Flying slowly over the river, Chitin followed the pony and changeling hoofprints upstream. They brought him all the way to the base of the mountain by the waterfall where the skeleton ponies were dumped, and their tracks came to an end. Raising a brow, he descended to the ground, landing in the soot by the riverbed.
It occurred to him that from here they had taken flight. Looking to the sky, he examined his surroundings for any signs of them, but found none. They couldn’t have just gone into the hive; any entrance they would have taken, they surely would have been caught by another changeling. As he pondered, examining the mountain sides, he heard a shriek echoing from the skies.
The sound had come from the far side of the mountain where the ruins of Canterlot stood. His ears fell back from the familiar sound. “She’s awake…?” Keeping his ears alert, he waited to hear the sound again. After a few moments in timid silence, the monstrous screech echoed from the city once more, and he had an epiphany. “Sounds like they’ve woken the monster,” he determined to himself. “So, they’re trying to sneak in through the abandoned entrance.”
At first he considered flying into Canterlot after them, but he quickly decided against it. He knew that he would stand no chance if he bumped into the phoenix, and judging by the loud and hoarse shrieks from the beast, it was obvious that it was very angry.
“Perhaps, they didn’t make it past the phoenix,” he pondered, weighing the odds. But he knew he couldn’t take any chances; somehow the runaway pony and the exiled changeling had to be tracked down regardless. Sighing through his nose, Chitin rose from the ground, and made his way to a standard entrance into the hive. “This just keeps getting better. What am I going to tell the Queen now…?”
“Chitin!” a voice shouted from behind him, startling the captain. Raising a brow, Chitin turned back, finding himself face to face with Trek and Dozer. “Where in Equestria have you been?” Trek muttered, “Do you have any idea how late you are?? The Queen is going to be so pissed at you.”
Chitin just frowned in response. “I have a lead on where the pony went.”
“Oh?” Dozer tilted his head. “Well, this information better be good. Chrysalis has been acting very frantic recently.”
“Over one missing pony?” Chitin winced.
Dozer shook his head. “Apparently she has concerns for all of our ponies. Their love is being drained much faster than normal.”
Chitin looked at Dozer with a squint, and then to Trek. “She brought this to your attention, but not mine?”
“You took too long to get back, so she told us instead,” Trek exclaimed. “The Queen’s patience has run dry. She even sent us out to find you.”
“Excuse me…?” Chitin frowned. “What else has she been saying during my absence?”
“Well…” Trek chewed his lip, hesitant to reveal anything. Dozer was even making odd gestures regarding the matter. “I don’t mean to get on your bad side, but, she told me that once this mission is over, she’s promoting me to Captain.”
“Wh—” Chitin felt a heavy weight slam into his gut. There was a moment of silence, and he suddenly burst into a rage. “What in the Hell does that make me then?!”
Trek and Dozer just shrugged. They hesitated once again to say anything.
“Answer me!!!”
“Uh…” Dozer nervously brushed a hoof through his mane. “You’re being relieved of your position when this is over. Unless you can prove something good to the Queen, and soon.”
Chitin’s left eye twitched, and he found himself clenching his teeth in hatred.
“If you want her approval, you could start by telling us some information about what you know in regards to the pony,” Trek suggested. “You said you had a lead on where she went.”
At first, the thought of giving Trek or Dozer any clues at this point made him feel that they would use the information against him, and have the Queen favour them over him even more than she already has been. Looking furiously into their eyes, he grit his teeth, and a twitch in the back of his mind made him consider casting Red Death. If he did, however, he would risk even more than he was already in trouble for. It only took a few moments before an idea occurred to him, and with a cold sneer, he delivered the truth.
“I need to speak with the Queen on the matter,” he declared, and pointed to Canterlot. “The pony went to the abandoned city. While I am away, I suggest you two go look for her.”
“Wh—” Dozer raised a brow. “You mean the ruins?? Why would she have gone there?”
“She is with Flake,” he revealed to them. “Flake betrayed us. He is helping her in the hive through the original entrance. Go find them both, and stop them before they breach.”
“Flake betrayed us? And he sided with a pony?” Trek winced. “Why would he do tha—”
“It doesn’t matter!!” Chitin screeched, pointing at the city. “Go find them, now!! Like it or not, I am still your Captain as long as this mission moves forward!”
“Uh… Y-yes sir,” Dozer shuttered, and after a hesitation, he turned and flew toward Canterlot. Trek held back to question him further.
“What if we bump into the phoenix?”
Chitin turned away and winced. “I’m counting on it,” he very quietly murmured under his breath.
“Um… what was that?” Trek questioned further. “I didn’t hear what you said—”
“Go, now!!” Chitin yelled furiously, swatting his hoof through the air while glaring at him. “Or I’ll tear you a new hole in those legs!!”
Trek just frowned in response, and without saying another word, he turned and followed Dozer. As he flew away, he looked back to give the Captain one last disapproving glance, and then continued forward. Chitin sighed loudly and angrily to himself, and made his way to an entrance into the hive to confront Chrysalis.
“Well, that takes care of that problem,” he quietly growled. “I don’t need them… I can do this mission on my own.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Flake sat relaxed while Scootaloo paced back and forth with her eyes on the colourless pegasus sleeping on the floor. The changeling wasn’t sure how to respond to how Scootaloo was acting, but he could tell that she was being very impatient.
“How long is it going to take for her to get up?” she asked in a scared manner.
“Give her time,” Flake murmured. “She’ll be just fine when she regains consciousness.”
Scootaloo sighed and rolled her eyes, sitting while looking down upon her. Waiting, she noticed Rainbow Dash’s left ear twitch. Scootaloo stood and stepped back, giving her some room. Then after a moment, Rainbow Dash coughed, and slowly her eyes began to open.
In an unhurried pace, the downed pegasus gradually began to squirm and gain her strength back. Breathing easier, Rainbow Dash brought her hooves beneath her, and made the attempt to push herself up. Scootaloo could tell by the look on Rainbow Dash’s face that she was confused by her weak condition that she had woken up in.
“Ho, man, it’s... it’s so good to see you,” Scootaloo exclaimed.
Rainbow Dash coughed a few more times, and turned to look at the bright orange pegasus. At first, she winced at her, and leaned in closer to get a better look at her. “Who...?” She tilted her head. “Do... Do I know you?”
Scootaloo cowered at that. “You don’t recognize me...?” It took her a moment, but after she asked her that question, she took into account that she was in a much older body than the one Rainbow Dash would have remembered her in. Clearing her throat, Scootaloo stood taller, and opened her mouth to announce who she was, when Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. “Hey! Look out behind you!” The colourless pegasus suddenly jolted into a swift gallop and leapt past her, straight toward the changeling. Flake, completely caught off guard, took her full leap into his chest.
Collapsing onto his back with Rainbow Dash on top of him, she pinned him and snarled up close to his snout. “Run!” she called out to Scootaloo.
“Wait, stop it!” Scootaloo galloped up to Rainbow Dash and tried tugging on her to get her off of the startled changeling, though the agile pegasus was much too focused what she was doing to pay attention to her.
“I’m gonna rip your wings off, you—OW!” Rainbow Dash was caught in the moment when Flake got his hooves beneath her, kicking her off of him. Rainbow Dash fell back, collapsing and rolling across the floor. Easily winded from being concealed in a cocoon for so long, she tried regaining her strength, and stood back up. “Why... am I so... tired??” she muttered between gasps.
“Watch it, pony!” Flake yelled at her, standing his ground. “I’m not afraid to take you on!”
“Stop it!” Scootaloo panicked, stepping in Flake’s way. “You already know she’s on my side,” she growled, then turned to glance at Rainbow Dash, attempting to acquaint the two. “This changeling is helping us!”
“Helping?!” Rainbow Dash twitched. “Who are you to say, huh?! You’re probably a changeling, too!” She prepared to strike, and began galloping toward her. “C’mon!! I’m not afraid of you insects!”
Seeing the oncoming pegasus sent a frightful shiver down her spine, and her eyes widened. “Wait, WAIT!”
Before Scootaloo could convince her otherwise, Rainbow Dash plowed into her with the powerful force of her agile wings. “Ogh!!” Scootaloo was knocked back onto the ground, and Rainbow Dash leapt on top of her. “W-wait, Rainb—” With increasing strength by the second, Rainbow Dash threw a hoof into her snout. Then pulled back and hit her again, drawing blood from her nostrils. Before she managed to get a third strike, Flake leapt into her, knocking her off of the traumatized pegasus.
After rolling to a stop, Rainbow Dash was quick to get back to her hooves. She turned to face the changeling who had assaulted her, wincing curiously. “Never seen a changeling actually stick up for its own kind before.”
“Well maybe I’m different!”
“Yeah, you’re always different every time I look at you! But always the same on the inside,” Rainbow Dash snarled disgustingly. “Always changing; always changelings!” Galloping toward Flake, the angry pegasus leapt toward him. Flake braced himself, and after a quick growl, he launched a green spell at the incoming pegasus. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened, too late to dodge the oncoming attack, and she collided right into his spell, airborne. It struck her in the face, sealing her eyes shut in a green mesh. “AAH!!”
Flake leapt to the side as the pony collapsed with her vision blocked out. Scrambling to her hooves, she began spinning where she stood, bucking random directions in the air. Her breathing was escalating to a panicking state. With her guard down, Flake fired another green spell at her, striking her in the wing and sealing it in mesh.
“AH NO!” Rainbow Dash shrieked. “No! Stop!! I gotta save my friends!”
“RAINBOW DASH!!!” Scootaloo’s yell was loud and hoarse enough to even make Rainbow Dash flinch. The blinded pony buckled her knees, cowering low to the ground at the sound of her voice calling her name. In that moment, she was frozen. Flake looked at Scootaloo, then back at Rainbow Dash curiously.
“How do you know who I am...?” Rainbow Dash questioned her in a whimper.
Scootaloo wiped her bloody snout with the back of her hoof with a sigh, and she approached the blinded pony. Rainbow Dash could hear Scootaloo’s hoofsteps closing in on her, which made the blind pegasus back up in a hurry.
“D-don’t come any closer,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, trembling at her hooves.
“Rainbow Dash, let me get that mesh off your face so you can see.”
The stubborn pegasus stepped back again. “H-how can I trust you. You’re changelings!”
Scootaloo sighed through her snout. “No, Rainbow Dash, I’m not a changeling. And the changeling here with me is my friend. He’s helping us.”
The confused pegasus’ ears fell back. “A changeling...? Siding with a pony?” She shook her head. “I-I can’t believe a word of that.”
“Rainbow Dash, it’s me...” she revealed to her, “Scootaloo.”
Silence. Rainbow Dash was frozen at her hooves, unable to speak. Cautiously, Scootaloo tried to approach her again. Rainbow’s ears twitched at the sound of her hoofsteps, but this time she only slouched a little, but didn’t move from her spot. Acknowledging Rainbow’s slightly increased trust in her, she took the chance to step up close to the mare, and with her front hooves, she gently peeled away at the mesh covering her eyes. Rainbow Dash flinched at first, but remained still and allowed Scootaloo to continue.
“After all your loyalty, isn’t it about time somepony saved your life for once...?” she murmured as she uncovered Rainbow’s eyes.
Once the mesh was cleared away, Rainbow Dash blinked a few times, and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hoof. She then looked into Scootaloo’s eyes and squinted to get a good look at her. It took her a long moment to collect her thoughts and fully trust her, but all of the tension between them was finally lifted when Rainbow smiled at her.
“Little sis...?” Rainbow Dash murmured to the younger pegasus. “Wow... Have you ever grown up fast.”
“Heh, tell me about it,” Scootaloo chuckled nervously, thinking about her unexpected growth spurt herself.
Rainbow then turned to the changeling. It didn’t take long for her smile to disappear, and though she was a little tense about him being here, she cleared her throat and tried speaking to him. “So... Not even trying to hide your identity I see.” She then noticed something a little off about him. “But what’s with the colour?” She raised a brow and pointed a hoof at him. “You’re all… green.” She put her hoof down. “I’ve only ever seen a black changeling.”
“Long story...” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“So, you’re Rainbow Dash,” Flake commented to the pegasus. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Hearing that from a changeling was a bit odd to Rainbow, but she took it as kindly as she was able to and nodded. Raising a brow, she replied, “Uh huh, and who might you be?”
“Rainbow Dash, this is Flake,” Scootaloo introduced the changeling to her, trying to ease the tension between them. “I know what the changelings have done to us, but, he is different.”
Rainbow just squinted at the changeling. “Uh huh.”
“Heh, I don’t expect you to fully trust me,” Flake exclaimed. “All I’m asking from you is a chance.”
The hesitant pegasus looked him in the eyes for a long period of silence. She sighed heavily through her nostrils, and nodded. “Alright, but!” She pointed at him. “If I catch you doing anything suspicious, I’ll make you wish you never opened my cocoon.”
“Rainbow Dash…” Scootaloo murmured, “You should really look at your reflection.”
“Why?” the curious pegasus questioned her.
“Just… You’ll understand why you feel so empty-hearted when you do.”
“Empty-hearted?” Rainbow winced. “What’re you talking about?”
“Well isn’t it obvious? You’re not acting like yourself.”
Rainbow Dash knew the younger pegasus was right about that. She was traumatized from the events of a decade ago, and to finally wake up in these conditions, she did feel empty. She couldn’t define it, but it made her unhappy. It made her feel unlike herself. Off to the side, there was a small puddle of water, slowly dripping in from the ceiling. Curious, she trotted up to the little open source of water, and peered down into the inch-deep liquid. She felt her heart sink, and the cave went so silent they could’ve heard a pin drop.
Scootaloo and Flake watched her reactions, and slowly, Rainbow Dash raised a hoof as she gently brushed it through her colourless mane. Her grey appearance made her feel as pale as she looked, and her visual reactions made it obvious to Scootaloo how traumatizing it was to see herself that way.
“Wh-what happened to me?” she squeaked in a painful monotone.
“The same thing that happened to me when I escaped my cocoon…” Scootaloo explained. “For ten years, the changelings have been feeding off of your love, leaving you emotionless as you are colourless.”
“This… this is the same thing I felt when Discord flipped my element…” Rainbow Dash turned to her. “And I was grey then, too.”
Scootaloo exhaled through her nose and trotted up to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow looked at her curiously, and trotted back a couple paces.
“You feel scared,” Scootaloo exclaimed as she approached the pale mare. “Frightened of anything and everything.”
“I-I…”
“When I needed help, when I was alone in the dark, when I just… needed to be loved after I had gotten out of this hive, colourless and afraid... It was shared.” Scootaloo murmured quietly with a particular bat screeching in the depths of her mind.
Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure where she was going with this, and realized she was right about what she said. She was scared, of pretty much everything. Even afraid to trust her. Scootaloo walked up to the shaking mare, and without any further explanation, she lifted up onto her hind legs, and hugged her. Flake watched as Scootaloo embraced Rainbow Dash with care, and Rainbow’s eyes widened and lit up. The changeling witnessed it before himself; an act of kindness and love, as Rainbow’s coat slowly glistened with magic, and gradually reformed her colour. Her spectrum gleaming mane, her sky blue coat, her bright violet eyes, damp with tears… and she returned the embrace, holding Scootaloo back. And together they cried.
Flake tilted his head, curiously, observing their actions. Their emotions; such feelings he has only ever heard of, but never really seen. It was evident these emotions were strong, and they were joyous. He could slightly understand what they were feeling, as she had done the same for him when they were in the forest, and he was dying.
“I’ve been so scared,” Rainbow Dash sobbed, “Wh-what has been happening to everypony. I watched the changelings take you and all my friends. I watched them cocoon you. I couldn’t stop them!” She cringed and hugged the younger pegasus tighter. “I couldn’t do anything! I was so powerless! So weak!”
“Rainbow Dash, you have never been weak,” Scootaloo reassured her.
“A-and then they captured me!” Rainbow added. “They cocooned me, and… now I wake up… A-after ten years??”
Flake sighed through his nose and sat on his flank, listening in as guilt was seeping through his veins. He remembered the war to take over ponykind; he remembered being part of that war. He cringed at the thought, learning more about the peace the ponies have resembled in Equestria. Deep in his thoughts, he pondered why his kind were never this way. And he began to think, did they really need to feed off of love to survive? Was that really their only solution for existing? That was their purpose?
Scootaloo sighed. “I’m just glad you’re back.”
Rainbow sniffed and tried to get a hold of herself, finally separating their embrace. “Y-yeah… Good to be back…” She sat on her flank, looking to Scootaloo and acknowledged her bleeding lip and snout. Her ears fell back, and she sighed. “I’m… I’m sorry, if I hurt you.”
“Don’t worry, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo exclaimed. “None of that matters.”
Flake remained in silence as he lowered his head, lifting his hoof to look at it. His olive green hoof; a colour that only he among the rest of his kind had. And it was all because of Scootaloo. It was all because of love… Proper, unconsumed, love. And because of this, for once in his life, even though he hasn’t consumed anything… he didn’t feel hungry. Not for love. Instead, he felt happy. He felt respected and cared about.
“Love… is a gift…” he murmured in silence to himself, marveling in this ongoing epiphany that slowly sank more and more into his heart. And the more he felt it, the more he wanted to learn.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Chitin marched through the hall of the changeling hive toward the large and intimidating double-doors. The throne room ahead was guarded by two changelings—one on each side of the entrance. Trotting up to the doors, he noticeably slowed down in a cowering manner. Getting closer and closer, he found himself stop at the face of the doorway, and he looked up at the entry, suddenly feeling very small.
He knew the Queen was going to scold him the second he would enter that door. It was bad enough that he was beyond tardy, but what was he going to tell her about the pony siding with Flake? How would she ever believe it? And what would she say if she were to find out that he cast Red Death—a spell forbidden by Chrysalis herself—on the changeling? Furthermore, how would she react if she knew he sent Trek and Dozer off to Canterlot where the phoenix was lurking?
“Distracted, are we Chitin?” the guard to his left muttered to him. Chitin frowned in response, but didn’t make eye contact with the changeling, staring at the doors in front of him.
“Your duty is to stand there and shut up,” he grumbled back at the guard questioning him. Bracing himself, he stood on his back legs and placed his front hooves against the face of the door, ready to push it open to confront the Queen. Once his hooves made contact with the door, he stopped there, and found himself unable to push the doors open. To him it felt as if the doors weighed a ton, though it was his unwillingness to enter—his fear of the Queen’s rejection—which held him back from pushing them open.
He knew he couldn’t tell her the truth, and he realized he had no believable lie to cover it with. He would lose his position as captain for certain, and who knew what else she would do to him. Slowly, he lowered his hooves from the door back onto the ground, and he stepped back from the entrance. Taking a long, hesitant glance at the doors, he trailed his eyes down to his hooves, and he frowned, gritting his teeth as a faint, angry growl emanated from his throat. And with that, he turned around, and he walked away.
“Shouldn’t you be speaking to the Queen?” the second throne guard exclaimed to the captain. Chitin paused for just a moment and tensed his frown, and then kept walking.
“I have some unfinished business to take care of,” he declared without looking back.
“The Queen isn’t going to like you walking out like this.”
Chitin stopped for a brief moment to turn and glance at them, cringing furiously. “If the Queen questions my motives... Tell her, I’m going to come back when I am prepared to come back.” He stomped a hoof and leaned toward them, raising his voice. “And that when I come back, I’m going to hand over that pony to Chrysalis myself!!”
With that, Chitin turned and stormed out in full gallop. The throne guards exchanged glances and shrugged.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Many thanks to these gentlecolts:
Proofreading and Editing done by The Princess Luna and David Hasselhoof.
Prereading and other Assistance by Morfonious.