On Sunday morning at Twilight's castle, Rainbow Dash, Starlight Glimmer, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, the Awesome Crusaders, Twilight Sparkle, and Chrysalis gathered in the library. Twilight was present to see everyone off.
"My first mission traveling as a servant to Master Rainbow Dash!" Apple Bloom hopped in place between Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. "What are we allowed to know for this one, Rhezenda?"
"Not much besides what Master and I already told you," Sweetie Belle admitted. "I should warn you, it's not going to be anywhere near as cool and as exciting as our trip to the Dragonlands."
"Nothing can top that," Scootaloo pointed out with a proud smile. "But you did see one of the coolest parts at least."
Chrysalis overheard the conversation and raised an eyebrow. She addressed Rainbow Dash. "What happened there?"
Rainbow had been listening too. "Oh, it was awesome," she said. "I got to fight dragons in a berserk state and got my lighting bolt power."
Starlight addressed the young trio. "Maybe there's no berserk game or new natural elemental power, but the changelings are really nice. They have a lot of fun activities they enjoy with each other. When you three are not attending to Master, you'll probably see some of that."
"No complaints here," Apple Bloom said. "Ocellus sure is plenty nice for us to get along with alright."
"Ocellus?" Chrysalis repeated, again addressing Rainbow Dash.
"She's one of the students at the school," Rainbow explained.
"Yes, one of our top students in fact," Twilight added.
The other two fillies nodded among their own group and smiled.
"Team Awesome, Crusaders, and Queen Chrysalis, is everyone ready?" Rainbow Dash asked the entire group.
"Yes, Master," they collectively replied.
Rainbow smiled. "Primeva, teleport us all to the Changeling Kingdom as Thorax advised."
Starlight nodded. Everyone but Chrysalis waved at Twilight Sparkle. With a flash of Starlight's unicorn magic, they left the library with only Twilight in it.
When they arrived, many changelings stared at the large party with smiles. There was a banner with the images of all the ponies and even Chrysalis herself, to Chrysalis' own surprise. "Welcome Master Rainbow Dash and everyone else," Thorax greeted them.
The changelings applauded politely to their guests.
"King Thorax," Rainbow said with a bow of her head. "Thank you for such a warm welcome. Everyone, this is my party for today." She first introduced Starlight Glimmer, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, then the Crusaders, then finished with, "and I'm sure you all remember and know your former queen, Chrysalis."
The changelings went ahead and bowed respectfully, even if she was no longer their ruler and left them in such a bitter manner. She was now coming peacefully as a companion to the Master Mev.
Chrysalis could hear her own heart pounding and was near tears of honored joy, shocked at seeing such a welcome. She wiped her eyes. Without a word, she gave a slight bow of her head back, and that was satisfactory for the changelings to stand upright.
"Can we see the vampire form now, Master?" a changeling citizen requested.
Several others nodded eagerly. Thorax managed to get pictures for them, but they could not see it live any other way.
Rainbow transformed before them to reveal her red eyes and bat wings. She flew upward and partly opened her mouth to show the fangs before landing back on the ground.
"Just how bad is the shock if we try it?" another changeling asked.
"Ocellus said it hurt a lot," Thorax answered. "You can still walk and go about your day, but it is painful, she told me."
"I just can't help it," one of them said and tried it. He twitched and flew back, then rubbed his head. "Not for the faint of heart," he recommended to the others, who laughed.
"What about the water copy of Pinkie Pie?" a changeling asked. "Can we meet her?"
"Oh definitely," Pinkie said with a smile and closed eyes. She whistled Penny out. "Penny, we're here. You can be out during our visit the whole time."
"Yay!" Penny said and waved to the changelings who pleasantly waved back.
"How about the fillies?" a changeling inquired. "Do they transform too? The white one can be a pegasus sometimes, right?"
Sweetie Belle blushed and modestly nodded.
"She can," Rainbow admitted. "Ready, Rhezenda?"
"Yes, Master," Sweetie said with a respectful bow and found herself in her pegasus filly form soon after. She flew up to show that the wings even worked.
Scootaloo glanced up with a slightly jealous smile, but she knew her turn for true flight would come eventually.
"Wow," said some of the changelings. Others chatted among themselves. Chrysalis looked up, quietly impressed as well.
"What about the others?" a changeling asked, referring to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.
"I have an adult form available to all three," Rainbow said. "Let me switch Rhezenda back real quick."
Sweetie Belle landed and became her unicorn self.
"Ready, girls?" Rainbow asked with a smile.
They nodded.
The master mev's eyes flickered to red irises on yellow sceleras, and her Awesome Crusaders grew to their adult forms.
The changelings nodded in approval at the magic similar to their own.
"You three may as well stay like that since it takes magic to undo," Rainbow said.
They giggled and nodded in agreement.
"Anyone else?" the changelings asked Rainbow.
"Fluttershy can be a bat pony at night. All of my fledglings can be given a similar bat pony form whenever our magic allows. Mev magic has rules. I can show you the fillies because I can't do that as a pegasus," Rainbow explained.
"Does that mean the rules would let you show the bat pony forms?" a changeling asked.
Rainbow nodded. "It does."
"Can we see that too?" another inquired.
"We promise it will be the last of our transformation requests," offered yet another.
"You should ask about the dragon form too!" Scootaloo suggested suddenly.
They chattered. "Next to last?" one asked with an embarrassed smile.
Rainbow glanced at her fledglings who pleasantly smiled and nodded.
"Very well," Rainbow agreed and transformed them too.
"Heehee," Pinkie immediately took advantage of being able to fly. Penny remained an earth pony since she was not a fledgling but a magical water essence. She liked keeping the distinction too.
Rainbow gave a quick flash to show her dragon form to fulfill the actual last request. Chrysalis' mouth fell open. She liked it. She liked it a lot. She wanted to touch it or even better, have the dragon Rainbow Dash touch her. The other changelings gazed on with approval before Rainbow decided to switch back to her standard pegasus form.
One daring changeling announced they would attempt the dragon form. As expected, they failed. "Okay, that one burns," the changeling wheezed after the attempt.
"I'm surprised," a fanged Starlight said to Thorax. "I thought shape-shifting would be nothing special to all of you."
"Oh, we can still appreciate it," Thorax replied, "especially from ponies who typically can't. That must require some special magic. We certainly don't know anything about having one living being we cannot take the form of. That's a new one on us."
"Master mevs are quite rare," Chrysalis informed him, "and they are usually more discrete than this one."
Rainbow blushed and stroked the back of her mane with a hoof.
"So you've encountered them before?" Thorax asked her.
Chrysalis shook her head. "Not directly, no. I've just heard things over the years."
"Hmm, alright then," Thorax said. He turned his attention to his subjects. "Everyone, please go about your business. I'll be giving the tour soon."
With quiet chatter among themselves, the other changelings followed his instructions.
Thorax's older brother, Pharynx approached Chrysalis. "You're here even though you haven't accepted love and friendship like the rest of us?" he bluntly inquired.
"Yes," Chrysalis replied plainly. "Master Rainbow Dash and I have an arrangement."
"Interesting," Pharynx said. "What is it?"
"It's a bit hard to explain," Chrysalis admitted. "In short, she thinks she can help me. I'm here under her suggestion and supervision."
"Okay," Pharynx accepted that answer.
"Let me show you and the others how things are. Starlight's already seen this tour but no one else," Thorax offered.
"We'd be happy to see it," Fluttershy replied, still in her bat pony form.
"Yuppers Puppers!" Pinkie agreed from still flying in the air.
"Lead the way, King Thorax," Penny encouraged him.
The Crusaders themselves nodded with smiles, soon followed by Rainbow Dash and Chrysalis. Thorax showed them that the hive had theater, swing dancing, a weekly potluck lunch, craft time, and a Feelings Forum. At that last item, Chrysalis sneered.
"You could try it," Thorax suggested gently. He and the other changelings had prepared themselves for the possibility.
Chrysalis' left eye twitched. She saw everyone watching her and waiting.
She met eyes with Rainbow Dash. "It's optional," the mev told her with a warm smile.
The former changeling queen certainly had feelings to express, so she did. "I've been very...angry," she growled, "since I lost you all to her...and him." She gestured at Starlight and Thorax respectively. "When I was your queen, I had power and a home. I was on the verge of having everything I could have ever want before they ruined it. Since then, I have been lonely and powerless up until two days ago, and I've hated it. I do not rule as I once did, and it infuriates me...to no end."
No one said anything to let the feelings have their moment to resonate.
"I'm done," she grumbled.
They all nodded and one of the changelings timidly said to her, "You don't have to be alone." Others nodded and looked at her with hopeful eyes.
"You can come back and stay with us," another said.
Chrysalis gulped at how easily they made such an offer and thought back to Rainbow's own words advising of reconciliation. "...I appreciate it, but for now, I will stay with Master Rainbow Dash."
They merely nodded and didn't say anything else.
"Perhaps other guests wish to participate," the leading changeling for the forum offered.
Pinkie and Penny happily took the stage. "We hare just so happy!" Pinkie told them.
"And having such a good time being out together with all you changelings," Penny added. "I'm kinda sorta part changeling myself with some magic to make my appearance a little different from Pinkie."
"Oh," so me changelings uttered, and the group generally offered light applause.
Fluttershy soon followed. "All of you are so nice. It's just...so wonderful to be here with such a kind group."
They blushed and lightly cheered for themselves.
Then they urged Rainbow Dash to say something as well, and she could only tell them, "I feel awesome being here today with all of you." The changelings were perfectly content to hear it.
After that, Rainbow Dash approached Chrysalis. "I need to meet with Thorax in private. Do you think you can manage in their company nonetheless without me? Starlight's in charge after all."
Chrysalis glanced to Starlight who smiled mischievously. Chrysalis found that amusing but refused to show it. She looked at Rainbow Dash. "Actually Master, I would recommend I be with you. Thorax might not know how to answer some of your requests. I may not have met any past master mevs myself, but I know a few things useful to you."
"So you're willing to help me out?" Rainbow asked with a hopeful smile.
"I'm curious," Chrysalis admitted with a shrug.
"Appreciated," Rainbow replied and lightly tapped Chrysalis in gratitude. She approached her filly servants. "You three must wait outside."
"Everywhere is outside here," Apple Bloom gestured to the hive and sky.
"I have my ways," Rainbow reminded her.
At that, Apple Bloom nodded. The fledglings were left to mingle with the other changelings.
Thorax led the way for Rainbow Dash and Chrysalis to his throne. Rainbow directed everyone to stand back and give her space while she activated her chaos magic to create four walls, a door, and a light fixture on the ceiling, placing the throne in a single room building. She made sure to give Chrysalis, herself, and Thorax enough space. She directed the Crusaders for where to stand guard and alert. Her Secret Service would be on each side of the door, and her Rhezenda would be pacing or sitting or standing in front of them—which exact thing didn't matter, so much as that she needed to be nearby.
With that, the Master Mev, Thorax, and Chrysalis entered the makeshift room.