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[Starfall] The Long Road to Diplomacy (Closed)


FiniteZero

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As the group walked, Candles followed.  The Center was quiet today, and she saw a few Lings hurrying hither and fro.  

 

She paused for a second, stopping by the fish tank.  She saw a small Changeling filly struggle to levitate the fish food, and her heart twinged.  The filly's coat was scarred, with patches or unnatural-looking chitin.  One of her eyes were moist and grey-and the other had a drooping eyelid.  She turned to the filly, before lending a bit of her own powerful magic to give a slight boost to the levitation.  The fish food quickly went into the fish's stomach, and the filly smiled.  It was an odd smile...a sedated smile that looks blindly around for it's supporter.  But Candles had quickly left and joined back with the group.

 

Agile paused too when he saw Candles stop-and his eyes were on the Filly Changeling as well.  He couldn't quite turn away...it was so odd.  Her chitin...He turned to Diamond, pointing to the filly, 'Do you know what happened to her?"

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"I'm not sure. It looks like she was attacked by something, the poor thing." Diamond said. "I do hope she gets better."

 

The nurse led them to the waiting room, specifically a long black couch that has seen a lot of wear and tear over the years. <<Please take a seat. A doctor will be along shortly.>> The nurse said.

<<Thank you.>> Diamond said as he sat down and motioned for Agile to do the same. The nurse walked off. Diamond looked absently towards the fish tank.

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Agile nodded, before quickly turning his eyes away.  It reminded him of certain...things, he would rather not think about.

 

Candles, on the other hoof, stayed to watch the filly.  She stared at her in the sort of way a scientist would stare at a specimen, turning her head here and fro.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, looking back to the group with a watery smile.  No, you must not reveal too much.  Do not let simple things bring you to tears~  

 

The nurse motioned for them to wait on the sofa, and Agile plopped next to Diamond, "It's all so sad, isn't it?  It's so strange to think that-now, in an emergency-the first place we think to go is a Changeling Hive.  Years ago, it would have been us sending the Changelings to their emergency...,"

 

Candles, despite following the group to the sofa, did not turn away from the filly.  She kept staring at her, even as the tears in her own eyes blinded her...

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

"Times have changed." Diamond said. "With a possible war on the horizon, we must look towards even the most unlikely of allies."

 

He gave a hum of thought. "I doubt they, the United Hives, would turn down the offer. Their military simply does not have the strength that the Equestrian nations have together. If the Griffons see this... They could get behind our defenses."

 

"That's bad." Helping Hooves stated obviously.

 

Diamond nodded. "If our mission fails..." He said, looking towards the injured young Changeling once more.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Agile nodded to Diamond's words, "I'm just going to speak everyone's mind here and be completely honest-this mission is undoubtedly a fluke.  There is no way that we could have ever succeeded in this mission in the first place...,"

 

He paused, before a startling thought cam across into his mind, "Could it be that.." He shook his head, but the wild look in his eyes did not pass,"...this was the entire intent of the Heir of Magic all along?  To take us on a path controlled by a Chaos cult-where we would almost certainty get injured.  That after injury, the only place to seek refuge would be the United Hives?  That maybe the entire intent of this mission was solely for the purpose of gaining allyship of the Hives?  Afterall, if we had been summoned on a 'diplomatic peace mission', I do think that some of us may have declined and offered up the contacts of some diplomatic agent instead," 

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There was a moment of silence as Diamond considered Agile's idea.

 

But then the Minister began to chuckle, then he began to laugh. Diamond stared blankly at the Minister, quite confused.

"Do you really think he planned it out this well? He just wanted to save his own flank, and say that he tried diplomacy. Pretty sure he didn't know about that cult. But, you are right, in a way, but not about him. After the cult showed its ugly head, I realized that our defenses were far weaker than I had hoped, so we do need allies. But, perhaps someone with a like-mind did plan this, who knows?"

 

It was at this point a changeling approached them, presumably the doctor, confirmed when he 'spoke'. <<My studies in Equine medical science are somewhat lacking, but I'm still the most qualified doctor here to assist you.>>

Diamond nodded. <<I request that you see to me first, alone. I have a bit of a stab wound.>>

The doctor let out something of a soft clicking whistle, the equivalent of a 'hrm'.

Diamond then turned to Agile. "I should not be long."

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  • 4 weeks later...

((Sorry for the late reply~))

Agile gave a sigh to the Minister's words, "I suppose you're right~"

 

A Changeling approached them, and began 'talking'.  He turned away, letting Diamond deal with the situation.  His mind, however, was not at rest yet.  It seemed so uncanny that the events occurred just at the coincidence of a setting and time.  Diamond turned back to him, and he gave a sort of half-smile.  "If you take longer than thirty minutes, I'm coming in~"

 

A simple reassuring phrase, but it meant much more.  It was the kind of a smile a General gave it's guards before running into battle, the sort of half-sarcastic remark thrown into the crowd before one ran to his death.  It wasn't that Agile hated the Changelings, or that he carried some careful ancestor grudge-it was simply something he was used to doing...something he had been trained to do for the Wonderbolts.

 

He turned to Candles, before turning back towards the Minister, "Is she...okay?  She's been watching that filly for some time now,"

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Diamond gave a cheeky grin before walking away with the doctor. "If I take longer than that, I might need your help. I don't like needles." He said as he walked. A small lie, but one that would reassure Agile and perhaps comfort him, letting him know he held no secrets between them.

That would be the bigger lie.

 

"I don't know. As much I have been taught in Changeling ways... The details still elude me every now and then. I can't read them as well as a pony or a Griffon." The Minister said. He shrugged. "It could be something personal, something we have no right digging into. You never know."

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Agile nodded to the Minister's words, "I've never been this close to a Changeling before.  I've never spoken to one, much less have one speak to me.  The world my family grew up in was one of traditional ideals...and being friends with a Changeling was not one of the approved ideas,"  

He paused, before turning back and bowing his head, "I just hope this isn't a trap..."

 

Candles had finally turned away from the filly, walking towards the group.  Despite have focused on the filly, she had caught Diamond leaving away with another 'Ling.  She turned to the Minister and Agile, before writing, <Worry not, our Changelings are very adept healing mages.  You'll be back wherever you were before you even blink>>

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It was narry a moment longer that Diamond had returned alone, good as new. "Well, now that I'm patched up, one of you two can go next." He said, grinning.

 

"I nominate Agile." Helping said with a cheeky grin.

"I second that motion." Diamond added. "Okay, buddy, up and at em."

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Agile grumbled at the motion, before slowly rising towards the Changelings, "I guess it's my turn then,"

He tried to hide the flashing look in his eyes, and he touched the place where he hid a knife.  It wasn't that he didn't trust the Changelings, it was simply that...well...he didn't trust them?

 

But before he walked away, he turned towards his group, "We should make a secret password..something we can use to make sure none of us have been replaced by Changelings.  How about...Green glass?"

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"That works." Hepling Hooves said. "Green Glass."

Diamond simply nodded. A simple enough phrase to remember. "I mean, I sort of doubt that's going to happen, but precautions never hurt."

 

He idly rocked his hooves as he looked at Agile, then the Changelings around him. "He does know his stuff, the doc. You'll be fine."

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Agile nodded, before walking off with the Changeling, "Let's get started then,"

 

Candles sat down next to Diamond, writing <He seems cautious.  Does he have some bad history with us Lings?>>

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<<Most ponies are cautious around Changelings.>> Diamond replied. <<Centuries of prejudice are hard to overcome.>> He shrugged. Helping nodded.

 

The doctor led Agile into his office. It looked like a regular doctor's office, if slightly sparser. <<Please, on the table.>> He chittered, gesturing to the cold-looking metal table in the center of the office.

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Candles sighed <It makes sense...but not all of us were part of Chrysalis's Invasions.  I-for one-took no part in that.  In fact, I was the furthest anyone could call a Changelings...I was a traitor...>  She suddenly widened her eyes, quickly scrubbing off the latter part of her sentence with her hoof. 

 

Agile looked at where he had been led, simple doctor's office, not much decor, metal table.  He did as the doctor asked, abet with plenty of wary.  He hooves twitched towards his hidden knives, and his eyes glanced every so often towards the door.  The doctor seemed like any other Changelings...just going about his own buisness.  The ling didn't seem to harbor any ill intentions, but the wariness still remained.

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Helping Hooves let out a small hum. While he definitely caught that slip up, he knew better than to press her on it. They were now here to make friends, not to make enemies. <<I will be fair. Ponies judge unfairly, but most races do that. As a "Minister of Foreign Affairs", I work to keep the peace with other nations and advise my "Heirs" on matters outside of New Equestria. I am not exactly supposed to seek diplomacy with this nation without orders from higher up, but at this point we will have better luck making allies of Changelings than convincing the Griffons not to invade.>>

 

<<Spread your limbs out, please.>> The doctor said, his horn lighting as he prepared his examination scans.

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