Scootaloo and Flittergear walked the streets of Canterlot, now dimly lit with the orange light of the coming day. The guards stopped and scanned them at every checkpoint until they reached the royal grounds.
As expected, the castle guards had them wait while they checked to ensure that they were permitted to enter. At the end of one of the many long corridors of the castle, there was an oval shaped room full of Wonderbolts. Some were sitting around the center, but several others were doing exercises. A yellow mare with a two-tone orange mane stood.
"Welcome to HQ," Spitfire said as she approached.
"Thanks," Scootaloo replied. "Is this it?"
A stern look came across the face of the Wonderbolt’s CO, "Rainbow Dash may run things a little looser than most, but I don’t care how many princesses you were friends with; you’ll get no such privilege from me."
"Yes ma’am," Scootaloo said as she and Flittergear snapped to attention.
“To answer your question, we’ve got teams out on assignments all over. This is about half of us. Did Soarin bring you up to speed?"
“Yes ma’am.”
"At ease," she seemed pleased.
Scootaloo and Flittergear adopted the more relaxed stance.
“We’re waiting here until Shining Armor calls for us. There’s some coffee over there, and I think we have some oats."
"Thank you, ma’am," Scootaloo replied without moving.
"Go on; we won’t leave you behind," Spitfire grinned.
Scootaloo was a bit amused at the formalities. She had met some of the members of the original Wonderbolt squad before the war. They didn’t seem to remember her until Rainbow Dash was mentioned. Flittergear stuffed a pocket with oats and helped herself to a mug of coffee, hinting that the height of her caffeine tolerance must be a wonder in and of itself.
Scootaloo ate a little, but not for enjoyment. The flavor bordered on criminal. She didn’t know what those oats had been through before they were placed out for food, but it must have been horrific. The pair had only just become settled when a guard came and spoke to Spitfire. Everypony grew quiet when she turned.
"Scootaloo, Flittergear, you’re with me. The rest of you gear up."
As the Wonderbolts immediately dropped what they were doing and prepared themselves for battle, the three followed a guard down the hallways of the castle until they came to a bedchamber. Shining Armor was inside, as were several guards. He wore only the alicorn amulet when they arrived, but two of the guards were brining out his armor and they began strapping it onto him.
The newcomers bowed until a nod from the Prince signaled them to rise.
"Have you been briefed?"
"Yes, your majesty," Spitfire replied. "The location of target Lambda has been discovered. Fleetfoot delivered the news herself before returning to position. I sent a second squad to assist in securing the location. The Bushmasters and Templars have also deployed to assist in the surrounding area.“
"Excellent, now we go talk to Queen Chrysalis and force a surrender," Shining Amor said as a red magical light flashed across his eyes. "If she refuses..."
He didn’t finish, but Scootaloo didn’t have to wonder what he meant by that. The silver metal that was now affixed to the prince made him look quite menacing. It was functional, but had quite a lot more style than did the standard issue EUP armor. It had ribbed folds in the metal and decorative etchings wrought in the finest craftsmanship. Last, he donned the helmet, which had a red mohawk-like tuft of hair sticking out of it.
"Let’s go," he commanded.
Three of the guards led the way, and the prince followed behind them. Scootaloo, Spitfire, and Flittergear came next, and the rest of the guards brought up the rear.
As they walked, the prince asked, "Where is Rainbow Dash?"
"Still unable to fly and back on medical leave," Spitfire replied. "I would have had Scootaloo bring her, but she was already carrying Flittergear."
The prince nodded without asking further. Scootaloo understood the significance of that exchange, and she kept silent on the matter for fear of saying the wrong thing. When they arrived to the dungeons, Scootaloo was a little surprised to see how many changelings had been captured. They all had magical binding spells that prevented them from shape shifting or using any other magic.
The cells in which the changelings were interred were far beyond their normal capacity. It was almost like walking through a sea of hatred and sorrow. They stared back passively, all except one.
Ash Eater saw Scootaloo and threw himself against the bars of his cell. She was startled and stepped back, but then decided not to interact further. The prince stopped.
"Do you know this one?" he asked.
"Oh, she knows me," Ash Eater replied. "I gave her the limp."
The prince spoke quietly, “Speak out of turn again and I’ll have your tongue removed.”
Scootaloo was unnerved by the sadistic joy in Shining Armor’s voice.
The changeling growled softly. He had certainly seen better days. His face bore several bruises and cuts, and all that remained of his right hind-leg was a bandaged stump. The mare could only wonder is the loss of limb was a result of the spear she had thrust through that same appendage.
"Yes, your majesty," Scootaloo replied nervously. The changeling had startled her, but it was not that which made her afraid. "He was the one with us in the Everfree Forest when we went to find the mirror pond. His name is Ash Eater. He impersonated a cadet named Nitro during our training.”
"I see," Shining Armor replied with a hint of delight in his tone. “That would mean that you are the one that led my sister into that trap. Well, then, we’ll have to plan something special for you when we have the time."
He turned and the procession continued. As Scootaloo began to follow the others, Ash Eater spit, hitting her on the side of the face.
The rage threatened to return. It was through great difficulty that she chose to not respond and kept walking. She struggled to hold back the anger and let it go as she retrieved a cloth from a pocket to wipe off the defiant gesture. Her leg seemed to hurt worse as she continued limping through the prison.
Passing deeper and past even more guards, they came to the center, which was the most secure location. Surrounded by ten unicorn guards in a round cell with thick bars that afforded no privacy was Chrysalis, Queen of Changelings.
Her green eyes seemed dim; her slitted pupils found them, but she neither rose nor spoke initially. Her teal mane almost looked brown from a lack of cleaning. It was tangled and matted. She had always been thin, but Scootaloo was surprised at how her form had deteriorated in the time that she had been here. She was practically a skeleton and nothing more. Scootaloo’s nose wrinkled at the stench of the prison, especially now that they were in the center.
"Queen Chrysalis," Shining Armor spoke evenly.
The light of fire returned to her eyes as she stood. No doubt this was just a front she put on. Given her decrepit state, it was likely difficult for her to stand, let alone put on any show of strength or resolve.
"Well, well, look who decided to make a conjugal visit. You must be doing badly to come question me again," the changeling queen sneered.
The malice in her voice sent a shiver down Scootaloo’s spine. The guards looked at her with disdain.
"Only in your pathetic dreams," Shining Armor replied, the magical red light again flashing in his eyes. "In fact, it is quite the opposite. Your southern army has been annihilated."
She stared back with no change of her hard expression. Shining Armor glanced back at Spitfire, who stepped forward.
"Almost eight-hundred thousand timberwolves confirmed dead, and with them, no less than forty-thousand changelings. Another five-thousand, seven-hundred have been captured."
Either from disbelief or a strong poker face, she didn’t even flinch, "I hope it was costly."
"Fifty-three thousand ponies dead; nine-thousand wounded," Flittergear said softly.
"Is that all?" Chrysalis mocked, "Well, I’ll have to get my children to work harder."
"This is the end of the line for you," Prince Shining Armor said combatively. "We found your nest."
Again, she didn’t react.
"Even now, my soldiers are on their way to destroy the hatchery. I can still stop them if you will surrender."
"My, my," the changeling queen replied with a wry grin, "I didn’t think you had it in you."
"You tried to take everything from us, I only thought it fair to return the favor," the prince spoke with daggers of ice. "Make your forces stand down; call off your stick-dogs."
She let out an exasperated sigh, "Dear me, you have become dreadfully grim and direct. It’s worse than talking to Celestia. Is the witty banter beyond you today? A girl likes a little foreplay now and then."
He glowered at her, remaining silent for a minute.
"Order the surrender."
"Or what?" she taunted.
"I will destroy the hatchery in the caves near Hayseed Swamps."
"Am I supposed to be frightened? Am I shaking?"
"This is your last warning. If you don’t surrender, we will destroy the hatchery and all of your spawn inside, and then we will kill each and every last changeling in Equestria, but we won’t stop there. We’ll hunt down your entire race to the ends of the world until not a single one remains, except for you."
Scootaloo felt dread within herself at the sincere conviction with which the prince spoke. She also saw a cracking in Chrysalis’ facade.
He continued, "You will watch while I slaughter all of the prisoners we’ve taken, one by one. You will witness the final annihilation of your species. Then, and only then, when you beg for death will I consider that small mercy."
"Are you really that ruthless? I know Celestia would never have condoned, let alone ordered such an action," the changeling said measuredly.
"Celestia isn’t here," he replied coldly.
A sly grin formed on her face, ”There may be hope for you yet," her facade was again in full effect. "Let’s find out."
A glint of green magic flashed across her eyes. She stared deeply at the prince, and Shining Armor returned the gaze.
"She’s making a connection," Spitfire raised the alarm. "Guards!"
Magic glowed from a dozen unicorns preparing to stop her.
"Stand down!" Shining Armor ordered. "She can’t overpower me."
He stepped closer, his eyes locked with hers. The changeling queen began levitating from the magic she had mustered. Her voice was magnified and echoed throughout the chamber when she spoke.
"I will consume all the love you have left!” she sneered at him.
Chrysalis had come to the edge of her cage, a sheen of sweat was now on her brow as she used whatever limited reserves of magic were at her disposal to siphon joy from Shining Armor.
His gaze was harsh and unwavering, "You will starve."
Her expression changed. It was the unmistakeable visage of unbridled fear.
"No...” she whispered.
The changeling queen let out an unearthly shriek as the magical light faded from her eyes. She dropped, lost her balance and collapsed to the stone floor of the cell.
She looked up feebly, her voice hardly more than a whisper, “You… you’re a monster.”
She passed out, her head falling to rest on her fore-legs.
The prince took a breath and blinked, recovering from the episode.
He let out a sigh, "That’s it then. Spitfire, prepare your squads. We move at once."
"We’re really doing this?" Spitfire asked.
Shining Armor looked back at her, his face filled with hatred, "Yes we are."
The commander of the Wonderbolts nodded, "You heard him; let’s saddle up!"
Scootaloo’s heart sank. She followed the others out, bringing up the rear herself. When she came to Ash Eater’s cell, she stopped short.
"Come to gloat?" he hissed.
She looked up at him, not really sure why she had halted. She shook her head.
"How about you come a little closer. I can break your neck through the bars," he spat.
This drew some sick low laughter from the others. All eyes were on her now. It was not unlike being in a cage under the ocean, surrounded by sharks.
She took a step toward him, "I am not your enemy."
He snorted, "You are a fool."
The mare looked at the hatred in his eyes and saw a reflection of what she had been only days before. It was as clear as if she’d seen herself in a mirror.
"If we are enemies, that is your doing," she replied. "I’m sorry about your horn and leg, but everything that happened between us… it was war."
"But the war isn’t over, is it?" he growled.
"It might be," she replied. "We found the hatchery."
His expression softened a little, but it was still rage. The ire she drew from the others changed as well. It was lessened and tempered with something else, perhaps fear.
"Hatred is what will destroy us," she continued. "Why do you hate me?"
"You and your squad!" he spat. "You broke my horn. You took my leg! I’m crippled because of you!"
"No, that is a lie. Regal Masquerade took your horn right after you killed Nimba, and he is already dead. It was war, you were trying to kill us, we tried to kill you. It came out the way it came out. As for your leg… I’m sorry,” she doubted he would be more receptive to those words than had been Cloud Blazer. “You attacked me on the line and I did what I had to do to survive. You’d have done the same. That doesn’t give you a reason to hate me specifically.“
The rancor on his face partially hid his emotions, but she could tell that he was thinking.
"She didn’t surrender," Scootaloo said.
Ash Eater grinned at her, "And she never will. That’s why we will win."
The mare let out a grieved sigh, "You don’t get it. Shining Armor isn’t content with victory anymore. He isn’t going to stop until all of you are dead. He’s going to destroy the hatchery, and then hunt down every changeling in Equestria."
He growled again, looking away without replying. The sound was echoed by dozens of nearby changelings.
“I’m not posturing or threatening you, any of you. I don’t want that to happen. We have got to find a ay to stop the fighting. Is there some way we can learn to coexist?"
Ash Eater looked back up at her, his visage filled with nothing but malice. He spit in her face a second time, to the joy of his comrades. Scootaloo backed up instinctively, taking her cloth to wipe her face again. Her own rage was again being kindled, but she took a breath and pushed it aside.
“If you are a typical example… Maybe, as a species, you do deserve to die," she said as calmly as she was able.
Without another word passing between them, Scootaloo turned and walked briskly to catch up to the group. She didn’t believe her own last statement, but she hoped that it would make Ash Eater think about what he was doing. If he would spit in the face of the only one that was trying to help him, then perhaps he wasn’t aware just how blinded he was by his own animus.
While she still didn’t want them all dead, she couldn’t see any other course of action. There had to be another way. Surely if Princess Celestia or Twilight Sparkle had survived, they’d have looked for one. Neither of them were here, and nopony else that was in a position of power seemed to share her conviction. Scootaloo set her mind to work on the matter.