//------------------------------//
// Ch Final. Give and Receive 
// Story: The Element of Identity 
// by CEverw00d 
//------------------------------//

Ch Final. Give and Receive

The sun rose with the coming of the next day. Twilight rolled out of bed and set to making it while Spike continued to sleep. As she headed downstairs, she saw Exulus, already awake and writing something. 

She spoke with only a hint of weariness, "Good morning."
Exulus replied, "Good morning, Twilight Sparkle," Without looking at her.
"You can just call me Twilight. What're you writing? And where did you find the paper and quill?"
"I took them from a desk near the window, but didn't want to write there with that owl around. I left it as orderly as I found it."
"Alright, but what are you writing?" Twilight started trying to peek at the paper in question, to which Exulus would shift slightly in the way of her sight.
"It's a letter."
"For who? The Queen? The Princesses?"
"For you."
"But I'm right here, couldn't you just tell me?"
Exulus stopped writing and looked at Twilight, "It's a...conditional letter. One that is to be read should certain things happen. If they don't happen, then it's an irrelevant letter." 
"I see. And what might these 'certain things' be? Shouldn't I know so I can know when to read it or not?"
"That depends; do you have an envelope that I can use?"
"Sure." Twilight went upstairs, then came back down with a single envelope. Exulus took it with his magic and placed his letter inside. There was a momentary flash of red, then a red 'X' shape appeared on the flap of the envelope, sealing it shut. 
"What did you do?" Twilight asked.
"I sealed it with a spell. Now it can only be opened by myself and anyone else who knows the password for unsealing it, or if the spell comes undone." 
"Okay, but what's the point in that? Should I know the password?"
"No. Nobody needs to know it. If conditions are met, I'll simply undo the seal. If not, it'll stay sealed and unimportant. So for now, just take it and hold onto it."
Twilight gazed at the envelope, curious as to what was inside. She placed it on the table and looked back to Exulus, "What do you plan to do now?"
"I have a plan, but I'd like all of your friends to hear it as well. Could you go get your friends?"
"Why don't we both go get them?" Twilight said, smiling slightly, as she made her way to the door. 
"I do not think they like my presence very much."
"Oh please! They're cautious around you but I don't think they dislike you!" Twilight opened the door and in fell Pikie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity. Rainbow Dash rushed through the door and Fluttershy slowly flew in. 

"Girls! What're you all doing here?" Twilight asked, surprised.
"Oh!" Rarity started, "Haha, we were all just....oh....passing by!"
"Passing by your door! With our ears!" Pinkie Pie said, springing to her feet.
"You were listening to our conversation." Exulus stated.
"No!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, then lowered her head, "Well.....kinda....yeah...But only for Twilight's sake!"
"For me?" Twilight tilted her head in confusion.
"Yeah! I know he kinda saved us, but I still don't trust 'em!" Rainbow Dash continued.
"I can't say ah' trust 'em much neither." Applejack agreed.
"He deceived all of us, including the Princesses!" Rarity explained.
"Now girls I-" Twilight started.
"No, they're right," Exulus said, facing Twilight, "I did trick them all with my cat form. I can't blame them for not trusting me after the whole Canterlot wedding thing, or all of this. Maybe you're just a bit too trusting, Twilight."
"Exulus..." 
"But that doesn't matter. You're all here and I wanted to talk to you all anyway." Exulus inhaled slowly, then heaved a sigh, "I plan to go back to the hive. I'm going to appeal to the Queen, make her order her changelings to stop killing ponies and just go back to the way things were. In exchange...I guess I would pledge my allegiance to her again..."
"Are you sure about this Exulus? Do you think she would listen?" Twilight asked, a bit of concern in her expression.
"I think she would." Exulus replied.
Rainbow Dash shouted, "No way! I remember what that changeling said! He said the Queen was trying to get you back to the hive. They were ordered to kill you, it's a suicide mission and you know it!"
"I'm glad you know more about my queen than I do," Exulus retorted. Exulus and Rainbow Dash glared at each other while Exulus continued, "And I suppose you have a better idea?"
"Stop it you two!" Twilight got between the two, breaking their lines of sight. "Exulus, couldn't we get the Princess to send an escort with you?"
"I already told you, I don't want to get the nobility involved. Just let me go and do this myself. If the killings don't stop, you can do whatever you like to get this under control. Isn't that enough for you?"
"No! I don't want you to go if you're just going to get killed!" Twilight protested.
"I won't," Exulus reassured, "I'm the best changeling she had. Rainbow Dash saw how I dealt with those two other changelings and I've dealt with them before the Wil-O-Wisp spell. There's no need to worry about me."
"But-"
Exulus placed his hoof on Twilight's mouth, "I'm going now. Just stay here and try not to worry. In fact, just forget about all of this. Forget you met me; just go back to your peaceful, happy lives in Ponyville. I had fun here in my short stay; I can only imagine that you all have much more fun. So just stay here."
"I'll go with you!" Rainbow Dash said, her expression showed she didn't want to, but it also showed that she didn't want Exulus to go get himself hurt either.
"No, you stay here with the other ponies." Exulus said, flapping his wings and putting himself in the air.
"I'm going with you, like it or not!" Rainbow further insisted.
Exulus got in her face, "You're staying right here, or I'll burn those chicken wings off your back!"
Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and growled.
Exulus sighed again, "You're a good pony, Rainbow Dash. Stay here and keep the others safe. If something happens to them, it'll be on you."
Rainbow Dash lowered her eyes and crossed her hooves, lowering herself to the ground where she sat and pouted.
"I'm off, then." Exulus said as he looked over the group.
"See ya later alligator!" Pinkie Pie said, waving.
Twilight smiled and said, "Yeah, see you later."
Exulus shook his head very slightly, "Good-bye."

He flew out of the library as quickly as his wings could take him. Once away from Ponyville, he headed for Canterlot,  wantinh to thank the ones who allowed for all of this to happen, even if he was only a cat at the time.

He didn't bother changing forms as he flew into Canterlot, over the walls and up to the observatory where he had first met Luna. The guards saw him easily and immediately mobilized a force to go capture Exulus. 
Exulus wasted no time as he flew through the halls of the castle, looking for Celestia. He had numerous guesses as to where she was and checked each one. Eventually, he wound up in the hall of the stained glass windows. There, Celestia was looking upon them fondly. Her eyes spotted Exulus and she smiled, approaching him and him approaching her. 

As they got close and stood facing one another, Celestia was the first to speak, "Helo there, Mr. Kitty Cat."
"So, you did know all along." Exulus chuckled.
"Mhm." Celestia nodded.
"Why didn't you tell anypony?"
"Because while I knew you were a changeling, I didn't detect any desire to harm anypony. I sensed your loneliness, your desire for a home."
"Did Princess Luna know as well?"
"Of course. She was particularly fond of you."
"Is there any chance that I could see her?"
"She's sleeping at the moment. I could wake her, or you could wait until the night."
"No, I cannot wait, and I do not wish to wake her. But can you tell her that Kitty Cat said 'Hello' and 'Thank you?' "
"I most certainly can, but wouldn't you like her to know your real name? I would like to know it as well."
Exulus looked down, then back up to Celestia's eyes, "My name is Exulus."
"I will make sure to tell her. So what brings you here today? Were you not having fun with Twilight and her friends?"
"I had much fun with them, but there are troubles, troubles with the Queen of changelings, Troubles that I feel only I can solve."
"Do you wish for my assistance?"
"No, please. I brought this trouble to your kingdom and I want to be the one to right this wrong."
"What do you plan to do?"
"I'm going to talk to the Queen and make her stop, even if it means that I have to become one of her minions again."
Celestia frowned, "Is that what you told Twilight?"
"Yes."
"You lied to her?"
Exulus was slightly stunned, "Huh?"
"You're not going to talk to her to make her stop, and you know she'll never take you back."
Exulus looked down and away, "Yes. You're right."
"What are you really planning?"
Exulus looked up again, "I plan to kill the Queen, maybe even the whole hive if I have to."
"Do you really think you'll succeed in this?"
"I know I'll be successful. I just don't know what will happen after."
"You know you don't have to do this, especially not by yourself."
"But it's something I want to do, especially by myself."
"Is there nothing I can say to convince you otherwise?"
"Nothing, Princess."
"Then I wish you the best of luck, Exulus. Come back safely, we'll be waiting."
"I'll do my best."

Exulus flew out of the castle, weaving up and around the guards and out of Canterlot.

He made his way to the changeling hive, a place well-hidden, despite the large cave opening. At the entrance there were four changelings guarding it. They were wearing armor and alerted each other to Exulus's approach, each one remarking about the surprise. 
Exulus landed in front of them and announced, "I seek only an audience with the queen of the changelings, Chrysalis!"
"Well, well, well," The first guard started, "If it isn't Exulus, back so soon?"
"Has it even been a week?" The second guard teased.
"I don't think so." The third chuckled.
"And he thinks he can just waltz right on back in and talk to the queen?" The fourth scoffed, "Disgraceful!"
"Obviously," The first started again, "We've got orders to kill you on sight. I'd say it's nothing personal, but with how you threatened the queen? It's very personal." 
Exulus sighed, "You know, I didn't have any intentions of killing anyone but Chrysalis today, but you're making it difficult for me."
"Hah!" The second laughed.
The third was laughing as well, "Even you had your limits! We're not some weak harvester drones, we're guards! We're strong! Even you can't take on four of us!"

Exulus's eyelids lowered, this banter was going nowhere. His horn glowed red and he quickly created thin wave of fire that swept across the four changeling guards and ignited them. They screamed as the fire washed over them, covered them, melting their armor as well as their skin. Their wings were burned off completely and they all rolled on the ground, trying to put out the fire, but it simply wouldn't stop. 

Exulus cast the spell to extinguish the flames and the four guards merely lay on the ground in agony. Charred and burned, alive but barely. Exulus made his way in and as he did, his horn glowed again. This time he created a wall of flame, sealing the mouth of the cave. Nopony was getting in or out unless they had the Will-No-Wisp spell, which Exulus highly doubted. 

As he entered, the many changelings gathered around, glaring at him with discontent, but none dared to approach. They heard the screams from outside, they saw the flames, they knew he would just ignite them before they even got close. Exulus showed no emotion as he moved amongst his siblings. For so long this place had been his home, these changelings, his family. Now it was an enemy fortress and these changelings are nothing but enemies. 

He approached the queen's chambers where yet another two guards waited. 
"Move aside." Exulus uttered. 
"If you think's we'll ju-" Before the first guard could finish resisting, Exulus lit both his and the other guard's faces on fire, then walked on past. Once inside the queen's chamber, he extinguished their flames and set up another flaming wall to separate the queen's chamber from the rest of the changelings. 

He spotted the queen and shouted, "CHRYSALIIIIIS!"

She turned and gazed upon him with a smirk on her face and anger in her eyes. Exulus could feel the power coming from her. She wasn't as strong as she was during the Canterlot wedding, but she had certainly regained her full strength again. 

"Welcome back Exulus! Oh how I missed you so!" She taunted.
"Spare me your bullshit, Chrysalis. You know why I'm here. Are you going to order them to stop, or is this going to have to end badly?"
"You don't scare me Exulus," The queen said, her smirk disappearing and her tone hardening, "I know you can sense it. I'm not so weak where you can do as you please anymore. You were a fool to come back here and you're not going to be leaving alive."
"Hmph, yet again, Chrysalis, yet again." Exulus shook his head.
"Yet again, what?" She grunted.
"Yet again you have a good plan that works for the most part. You baited me here, trapped me, and here I am. Yet once again, your plan will fail at the last minute. You think you can kill me? That's a joke, and you insult me with it." Exulus's horn glowed as he aimed to ignite Chrysalis.
She dodged quickly, flying and leaping to the side, moving up against a wall as the spot she was just in caused the air to burn. "I guess we're done talking then. Such a shame!" Her horn glowed green and she directed a green energy blast towards Exulus.

Exulus responded by leaping forward and diving under the attack which struck the ground and burst behind him. He swept his head across as he launched a flaming horizontal arc towards Chrysalis, followed by a flaming vertical arc. 
Chrysalis dove beneath the horizontal arc and pressed off the wall to avoid the vertical one while launching three smaller magic shots at Exulus. 

Exulus leaped to the side, the burst from the third shot got dangerously close to hitting him. He now waved his horn about as he ignited the area surrounding Chrysalis. The ground, the ceiling, the air and walls all began to catch the magical fire as Chrysalis fly around in a panic, trying to evade it all, not even bothering with a counter attack. The room was burning and the air was stuffy and hot. Exulus stood in the middle of the ground, all around him the ground burned. Chrysalis flew between the burning ceiling and floor.

She taunted, "Ha! You fool, you've trapped yourself! The more you light aflame, the more you prevent either of us from moving!"
Exulus retorted, "Let's just hope you catch fire before I do, otherwise you'll be left with two options: burn to death or starve to death. Either way, you've lost."

Chrysalis's face reflected horror as she looked around. She didn't think about it, but it was true. These fires weren't going out, and with the exit sealed, neither was she. She gritted her teeth, "Damn you Exulus. Damn you!!" She charged her horn for one larger ball of magic and launched it at Exulus. 

Exulus dove forward into the small space between him and the fires while the queen's attack came at him. The shot exploded but one last ball of fire launched itself at Chrysalis. She flew to the side and evaded the attack, causing it to hit the wall and ignite the wall.

Chrysalis looked down towards where Exulus was. The blast was larger than the safe zone he had, there was no way he couldn't have been hit. The dust cleared and she saw nothing. Exulus was gone. She smiled and said, "He must have dove into the fires, a death at his own hooves, rather than mine. A rebel to the end."

"Are you really that stupid?" Exulus's voice came from behind Chrysalis.

She turned quickly and was met with a large wave of fire that consumed her lower body and commenced to burning. She shrieked and screamed in agony while searching for Exulus to attack him before she was burned to nothing. She could not find him. Her wings shriveled to a crisp and she fell to the burning floor below where she was consumed by the flames. Her screams ended, as did her writhing. 

A red hue filled the air as the Will-No-Wisp spell was cast, extinguishing the room and bringing down the flaming wall. The pocket of flame on the wall, however, did not extinguish. It was not a flame. The flame glowed and changed into Exulus. The flame was only a disguise. 

Exulus peered down at Chrysalis's charred remains. She almost couldn't distinguish her, only a black corpse burned to near-ashes. He closed his eyes and apologized in his mind, then made his way out.

He could not contain his smile. He was victorious; he'd earned his freedom and peace for ponies all across Equestria from the threat of the changelings. He thought of how he would tell Twilight and the others about his victory, about the inevitable, but happy lie he would have to tell. 

As he strode out, his chin held high, the many changelings in the caverns still surrounded him, making way for him with angered expressions turned towards him, but what would they do without their Queen? The order to kill Exulus was no longer valid. Would any of them step forward to kill him by their own accord?

Just then, a close-ranged and powerful blast of magic was shot from one of the changelings and into Exulus's side, knocking him against the far wall and destroying his right wing and a chunk of his abdomen, allowing his unusual red blood to spill out. He coughed and struggled to move, his body ached with pain. Who did this?

"Poor, foolish Exulus." The Queen's voice echoed out. Exulus forced his eyes open to look. He was having a hard time focusing.
A changeling stepped forward, walking towards the injured Exulus. As it did, it changed into Queen Chrysalis herself. 
"You didn't seriously think I'd fight against a lowly minion like you, did you?" She mocked.
"I was........hoping so....."Exulus heaved out. Talking, even breathing were now painful and exhausting. His body wanted to clench up from the pain, but doing so only caused more pain.
"Well, you put up a good fight, I'll give you that much. Oh, and I'll also stop killing ponies, since you're dead and all." The Queen now laughed, her voice echoing through the caves. 
"You're still.....trapped.....in here....." Exulus coughed up blood and groaned.
"Oh please. We simply have to blow away the cave around your little wall of fire. It's inconvenient, but we can get out juuuuust fine."
Exulus closed his eyes, his body ceased is shaking and convulsing, relaxing. His mouth curled into a smile. "Heh..." He started, "Hehehehe....Hahahahahahaha!" He was laughing and coughing up blood.
"Now what're you laughing about? All your efforts have gone in vain. Well, I guess that is rather funny!" The Queen laughed as well.
"Exulus opened his eyes again, it seemed to sparkle a little bit, "You think....you've won.....and that I....that I've lost? Ha....heh.....You always......fail......in the end.....now....is no....exception."
"Oh please, what could you possibly do at this point?" The Queen challenged as her face expressed curiosity and doubt.
"I had intended....." Exulus started. He was trying to get up, but he was just too weak to do so. He felt pathetic, never had he felt so helpless, but he was not afraid. He mustered his strength into his breathing and his voice. "I had intended to....only kill you.....to save the ponies....to save my brothers....and sisters.....Now.....I can only save one of them...." A tear slid out of Exulus's eyes and across his face.
"Oh they'll both be fine, stop being so dramatic!" 
"No..." Exulus said, closing his eyes, "Only one of them....gets to survive." His eyes opened and passed over the various changlings. "I'm sorry...my brothers....and sisters.....I'm sorry....my Queen....but.....but...." His horn began to glow red, "You...have to.....die....."
His horn's glow grew brighter and brighter. The changelings, especially the Queen, all moved back. She shouted, "Exulus! What are you doing!?"
"Goody-bye....good-bye....." Exulus shut his eyes one last time, but opened his mouth and let loose a mighty roar. With the last of his power, with all that he had, his flames rushed out in every direction. He wasn't aiming at any one thing, he was aiming at everything. 

The flames filled every open space, every nook, every cranny. The flames washed over the crowds of changelings with the Queen being the first to be swallowed by them. The cave was filled with burning, with screams of pain and agony, and with one roar. A roar that echoed through the caves and out into the lands; it echoed with his rage, it echoed with his sorrow, and it echoed with his regret. 

As the world around him burned to nothing, Exulus smiled as he thought of peaceful days in Ponyville and in Canterlot, all the fun that could have been had with the ponies he had met. The ones he would have called his friends. Did they think the same of him? He didn't know, and he would never have the chance to find out...










In Ponyville, Twilight and the others sat in the library. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were playing cards while Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy were trying their best to converse with Twilight and cheer her up, take her mind off of worrying about what may or may not have befallen Exulus. 

There came a cracking sound. It was loud enough for everyone to hear and it was coming from the envelope that Exulus had left for Twilight. She quickly rushed over to the circular table to look at the envelope. The red 'X' seal was cracking, more and more, until it finally shattered and disappeared. 

Twilight was confused, Exulus wasn't around to break the seal and nobody, to her knowledge, had said the password, so why was it coming undone? Her eyes widened as she knew one of the many reasons for a seal to come undone, but she forced her mind away from it as she frantically opened the envelope and read the letter. 

"Dear Twilight Sparkle,
If you're reading this, then it's as you most likely already expect, that I am no more. It's the only way for the seal to be broken without me. Please do not mourn for me or hold any negative feelings for this. It was my choice to go through with this. Though if you are reading this, it means that I was successful, and that the ponies will be safe from the changelings forevermore. I am only sorry that it came to this. You may think me selfish, and I cannot deny this. I knew this was dangerous, that I might not come back from this, but I also felt that it was necessary. Ponies in Equestria have died because of me and my selfish Queen, and while my death may not bring them all back, it will prevent any more from joining them. There will still be changelings in the world, but without the Queen, there will never be more. So please, enjoy yourself, enjoy your days, have fun, and try to put all of this behind you. 

Your Friend, Exulus