Changeling Investigations

"May I request taking some classes in these magical studies you seem to be offering?" Chain Link asked on reflex.

"What's dimensional fatigue? Why would you need to invert a common invisibility spell? How do you invert a common invisibility spell in the first place?"
Ragdoll looks apologetic and shrugs.
"You asked for questions."

Ruby's mind boggles.

'INVERT an invisibility spell? I know some guards would cancel one, dispel one, but invert one? Does it make the world seem invisible to the effected? You could see through walls? Or maybe it makes the person cast on super-visible, like a flare... But dimensional fatigue? That doesn't sound good.'

...Wait, that's Twilight! Took a second to recognize her, she's grown since Ruby stopped stalking working unnecessarily entirely lawfully near Shining Armor. Really into her studies, if her memory served her right. It was probably some theoretical thing, then, not nearly as awesome as seeing through walls. She hung back a bit, to not bother the fillies once more. She would let the others take the lead, and just make sure there were no ambushes planned this time around.

"So now everypony's suddenly interested in theoretical magic. Yawn. Somebody wake me up if something either interesting or relevant to our assigned task happens." Laying down behind most of the group, Flashpoint selectively listens for any mention of Changelings or the other organizations, but otherwise tunes everything out. He also makes it a point to watch Scootaloo for any unusual or changeling-esque behavior.

"I-if you can't invert the spell... why is there... the option?"

"It's good to see somepony interested in thaumodynamic manipulation!" Twilight says with a wide grin, looking up at the newcomers. "This isn't a class so much as... welll, I want to see if I could explain the basics of semi-dimensional spells to a new audience and--"

She sighes as she realizes the CMC have dozed off.

"...I guess maybe I laid it on a bit think. Maybe I should cut back on the Mensa level words..."

"Yeah I'm sure that'd help a lot with us newbies to this level of magic... And, oh yeah... I believe we're the folks here just well, look into the whole reports of that pegasus filly being a changeling?" Chain Link said with a smile looking over to the CMC then back to Twilight. "And I take it by your high level know-how of magic, you must be that friend of Ms Rarity, that I was told would be a treat for me to chat with. How do you do, my name is Chain Link."

Ragdoll tilts his head in a confused fashion.
"Thaumo-what now?"

"It has something to do with production and expenditure of magical energy." Flashpoint recites, not fully certain if he read that somewhere credible, or in a fiction novel. "It's another big word unicorns use to describe what the rest of us call 'magic'."

"It's a tad more complex then that, but yeah..." Chain Link comments.

"I bet you it isn't that much more complex. Thaumo equals measure of magic produced or spent, dynamic meaning it changes. Change in the amount of magic used, probably relative to differences in spells, used as theoretical bases for new spells and experiments, etc." Now he knew he had read this somewhere. "What it is is unimportant right this second." Flashpoint stands, walking over to the sleeping CMCs. "Alright, can someone... do something, verify she isn't a changeling so we can move on? We have two more assignments to get to, and I'm sure once miss Raindrops goes to complain to Rarity we'll have enough of a chewing out waiting for us as is."

"...oh right my job."
Ragdoll goes over to the sleeping filly and gives her a poke, keeping an eye her reaction to his question, stepping back if/when she wakes.
"Help settle a bet. Are you a changeling?"
Roll (Perception: Again is Scootaloo a changeling? [+5 from "I have experience"])

Roll:

Roll (Perception: Is her answer a lie?)

Roll:

Spoiler:

Xel Unknown wrote:"Yeah I'm sure that'd help a lot with us newbies to this level of magic... And, oh yeah... I believe we're the folks here just well, look into the whole reports of that pegasus filly being a changeling?" Chain Link said with a smile looking over to the CMC then back to Twilight. "And I take it by your high level know-how of magic, you must be that friend of Ms Rarity, that I was told would be a treat for me to chat with. How do you do, my name is Chain Link."

"Twilight Sparkle," the unicorn smiles back. "It's good to know there are other students of magic in town!

Doc pseudopolis wrote:Ragdoll tilts his head in a confused fashion.
"Thaumo-what now?"

Bronymous wrote:"It has something to do with production and expenditure of magical energy." Flashpoint recites, not fully certain if he read that somewhere credible, or in a fiction novel. "It's another big word unicorns use to describe what the rest of us call 'magic'."

Xel Unknown wrote:"It's a tad more complex then that, but yeah..." Chain Link comments.

"Well, yes, that's the laypony's definition..."

Bronymous wrote:"I bet you it isn't that much more complex. Thaumo equals measure of magic produced or spent, dynamic meaning it changes. Change in the amount of magic used, probably relative to differences in spells, used as theoretical bases for new spells and experiments, etc." Now he knew he had read this somewhere. "What it is is unimportant right this second." Flashpoint stands, walking over to the sleeping CMCs. "Alright, can someone... do something, verify she isn't a changeling so we can move on? We have two more assignments to get to, and I'm sure once miss Raindrops goes to complain to Rarity we'll have enough of a chewing out waiting for us as is."

Doc pseudopolis wrote:"...oh right my job."
Ragdoll goes over to the sleeping filly and gives her a poke, keeping an eye her reaction to his question, stepping back if/when she wakes.
"Help settle a bet. Are you a changeling?"
Roll (Perception: Again is Scootaloo a changeling? [+5 from "I have experience"])

Roll:

Roll (Perception: Is her answer a lie?)

Roll:

Spoiler:

Scootaloo wakes up, shaking her head. "Wha... I was just resting my--!" She catches sight of your badge and snorts. "Oh. Did I get another tag?"

"Apparently. Scootaloo, you know this wouldn't happen if--"

"I know my options! I'm happy where I am." The pegasus gives the unicorn a look. "No, I'm not a changeling." To your knowledge this statement is factual.

Ragdoll sits back on his haunches and starts thinking in stereotypical manner.
"Hmmm...this needs thoughts..."

Chain Link nods. "Nice to meet you Ms. Sparkle."

"Twilight Sparkle? As in, Student of the Princess, sister of Captain Shining Armor, Element of Magic, defeated Nightmare Moon, defeated Discord, saved Princess Cadance and ejected the Changeling Queen, that Twilight Sparkle? Then I'm willing to bet you..." Flashpoint reaches for his badge again, "Are an EARS agent, too, right? Mayhap we can get some actual assistance from you, especially about her?" He points at Scootaloo. "Someone of your experience would probably be able to give us some better idea of what we're looking for, when it comes to identifying Changelings. Ruby, take notes."

Twilight snorts. "EXCUSE me, I am not associated with those EARS ponies. I am a member of CREW. And quite frankly, I'm not willing to help you because I know this pony here isn't a changeling and she doesn't need to be pushed around!"

Well, she seems adamant enough.

"C-CREW?" asked Ember. "I-I'm with... CREW!"

Ember proudly pointed to her badge.

"I didn't say we were with EARS." That's right, CREW, EARS were those dicks with the Flashbangs. Play it off. "We are CREW, as our badges point out. I find it interesting, though, that you don't recognize your own organization's emblem." It was a good point, and technically Flashpoint was supposed to be investigating any possible changeling activity. "Now I'm starting to wonder if maybe we're focusing on the wrong pony."

Ragdoll continues his stereotypical thinking manner.
"So the problem is that the mothers of the town are convinced that Scarper...Skelter...dammit!"
Ragdoll points at Scootaloo since he can't seem to articulate her name properly.
"Her is a changeling since she is an orphan yes?"

Spoiler:

"You mean this emblem?" Twilight levitates a matching badge out of her saddlebags, deadpan. "The one I helped design? The one that I see every day? The one that quite literally a fifth of the ponies in this town have on them?"

She sighs and shakes her head. "Listen, you're new, eager, and paranoid. I understand that. But accusing a person just because they mention something or don't mention something else is not going to earn you many friends. That's our primary goal, educating the populace about changelings, and we teach hoofs-on just as much as we lecture. So, for instance: I have said Scootaloo is not a changeling. Can you tell me how I know this?"

"Aw come on, I have to be an example again?" moans the pegasus filly.

"I'll buy you a duffin."

"Three."

"...two."

"Two and an ice cream sandwich."

"Done."

"B-because... she's not wearing iron?"

"The iron thing is a load of..."
Ragdoll looks around at present company.
"Well it's not correct either way."
He puffs himself up and starts poking his hoof in time with his reasons.
"She did not react to being asked if she was a changeling at all, physically or mentally, normally changelings with little experience wearing a persona panic when being asked if they are a changeling in anothers form and either try to blow it off or throw their persona off and attack. A skilled telepath can also usually observe their thoughts and note them wondering if the asker actually knows that they are a changeling. She was also sleep not half a minute ago, a sleeping changeling cannot maintain anothers form though some may learn to maintain it while asleep they will invariably show signs of assleep deprivation after a while as it requires them to maintain the form while asleep and as such will either need to drop the form and sleep truely or consume large quantites of love, or if they know how to shift their insides to allow it sugar, for energy so they don't drop off. If a changeling is knocked unconcious they will lose the form aswell as they cannot conciously maintain it in that state."
He takes a breath.
"Though I don't think anyone has asked Skitter...the filly about it she has also NOT displayed a lack of knowledge regarding her habits and/or relationships, since most changelings attempt to replace the subject without learning their personal history this is also a sign that a changeling is pretending to be them."

Flashpoint cocks an eyebrow. "That's a cute story, but you just piled it on yourself. You helped design it, you- or Twilight- sees it everyday, but you didn't just recognize it a second ago, AND accused me of being EARS, despite the fact I was holding obvious proof to the contrary under your nose. Proof, I will reiterate, you should be familiar with, but seemed unable to recognize." He shakes his head. "I didn't really think you were a changeling, but your lack of attention to detail is disconcerting- what with your reputation as a scholar. But please, go ahead, how specifically do you know she isn't a Changeling?" At least we'll finally get some kind of answer out of somepony.

"Also you called her an E.A.R.S agent earlier rather than a C.R.E.W agent Flesh..."
Ragdoll starts banging his head against the ground in rage at his mangling of others names.