Antecedent

by Anonymous Pegasus


Confession

Celestia and Spike both looked up as Chitin pushed the door open, her head lowered and ears pinned back. “I... I... Spike. Leave us.”

Spike looked from Celestia, to Chitin, and then pushed himself to his feet, stepping out of the room and closing the door.

Chitin stared at the princess, biting her bottom lip uncertainly.

“So it has come to this,” Celestia stated, watching the queen impassively.

“Indeed, it has...” Chitin stated, looking down at the princess with a sad expression. “Chrysalis forced me to reinstate the hive mind... all my changelings will be here soon.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” Celestia asked guardedly. “And Chrysalis? I thought I might have been a bit hasty in my appraisal of her passing...”

“Indeed. She was alive... was,” Chitin said, head lowering further.

“If you’ve come looking for sympathy, you’ll not get it,” Celestia stated with a shake of her head.

Chitin sighed faintly, and then took a deep, steadying breath. “I...I’ve not come for sympathy. I’ve come to ask... for forgiveness.”

Celestia raised a brow.

The Changeling Queen stepped forwards, her horn glowing. She directed a bolt of energy at the princess, which shattered against Celestia’s chest. The goo around her hooves and horn hardened and then shattered, falling to the floor like broken eggshells.

Chitin stepped back then, and frowned at the princess. “You... you are free. Your guards have been released. Your guard should be able to detect changelings now that the hive mind is active again... Either way, you have me at your whim.” Chitin lowered her front, and then prostrated herself in front of the princess, resting her nose on the ground in between her hooves. “I ask for your forgiveness, princess. On behalf of all of my race... we’re turning ourselves in.”

Celestia perked both ears upwards at this, looking, if at all possible, lost. “I... I must admit that this is not a possibility that I had anticipated. How do I know the guards you are ‘releasing’ are my own, and not changelings themselves? I cannot trust you.”

Chitin winced at that, her ears splaying backwards further. “I... I’ll find some way to show you. Lock me up. Throw me in a cell. I’ll prove myself to you.”

“Why the sudden change in heart, Chitin? You were quite content to take over my palace. What’s changed?” Celestia queried guardedly.

Chitin lifted her gaze to the princess again, dropping her haunches to the ground so that she was flat, resting her head on her forehooves. “Chrysalis came... she... she showed me what she went through. I... I thought she was brainwashed. I just wanted to get her back and I knew that if I got her back, everything would be okay... But... But she was truly in love. And now I’ve revealed us to you... and our only options are total control or compliance. I’ve... I’ve chosen compliance. It’s the only hope for the future of my race.”

“How many of your kind remain?” Celestia asked, eyes narrowing.

“Two hundred and thirty seven,” Chitin stated immediately.

Celestia blanched at that, eyes wide.

“We repopulated once we were certain it was safe,” Chitin admitted.

“This much is obvious,” Celestia stated, frowning deeply. The door burst open, and several of Celestia’s Royal Guard pushed in, panting faintly, fastening their armor.

“Princess, are you safe?!” one of the guards asked, brandishing a spear at Chitin.

“I am quite fine, thank you,” Celestia stated dismissively. “Take Chitin into custody. Lock her and any of her brood in the dungeons.”

“Yes your majesty!” the two guards affirmed, moving towards Chitin.

Chitin frowned deeply, her ears pinning back. “Celestia, please...”

Celestia turned away, electing not to respond as Chitin was dragged away towards the dungeon.


Raindrop, Sentinel, Firebrand, Wisp, and Remedy were all herded into a cell by the Royal Guard, left there until ‘your identities can be ascertained’. None of them had any idea what was going on. One moment, they had been trying their best to escape the castle, the next, they were surrounded by actual Royal Guards and marched to the dungeons.

There was movement all around them, the sounds of shuffling hooves and low whispers, likely from all the other prisoners the Royal Guard had attained when they took back the palace.

“What do you think is going on?” Raindrop asked of Sentinel, her voice low.

“No clue,” Sentinel stated flatly, his tone short.

Raindrop’s ears splayed back, and she stared at the guard for a long moment, her brows furrowing. “Is... is something wrong?”

Sentinel snorted once, shaking his head and turning his back on her. “Nope.”

Raindrop sighed and laid down on her stomach, resting her head on her forehooves.

Remedy, Wisp, and Firebrand were all at separate corners of the cell, doing their own thing. Firebrand was rubbing her head, inspecting the lump from where she had been knocked unconscious, and flexing her wings slowly to make sure they still worked. Wisp was pouting at the lock on the cell door, staring at it like she could will a small explosive device into existence so she could blow up the lock. Remedy looked a little distracted, mumbling to herself and shaking her head slightly.

The sound of footsteps echoed in front of them, and Celestia came into view, inclining her head towards the cell door. the lock clicked, and then opened, and Celestia waved a hoof. “Come, you are all free to go.”

“Princess?” Sentinel asked, clambering to his hooves. “Did we retake the castle?”

Celestia shook her head gently. “No, Sentinel. Chitin and her brood turned themselves in willingly.”

“It’s a trick!” Sentinel hissed immediately.

Celestia again shook her head. “No, Sentinel. I believe that they are sincere in their convictions to attain a peaceful resolution. But... I need to be certain. Will you allow me to try a new spell on you?”

Sentinel stiffened, saluting. “Yes, you majesty.”

“Good, come,” Celestia said, turning and moving back towards the stairs leading to the surface. “What were your parents names?”

Sentinel splayed his ears at that, “Shimmer and Cloudpeak.”

“Very good,” Celestia stated, and then turned to look back at the other four occupants of the cell. “All of you, please, remain within the bounds of the palace.”

Raindrop nodded gently. “Yes, Princess Celestia.”

Remedy frowned deeply, and then sidled up to Raindrop, giving a furtive glance left, and then right. “Raindrop... we need to talk. In private.”

“In private?” Raindrop asked uncertainly, watching the princess and Sentinel climbing the stairs.

“In private,” Remedy affirmed.

Raindrop looked back at Wisp and Firebrand, and frowned slightly. “You two will be fine without us?”

“I’ll try not to get lost,” Firebrand stated, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t have anything to blow stuff up with,” Wisp soothed, her tone part reassuring, and part disappointed.

“Good, then.” Raindrop walked with Remedy up to the palace gardens, finding a nice, quiet spot under a large, leafy tree.

“Now then,” Raindrop said, looking at Remedy for a long moment. “What is it that’s so important?”

“Sentinel will find out eventually...” Remedy said, her ears pinning back. “You’ll all find out eventually... but I need you to protect me from him when he finds out.”

“Protect you?” Raindrop asked, bewildered. “Why would I need to protect you?”

Remedy cast another furtive glance left and right, making sure they were alone, before she leaned in close to whisper to Raindrop. Raindrop knew it in the instant before Remedy said it, as the nurse’s eyes flickered green.

“I’m a changeling.”