Char was making his way around the hive, performing a regular patrol. It has been a while since he was been reinstated by the King and Queen as head of the guard, and it seem life had turned back to normal for him... at least, so he thought.
As he made his rounds, he noticed some of the Changelings trembled at his passing, others glared, while others still ignored him. He couldn't blame them. His actions had brought shame upon the hive. Trying to hold Mist hostage and force an end to the peace treaty nearly jeopardised everything the hive had built, and the Changelings despised him for it. Even fighting alongside ponies and saving Sleight from a falling abomination wasn't enough to improve his standing with his brothers and sisters.
That wasn't to say he didn't have any friends at all. There were some who had actually agreed with his stance, to his surprise. He had believed the whole hive was behind Sleight, but that wasn't the case.
But that itself was only secondary to Char's main concern. Despite putting aside his hatred Char was still finding it difficult to find his way in the new pro-pony hive. He felt so out of place, like he no longer belonged there.
'How zzztrange...' He thought to himself, as he returned to the barracks. 'For home to no longer feel like home any more... I've been away for zzzo long, and in that cell, too. Thingzzz have changed zzzo much around here. Perhapzzz there izzz no place for an out-of-touch zzzoldier like myzzzelf any more.'
As Char entered the barracks, he was greeted by a fellow soldier, one with an unusually long horn.
"Good morning, Char." The soldier smiled.
"Hello, Herk." Char nodded.
Herk was an old friend of Char's, the two having served side by side. Back in the day, Herk was one of Char's most ardent supporters, believing full well in Char's anti-pony rhetoric. The two had trained as soldiers together, gone out on missions, too; In fact, Herk was with Char that awful day when he discovered Hazel's mutilated corpse. The two had been reunited in their revulsion towards those ponies' actions. Char could have always counted on him to back up his pony-based vitriol. In fact, Herk had heavily protested at Char's imprisonment, to the point where he was imprisoned for a time also, having gotten quite irrational over it.
After being released, Herk had kept his beliefs mostly to himself and a small group of others, who shared the same views.
"What'zzz the matter, old friend?" Herk asked.
"Oh, I'm juzzzt... having a hard time readjuzzzting to life in the hive." Char confessed. "I've been apart from thingzzz for zzzo long, it'zzz hard for me to fit back into thingzzz. Maybe I juzzzt don't belong here any more."
"Don't think like that, old friend." Herk told him. "Of courzzze you belong here. Thizzz izzz your hive, and we are all your brotherzzz and zzzizzzterzzz."
"It doezzzn't feel like it right now." Char sighed. "It feelzzz like I am naught but an outcazzzt. No friendzzz, no zzzupporterzzz, nothing."
"You are wrong, Char." Herk declared. "You have friendzzz. I have alwayzzz been your friend. ...Would you like to come by my home tonight?"
"I don't know." Char shrugged. "I'm not feeling very zzzociable thezzze dayzzz..."
"You zzzay you're feeling like an outcazzzt." Herk pointed out. "Being alone zzzertainly won't alleviate the matter. I'm your friend, Char. Alwayzzz have been. And I know zzzome otherzzz who would like to be your friendzzz too. That izzz, if you'll let them. What do you zzzay?"
Char thought it over for a moment.
"I zzzuppozzze it beatzzz another evening alone." He sighed. "Okay, I'll come."
"Great." Herk smiled. "Zzzee you after work."
That evening, Char left the barracks, and headed over to Herk's home, a two-story house. As he entered Herk's home, he was greeted not just by Herk, but by a small group of other Changelings.
"Uh... hello?" He frowned. Herk mentioned having friends, but he didn't expect more than one or two.
"Glad you could make it." Herk smiled. "Char, thizzz izzz Zzztrut..."
"Hello." Strut, a construction Changeling, nodded.
"Abdo..."
"Nice to see you in the shell at last." Abdo, a female nurse, smiled.
"Pincer..."
"It's an honor, sir." Pincer, a drone with well-developed fangs bowed.
"And Hunter." Herk pointed out a slender scout Changeling, who merely nodded. "He doezzzn't talk much."
"Nice to meet you all." Char said curtly.
"Can't believe I'm actually meeting the Char, face-to-face!" Strut squeed.
"We think you're the tops!" Abdo grinned.
"You do?" Char frowned.
"Yes." Pincer nodded. "We all think you got a raw deal. Being thrown into prison like that, when your only crime was trying to preserve our kinds' noble traditions."
"That wazzz my intent, wazzzn't it?" Char sighed. "Though I could have gone about it a little better."
"Nonzzzenzzze." Herk declared. "You went about it in juzzzt the right way. You tried to zzzend a mezzzzzzage to the poniezzz and our kind alike. But thozzze foolzzz refuzzzed to listen. They zzztuck you ina dingy cell until they needed you during that whole buzzzinezzzzzz in the Cryzzztal Empire."
"Pathetic, isn't it?" Abdo growled. "They were happy to leave you to rot, until they had a use for you."
"But on the bright side, they finally let you out." Pincer smiled. "But until that happened, we were there to try and pick up where you left off, trying to drill some sense into all the others. The fools who fell in line for our new 'King'." He snarled distastefully.
"Who didn't wazzzte any time making changezzz to our grand traditionzzz." Herk spat. "Zzztarting with not drowning all the defectzzz... you'd think he actually wantzzz uzzz to be zzzurrounded with inferiorzzz."
"As if that little runt Sazh wasn't enough..." Strut growled.
"Not to mention all the time he and Chrysalis have spent making nice with those ponies." Strut scowled.
"Yezzz, a lot hazzz changed..." Char frowned. While he may have once believed in such things, those beliefs had dwindled over time. But hearing them spoken with such vigor by these other made him feel a little uncomfortable.
"It's all so ridiculous." Abdo spat. "But so many of our brothers and sisters are behind him. Until you came back, we felt like we were the only ones to remember what it really means to be a Changeling. Us, and the others..."
"Otherzzz?" Char asked. "You mean there are more like you?"
"A few more, yes." Pincer nodded. "But they couldn't make it tonight. A shame, really. They'd be as glad to meet you as we were."
"You zzzee, Char?" Herk smiled. "You're not alone. Not even clozzze. We all believe in you. We are willing to zzztand behind you, and keep your beliefzzz alive."
"Oh... thank you." Char said, overwhelmed.
While it felt good to have his fellow Changelings view him in a positive light, the idea of others championing his old beliefs didn't feel as good as he once thought it would.
"I'll go fetch some zzzwamp mozzzzzz." Herk declared. "Then we can chow down, and have a nice long chat."
"Great..." Char smiled weakly.
For the rest of the evening, Char's "supporters" discussed their anti-pony views quite vigorously. Char nodded politely and made token words of agreement, but he no longer possessed the fire he once did, heck, he wasn't even sure if he agreed with some of the views he once held. Fortunately, their meeting ended relatively soon.
"It wazzz great having you with uzzz, Char." Herk smiled.
"Maybe you could drop by again sometime?" Strut offered.
"Maybe..." Char shrugged.
"I sure hope so." Abdo smiled. "The others would love to meet you."
"And I'm zzzure I'd enjoy meeting them." Char said. "But for now, I'd like to go home and rezzzt."
"Sure thing." Pincer smiled. "Have a good one."
Hunter nodded quietly.
With that, Char left Herk's home, his mind reeling from what had just transpired.
'Unbelievable.' He thought. 'To think, there were Changelingzzz who agreed with me thizzz whole time...'
A couple of days later, Char was still mulling over the events of that evening. Once, he would have been pleased to have the support of those who felt the way he had towards. But things had changed. Char no longer wished to spread hate, and just wanted to serve his hive, even if a pony was in charge...
As he made his way to the tower, he saw young Glinda walking, a Unicorn colt by her side.
"Good afternoon, Glinda." Char said respectfully, fully aware of Sleight's fondness for the young one.
"Hello, Char." Glinda replied. Having just been a larva when Char first deserted the hive, she was not privy to some of his worst actions, so she didn't hold him in as much contempt as the others.
"I zzzee you have a friend over." Char glanced at the colt.
"Uh, hi..." The colt said awkwardly.
"More than that, actually." Glinda smiled. "Vito here is my coltfriend."
"Oh, really?" Char cringed. While having a better disposition toward pony/Changeling interactions, Char wasn't prepared for another example of interspecies romance. Queen Chrysalis becoming Sleight's mate was one thing, but Glinda was so young. Char honestly didn't know how to feel about this revelation. Not wanting to cause any trouble, he kept his uncertainty to himself. "Well, you two... have fun."
"Oh, we will." Glinda grinned.
"Nice to meet you... I guess." Vito said flatly.
As Glinda and Vito left, Char watched them. He was joined by none other than Herk as he glanced distastefully at the two.
"Look at that." He snarled. "What a dizzzguzzzting dizzzplay."
"Hello, Herk." Char declared with a sigh.
"How can you zzztand to look at zzzomething like that?" Herk spat. "It'zzz a mockery of our hive'zzz once-great traditionzzz."
"I will admit, it izzz ... unusual." Char declared. "But that zzzeemzzz to be the way the wind izzz blowing nowadayzzz."
"That doezzzn't make it right." Herk snarled. "You zzzhould know, you protezzzted Chryzzzalizzz taking that pony for a mate."
"Yezzz, I did." Char nodded. "It zzzeemzzz zzzo long ago, now..."
"Not to me." Herk scowled. "Or to the rezzzt of uzzz. It wazzz your example that convinced uzzz that our hive wazzz being changed for the worzzzt. Before Zzzleight came along, we were zzzolitary. We needed no otherzzz, nor would any of uzzz even think of allowing poniezzz to enter the hive'zzzz borderzzz."
"But now look at what's happening." Strut said distastefully, as he and others from last night joined them. "One of our own, a youngling no less, openly entering into a relationship with a pony."
"It's sick." Abdo growled. "First, we lost Greg to that Cotton harlot, and now they are targeting our larvae. It's a crime against nature. Wouldn't you agree, Char?"
"Well..." Char muttered, not quite sure what to think.
"Of courzzze he doezzz." Herk declared. "Char knowzzz the way thingzzz zzzhould be better than any of uzzz."
"Something really should be done about that." Pincer declared.
"But what?" Strut asked. "We all know Glinda is our 'king's' favorite. If any of us tried anything, he'd have our shells."
"Pity." Herk spat. "That foolizzzh youngling needzzz to be taught a good lezzzzzzon..."
"Zzzorry I can't zzztick around and talk, but I have my dutiezzz to attend to." Char said awkwardly. "Bye."
Char left the group, unnerved by their vitriol. He knew full well how it felt to be so fanatical, and how it had driven him to such extremes.
'But they're not me.' Char thought. 'They're juzzzzt zzzzpeaking their mindzzz. Nothing bad can come from a little free zzzpeech... I hope.'
A couple of days later, Glinda and Vito were out in Canterlot, just returning from seeing a movie.
"Wow, that was fun!" Glinda squealed. "I've never seen a movie before. Are they all that good?"
"Some of them are." Vito admitted. "But without you watching them with me, they'd all be terrible."
"Aww, thanks, V." Glinda snuggled against him.
As they turned down a narrow street, they suddenly found themselves accosted by three Unicorn stallions.
"Where do you think you're going, bug girl?" The first stallion, with a red coat, a pale yellow mane, a scar on his face, and a silver earring, sneered.
"Yeah." The second, a midnight blue fellow with a black mane, beard and a notch missing from his left ear, smirked. "Little far from the nest, aren't you?"
"Look, we don't want any trouble." Vito said nervously.
"Oh, you've got trouble." The third stallion, a dirty green brute with a pale purple mane stepped forward. He was by far the biggest of the bunch. "You asked for trouble the second you decided to parade around town with an overgrown bug by your side."
"Why?" Glinda asked. "We're not hurting anypony."
"You're hurting the natural order." The green stallion snarled. "And you must pay for that..."
"Hey, b-back off!" Vito gulped. "Do you know who we are? We're pretty important, you know!"
"Ooh, lah-di-dah." The blue stallion sniggered.
"You're just trash to us." The red stallion sneered.
"Less than trash." The green stallion growled. "Your way of thinking is like an infection... which needs to be stamped out!"
"No, please..." Glinda gulped, as she and Vito were backed into a corner. "Don't..."
Glinda's pleas fell on deaf ears, and the night air was filled with their screams.
The next morning, Sleight and Chrysalis were besides themselves with worry.
"Glinda's never been gone this long..." Sleight frowned. "This is even longer than that one time...she should have come back hours ago."
"I can't help but fear the worst." Chrysalis declared, actually concerned herself.
At that point, a pony messenger entered the throne room.
"I have an urgent message for you." He declared. "Direct from Canterlot."
Sleight opened the message. As he and Chrysalis read it, they were filled with dread.
"Do you require an escort?" The messenger asked.
Sleight and Chrysalis nodded silently, distraught.
Once they arrived in Canterlot, Sleight and Chrysalis rushed to the royal infirmary, where a terrible sight awaited them; Both Vito and Glinda had been badly beaten by the thugs. While Glinda suffered some bruising and deep scratches in her shell, Vito had gotten a broken leg. Changelings were, after all, tougher than ponies. Glinda just needed to sleep off her wounds for a little while, but Vito had a longer recovery ahead of him. Prince Blueblood, his wife Dusty, and Vito's twin brother Blueblood were standing by Vito's bed.
"How did this happen?" Sleight growled.
"Who did this?" Chrysalis snarled.
"I'm afraid they were attacked by a trio of bigots." Blueblood declared. "They didn't like the idea of a pony and a Changeling being together..."
"Those monsters..." Dusty sniffed.
"How could they?" Pureblood said morosely.
"Do you know who they were?" Chrysalis scowled.
"Vito gave us a description before he was put under." Blueblood handed her a piece of paper with the details on it. "Three Unicorn stallions. One red, one blue, one green. All big brutes."
"I can't believe this..." Sleight looked at Glinda's prone form. "Glinda, I'm so sorry."
"It seems not everypony believes in our two species... mingling." Chrysalis sighed.
"Well, rest assured, we will have the Royal Guard look into this." Dusty declared. "They will find the thugs responsible for this and make them pay!"
"I'm sure you will." Chrysalis sighed. "Now, if you don't mind, we'd like to take Glinda home now."
"By all means." Blueblood said sadly. "We are so sorry about this..."
"I'm sure the last thing Vito wanted was for Glinda to get hurt." Dusty added.
"It's not his fault." Chrysalis assured her. "It's the fault of those who are too narrow-minded and intolerant to accept anything different."
"Come on, sweetheart." Sleight used his magic to gently float Glinda out of the bed and onto his back. "Let's get you home."
After returning to the hive and placing Glinda in her own bed, Sleight and Chrysalis broke the news to Sazh and Wizel, and also Char, who was with Wizel at the time.
"No way..." Sazh shook his head. "There's no way..."
"Attacking a pair of children." Wizel scowled. "How reprehensible..."
"Izzz Glinda... okay?" Char asked.
"She's still in one piece." Sleight admitted. "She just needs to rest for a day or two."
"I suppose we should be grateful she wasn't more badly hurt." Chrysalis declared. "Which is more than can be said for the thugs who did is if I ever get a hold of them..."
As Char left the chamber, he turned his thoughts to what had just happened. He was angry that Glinda had been hurt like that, moreso that it had ponies who had done it.
'But they hurt the colt, too.' He noted to himself. 'Thozzze brutezzz even attacked their own kind. And they're still out there...'
The next morning, Char entered Glinda's chamber. The young Changeling was awake. She was sat on her bed, her front hooves curled around her knees.
"Glinda?" He asked tentatively. "Are you okay?"
"No." Glinda sniffed.
"You zzzeem to be healing well." Char noted. "Juzzzt zzzome zzzcratchezzz on your zzzhell left. Thozzze will buff out in a few dayzzz. Take it from me."
"Well, yippee for me." Glinda said sourly. "Because a pristine shell is the most I have to worry about."
"That wazzz zzzarcazzzm, wazzzn't it?" Char asked.
"Can't get anything past you, huh?" Glinda snorted.
"Don't worry, little one." Char declared. "The onezzz who did thizzz to you will be found and punizzzhed, I zzzwear."
"Great..." Glinda said quietly.
"What izzz wrong, youngling?" Char asked. "Your woundzzz aren't that zzzevere-"
"It's not about me." Glinda frowned. "It's about Vito. I heard he got hurt worse than I did."
"Oh, right." Char realised. "Your... coltfriend. But he will heal. Perhapzzz not azzz fazzzt azzz you, but zzztill..."
"...I guess you were right all along, Char." Glinda sighed.
Char raised a brow.
"Right? Right about what?" Char asked.
"I heard about how you once say, a while back, that ponies and Changelings should never mix... that them doing so goes against every that a Changeling should be." Glinda recalled.
"Oh..." Char frowned, he certainly remembered saying stuff like that. "Glinda, that wazzz a rather long time ago, and you know what they zzzay about time changing-"
"But it's true, isn't it?" Glinda murmured. "They hurt Vito because I was with him. And I've heard many Changelings say bad things about me being with him..."
"Well, they are entitled to their opinionzzz." Char tried to reason. "Even if they are rather zzztupid ones..."
"Well, maybe they're right." Glinda pouted tearfully. "Maybe I should just break things off with him. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Vito got... got..."
"What? Glinda... but... but you two... love each other." Char declared.
"Which is why I don't want him to get hurt." Glinda sniffed. "It'll be better for both of us..."
Glinda began crying softly. As Char attempted to comfort Glinda, he noticed the scratch marks on her side. He saw that some on her side read "wh." It was almost like one of the thugs had tried writing something, but stopped halfway for some reason. Not only did they remind him of what happened to Hazel, it also reminded him of what he had once planned to do to any Changeling with pro-pony leanings. Of course, he never went through with it, finding such a treatment too cruel, even if he hated the ponies.
But the thought of that just revolted Char. Had he stuck hard to his beliefs, he could have done something like that himself, and he hated that fact. And to have it done to a sweet young larva like Glinda? She was just a child and she had been almost permanently scarred. He could not let this stand.
'Time to take matterzzz into my own hoovezzz...' He thought angrily.
As Char walked out into the corridors, he bumped into Wizel.
"Zzzorry." He apologised. "Didn't zzzee you there."
Wizel appraised Char, looking him over.
"You seem a little... preoccupied, Char." He declared.
"Can you blame me?" Char scowled. "One of our own, a youngling, no lezzz, wazzz juzzzt attacked!"
"Yes, it is quite a harrowing thought." Wizel nodded. "Things have been so peaceful lately, I think we've all forgotten that ponies like "Red Eclipse" are still out there."
"Vile fiendzzz." Char spat. "To think, they're out there right now, avoiding juzzztice for their crimezzz."
"Not for long, hopefully." Wizel declared. "The ponies have their authorities looking for them. Justice may yet be served."
"That'zzz not good enough." Char snarled. "They harmed a Changeling, zzzo it zzzhould be a Changeling that bringzzz them to juzzztice."
"What are you saying, Char?" Wizel asked.
"Oh, nothing." Char declared. "Juzzzt venting. After all, I know how you'd feel if zzzome recklezzzzzz fool went after thozzze thugzzz..."
"I wouldn't exactly be pleased." Wizel admitted. "But I would understand why the fool in question did it. After all, they would only be avenging a wrong done to an innocent... as long as the fool didn't take things too far."
"...Good to know." Char smiled. "Well, I have... thingzzz to take care of. Zeee you later."
"Good luck..." Wizel smirked.
Sneaking the paper bearing the thugs' description out of the barracks, Char headed over to Canterlot, intend on finding those thugs and making them pay.
Once he arrived in canterlot, Char took on the form of a ram, which served both as disguise and as a means of making sure nopony tried to make any trouble with him. He made his way to the area where Glinda and Vito were attacked, and began a stake-out. For the first couple of days, there was nothing. But on the third, he saw the red and blue stallions coming out of a bar.
'Bingo.' He smirked. 'It'zzz one lezzzzzz than I would've liked, but zzztill...'
"Hey, a ram!" One of the bar's other patrons pointed out to his friend.
"Ooh, fun!" The other smiled.
Char tailed the two stallions until they entered a run-down old shack on the edge of the city. Assuming his true form, Char cracked his neck as he approached the door.
'Time to kick zzzome flank...' Char snarled.
Once they entered, he kicked down the front door.
"Holy buck!" The red stallion yelped. "Changeling!"
"Get outta here, ya lousy bug!" The blue stallion snarled.
The two thugs attacked, but Char easily overwhelmed them, dodging their blows and magic blasts, striking them in their most vulnerable spots, then knocking them to the ground and spitting some resin to hold them there.
"What the buck is this?!" The red stallion snarled. "What do you want with us?"
"Zzzimple." Char said coldly. "I am here to dizzzcuzzzzzz the two young onezzz you azzzzzzaulted a couple of nightzzz ago. A certain young prince and a little Changeling girl..."
"W-we don't know what you're talking about." The blue stallion gulped.
"Do not lie to me." Char snarled. "One of your victimzzz provided an accurate dezzzcription."
"Okay, we did it." The red stallion shuddered. "But it wasn't our idea!"
"Rojo's right, it was Verde who convinced us to do it!" The blue stallion declared.
"Ah, your mizzzzzzing cohort." Char sneered. "He wazzz the mazzztermind."
"Yeah, like Azul says." Rojo nodded. "We barely even knew him, actually. He just showed up a few days ago at this bar we hang out at."
"Honestly, he was kind of a weird guy." Azul noted. "Always making these buzzing and clacking sounds with his teeth..."
"Buzzing and clacking..." Char frowned.
"Yeah, and he always hissed on the 's'es." Rojo added. "Anyway, we got to talking and drinking, and one day, we saw those two kids go by, and he started ranting on about how Changelings and ponies shouldn't mix. Talked us into pounding them. Said it'd 'teach them a lesson'."
"He was the one who put all those scratches in the Changeling kid." Azul noted. "We thought that was a bit much, but he insisted on doing it. Said the 'little worm' reminded him of a similar 'pony-lover'."
"Pony-lover?" Char frowned deeper.
"Yeah, we thought he was talking about some other Changeling or something." Rojo admitted. "He also said he planned to do to her what other ponies did to this other Changeling a long time ago..."
"He... what?" Char suddenly froze.
"Yeah, but the Royal Guards started coming, so he didn't have time to finish." Rojo declared.
At that moment, it all clicked for Char. The "wh" in Glinda's was in the exact same position as the "whore" written on Hazel's shell all those years ago. Char knew that there was only two others who could possibly know and remember this. And he sure as hell knew that Wizel wouldn't do such a thing.
"So... are you going to kill us?" Azul whimpered.
Char adopted a demon-like glare as he stared down at the two...
Moments later...
At the local police station, the police officers were quickly attending to their work, their night having been relatively peaceful and quiet...
Suddenly, Rojo and Azul were suddenly thrown the window, tied up and with a note attached. The two bounded stallions groaned from the pain.
"What the-?!" The chief gasped.
"It wasn't us!" Rojo yelped.
"We're innocent, I swear!" Azul added.
The chief looked at the paper.
"Oh, really?" He frowned. "Then what's this here? A confession saying you two attacked those two kids from the other night?"
"That's a frame-up!" Rojo yelled.
"It's got your hoofprints on it." The chief pointed out.
Char had not only written the confession, he had changed into Rojo and Azul and signed it, ensuring only one possible outcome.
"Book 'em, boys." The chief smirked.
"No, don't book us!" Azul yelped, as the officers untangled them.
"We're innocent!" Rojo insisted, as they were pulled to their hooves.
Char, hiding in the shadows, watched through the broken windows as the thugs were taken away.
"Zzzo much for them." He smirked in satisfaction. "Now, juzzzt one more loozzze end to tie up..."
Back at the hive, Char told the others of his exploits.
"Well done, Char." Chrysalis smiled.
"Yeah, nicely done." Sleight agreed.
"Zzzorry if I had overstepped my boundzzz, your majezzztiezzz." Char nodded simply. "But I felt I had to deal with them myself. I promizzzed that I didn't do any lazzzting damage upon them."
"You could lobbed one of their nuts off and I wouldn't care." Sleight grunted. "No one messes with our little girl."
"That goes without saying." Chrysalis nodded.
"You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us." Sazh agreed.
"Indubitably." Wizel nodded, before frowning, "But you say two of the thugs... what of the last one? The green one?"
Char frowned deeply.
"I'm afraid that the green pony we're looking for... izzz not a pony." Char said darkly.
"How do you mean?" Sleight asked.
"I mean... the zzztallion isn't a zzztallion at all... it wazzz a Changeling." Char declared as he glanced woefully. "And not juzzzt a Changeling... it wazzz Herk."
"What?!" Chrysalis gasped.
"You sure?" Sazh asked. "I mean, that butthead may have picked up on your bad habits, but-"
"I am certain, Zzzazh." Char grunted. "Not only that, but he wazzz the one who goaded the other two into doing thizzz in the firzzzt place... and worzzzt of all, I inzzzpired him to do it."
"Char..." Wizel murmured.
"Well, if you are certain, just give me the address and I will gladly kick that bucker's flank! I can't even fathom..." Sleight snarled.
"With all due rezzzpect, your majezzzty..." Char cut him off. "I feel I zzzhould be the one to apprehend him. I, and I alone."
"Are you certain, Char?" Chrysalis frowned.
"I am, my queen." Char nodded. "This is zzzomething I have to do... with both your permizzzzzzionzzz, of courzzze."
"We cannot tolerate this kind of behaviour amongst our own kind." Chrysalis declared. "Herk must face the consequences of his actions. And you may be the best Changeling for the job."
"Go for it." Sleight smiled. "Kick his shell... clean off, if you have to."
"Sounds fair." Sazh shrugged. "You did kinda create the problem, so you should be the one who fixes it."
"Do what you must, old friend." Wizel smiled.
"Thank you all." Char bowed as he left the room.
Char marched his way to Herk's abode, a look of grim determination on his face. The Changelings he passed by glanced at him in confusion, having never seen him with such a look before.
As soon as he made it to Herk's home, he slammed his hoof onto the front door.
"Herk!" Char roared. "Herk! Let me in!"
Herk quickly opened the door as Char forced his way in.
"Whoa, Char, what'zzz wrong?!" Herk frowned, "Where'zzz the fire?!"
"Herk... I know what you did." Char declared coldly. "I knew you believed in my idealzzz... but I didn't think you would go thizzz far...or zzztoop this low..."
"Char... what are you talking about?" Herk frowned.
"I'm talking about Glinda, Herk." Char spat. "I know that it wazzz you who arranged for thozzze poniezzz to attack Glinda and her coltfriend..."
"What?!" Herk spluttered. "Char, I am zzzhocked! What makezzz you think I would do zzzuch a thing? I care about our hive!"
"Oh, really? What about you wanting to teach Glinda a lezzzzzon?" Char glared. "Zzzhe wazzz only a kid."
"Char, I don't know where you got thizzz idea, but I don't like being accuzzzzzzed in my own home!" Herk glared. "Now, I would like you to-"
"I zzzaw the zzzcratchezzz on Glinda'zzz zzzhelll, Herk..." Char declared coldly, shutting him up. "Of all the awful thingzzz you could have done... you tried to do onto a little larva what they did onto... onto Hazel." Char felt a lump in his throat. "I didn't think you could be thizzz heartlezzzzzz!"
"Hazel?! What does zzzhe have to do with anything?" Herk frowned.
"Those zzzcratches on Glinda'zzz zhelll were in the zzzame zzzpotzzz azzz Hazel." Char explained. "Every lazzzt one. It took me a while to realizzze it, but I could never forget all thozzze awful thingzzz they etched into Hazel'zzz body... and you were the only other Changeling who had dizzzcovered her body with me... how elzzze could you explain zzzuch detailzzz?"
"Coincidence?" Herk shrugged.
"I think not." Char snarled. "I think thizzz whole thing wazzz your doing."
"And what if it wazzz?" Herk said coldly. "A harzzzh lezzzzzzon wazzz required to put the young one back onto the zzztraight and narrow."
"Lezzzzzzon?" Char growled. "You piece of dung, you could have killed one of them... and Glinda... Glinda wazzz so zzzcared..."
"Good. That meanzzz zzzhe got the mezzzzzzage." Herk grunted. "Maybe now zzzhe'll learn not to mingle with thozzze foul creaturezzz..."
"But they were juzzzt kids!" Char roared.
"Zzzo?" Herk shrugged. "An example wazzz required. Thizzz izzz only the beginning, my friend. My friendzzz and I have planzzz... planzzz that will enzzzure thizzz hive will return to how it wazzz in the good old dayzzz, when everything made zzzenzzze. In time, the otherzzz will zzzee, and thozzze who don't will pay the price for their deviating from the true path of the Changeling... Zzzuch izzz the way of a return to normalcy."
"Well, no more." Char scowled. "I won't allow you or the otherzzz to continue thizzz campaign of hatred."
"Why would you wizzzh uzzz to zzztop, Char?" Herk asked. "We're only following the example you zzzet for uzzz."
"Well I wazzz wrong!" Char declared. "All I want for thizzz hive now is peace. I don't want to hurt poniezzz anymore..."
"Oh, good lord... you have become a zzztinking pony-lover." Herk snarled. "You are giving up on your own beliefzzz all becauzzze you are too much of a wimp to embrace the old wayzzzz!"
"The old wayzzz don't work any more." Char declared. "The world izzz changing, and we muzzzt change with it!"
"That izzz zzzpinelezzzzzz nonzzzenzzze!" Herk yelled. "We are a proud race. We bend to nothing!"
"A tree that doezzzn't bend in the wind will zzzurely break." Char declared, recalling an old saying of Wizel's.
"Zzzpare me the philozzzophy." Herk spat.
"I'm only trying to talk zzzome zzzenzzze into you." Char retorted.
"What about Hazel?" Herk asked. "Have you forgotten about what wazzz done to her? They buckin' raped her corpzzze, for Fauzzzt'zzz sake!"
"No... I will never forget that. That izzz one thing I will never forgive the poniezzz for..." Char snarled, before it turned into a frown... "But I had forgotten about how Hazel would feel. Zzzhe would never condone zzzuch hatred. And zzzhe would be azzzhamed of you for hurting your own kind, juzzzt to make a point! Zzzhe would be sickened! Zzzhe alwayzzz believed in zzzhowing compazzzzzzion to all!"
"Then zzzhe wazzz a fool!" Herk spat. "Perhapzzz it'zzz for the bezzzt that zzzhe died! That zzztupid old hag and her bleeding heart could have ruined thizzz hive fazzzter than Zzzleight!"
"How dare you!" Char roared. He tackled Herk, and started pummeling him mercilessly.
As a random bout of lightning flashed outside, Char pounded at Herk over and over again. Herk tried to crawl away, but Char pulled him back, and continued hitting him with him making a yelp with each punch. The beating went on for minutes, Herk's face reduced to a pulp, half of his face practically beaten off.
Char shook his hoof to get rid of the soreness, and punched him one more time before stopping.
"No." Char shook his head. "One more hit would kill you. And I would never kill another Changeling."
"Oh, yippee." Herk groaned, unable to feel the half of his messed up face.
"No... you will live to pay for your crimezzzz." Char declared coldly.
Char dragged Herk out of his home, in front of everyone (who were shocked to see Herk's badly wounded face) and into the dungeons, personally locking the door.
"I hope you enjoy the accommodationzzz azzz much azzz I did." Char sneered. "They provide a zzzurprizzzingly tazzzty breakfast zzzlop..."
As Char went back outside, Herk's fellow anti-pony members confronted him.
"Why did you do that?" Strut growled. "Herk is your friend!"
"Not any more." Char spat. "He izzz a traitor to our hive. He harmed one of our own, for no reazzzon other than her affection for another!"
"All he was doing was living up to your example!" Abdo yelled.
"My example wazzz wrong, and zzzo izzz he." Char declared.
"I don't believe this." Pincer spat. "To think, we used to look up to you."
"We thought you were the true voice of Changelings." Hunter suddenly spoke up. "We thought you were holding on to the traditions all the others had forgotten. But you're just another fool, betraying the old ways. And for what? Ponies? For shame."
"Izzz it?" Char asked. "Or izzz the zzzhame for all of you? For not changing with the times?"
"Let's go, guys." Strut snarled. "This idiot may not believe in the old ways, but we still do."
"Let's hope our paths don't cross again." Abdo declared.
"Oh, it izzz you that ought to be hoping..." Char snarled. "If any of you come near or threaten Glinda again, or even bat a zzztink eye at any other Changeling, I will bring the hurt down on all of you. I will give you the zzzame I gave Herk. I will beat you until your zzzhellzzz crack. I will make zzzure your feel the zzzame kind of fear and helplezzzzzznezzzzzz poor Glinda and Vito felt. I'll remind you of what it truly meanzzz to be a Changeling azzz I reduce your facezzz to pulp!"
The group collectively stepped back, terrified.
"W-whatever." Pincer said in an effort to sound tough. "Just stay out of our way..."
The group quickly made themselves scarce.
As soon as the group was out of sight and earshot, Char drooped, feeling wounded, despite everything. They were, after all, the few Changelings that had still supported him, and now that support was gone. It was with an air of melancholy that Char returned to the throne to announce Herk's imprisonment.
"Well done, Char." Sleight smiled. "You did a good thing today."
"Thank you, my King." Char sighed. "I'm glad I wazzz right about Herk... I guezzzzzz."
"Is something wrong, Char?" Wizel frowned.
"It's nothing, Wizel." Char shook his head. "It's juzzzt... those Changelingzzz... they once looked up to me... they were all I had left in thizzz hive... and now... I'm back to juzzzt being me..."
"Hey, that's good, right? Those guys were buckholes." Sazh scoffed.
"I know that, Zzzazh." Char grunted. "But..."
"I understand what you are feeling, Char." Chrysalis smiled. "It's not easy to turn against those who idolized you... but you did what you had to and you stood your ground, despite what the others thought. You did what was right, and I am so proud of you for it."
"As am I, old friend." Wizel agreed.
"I guess you did okay." Sazh shrugged. "For a former nutjob."
"Thankzzz, runt." Char snorted. "Your approval meanzzz zzzoooo much to me..."
"Anyway, you proved just how far you've come." Sleight smiled. "The old you would have never gone so far to help a 'pony-lover'."
"Indeed." Chrysalis agreed. "You have become a far better Changeling than any of course could have ever thought."
"You've come a long way since back when I first met you." Sleight grinned. "And if you ask me, this whole hive is better for it."
"Thank you all." Char smiled. "But I'm not done yet. There'zzz zzztill one lazzzt thing I need to do..."
Char sought out Glinda, who was still in her room, distraught over recent events.
"Hello, Glinda." He grinned.
"Oh, hey, Char." Glinda looked up. "You look happy."
"I am." Char nodded. "You will be happy to know that thozzze who had hurt you and Vito have been dealt with. They will never hurt you again."
"Really?" Glinda asked.
"Yeah. You and Vito zzzhould be zzzafe to do azzz you pleazzze." Char smirked.
"Char..." Glinda sighed. "I am happy that those bad ponies are gone... but it doesn't change anything. All this happened only because I got into a relationship with a pony. Maybe I should do what you did, and stick with my own kind. It seem to work for you..."
"No." Char said firmly. "That izzz the lazzzt thing you zzzhould do."
"It is?" Glinda asked. "But you-"
"Wazzz wrong." Char declared. "Honezzztly, Glinda, I am the lazzzt bug that you zzzhould be taking after. My zzztubborn belief in Changelingzzz remaining izzzolated led only to trouble. I ended up leaving thizzz hive, and zzzpent many yearzzz alone, and I did zzzome very zzztupid thingzzz. Believe me, you do not want to follow in my hoofzzztepzzz, and make the zzzame mizzztakezzz I made."
"But what about those ponies..." Glinda murmured. "I don't want Vito to-"
"Look, Glinda, if I have learned anything from those torturouzzz yearzzz alone, it'zzz that there izzz alwayzzz going to be awful poniezzz who would do bad thingzzz to little onezzz like you." Char told her. "But I've learned that we Changelingzzz aren't exempt from thizzz rule. It doezzzn't matter who you are, or who they are... there are juzzzt bad ponies."
"I guess so." Glinda sighed. "But that's why I'm doing this. So those bad ponies don't hurt those I care about."
"Zzzound reazzzoning." Char admitted. "But you are hurting Vito by zzztaying away from him. Izzz that what you want?"
"But Vito, he-" Glinda started.
"He lovezzz you." Char told her. "I could zzze it in hizzz eyezzz. He truly and deeply carezzz for you. Don't throw that away, for both your zzzakezzz."
Suddenly, Vito teleported in. He still had a number of bruises and plasters on his face, and his hoof was in a cast.
"What the..." Char murmured.
"Vito?" Glinda gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to make sure you were okay." Vito said worriedly. "You haven't been to school, I haven't gotten any letters. They said you'd heal pretty quick, but I haven't seen you... I just had to see you."
"I'm sorry, Vito..." Glinda frowned. "It was my fault. After what happened, I thought it'd be best if we didn't see each other any more."
"You did?" Vito's face fell.
"Yeah." Glinda nodded. "I didn't want you to get hurt because of me."
"But that doesn't matter to me." Vito smiled. "You're my marefriend, and no amount of thugs can keep me from you."
"You mean that?" Glinda beamed.
"Sure do." Vito nodded. "We can't let fear keep us from being together. No matter what others think, I want to be with you, always."
"Oh, V..." Glinda blushed.
"But... if you still don't want to be with me, I understand." Vito sighed. "I'll just go..."
"No!" Glinda rushed over to him. "I don't want to stay away from you. I want to stay with you."
"Really?" Vito smiled.
"Really." Gilda hugged him.
"I've missed you." Vito returned the hug.
"I missed you too." Glinda admitted. "Even though I thought I was doing the right thing, these last few days have been torture."
"But it's over now." Vito grinned.
"Yes, it is..." Glinda nuzzled against him.
Char quietly left the room, giving the pair some alone time. All the indecision he had previously felt about the two had vanished. Now, he knew that what they had was pure and good, regardless of their species. So what if he was alone? At least he knew that he was doing service for his hive, and for the Changelings he loved.
As Char stepped outside, he saw a crowd of Changelings looking at him.
'Thizzz again? Really?' Char thought.
Just then, something unexpected happened; One of the Changelings started stomping his hooves on the ground, and buzzing his wings. Little by little, the rest of the crowd followed. They were applauding Char, to his great surprise. After everything that had happened, Char's actions in the last few days had finally earned the hive's forgiveness.
Char smiled humbly. He was no longer alone. He was once again surrounded by those who supported and accepted him. After all this time, all his trials and tribulations, Char finally felt like he was home.