Confrontation
The four ponies and single griffon crept quietly through the castle, heading for the Hall of Harmony.
“I think that you winged ponies should take the elements and run,” Wisp whispered, looking around intently, ears perking, listening carefully.
“A sound plan if we are discovered,” Firebrand stated with a single nod. “Between the three of us, we should be able to carry all six.”
“And what about us?” Remedy asked with a faint snort.
Raindrop looked back for a moment, frowning. “I’m sure it won’t come to that.”
A shadow began to grow on the wall in the hallway, and all five of them ducked back around a corner to wait as a Royal Guard ambled down the passage, his face expressionless.
“Changeling?” Raindrop asked quietly.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Sentinel admitted, frowning deeply. “How do we even know they have all the elements here?”
“Classic evil villain logic. Put all your eggs in one basket, that kinda thing,” Raindrop said with a confident nod.
Firebrand paused at that. “You realise, of course, that evil villains generally have no logic, yes?”
“I know!” Raindrop snapped, snorting one. “C’mon. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can leave.”
With that, Raindrop began to lead the way towards the Hall of Harmony. All five of them kept low to the ground and pressed against the walls, making themselves as inconspicuous as possible. The palace was mostly deserted though, except for the occasional patrolling guard. It was eerie, and quiet.
“Spike,” Celestia murmured.
The young dragon frown, the frills on his head that passed as ears flattening backwards. He was what Celestia would classify as a ‘teenage’ dragon now, and when standing straight up, he was on her eye level. Chitin had left a few minutes previously, leaving the princess and dragon alone.
“What?” Spike asked, growling faintly in the back of his throat.
Celestia paused, looking the dragon up and down. “...Why are you doing this? Why are you helping Chitin assault the palace?”
“Chitin didn’t assault the palace,” Spike replied calmly, shaking his head. “She harmed none of your guards. Even though it would have been easier for her to just kill them outright.”
“You’re avoiding my question,” Celestia said firmly, her eyes narrowing.
Spike frowned at that, heaving a soft sigh. “...You wouldn’t understand, Celestia.”
Celestia snuffed a laugh at that, shaking her head. “What would I not understand?”
“It wasn’t fair,’ Spike said immediately, frowning, staring down at his paws. “It took me so long to grow up enough for Rarity to want me... and we had so little time together...”
“You mean to tell me that I wouldn’t understand love?” Celestia asked flatly, her eyes narrowing slowly.
“What do you know of love?!” Spike demanded to know, rising to his paws and pointing at her, gesticulating wildly. “In all these years, you never even looked sideways at another pony!”
“And you presume that this means I feel nothing?” Celestia scowled, her gaze hardening.
“Given the evidence, yes!” Spike spat, huffing and turning away.
Celestia scowled deeply, working her hooves slowly in anger, stretching the goopy resin holding them in place. After several long, tense moment, she said quietly, “And what of Twilight? What of her final days, Spike? Who was at her bedside the entire time?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Spike asked, rounding on the princess, growling.
“You say I know nothing of love... I loved Twilight. You must know that,” Celestia replied, tossing her mane once and snorting.
“And yet you never spent time with her! Or is that what you think love is?” Spike accused, pointing with a claw towards her personal quarters, “All those friendship reports pinned to your walls?”
“You know why I didn’t get close to her, Spike. You should know that better than any other,” Celestia replied quietly, staring down at her hooves, grinding her teeth. Her eyes were red, and she looked like she was trying to hold back tears.
Spike growled, beginning to pace back and forth, hugging himself. “I... Just... It hurts so much...” Spike pleaded with the princess, his tone becoming helpless. “Chitin can... she can let me hold her again. She can make it stop hurting, even just for a little while... Can you look me in the eye and say that you wouldn’t do anything to just hold Twilight in your hooves again, even just for an hour?”
Celestia looked up at the young dragon for a long moment, and then back down at her hooves. “...I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t.”
Raindrop scowled deeply. The room that had previously held the elements, now held only a set of empty stands where the elements should be sitting.
“I feel as though I should have anticipated this,” Raindrop stated quietly.
“Felt too easy and yet you still walked right into it?” Chitin said from the doorway behind them.
The four ponies and the griffon all rounded on the changeling queen, looking surprised. Chitin merely laughed, shaking her head. “Did you really think you’d make it all the way through the castle without any of my changelings knowing?”
“I was kinda hoping,” Raindrop admitted, her ears splaying backwards. She made a quick motion with a hoof, towards Wisp, mouthing ‘explosions’ to the young griffon.
Wisp nodded once, and then began to slide a paw down towards her chest pouch.
“I’d prefer if I didn’t have to knock you all unconscious,” Chitin said with an airy wave of a hoof.
“You and what army?” Remedy scowled, taking a step forwards.
“My army,” Chitin stated, making a motion. The other door to the room opened, and a dozen or so Royal Guards filed in, forming a circle around the group, with spears pointing inwards.
Raindrop frowned deeply, her ears splaying backwards. “Well, this... kinda sucks.”
“Indeed,” Chitin said with a wry grin, waving a hoof. “Come, you lot. We have business in the library.”
Wisp looked sideways at Raindrop, her eyes motioning towards the small black objects she held in her paw. Raindrop shook her head imperceptibly. Wisp frowned, but palmed the objects back into her pouch.
Chitin paused a moment, staring down at the diminutive griffon, before holding out her hoof. “Pass it over.”
Wisp splayed her ears, but passed over her pouch and its improvised explosive contents, giving a soft huff.
Raindrop shook her head slowly as they were all herded towards the door. “Any idea on what to do?” Raindrop asked of Sentinel, finding herself pushed up against him.
“Not a one,” Sentinel replied, shaking his head. “It would seem they were waiting for us to try and take the elements back.”
“We did kinda walk straight into the trap,” Raindrop said with a growl, stamping a hoof against the ground. “It was stupid to think they wouldn’t have moved them.”
“All we can do is wait,” Sentinel stated, shaking his head and nuzzling his nose against her cheek gently. “Something will come up, we’ll have a chance to escape.”
“I sure hope so,” Raindrop whispered, as all five of them were marched down the hallway towards the palace library. “Last time we were here, she tried to kill us.”
“I remember. Vividly.” Sentinel shook his head, frowning deeply.
Raindrop turned to peer at Wisp, and Wisp gave her a wide grin, revealing the small black object she had managed to conceal in her beak.
“Stop stepping so close!” Firebrand snarled, turning and pushing at Remedy suddenly, sending her stumbling into the guard walking beside her.
Remedy scowled, rounding on the pegasus to argue with her, but Firebrand was already in motion.
Firebrand leapt backwards, backwinging hard to lift herself off the ground. She came down almost perfectly balanced on the back of the two guards behind them, her forehooves coming down hard on the backs of their heads. The two guards crumpled, one of them knocked out instantly, while the other was momentarily stunned by the attack.
As the guards around them turned to face the new threat, Firebrand picked up one of the spears and sidestepped, leaping nimbly from the crumpling forms of the two guards. She landed on splayed legs, holding the spear in front of her, between her and the guards, a wild grin on her face.
“I warn you!” Firebrand cried, brandishing the spear fiercely, “I am trained in martial weaponry!”
Chitin scowled and turned around, regarding the pegasus for a long moment. A simple lowering of her head sent a green bolt of magic from her horn. Firebrand tried to leap over the approaching magical bolt, but it swerved to hit her, smashing into her chest and sending the pegasus tumbling backwards in a puff of displaced feathers, her spear clattering to the ground.
Sentinel and Raindrop both stared, pausing in their motions, as they had both been about to assault the guards besides them.
“Are any more of you going to do anything stupid?” Chitin asked simply, raising a brow.
Raindrop, Sentinel, Wisp and Remedy all shook their heads vigorously.
“Very good. You two,” Chitin pointed, “Drag her along with us, you,” she pointed at another guard, and then at the unconscious guard,” take him to the barracks, wake him up.”
Firebrand was still unconscious when she was dragged into the library and dumped unceremoniously in front of the Elements of Harmony. They sat in a rough circle, surrounded by various books opened to pages containing pictures of magical spells and mathematical formulas.
Chitin moved to stand in front of the elements. Her guards all stood around the borders of the library, too far away for the ponies to attack them without finding themselves on the point of a spear, but too close for them to run away without worry of being caught. The few windows in the room were made of stained glass with metal outlines, meaning that attempting to fly through them would be a painful process.
“What do you want?” Raindrop asked, squaring her stance and staring up at the Changeling Queen defiantly.
“Why, I want your help, of course,” Chitin stated with an eerie smile.
“And why would we help you?” Raindrop asked, scowling deeply.
“I’ll never help you,” Sentinel affirmed, shaking his head slowly, moving to stand beside Raindrop, showing the queen a united front.
“You will help me, because it will help you,” Chitin stated, looking at both of them with a sly smile. “I intend to create a time bridge. I will return to a time before the wedding, and convince Chrysalis not to go through with her plans. She will never be defeated,” Chitin said silkily.
The queen turned to Raindrop, “You, Chrysalis is your grandmother, correct?”
Raindrop nodded uncertainly.
“And your changeling blood is a constant point of contention, yes?” Chitin asked with a sly grin.
“I... I guess so...” Raindrop murmured.
Chitin waved a hoof. “If I stop Chrysalis from ever meeting Evergreen, then you will not have changeling in your blood, correct?”
Raindrop pondered on that for a long moment, her ears lowering. “I... I... You’re right...”
Sentinel scowled deeply, staring at Raindrop. “You can’t possibly be thinking-”
“And you, Sentinel,” Chitin said with a slowly growing smile. “Your comrades tell me interesting things about you... about your past.”
Sentinel turned to the queen, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t you dare speak of my par-”
Chitin cut him off by placing a hoof carefully against his muzzle. “What if the wedding takeover never happened? Your mother wouldn’t have been injured, and you would still have a family, correct?”
Sentinel scowled deeply, his ears splaying backwards as well. He shook his head vigorously. “I’ll never help you. I’ll never help you, you filthy beast.”
“Sentinel...” Raindrop whispered, pleading gently. “I... Just... She’s got a point...”
“You can’t be serious,” Sentinel stated flatly. “After all we’ve been through, you’re just going to help her?”
“I’m considering it!” Raindrop retorted, her ears pinning back. “We could be together. We could be happy...”
“I’m happy with what I have,” Sentinel said flatly, shaking his head once, “If that’s not enough for you, then-”
Chitin cut him off again, placing her hoof over his mouth.
Sentinel’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he growled, pushing her hoof away. “I swear, if you don’t stop cuttin-”
Chitin giggled and placed her hoof over his mouth again.
Sentinel looked absolutely livid, gritting his teeth, grinding them together.
“I can see why you have so much affection for this one,” Chitin told Raindrop, before turning to Wisp and Remedy. “I admit, I know very little of you two... or of your fifth member. The simple point is, you will cooperate with me. Spike cannot wield the elements, he can merely activate them. I need all of you to cooperate, and I have ways far less pleasant than simple talking to convince you.”
Remedy and Wisp exchanged uneasy glances.
“I will gain your cooperation, be it by force or coercion. I do not wish to harm any of you, but-”
“Bullshit,” Raindrop interjected. “You were going to have us killed!”
“Because it served my purpose!” Chitin scowled, eyes narrowing at the pegasus. “You knew of my existence. I did not wish to accelerate my plans too far. I wanted to wait for Celestia to have five of the bearers before I attacked. But it turns out that you are not as susceptible to the hive mind as I had hoped.”
“Hive mind?” Raindrop asked blankly.
“Yes, the hive mind,” Chitin responded with a dismissive wave of a hoof. “Were you susceptible, I would have bent you to my will and you would have carried out my plans.”
“Glad I didn’t inherit that then,” Raindrop stated, wrinkling her nose.
“Indeed,” Chitin stated, snorting once. “Either way, I do not wish to harm any of you... but I will.”
Raindrop rolled her eyes, “Oh, well, as long as you don’t really mean it-”
“Silence!” Chitin snarled, her horn glowing dangerously. Raindrop fell silent, her ears splaying back.
“Ah’m disappointed in all of yer,” Chrysalis stated as she pushed open the library door, stepping inside neatly. “Yer let herself get caught, Raindrop, and yer being daft, Chitin.”
The whole room fell quiet.
“C-Chrysalis?” Chitin whispered, her eyes wide.
Chrysalis nodded once, giving a sly grin. “In the flesh, Chitin.”
“B-but you’re dead,” Chitin protested, looking bewildered.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you she was still alive?” Raindrop asked, perking an ear, “Shoulda mentioned that, probably.”
Chrysalis strode towards the centre of the room. All eyes watched her, and several of the changeling guards tightened their grips on their spears.
“Ah’ve been listening fer a while now, Chitin. Ah’m here now. So maybe yer can convince me yerself exactly why yer don’t want me ter meet mah Evergreen?” Chrysalis stated, coming to stand in front of her. Raindrop looked back and forth between the two Changeling Queens. They looked like a mirror image.
“I... But...” Chitin stated, taking a step backwards, accidentally knocking over one of the elements, sending it rolling away to knock against a bookshelf.
“Yer must have practised yer speech, Chitin,” Chrysalis said with a sly smile. “Come, debate me.”
“You killed your changelings!” Chitin snarled, taking a step forwards, lifting a hoof as though to hit the other queen. “You turned your back on us! You’re not Chrysalis! You’re just something that Chrysalis became!”
“Ah don’t believe yer in a position ter be saying that,” Chrysalis said emotionlessly, disregarding the lifted hoof. “Yer never been in love.”
“Changeling don’t fall in love!” Chitin snarled, dropping her hoof and beginning to pace back and forth in front of Chrysalis, her wings stiffened and her horn glowing as though she was just itching to attack her.
“That’s what yer believe,” Chrysalis said with a shake of her head.
Chitin paused, and then rounded on Chrysalis, poking her nose with her hoof. “You were brainwashed! You were weak and gave in!”
“Ah was not weak,” Chrysalis replied, her lips growing thin.
“Then why did you turn your back on us?! Why did you turn your back on me?!” Chitin snarled, her horn glistening with green magic as she bared her teeth in anger. Raindrop and Sentinel cautiously began to back away from the queen, wary of an impending attack.
“It was the hardest thing ah ever did,” Chrysalis said softly, looking down at her hooves, shaking her head sadly. “But Evergreen was worth it. My life was worth it.”
“What about the hive?! You always told me that the good of the hive came before everything else!” Chitin snarled, her tone carrying notes of pain and betrayal.
“Ah did what was best fer the hive,” Chrysalis stated.
Chitin’s eyes narrowed, and she took several deep, angered breaths. “You killed them!”
“It was fer the best,” Chrysalis replied simply.
“How is killing them the best option?!”
Chrysalis paused at that, and then sighed once, shaking her head. “Because there was none ter lead them, Chitin. Yer know what changelings are like without the hive mind to bind them... we had no one ter take over the position of queen. Ah wasn’t going ter let mah changelings become prisoners and die of starvation... Ah wasn’t going to let them become murderers.”
Chitin scowled deeply, her ears pinning backwards. “You were brainwashed, it’s the only possible explanation.”
“Ah was never brainwashed, Chitin,” Chrysalis said sharply, eyes narrowing at the other changeling. “Yer know, there’s a way yer can be certain.”
Chitin recoiled at that, her ears splaying, shaking her head vigorously. “It’s a trick!”
“Ah won’t influence yer in any way... Ah’ll just show yer what ah experienced,” Chrysalis soothed.
“N-no! I won’t allow it! You’re brainwashed!” Chitin cried, taking a step back from Chrysalis, a single tear marking the black of her cheeks.
“Ah’m not brainwashed,” Chrysalis said, taking another step forwards, and then another, advancing on the other queen. “Defend yerself if yer truly think ah intend ter harm yer.”
“G-guards!” Chitin called, trying to retreat. Chrysalis bounded after her, as the room exploded into motion.
Sentinel and Raindrop both leapt towards the two queens, intersecting the three guards that were attempting to come between Chrysalis and Chitin. Wisp popped her beak open and dropped the improvised explosive device onto her paw, twisting it and then hurling it away, covering her ears and closing her eyes.
Remedy shied away from the action, and as Wisp threw the little device, her eyes widened and she took cover as well, likewise covering her ears and closing her eyes.
A blinding flash lit the room, following by the explosive of sound so loud that it caused literally put the guards off balance, sending them stumbling the ground. Raindrop, Sentinel, the two queens and the guards were far enough away that they weren’t adversely affected. Raindrop tackled her guard to the ground, while Sentinel tackled one of the other guards, and managed to tangle with the hooves of the next, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.
The five of them tumbled and wrestled, while Chrysalis tried to get close to Chitin, forcing the queen to return towards the back of the library.
“D-don’t make me defend myself!” Chitin snarled, her horn glowing as she squared off against Chrysalis.
“You doubt me?!” Chitin snarled, a green glow building in her horn. As Chitin lowered her head, the window above her smashed. A hoof-sized stone smashed down across her brow, sending a slick of green blood spilling from a gash as the changeling stumbled, stunned.
Chrysalis took the momentary break to lunge forwards and lock horns with the queen.
Chitin’s eyes widened as Chrysalis’ horn glowed. Chitin stiffened and gasped, baring her teeth, her delicate wings quivering and fluttering for a moment, before she recoiled with another gasp and just collapsed.
Almost instantly, all motion inside the library stopped. The guards wrestling with Raindrop and Sentinel stiffened and then rolled free, standing at attention. Raindrop and Sentinel scrambled to their hooves, squaring their stances, ready to fight again.
Everything got quiet, bar for the sound of Stardancer overbalancing in the tree outside and falling out of it, landing on her rump with a loud curse.
Chitin stared up at Chrysalis, recoiling from the hive-mind that Chrysalis had forced her to establish. Chrysalis had given her memories. So many, many memories. They were overwhelming in their intensity, and it was all Chitin could do to maintain coherent thought.
Images of lying with Evergreen and watching the snow fall out the window; Writing a book with the woodspony; swimming with him in the gentle stream; lazing with him as she watched the nightflowers bloom and puff their luminescent pollen into the air; all of this and more crashed through Chitin’s mind, bringing tears to her eyes as she tried to comprehend the enormity of the emotions behind the images.
“Yer see?” Chrysalis asked smugly.
Chitin’s ears splayed backwards as she was forced to understand, and she recoiled, backing away, looking about with wide eyes. “O-oh no... I-I’ve made a mistake...”
Chrysalis nodded gently at the queen.
“L-lead the changelings, take them and run!” Chitin ordered Chrysalis, pointing with a shaking hoof towards the door. “I’ll distract Celestia... I’ll... I’ll do something!”
Chrysalis shook her head gently, lifting a hoof to lightly touch at Chitin’s cheek. “Chitin... Mah time here is over. You are the queen now.”
Chitin shook her head rapidly. “B-but I’ve revealed us! It was going to be okay. I could fix it if I made the time bridge... I... But... Help me make a time bridge! Help me go back to before I revealed us!”
Once more, Chrysalis shook her head. “Chitin, stop. The time bridge is a stupid, childish thing ter attempt. Even the most accomplished unicorn’s could barely control them. Yer’ll kill yourself, and we’ll be worse off. Yer can still fix this though...”
Chitin covered her ears with her hooves, rocking back and forth slightly. “No I can’t! I revealed us! Celestia will hunt us down to the ends of the earth now she knows we’re here!”
Chrysalis stepped closer to the queen, gently sliding Chitin’s hooves from over her ears. “Listen ter me, Chitin. Yer are their queen. They’ll follow yer. Even if they’ve all attained singularity from having the hive mind severed, they’re still loyal to yer. Running won’t work any more, so what’s the last option yer have open to yer?”
“We take over!” Chitin said confidently.
Chrysalis slowly shook her head again. “No, Chitin. That won’t work. Yer know better than that. We rely on love fer power. Yer’ll never get love if yer try to use strength ter get it. What did ah teach yer?”
“Cunning before strength...” Chitin whispered. “Peace before war.”
“Yer’ll just have ter convince Celestia that our kind can be trusted,” Chrysalis said with a sad smile.
“B-but that’ll never happen! We’ll be destroyed!” Chitin protested, looking small and alone.
“Yer’ll be destroyed if yer try ter run or yer try ter take over. Yer must know that,” Chrysalis said gently. “It’s time fer us ter stop hiding in the shadows.”
“I’m not a leader...” Chitin said quietly. “I was just... just holding the position until I could get you back...”
“Ah’m not coming back,” Chrysalis said flatly, shaking her head, and then nudging the other queen soothingly. “It’s up to yer ter lead the changelings now. Take yer place as queen. And as queen, yer gotta make the hard decisions.”
“I’m scared...” Chitin whispered. “I just wanted you back...”
“Ah’m sorry ah abandoned yer, Chitin. Yer were my first choice fer queen if ah had to leave... But that’s in the past now. Make the right choice, Chitin.” With that, Chrysalis turned away, walking past the silent guards. Raindrop looked between Chrysalis and the impassive guards.
“What happened?!” Raindrop asked, looking back and forth between the two queens.
Chrysalis didn’t reply, and Chitin raised a hoof, pointing at the door, still staring down at her hooves. “L-leave,” Chitin said flatly. “Leave before I change my mind.”
Raindrop looked back and forth again, and Sentinel gave her a bewildered look. Wisp shrugged, and Remedy looked distracted, rubbing at her head and temple, looking drained. Raindrop assumed that she had been hit by the improvised explosive.
Raindrop slipped over to the prone form of Firebrand, and shook her until the pegasus awoke, blinking slowly up at the ceiling.
“C’mon!” Raindrop hissed, dragging the pegasus into a standing position, and then leading all four of them out the door of the library, moving after Chrysalis.
Chrysalis was collapsed in the hallway, her breathing shallow, eyes closed and wings limp.
“Cee!?” Raindrop squeaked, bolting over to the fallen changeling and wrapping her hooves around her, trying to pick her up. “C’mon! Before Chitin comes to her senses!”
The changeling queen gave a wry smile at that, opening a single eye to peer at her granddaughter. “Ah’m already leaving.”
“N-no, c’mon, we gotta go,” Raindrop protested, tugging at the queens neck firmly.
“It’s too late fer me, child,” Chrysalis said with a gentle shake of her head. “Ah used the last of mah energy showing Chitin what ah experienced.”
“Y-you’re dying?” Raindrop asked, ears splaying backwards, a whine building in her throat.
“Ah’ve been dying since ah was brought back here...” Chrysalis said weakly. “But ah’m content... ah got ter maybe convince Chitin ter help mah kind live peacefully.” Chrysalis gave a strained smile and lifted a hoof to rest on Raindrop’s shoulder. “One of mah changeling’s is even a bearer of an element... Ah couldn’t be happier.”
“B-but...” Raindrop drew back a little bit, sniffling. “I don’t want you to go.”
“Too late, child,” Chrysalis said with a sad smile, her head drooping to rest on her forehooves. “Stick around, Raindrop. Yer a link between ponies and changelings... ah suspect that yer’ll have some part ter play if Chitin doesn’t murder yer all. Her changelings will have developed personality by now, they get more self-aware the longer they go without a hive mind ter lead em, so make sure that Celestia sweeps the population centres fer changelings that’re hiding.”
Raindrop opened her mouth to say something, but Chrysalis stopped her. “Don’t interrupt, Raindrop. It’s rude. There was something else ah had ter say... Somethin... Ah don’t... Everythin’s all hazy...” Chrysalis trailed off, and then fixed Raindrop with a determined stare. “Don’t let Celestia kill the changelings. They deserve a chance ter prove themselves. And bury me with Evergreen. If yer bury me elsewhere, ah’ll haunt the living shit out of yer.”
Raindrop nodded shakily at that. “I will Cee, I promise.”
Chrysalis didn’t answer.
Raindrop blinked once, and then gently nudged the queen with her nose. “C-cee?”
But she was already gone.
Raindrop lifted a shaking hoof to gently close her grandmother’s eyes, laying her nose against the queen’s cheek and sniffling, holding back tears as she began to rock back and forth.
Remedy cautiously stepped closer to her, and then hugged the pegasus from behind, soothing her.
Sentinel, Wisp, and Firebrand could only watch as Raindrop dissolved into tears, cradling the head of her dead grandmother.
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Conflict resolved in T minus 10 seconds.
Never would have guessed I'd have to feel these feelings again...
Still, will Changelings be able to live with ponies?
I guess there was really no room to maneuver with that ending, but it was both unsatisfying and kinda... disappointing. No use of the elements of harmony, which were the whole purpose of the first half of this. Star-dancer played no major part in the resolution, despite the amount of focus she got in previous chapters . Raindrop's hesitation had no logical basis (if the time bridge had been done, there would have no Raindrop). The actions of the main characters were, in themselves, stupid. Firebrand was even more stupid then normal (fail escape attempt much). Cee basically made an appearance as a deus ex machina, coming back from the supposed dead to solve all problems flawlessly before disappearing again. Spike's justification remains weak, and if he had been corrupted that far he shouldn't have any affect on the elements at all (inconsistency with Chitin basically claiming she had a bypass to the bearers earlier, with her now saying she didn't). The identity of the remaining bearers was never discovered (their discovery again being the propellant of most of the novel). I started reading this for the Sentinel-Raindrop relationship, which apart from the whole drunk card being overplayed a bit, was fantastic. However, after that resolved, the story hasn't really been as good. You have some great writing capability, and are great at writing that style of relationships. But could I suggest that, in the future, you make try to:
1. Resolve all plot points satisfactorily in the resolution. Try not to deviate; the Elements of Harmony plot-line was never resolved; merely sidelined.
2. Avoid bringing characters back from the dead, or bringing back anything that has been destroyed, killed or banished for that matter.
3. Avoid a dues ex machina (both Cee and, to a lesser extent, Stardancer fall in this category). It makes for a rather depressingly boring ending.
4. Perhaps resolve romantic conflict and major conflict at a similar time. Here, you resolved the Sentinel/Raindrop conflict early, leaving the rest of your novel to fall flat. Dual resolution, or resolution of the relationship after the plot resolution would have kept the whole thing flowing
5. Try to limit the number of characters you have on 'stage' at once; at this point, Wisp, Firebrand and Remedy are bland, and rather uninteresting. Even when fleshed out, I suspect that they will remain this; all three are rather tropy (if that's a word) and this has come to be their defining feature.
I understand that you are planning to continue this story after this point, but as a resolution to this story arc, minor arcs and plot points involved should have been resolved along with it. So yeah...loved your earlier work, but this has somehow fallen rather flat. I don't really know what else to say.
Things are starting to look up, but my common sense is telling me something is gonna go horribly wrong. Namely, involving Spike.
1268308 Yeeeah, there's more coming. A lot more. This had to be resolved before the bearers were all found... you'll see.
Famous last words.
The feels man.....the feels.....
Now I wanna go read Transcend again....but I know it's gonna make me cry when I get to the ending.....life is full of tough decisions....
Need to read some comic. That was depresing chapter but fully understanable. Cee's time is over.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to go on.
Well now what? Waiting for next chapter mode activate!
feels
I feel like I'm missing a paragraph here.
1269079 Ah, for fucks sake. The conversion thing does this sometimes. A random paragraph will become disappeared.
... Damn you, Anon. Right in the feels.
My grandmother passed away yesterday. Unlike Raindrop, though, I didn't get to spend her final moments with her.
This is... rather therapeutic
So when is someone going to tell Spike "Ok, so your plan is to go back in time and convince Rarity to love you? How would she feel about your actions, moron?"
Also, if they stopped Chrysalis plan, Raindrop would never be born at all and she would never fall in love with Sentinel.
While everyone else complains about Raindrop's hesitation, I would like to cut in on it. Raindrop isn't going to think she won't exist, she's going to look only at the possibility of not having changeling blood. Try to think clearly when your a POW.....
Poor Celestia misses being a Mommy of sorts.
Poor Spike misses Rarity.
At least Cee died at peace in her heart.
I knew it!
touching.
1269812 Stardancer was the one that threw the rock through the window and stunned Chitin long enough for Chrysalis to get close
1269776 And this is what most people don't seem to understand. We are bombarded from an early age by all this time stuff. We know that if you mess with the past, you change the present, and basically cause yourself to stop existing. But what about ponies? Who would ever have told Raindrop, or how would Raindrop have found out on her own, that by stopping Chrysalis and Evergreen from ever meeting, would cause her to cease existing?
Even Chitin's plan is fundamentally flawed in the fact that if she did stop Chrysalis' plan, then it would not be Chitin who inherited the new timeline, but rather, an alternate version of Chitin. The 'real' Chitin would be stuck in a post-wedding Canterlot eking out an existence far away from the other changelings, while her 'true' self for that timeline, benefited from her hard work.
1272999 Yeah, I know. Quoting enough to include that part seemed like overkill.
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you know just how to make someone cry don't ya? that ending was beautiful but at the same time very saddening. I felt bad for Raindrop losing her grandmother but I'm also glad she died to be reunited with Evergreen.