With the Torchlight and Tears
"What... I mean..." Rainbow Dash slinked forward on trembling hooves, her thin eyes studying the injured changeling up and down. "Why are you here? Who did all of this to you—"
"N-no!" The changeling slid back on rattling chains. "Mother d-doesn't... nnnnghhh... d-doesn't approve!"
"Approve of what?!"
"No love... positively none..." The changeling shook its head, stifling a sob. "If I feed... I'll connect to Mother... and th-they'll find her..."
"Who...?" Rainbow Dash leaned forward. "And who's this 'Mother?'"
"Please... I'm so sorry..." The changeling gripped its skull, shivering. "No more. I-I can't..."
"Look, will you just chillax? I simply wanna understand more." Rainbow tried a weak smile. "I'm not going to hurt you."
The changeling spoke with a muffled tone. "How can I believe that..." A flash of green flame. An orange face with freckles gazed up at Rainbow. "...when all you do is hurt yourself, sugarcube?"
Rainbow's eyes went wide as saucers. She scuttled backwards on jittery hooves, bumping into a large body. With a gasp, she jerked and looked up.
Josho braced himself with a hoof on her shoulder, grimacing at the creature. "What in Ledo's wide-wide hips is this shit?!"
"Forgive me!" the changeling wailed. Its face turned lavender with flowing locks of silken hair as it reeled away from the stallion. "Too much love! All I do is taste! Mother, I'm so sorry!"
"I... I-I just found him... her... it like this!" Rainbow sputtered. "It keeps rambling on about 'Mother' and how 'sorry it is' for wanting to 'feed on love!'"
"Dayum thing looks wasted," Josho exclaimed. He squinted at the miserable creature. "Are those... bloodstains on the wall?"
"The nasty little wretches have a terrible habit of leaking," droned a voice. Josho and Rainbow spun to see Seclorum standing cooly in the bend of the corridor. Aatxe leaned awkwardly against a wall behind him, avoiding the sight of the ghastly creature. "For all of the skins and scales that they can mimic, it takes surprisingly little force to squeeze something out of them."
"Squeeze something out of them?" Josho turned to look at the quivering creature once again. "Secchy, were you torturing this friggin' bug thing?"
"Information is priceless on the battlefield, old friend," Seclorum replied, pacing towards the corner. "Don't pretend in all your years of defending the Queen's interest that you never drove the spurs in."
"I've killed soldiers and set fires to camps left and right—but I've never resorted to torture!" Josho frowned. "That's Council of Ledo bullcrap right there!"
"Oh please, Josho." Seclorum turned to glare at him. "You've set fire to more than just enemy encampments. Don't try to deny it."
Josho gnashed his teeth, but ultimately bowed his head in a defeated pose.
Rainbow Dash saw it. Blinking, she swiveled her gaping expression towards Seclorum. "What I don't understand is how—?"
"It was one of the drones delivering us food," Aatxe said, squirming slightly. He still refused to look at the creature. "Arcshod and Seclorum laid an ambush for them. Most got away, but not this one. Trapped, it flew itself towards the torches—presumably to end its own life. We bound it up before it could. I thought it would end there. But... well... for what it's worth, I was one of the few ponies who voted against..." He gestured blindly towards the corner. "...this."
"Well, why don't you tell me?! Cuz I'm all ears!" Rainbow frowned. "Just what is this worth?!"
"It's simple," Seclorum said. "The monster's connection with the shapeshifter's hive mind gave us a window into what they knew, including some of the things they were planning."
"The Xonans' Princess sensed a magical energy source inside the heart of this building," Aatxe added. "This changeling revealed that its shapeshifting brood knows about this. In fact, they knew about it for a long, long time before ever making a 'nest' in this city."
"That's about the most pertinent information we got out of the creep," Seclorum said. He swiveled around with a frown. "Until it decided to disconnect itself from the hive mind!" He gave the thing a nasty buck across the head. Thud!
"Hey!" Rainbow Dash jerked forward, shoving Seclorum back. "Cut it out!"
"Please..." Seclorum hissed. "Don't defend this creature! It feels nothing! It consumes emotion!" He snarled at the quivering thing's shell. "All this rambling nonsense about 'love' and 'pain' and 'mother.' It's like a spoiled infant begging for milk. It's an animal... and a very unclever one at that, at least when stripped of the ability to leech from innocent ponies!"
"Animal or not, think rationally for a dang second! I mean, don't you guys get it?!" Rainbow frowned. "Stab and prod a living thing all you like. Of course it's going to tell you what you want to hear! You think somepony's going to do or say something truthful when all it wants is for the pain to stop?!"
"It's given us invaluable information months before you or Prowse even came here," Seclorum said. "We know that the changelings are waiting for something special... or somepony. Somehow, I'm beginning to imagine it's you."
"Don't drag me into this garbage!" Rainbow snarled. "All you know is all that you've bled from this friggin' guy through brute force! You think that's anything to actually go by?" Her eyes narrowed. "Has it ever occurred to you that the head of the hive mind expected for its drones to get caught? It could have planted disinformation, dude!"
Aatxe spoke up, "But many of the things this drone has said coincide with what the Xonans have been sensing about this temple—"
"And you think that's suppose to excuse this?!" Rainbow frowned. "I'm sorry, but when I butt heads with a bad guy, I like to make sure I'm the good guy, inside and out!" She glared at Seclorum. "And ruthlessly torturing a creature isn't what I call being a good guy." She swung that glare back at Aatxe. "And just standing aside and letting it happen ain't much better either!"
Aatxe winced. Seclorum, however, kept glaring. "I know that you're not thinking very reasonably right now. Honestly, I can't blame you for your hysterics—"
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Oh, come the buck on—!"
"You've just lost a close friend of yours," Seclorum droned. "Maybe more. Hell, maybe all of them." His eyes narrowed. "Would you honestly stand by and let disaster befall more innocent ponies just because you had a moral qualm that you couldn't cross over?"
"Dude, don't even go there," Rainbow practically hissed. "I crawl out of Loyalty's friggin' womb every morning. This pegasus is not about to be lectured on what it means to do the heroic thing."
"Then neither do I expect to be set aflame for taking the measures required of me in this crisis situation." Seclorum trotted forward, speaking almost into her ear. "Think of it this way. They've kidnapped us, stolen our identities, and left us all here to rot while going off to infiltrate the innermost circles of our families, friendships, and comrades." He frowned. "Do you honestly think that something like torture is beneath them too?"
Rainbow's jaw remained clenched.
Seclorum took a deep breath. "We need to have a talk with you—the whole of us, those masked figures as well—about how we're going to get out of this nightmare. In the meantime, if you think you can learn anything from this wretch through means that doesn't mean exacting the same cruelty to them that they've dealt to us... then be my guest. Just don't come whining to me when it doesn't work." He shuffled off, tapping Aatxe's shoulder along the way.
Aatxe flinched, but nevertheless sighed and shuffled after Seclorum.
Rainbow Dash and Josho stood alone in the corridor, being serenaded by the changeling's soft sobs.
"I swear to Celestia," Rainbow Dash uttered. "The further I fly from home, the uglier it gets."
Josho was silent.
Rainbow craned her neck in an attempt to read his expression. "Well? Big guy? What are you thinking about all of this?"
He shifted uncomfortably. "I think..." He glanced up at her. "...that nopony's going to weep for this once it's full bled out."
Rainbow's ears folded back. "Oh, Josho, come on!"
"Rainbow Dash, I'm upset concerning Prowse's double, I'm confused about Elma, I'm friggin' mad over Pilate. But that doesn't change the fact that there are ponies here who need to get home and you're the first pegasus to mean a damn thing to this stupid place." The stallion shrugged. "Secchy's right, y'know. I've done horrible... horrible things to stay alive. But at least I'm alive."
"Josho, you know that's not all that I have going for me," Rainbow muttered towards the walls.
Josho trotted over and rested a hoof on her shoulder. "Well here's something you still have. The Noble Jury's in one piece."
Rainbow's face jerked up to look at him.
Josho nodded. "I saw it while on my way here. I wanted to tell you earlier before you went searching in vain for Pilate." He stepped back, staring softy at her. "Our friends are alive, Rainbow Dash, and they need us. More importantly, we all need you, because—like it or not—you mean something to this place, and this place means something to you." He glanced at the changeling, then back at her. "Once you've figured it out, let me know. I'm off to learn what I can from Secchy and the rest."
That said, he shuffled off, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with the torchlight and tears.
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I really wonder what exactly is going on with this changeling. I'm sure Seclorum either doesn't know everything or isn't telling RD everything that is going on here.
Ouch. It's kind of hard to feel bad for the changeling when it pulls crap like this.
Poor Changeling. Until he has a name i'm gonna call her Twitch,
Seclorum was silent.
---Josho.
Elma? Where are youuuu?
Damn...low blow there, bugboy...changing into Applejack...
Well, let's see what this changeling has to say.
I'm sure everyone's hiding something on this rock, captives as well. This chapter made me hear Josho as Sean Connery.
Now everyone else can join in that madness.
4250155, 4250264
I suppose it's a primal reaction for changelings.
For however long he was part of the hive, Chrysalis would have been feeding him information about her plan, whatever that is.
And it makes sense that, when faced with Rainbow Dash, the changeling do something like this.
Maybe, I don't know. I try to make sense of things as they happen.
Twitch? Oh dear, Dashs inner Pinkie is now crying out to cheer her up with a Polka, mon.
Did we ever see if these guys leaked? they said they use the bleed between themselves.
Id have thought the nest would be in the most secure place. Given all the trasing going on, that would put it in the lower reaches of the central control temple?
Hallo... mother
Poor Ebon.
4250264
It's just picking up on the strongest emotion/memory in Rainbow's mind.
4250137 Of course he isn't. I don't like this Secchy any more than his changeling counterpart.
Also who is the 'Her' that the changeling doesn't want Mother to find? If it was RD then I think the Changeling would recognize her right away, especially after turning into Applejack. So I wonder who else the Changeling is trying to protect.
4250155
I don't think he could help it. Remember, he's starved, on the brink. When Josho showed up, he turned in to EE.
I'm at BABScon, so I'm in a good mood tonight, ):(. No push-ups.
'Tis good to be back with the crew. The developments are nice. Ebon is still a changeling. Many feels will be had.
*deep breath*
someone, please, tell her about the plan with the mana engine that involves a door she can probably open so that they can get the mana thing which is also likely the power source for the storm and leave this place cuz its so evil so that we can regroup with Roarke in some sort of cool way and continue on the journey *exhale*
I don't like how when it really matters in terms of morals and playing it fair, they walked away from her. I really think they made the wrong choice here. Go get them Rainbow Dash! Prove them wrong!
I can sympathize with Seclorum, he's just doing what is best for his situation. It's just that no one realizes RD's potential (like in the Darkstine and Silvadel arcs way back in Austraeoh).
Yeah, I'm really rooting for Rainbow to prove them wrong. Light can't triumph over darkness by becoming darkness, excuses and rationalizations aside.
Almost everything can be rightfully justified, given the correct situation. This is not it. Cost and gain do not add up, no way, nohow.
Honestly I just want to hug the poor thing.
Excellent aim, Changeling. Right in the feels.
4250528 BABSCon
What is this madness? 
I've been reading for the past hour, looking for some place to stop. There is no good place. The ride never ends and I love it.
So the Changeling is supposed to be feeding on hate but instead it's feeding on love?
Or maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about.
-Spirit
Okay, you'd better seriously be going somewhere with Applejack's repeat cameos. I'm expecting one hell of a payoff...
oooooohhhhhhhhh if only they knew pilate was still alive....i SINCERELY hope they dont accidentally leave him to the winds...
4867119 if a few mentions in nearly 1000 chapters is too much for you, don't ever read Appledashery.
Man . . . these conflicting morals are throwing me through a loop. It always makes me wonder what even the most docile of us would do if life or death were presented to us on a silver platter.
5800585 The measure of a man is not determined in times of peace and plenty, it is during Strife and suffering you learn who a person truly is. If your life was on the line What would you become in order to survive?
I for one... I don't think I could do it. I'd let myself die first, but then again, I've never been in that situation before.
And the fact that I could be wrong about myself? Terrifies me.
They will tell you what you want to hear, even if it isn't true, and you won't be able to tell if it is true or not. Edit, This also interferes with legitimate means of information gathering.
Give it love, and the connection will force itself open. Then you can learn everything...
Ok, so not Elma, but an evidence of the brutality of the "good guys". Almost as good, right? Right?
oi vey
All that means is that it is telling you what you want to hear, even if you don't know what you want to hear. If it is true, then there was no need to torture the bug pony.
06/02/2017 17:17 UTC
And these are all the more reason NOT to stoop to their level. Show them that there is a better way.
09/16/2019
15:48 UTC
Damn, right for the heart on that one.
Well. This has all gone horrible.