Raindrop could only stare, mouth slightly parted, speechless. Changelings. At least a half dozen. And the Queen of Changelings herself. Right in front of her. And this wasn’t a dream.
“I do so love that look of utter stupefaction upon your muzzle,” Queen Chitin said smugly, watching her. “Now, do you intend to join us, or are we going to kill you?”
“B-but... H-how?” Raindrop asked weakly, bewildered. None of it added up. Some things made sense, surely. Discord using subterfuge. The diamond dogs behaving as they did. The griffins. But Sentinel was trained to sense changelings, and he had sensed it in Raindrop immediately. How could he have failed to sense it in these changelings?
Chitin gave a soft ‘psh’ noise, and leaned down to put her nose next to Raindrop’s. “Are you expecting me to ramble on about my conquests? Are you expecting a glorious exposition where I reveal my plans for world domination and my entire life history to you?”
“It would be nice,” Raindrop admitted weakly, blinking her good eye repeatedly.
“I’m afraid that real life does not quite work the same way as a fairy tale,” Chitin chided, turning away.
“You know you want to,” Raindrop cajoled. “It’ll feel good to tell someone. I bet nopony has heard your story...”
Chitin growled low in the back of her throat. “Why do I feel as though I am being manipulated? Very well.”
Chitin turned around to face Raindrop again, sitting down on her haunches, her delicate wings giving a little flutter.
“When the love bomb from Cadance and Shining Armor hit us, we were scattered. But moreover, we were damaged. The intrinsic bond we share as changelings was severed. Perhaps you have felt it yourself? The little tug you feel when another changeling in close... Either way, that bond was no longer permeable to changelings. We were forced to find each other through subterfuge rather than our link. I believe that a large amount of changelings took shelter in the Everfree forest, along with Chrysalis, while many more of us were blasted in the other direction.
“Those of us that managed to survive the horrific magical injuries inflicted upon our forms, wished to rally again with Chrysalis, and resume our plans of dominion. One changeling, I believe he was nicknamed ‘Messenger’ by Chrysalis herself, found the group of changelings I had saved and rounded up. I gave them the love I stole from different targets, to keep them alive. But when I came across Chrysalis, she seemed... Different. She had changed. I convinced Messenger and the other changelings to not speak of our existence. I was convinced that Chrysalis was unfit to lead us, and installed myself as queen of my own brood.
“And then Chrysalis murdered her brood. She did not condemn to death, she destroyed them, with her own magic.” Chitin paused then, scowling deeply, giving an agitated twitch. “And so I lead my changelings in secret. That is my story, and that is your glorious exposition.”
Raindrop stared at her for a long moment, her good eye lowering. “...I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”
“Do not pity me, whelp!” Chitin snarled, lifting a hoof as though to strike her. Raindrop winced and tried to brace herself against the coming blow.
The blow never landed, the queen instead beginning to pace back and forth. “I have made the changelings greater than they ever were. I have lifted them higher than they have ever gotten.”
“But why?” Raindrop asked, still confused. “And how have you avoided detection?”
“I will not answer your first question. A gazelle does not presume to ask a lion why it must eat. But how did we avoid detection?” Chitin gave a soft, mirthful laugh. “Princess Celestia is not quite as adroit as she tries to appear. I unraveled the mysteries of the Elements of Harmony, and we used them to shield ourselves from her guard’s senses. Why, I was on the stage beside this young guard here, and he didn’t even sense that I was not truly Discord. It was the first real success my kind has seen from this shielding magic.”
“And... What of Spike?” Raindrop asked uncertainly. “What did you do to him?”
“The dragon?” A low, mirthful laugh rumbling from Chitin’s throat. “I have done naught to the dragon. He divined my purpose the first time I approached him. He knew I was a changeling. But rather than be distrustful, he sought from us a service. I have feasted on his love for a long, long time. It is quite delicious. And being a dragon, it has done naught but stunt his growth.”
Raindrop shook her head slowly, trying to clear her head. “But why me? Why attack me? I have enough problems without having to deal with this.”
“Because, Raindrop. You are a threat. Your powers and abilities are unknown. And already, your mind has tried to join with the collective. You would have discovered us sooner or later,” Chitin stared into her eyes, watching her closely.
Raindrop felt it. Felt the minds of the changelings. Now that she knew what she looking for, it was obvious. It was like when one's eyes adjusted to darkness and shapes just suddenly appeared in the darkness. Her eyes were opened.
“Now, are your questions answered?” Chitin asked with a simpering smile.
“So many more questions...” Raindrop murmured, shaking her head slowly.
“I’m afraid they will have to wait. Actually, no they will not. You’re going to die very soon, Raindrop. And then your questions can be answered past the gate of tartarus,” Chitin corrected herself, an eerie smile on her muzzle.
“Heard all of that?” Raindrop asked of Sentinel as they were ushered along by a trio of changelings, towards the mouth of the cave.
“I did,” Sentinel murmured back.
Their hooves were still bound, and so walking was difficult. They were forced to take tiny, quick steps. Running was out of the question. Wisp trailed between them, her own paws bound.
“How many do you think there are?” Raindrop asked urgently.
“Does it even matter?” Sentinel asked, his tone strange. “We can’t sense them... There could be hundreds, and we’re going to die.”
“Sure looks that way,” Raindrop said with a sour note in her tone.
Sunlight assaulted their eyes, and the trio were lead towards a clearing, where they were evidently going to be killed.
One of the guards produced a dagger, looking at the three of them, trying to decide which to finish first.
Raindrop turned to look at Sentinel, and then said, with a heavy sigh, “...I love you.”
“Really?” Sentinel asked, perking his ears upwards.
“Nah, not really,” Raindrop admitted, shaking her head. “I mean, sure, I like you and all, and I’d totally let you have your way with me if it came down to it. But the ‘L’ word is a pretty strong thing.”
“I admit, it would have been fun,” Sentinel said with a nod, watching the dagger being swapped from hoof to hoof. “But sweet Celestia, lady, if I married you, your in-laws suck.”
“I’m not very fond of them myself,” Raindrop admitted, pursing her lips.
The changeling moved over closer to them, his eyes narrowing as he lifted the dagger above Sentinel’s form.
“I’m sorry I never dragged you into bed and let you have your way with me...” Raindrop whispered to Sentinel, her eyes sad.
Sentinel nodded mutely.
There was a clatter, and suddenly, the changeling wasn’t there anymore.
A small boulder caught the changeling in the face with a surprisingly powerful blow, knocking him sideways and sending the dagger clattering away across the ground. It had come seemingly from nowhere, with no warning other than the sound of it bouncing against the ground.
“Duck and cover!” Wisp squeaked, covering her ears and face with her bound paws.
Sentinel and Raindrop had barely enough time to cover their ears and faces before a massively powerful bang and flash of light happened before them. Sentinel was closest to it, and wore the blow the worst. The pressure wave alone gave him a black eye and stunned him, rocking him back on his haunches and deafening him for several long seconds.
The changelings were likewise affected.
Raindrop was already in motion, twisting her hooves. Her eyes flashed green, and her muscles rippled, and suddenly, her bonds snapped under her newfound strength. The pegasus dove forwards, smashing her hooves down on top of the two stunned guards, smashing their heads into the ground with her new augmented strength, and then turning to smash the already-injured changeling across the brow with her hoof, sending him reeling.
Wisp had already moved closer to Sentinel, and was working on undoing his bindings with her little claws, scything through them with surprisingly sharp talons. Raindrop moved over to Wisp, and literally tore her ropes off, snapping them with her hooves. Raindrop and Wisp then began to lead the barely responsive Sentinel away from the clearing and into the trees.
Raindrop thought they were in the Everfree forest, but she couldn’t be sure. She just began to urge Wisp to help her push Sentinel to the north, away from the cave where Chitin was.