. "Will you nine obey my orders?"

The guards salute, replying in unison, "Yes, ma'am!"

"Very well," Luna says with a nod. "You will remain here while the others return to Canterlot. However. Should any of you be lying to me, so that you may yet have the chance to enact your own misguided vengeance, know this: Tartaurus will be pleasant in comparison to the punishment I will inflict upon anypony who should perform such a deception."

Shield Bash gulps, but bobs his head once, "We understand, Princess."

Luna's eyes narrow, "And after Princess Twilight and I return to Canterlot ourselves in a couple nights, you will answer to the Lunar Guard remaining behind, as will the Night Guard I am leaving stationed in Ponyville."

Shield Bash hesitates, but dips his head, "Yes, Princess, of course."

Luna watches him for a moment more, then looks away, her attention returning to the starry sky above her, "Then leave us and return to sleep. You will need your rest for your patrols tomorrow."

Shield Bash smiles weakly, his lips wobbling as he bows again, "Thank you, Princess Luna."