"I can't stop feeding…" Bright was, ironically, in her own room now, treated as a guest in the palace and, at present, pinning a pillow over her head. "Why do they have so much love?"

"If it helps, you will get used to it, if you come back with us." Careful wasn't so much guard, as escort. Bright Flash needed someling to keep her company while the strange feelings of love beat at her, like thunderous waves, from the next room over.

"I thought he was going to mount me right there and then, but I feel it now, he wasn't thinking about me at all." The mare pulled her head out from under her pillow and looked up when a knock sounded. Quickly, both Bright and Careful flashed with green, magical fire, retaking their guises.

"Come in." Careful stepped up to the door to find Nimbus and a strange unicorn standing there. "Ah, this is-"

"Bright!" Misty rushed forward and practically leaped against Bright Flash's stallion form. "They said you were in some trouble. Bright, what is wrong?"

"I have to tell her the truth, don't I?" Bright couldn't help himself, he nuzzled against the concerned unicorn mare. "Misty, you are an amazing mare, but I am not the stallion you fell in love with… well, I am-" A hoof pressed to Bright's snout, silencing him.

"You think I am some blind filly?" Misty Dew turned to look at Careful. "I would like some time with my coltfriend." Careful had a wing suddenly wrap around his back and pull. The sight of the stallion mare-handled out of the room brought a little grin to Misty's snout.

As the door closed, the hoof came back from Bright's snout. "They are going to check, when you leave, that I told you everything. So you might as well hear it all." Bright reached a hoof up to gently stroke the mare's cheek.

"What is it? You don't love me? You are married? Oh, what's the latest one I heard one stallion use… 'I am a changeling prince, I need to feed on your sexual energy or I might die! Please help me!' " Misty froze as she saw the expression on Bright's face. "Okay, if you are going to use that last one, at least transform into a changeling, show me."

Bright blinked at the mare, he had known she wasn't as vapid as she had first seemed, but this was more forthright than he expected. "You asked me to… I do like you, Misty-mare." And with that, Bright shed her disguise and stood proud in her dark chitin. "Taa-daa…"

"Okay, I didn't actually expect you to. So what now, are you a changeling prince? I would have to say, being the marefriend of a prince, even a changeling prince, would be pretty awesome." Misty lifted a hoof to tap her chin. "You don't seem very…"

"I am a mare." Bright waited for the expected reactions. Spurned unicorn mares had any number of tricks to employ, a rake from their delicate-seeming horn, a bolt of magic, being picked up by said magic and thrown, turning and giving a double-barrel buck… Bright froze mid-thought. A kiss hadn't been what she expected. "What…"

Then, with her target stuck trying to contemplate what was going on, Misty smacked Bright in the cheek. "Did you know about me before we met?" Misty glared down at the smaller changeling, every fiber of her being riding on a razor's edge. One side was fury, the other side the relationship they had been having.

"N-No. I knew of Fleur being out of town in a magazine, figured I could trap somepony from high-society." The room seemed to chill for Misty, the mare she had been using for food and cover now giving neither.

Misty's mind wandered back to… to… "What did you do to me, then?" She rode the adrenalin high, surfing the emotional moment with all the aplomb of an expert. But she knew it wouldn't last.

Knowing she deserved another smack. Bright sat her plot down on the floor and lowered her head. "I used mind control on you…" It came, it hurt worse than the first because the 'ling had seen a better way to live—a tiny, silver of a vision, but still a vision—that didn't require mind control or trickery. "All I did was make you ignore the change I made and… I asked you what you wanted a stallion to look like."

"That was all?" Misty felt herself teetering on that edge. "You promise it, all you did was what you said?"

There was a hint of hope in Bright's dark world. "That was all. I like you, Misty, I… I don't think I can take this. Please, just go." She slumped to the floor, not caring how easy it would be for the leggy unicorn mare to literally walk over her.

"Can you make it so I can feel what you did to me?" Misty felt her heart pulling her back from that angry side of the blade. You liked him, really liked him. The whispers were almost tinged with desire. He was perfect, too perfect, to let go. "Are you using your magic on me now?"

"What? No! I didn't need to use it on you, and I haven't. You were fun to be around, I like being around you." Bright looked up at the unicorn and then away. "Please, it hurts to look at you…"

That cut through the anger. Misty had seen real hurt on the dark features of the mare she had, apparently, enjoyed dating. "Okay, so we started with a mistake, I can forgive one. But Bright… your name is Bright?"

"Bright Flash-"

"That can be included in that first mistake, then. Where was I… Oh yes. I will forgive you one mistake, Bright Flash, but only one. We start from the start, we have a proper first date." Misty glared down at the changeling who, apparently, could look at her. "But no mind messing, no fooling with my emotions. If I feel either from you I… I'll see Princess Celestia."

Outside the room, Careful had been monitoring the emotions within. It wasn't easy, not with the equivalent of the sun radiating love from the next over, but he was getting better and better at filtering out his Queens' constant storm of tasty love. "She just flipped." Careful looked up to Nimbus. "Bright that is, she was in a pit of despair and self-hatred, but something just changed, it is like a little flame is chasing away the darker emotions…"

"Misty Dew seemed quite the mare, I wonder if she has maybe forgiven a changeling?" Nimbus confused Careful's senses a little more by kissing him; it always distracted him, grabbing his attention, which she liked.

The door suddenly opened and Misty glared at the two snoops. "You are both…" Misty froze and looked left and right down the hallway, "changelings?"

"Nope." Nimbus ruffled her wings. "You forgave her?" Her eyes spoke volumes to the other mare, that she knew of at least some matters of the heart that Misty was going through.

"That remains to be seen. He… She, will have a chance. My daddy always said, everypony deserves a second chance, Bright gets his… hers. This is a little confusing." Misty stopped talking and looked to Careful. "So you are?" He nodded. "Good to know. If you ever cheat me, I will reveal all this to the Princess."

"Good." Careful grinned, disarming the threat from the mare. "If you ever see another changeling, get away from them and go and tell Princess Celestia immediately."

Misty's eyes widened. "You are working for her… Bright-"

"Is no longer a member of Chrysalis' swarm, and is helping us reinforce Equestria and the Crystal Empire's borders." Careful grinned. "Your friend has turned a new leaf, although I think you knew that already."

"This is more than I want or should know." Misty flicked her head, sending her styled mane into a flip. "I'm going home. If you need to tell me something, you know where I live." The last words were for Nimbus.

"Good night!" Nimbus got more of a hint that the unicorn might want a visit tomorrow and, thinking carefully, she knew why. "I might drop around tomorrow, bring you something to show we are authentic and honest."

Misty smiled at the Nimbus. "I would appreciate that. See you soon." She walked away from the couple, having easily gotten the hint that the pegasus and changeling were closer than friends.

A thump came to Careful's side. "What are you looking at?" Nimbus had spotted the stallion watching the mare walk away, the briefest of glances told the pegasus why, Misty was built in a way that would catch the eyes of any stallion.

"Studying shapes for references." Careful said it too fast, got another thump. "What, a changeling needs to pay attention of all the different ponies… and you aren't buying this, are you?" Nimbus shook her head and kissed Careful's cheek. "She was pretty, not quite my kind in her temper, though."

"Temper?" Nimbus knocked gently on the door. "What do you mean?"

"Come in."

As Careful reached out to the handle with his magic, he thought back. "You didn't notice the slightest of limps, right foreleg. A mare of high society is not used to striking with her hooves." He opened the door and saw the target of those strikes, with a good bulging bruise on a cheek. "She must really like you, Bright." Nimbus saw the marks, saw that they were clearly aimed to shock, not truly hurt.

"I am a stupid grub, I can't believe I almost blew my chances at being with her… I still might've." Bright slumped down on the bed, disguise-less.

"But she has given you a chance, so don't blow it. I can only think of all the trouble a mare like that could cause our efforts." Careful settled on the other side of the big bed. "Now, with the essentials out of the way, I am giving you an offer, employment."

Bright sighed and waved a hole-filled hoof. "Twenty-Six, Soft Wheat way. It is a small second floor-"

"No, I don't care where they are. You are to report to them that you have gotten yourself ingrained a little deeper here at the castle." Careful felt a weight on the bed beside him, then a wing spread over his back. "It will be a position that lets you examine almost all of Princess Celestia's mail. Even the magically transported stuff."

"But… I don't! Dropped will know as soon as I give him false info." Bright knew she was hemmed into a corner, her hive-mate was playing a game that involved the ponies who had beaten back the whole hive last time. It was both exciting and terrifying.

"Then don't give them false info. Princess Celestia will help, you will get all sorts of letters and notes, all useless, to pass on. But, once you are established as a source, we can start to pass off the information we need to you." Careful saw dawning comprehension on Bright's puffy face. "I don't think I need to tell you how disappointed our Queens will be if you let the wrong thing slip."

"They will squish me." Bright knew the punishment from her time in the hive. "Drones who don't do their work up to standard don't deserve to serve their… what?"

Careful was grinning. "You will see, if you ever do displease them. I doubt you will, you are a clever 'ling." A nuzzle at Careful's shoulder stole his attention to Nimbus. "Sleep on it, I think it is time to go to bed."

As she left the room at Careful's side, Nimbus felt accomplished. She stole a glance at Careful. Still a little rough around the edges, smart though, very smart. Nimbus resolved to work harder to try to stay abreast of Careful's games.

Panting hard, Shining was caught in that moment of ecstasy every stallion attains with a good partner. He bucked a few more times into his adorable wife before slumping down.

"Five, Shiny? What's gotten into you?" Cadance wasn't any better for breath herself, her husband was setting quite the example and, being proud of her own stamina, Cadance had raised to meet him. But it was starting to get a little overwhelming.

"Might… Might not… be…" Shining Armor couldn't finish the sentence. He still hated the idea of it, but Cadance would make it tolerable. "I love you." The words were heartfelt, but also a cry of pain and anguish.

Cadance slipped her forelegs around Shining's back, pulling him down tighter against her. "Bucking all night long is never something I would turn down, not from my Shiny, but you are missing some thoughts in all this." She nuzzled his tear and sweat-stained cheek.

The topic shift jarred Shining a little, jockeying him free of some of that fear; curiosity replaced it. "What do you mean?"

Blue magic lit the room, brighter and brighter. Cadance reached out to their luggage and popped open her documents case. A single scroll floated over to the pair, the writing lit in the blue glow. One word was underlined, then her glowing magic formed an extra circle around it. "What does it say, Shiny?"

"Transformation? But…" The stallion's brain ticked away. After a few moments an optimistic grin started to form on Shining Armor's snout.

"Even if you end up a female changeling queen, you can still be my stallion." Cadance pushed her husband, shoving him to his back and putting herself atop him. "But," the scroll floated back and locked itself back in the case, "that is something to talk about tomorrow." Princess Cadance lifted her hips and rolled them back down. The action stole all the breath from Shining Armor, earning the mare a little grunt from his throat. "Now, where were we?"

Author's Notes:

A sky-blue pegasus is seated on a chair on the stage, a single spotlight on her. "I am a little busy, but the Princess said answering questions was part of my job... so." She reached for a card beside her, scanned it, and blushed. "I am not going to-"

"Ignore the physical bits!" A pink alicorn wearing a terrible disguise, in the front row, calls out.

Nimbus rolls her eyes. "Okay, okay. So, it is a little odd for me. My friend kept trying to hook me up with somepony, she picked the whole spectrum of stallions that she thought would be nice. Big and hunky was nice, but sometimes you just want to sit and talk with somepony." A slightly dreamy look came over the mare. "Careful is not like anypony I know, he is every bit as clever as I would... what?"

"They don't meant Careful in particular." The self-same pink totally-not-a-princess-of-love in the front row had cut in on the mare's description.

"Well, okay... I have to help him hide who he is, who he really is. As a unicorn he is cute and a little dorky, as a... I am not talking about that... but as a changeling he is really him. It is hard to quantify, but I hope that if we can work hard enough, one day I can walk down the street with him beside me, without having to hide." Nimbus looks a little distracted as she takes an interest in the disguised pony. "Careful, you aren't fooling anypony."

"Well, I did for a little while." The pink alicorn disappeared along with the phony disguise, leaving a grinning black changeling behind.

---

So I do this "Ask x" thing, x can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and I they will definitely hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories and of course, I They will answer the best question(s) in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer, try and keep it to one answer per post! I They will pick one question per chapter.

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