It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling
Chapter 23: The Answers You're Looking For
Mandy, Thorax, and Pharynx were all completely frozen, staring at the unexpected – but very much welcome – guest at the door.
Then Thorax stepped forward. "D-dad...?" he asked, his voice weak.
Mothra nodded.
At this, the three sons quickly got out of their chairs, rushed over, and grabbed him in the biggest hug they possibly could.
Twilight watched as they hugged for three minutes straight, trying their darnedest to make up for every moment they'd missed out on.
Eventually, though, they had to break off the hug. "You're really here..." Thorax awed.
"Where were you?! Why didn't you come for us sooner!?" Pharynx asked, hurt.
"I'm truly sorry," he began, "but I could not return to you as long as you remained with the Swarm. I was ecstatic when Mandy began to live in Ponyville, but when I felt him beginning to doubt himself, I began to reassure him that everything would be alright."
Mandy gasped, "That's why you gave me the doll and the advice?"
Mothra nodded, buckling down to give out valuable exposition. "Not only that, but I played a part in breaking up the mob that attacked you. Remember how Spoiled Rich undid her own riot by saying they were 'persecuting' you? The result of a truth charm I cast."
Mandy blinked. That made some amount of sense, though it felt oddly like a retcon.
"So, where were you for the last twenty years?" he asked.
"I was on the lam, hiding from Chrysalis." Mothra shuddered for a moment before continuing, "We never really saw eye-to-eye; she thought that the whole was the most important thing, but I cared for the individual."
Mandy did a double-take. "Wait, you mean she seriously believes that 'for the good of the Hive' shtick!? I thought that was just outward justification for her ego!"
Mothra nodded solemnly. "I thought so, too, until she began conquering rival Hives. She sacrificed hundreds of drones until she took over the entirety of the Badlands, while I was forced to sit by and watch.
"Then she started to crave more, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I tried to oppose her, but she used her subjects against me. I couldn't bring myself to hurt them, so I fled.
"But now, here you three are! You three have discovered the best life for everyone, and with your help, we can finally free the Changelings from her tyranny!"
He finished his speech by leaning down towards them and smiling. "So what do you say? Will you help?"
Pharynx looked confused; Mandy looked shocked; Thorax looked anxious.
"Wait, how'd the conversation turn to this?" Pharynx asked.
"Y-you want to overthrow C-C-Chrysalis!?" Thorax stuttered, quaking in his exoskeleton.
"So, let me get this straight," Mandy began, looking for clarification, "You spend twenty years away, biding your time until somebody left the Hive, then you started pulling strings behind the scenes so that you could eventually stage a coup?"
Mothra blinked. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds kinda manipulative."
Mandy deadpanned, "At least you realize it..."
The King then elaborated, "But let me make this perfectly clear: I have everyone's best intentions in mind. Not just mine, and not just the Changelings', but EVERY creature's."
Pharynx then spoke up, "What exactly are you trying to accomplish?"
"I'm trying to make everyone happy, to let them live the best lives they can."
The eldest brother frowned. "But hardship is an integral part of life. Not only does it shape our characters and make us grow as people, but it also helps us to truly appreciate the good parts. If you focus purely on the individual, then everything will crumble when something comes that we don't know how to deal with, because we never faced any hardships."
Everyone turned to stare at Pharynx.
"What? I'm just saying that neither extreme is ideal; there needs to be balance! Just because I'm a brute doesn't mean I'm an idiot!"
Twilight, who was still sitting in her comfy chair, piped up, "He's got a point."
Mothra stared for a few seconds.
Then he smiled. "And that, Pharynx, is why you're right for this."
Thorax and Mandy looked at each other, then to him. "What about us?"
The King grinned. "Thorax, you're the most kind, sensitive Changeling I know. I know you'd do anything to make others happy."
Thorax smiled, tears of pride welling up in his eyes.
"And Mandy," he turned to face the bug, "You're the one who set all of this off. You defied the odds and became friends with the citizens of Equestria, pushing past their fear and breaking down the stigmas. Without you getting your hoof in the door of the public, what we're trying to accomplish would be impossible. So now," he placed a hoof on his youngest son's shoulder, "you'll help do the same for the Changelings."
Mandy looked up at his father, who looked back down with pride.
The youngest brother nodded confidently. "I'll do my best."
Mothra smiled. "I know you will."
Then Twilight piped up, "Hold on, you said he got his 'hoof in the door of the public'. What, exactly, do you mean by that?"
Mothra eyed her slyly. "Ah, I see you're a smart one as well. Yes, I must admit that I have, in fact, established private relationships with a select few ponies, including a certain... solar monarch."
Everybody in the room (except Spike, who'd secretly suspected it ever since Mandy figured out that Mothra had imitated her) gasped. "You're friends with Princess Celestia?!"
Mothra smirked devilishly. "Actually, we used to date."
Now, everybody stared at Mothra slack-jawed, including Spike, and ESPECIALLY Twilight. She thought she'd known everything about her teacher, but evidently, she was wrong!
Mandy held up his hooves. "Wait, wait, is THAT how you were able to get into her Castle and imitate both her and Princess Cadence?"
Mothra winked. "Now you're getting it. We split up willingly and on good terms, so I tend to come and go as I please – as long as I'm in disguise."
Mandy then thought of something else. "Does that also explain why... Why she went so easy on me in the first place? She just cut some slack for her ex-boyfriend's son?"
Mothra shook his head. "No, that isn't the reason. When she went into your hospital room, she saw your honesty, and how willing you were to accept punishment. And when your last request was that your brother Thorax be spared should he ever be found,–" (Thorax's eyes widened at this, and he turned to smile to his brother, touched by the sentiment) "–she realized that you were the key to getting through to the Changelings. But more importantly, she saw a good person at heart, even if you didn't see it yourself.
"She saw your potential, Mandy."
Mandy stared up at his dad, soaking this information in. Months of confusion and frustration began to clear up as he finally understood why Celestia did what she'd done.
He couldn't hold back anymore; he let the tears out.
But this time, they were happy tears.
"Thank you, Dad," he hiccupped between sobs, "I... I don't know what to say..."
Thorax patiently raised his hoof. "I have a question, if you don't mind my asking."
Mothra looked down at the middle brother quizzically. "Sure, ask away."
Thorax pointed at all three of the other Changelings in the room. "How come all of you have physically reformed, but I haven't? I shared love a while ago, but all that happened was that my wings got cloudy."
The King clicked his tongue in thought. "Well, how to explain this...? It sort of works like a pony's Cutie Mark, where it's a combination of sharing love and realizing what your place in society is. Mandy got it when he defended his friends; Pharynx got it when he swore to protect you; and I actually got mine when I left the Hive and began to plan the coup."
Thorax nodded, the explanation vaguely making sense. Twilight was eagerly writing everything down.
Pharynx then stood up before she could ask a question. "Alright," he said hastily, cutting Twilight off, "if noling has any more questions, then let's gather everyone and start planning the liberation of the Hive!"
Thorax jumped up, excited but still nervous, and they both rushed out of the library to tell the others.
Mothra lethargically stood up. "Alright, we'd better get started; Chrysalis is bound to be mobilizing her army," he said, meandering over to a bookshelf and browsing the 'Military' section, finding a book about strategy.
Twilight hopped up and rushed to that bookshelf. "Ooh, are you gonna research the tactics of Equestrian militia in order to create a plan of attack?"
Mothra stared down at her quizzically. "Actually, I have an honorary Bachelor's in Military Tactics. I was just grabbing a random book to steady the big table over there; one of the legs looks shorter than the others."
Twilight froze, then backed away abashedly. "Right... I do suppose that table's been kinda wobbly."
Spike rolled his eyes. "Doesn't really matter when you're always too busy reading a book to care..."
Twilight shot a glare back at him, but sighed, relinquishing the point. "I can't really argue with that..."
Mothra levitated the book forward, using it to steady the table. "There. Now, Twilight, would you be a dear and send the Princesses some letters? We'll need their help for this..."