"Just how many things did you bring, Rarity?" Twilight eyed the column of Crystal Royal Guard, presently being put through their paces as porters for Rarity's baggage.

"Only a few things, Twilight dear, it was a fashion emergency after all." Rarity gestured to the train as the first guard arrived with a travel chest on her back. "Please, just in the baggage car with those things. Thank you darlings so much." She batted her eyelashes at the pony before realizing it wasn't a "big strong stallion," but a mare.

Shining was halfway down the column, carrying one of the heavier items in his pink magic. When Twilight's face lit up at his approach, he cocked a grin. "You didn't think your big brother would be here to see you off, Twily?"

Rushing to her brother, Twilight wrapped her forelegs tightly around his neck. "You take care, BBBFF." She was adamant about holding on until he hugged back.

Wrapping a foreleg around his "little" sister, Shining took note that she really wasn't that little. Then something occurred to him. "Am I shorter like this?" His words were soft, only meant for Twilight.

"You are, I left a copy of all my notes with Careful. Queens are bigger even than big brothers." Twilight giggled at the confused look her words inflicted on her brother. "Now you have the disguise under control, you should have an easier time of it. Make sure to keep twice-daily notes in the two diaries for them. And the special diary for odd events outside of those daily reports."

"Twilight, they want to move the train." Rarity hated hurrying her best friend and her—now—best customer, but the way the conductor kept checking his pocket watch was a social itch she couldn't help but scratch. It was her duty as Twilight's friend to save her from social gaffs like "missing a train."

"I better go, Rarity will start to twitch in a moment and we can't have that happening." Twilight let go of her brother. "You take care, let some of your friends take the burdens—delegate."

"You are speaking like a princess, Twily." Shining reached a hoof up and ruffled Twilight's mane, as if she were still a filly. The gasp of horror from Rarity made both siblings roll their eyes. "Go, quick, before the train that is waiting for you leaves without you."

Twilight laughed and turned back to the train. "Is everything loaded?" The way the conductor was dancing from hoof to hoof might have been amusing, but it was an indicator that she really was pushing it. "Alright then, let's go." No sooner had she stepped onto the train than a whistle sounded and the Friendship Express began rolling out of the Crystal Empire.

"Your Highness."

Shining turned to salute the Guard Lieutenant. "Take your squad home, and thank you." He couldn't help but admire their armor, looking much more effective than the old Equestrian armor, and he knew from experience that it was entirely more comfortable. "How is the new armor?" But it never hurt to show off.

"Your Highness…" The Lieutenant grinned as wide as could be. "This is the best armor I have ever had, it fits better than any of my other clothes, and we put it through its paces in training, slamming into each other didn't even dent it."

"Good to hear. Hiring the top new designer in Equestria really was worth it." Shining felt pride that they had not only made the right choice, but one that turned out so well. "And how is your new commander shaping up?" It was obvious the question took the lieutenant a little by surprise.

"She is… she pushes everypony hard, Your Highness. She is smart, fair and… she is very dedicated to the Empire."

"Good to hear. Take your squad back now, I'll make my own way." Shining snapped off a salute and had it returned. He watched the ponies trot back toward the castle and gave a happy sigh.

"Jade!" Slick trotted toward the mare, his heart thudding. "Please, just listen to me!"

"I don't want to hear it, Sorrel, or Slick, or whoever you are." Jade had been enjoying breakfast with Nimbus, in their usual hang-out. She turned her head away from the changeling to look back to Nimbus. "Hey, Nimmy?" She looked around with a frown and then cursed her friend. "Nimmy, I said I won't and I won't."

"You won't what?" Slick wasn't wearing a disguise, he didn't want to. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because you lied." Jade finally turned her attention, and ire, on the changeling. "You lied and lied until I don't know how you even kept all the lies straight!" My morning is ruined now. Ugh, why is it always the stallion who gets overly emotional about this?

"I… I did lie." Slick's ears flicked and tucked back, he looked at the ground. "I lied about my name, where I was from. My parents…" Even now Slick Dive could feel a desire to lie and tell Jade what she wanted to hear, it was a blessing that he didn't know what that was.

"Okay, let me entertain for just one moment that you had some sort of reason for all this. Have you ever tried to just tell the truth? I was talking to Nimmy, she said her stallion practically fell over himself to tell her what he was."

"But… I wasn't ever told I could tell the truth…" Slick's thoughts strayed back to the lessons in the hive, about how to act, how to talk, how to lie. "Noling ever said we could ever tell anypony about ourselves! Who is this changeling you are talking about?"

"Not that you can't find out his name anyway, if you ask around, but Nimmy said his name is Careful." Jade raised an eyebrow at the look of shock on the drone's face. "What's the matter?"

"Careful Steps is here? I mean, Careful Steps gave himself away and is held in the castle?" Slick trembled. "No wonder they caught me, Careful is the best infiltrator in the hive. He taught me how to blend in. If they have captured him and brainwashed him I have no hope!"

"I don't think he is being held prisoner, he seems to be working for the Prince and Princess." Jade froze and realized how she had let her guard down. "Not that you care, you are probably lying even more, just to get all this information out of me!" Jade turned around, cradling her milkshake in a wing and sipping at it with loud slurping noises.

"What can I do to show you I couldn't help it? That I had to lie?" Slick was surprised at his own vehemence. What is this pony to me?

"That you couldn't help it? So I would take you back?" Jade closed her eyes. "Nothing, Slick. You were good… no, you were great in bed." Jade remembered how big and strong he had been, but her mind reminded her that even that was some kind of lie. "You have to understand. For me, a stallion is big, strong, safe. To have the stallion I am with lie to me is… it breaks that."

"I am sorry."

The three words were a start, and Jade was surprised to hear them. They mended a little of the hurt. "That is the start of what you are going to do, so we can be friends." She looked at the changeling before her, studied his body, wings, even the adorable little fins on his tail and head. "Straighten yourself up, Slick. Nimbus said you were offered a job and a new life here." She started to get up from her seat, putting a few bits on the table. "Think about what your old hive taught you, and what Careful seems to have been able to do as part of things here. What sort of pony… or changeling, do you want to be?"

Slick froze in place, staring at the place where Jade was. It took his mind a few moments to work out she had moved, but in those short seconds he realized that he could at least try not lying. "W-W-Wait!" He turned and started trotting for the door, but all he could see were Jade's legs lifting off the into the air.

"Now, Your Majesty," Careful's tone was far from controlled, he was excited, "today you are going to try slipping into some personality traits. Most of the time when a changeling puts on a disguise, they deliberately make themselves not a specific pony. Or if they do go for a pony, they change things about them. The reason for this, is personality trait bleed-through."

Shining nodded. "I… I might know what you mean." He blushed a little and looked to the side.

"Your first shift would have had only a minor flicker of such. You were not expert at your changing, the more you do it the better you will be able to just look at a pony and become a duplicate of them. But it will also affect you up here." Careful tapped his head. "So, think of a pony you know, who is very head-strong."

"You mean apart from my wife?" Shining grinned, but held up a hoof. "No, no, I get it. Uh… oh, I know just the pony."

"Now, simply imagine every single aspect of them. Not only their body, but how they walk, how they talk." Careful gestured to Shining now. "You have them?" His Queen nodded. "Then change to them."

Shining had one easy target. After meeting his sister's new friends it was hard to imagine anypony in Equestria with a bigger sense of self, who could look at a picture of a crowd and always pick themselves out. Short sporty legs, compact body, head smooth and perfect for cutting the air… and talking. Memories of the mare's extensive self-promotion went in as well. The second most amazing wings Shining had ever seen attached to their back, their coat turned a sky blue, eyes a reddish color, mane and tail both striped with a rainbow. "Got her." He pushed Rainbow Dash's image into his horn, then pulled it back over him, the fire pouring out with it. The first thing she realized was that she was looking up at Careful, instead of down. Instinct was strong, she narrowed her eyes at her companion and then struck a pose. "How awesome is this?"

Careful looked down. "How is it? Do you feel-"

"Come on, I gotta show you something!" Shining turned and raced for the balcony before stopping. "Wait, hold on… wow that is strong. I almost jumped off and… and flew." She looked back at the grinning changeling behind her. "What?"

"You have so much of her that you almost threw yourself off a balcony. I am fairly certain you have enough that you could have at least glided down to safety." Careful gestured to the balcony. "If you feel confident, give it a go."

"Give what a go?" Cadance looked between her disguised husband and Careful. "And what is Rainbow Dash doing…" A little light came on in the Princess' head. "Shiny? Why do you keep choosing mares? Is there… is there something you need to tell me?" Cadance managed to keep up the joke for long enough to see the rainbow tail and mane wilt. "Oh silly, come here." She didn't wait, trotting forward to meet her husband halfway.

"All the greatest ponies I know are mares." Shining stopped short at the sheer size of her wife, but Cadance didn't. Hugging back as best she could, Shining Armor realized how big and intimidating the world was. Her respect for the real Rainbow Dash suddenly grew a lot, knowing that most of the time she was staring at other ponies' plots. "No wonder she flies all the time…"

"What was that?" Cadance looked down into the other mare's eyes, seeing the same glance Shining always gave her when he had just had a minor revelation.

"Rainbow Dash always seemed much bigger." Shining Armor's eyes kept sliding to the open balcony. "Cady? Want to fly?"

"You want me to fly with the greatest flier in Equestria?" Cadance's wings flicked out practically on their own. "Shining Armor, I hope you know how to fly."

How do I- Shining's musing was cut short as that sense of "Rainbow Dash" seemed to flood her mind. Spreading her wings she gave an initial flap, then more, lifting up off the ground and hovering in place. "See if you can keep up."

Shining relaxed and let "Rainbow Dash" show her how to fly. Her wings flicked, feathers moving just right, she shot like a missile outside.

Cadance laughed and started off after her husband. "I never thought I would ever fly with you, like this!" She lacked the speed and turning agility of the smaller mare, but while Shining had to flap her wings to do anything, Cadance's wings meant she was much better at gliding. "But we need to be a bit careful, it wouldn't do to be seen kissing one of my sister's friends." Cadance spiraled, catching a breeze and rising up with each loop.

"You are just saying that because you can't handle me right now!" Rainbow Dash's egotism bolstered Shining no end. "You think I could do a rainboom?"

"No." Cadance stopped mid-air, beating her wings for once and using her magic to hold Shining. "Rainbow Dash might be lending you some of her skill, but Shiny, that is a very dangerous stunt, and I love you far too much to see anything happen to you now." Cadance looked into those cerise eyes until she saw grudging understanding. "Now," she let go of the other mare, "race you back to the balcon-" A streak of rainbow colors raced back down the way they had come. "… y."

Author's Notes:

Doctor Horse: "Do you often note down such masterfully in depth notes whilst working?"

"You will have to excuse me I am very busy!" The doctor looked around, clearly hoping for an emergency that would save him. "I have to... I have to give a mare an examination... and fitness test! With all these ponies wanting to be guards, gotta do a lot of... fitness tests... on mares..." The stallion quickly gave a gasp and pointed. "Sweet Celestia, look at that!" Of course, he ran off the opposite direction.

~~~~~+++++~~~~~

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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