Halfling

by Dee Pad

Chapter 23 - The Would-Be King

Halfling
By Dee Pad
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Chapter 23: The Would-Be King

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Light began to fill their vision as Shade and Guise pursued Wraith. As they had suspected, and as Glory had confirmed, there was an exit straight ahead. They both found themselves having to squint their eyes as they rapidly approached the conduit that would lead them out of the hive. They had to slow to a stop when they finally took their first steps out into the open air for the first time in what felt like ages—even more so for Guise, who hadn't seen the outside world in two years.

Shade held up a hoof to shield his eyes from the comparatively higher light levels, though the holes in his leg didn't help in that regard. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust, but it soon became evident that they weren't going to get the sights they were expecting.

It wasn't even as bright as it could have been outside. The sky above them was heavily overcast; not exactly the relieving view Shade was hoping for when he finally made it out. The sun was still evidently high enough to shine through, however, leading them to believe it must have been around noon. What was more, they expected to at least get a breath of fresh air for once after having to put up with the stagnant, humid air of the caverns, but even the air outside seemed to taste stale.

Shade and Guise took a moment to look at their surroundings, their jaws dropping slightly in surprise and mild horror. They were not back in the autumn forests that they were familiar with. There were no trees decorated with reds and oranges, no dry and golden grass beneath their hooves. In fact, there was basically no color at all. The ground they stood on was devoid of all moisture, gray and cracked. Any semblance of life that had existed here was only represented by a few leafless trees, their color drained like the dirt and likely having petrified years ago.

But none of that was as shocking as the countless bones that littered the lifeless wasteland. As far as they could see, the skeletons of innumerable creatures were strewn about haphazardly, making it difficult to even take a step without some poor, unfortunate creature's bones snapping under hoof. Upon a cursory glance in the immediate area, it appeared that the majority of those remains were those of changelings as opposed to their victims, with many fanged skulls and rib cages, but almost no leg bones.

This was The Boneyard; a valley secluded in the middle of the mountain range that the changeling hive was built into. In the distance, Shade and Guise could both see the jagged mountains they'd been traipsing through surrounding them on all sides. They had both heard of this place, but had never seen it with their own eyes. It was simply a graveyard where the corpses of dead changelings or animals that had been picked clean of their meat were dropped off so that they weren't littering the ground where those who were still alive were living. Seeing it for themselves, Shade and Guise were starting to realize that, as much as they complained about how difficult it was to live in the Changeling Kingdom, it could have been worse.

But the environment was of little concern right now. Shade tore his eyes and his thoughts away from the countless bodies, fixating instead on one of the only living creatures present.

Some distance away, Wraith was staring them down, Snowflake still held firmly in his magical grasp. The changeling captain appeared to be somewhat annoyed, but at the same time, was exuding confidence.

Shade grit his teeth. "Alright, Wraith, we played your little game and followed you out here. What's the plan?"

Wraith lifted his nose slightly at Shade. "While I do wish to kill you and get you out of my way, you've already proven to be quite a hassle to deal with, especially with him accompanying you," he said with a quick glance at Guise. He then turned his sights on the foal in his possession with an irate glower. "I've already gone through a great deal of trouble because of this larva, and I've grossly misjudged the strength of your convictions. I didn't expect you to come all the way out here just to save one foal. I'm beginning to wonder if the effort was worth it."

"Then just give him back and we'll leave," Shade suggested.

"Unfortunately, I can't do that," Wraith responded with a shake of his head. "I'm not about to waste that effort, and you are a threat so long as you still draw breath. If I were to kill the larva now, what would have been the point in taking him in the first place? And killing it would only prompt you to attack me anyway, seeing as you seem to have grown attached to it."

"What good is he to you anyway?!"

"Whoa, you sure you wanna give him any ideas there, Shade?" Guise cautioned him.

Wraith closed his eyes in thought for a moment. "In truth, I could probably do without him. But every drone can have a purpose, and we need every drone we can get for when the changelings eventually assault Equestria once more."

"Chrysalis let us live our lives peacefully!" Shade reminded him. "Why is she going back on her word now?!"

Wraith narrowed his eyes, glaring harshly at the mention of the name. "Chrysalis has nothing to do with this."

Shade blinked, confused by that response. "What?"

Wraith took a step forward, ire in his voice and determination in his eyes. "It was my decision to take this larva. Chrysalis knew nothing of this. In fact, 'Her Majesty' is imprisoned within a cocoon in her own throne room as we speak."

"What, so all this time you've been calling us traitors, while you were the one betraying her?!" Guise growled contemptuously.

"Chrysalis betrayed us!" Wraith's booming voice practically shook the brittle bones surrounding him, stomping a hoof and cracking the fragile soil underneath him. "I am merely doing what she couldn't! Assembling all the forces I can to attack those incessant ponies, even if it means having to take this half-breed brat!"

Wraith allowed himself a moment to compose himself, taking a deep breath before staring back at Shade and Guise resolutely. "It was always my intention to take the throne from Chrysalis, but with the support of the entire colony behind her, I lacked the power to do so. So I did what changelings are wont to do: I got close to her and manipulated her into caring about me, all so that I could grow more powerful from her misguided love. In truth, had she succeeded in taking Equestria's throne, that would have put me in an awkward position. It would have been nearly impossible for me to usurp her at that point, which is why I opted to not participate in the invasion under the pretense of keeping the remaining population at ease. However, her success would not necessarily have been a bad thing; at that point, I'd really have little reason to take her place. Perhaps it would have lead to her actually earning my respect."

Wraith narrowed his eyes, his voice beginning to drip with venom. "But she failed. Not only did she fail, but she made it much more unlikely for any future invasions to have any chance at success, seeing as the ponies are now aware of our presence and prepared for us. And what does she do after her failure? Mope and sulk like a lost child! She is not deserving of that crown! I will lead the changelings to victory and I will become the most powerful and feared being in Equestria!"

"And you think my son is going to turn the tide in your favor?!" Shade argued.

"All changelings are my subjects to rule! Even your bastard halfling!"

And with that Shade had heard enough. With a furious snarl and a glare that could melt ice, the enraged father lunged forward, making a beeline straight for Wraith. The armored captain didn't flinch, throwing up a barrier in front of himself to stop the other changeling in his tracks. Shade didn't bother to slow down, focused only on getting at his target. He jabbed his horn directly against the shield, the pain of the impact doing nothing to deter him. Wraith didn't budge, and neither did the barrier, so Shade upped the ante by adding his own magic to the mix. The clash of magic created a flurry of sparks and pops, but the shield held fast. However, the additional force was making an impact as Wraith visibly winced. That didn't escape Shade's notice, and he kept the pressure on.

"This is a considerable risk you're taking," Wraith warned Shade from behind the safety of his shield. "Didn't I warn you that the larva's life is in my hooves?"

"And didn't you just say you'd rather not kill him?!" Shade shot back over the loud snaps and pops of magic. "Sounds like you're bluffing."

Wraith lifted an eyebrow, intrigued. "Are you certain you want to test that?"

"You just broke the neck of your best soldier for him! Why should I take stock in your threats?!"

Wraith's brow furrowed at the mention of her. "That had nothing to do with the halfling. Glory's fate was a direct result of her betrayal, and any changeling who doesn't adhere to my rule or gives me any reason to mistrust them will be made an example of."

"And why would any changeling want to live under that kind of rule?!"

"Because they have no other choice! Chrysalis has squandered her right to rule, and without her a proper ruler must step in, one who no changeling would dare oppose!"

"I might not care about what Chrysalis wants to do anymore, but at least she ruled for the changelings. All you want to do is use them for your own benefit!"

"As any ruler should! Absolute power is how I will maintain my crown! You obviously know nothing of how to run an empire."

Shade briefly glanced to his left, then back to Wraith with a smirk. "Do you need to be stubborn and never learn your lesson?"

Wraith glared quizzically at Shade before he put the pieces together. Taking a moment to look behind Shade, he found that Guise had vanished. He knew where this was going, and spun around to where Snowflake was hovering only to find the foal within the grasp of the red-maned changeling, although still wrapped in his green magic.

With Guise once again playing the role of distraction, Shade took the opportunity while Wraith's attention was diverted to let up on the barrier and quickly fly around to Wraith's side, blasting the captain with a bolt of magic. Wraith reeled from the impact, the shock loosening his hold on Snowflake, finally freeing him and allowing his panicked and frightened cries to be heard once again.

Infuriated at Guise's continued meddling, Wraith delivered a swift kick to Shade's chest with his hind leg, knocking him away and sending him rolling several feet away, scattering bones about as he skidded through them. Wraith wasn't about to let Guise distract him anymore. The captain set his sights on Guise, who was still holding the crying infant.

Given the difference in strength, not to mention the child now in his charge, Guise knew he was in no position to fight Wraith. Instead he decided to flee with Snowflake in tow, hoping that Shade could handle himself on his own.

But before Guise could even get off the ground, he felt something wrap around his throat and hold him back. With his free hoof, he clutched at his neck to free himself, only to find that it was not a physical object that bound him, but a ring of green magic. He looked over his shoulder glaring with a mix of worry and anger. Wraith's horn was aglow with magic, and his eyes alight with rage. With a violent yank on his esophagus, Guise was pulled backward, the sudden jerk causing him to lose his grip on the foal. Snowflake slipped from his hoof and onto the ground, thankfully without too much of a fall, though his cries did become more frantic.

Guise tried with all his might to fight against the pull on his throat, his hooves scraping the ground and leaving gouges in the dried dirt. He was suddenly spun around, finding himself face to face with Wraith, the two exchanging icy glares.

"I am not one for indulgence," Wraith growled as Guise struggled within his grip. "But I am going to enjoy killing you far more than I have any right to."

Without even waiting for Guise's no doubt snarky response, Wraith immediately began applying more pressure to the smaller changeling's neck, just as he'd done to Glory. However, Wraith quirked a vexed eyebrow when Guise showed no change in reaction. He squeezed harder, eager to crush the life out of Guise once and for all, but again, he continued to breath.

With a quick glance, Wraith noticed that the aura around Guise's neck was brighter than normal, and seemed to ebb and flow more inconsistently. He shot a look behind himself to find Shade back on his hooves, horn glowing brightly as well. Shade was holding Guise's neck himself, creating a protective barrier between his throat and Wraith's crushing aura. He appeared to be struggling to repel Wraith's grasp, however, wincing in pain as he tried to maintain his barrier under all the pressure Wraith was applying.

Seeing that they had hit yet another stalemate, Wraith tossed Guise aside, slamming him into a nearby dead tree and snapping the petrified trunk in two with the changeling's weight. But instead of focusing his attention on Shade, Wraith turned to the foal lying helpless on the ground. All this trouble for that insipid larva, and now Wraith had made his decision. He stomped over to Snowflake, raised a hoof above the foal's head, and brought it down.

But his attempt to kill the larva was thwarted by a dome of green magic. Shade was able to act quickly enough to protect his son, and he had no intention of releasing the shield now that he knew Wraith had done away with his reluctance to kill the foal. However, using other spells while maintaining Snowflake's protection was going to prove difficult, if not impossible. From this point onward, he was going to have to rely solely on his teamwork with Guise to outwit and hopefully overwhelm or wear down Wraith.

With a groan, Guise pushed aside the scattered debris of gray bark and dried wood and got back to his hooves, staggering over to Shade's side. He gave Shade a sidelong smirk as he glanced between him and the enraged changeling captain. "I don't care what you say, you are going to owe me one for helping with this."

Shade didn't take his eyes off of Wraith. "If we make it out of here, fine."

***** ***** *****

There had been a rather awkward silence permeating the air ever since Winter, Chamella, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had left the throne room. Everypony clearly had something they wanted to say, but elected to keep their thoughts to themselves. Of course, there was a very obvious reason for that silence: the tall changeling who walked along with them, leading them down one of the hive's many nondescript corridors.

Rainbow Dash kept a mistrustful grimace on her face, casting sidelong glances at Chrysalis every few seconds and ready for if the changeling queen decided to suddenly double-cross them. Rarity and Fluttershy watched the queen, not with suspicion, but more with worry. If Chrysalis did turn on them, they weren't sure how'd they respond. Winter and Chamella, on the other hoof, were a little less concerned with Chrysalis and more focused on finding Snowflake, which was where Chrysalis was supposedly leading them, although she had made it clear that she wasn't guaranteeing anything.

Finally, Fluttershy was the one who would be brave enough to cut through the silence, looking up at the queen sheepishly. "Um..."

That was all she was able to get out before Chrysalis shot an icy glare over her shoulder, forcing the pegasus to nervously swallow the rest of her words. After a moment of watching Fluttershy shy away, even slow her pace a little to put some distance between them, Chrysalis smirked in amusement. "Relax, I'm just toying with you," she assured the pegasus. "With everything that's happened, I just wanted to know if I could still be intimidating. Anyway, you sounded like you were about to say something, little pony."

"Um, i-it's Fluttershy..."

Chrysalis scoffed dismissively. "As if I care. Get on with it."

Before Fluttershy could continue with her thought, Rainbow Dash butt in aggressively, flying up to eye level with Chrysalis. "Hey! If we're gonna work together, you're gonna have to treat me and my friends with a little respect, got it? Don't make me regret teaming up with you."

"With all of your incessant babbling, I'm already starting to regret it," Chrysalis snapped back with a flash of her fangs. "Besides, you're lost without me. One wrong turn and you'll never find your missing foal."

Rainbow Dash growled at the queen, but didn't continue arguing, alighting back on the ground and once more keeping a watchful eye on Chrysalis.

With an exasperated roll of her eyes, Chrysalis again looked back at the meek, yellow pegasus. "Well?"

Fluttershy lowered her head, turning away slightly. "N-Nevermind..."

Rarity noted the annoyed scowl that appeared on the queen's face and gave Fluttershy a gentle nudge. "Go ahead, dear. Don't let her get to you."

Fluttershy looked back up at Chrysalis, hesitating for a moment before asking her question. "How... How much further?"

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. A part of her wanted to snap at the pegasus for asking such an inane question, but another part wanted to laugh that that was what their argument had been leading to. "Is that all you wanted?" she responded, hiding a smirk.

"S-Sorry... I-I was just curious a-and worried, is all," Fluttershy mumbled.

Their was a stiff moment of silence once more, offset only by a long sigh through Chrysalis's nose. "Not much further. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Well, that's a relief," said Rarity with a small smile.

"The tether lead us this way, too, right?" Winter chimed in. "Are we still on track to meet up with Twilight?"

"We haven't passed any other tunnels since leaving the throne room, so I would assume so. But if it'll put your mind at ease, I'll—"

As Rarity was saying that, Chrysalis stopped walking, staring curiously ahead. Following her gaze, the other mares spotted what appeared to be a trail of pink magic swirling towards them gradually from around a corner up ahead and to the right, eventually stopping in front of the white unicorn.

"That's weird," Rainbow Dash commented. "I don't think the spell's ever come to you before."

"It's also normally blue, right?" added Fluttershy.

Before anypony could speculate further, they all saw some other lights shining from around the same corner where the magic trail had originated. These lights were white and much brighter, not unlike those of the headlamps worn by Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

Rarity quickly put the pieces together, grinning ecstatically. "Twilight!"

At the sound of Rarity's voice, the trio of lights immediately turned in their direction.

"Rarity?! Is that you?!" called a voice from down the way.

"Yes! We're over here, darling!"

The pink trail of magic dissipated and the cave was filled with the sound of clomping hooves on the stone floor as three mares dashed over to the group. Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Applejack were all overjoyed and deeply relieved to see their friends again, especially when they saw that Winter and Chamella were with them. However, the celebrations were quickly put on hold when the three of them spotted the additional member of their party.

Twilight, Pinkie and Applejack weren't able to greet their friends with hugs and smiles as they skid to a halt several feet away. They each stared up at the changeling queen, flabbergasted and upset by her presence. Chrysalis simply cast a bemused glower down upon them.

"Ah! Look out! It's Chrysalis!" screamed Pinkie Pie.

"Yeah, we're aware, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash deadpanned.

"What is she doing here?" Applejack asked, glaring at Chrysalis aggressively.

Chrysalis scoffed at the asinine question. "Given the circumstances, I should be asking you that, don't you think? This is my kingdom after all."

Twilight analyzed the situation, noting that Chrysalis didn't appear to be threatening any of her friends. "I take it there's an explanation for this."

Winter nodded. "Long story short, the guy who took Snowflake is trying to overthrow Chrysalis, so we have a reason to work together. For now anyway."

Twilight stared up at Chrysalis, who stared back down in return. There was some obvious skepticism and reluctance from both of them as they exchanged displeased scowls.

"Don't try anything, Chrysalis. I'm not in the mood to deal with you," Twilight warned.

Chrysalis raised her brow slightly, surprised by the alicorn's attitude. "Are you threatening me, 'Princess'? Well, I suppose you had to grow a spine in order to support those ridiculous wings."

Pinkie lifted a hoof to her mouth. "Oooooh, snap."

Twilight narrowed her eyes at the changeling queen. "At least I didn't need my wings or my crown to earn the respect of my peers."

Pinkie inhaled sharply through her teeth. "Dang. Gonna need some ointment for that burn."

Chrysalis leaned down toward Twilight with an icy glare. "Do you think you're threats scare me? If I recall, you and your friends were helpless last we met, and it was Cadance and Shining Armor who ultimately defeated me with their love. I don't suppose you've found a 'special somepony' to help you do that, have you?" she smirked knowingly.

Pinkie opened her mouth to react, but was stifled by Applejack's hoof as she grabbed the pink pony and reigned her in.

"Alright, can we nix the insults before this turns into a rap battle, or something?" Applejack suggested in exasperation.

Chrysalis simply shrugged, smiling a little as she had been enjoying the exchange. "Yes, yes, I suppose we have more important matters to attend to. We can save the squabbling for later."

Twilight nodded with a sigh. "Agreed. If we're going to be working together—however briefly—we can't waste time with arguing. So..." She smiled again as she returned her attention to her friends that she hadn't seen in a few days. "It's good to see you all again. I'm glad you're safe."

"Ditto," said Rainbow Dash. "But, uh, can't help but notice that Shade's not with you. No luck?"

"Actually, we did find him," Twilight explained.

Winter's eyes widened, stepping forward desperately. "You did?! Is he okay?! Why isn't he with you?!"

"Whoa, there, little missy, calm down," Applejack interjected, placing a hoof on the alabaster pegasus's shoulder. "To be honest, we're not sure where he is right now. He was fine when we found 'im, but we ended up getting separated again after a run in with that Wraith feller."

"So you've met Wraith, have you?" Chrysalis interjected. "I don't suppose you know where he is now, do you?"

"We were gonna take him on and beat his buns, but he took off after Shade instead," Pinkie told them. Her ears drooped a little. "We dunno what happened to them after that."

"We felt the cave start to rumble, and when we finished dealin' with the other soldiers, Twi went to see if she could catch up ta Shade," Applejack elaborated.

"It looked like there had been a cave-in, but there was no sign of Shade or Wraith," added Twilight.

Winter and Chamella's hearts sank. The pegasus looked worriedly at Twilight. "Y-You don't think he..."

"We have no way of knowing for sure," Twilight responded stoically. "But we should concentrate on finding Snowflake for now. Shade would have likely done the same if he was on the other side of the rock slide."

Chrysalis pushed past Twilight, deliberately bumping her shoulder as she did. "Then let's not waste anymore time chatting and go. The soldier's quarters are just up ahead."

Twilight gave the changeling queen a displeased glower as she walked ahead. Winter walked up alongside Twilight, giving the alicorn an apologetic, yet pleading look.

"We just need to put up with her for a little while, okay? She's our best chance of finding Snowflake and getting out of here," Winter said quietly.

Twilight managed a reassuring smile as she and the group of mares made to follow Chrysalis. "I understand. I just wish she didn't have such an attitude about it."

Chrysalis lead her "visitors" further down the path to where Twilight's group had come from. However, while they came from the right at the junction, Chrysalis turned left. And further down that way was the indicators they'd been looking for: a pair of torches burning with ethereal, green flames, much like those near the entrance of the throne room.

Chrysalis pointed a hoof toward the torches. "That's it up there. If your foal is anywhere, it's—"

The queen didn't even have a chance to finish before Winter bolted ahead, quickly followed by the rest of the ponies and Chamella. Chrysalis simply rolled her eyes and sauntered the rest of the way.

Winter turned the corner to enter the soldiers' quarters. She didn't think about the risk involved, that there could be guards standing by. She could very well have been immediately attacked by changeling soldiers, but she didn't care. All she wanted right now was to see her son again.

The worried mother screeched to a halt. She looked around the surprisingly small chamber, seeing makeshift beds, some leftover food, and even a set of changeling armor on the floor. But that was it. There were no changelings, and no Snowflake. The room was completely empty.

Winter felt her hopes come crashing down around her. Her heart sank and she fell back onto her haunches, totally demoralized. She had made the mistake of getting her hopes up and now she was paying the price. She should've known better. She should've known it was too easy. He wouldn't just be sitting there waiting for her to come and save him. As much as it tore away at her heart and mind, she couldn't help but think that she had lost him.

Chamella hurried in behind Winter, discovering the same thing she had. Twilight and the others followed suit, each of them giving Winter sympathetic looks when they saw that the foal was nowhere to be seen.

"Hm. Seems it isn't here after all," commented Chrysalis as she pushed past the ponies and into the room.

Rainbow Dash pointed an accusatory hoof at the changeling queen. "You said he was here! I told you not to mess with us, Chrysalis!"

"Calm down," the queen spat. "I said this was the most likely place he'd be. I never guaranteed anything."

Chamella approached Chrysalis, gazing up at her pleadingly. "Your Majesty, is there anywhere else he could be? Anywhere at all?"

Chrysalis breathed a somber sigh through her nose. "Honestly, I don't know. It's possible Wraith could have taken him somewhere I wouldn't think to look. Not to rain on anypony's parade, but he could very well be dead for all we know. This place isn't exactly hospitable for an infant pony."

Winter's expression only dropped further, her ears falling flat as she was fighting back defeated tears.

Rarity, seeing the hope quickly draining from the poor mother, stomped a hoof. "Well, I, for one, refuse to believe that. Until we see irrefutable proof, I will continue to search for the little darling."

"Ya got that right," Applejack agreed with a tip of her hat and a confident smile. "I didn't come out here just ta give up when things looked bleak."

"I think our best course of action at this point would be to find Wraith," Twilight suggested. "As strong as Chrysalis says he may be, I doubt he could handle all of us on his own."

"A fine idea, but how exactly to you expect to find him if we can't even find your foal?" asked Chrysalis.

Twilight stared at her with a determined glare. "We're just going to have to keep looking until we do."

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "You ponies are quite tenacious, aren't you? It's sickening, but I must admit, a little admirable," she said with a slight smirk.

"Wait, you hear that?" Fluttershy spoke up, turning back toward the entrance.

Their was the distinct sound of hoofsteps coming from outside, clearly approaching their location. The group stood at the ready, remaining quiet and prepared to fight in case it happened to be Wraith.

A voice came from outside, speaking as they approached the entrance. "Hey, Glory, still on diaper duty or—"

A changeling soldier turned the corner to enter the soldiers' quarters, but stopped cold when he saw the group of ponies staring him down. But it wasn't so much the ponies that had him on edge as it was the glower from the changeling queen that towered over them.

The soldier took a step back, gulping nervously. "Oooh, this isn't good..."

Chrysalis stepped through the group of ponies, exuding authority as she looked disdainfully down her nose at the soldier.

The changeling forced a crooked smile as he attempted to diffuse the clearly unhappy queen. "Q-Queen Chrysalis, haven't seen you around in a while. N-Nice to see you up and about again. Heh heh..." His forced smile faltered under Chrysalis's icy glare. The soldier's armor clattered slightly from his visible shaking, knowing that he was in deep trouble.

"Wraith. Where is he?" Chrysalis demanded in a low, venomous tone.

The soldier lifted a hoof shakily, pointing further down the corridor in the opposite direction from where the mares had come. He didn't hesitate to answer her question, desperate to evade the queen's wrath. "I-I passed him back that way. H-He seemed like he was in a hurry and he didn't look happy. Please don't hurt me!" he begged, shielding his face and clenching his eyes shut fearfully.

Chrysalis looked back at the ponies, gesturing for them to leave and chase after Wraith. The soldier stood frozen in place as they all rushed past him, waiting for Chrysalis to punish him for working against her with Wraith. However, when he heard her walk by him, he lowered his guard, watching in confusion as the queen followed after the ponies. She stopped for a moment, giving him a rather dismissive, yet intimidating stare, causing him to flinch again.

"Tell the other soldiers that their queen has returned, and if they wish to remain in my kingdom, they had better be ready to beg for my forgiveness."

With that, Chrysalis disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel, leaving the soldier bewildered, frightened and a little relieved that he was still breathing.

As much of a rush as she was in, Winter had to slow down, prompting the others to slow as well. Just knowing the general direction that Wraith was in wasn't exactly going to ensure she found him. They waited for Chrysalis to catch up and allow her to lead once more. As the queen took up the head of the group, she cast a sidelong glance at Winter.

"I hope you're willing to accept the fact that your child may be gone," Chrysalis said bluntly. "The more you get your hopes up, the more it'll hurt. Yet another of the many drawbacks that come with loving somepony."

Winter didn't look her in the eye, her gaze simply lowering to the floor silently.

"You're not helping," Rainbow Dash said in a reprimanding tone.

Chrysalis stuck her nose up haughtily with a huff. "On the contrary, I'm trying to warn her so that she has to suffer as little as possible should the worst come to pass. Besides, I only promised to help find the foal. Whether it's alive or not is none of my concern."

"You could stand to show a little compassion, Chryssi," Pinkie chimed in. "Everything's easier when you do it with a smile." She punctuated the statement with a big, toothy grin.

Chrysalis grimaced at the pink pony. "Forgive me if I'm not in much of a smiling mood. And call me 'Chryssi' again and you won't have much to smile about either."

Pinkie was undeterred by the threat, her grin holding strong as she reached into her saddlebag. "Aw, don't be such a downer. You know what always makes me happy?" She pulled out a cupcake with blue frosting and rainbow sprinkles, holding it out to Chrysalis. "A nice, tasty cupcake."

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at the confection, glancing between it and the genuine and innocent smile of the party pony. As much as she didn't want to show any sort of weakness, she was admittedly too curious to pass it up. She snatched it from Pinkie, eyeing it up for a moment before taking a small, quick bite.

"Sorry if it's a little stale. It's been in my bag for, like, three days," Pinkie giggled.

Chrysalis shrugged indifferently. "Mm, not bad. Though given my typical diet, that's not saying much."

"But you feel a little better now, right?" Pinkie said with a bob of her eyebrows.

Admittedly, it had taken her mind off of her problems, if only for a moment, so she couldn't honestly say no. However, she had no intention of saying yes either. "I'll concede you may have a point, but bare in mind I'm only accepting this because I'm hungry," Chrysalis told Pinkie before shoveling down the rest of the cupcake.

"Whatever boats your float," Pinkie chuckled. She then removed another cupcake and offered it to Winter with a sympathetic smile. "I think you need one of these more than anypony."

Winter found it difficult to not smile back at Pinkie's gift, taking it graciously. "Thanks."

The group spent another fifteen minutes or so just walking down the same corridor, seeing no signs of branching paths or other changelings, much less Wraith, Snowflake, or even Shade. But eventually Rainbow Dash spoke up, her wings twitching after feeling something odd in the air.

"Hey, you guys feel that?"

The other mares went quiet as they tried to pinpoint what the cyan pegasus was talking about.

"Feels like it got a little colder all of a sudden," Fluttershy commented.

Dash flew up above the group to get a better feel for the sudden cold current. "That's definitely a breeze coming through."

"Does that mean we're near an exit?" Winter asked with a touch of optimism.

"It might not be what you're hoping for," Chrysalis interjected with a knowing grimace.

"And what's that supposed ta mean?" asked Applejack, eyeing up the changeling queen suspiciously.

Before Chrysalis could elaborate, Chamella spotted something up ahead, flittering forward slightly. "Hang on, there's something over there."

Everypony stopped to see that she was pointing to something on the ground. With all of the headlamps shining their beams towards it, it quickly became evident that it was the form of a changeling lying on its side.

Chrysalis furrowed her brow, feeling both anger and worry. This was either one of the many drones that had turned their backs on her, or another victim of Wraith's merciless authority.

"Are they... dead?" Rainbow Dash inquired, a little pensive about getting any closer.

Chrysalis was the only one to approach the fallen changeling. It was a female. She had short, brown hair. She wasn't moving, but appeared to be breathing, albeit barely. The queen lowered herself down to get a better look at her, moving the changeling's face so that she was looking at her.

She was conscious, but her eyes were hazy and listless. The moment their eyes met, the motionless changeling's eyes seemed to light up just a little.

"Chry... -salis..." she managed to choke out, her voice barely audible.

Chrysalis recognized her. Despite the lack of armor, she knew this mare to be one of her higher ranking soldiers. "Glory? What happened to you?"

The rest of the mares cautiously approached the two changelings, but still remained a respectful distance away. Glory's eyes managed to move between each of them. There was a hint of shock and surprise to see Chrysalis accompanying all the intruders that she herself had previously been ordered to kill.

"I-Is she okay?" asked Fluttershy with deep concern.

Twilight stepped forward, laying on her stomach next to Glory. "Give me a moment."

Twilight's horn lit up and a soft, pink glow began to run along Glory's body as if scanning her. While the alicorn concentrated with her eyes shut, Glory's breathing sped up ever so slightly, fearful of what she was doing to her.

After a moment, the pink aura faded and Twilight opened her eyes again, a disturbed frown appearing on her face. "Um... H-Her neck is broken. I think she's paralyzed."

The news elicited uncomfortable gulps from the other ponies.

"Y-You wouldn't happen to have some kinda spell that can...?" Applejack inquired, but trailed off.

Twilight gave a slow shake of her head as she stood up again, looking down at the changeling sympathetically. "I have some medical spells, but they're mainly for minor wounds and alleviating pain. I... I can't fix broken bones, or, um... spinal cords..."

Chrysalis placed a hoof on Glory's chin gently—almost motherly—returning her attention to the queen. Chrysalis gazed into her dim, hazel eyes with the utmost seriousness. "Who did this?" she inquired, the venom in her low tone implying she already had a good idea of the answer.

"Wr-... Wraith..."

It was all Chrysalis could do to suppress the rage inside of her, barely able to hold back a low, incensed growl. "It's not enough that he betray me, but now he's even picking off those who could possibly oppose him. Where is he now?"

"The B-... Bone... yard..."

Chrysalis turned her head and the other mares followed. There was an adjacent tunnel just next to them, and it appeared to be from where the breeze they'd been feeling was coming. Chrysalis looked back at Glory, her expression unreadable, which frightened the injured changeling. "Were you working with him?"

Glory remained silent for several seconds, but never tore her gaze away from Chrysalis's. "I'm... sorry... Please..."

Chrysalis nodded compassionately and stood up. Despite the fact that Glory had been working against her, it was evident to the queen that there was more going on than it seemed. Unfortunately, there was no time to get the full story. Wraith was nearby, and she intended on taking back what was rightfully hers. Without another word, Chrysalis began making her way toward The Boneyard. Although there was some reluctance and uncertainty amongst the rest of the group, the others started off to follow her, each of them giving the paralyzed changeling a sympathetic frown.

"He-... Help..."

The mares stopped as they were passing by Glory, looking back one more time. Fluttershy walked over to her side, leaning down to her comfortingly and looking back at her friends. "I... I think I'll stay behind and see if I can help her in some way."

Glory looked up pleadingly at Fluttershy. "N-No..."

The yellow pegasus was confused by the reaction.

Glory's eyes managed to shift to Winter. Even though the two of them had never met, Glory knew who she was, and knew how important she was. With one more pained, laborious breath, Glory made a request.

"Help... Snow... -flake..."

Winter was taken aback at the request, but she could see the seriousness in the changeling's eyes. However, she wasn't able to ask why, as the last bit of light remaining in the changeling's already dim, sky blue sclera faded, her eyes frozen half-lidded, and the last breath left her lungs.

The mares all stared in mild shock and horror, the cavern going completely silent save for the gentle whistling of the cool breeze blowing through. Chrysalis turned away from her departed subject, her ears folding down. Fluttershy stood up shakily, finding it hard to tear her eyes away from Glory's own now-lifeless eyes. Rarity placed a hoof on the pegasus's shoulder, leading her away gently.

Winter was left to quietly contemplate what she'd just witnessed. This changeling had had her neck broken by Wraith, even though she supposedly worked for him. And now, with her dying breath, she wanted them to help Snowflake. Winter was understandably confused. She had no idea what this changeling had to do with her son, but if her last request was any indication, Snowflake might very well be alive.

"I don't know who she is, but you can bet Wraith's gonna get what's coming to him," Rainbow Dash declared vengefully.

Chrysalis stared down the path before them, fury and determination in her eyes. "I'll see to that personally."

Chamella looked around at the sullen faces of her friends. It was clear that this was an experience that none of them had actually considered before coming out to the Changeling Kingdom. She was about to suggest to Winter that they hurry along since it sounded as though Wraith and Snowflake weren't far away. However, Winter quickly brushed past Chamella before she could get a word out, spreading her wings and taking off down the corridor at full speed.

"Winter! Wait!" Chamella called out before giving chase after her.

Applejack started galloping after them as well with an exasperated groan. "Dangit, Winter, ya can't just run off on yer own again!"

"You're gonna get yourself hurt!" Rainbow Dash warned as she pursued, too.

The rest of the group gave chase quickly afterward, all of the ponies with the hope that Snowflake was nearby as Glory had implied, and Chrysalis intent on removing a bothersome cockroach from her hive.

Winter no longer had anything on her mind except her son. The risks and the danger posed by this Captain Wraith she'd been hearing about made no difference to her anymore. After all this time and everything she'd been through, she didn't care if Wraith was going to kill her as long she got to see her baby one more time.

Winter had to squint her eyes as a light became visible down the tunnel. An exit; something she was beginning to think she'd never see. But even the idea of freedom didn't occupy her mind for more than a moment. Without any hesitation, she shot out of the caverns and into the open air. The first thing she noticed was her environment: a drab wasteland covered in countless bones. The second thing she noticed were the only other living creatures in the immediate area: a trio of changelings.

Despite still adjusting to the increase in visibility, Winter's eyes shot wide in shock and elation. "Shade!"

The three changelings all looked in surprise in her direction. Shade reacted much the same as she had. "Winter?! Thank Celestia you're—augh!"

Winter gasped in fright. In his moment of distraction, Shade was blasted by a beam of magic from the larger of the three changelings and knocked to the ground.

Winter heard a buzzing coming from behind her, and Chamella quickly caught up to her. She was quick to notice Shade's presence as well, but was a little more concerned to see the armored soldier glaring in their direction.

"Wh-What's going on here?" Chamella stammered, confused and worried.

"You two might not wanna be here right now!" Guise shouted.

Chamella was shocked to see Guise of all people here. "Guise? What are you—?"

"We really don't have time for this!" the red-maned changeling interrupted.

Wraith glowered at the two interlopers. "It seems Blight couldn't handle one simple task, which only makes matters more complicated for me."

Winter practically shuddered under the gaze of the armored changeling. "Wh-Who's that?"

"That's Captain Wraith," Chamella answered fearfully.

Winter was starting to understand why this guy was such a big deal. She could tell he was dangerous just by looking at him. But along with her pensiveness came anger. This was the changeling who had taken her son away from her in the first place, and now she could finally put a face on the person she hated more than anything right now.

But as that thought occurred to her, her anger turned to worry. Shade was here, and so was Wraith. There was only one thing missing. "Wh-Where's Snowflake?! Is he okay?!"

Shade staggered back to his hooves. Despite the blow, his horn was aglow with green light. He pointed a hoof in Wraith's direction. "He's fine. For now anyway."

Winter followed his hoof to a small dome of emerald magic on the ground behind Wraith. Winter had to suppress her elated tears when she saw her baby safely tucked inside the barrier, though he was bawling his little eyes out. Without even thinking, she started galloping toward her son, desperate to hold him again.

"Stay right where you are!"

The pegasus was halted by the booming command of the furious changeling captain. The fire in his eyes as he glared daggers at her kept Winter from reuniting with her crying child, too worried to approach for fear of what he might do to her or her son.

"If the two of you value your lives, you'll leave now," Wraith declared.

"I thought you wanted to kill all of the intruders?" Guise pointed out. He received a rough jab in the ribs from Shade.

"Shut up, he's giving them an out," Shade whispered.

"I've had to deal with more complications than I care to admit," Wraith told them with an aggravated growl. "At this juncture, I'm willing to cut my losses. Besides, these two mares are little threat to me."

"Winter!"

All eyes now trained on the tunnel exit from which they had all emerged. Wraith was almost sent into a state of panic upon seeing a group of seven individuals galloping their way from within the cavern. While the six technicolor ponies alone were alarming, the real shock came from the presence of the changeling queen herself. In an act of desperation, Wraith set his horn alight, hastily erecting a magical barrier over the entryway to block the ponies and Chrysalis and barring them within the cave.

Twilight and the others were quick to assess the situation, noticing both Shade and Snowflake's presence. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both immediately started an assault on Wraith's barrier, kicking and ramming it in an effort to bust through it. Twilight joined them by firing a beam of magic at it, but even their combined efforts didn't seem to be enough to break through.

"Just hang in there, guys! We'll bust this thing down!" Rainbow Dash assured as she tackled the shield again, but only proving to build a steady bruise on her shoulder. "Oof. Eventually."

As the mares continued their assault, Chrysalis stared down Wraith through the green barrier with red-hot ire. Her presence elicited an enraged, yet distressed snarl from the captain.

Despite not having the use of his magic while protecting Snowflake, Shade managed a confident smirk now that Wraith was in the same boat, not to mention having to deal with the constant force being applied to his barrier. "Seems like the playing field's been evened out."

Wraith once more returned his attention to Shade, his irate glower never faltering. "Don't think for a moment that I can't kill you all without the use of magic."

"Try it, tough guy," Guise goaded.

Shade and Guise both rushed Wraith simultaneously, but the armored changeling didn't budge. However, once they got within striking distance, Wraith reacted instantly, hitting Guise with a powerful right hook to the shoulder and knocking him harshly to the ground. Having chosen to attack Guise, Wraith was left open for Shade to strike, tackling Wraith in the chest with the intention of dragging him down. However, the larger changeling barely reacted, holding his footing. He grabbed Shade by the withers and tossed him to the ground on top of Guise.

"Shade!" Winter yelled instinctively. She didn't want to sit idly by while she watched Shade get beaten down by this brute, but what could she do? If she tried to jump in, Wraith would snap her in two. But if she couldn't help one of the important men in her life, then perhaps she could help the other.

While Wraith's attention was focused on Shade and Guise, Winter hurried over to where Snowflake was, curled up and crying loudly inside the small dome of magic. She placed her hooves on the shield—the closest she was going to get to holding him right now—and tried to talk to him.

"Snow, sweetie! It's okay! Mommy's here!"

At the sound of his mother's voice, the tyke's crying died down to sobs and hiccups as he looked up to finally see her face again. His eyes widened briefly, a sparkle of hope and happiness in his beady green eyes. Instinctively, he reached his hooves out to her and started bawling again, desperate for his mother's comforting embrace, but was also stopped by the emerald barrier separating them.

Winter couldn't fight back her shaky smile and joyous tears to see her son again after all this time. "Shhh, don't cry, sweetie. We're gonna get you out of here and back home soon, okay?" she reassured him in a quiet, soothing voice.

Hearing the more fervent wailing of the foal, Wraith turned in Winter's direction. But the moment he did, any thought of what he was going to do to her was forgotten when he was blasted in the side by a burst of magic, the impact causing him to stagger. Shade and Guise were both still recovering, so he looked to the lone female changeling standing some distance away.

Chamella's horn was glowing fiercely, and her pink eyes were even fiercer as she glared and bore her short fangs at Wraith. "Don't touch her," she snarled in a low voice.

Wraith was a touch surprised by the female's ferocity. From the intelligence gathered by the spies in Ponyville, he had figured her for a meek and rather helpless changeling. And considering the force of the blow she'd given him just now, it was also possible that he had underestimated her power. The captain let out a low growl. As if the situation weren't frustrating enough, now Wraith had yet another wrench in his plans, and his patience was stretched to its limit.

"I have had quite enough of this!" Wraith bellowed viciously.

"What's the matter, Wraith? Can't handle a couple of 'pests' like us?" Guise taunted as he and Shade rose to their hooves.

"I've worked too hard biding my time and serving that poor excuse for a queen to let an incessant group of pony sympathizers stand in my way! I will become king of the changelings, and I won't just conquer Equestria and its complacent populace, I will bury them!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Shade interrupted. "Even if you kill us, there are still people here that will be more than happy to take you down." He pointed a hoof toward the six ponies still blocked behind Wraith's barrier.

Wraith sneered at the group of mares for a moment before turning back to Shade. He certainly had a point, but right now, Wraith was far too incensed to care about them. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

Not seeing a reliable way to deal with three other changelings at once without his magic, Wraith straightened up with a furious grimace. He began to buzz his large, insectoid wings, beating them faster and faster as the high-pitched drone grew louder and louder.

Shade already knew what Wraith was doing. If he couldn't kill them individually without any hassle, he would resort to trying to kill them all at once using just the eardrum-piercing wail of his wings. It must have been a desperate gambit as this time Wraith couldn't use his magic to protect himself. He must have been confident that this play would do the job.

Within seconds, Wraith's wings were beating so fast that they had practically become a blur, and the sound was reaching a pitch so high that it became less of a sound and more like a silent, invisible force bearing down on the insides of his victims' ears.

Even without the reverberation provided by the spacious caverns, Shade, Guise, Winter, and Chamella had doubled over in pain, covering their ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound. Even with the pain pulsing in his head, eclipsing the headaches he'd had to deal with, Shade retained the wherewithal to not only maintain the barrier protecting Snowflake, but strengthen it to hopefully save his son from the aural onslaught.

Winter collapsed to the ground with her hooves over her ears, groaning in pain. She managed to keep her focus on Snowflake, praying to Celestia that he'd be okay. She tried to reassure him, but found her voice was being entirely overpowered by the ringing in her ears.

Even from the relative safety of the cave entrance, Twilight and the others could feel the effects of the violent sound, though the combination of distance and Wraith's barrier prevented them from being incapacitated by it.

"They need help!" Fluttershy cried out in panic. "If Wraith doesn't stop, they'll be killed!"

Applejack gave the barrier a particularly violent buck, only resulting in her wincing in pain and shaking her hind leg to alleviate the vibrations running through her. "Credit where credit's due, he must be pretty tough to put up with this and keep his shield up."

"Move aside, ladies, I got this!" declared Pinkie Pie, replacing her spelunking helmet with a dark green, army helmet.

The other mares cleared a path as Pinkie took aim with her flowery party cannon, launching a high-speed salvo of party favors and an entire three-tiered cake at the barrier. However, her attempt only resulted in a colorful mess of icing and confetti splattering on the barrier.

Pinkie took off her helmet, staring at the mess in genuine bewilderment. "Huh. I was sure that'd do the trick. Maybe I need to up the caliber..."

Rainbow Dash wiped away some of the gunk to watch the unsettling scene unfolding before them with a defeated growl. "Rrrgh... If I were out there, I'd show you why you don't mess with our friends!" she yelled at Wraith, though he obviously couldn't hear her.

"Is there anything we can do?" Rarity asked Chrysalis, her voice dripping with worry.

Chrysalis simply grimaced and sighed. "I doubt that Wraith can maintain his barrier for long. Even he has to succumb to this pain eventually. The question is: can your friends hold out until Wraith decides he can't take anymore himself?"

Sure enough, they could see from their vantage point that even though Wraith was the only one standing, he looked to be in great pain himself. A thin trickle of blood was starting to run from his ears, down the smooth surface of his helmet, and onto his neck.

Wraith watched intently through one open eye as Winter writhed in pain, but still huddled close to her encapsulated son. He contemplated stopping his assault, as he was unsure if the damage he was causing to himself was worth the effort, but he was so livid at the moment that he wanted nothing more than to put an end to these annoyances.

Wraith suddenly felt something heavy land on his back, and his wings were forced to stop buzzing, giving his victims some much needed reprieve from the noise drilling into their skulls. Wraith scowled over his shoulder, finding Guise sitting upon his back with blood leaking from his ears and a firm grasp of the larger changeling's wings. Somehow the former prisoner had managed to work up the willpower to fight through the pain and jump Wraith while his back was turned. Unfortunately for Wraith, the high-pitched wail of his wings had prevented him from hearing Guise's approach, but he wasn't about to let this minor setback deter him.

"And what do you think you're doing, traitor?" Wraith inquired with a bemused glare.

Guise chuckled darkly. "Hello, pot. I'm kettle." He leaned in close to Wraith's bleeding ears and whispered threateningly. "You're black."

Without a moment of hesitation, Guise yanked on Wraith's wings, effortlessly tearing them from their joints with the disgusting sound of ripping flesh and splashing blood. Wraith flinched as the shock of his dismemberment shot through him, gritting his teeth and choking back a pained shout. Shade, Chamella, Winter, as well as the others stuck at the cave entrance could only watch in awe as Wraith struggled with the pain, all the while Guise grinning sadistically upon his back.

Every muscle in Wraith's body tensed, both from the intense pain and his ever-growing rage. He shot icy daggers back at Guise, his slotted pupils narrowing and the normally-blue sclera of his eyes becoming bloodshot. Wraith leapt backwards, falling to the ground and dragging Guise with him, crushing his attacker beneath him with his superior weight.

The wind knocked from his lungs, Guise coughed for air, but his victorious smirk persisted regardless. Wraith quickly got back up, ignoring the pain in his back and delivering a fierce kick with one of his hind legs to Guise's midsection, causing the red-maned changeling to roll several feet away and forcing him to hack up some blood from his mouth.

"Impudent gnat!" Wraith snapped at Guise, gnashing his teeth furiously.

Guise managed to rise from underneath a small pile of bones and shakily get back to his hooves, spitting a glob of blood and saliva onto the dry, cracked dirt, giving the gray landscape a spot of color. His haughty grin irritated Wraith to no end. "See that, Wraith? Even the smallest pests can give you a pretty nasty bite, huh?" Despite his cockiness, Guise's legs gave out on him and he fell to his knees.

With Wraith thoroughly ticked off with Guise, Shade saw an opportunity to have another shot at him. Not really seeing any other form of approach without the use of magic, he rushed headlong again, intent on lodging his horn into Wraith's throat. However, his buzzing wings alerted the captain and he turned in Shade's direction with an icy glower, lifted his head, and brought it back down with perfect timing and precision to headbutt Shade on the top of his head just as he came within reach.

The blow stopped Shade cold, dropping him violently to the ground at Wraith's hooves. The ringing in Shade's ears came back with a vengeance, along with a blunt, pounding pain in his skull. His vision went blurry, his thoughts were suddenly muddled and he felt very disoriented, wobbling drunkenly as he tried to stagger back to his hooves.

But Wraith wasn't about to give him the chance to compose himself. Giving him similar treatment to Guise, Wraith delivered a blow to Shade with his hind leg, striking him in the temple, much like he did back in Ponyville. Shade didn't even have time to register that he'd been struck and his disorientation quickly became full blown unconsciousness as he collapsed to his side on top of a few dry, cracked bones.

"Shade!" Winter cried out in horror, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She then noticed that the barrier surrounding Snowflake had suddenly dissipated, leaving the crying foal exposed; with Shade out cold, he wasn't able to keep the shield up anymore. But Winter took the opportunity to finally wrap her hooves around her son and hold him again after all this time. Snowflake snuggled into the fur of his mom's neck, whimpering quietly and wiping his own tears away in her soft, yet dirtied, coat. Despite the harrowing circumstances, Winter found herself with a shaky smile, happy just to hold her baby in her hooves again.

Winter shuddered suddenly. She felt a presence boring a hole into the back of her head. Turning around, she instinctively held Snowflake tighter when she saw Wraith glaring in her direction. Now that the foal was no longer protected, Wraith had set his sights back to him.

"An ultimatum," Wraith growled ominously as he threateningly walked toward Winter. "If you want the halfling to live, give it to me. Otherwise, he dies along with the rest of you. At this point, I don't care which choice you make."

Winter didn't respond. She could only sit there, shaking. She had her son in her hooves now; she could fly to safety and Wraith could not pursue. However, her fear rendered her immobile, her wings too shaky to even extend them. But still, she defiantly held her child, shielding him from Wraith.

Wraith wasn't surprised by her reaction, but with his patience having long since run out, he had no qualms about killing her and the halfling.

However, before Wraith could get too close, Chamella ran out in front him and cut him off. Wraith stared at her, bemused. Chamella stared back. Anger burned in her pink eyes. Any fear she had felt up until now vanished the moment that Wraith threatened Winter and Snowflake. After everything they'd been through—earning Winter's forgiveness and finding the resolve to accept her role as Snowflake's godmother—Chamella wasn't going to stand idly by and allow Wraith to let all of that go to waste.

With all of the emotion Chamella could muster, she glared viciously at Wraith and flashed her fangs. "Don't hurt my family!"

Chamella's horn glowed intensely, her aura not soft and shimmering like normal, but sharp and erratic. In an instant, a surge of magic shot from her horn like a bolt of emerald lightning, latching onto Wraith's horn like a lightning rod and creating an arcing wire of magical electricity between the two changelings.

Every muscle in Wraith's body tightened involuntarily, effectively immobilizing him. Rapid shocks of magic pulsed through his body, sending pain through him that eclipsed the pain of having his wings torn off. He felt as though his insides were being fried, as though his blood was being boiled. Wraith's eyes practically rolled back into his head, letting out sharp grunts of agony.

Winter, still tightly clutching Snowflake, watched in shock and awe as Chamella, of all people, had Wraith completely incapacitated and writhing in agony.

Even though he was wracked in intense pain, Wraith managed to focus his eyes forward. Through sheer willpower, he managed to move again, slowly raising his right front leg, though trembling greatly. He lifted his hoof to his head, gripping his horn. With no lack of effort, Wraith let out a fierce shout as he snapped his own horn off with a loud crack.

With the conduit through which her magic bolt was attached removed, the connection between Chamella and Wraith was severed and the magic energy dissipated instantly, leaving only a few green sparks splashing off of Chamella's horn.

Chamella fell back onto her haunches, a quick, sharp pain shooting up from the bandaged wound on her flank. She lowered her head, panting from exhaustion. She felt completely drained; she'd never output that much magic before, and now she was totally worn out. Chamella lifted her head slightly, and her eyes widened in shock.

Despite everything, Wraith was still standing, but he, too, was panting, out of breath himself and clearly in great pain. His wings torn out, his horn broken, and now blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. But more than anything, he was mad. The violet of his eyes was almost completely unnoticeable among the bloodshot red. It was clear that nothing occupied his mind more at this moment than killing everyone that opposed him. With what strength he had left, Wraith started stomping toward Chamella with bloodlust in his eyes.

Chamella didn't move; she couldn't move. She could only sit, exhausted, as Wraith laboriously approached her, the only magic she had left a green vapor wafting from her horn like steam.

But Chamella noticed something walk up alongside her. Winter stood next to her, still holding Snowflake. The mother and her son both had tears in their eyes, but stared down Wraith regardless.

"Don't... Don't come any closer," Winter warned, though her shaky voice belied her attempt to be threatening. "I-I'm not going to let you hurt anypony else."

Snowflake added to the statement by blowing a disdainful raspberry at the changeling captain.

Wraith didn't even react to the threat. He simply walked up to the pegasus and raised his hoof with the intention of striking her with all the strength he could still muster.

But before he could start his swing, Wraith was struck from the side by an incredibly fast, rainbow streak and was dragged through the dry, dusty dirt and bones until coming to a stop a few dozen feet away.

From the dust cloud that had been kicked up, Rainbow Dash flew up into the air, glaring harshly down to where she'd left Wraith. "I told you not to mess with our friends!"

Winter and Chamella were soon met by the other five ponies, as well as Queen Chrysalis. Along the way, it seemed Applejack had briefly stopped to pick up Shade's unconscious body, bringing up the rear as she caught up to the group with the changeling father draped over her back. Winter was quick to rush to Applejack's side and check Shade's condition, relieved just to know that he was still breathing.

"Are you two alright?" Twilight asked Winter and Chamella thoughtfully.

Chamella gave the alicorn a weak smile. "A little drained, but otherwise okay."

"How did you all get past Wraith's barrier?" Winter inquired.

"Well, he doesn't have a horn anymore, darling," Rarity explained.

"While it's still possible to use magic with a broken horn, spells become much more unstable," Twilight added. "Maintaining a barrier under such duress is very difficult, much less with a broken horn."

Applejack tipped her hat up slightly, staring in Wraith's general direction. "Gotta say, Ah was not ready fer the things Ah've seen today."

Fluttershy leaned in close to the tiny foal cradled in Winter's foreleg, gently tapping the tyke on the nose with a giggle and a smile, to which Snowflake responded in kind. "I'm so glad you're okay, cutie. This whole experience must have been just awful for you."

Rainbow Dash fluttered back down to rejoin the group, but didn't take her eyes off of the pile of bones she'd left Wraith under. "Don't get comfy yet, guys. We're not done."

The mound of splintered bones began to shake and rise slightly, falling away and exposing the changeling captain again. Even after Dash blindsided him, Wraith still managed to get back to his hooves. His long, fiery orange mane fell down around his face, his helmet having gotten knocked off and ended up who-knows-where. He glowered at the group of mares some distance away, the fire in his eyes not having died down in the least. The rest of the fire he had harbored, however, was extinguished. Taking only one step toward them, Wraith's legs gave out and he collapsed back to the ground. The adrenaline was finally dying down, and all of the pain—his wings, his horn, his everything—hit him all at once.

Seeing his condition, Winter, Chamella, Twilight and the others felt as though the threat had been alleviated, at least enough to take a breather.

"So what are we going to do about him?" asked Chamella.

Chrysalis pushed her way to the front of the group. "There is no 'we' in this scenario. This is my kingdom, and loathe as I am to say it, Wraith is still one of my subjects. I'll deal with him."

With that Chrysalis began making her way over to where Wraith lay, still fighting to rise to his hooves, but to no avail. When he noticed that she was nearing him, he cast an icy glare up at her as she towered over him with a disdainful look in her eyes. Wraith let out a low growl, but said nothing.

"Well, isn't this a bizarre sight?" Chrysalis started, her voice level and sounding of indifference. "The 'mighty' Captain Wraith, beaten and broken. This must be a new feeling for you, hm?"

Wraith didn't respond, only gritting his teeth angrily.

"I suppose now we at least have some common ground. How does it feel to have years of planning come crumbling down around you, Wraith?"

"Do not compare yourself to me," Wraith snarled. "Your failure was a result of your own hubris."

"And yours was a result of your greed and thirst for power. You could have simply chosen not to interfere with the lives of these people, but you just had to have one more potential soldier to throw themselves into battle for you."

"It's not about numbers," Wraith retorted. "It was about what's rightfully mine."

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes, leaning her head down. "And exactly what makes you believe that you have any right to this crown, or to the changelings? You have no respect for the people of this kingdom. They don't deserve a king like you."

"And you don't deserve to be queen!"

Chrysalis raised her head again, her expression softening slightly. "You're right, I don't."

Wraith went quiet, somewhat confused by the response.

"But this position has never been about who deserves it. It's about who's willing to step up and lead their people to better lives. You had only yourself in mind, controlling the weak-willed drones and soldiers with fearmongering and threats. The power you built came solely from the love I foolishly provided you over the years. The soldiers never respected you; they were afraid of you. And once I was out of the way, what was your plan then? Without my love your power would have slowly dwindled anyway, and it would only be a matter of time before another changeling stepped in to usurp you as well."

Chrysalis stared down her nose at the livid changeling beneath her, her eyes full of hatred, but also hurt. "You took advantage of me, Wraith. As if taking my subjects away from me—even killing them on your own whims—wasn't bad enough, you manipulated me and lead me to believe you actually cared about me. And that is unforgivable. I was more than happy to go through life not knowing the pain of heartbreak. And I never would have thought that love could so easily turn to hatred," she hissed, venom oozing from her voice. However, her disgusted grimace quickly shifted to a snide grin. "But I think I'll get over it. If anything, I suppose I should thank you. This whole affair has made me realize that if I want to earn back the respect of my subjects, I need to get out of this slump. So, thank you for giving me the kick in the flank I needed to resume my duties as Queen of the Changelings."

"Do you think you've earned back that title?" Wraith argued. "You only stand over me now because you had the help of the deserters and those ponies."

Chrysalis smirked. "True, but the other changelings don't need to know that. After all..." She leaned down again, staring menacingly into Wraith's bloodshot eyes and whispered in a dark tone. "...you're not going to be around long enough to tell them." Chrysalis straightened up again and set her horn alight with bright green magic, her expression returning to one of indifference. "We may have a long history together, Wraith, but after everything you've put me through, don't expect a goodbye."

Wraith glowered fiercely up at Chrysalis. Every fiber of his being wanted to stand and lunge violently at her, but his muscles betrayed him, too overcome with pain and weakness from his injuries. And as Chrysalis stared down at him, her stoic, yet somewhat remorseful expression was the last thing he saw before his vision was overcome by a vibrant, green flash of magic.

Comments

[Burrrr]

YAY! they won <3

[Helljumper206]

Hey Chrysalis, here's a tip for dealing with Wraith.

RIP AND TEAR!!!

[Slavenger Karl]

Still it's more adventure than SoL. Can we get another section of chapters of normal life with undertones leading to such adventures or a time skip?

[harts fire]

you are going to have to look really hard to even find small bits of Wraith.
i hope i am right with a guess of ware this story is going, but i fear it is not to bee.