Halfling
By Dee Pad
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Chapter 22: Defector

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"Oh, my. I had no idea you've been through so much," said Fluttershy sympathetically.

Winter walked with her gaze turned downward and her ears folded back. She and Chamella had just finished regaling everything that had happened since they had arrived in the Changeling Kingdom, up to and including their last unpleasant encounter with Blight. Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had inferred what had happened to the psychotic changeling based on the dark crimson stains on the fur of Winter's fetlocks, but hearing about it was still a touch unsettling. Winter herself was hesitant to mention it, having wanted to forget it ever happened, but she hadn't been able to shake the image of herself committing the act since. She started to think that perhaps talking about it might help somehow.

Rainbow Dash could see the guilt and remorse in the ivory pegasus's expression as they all made their way into the deepest recesses of the changeling hive. The cyan mare offered a reassuring, albeit somewhat forced, grin. "Hey, don't beat yourself up. It's... not a big deal." She discreetly cast an uncertain look to Rarity and Fluttershy. "Right?"

Rarity cleared her throat awkwardly. "Hm, yes, well... It was self-defense most assuredly. I won't argue against that."

Fluttershy's wings twitched slightly, tearing her eyes away. "I can't say I would know how I would react in a situation like that. I've jumped into action to help my friends before, but..." She trailed off, not wanting to say any more for fear of making Winter feel even worse.

"I can hear it in your tones," Winter said quietly. "You're all judging me for it. Believe me, I understand; I'm judging myself, too." Her expression managed to fall further. "None of you are going to be able to look at me the same anymore. I should've just kept it to myself..."

"Oh, no, don't say that, dear," Rarity quickly continued, hoping to alleviate whatever doubts were beginning to fester in Winter's mind. "We aren't judging you, trust me. If anything, had I been in your position, I fear I might not have been able to do much of anything."

"Yeah, I think what's important here is that you did something," added Rainbow Dash. "And if he was beaten as badly as you say he was before that, he probably wasn't gonna make it much longer anyway."

"I suppose in some way, some people might consider what you did a mercy," said Fluttershy, though she herself sounded uncertain about that.

Hearing that didn't make Winter feel any better, an uncomfortable grimace appearing on her face. However, she shook her head, lifting it up again and looking her friends in the eyes for the first time in a while. "Alright, that's enough. I... I don't want to talk about this anymore."

The three other ponies silently shared concerned looks at her dismissive attitude. However, the lone changeling of the group, flittering slightly above them to avoid having to walk on her injured leg, chimed in.

"I know I already made this clear, but I'll keep telling you that you didn't do anything wrong," Chamella reiterated adamantly. "I'll be forever grateful for what you did. And if there's anything I can do to repay you for saving me from that maniac, just name it."

Winter let out an exasperated sigh, but also managed a small grin as she glanced up at Chamella. "You saved me first, remember?"

Chamella blinked, having apparently forgotten that fact for a moment. "Uh, well... Where does that put us then?"

"I've lost track," Winter said with a quiet giggle. "Let's just make it simple and call it even now, okay?"

Rarity smiled at the two mares. "Well, this is certainly a nice surprise. I'm not sure I've ever seen the two of you act so amicably."

"Now that you mention it, neither have I," said Fluttershy with a smile of her own. "I was under the impression that you may not have liked Chamella."

"To be honest, I didn't," Winter admitted with a regretful frown. "At least, not until all of this. The only reason Chamella is here is because she insisted. If I had my way before we left, she'd still be back in Ponyville." She passed a grateful smile up at the changeling, who returned in kind. "But I wouldn't even be alive right now if it wasn't for her."

"Well, at least you're coming out of all of this with something," Fluttershy said with a relieved smile. "And I can't say a new friendship isn't worth all of this trouble."

"And you've got some incentive to make Chamella into a great godmother, right?" added Rainbow Dash.

Winter grinned awkwardly, an embarrassed blush reddening her cheeks. "After the way I've been acting, I don't think I'm in any position to teach anypony how to be a mother."

Rarity shrugged dismissively. "We all learn from experience, darling. Nopony's perfect. But this gives the two of you a chance to learn together."

Winter's grin faded, but her remorseful blush remained. "So everypony does think I'm a bad mom, huh?"

"'Bad' might be a strong word," said Rainbow Dash. "Obsessive; desperate; a little crazy maybe, but not bad. You put in the effort, that's for sure."

"No, no, it's fine," Winter interrupted. "She's right anyway. But I've gotta say, I never thought it would be for the better for me to put in less effort."

"It's not about how much effort you put in," Fluttershy corrected. "You still have to put in the work, but like we've been saying from the beginning, you can always ask your friends if you need help lightening the load."

The ivory pegasus flashed a grateful smile. "And I'll be sure to take you up on that. Especially when this is all over. Seriously, I'm gonna need a vacation after this."

"Well, actually, you did kinda ditch work to come out here," Rainbow Dash reminded her. Her comment elicited a corrective glare from Rarity, and the cyan mare chuckled awkwardly. "You know what, nevermind. Take whatever time you think you'll need."

Winter and Chamella shared amused glances with one another, giggling knowingly. Although Fluttershy was a little confused by their reaction, she shrugged it off and was just glad that Winter wasn't offended by the comment.

The yellow pegasus faced forward once more, but slowed slightly as she stared down the seemingly endless darkness via the light of her helmet. She could see something in the distance. "What's that?" she said, squinting.

The others followed her gaze, spotting what looked like some sort of green light some distance ahead of them.

"Is that... fire?" Rainbow Dash presumed, given how the emerald light seemed to flicker and sway.

Chamella's eyes went wide in disbelief, and a large, ecstatic smile soon graced her fanged lips. "That's it!"

The four ponies were slightly startled by the changeling's sudden, enthusiastic outburst.

Chamella flew a few feet ahead impatiently, turning back to her friends and unable to flitter in one spot without moving about excitedly. "The throne room! We made it! We actually made it!"

Winter felt her heart practically stop. They'd been wandering around down here for so long now that she was beginning to wonder if they'd ever get to where they were trying to go. "Are you serious?! That's really the throne room up ahead?!"

Chamella nodded fervently. "Yeah! Those torches mark important places in the hive! And..." She turned around again, staring at the torches in the distance. Past the one they'd spotted were certainly more lining the left wall of the tunnel. "Judging by how many there are, this is definitely the throne room!"

Chamella was about to eagerly fly down the corridor, but was halted when Fluttershy called out.

"Hold on! What happens when we go in there? Assuming Queen Chrysalis is there, do we have some sort of plan?"

"I want to try and talk to her. I know you girls don't have much reason to trust her, but I think she'll be reasonable. You know, if she's there."

Chamella's expression fell slightly at the question. "We just have to hope she is. There's really nothing we can do but keep looking if she isn't."

"Well, I don't want to stand around here wondering," Winter said impatiently, starting toward the throne room herself. "If there's any chance that we can put an end to all of this, I just want to do it and get it over with."

With that, the five of them galloped onward in a hurry, following the green torches along the wall until they came across a passage on the left. The four ponies in the group were a little caught off guard by how simple the entrance was, if it was indeed the throne room as Chamella claimed. If it weren't for the torches leading down the walls on either side of the passage, there would really be no indication that there was anything of importance here; it just looked like another branching path. However, that made them thankful for the visual indicators; it certainly made things easier for them.

The group entered the tunnel, which extended a little further down, though it was a rather short distance to walk. Before long they found themselves arriving in a very spacious chamber illuminated by many more green torches decorating the perimeter of the vaguely circular room. Of all of the chambers they'd been through that clearly weren't naturally formed, this one was by far the largest, with the ceiling extending quite high above them. It was amazing to them that there were stone columns tall enough to connect the floor and the ceiling near the walls of the chamber. But aside from the torches, the most defining trait of the area was the large, raised, stone platform on the far end of the room. A rather long and uneven set of stairs lead up the front of the rock formation, and at the top was a jagged and rather imposing stone throne bathed in emerald light.

"Yep. Definitely the throne room," Rainbow Dash stated as she stared up at the throne looming over them. "Ya know, for people that don't bother to decorate their kingdom, they put in a surprising amount of effort to make this place look like an evil lair. Makes you wonder why they bothered when it's this deep in."

"Actually, if you know where you're going and what entrance you use, you can get here pretty quickly," Chamella clarified. Her ears drooped slightly as she felt a little ashamed. "I can't say I know the hive well enough though. Would've made this a lot easier on all of us."

"As interesting as it is to see the throne of the changeling queen, I'm noticing a distinct lack of the queen herself," Rarity pointed out.

Sure enough, the room and the throne were empty, the only sound the crackling of the magical, green flames. There didn't appear to be any indication that anypony had been to the throne room lately at all.

Winter let out a disappointed sigh. "I guess it was too much to hope for. Just because she's the queen doesn't mean she spends all of her time in the throne room."

The changeling tilted her head as she thought, clearly lacking confidence. "I suppose there's her personal chambers, but only a select few know where that is, like Captain Wraith."

"But it's gotta be near the throne room, right?" Rainbow Dash assumed. "I mean, if I were a queen, I'd want my bedroom close to the throne room."

"Yes, but not everypony is as devoted to lethargy as you, dear," quipped Rarity with a roll of her eyes.

Winter turned around with her head hung low and breathing a long, demoralized sigh. "Let's just go. We need to keep looking."

The other four were about to follow suit, however, Fluttershy chanced one more look at the intimidating throne, craning her neck up to take in the sight of it. In doing so, something caught her eye.

The others turned back curiously, following the quiet mare's pointing hoof up toward the ceiling. They all stared, puzzled, for a few seconds when they spotted what she had. Attached to the ceiling far above the throne was something green, oblong, and seemed to give off a faint glow of its own.

Winter squinted up at it as she tried to identify the object from this distance. "Is that... an egg sac?"

Chamella stared at the sac, her eyes widening when she noticed the shape of something inside of it. "That's... not a larva in there. It's too big."

Without another word, Chamella started flying up toward it. Once she was close enough, she could make out the creature inside much more clearly. It was a changeling, most certainly, suspended within the sac upside-down, but it was a very lithe, tall changeling; one with a long, dark teal mane and a large, crooked horn.

Chamella was transfixed at the sight, bewildered and confused. She managed to compose herself long enough to turn back to her friends on the ground. "It's her! It's Queen Chrysalis!"

"What?!" Rainbow Dash was quick to zip up there with her, and she was shortly followed by Winter and Fluttershy.

The three pegasi stared in surprise at the form of the queen herself encapsulated within the large egg sac. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving much, her only movements likely a result of the viscous fluid surrounding her.

"Whoa, it is her," Dash said in surprise. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that this isn't normally how changelings sleep."

Chamella shook her head. "A changeling wouldn't be able to do something like this to themselves."

After she said that, the group of mares noticed Chrysalis's eyes open ever so slightly before closing again.

"She's fine. Queen Chrysalis did this to Princess Celestia when we invaded Canterlot. Shade and I have told Twilight about this kind of thing before, too. I think she took our description and interpreted it as, um... 'a state of suspended animation.' Or something like that," Chamella explained, though sounded a little unsure herself. "Basically, the magic of the cocoon slows down brain activity and heart rate, conserving energy and keeping the victim alive for a long period of time."

Fluttershy's ears perked up at the explanation. "Oh, so it's kind of like hibernation. Well, a forced hibernation." The timid pegasus shuddered at the thought. "Oh, dear. That's a scary prospect. The changelings can just do that?"

"It's not that simple," Chamella corrected. "I've made these kinds of cocoons in the past to lay eggs in. It takes time to make one of these with magic. You're not going to capture a conscious or able-bodied person inside one of these very easily, and definitely not voluntarily."

"So that probably means she was overpowered and put in this thing," Winter presumed. "Do you think it was Shade?"

"Well, it would have to be a changeling strong enough to overpower her, right? In the time we've spent together in here, I've seen you do some pretty impressive stuff with your magic. Shade's probably just as strong, don't you think?"

Chamella went silent for a few seconds. She hadn't thought about how her magic had gotten stronger, but now that Winter mentioned it, perhaps there was some credence to that thought. "Um, maybe," she replied, looking back at Chrysalis in the cocoon. "But I don't think Shade would do this. I'm not even sure if Shade knows how to make these sacs; he's never had to do it before like I have."

"Would you girls mind hurrying things along?" Rarity called out from the base of the throne platform. "I'm starting to feel a little left out down here."

Rainbow Dash nodded to the group. "Right, let's get back on track. We still have to find Snowflake, right? So let's get moving."

"Why not? Somepony—er, changeling—did the work for us. Now we don't have to deal with her."

"Have you forgotten that the whole reason we were looking for the throne room in the first place was to find Chrysalis?" Winter reminded her. "We need to find out if she knows where Snowflake is."

"And why do you think she'd help us?" Dash asked skeptically. "We haven't exactly had many pleasant encounters with her. Or, you know, any."

"Look, it doesn't matter," Winter groaned in exasperation. "We're getting her out of there one way or another." She turned to Chamella, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, we can do that, right?"

The changeling nodded. "These cocoons aren't very tough. I'll just cut through it with my horn. You three get ready to catch her."

With that, Chamella carefully pressed the sharp point of her horn against the outer shell of the cocoon. As she said, it didn't take much pressure for her horn to cut into it, the combination of the shell slowly cracking open and the liquid inside beginning to ooze out of the newly-formed crevice creating a rather off-putting noise. The viscous fluid began to leak out as Chamella cut upward along the cocoon. Down below, Rarity had to hastily take a step back as a large glob of the liquid splattered onto the stairs in front of her, followed by the rest of it as Chamella opened a large split in the front of the pod.

With the fluid draining from the cocoon, Chrysalis's body began to slip down along with it, gradually sliding out of the opening that Chamella had made. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Winter each moved in to grab the queen before she fell, each of them wincing in disgust as the gross liquid coating her body stained their coats. With firm holds of her legs and midsection, the three pegasi carefully carried the unconscious changeling queen down to ground level, setting her down gently on her side.

The five mares stared down at Chrysalis in silence. Rarity and Fluttershy looked a touch uneasy, still unsure if Chrysalis could be trusted. In the same vein, Rainbow Dash stood at the ready in case the queen was playing possum and planned to sucker punch them. Winter and Chamella, on the other hoof, were both a little concerned for her, unsure if she was okay or when she might wake up again.

After a few minutes of tense silence, Chrysalis finally began to stir, moaning quietly as her eyes slowly opened and she regained consciousness. The changeling slowly lifted her head from the floor, wincing in discomfort and rubbing one of her temples.

Once she had fully reconstituted, Chrysalis finally noticed that she wasn't alone, being met with the faces of five familiar mares. She was quite surprised by their presence, but made sure to relay some displeasure with an annoyed scowl. "Well, can't say this was what I expected to see when I woke up," she groaned.

Chrysalis wiped some of the gross gunk from her face with an irritated grimace. "No worse for wear, I suppose." She looked back at the other changeling, raising an eyebrow. "Chamella, was it? What are you doing back in the Changeling Kingdom." Her curious expression became a glower as she shifted her gaze to the four ponies, addressing them with venom oozing from her voice. "For that matter, what are you all doing here?"

"You know dang well why we're here," Rainbow Dash shot back with an aggressive stomp of her hoof. "Where's Snowflake?!"

Chrysalis simply blinked, unamused and vexed by the question. "I have no idea who or what that is. And, quite frankly, I don't care," the queen said, laboriously rising to her hooves. She was still a bit shaky in the legs, but managed to carry herself well enough to stand and used her magic to clean most of the goo from her body. "I have problems of my own I have to deal with. I don't have time for whatever asinine drivel you ponies think I'm responsible for."

"Your Majesty, wait! We came here to find you because we need your help," Chamella pleaded.

That had Chrysalis curious, though a touch skeptical. "Help? With what? Why would ponies need my help?"

Winter stepped up to the queen, a pleading look in her eyes. "I just want to ask you a few questions."

Chrysalis stared down at the ivory pegasus with narrowed eyes, but said nothing, waiting for her to proceed.

Winter gulped nervously. She'd been waiting for this moment since she had set out for the Changeling Kingdom, intent on getting information from the queen. But now that she was actually face to face with her, Winter was feeling more than a little intimidated. "I-I just need to know... Did you order your soldiers to kidnap a half-changeling foal from Ponyville?"

Chrysalis took a second to process the inquiry, clearly confused. "Okay, first of all, why would I bother going to all the trouble kidnapping a foal? Second, half-changeling? What...?"

Chamella breathed a sigh of relief and managed a small smile as she turned to her friends. "See? I told you this wasn't her doing."

The queen let out a groan, but seemed to relax a little as she gave in. "Alright, I'm going to need some clarification on all of this." She looked back down at Winter, the pegasus's face finally jarring something in her memory. "Oh, yes, I know you. You're that pony that Shade fell in love with, aren't you?"

There was a rather curious and surprised look on Chrysalis's face. "So, are you telling me that the two of you actually had a foal together? That's possible?"

"The short answer is yes," Rarity replied. "But that's not the point right now. One of your soldiers kidnapped the poor child and brought him here. We were hoping you'd know where he is."

"Well, as I said before, I had no idea this was even a thing," Chrysalis huffed. "So, to answer your question, no, I don't know where he is."

Dejected expressions blemished the faces of the five mares, particularly Winter.

"I'm sorry, everypony," Chamella apologized with her head hung low. "I thought this was our best bet. I guess I was wrong."

Fluttershy gingerly placed a hoof on the changeling's shoulder. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known. It was worth a shot at least."

Chrysalis glanced between the sullen looks on their faces. "You all came all the way out here for a lone foal? He must be important to you."

Winter looked up hopefully into the queen's eyes. There was almost a hint of empathy in the tall changeling's voice. "Of course he's important; he's my son. I'd do anything to protect him."

Chrysalis nodded knowingly. "I can respect that. Though perhaps not quite the same as the feelings between ponies, I, too, care for my subjects a great deal. I'm not saying I'd go out of the way to save their lives or anything, but, you know... What's a queen without subjects?"

Chamella raised a curious eyebrow. "Speaking of subjects: who was it that trapped you in that cocoon?"

With the change of topic came Chrysalis's memories, a sudden, infuriated glower creasing her brow as it all came back to her. "Wraith..." she growled, more to herself than anypony.

"What? Wraith?" Chamella repeated, confused. "But... isn't he the captain of your soldiers?"

Chrysalis looked down at the mares again, breathing a resigned sigh. "So I'm not the only one he's accosted then? Figures."

"Uh, sorry, I'm a little lost here," Rainbow Dash interrupted, looking a bit confused. "Can somepony explain what's going on exactly? Who's this 'Wraith' guy?"

Rarity rolled her eyes at her cyan companion. "They just answered that, Rainbow Dash. Captain of the soldiers and the one who kidnapped Snowflake. Pay attention."

Dash snorted in annoyance. "I know that. What I mean is, why is this guy important? What does he have to do with all this?"

Chamella looked up at Chrysalis sympathetically. She could tell from her expression that the queen was not only upset, but hurt by this turn of events. "Why would Wraith betray you? I thought he was your most trusted subject."

Chrysalis let out a long, solemn sigh, her ears folding back as she mumbled quietly. "So did I..."

The five mares shared concerned and puzzled looks before returning their attention back to the changeling queen as she continued.

"Wraith has been a loyal and reliable confidant to me for almost as long as I've been queen. Or at least, that's what I thought." Her brow furrowed. She was clearly angered by the turn of events that had occurred, but there was still a very noticeable sadness amongst the green hues of her eyes. "As it turns out, Wraith had been using me from the beginning. He had worked his way up the ranks of the soldiers until I had appointed him captain, all in an effort to get close to me. I have to admit, his patience is impressive; to stay by my side and keep up his charade of care and compassion for all these years..."

"Wait, you said he was 'using' you," Winter interjected. "Using you how exactly?"

Chrysalis looked away from her, a slight hint of an ashamed blush in her ebony cheeks. "I made the mistake of actually thinking he cared about me, and as such, I started to care for him."

Chamella's eyes widened as she caught on to what Chrysalis was implying. "He's been feeding off of your love."

Chrysalis grit her teeth. "I should have known he was up to something from the beginning. I received no power from him the entire time I've known him. That should've tipped me off. I trusted him too unconditionally and as a result I let that love blind me." She shot a haughty, condescending look over the mares. "Do you see now what love gets you? You lower your guard and let someone into your heart only for them to take advantage of you. You're only setting yourself up to be hurt. It's humiliating that I, the Queen of the Changelings, made that error."

Chrysalis glared down at the alabaster pegasus. Winter was staring back up at her, the reluctance that had been present in her eyes before having faded to make way for confidence, determination and belief.

"Love can cause pain, it's true, I know that first hoof. But as long as you find the right person, love is the best thing that can ever happen to a person. Love is the reason I'm here right now."

"Tch. Was that supposed to be motivational?" Chrysalis scoffed. "If it wasn't for love, you wouldn't have to be here. You could be at home, living your mundane, everyday life."

"Love is what makes the mundane interesting," Rarity added. "It's the spice that adds flavor to life."

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "Save me your moral life lessons. Believe me, I've learned my lesson about love. I won't be making that mistake again."

Winter shook her head in defeat. Obviously they weren't going to get through to her, at least not right after she had had to deal with her heartbreak. "Whatever. If you want to make war, not love, that's your problem."

"So what are we going to do about Wraith then?" asked Fluttershy worriedly. "If he's been feeding on your love for so long, he must be incredibly powerful."

"He's certainly strong, there's no doubt about that," Chrysalis said with a nod. "However, he's only fed on my residual feelings."

Chrysalis nodded in confirmation. "They grew stronger simply by being within proximity to people who cared about them. Wraith did that with me. But the effects of residual love is only a fraction of what a changeling would get from siphoning love directly from a victim. On top of that, there are diminishing returns when it comes to how powerful a changeling can get; the more you feed, the less effective it becomes. At this point I suspect that Wraith has hit a proverbial ceiling in terms of how much his magic power has grown, which may be why he's chosen to turn against me now."

"So why is Chamella stronger, too? She doesn't have a boyfriend or anything to get love from," Rainbow Dash inquired, eliciting an awkward and embarrassed blush from Chamella.

"Love comes in many forms," Chrysalis informed. "Love between friends and family, or respect from one's peers. 'True' love, as you might know it, between two individuals who have devoted their lives to one another as Shade and this mare have..." she explained, glancing at Winter, "...is certainly more potent, but significantly harder for a changeling to come by. I originally built my power on the respect I received from my many subjects." Her expression fell once more as she once again considered the state of her position as queen. "Though that power has faded considerably since..."

"Then in this regard, who would be more powerful? Shade or Wraith?" Rarity wondered. "Shade does indeed have true love, and the respect of his friends and neighbors. However, Wraith has supposedly been absorbing power for quite a lot longer at this point."

"I suppose we can't be certain," Chrysalis said with a shrug. "Although I'd be willing to bet that Wraith is physically stronger. Even without magic, Wraith is a force to be reckoned with."

"Wraith was the one who elected to stay behind," the queen informed with a huff. "He claimed it was to quell any worry in the changelings who chose to stay home and not put their lives at risk. Of course, now I know better; he clearly used my absence as an opportunity to sway a group of my subjects to his side."

"This is all very interesting, but it also sounds like its not our problem," Winter asserted bluntly, prompting an insulted glower from the changeling queen. "I'm not concerned about what's going on with you and your dysfunctional colony. I only came here to find my son and leave."

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at the pegasus, fighting back the urge to snap back aggressively. "I'm sorry, but didn't you say Wraith was the one who took your foal in the first place? I think that qualifies it as 'your problem.'"

"You're also not thinking about this in the long term," Chrysalis continued. "Wraith made his intentions very clear to me before he imprisoned me in that cocoon. He may be a changeling, but infiltration and espionage are not his style. If he were to successfully usurp me, he fully intends to launch a full scale invasion of Equestria. And participation would not be optional for his would-be subjects. The force that I brought with me to Canterlot two years ago was but a fraction of our population, and we nearly succeeded. Now, imagine every... single... changeling swarming not just your capitol, but other towns and cities, as well. And he would not show mercy either. Your lives mean nothing to him."

Fluttershy audibly gulped as she pictured the horrifying scenario in her mind, the sun and the sky blotted out by a black cloud of ravenous and bloodthirsty changelings, like a swarm of locusts in a field of crops.

"If you're so sure that he'd win with that plan, why didn't you just do that?" Rainbow Dash asked, practically goading her.

Chrysalis glared disdainfully at the cyan mare, leaning her head down closer to her and causing the pegasus to take a step back. "Because I wanted you ponies to suffer like we have for countless years. Had I taken Equestria's throne, I'd have exiled the lot of you to these very lands to experience our struggles. Wraith would simply have you all killed and likely served as dinner. Which would you prefer?"

"And she does care about us," Chamella interjected. "We didn't have to go to Canterlot if we didn't want to, since there was a very real chance we could die. I only went because Shade and Guise did..." she muttered.

"So, to sum up: Wraith is your problem," Chrysalis reiterated. "If you want your foal back, chances are you'll have to deal with him at some point."

Rarity stepped up to the queen, holding her head up in authority despite the changeling's much taller frame. "Then it appears we have a common enemy. Might I recommend a truce for the time being so that we can solve this together?"

Chrysalis grimaced and hummed to herself, pondering the suggestion reluctantly. She responded after a resigned sigh. "As much as I'd hate to admit it, it would be in my best interest to take you up on that offer. I lack the strength to deal with Wraith myself, so this is actually a very fortuitous opportunity. Out of curiosity, is Twilight Sparkle here as well?"

"She and Applejack and Pinkie Pie went a different way so we could cover more ground," Fluttershy answered. "But, yes, she is here somewhere."

Chrysalis nodded. "Good. Her participation would certainly be helpful. Although finding her might be a little difficult."

"Great, so you help us find Snowflake, and Twilight and her friends will help you deal with Wraith," Winter recapped.

Chrysalis shot an offended glare at Winter. "Let's not get ahead ourselves. Quite frankly, I haven't been appreciating the attitude you've been giving me. If you're going to devote yourself to one of my subjects, I think you should show his queen some proper respect. So before we make this truce, I demand an apology."

Winter gawked, vexed by the command. "What?! For your information, he's not your subject anymore."

Fluttershy leaned over, whispering to her. "Winter, just apologize. We came here to ask her for help, remember?"

Winter hesitated, looking up at Chrysalis. The changeling queen was smirking smugly as she waited patiently for the pegasus's apology. Winter breathed a defeated sigh. Fluttershy was right, and they'd already wasted enough time as it was. Reluctantly, she looked apologetically at Chrysalis. "Fine. I'm sorry. I've just... been through a lot recently and want all of this to be over."

Chrysalis's smirk faded as she watched the mare's gaze fall to the floor. She actually hadn't expected the apology to sound genuine. And it was only now that the queen noticed the deep crimson stains around the mare's fetlocks. Not wanting the ponies to think she actually felt bad for them, Chrysalis played it off coolly with a dismissive scoff. "Good enough."

With that out of the way and everything back on track, Rainbow Dash asked once again, "So you really have no idea where Wraith might have brought Snowflake?"

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow for a brief moment. "Who? Oh, the foal. Well, I can't say for certain. But if he intends to keep it alive for whatever reason, he'll probably keep it somewhere out of the way where the hungry larvae won't find it, most likely the soldiers' quarters."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get the little rascal!" Rainbow Dash declared as she started back towards the throne room's entrance.

"We should probably rendezvous with Twilight first, in case Wraith is standing guard with the child," Rarity suggested. "Last we checked it seemed like she wasn't far from us, so it shouldn't take us too far out of the way."

"Let's just hurry this up. I don't want to have to partner with the lot of you any longer than I have to," Chrysalis insisted begrudgingly as she accompanied the group of mares out of the throne room.

Chrysalis looked down at the only other changeling in her company. Chamella was smiling at her.

Seeing the grateful look in her former subject's eyes made Chrysalis's heart swell a little. It had been such a long time since she'd received any sort of respect from another changeling, and it was strange to her that the only one that did was one who no longer lived under her rule. She didn't respond, but simply smiled back at Chamella softly, almost motherly.

Shade felt a chill run through him as he and Guise continued deeper into the caverns, but it wasn't a result of unease or fear. It felt like a cool breeze was wafting through the hive's corridors. It wasn't cold enough for them to want to find some warmth, but within the humid confines of the caves, the minor, albeit sudden, change in temperature was certainly noticeable.

"Feel that?" said Guise. "We must be close to an exit." He glanced to Shade in the hopes of encouraging him. "You know, we could probably bail right now."

Shade only cast a dismissive look out of the corner of his eye before shifting them forward again.

Guise let out a dejected sigh. "I'm just saying. Look, I wanna get out of here as quickly as I can, but like I told you, I kind of want you to stay alive."

"Then we can leave when we find Snow and Winter and Chamella," Shade stately flatly. "Not to mention Twilight and the others."

Guise threw his head back with a groan. "We've got our work cut out for us, huh? Starting to regret signing up for this," he mumbled with a shake of his head.

"I'm not forcing you to do anything," Shade reminded him. "But I do appreciate your help, despite the selfish motivation."

"Yeah, no problem," Guise said halfheartedly. "But for the record, if something happens to me, I'm blaming you and your lovey-dovey ideals."

As things between them went quiet for a moment, Guise looked around the corridors they were heading down. It didn't look any different than anywhere else, but Guise still felt unsure about one thing. "I don't know if this is the way to the soldiers' quarters or not. I'm pretty sure I didn't feel any sort of breeze when I went looking for you."

Shade raised an eyebrow, but he couldn't say he was surprised. "Got lost already?"

Guise scoffed at him. "Come on, cut me some slack. I may have spent the last two years in here, but it's not like I was traipsing around and taking in the lack of sights."

"Relax, I'm not trying to get on your case," Shade said in an attempt to diffuse him. "I've been just as lost as you. Honestly, I've been going with the mentality of 'just keep going until I find something.'"

Shade wasn't going to disagree. He's had run-ins with several soldiers, including Wraith himself, so that might have been an indication of something.

Eventually the two changelings came across another tunnel on their left that ran perpendicular to the corridor they were currently in. Taking a moment to look down that tunnel, it quickly became evident that the breeze they'd been feeling was coming from that direction.

"Then I guess we keep going the way we were going. I'm not interested in leaving yet."

Guise sighed quietly, a little disappointed that Shade didn't give in to the temptation, but not entirely surprised. "Just making sure we make note of it for when we—"

Shade and Guise were drawn to the sound of a familiar, female voice coming from further down the path they were on. Approaching them rather hurriedly appeared to be Glory, although she was without her armor.

Shade glowered at the approaching female, instinctively taking a defensive stance. His reaction to her presence caused her to slow to a stop, leaving a respectable distance between them.

"Great, this is just what I need right now," Shade growled. "Get out of the way, Glory. I'm not in any mood to deal with you again."

Glory remained at a distance. Shade noticed that she didn't appear to be acting aggressively. There was no vindictive glare, nor did she even bother to take up any sort of stance for a confrontation. If anything, there was a pleading, apologetic look in her hazel eyes.

"No, you don't understand. I didn't come here to fight you again," she claimed in a hurried tone.

Guise raised an eyebrow. This whole thing was odd to him. Not only was Glory without her armor, but she had even seemingly abandoned her post.

Shade, on the other hoof, wasn't concerned with any of that. "Then what do you want?"

Glory didn't have a chance to respond. Instead, the head of a tiny, green-eyed colt poked out from behind Glory's head.

Shade felt his heart jump as the shock of seeing the foal shot through him. "S-Snow?!" After all this time, he was finally able to see his son again and confirm for himself that he was alive and well. Shade was overcome with pure joy and relief, and was about to rush over to embrace his son. However, he stopped himself, glaring aggressively at Glory. "What are you trying to do? If you hurt him, I swear—"

"No!" Glory quickly interrupted. "Listen, I'm not here for anything like that!" she pleaded desperately. She took the foal off of her back, holding him against her shoulder in much the same manner as Shade or Winter would. "I came to give him back to you."

Shade remained skeptical, narrowing his eyes at her. "And how do I know this isn't a trick? That foal could be another changeling in disguise."

Snowflake stared over at his father with a big smile, reaching a hoof out towards him. Shade's skepticism wavered slightly, a shred of hope remaining that this was actually real, but he refused to believe that Glory would just hand him over.

Guise, on the other hoof, viewed the situation differently. "Hey, I think she's serious."

Guise looked over to Glory, the expression on her face one of uncharacteristic regret. "Because she knows more about you and that kid than any other changeling. Right, Glory?"

Glory stayed quiet for a moment and sighed. "I've had to take care of Snowflake since you and I last met." She looked down into the beady, green eyes of the foal, the softness of her expression catching Shade off guard. "I've been looking at his memories pretty frequently, and as a result, I've been given a rather in-depth look at what life outside of the Changeling Kingdom is like. Not just from him, but you, as well. I'm... envious."

Shade lowered his guard, taking interest in what he was hearing. He wasn't sure if he wanted to believe this; after all, he was the one who told Chamella that other changelings weren't worth helping.

"You're lives are so... carefree," Glory continued. "I mean, I already knew that, but we believed you sat around and reveled in your comfort and luxury. I could see that it wasn't easy for you to make the life you have now, but any hardships you endured ended up paying off in the long run. I've been given a glimpse of what happiness really is and..." She gave Shade that pleading look once more. "I want it."

Shade blinked, taking in what she was saying and trying to find some sort of ulterior motive within it. "Are you saying...?"

Glory nodded. "I'm done with the Changeling Kingdom. I've lost all the respect of my peers and my superior. I'm sick of struggling every day. I've got no reason to stick around this dump any longer." She briefly looked back into Snowflake's eyes. "And I've gotten to experience what it actually feels like not only to have someone care about me, but to care about someone else, and not for the sake of power, but just to... care. I know I can't expect you to trust me right away, but I'm willing to earn it if you'll allow me to try. I want to go with you to Equestria. I want to give this whole 'peace and love' thing a chance. I want this feeling of mutual respect and compassion. I want to be happy for once in my life."

Shade was silent as he analyzed Glory's expression. She certainly appeared to be genuine, almost a little nervous even as she awaited a response. Something about her expression reminded him of Chamella. Shade briefly turned his attention to his son. Snowflake was looking back at him still, but was clinging to Glory rather comfortably. He made no attempt to escape from this stranger's hold.

Guise watched as Shade contemplated the scenario laid out before him. The red-maned changeling rolled his eyes with an impatient sigh. "If you want my two bits, I don't think there's anything fishy going on here."

"Look, take it from me, no changeling wants to disguise themselves as some cutesy, little runt, much less sit cradled in another changeling's hooves. Changelings might be deceitful, but we've got some dignity."

Shade took a moment to mull over Guise's opinion on the situation. There was really no way to prove that the foal Glory was carrying wasn't a changeling in disguise without use of force, and obviously Shade didn't want to risk that. Despite the struggle in his head, Shade's judgment was steadily swaying toward the option that would get him his son back. If that meant trusting Glory for the time being, so be it.

Glory managed a grateful smile, a relieved breath escaping her nostrils. "Thank you. I'm only asking for a chance."

"And if you waste that chance, you're not getting another one. Understand?" Shade declared with a resolute scowl.

Glory nodded. "I do. Anything I can do to earn your trust, I'll do it. In fact, I'll start by letting you know that you can find an exit to the caves down that way," she informed, pointing down the tunnel the cool breeze was coming from.

"Besides, we're not going anywhere until we find the others," added Shade. "If you want to earn our trust, you can help us find them."

Glory let out a reluctant sigh. "I don't want to be here any longer than I need to. But if that's what I have to do, then I can't exactly say no." She walked toward Shade, moving somewhat slowly to assure Shade that she meant no harm. Once she was close enough, she held up Snowflake, staring into the tyke's bright green eyes one more time before holding him out to his father. "You'll want him back, I'm sure."

Snowflake gave his daddy a big grin, reaching his hooves out eagerly to feel his father's embrace again. Shade was almost overcome with emotion as he was finally about to hold his son after these last few stressful days. He was practically on the verge of tears.

Just as Shade was about to take the foal in his hooves, a neon green aura enveloped Snowflake, lifting him up and out of Glory's grip.

Shade reacted first with confusion, but quickly shot an angry glower at Glory. "Hey, what are you doing?!"

Glory was just as surprised as he was, drawing back and clearly showing that her horn was not lit up. "I-It's not me!"

Snowflake started floating back toward where Glory had come from. As the distance between him and his father increased, panic began to set within the foal and he started to cry. Glory turned around, intent on retrieving Snowflake and returning him to his father. However, she came to a cold stop, a sudden dread overwhelming her. Snowflake floated some distance away, frightened and bawling, stopping beside the source of the magic that surrounded him. Shade and Guise grit their teeth viciously, while Glory could only look on in horror.

Standing there with his horn alight with magic was the culprit: an armored and none-to-pleased captain of the changelings.

Wraith glared daggers at Glory, but briefly turned his attention to the crying infant in his grasp. The green aura shimmering around the foal became more solid, but still malleable, effectively muting the wails with a soundproof barrier. He then looked back at Glory. Though his expression remained mostly stoic as usual, there was a seething anger and venomous hatred in his violet eyes.

"I never expected that you, Glory, of all people, would turn against me," he said in a low, rumbling tone. "Though I suppose, given my own circumstances, I should have planned for it."

"Don't you dare hurt him, Wraith!" Shade bellowed, flashing his fangs furiously.

Wraith's eyes darted to Shade for only a moment, clearly suppressing his boiling rage. "This is none of your business. And if you or Guise so much as move or speak, the larva dies." To punctuate the point and prove he wasn't bluffing, Wraith applied just a little pressure with the bubble of magic holding the infant. Although he could not be heard from within it, Snowflake was clearly being hurt, and his crying and struggling became more frantic. "Have I made myself clear?"

Shade could only do what was in his power to hold himself back from rushing down the large changeling, gritting his teeth almost hard enough crack them. Guise only cast a sidelong glance at Shade. He couldn't care less about the foal, but he needed Shade to trust him, and as much as he wanted to tear into Wraith himself, he refrained, as well, and stayed quiet.

Satisfied that the two other males were going to be obedient, Wraith loosened his grip on Snowflake and returned his attention to Glory, his pupils narrowing the moment they lay on her. "Not only did you act without my express permission by releasing that cretin, but now you go against my direct orders by freeing the larva and even helping the enemy."

Glory stepped forward, desperately attempting to explain herself. "S-Sir, if you would just let me—"

"I've become accustomed to hearing your own opinions on matters, and even though you may not agree with me at times, you had never in the past shown any actual signs of insubordination. You should know better than anyone that those who turn their backs on the colony are considered traitors and enemies. You've unfortunately now put yourself in that camp."

"I can explain!" Glory insisted. She briefly cast a glance over her shoulder at Shade. Her eyes looked apologetic, but also panicked. She was grasping at straws, but she wanted to diffuse this situation in any way she could. "I-It was a ploy! I was tricking them into trusting me so I could infiltrate their—ghk!"

Glory was quickly cut off when her neck was suddenly surrounded by a ring of green magic, gripping her tightly and pulling her closer to Wraith. The captain lifted Glory up by the neck until her hooves no longer touched the ground, leaving her dangling in the air and grasping in futility at the incorporeal noose that was holding her. She could still breath, but only barely, each breath sharp and panicked. She was hovering slightly above Wraith's line of sight, forced to stare down into his eyes as he bore a hole through her with his glare.

"I'm not stupid, Glory," Wraith growled. "I don't need to be able to view the memories of others when I can already tell when they're lying. Such a desperate attempt to save face is unlike you, and as such, clearly a bluff. Even if that were the case, once again you're acting of your own accord without my say so. Mercy is a weapon, Glory; one that can be easily used against one's self. By showing mercy, you turn a blade on yourself. I'll be the first to admit that I've made that mistake myself." Wraith passed a cursory glance at Shade. "That mistake has caused me more trouble than I suspected." He pulled Glory in closer, narrowing his eyes. "I'll not be making that mistake again."

Glory began to struggle harder against Wraith's magical grip, again to no avail. She knew what was coming, but wanted desperately to avoid it. "Please..." she managed to choke out. "I-I can still..."

The furious scowl on Wraith's face faltered slightly as he watched Glory struggle and plead. "I am not without a heart, Glory. I am hurt that you chose to betray me, and I wish this could have been avoided. But as long as these traitors have planted the seed of doubt in your mind, I cannot trust you." Having made his feelings known, his brow furrowed in displeasure once more. "But as hurt as I am, I am far more enraged than I am remorseful. Treachery will not be tolerated. You've always known that and yet still you betray me. That fact makes this easier for me."

Wraith only proved to become more frustrated by the pathetic apology. "It's too late for that now," he told her. He drew her close again, forcing her to stare into his violet eyes. "Look into my eyes, Glory. Tell me what you see."

Glory hesitated as she continued to inhale sharply for air through clenched teeth. "B-But you told me... never to look at your—"

"I am giving you an order, Glory," Wraith hissed. "Do you intend to defy me to the very end?" He watched as one lone tear rolled down Glory's cheek, his glare more venomous than ever. "Tell me. What you see."

Against her better judgment and only in the hopes that this would somehow save her, Glory did as she was told, staring straight into Wraith's eyes. Her own eyes and his began to faintly glow green as Glory entered Wraith's thoughts for the first time. What she saw only served to cause her tears to flow more freely.

"Well?" Wraith inquired knowingly, unfazed by the feeling of the mare rooting around in his memories. "Describe what you see."

"I-I..." Glory struggled just to form words, the combination of Wraith's tight grip on her throat and the images she was seeing making it difficult for her to compose herself. "I-I see me... lying on the ground... I-I'm alive, but I... can't move. There are larvae surrounding me... e-eat—" Her voice caught in her throat for a moment. "E-Eating me alive." Her breaths became more rapid and panicked and her tears trailed freely, dripping from her chin. "Please... Please, don't do this. I-I'm sorry, Wraith."

Glory felt Wraith's grasp tighten on her neck, prompting a half-yelp from the mare that was cut short by her own lack of oxygen. "P-Please... I... I was wrong... I don't—"

Glory's neck was tilted slightly to the left, and a cracking sound echoed through the cavern. The mare's voice went silent and her limbs went limp.

Shade could only watch in silent horror as Wraith released his hold on Glory's neck, letting her body drop unceremoniously to the floor with an indignant thud. Even Guise was aghast at what he had just witnessed.

Wraith stared down at the motionless changeling at his hooves. "I took no pleasure in this, Glory. I want you to know that." With his first grievance dealt with and without a second thought, Wraith once more turned his attention to the two males staring in his direction. "Now then, to deal with you two."

"I'd watch your words if I were you," Wraith warned, hoisting Snowflake up as a reminder. "The fate of this larva rests on the choice you make from here. If you want to discuss your options, I'd suggest you follow me."

Without another word, Wraith nonchalantly started making his way down the connecting path where the exit supposedly was with Snowflake in tow, continuing to cry and scream in silence within his soundproof prison.

Shade watched as Wraith disappeared into the darkness ahead, growling furiously the whole time. He took a moment to look over his shoulder at Guise. The red-maned changeling was staring over to Glory's prone body, seething with anger himself.

Even though Snowflake was at the forefront of his mind, Shade allowed a moment to worry about Glory. "Is she...?"

Concerned himself, Guise wandered over to the female. He stared down silently at Glory. Although her body was completely motionless, her hazel eyes were still open and staring back up at him, dim and frightened. Her tears still continued to flow.

Guise looked back at Shade with the most concern he'd ever seen him show, but mixed with his incensed rage. "I'm going to kill him," Guise stated matter-of-factly and with an aggressive snarl.

For perhaps the first time since he'd known him, Shade felt as though he and Guise were finally on the same wavelength. Shade could tell from Guise's expression that Glory was alive, and it appeared as though that he intended to do something for the sake of someone else for once in his life. But as much as Shade wanted to help her, he didn't know what he could do.

Guise saw the conflicted look on Shade's face, walking back over to him and giving him a resolute look. "We're coming back for her after we deal with him."

Shade took a deep breath through his nostrils and nodded. He looked to Glory one more time, though she could not see him trying to reassure her with his eyes. Not wanting to waste any more time, Shade started heading after Wraith with Guise following close behind.

Halfling

by Dee Pad

Chapter 22 - Defector