Shining's head was still spinning, but there was an anchor in his world. "Cady…" The stallion leaned closer to Cadance, his snout touching her cheek in a kiss that wasn't a kiss. "She made me-" The carriage started to pull away from the wedding reception.

"She made you, that is as far as is needed. When we get to our home, we will talk about what she did to you." Cadance had to keep the anger from her voice, it was an effort. Love had defeated the changeling queen but now she had to pick up the pieces of her husband. The thought of their being married washed the anger away like water on dirt. "Shiny, no matter what she did to you, I will always love you."

The love in his wife's voice shored up his own spirits. "And I will always love you, Cadance, my Cady. I promise."

Cadance had a moment to whisper back, "I promise..." before her stallion showed her, without any naughtiness at all, just how much he cared. Still locked in their embrace, the two felt the carriage lift, buoyed up by magic as the matched pegasi pulling it flew onwards.

"THAT FUCKING BITCH!" Chrysalis was literally frothing at the mouth. There was a few wounded changeling drones, each trying to help the others away from their wrathful queen. "WHAT RIGHT DOES SHE HAVE?"

Careful Steps took his namesake to heart. He advanced on the mare throwing what even he admitted, was a hissy fit. "My Queen!" Chrysalis turned on the drone, her horn charging. "My Queen, please. You infected him, correct?"

The question cut through Chrysalis' anger, but only by dint of being the one thing she had managed to get to stick. "Of course I did. He will be turned into a simpering drone within the year!"

"My Queen." The honorific seemed to take more anger from his queen, so Careful kept up with it. "Then might I suggest we… infiltrate their castle, keep watch and guide the young changeling when he emerges?"

Chrysalis stopped completely, turning to the ruined throne, now smoking with a large hole in it. "A good plan, but sure to fail. They will be ready for changelings, now."

"Which is why we don't just send one, we send three, they can vouch for each other, a pyramid of lies, woven to support our new hive-brother's escape." Careful narrowed his eyes. "I have three picked-"

"You will go, pick two more." Chrysalis waved a hoof, her tantrum ended, her minion clearly dismissed.

Careful Steps took two paces backwards before turning and trotting away. As soon as he was clear of his queen's chambers, he let out a sigh, his hearts racing a million miles an hour.

"Thank you." Sneaky, a drone whose name fit him well, had a large burn on one of his legs and was limping, carrying another changeling. "I have never seen our queen calmed so much so fast, but then I have never seen her so furious. You are a brave drone."

Considering his options, Careful dismissed taking Sneaky, injured drones had no place in the field. "Who would you suggest, I take it you heard?"

"Trip and Hoodwink." Sneaky didn't hesitate. "Two excellent infiltrators and exceptional liars."

"Can you have them meet me in Dodge City, if they can't make it there, then they have no place in this." Careful gave a nod to the hurt drone and spun around to trot off.

"Where is Hoodwink?" Careful looked over the drone, disguised as an earth pony.

Trip shrugged. "He was following me, had to fall behind because he had a stiff leg after being thrown from the pony city-"

"Canterlot. Tell me Sneaky didn't send a drone who doesn't even speak like a pony?" Careful Steps glared at Trip and got a shrug in answer. "Go back then, having an infiltrator who can't pass for a pony would make this a lot harder." He turned toward the town, fluffing his pony-shaped wings, and started trotting.

Looking back the way he had come, Trip kicked sand in Careful's direction. "Useless drone, ponies too alert now, they catch you, you die."

Spreading his wings, Careful jumped into the air and started to circle the little city. Nearing the north-west edge, he glided down to the street and landed. Ruffling his wings, he set off for the train.

Ten Bits, the conductor who had worked this leg of the Friendship Express for all his life, blew into his whistle. A lone pegasus, galloping for the train, caused him to lift a hoof to signal to the driver to hold. "A little late, son."

"Sorry!" Careful was panting as he climbed on the train. "I normally try to be on time but a filly is all I can think about…"

Ten gave a laugh. "Good a reason as any." He drew his hoof in, blowing the whistle again for all he was worth. The carriages gave a shunt and pulled forward with a lurch. "Where you headed?"

"Canterlot, then through to the Crystal Empire." It was a risk, telling a pony where he was planning to go. "Then I was going to be heading to the griffon lands."

"Oh, well, you want the extended ticket. Five bits please." Ten held out his hoof.

Prepared for this, Careful reached back to the little pouch under his wing, pulling out the coin that would be just what was needed. "Here you go!" Enthusiasm, ponies always had it, no matter what they did.

"Eager to leave your marefriend behind?" Ten measured out the correct ticket and passed it back to the pegasus.

"Of course not, but her father…" Careful drove a blush into his cheeks and the conductor laughed wildly at his lie. "She was a great mare, but a stallion needs to have some fun before settling down, you know? We both knew it was just a game, even if her father hoped it might be more."

"Well, you will want to find a comfortable seat, it's a long ride to where you are goin'." Ten left Careful to find a seat while he set off to check the tickets for the rest of the train.

Careful did as instructed, if only because it was logical. He cursed a moment when he ducked as if he still had a horn. "Still need some practice… maybe I should have gone with unicorn?" The changeling relaxed and even found a newspaper under his seat. Pulling it out, it was revealed to be over a week old. It talked about the aftermath of the wedding, as well as some strange goings on in Ponyville, although the article writer seemed to insinuate that it was becoming the norm for the formerly sleepy little town.

It had taken a full day of travel, well more half a day and a night, but Careful finally made it to the frozen north of the world. Stepping from the train, looking like a bright and excited unicorn, he got three steps before a voice called out. "Halt." It felt like he was trapped with his queen again. "You cannot enter the city, during the coronation celebration, without a gift."

Careful was trembling, this was bad, he was sure to be discovered. He started to open his mouth to beg the stallion not to squish him when they turned to a large wagon, pulled up on the platform.

"Here." A colorful, wrapped present was passed to Careful. He took hold of it in shock, blinking at the pegasus guard. "Can't have anypony not giving Princess Cadance and Shining Armor a gift!"

This was odd, Careful felt love and happiness all around him, it threatened to drown him in its warm embrace. He took a deep breath, setting the present safely on his back. "Okay, still got my cover, just need to breathe and not feast until I pass out." It took a few moments before he could move again, but Careful had his target.

Flash Sentry watched the odd little unicorn trot off. He turned to the next pony disembarking, spotting them as having no present. "Halt!" He grinned wide as they jumped; he got all the fun jobs.

Crystal ponies, Cadance had discovered, didn't really need a reason to celebrate. They were free of the malaise that had bound their hearts and minds and they wanted the whole world to know it. With the power of their love and togetherness, the Crystal Heart repelled not only the chill of the north, it spread their harmony to the world. That they had a new princess leading them seemed a double benefit. But some things required a down to earth pony.

"Your Majesty," Well Fed, a crystal pony who had served the royal line up until King Sombra had deposed them, began from the start. "We need more ponies, there simply isn't enough staff for the castle."

"I didn't have servants in Canterlot." Cadance continued her argument. "So I don't see why I need them now."

"Your Majesty-"

"Please, Cadance is fine." The alicorn smiled to the retainer but though he had love shining within him, he shook his head to Cadance.

"No, Your Majesty, it is not proper. As well, it wouldn't be proper for you to clean and cook, here, either. Let me hire some ponies." Well gestured around the huge hall, impinging on his new empress just the scale of the place.

Cadance blanched, she hadn't thought of that. "And the library too… alright, Well, you win. But not too many, I don't want Shiny and I to grow soft and reliant. Also, call me 'princess'."

Well Fed smiled radiantly, showing the princess all his delight with getting what he wanted. "Of course, Your Maje- Princess, I wouldn't dream of it." He bowed deeply, turning and galloping away, lest the mare change her mind.

Careful had a crystal pony stallion nearly plow right into him. He had been trapped, fascinated by the Crystal Heart. The conduit and repository of pure love was the most beautiful thing he had seen in his life, and so when the stallion collided, he almost dropped his disguise in shock. "Excuse me?" He tried to untangle his hooves.

"Oh, I am sorry!" Well climbed free of the pony he had crashed into. It was only days since the heart had been replaced and Sombra destroyed, but already unicorns and other races were arriving. "I… I don't suppose you would be looking for a job?"

Legitimate employment would be perfect, it would give Careful the perfect hoofhold to repelling any accusations of 'changeling'. "I… guess I am?"

"Wonderful!" Well Fed pointed to the door to the castle he had just run from. "Please, head inside and tell the princess you are reporting for duty."

The world fell out from under Careful. Not only had he compromised his persona, he had compromised the whole mission. "Y-Y-Y-" He never managed to finish saying the words. If he didn't report, the stallion would report him, there would be a hunt and they would find Careful and stomp him. He turned to the door, feeling condemned. Putting one hoof before the other, he stepped inside.

Shining had left most of the work to Cadance, of setting up their new home, he had taken charge of the guards. Bringing some of his own from Canterlot had been a no-brainer, but he wanted more to be sure. Marching into the throne room, the stallion saw a lone unicorn, a crumpled present on his back, walking the long march of defeat toward Cadance. "Hey pal, what happened?" Shining trotted up beside the stallion.

Careful looked up. Oh of course, Shining Armor, the yin to Cadance's yang, the only pony known to have a perfect defense against changelings. "I… I…"

Having spotted the approaching stallion from the corner of her eye, Cadance saw a soul weary and lost. She perked up from her throne and trotted forward. "Hi there, are you okay?"

"He looks like he spent a week as Sombra's flatmate." Shining focused his magic, trying to get an idea if something was physically wrong with the unicorn. Something was. "Wow, no hope?"

"No love." Cadance nodded, her own magic having told her much as her Shiny had said. "We can fix that." She lifted her head, looking over Careful, toward her husband.

Below, the Crystal Heart pulsed in sympathy with the couple, a wave of pure love and happiness radiating out, spreading through all the partying ponies of the empire.

Careful's eyes went wide when the pulse of energy hit him. It blew away his disguise like it a bunch of dried leaves before the full might of an autumn wind. He stared up at the two crystalline ponies standing over him. "I… I… I can explain, please don't squish me!"

It was impossible to feel the full anger she felt, Cadance was dripping with her element. "Who sent you?"

"Chrysalis… she… she…" Careful tried to hold up against the love but it overwhelmed his attempts to keep his distance. With a happy smile, the changeling's eyes crossed and he fell down and started nuzzling at Cadance's hooves.

Shining blinked at the display. "Changelings seem a lot less fierce and menacing, when there is just one."

Cadance inhaled deeply, there was love radiating from the little shape-shifter, love that trailed up to herself. "Curious."

Author's Notes:

Oh Careful, you never had a chance. We see an already-loved character introduced in the first story, reveal how he was trapped in Cadance's love. He came to the empire seeking to subvert, finding only his own self subverted. By love.

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