White Flag
They traveled through the night and by dawn were arriving back in Equestria again, the air yacht accompanied by Ember’s two dragon escorts. As they did so, Spike spent most of his time on the Vergilius’s radio, listening to any and all radio chatter he could pick up, trying to gauge what the situation was in Equestria and most especially how it might affect them. As far as he could determine though, everything was still the same as before. There were standing orders for their detention if found, wanted for questioning, but otherwise life seemed to be proceeding normally within Equestria. He told Thorax all of this.
“To me, it seems like nothing’s amiss at all,” he told the changeling that had spent most of the night stubbornly flying the airship himself even though both Ember and Spike offered to take over for him. “At least…no more than it had been when we had left.”
This didn’t reassure Thorax at all though, who regarded Equestria in a new, and worried, light. “I hope that’s really all it is,” he admitted back to Spike. “But where there are changelings potentially involved…no news may not actually be good news…and I’m not going to be able to rest easy until I’m sure that’s not the case.”
Spike, who still thought this was all a bad idea and that they were better off staying in the Dragon Realms, simply put his claws in the air and let Thorax be without further comment.
Whenever Thorax wasn’t at the helm piloting the airship, which had been rare, he was below deck, tending to Julius and the cocoon he was still in. He revealed that the cocoon needed to be magically recharged on a daily basis so long as Julius was within it, or the nutrient bath surrounding the changeling would go stale and lead to Julius awakening prematurely. As even Thorax agreed he was likely still very much a threat to them, no one was eager for that just yet, but Thorax was more concerned about the fact that Julius’s burns would not have had enough time to heal should this happen. The fact that this changeling had been injured because of him seemed to have affected Thorax deeply, and it wasn’t lost on him that the cocoon was quite possibly the only thing keeping the other changeling alive. Though Julius had survived through the night, it was still unclear on whether or not the cocoon was really going to be enough to keep it that way.
The fact this bothered Thorax so much intrigued Ember. “Why is his health so important to you, Thorax?” she asked once while watching the changeling fret over the cocoon. “You yourself said the two of you are enemies.”
Thorax’s gaze went distant for a second as he thought about how to reply. “When I left the hive, Dragon Lord Ember, it was for the intent of bringing about good for everyone, my hive especially,” he began slowly, purposefully. “And yet everything that has followed has only seemed to bring about harm of some sort to others, with Julius being the latest and most critical to date. Not only is that deeply unsatisfactory for me, now a fellow changeling’s life has been put into the balance because of me…so if he dies…that’s on me.” He heaved a great sigh, trying to draw strength. “And I’ll never forgive myself if that happens, enemies or not.” He gazed forlornly at Julius hanging suspended within the cocoon. “May you be the very last to come to harm in this matter, Julius.”
Conflicted and yet moved by Thorax’s explanation, Ember chose not to comment further, and instead left Thorax in peace.
As they still didn’t know just what was going on exactly, Spike asked at one point if Thorax couldn’t just make a mental link with Julius and get the answers that way. But Thorax pointed out that he could only form such a link via touch, and he couldn’t do that very well when Julius was sealed inside a cocoon. Besides, he pointed out that Julius’s condition was such that it made it unwise to do so; injured and barely conscious as he was, his mind would be an “untidy mess” that would be very hard to sort out, and with no guarantees that anything Thorax found in Julius’s mental scape was actually accurate or just subconscious illusions, and he wasn’t practiced enough to be confident in figuring out which would be which. Therefore, he reasoned, their best hope for answers was to find Starlight and Trixie as Julius himself had reasoned, and so they pressed on with this goal in mind.
By mid-morning, they had arrived in the area near the Horseshoe Bay as Julius had indicated they should go. As the bay was a major spot for seafaring trade, this brought them very close to a heavily populated area of Equestria, making Spike especially uneasy, fearing they would be sighted and identified by somepony, and then they’d be quickly caught. Regardless of this though, Thorax plowed the airship straight into this area, believing their reasons for being here outweighed that risk. And once they had arrived, Ember sent out Obsidian and Garnet out in search for the two mares they were told should be nearby, intending to join them herself if neither of her two escorts found anything within the hour. It never came to that though, as only thirty minutes into the search, Obsidian was coming back to the Vergilius with news of a pertinent find.
“Report!” Ember barked loudly as she strolled directly up to the dragon hovering next to the airship while Spike and Thorax lingered at the other side of the deck to watch and listen.
“We caught the fresh scent of no more than two ponies having been in the area within the past hour down in the valley, dragon lord,” Obsidian reported, getting right to the point. “The scent strongly indicated that they were unicorn mares, roughly about the age you told us to search for.”
Spike’s eyebrows went up, impressed by all of this. “You got all that from just their scent?” he asked, incredulous.
Ember shot Spike a teasing grin. “Somebody needs to teach you how to use that dragon snout of yours so you won’t be so surprised by things like this,” she quipped then turned back to Obsidian. “Where are they now?”
“That’s just it, dragon lord, we don’t know. The scent trail starts suddenly, goes on for a few feet, then simply stops again, and we have not sighted any actual ponies anywhere in the area. It’s as if they suddenly appeared and then just as quickly disappeared again. Garnet’s gone to search for any more signs while I came to report in to you, milord.”
“Go join him, and scan the whole valley, Obsidian,” Ember ordered immediately. “Even any pony settlements you find if you must, though you are not to start any conflicts with them if you have to do that. Report back to me when you find something or have finished the search.”
“On it!” the dragon replied, saluted once more then swooped off, heading back down towards the land the air yacht was flying over to carry out the orders.
Ember then turned to Spike and Thorax. “Well?” she prompted, looking for their input. “Any ideas on how to explain the trail of two ponies appearing and disappearing like that?”
“It sounds like teleportation to me,” Spike reasoned.
“Agreed,” Thorax replied, but glanced at Spike, puzzled. “But why would anypony be randomly teleporting around way out—?”
He was cut short when there was a suddenly flash of turquoise light at the forward part of the deck, and the three turned in time to see two ponies finish teleporting aboard the air yacht. Both were equipped for traveling as they also carried saddlebags, but wore nothing else save for the fact one of them wore a familiar pointed hat. Ember only recognized one of the mares and tensed immediately upon sight. Spike and Thorax however both saw straightaway that they knew these two ponies very well.
That didn’t change the fact that they were still surprised to instantly recognize them as Starlight Glimmer and Trixie.
“Starlight?” Spike exclaimed in surprise, locking eyes with the pale heliotrope-colored unicorn. She was sweaty and looked exhausted, like she had just ran a mile run, but she was bravely pushing her exhaustion to one side, leaving herself ready to react if needed. Regardless, she was panting, trying to catch her breath, and wore an urgent expression that didn’t look like it’d bode well.
“Trixie?” Thorax likewise exclaimed, also surprised to see the stagemare so suddenly as she untangled herself from Starlight, clearly Starlight’s passenger in the teleport. She was missing her cape, likely so to accommodate the saddlebags she carried, but she still had her trademark hat adorning her head. She looked alarmed and afraid and was rapidly taking in her new surroundings with noted fear. Worried what her reaction would be upon seeing him in his natural form, Thorax threw up his Thornton disguise for the first time since leaving Vanhoover and additionally moved to stand behind Ember, where he wouldn’t be easily noticed.
“YOU!” Ember roared, vaulting herself towards the pair, with her focus especially on Starlight. She immediately pointed her staff at them, clearly with the intent to strike at them with it if they gave her any reason to. “Confirm your identities, NOW!”
Though they both instinctively backed up a pace and Trixie yelped and threw herself down flat onto the deck of the airship, wrapping her hooves over her eyes in fear, Starlight immediately turned to focus her attention on Ember, perceiving her as the biggest threat, and threw up a protective bubble-shaped shield around herself and Trixie with her magic. “You first,” Starlight replied back cautiously. “Prove to us you are who you appear to be.”
Spike snorted at this, and was about to make some kind of snide comment, but Ember clamped his mouth shut with one hand, making it clear that she would handle the talking. “Just so you are aware…we were attacked by a changeling just yesterday.”
“Join the club,” Starlight replied back, though she did wince slightly to herself at this news. “In fact, we’ve got you beat—we just barely managed to escape capture from a whole bunch of them.”
Ember moved her staff defensively before her, taking a step back from the two mares as her distrust remained unwavering. “So how can we tell if they really did or didn’t and you’re not both changeling spies?” she challenged.
“Seriously no offense, but I could ask you the same thing,” Starlight pointed out with a slightly apologetic expression. “Look, I don’t know how much you three already do or do not know, but believe me, the situation is such that you could easily not be as you appear, and I can’t take the risk without some precautions first,” She nodded her head at Thorax. “And don’t think I didn’t see you putting on a changeling disguise just now. So I’m sorry for having to say this…but there are enemy shape-shifting changelings to take into consideration. I promise though, once you’ve confirmed you are all really you, we’ll explain, but not before.”
“I want some proof you two are who you say too first, though,” Ember stressed, “for the exact same reasons. How can we tell you are real?”
Thorax heaved a sigh and stepped out from behind Ember. “I can tell,” he stated firmly and started to approach the shield encompassing the two mares. “I’ll be able to detect if they’re changelings or not. But…I’d need you to lower the shield for me to do so.”
Starlight shook her head. “Sorry, but I can’t just do that without knowing first I wouldn’t be putting ourselves in danger of attack,” she said with regret.
All eyes looked around at each other for a tense moment.
Finally, Spike folded his arms grumpily. “So, are we just going to stand around and stare each other to death, or what?”
Ember stared at Starlight for a long moment, but finally she nodded, lowering her staff and planting its end on the deck beside her. “Fine,” she stated in a very no-nonsense tone that made it clear she would not tolerate any trouble. “You want proof that I am who I say? Where shall I begin? Oh, I know, how about where your princess of friendship tried to start a war with me?”
Starlight rolled her eyes, annoyed by the jibe. “Not to say I’m defending Twilight’s actions that day, but I should point out that you were the one who threatened to declare war.”
“Yeah, and she didn’t back down from that threat in the slightest either,” Ember growled, on a roll now that she had been given a means to vent her feelings on this. “And she totally started it, refusing to listen to anything I told her about just how utterly wrong she was getting things, that ignorant and racist bi—”
“Okay, okay I get it!” Starlight interrupted quickly while Spike shot Ember a look of surprise, not missing what the dragoness had been about to utter.
“I’m not finished!” Ember pressed on, not wanting to stop now that she had started. “Because I want to make it abundantly clear that your princess had only one goal in mind during that whole meeting, and that was to ignore everything I told her that Thorax and Spike could be trusted and she was the one who was driving them away, continue to claim that they couldn’t ever be trusted for stupid reasons, and continue to insist that she personally catch them so to do who knew what with them, or there would be consequences!”
“I know!” Starlight exclaimed, butting in. She leveled her gaze on the dragoness. “I was there, I heard everything.” She sighed then nodded her head. “…which tells me you are quite likely the real Ember, so thank you.” She turned her gaze to Thorax and Spike. “So it’s really more you two I need confirmation on your identities at this point…and I know how it looks, but it’s really important. So please…just…tell me something I know only the two of you would know.”
Spike’s scowl he had been giving the two mares during all of this narrowed further still, clearly not happy with Starlight’s apparent doubting. So it was perhaps to no surprise that his choice of method to prove his identity was unflattering for Starlight. “Remember when I was dusting in the castle and found that box under your bed, Starlight?” he asked flatly.
Starlight immediately blushed, which didn’t escape Trixie’s notice, finally peeking one eye out from under one of the hooves she had been keeping over her face for most of this and spoke for the first time since arriving. “What box?” she asked her friend from where she lay on the deck still curled in a protective ball, suddenly curious.
“Never mind the box,” Starlight said, clearly embarrassed, but she was also convinced. “But…only the Spike I know would know about it, so…” she turned her gaze to Thorax. “…that just leaves you.”
Thorax heaved a deep sigh at this. “I don’t see why would I be anyone else other than me at this point, you see that, right?” he asked Starlight.
Starlight gave him an apologetic look. “I know, but…just humor me and my paranoia please. It’s been a really rough past couple of days.”
Thorax frowned, considering his options. Unfortunately, they were few because of his very limited contact with Starlight Glimmer up to now. It was then that Trixie, who he had failed to notice had shifted her gaze onto him after asking Starlight about the box and was now watching him closely, spoke up. “Thornton…” she began slowly, “…is it true?”
Thorax turned his gaze sadly at her, and then down at his presently disguised hooves, understanding precisely what she was asking. He sighed again and silently nodded. He then reluctantly allowed his disguise to collapse, revealing his natural changeling form, seeing no good in keeping up the charade now. He had to squeeze his eyes shut in shame when he heard Trixie inhale sharply at the sight and was unable to bring himself to look at her.
Starlight, fortunately, saved him from having to when she abruptly noticed something in surprise. “Your wings,” she declared, “they’ve changed!”
Thorax blinked open his eyes, looking at her in puzzlement, then back at his wings, not sure what she meant. “What do you mean, they’ve changed?” he asked.
“I mean, your wings are…different from when I last saw you,” Starlight clarified, nodding her head at Thorax’s gossamer wings.
Thorax glanced back at her, then back at his wings in mild surprise. “Really?” he asked, having never noticed any sort of changes with his wings recently. “How so?”
“Actually…now that she mentions it,” Spike began, taking a few steps up to the changeling, his eyes narrowed as he studied the wings as if seeing them in a sudden new light, “your wings do seem to have become more…sparklier lately than I recall them being when we first met…”
Thorax squinted his eyes at his wings. “…I guess?” he admitted, not really seeing it. “But…when did that happen?”
“I dunno,” Spike admitted, rubbing his chin. “I didn’t really think much of it until literally just now, but now that I am, I think they’ve been like this for a little bit now…”
“They were already like that when I found you two,” Ember offered, turning to look too. “So if they really weren’t always like that before, it must have happened sometime prior to that.”
“It must have been some gradual process if it’s escaped my notice like this though…” Thorax mumbled to himself.
“You see why I might have my doubts, though?” Starlight pressed urgently. “So please, tell me something I know only you would know, and quickly…we may not have much time.”
Thorax glanced in surprise at her implication that time was short. It got his mind wondering for an explanation, with several undesirable possibilities already jumping to the forefront. As asked though, he focused on answering Starlight’s request. “Well…” he finally concluded with reluctance, finding only one option, “…you were there to hear Prince Shining Armor’s words when he banished us. He said—” he transformed himself, taking Shining Armor’s form as he started to repeat in the stallion’s booming voice, “—By the authority of the princess and prince, current rulers of the Crystal Empire and representatives of the royal government of Equestria, and the support of the Princess of Friendship, on charges of conspiracy, impersonation—”
“All right, all right, I believe you!” Starlight interjected, cutting the uncomfortable reminder short. She breathed a sigh of relief. “You all are who you claim.” She glanced at Spike and grinned sadly. “It’s good to see you again, by the way.”
“It’s not mutual, trust me,” Spike grumbled, and nodded his head at the two mares that were still enclosed in their shield. “Still waiting for you to prove you are who you say you are, by the way.”
“Right,” Starlight agreed, and lowered her protective shield finally as a show of trust. Trixie quickly started to wrap her hooves over her face again in fear, but Starlight grabbed her and hauled her upright. She nodded her head at Thorax. “Do whatever you need to.”
Thorax nodded his head, and with a hesitant sigh, stepped closer to them. He drew very close to the two mares, to the discomfort of both, and started to sniff them over, almost like a dog searching for a scent…and in a way he was, as he was searching for the same unique pheromone identifying changelings that had allowed him to realize Julius was a changeling before he dropped his disguise. He already strongly suspected that they were not changelings, though. He had gotten absolutely no whiff of the changeling scent the whole time the two had been here, but nonetheless, he thoroughly checked them both out, carefully sniffing each of them in turn as it was still possible to try and mask the scent of changeling if desired. Though this made them uncomfortable which he easily sensed in their emotions, both mares obediently stood there and allowed him to proceed without protest. No doubt they understood it was important that this be done.
After sniffing Starlight over for a moment first and confident she was truly as fully pony as she appeared, Thorax then turned his attention to Trixie and started to sniff her over for a moment too, her scent filling his nose as he sought the telltale indicator of a changeling. Though Trixie involuntarily flinched as he did this, she otherwise did not resist. Soon perfectly confident that Trixie was also a real pony (to his silent relief), Thorax raised his gaze in time to meet Trixie’s, their eyes locking for a brief moment. Thorax tensed as it sank in this was undoubtedly the Trixie he knew, and he was awfully close to her undisguised and revealed as a changeling for the first time, the first time Trixie was seeing him out of disguise. Trixie seemed to be thinking something similar, her eyes gazing at Thorax with a wild mix of confusing feelings that not even Thorax could quite sort out.
It was then that Trixie impulsively spoke, using the moment to spontaneously, perhaps without thinking, blurt out, “I understand why you wanted to see a changeling crewmember in Sky Trek now, Thornton.”
Thorax gazed at her for a long moment, the comment only further reassuring that Trixie was indeed genuine, as he knew only Trixie would know of that private conversation. It also reminded him that he no doubt seemed like a totally different being undisguised like this, so much so Thorax debated restoring his Thornton disguise yet again, if just purely for Trixie’s comfort. But he didn’t, ignoring the telltale ache in his chest at doing so, partly because he was surprised to notice she was managing to mostly keep her composure on the matter anyway, perhaps given their past history. He hoped that was why, at least. It probably helped that Trixie had known to expect it at any rate, hopefully because of receiving and reading the confession Thorax had sent her prior to fleeing Vanhoover and not any potentially bias explanation she had gotten from somepony else.
But Thorax was still struck by how…collected Trixie seemed about it. He had fully expected Trixie to be terrified of him now, if not hate him, but he only sensed a moderate sense of wariness towards him and not nearly enough to be in any way crippling. Instead, he sensed from Trixie more a state of confusion towards him, a sense that she didn’t know how she ought to be reacting around him now. He could relate.
He also remembered almost belatedly that Trixie had a fear of flying in airships and that she was no doubt uncomfortable being unexpectedly aboard the Vergilius like this, realizing Trixie was making a few personal sacrifices of her own being here. He debated inwardly for a brief second on giving the pony some sort of response to her comment or these things he had noted about her, perhaps as some sort of reassurance to her, but sensing it was neither the time nor place for it, he bit back the urge and turned to face Spike and Ember instead, trotting back to his original position. “They’re clean,” he simply remarked aloud.
Ember, to everyone’s surprise, let out her breath in a relieved whoosh. “Good,” she remarked. “We’ve got enough trouble as it is.” She then blinked and jabbed a claw at the deckhouse. “By the way, that changeling I mentioned attacked us yesterday? You ought to know…he’s still onboard, he’s just downstairs and in a cocoon.”
Starlight and Trixie’s eyes widened at this, and they both stared at Ember, awaiting an explanation.
Ember sheepishly shrugged. “He’s unconscious, of course,” she assured, then winced. “I…uh…breathed a fireball on him, and that kind of put him out of commission.”
Trixie’s gaze only turned more incredulous. “How is he even still alive?” she asked.
“I wasn’t about to let him die,” Thorax determinedly interjected here with a small scowl.
Starlight and Trixie turned their surprise to the changeling now. “You let him live?” Starlight asked, confused, “Even though he attacked you?”
“Of course,” Thorax responded immediately, making it clear that he didn’t think this was even up for debate.
Starlight regarded him for a long moment as if impressed by this show of character from Thorax, but then shook her head and got back on subject. “So this changeling…I take it you haven’t learned much from him.”
“Very little,” Ember confirmed with a solemn nod. “Just a rough idea of where two find you two.”
“So that’s why you guys are here and not in the Dragon Lands like we were expecting,” Trixie mumbled to herself.
“But never mind that,” Spike suddenly interjected, sounding angry. He pointed a claw at Starlight. “First, I want to know if this is all some kind of trap.”
“It’s no trap, Spike,” Starlight assured patiently. “Thorax just confirmed we aren’t changelings—”
“I’m not talking about the changelings,” Spike interrupted darkly. “I’m talking about your mentor, Starlight.”
Starlight winced a little at Spike’s tone, catching on. “Now’s not really the time for this, Spike…”
“It’s never the time, isn’t it?” Spike again interrupted, his frown deepening, and continued with his questioning. “Has Twilight sent you? What’s her scheme this time?”
Starlight and Trixie exchanged wary looks. “I’m afraid Twilight has had nothing to do with this, Spike,” Starlight commented slowly and with clear distress.
“Then what’s this about, Starlight?” Spike demanded, not backing down.
But Starlight and Trixie exchanged worried glances, not helping with the sense that something somewhere had gone terribly wrong without their knowing. “Thorax,” Starlight began, solemnly turning her attention to the changeling again. “Before you left your hive, were you aware of any plans for the changelings to try and invade Equestria again?”
Thorax felt a chill run through him, realization that his fears were about to be proven true striking him sudden and hard. “What have they done?” he asked tonelessly, full of worry as he put two with two.
“Please answer the question, Thorax, were you aware of any—?”
“No, now what have they done?”
Starlight sighed and lowered her gaze, clearly reluctant to deliver her bad news. So Trixie spoke up instead. “The changelings are back,” she stated gravely, the seriousness of this announcement settling heavy and rapidly on the group. Thorax, having already reached this same conclusion, closed his eyes and lowered his head in dismay. “They’re trying to invade Equestria again.”
“Only this time they’re doing it with more stealth,” Starlight explained, picking up the tale as the others listened in alarm. “They’ve plotted to replace the royal family with changelings so to collect the love meant for the princesses for themselves instead, seizing control of the country without anypony else realizing it in the process. Trixie and I were lucky to even find out about it, or even scarier, avoid getting replaced ourselves.”
“And just how exactly did you find out about that?” Spike asked firmly, in a tone that made it clear declining to explain wasn’t an option. His resentment for the two ponies was palatable, and Thorax, being the most aware of it, started to believe it had far more to do with than a fear they might be changeling spies.
Fortunately, Starlight had every intention of explaining. She took a deep breath before launching into the tale. “Basically what happened was this; after Ember’s spat with Twilight and she had left again, things turned around. We were starting to see that this mess has been handled badly by us and it was time to change tactics. Princess Celestia made it clear she wanted to try and seek peace…and as her way wasn’t doing that, Twilight was basically finding herself forced out of the search for you two on the grounds that everypony was starting to fear she was letting herself get too deeply involved in the matter.”
Thorax’s eyes widened and he couldn’t help but take a hopeful step towards Starlight. “Are you saying you are willing to hear us out now…and maybe take us at our word for a change?”
Starlight nodded slowly. “In fact, Princess Celestia was getting very stressed about it because she’s been trying to get in contact with you three so to try and start working something out, but was finding Spike’s firebreath blocked as a means of communication and didn’t know how else to reach you or find you.”
Thorax suddenly swatted Spike on the shoulder with one hoof, bordering on being overjoyed. “I told you!” he said, almost excited.
Spike swatted him back, only turning grumpier. “And I told you that I’m not convinced,” he pressed and threw his claws out at the two mares. “Otherwise, why are these two here and not Celestia herself, or better yet, Twilight?”
“And why didn’t Celestia just send some message directly to the Dragon Realms?” Ember inquired, her tone more curious.
“I’m getting to that,” Starlight stressed, and continued with her explanation. She nodded her head at Ember. “First, Celestia did send a message, or at least a messenger, in the direction of the Dragon Lands. I know that much because she told us. But I never heard anything more on the matter after that, so either word never reached there, or the changelings intercepted it.”
Thorax then had a scary thought. “Or the messenger she sent was always a changeling in disguise, using it as cover so to find us.”
Ember looked at Thorax in surprise. “Then he wasn’t lying!” she declared, motioning with one hand in the general direction Julius was. “He really did have a message from Celestia when that changeling came and attacked us.”
Trixie paled at the thought. “Then that just means this invasion goes deeper than we thought,” she murmured darkly. She glanced at Starlight. “I mean…doesn’t that imply Celestia might’ve already been…?”
“Whatever the case,” Starlight interjected, resuming the tale on the belief that it was more important the others got full context first. “Basically, that’s where we were at, but now that Princess Celestia had taken over the search and we were no longer directly involved, Twilight was…not taking it the greatest. With the help of Twilight’s friends, we were all trying to help reassure her that things would work out and why when I unexpectedly received an invitation from my old village, inviting me to an annual Sunset Festival they held, the first they’ve held since I left.”
“Oh, wonderful timing,” Spike grumbled sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Out partying while we’re out here running for our lives because of all of you…”
Starlight narrowed her eyes slightly at him for this, but she bravely ignored the jibe. “Despite things being as they were, Twilight insisted that I go, saying it was a chance to further my friendship studies, and it would be a chance to show friendly support in my village and what they were doing. Plus, the argument was that current affairs didn’t mean our lives should be on hold. We all knew that, by that point, it could be some time before any new headway was made anyway. We had been asked to get back into our normal lives as much as possible after Twilight had been forced out of the search, and urged to each participate in any social events that might come up, thinking it would be of benefit to each of us individually…and this seemed to apply to that. The rest all urged me to go too, even Princess Luna, especially after I confessed that I felt…” Starlight hesitated. “…worried about going back to my village, considering my past there. Everyone seemed to think it’d be good for me in the long run, at least. And as it was the first time Twilight had acknowledged all of this aloud, the first time she really acted like her old self with her urging me to go…I thought it was a sign she was finally coming around…so I couldn’t really turn her down. So with the other girls promising to keep an eye on Twilight and that they would have the matters there under control while I was gone, that’s what I did.”
“And Trixie came with,” Trixie added, almost as if it was an afterthought and just to ensure she was still included in the conversation.
“And just how does Trixie fit into this?” Ember inquired, giving the showmare a quizzical look.
“Because Trixie…” Trixie’s eyes locked onto Thorax again. Thorax, who was beginning to understand perfectly why she was there, averted eye contact again in shame, and again moved to hide himself from the mare’s view by ducking behind the bigger Ember. Ember, noticing, gave him a puzzled look while Spike, not so puzzled, gave Thorax a look that was just short of disapproval. “…Trixie had some personal things she needed to discuss with Starlight anyway…and happened to be arriving at Ponyville to do so at the same time.”
“Trixie also came with me at my request because I was nervous about the whole deal,” Starlight added as she glanced at Trixie who nervously glanced back. “So we departed for my village right as this past weekend began. The celebration goes on for the rest of this whole week, but we ended up not staying for long…because of personal reasons.”
“She basically had a panic attack,” Trixie explained, earning herself a glare from Starlight, keeping the showmare from elaborating further.
“Anyway, we returned to Ponyville earlier than planned,” Starlight continued. “That was when we started to notice something was amiss, but it wasn’t until this past Monday night that I got urgent confirmation and warning from Princess Luna via the dreamscape, and even she was only just barely able to do so; the changelings are back and are carrying out their plans even now as we speak.”
“We were lucky to escape Ponyville at all after we found out,” Trixie added gravely.
A heavy silence hung on the main deck for a moment as everyone let this grave news sink in.
Spike, however, was only growing increasingly annoyed. “So why have you come here to us?” he asked. “Why not turn to Twilight and have her sort this out, seeing that she’s got such a grudge against changelings and everything…”
“But it’s already too late for that, Spike!” Starlight declared, her voice grim. “They already have Twilight, they have her friends, they have Princesses Celestia and Luna, and we have every reason to believe they already have Princess Cadance and her family too.”
“Then they aren’t trying to invade,” Ember summarized, her eyes widening in alarm as the implications sank in, “they have already invaded, leaving Equestria all-but soundly in changeling control.”
Starlight nodded her head. “Basically, yes,” she said sadly. “We didn’t know who else to turn to…”
“…except to someone who’d have insider knowledge about the hive and its plans,” Thorax concluded, seeing where this was going. “Like me.”
Starlight again nodded. “We didn’t really know where to find you,” she explained, “but we could make an educated guess, and when the changelings showed up, we knew we needed your help. And I figured you two would be wherever Ember was.” She paused to take a breath before continuing. “So, to reach you quickly, Trixie and I grabbed the bare minimum we would need to travel,” she motioned to their respective saddlebags, “and traveled here by me teleporting the pair of us to the maximum distance I could in one go again and again in rapid succession in the direction of dragon territory, until we saw your airship coming our way and found you all here now.” She heaved an exhausted sigh, wiping at her brow, clearly still drained from the effort. “It just about wore my magic out entirely doing it, but…we don’t have much time. Every second we take gives the changelings more time to further their plans.”
“Especially seeing that the other changelings might be onto us,” Trixie added seriously. “They nearly caught us snooping around, trying to confirm things, before we left and they’re certainly going to notice we’ve gone missing soon, if they haven’t already.” She winced, turning her thoughts inward. “Oh, I hope they don’t decide to ransack my wagon for clues…I wish I didn’t have to leave it parked in Ponyville…”
“So wait, you’re saying you could’ve led them straight to us?” Spike accused.
“It’s very possible,” Starlight admitted cautiously, but she knew better than to deny it. “I tried to cover up our trail as much as I could on the way here, but…I have no way of knowing if it’ll be enough.”
“It’s not,” Thorax admitted gravely. “The changelings have to know, and they have to be discreetly following you somehow.” He glanced at Spike and Ember. “How else would have Julius known where they were?”
Ember looked gravely at Thorax. “To what end, then?” she asked urgently.
“It’s hard to know for sure,” Thorax admitted, reviewing in his head hive procedure for situations such as this. “Julius suggested they were planning some sort of action eventually, but that might have only been if they were continuing to head in our direction…that might be why Julius was ordered to find us in the first place…the changelings were trying to beat Starlight and Trixie here.” He shrugged helplessly though. “It won’t matter now, though. If they find any sign that we’ve all already met up with each other…they’re probably going to take immediate action to stop it, make sure we can’t cause trouble. And worse, if they really have replaced the royal family, then they feasibly could just have the Equestria citizenry mount a search for us and not raise a hoof themselves, with no pony ever being the wiser, just so long as we don’t do anything they perceive will ruin their plans too soon.”
“And I’m sure they could be anywhere at this point too, replacing any pony they want,” Starlight added. “Anyone could be an enemy changeling. I barely know who I can trust now, so I hope you understand now why I insisted you all prove your identities. For all I knew, changelings had already found and replaced all of you.”
“No, I get it,” Ember stated, seeing the tactical logic behind Starlight’s actions. “I can’t say I blame you…if I was in your place, I’d probably do the same thing.”
“Right,” Starlight agreed. “So with that all in mind, whatever was happening between all of us before the changelings arrived, I want to make it absolutely clear that we’re setting all that aside right now. We have to. Things have changed that are far bigger than us and you at the moment. In fact, to prove it…” She elbowed Trixie quickly.
“Oh right, I almost forgot,” Trixie muttered, and used one hoof to pull out and wave a stick with a white handkerchief tied to one end, resulting in a makeshift white flag of ceasefire. “Truce! Truce! We come in peace!” Getting puzzled looks for her exclamations, she sheepishly grinned and shrugged. “That’s…uh…what I was planning to say when we first came aboard, but uh…things didn’t go like I expected them to, so…”
“The point, though,” Starlight continued, “is that we’re here and you’re all up to speed now…that just leaves stopping the changelings and rescuing the royal family somehow. Obviously Trixie and I can’t do it on our own, so I ask you…Ember, Spike, Thorax…will you please help us? You could all very well be our only hopes at this point.”
Thorax and Ember exchanged glances briefly, both already looking to be in agreement that they would. But Spike had continued to glower at Starlight and Trixie and now his glare was turning darker still. “The hay I will,” he mumbled coldly.
Thorax turned to look at him. “Spike, they have no one else to turn to,” he pointed out.
“And whose fault is THAT?” Spike suddenly snapped. “Certainly not mine! But ohhhh, who would listen to little old me, huh? Certainly not them, or maybe they wouldn’t be in this mess now!”
“Spike, the changelings have Twilight,” Starlight began, trying to placate the little dragon.
“Yeah, and sounds to me like she got what was coming to her!” Spike declared loudly.
“Certainly you aren’t going to let the changelings get away with this,” Ember pressed firmly.
“Why not? Twilight can stay there and ROT for all I care!” Spike shouted, his fury rising. “She had her chance to sort things out, but she refused, and now I say she’s getting adequately punished for it!”
“But…Equestria…” Trixie started to object, turning dismayed. “What about all the other ponies who are now in danger…?”
Spike snorted. “Equestria has done nothing but CHASE ME ALL ACROSS THE LAND!” he roared as four moons worth of fury on the matter finally bubbled over. “I don’t owe Equestria ANYTHING! Not after what you’ve done to me and Thorax!” He jabbed a claw at Starlight and Trixie. “Yet after everything you’ve all put me through these past four MOONS to say NOTHING of this past WEEK, you have the gall to just come here and demand I help you like NOTHING HAPPENED? THE HAY I WILL!”
“Spike, be logical!” Ember suddenly snapped, advancing angrily on the younger dragon. “This is bigger than your grievances now! Equestria is the most politically powerful country known, and it’s falling into enemy control! Think for a second about what the changelings could do with that kind of power at their disposal!”
“She’s right!” Thorax agreed urgently. “Queen Chrysalis isn’t going to stop with Equestria after this. She’s going to use this victory as the grounds to spread her control even further. Everyone is at risk of getting conquered by the changelings now, and they stand a much stronger chance of succeeding! With Equestria under the queen’s control, she can use both Equestria’s armies in addition to her own, a combined military force unparalleled to everything else standing. The dragons, the griffons…” He put a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Everyone else is only going to fall to her rule unless we do something to stop it!”
Spike threw Thorax’s hoof off his shoulder. “I’m not doing it, Thorax!” he snapped, his fury fully unbound now. “As far as I am concerned, Equestria is just getting what it deserves now.” He pointed a claw at all of them, backing into the air yacht’s deckhouse behind him. “Whatever it is the rest of you are going to do, you can count me out of it!”
Then with a final huff, he spun around and stomped into the navigation room in the back of the deckhouse, slamming shut behind him the hatch dividing it from the rest. The others stared after him, gaping after the little dragon…except Thorax. His eyes were narrowed into a disapproving scowl of his own as he glared at the closed hatch. He remained like that for a tense moment while the others watched him, wondering what he was going to do. Then the changeling started forward, marching determinedly for the shut door himself.
“Thorax…” Ember began to object.
“You two stay with Dragon Lord Ember and talk amongst yourselves,” Thorax said, looking back at the group to point a hoof at Starlight and Trixie. “I’ll be right back.”
Then, throwing the hatch open again, Thorax slipped through it into the deckhouse’s back room, slamming it shut behind him as well. The girls left behind stared after him for another long moment before, realizing that Thorax was going to awhile, starting to awkwardly glance at each other, unsure what to do.
“So…” Trixie finally remarked, trying to make conversation, “Dragon Lord Ember, huh?” She tilted her head at the dragoness. “…Shouldn’t it be Dragon Lady, though?”
The glance of displeasure and the raised, disapproving, eyebrow Ember gave Trixie in response made it clear what her unspoken answer to that was.
Originally, the story wasn't going to feature the plot element with Julius at all, nor did Spike, Thorax, and Ember go to the Dragon Realms, instead choosing to hang in a secluded location in Equestria in hopes of a new development in their favor, which meant that they had no forewarning of Starlight and Trixie's impending arrival until they literally appeared on their deck like this. This, naturally, resulted in the chapter bearing a slightly different tone from this. The order of events was also slightly different.
But I like this version better because it helped to generate more suspense and tension that the original was a little lacking in, as well as giving me a chance to better express how Spike is not happy to see these two, and a way to better to explore the awkwardness that now exists between Thorax and Trixie (which will be touched on in more depth later, but bigger fish to fry for the moment). It overall just feels like it flows better.
Though it amuses me that the titular "white flag" of the chapter ended up moving from near the start of the chapter where it originally was to almost at the end of the chapter. 
It was also originally going to be revealed that Starlight and Trixie found them because, as she was leaving Twilight's castle, Starlight had discreetly placed a tracking spell on Ember, but as the plot line of the story shifted, this no longer made sense to do, as it started to imply that Starlight had this way of finding them that she was keeping to herself when she was perfectly aware others were trying to find them in hopes of sorting this mess out. So it got dropped. And a pity too...I loved what I had written for Ember's reaction to this news. 
Anyway, still working on those revisions...regrettably, it's going far slower than I hoped, but I suppose that's what I get for choosing to make them so last-minute. But because of this, I'm just going to say the story's now officially on a once-a-week posting schedule (every Friday) from here on, until I say otherwise. I still hope this won't be permanent or last much longer, but the world wasn't built on hopes alone, you know. Again, I thank you for your patience. Fortunately, though the change in the schedule was a little jarring at first, it seems everybody's adjusted decently enough.
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I mean
he's got a bit of a point tbh
Kinda seems petty of Spike. He is still angry so he would say things like that. But the whole of Equestria should not be punished. What about Fluttershy? What about the innocent?
8388480
He's probably blame it all on Twily.
"Oooh, innocent ponies are doomed? Don't look at me!" *nods to Twilight*
As messed up as it is,
I kinda side with Spike on this one.
...darn it. I really don't know if I'm happy with this chapter. I mean, I completely think that Spike is 100% right in what he says here and I do support him...but I also want to say that this is kinda angering because the finale is happening...and there's not that much of a difference or much left to the story. The changelings have completely won, and Thorax is gonna have to save Equestria, despite all the garbage they've done to him and Spike. The only difference here is Spike and Ember are along for the ride instead of Discord. (Though still, shouldn't Discord be a part of this? He admitted in the earlier chapter he would go the extra mile for Fluttershy, who is obviously in danger here!)
Darn it! This was such a great chapter, yet I can't help but feel that this story is about to end! NOOOOOO!!!
8388480
Kind of?
More like incredibly.
He's willing to toss the entirety of Equestria under the bus because of Shining Armor, Cadance and Twilight.
That includes people like Fluttershy and Fly Leaf.
One question from me; Will this be like that season finale because I didn't like it. My reason is, the ponies accepted them because of their new looks on the outside, not the inside.
Honestly, I'm kinda glad this story's ending soon; the whole premise kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth, with Twilight and some of the others (Shining, Cadence) being COMPLETELY unreasonable (Twilight especially), Spike becoming a pessimistic a-hole, and things generally going to crap....
Well, Spike's fury is finally unleashed. Let's hope Thorax can get past that.
8388480
I think there's a small part of him that realizes this, but keep in mind that Spike is still a child and he's been through a lot of hell the past month or so. It's not really unreasonable to expect that he's not in the most rational mindset right now.
media.giphy.com/media/11OOAQSnUaZT2M/giphy.gif
Bra-VO Spike.
Twilight's taught you so well.
Twilight's taught you so well, you're acting EXACTLY LIKE SHE IS.
Bravo.
Well done.
You ponce.
I know Thorax and the others are upset at Spike but well, he IS a kid, a kid who's basically been traumatized and needs a boatload of therapy. He's been put through a lot and this is the result. No this isn't the time or place, but Spike hasn't had the chance to yell at the people who caused this since it first started. No Trixie wasn't part of it, but Starlight was, and he just isn't thinking clearly right now. He's just feeling, and kids CAN be selfish sometimes. So really I think how he's reacting is completely normal.
Sooo... when's Ember going to call back the two fully grown, fire breathing, scales-as-tough-as-all-get-out dragons? Cause that would be hilarious.
Chrysalis- Mhahah! You'll never foil my--
*thud* thUD* *THUD*
And them there'd be fire and massive reptilians smashing a hive and the magical mcguffin throne of convenient deus ex machina!
Good chapter. Much appreciated.
Not saying Spike shouldn't be mad, but by blaming all of Equestria for the actions of a select few, isn't he doing the same thing Twilight did to Thorax?
8388540
You ask me, he needs a good hoof to the face...
8388558
He's a child. You can't expect a child, especially a traumatized one, to act rationally. What happened to Spike basically equals emotional abuse. Several months of it in a row. Of course he's going to be messed up from that. I'm not saying what he's doing is right, just that it's understandable.
It's like sticking someone in a cage and poking them over and over again till you drive them nuts then open said cage and not expect to get punched. It's just not realistic.
8388565
I suppose that's a good point. I guess this story just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, with the ponies being racist a-holes because DRAMA, and Twilight going nuts because DRAMA! For Chrissakes, she's supposed to be the Princess of Friendship....
Well, now we know how Spike's written himself out of going for the ride. My guess is that Ember will be staying aboard the ship with him, so we once again have Starlight, Trixie, and Thorax. Discord now just has to pop up somehow (which there are many options because Discord) and we've got basically the same deal for the finale, just with a lot more tension between the group.
I wonder how this is gonna end up...
8388554
Precisely. Spike's turned into Twilight.
*insert Lavender Alicorn Syndrome joke here*
You mean by being a self-centered little **** and letting all of Equestria suffer because of the actions of a few?
8388589
Seriously. Screw you, Spike. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE Spike, but I hate what this story's done to him.
8388565
Is he, though? He's done some very mature things in canon and also in this story in particular. It sort of trivializes his contributions by just claiming he is a child when he stood by his morals previously and faced banishment over them. Especially with the comments from other readers that he is acting like Twilight. Does that make Twilight a child? Will she be excused for her decisions as being understandable because she is a traumatized child? How about Shining Armor and Cadance? Are they children too?
The moment Spike went off with Thorax, I considered his childhood over. Regardless of how mature he may actually be, and regardless if his childhood issues were sorted out, you can't put the genie back into the bottle. He lived like an adult, and made decisions like one, so it's only fair to treat him as such.
The question is, can he be talked down from his position? I think he can be. After all, not all of Equestria has been bad to him and Thorax, after all. There are a lot of innocents who would suffer. He is just upset at the moment. I don't buy that it'll be his position like it was with Shining Armor, Cadance, and Twilight Sparkle.
Though I think the reason I'm so adamant about that is I don't enjoy the idea of Spike forgiving those three on the basis that he acted exactly like them later on, so he "understands" their position. That would be a poor way to help resolve the conflict. Spike is above that, he just needs to realize that.
8388554
Which confuses me why you should side with Spike if he's doing the exact same thing Twilight is. He quite literally became the person he was trying to avoid.
Dude, you've hit 350k words!!!
8388597
Regardless he's been holding everything in for a very long time so is it really surprising that he blew up? This did just happen. We don't know yet what he's going to end up deciding once he's had a chance to calm down.
This is where Spike loses my support for now. He's just acting petty and spiteful, not to mention hypocritical.
8388558
If it wasn't Thorax going to talk sense... but in all seriousness, after the emotional beating he has received a physical punch to the face isn't gonna do anything to turn him around.
8388554
I trust Thorax in helping Spike realize this, a lot more than Ember anyway.
8388623
I was thinking more about an "Armor-Piercing Slap"...or Hoof, in this case.
8388619
Exactly; I hate what this story's done to Spike.
Why do I always feel excited when I know someone is going to get a well deserved chewing out/reality check?
This isn't going to juat end up like it did in canon, will it? With changelings all transforming because evil is ugly and good is pretty? It just seems strange that chysalis is just being a evil villian hellbent against friendship and kindness, given how much of the story has been about how changelings arent just 2D antagonists. I was expecting there to be things in the backgroud that woukd give a semi-believable reason for why Chrysalis is deadset on viewing ponies as foes, not for her to be doing because she is the evil queen of evil.
And as for Spike's outburst, he is right in that Twilight can rot. The others should be saved, but she can go ahead and have just what she was wanting.
I will admit, I'm a little disappointed the story isn't going back to a Monday/Friday quite yet, but if it means the story is as good as it can be, then it's a small price to pay.
Really enjoyed this chapter, and I can't wait to see how Thorax chews out Spike. I've been feeling like Thorax has been deferring to him just a little too much.
To be fair, they can foil the changelings' plan without saving Twilight, they just have to prove Celestia was replaced by a changeling, not too hard to do with massive fire breathing dragons. Still, leaving Fluttershy kid napped would be a dick move.
Anyways, Starlight, get off your high horse. I noticed she didn't apologize to Spike at any point for not supporting him (completely hypocritically I might add as she's a former villain and stood up to Twilight for Trixie), leaving him to be on the run and fear for his life. Princess Celestia also decided too late to try and contact them with a message (she had what, 3 days?) and easily could've acted.
Also, for people who are saying he's acting like Twilight, how so? Thorax did nothing and Twilight cast both him and Spike out, then kept making the situation worse. Thorax did nothing wrong, meanwhile, Spike was chased out of Equestria by Twilight. Unlike her, he has every reason to be angry and on top of that, she's an adult with a position of power, while he's still a child (one that was forced to grow up, but that doesn't change hormonal development).
Plus, who's to say saving everyone will fix anything for Spike and Thorax. Twilight could come up with some new bs while Celestia and Luna sit back and do nothing (Spike doesn't know if Starlight is telling the truth) or they may be captured and arrested. Even if they get unbanished, then what? Move back in with Fly Leaf and hope Twilight doesn't continually hound them? It's not like anyone would be able to predict the ending of TWABA.
I'm not saying Spike is in the right (if anything, the glaring logic hole in what the changelings would do next and that Fluttershy was captured is plenty on its own), but no one around him is handling the situation right. Starlight came in assuming they would support her when technically they have no reason to. She doesn't realize how badly she screwed up with him and just how much damage Twilight did, thinking just saying that Celestia supports them now would be enough. Thorax didn't help either, not bringing up Fluttershy or Fly (I'm guessing that's next chapter). The first peaceful contact with anyone involved in the banishment (a week after Twilight went and ruined their lives again and arrested Fly) was Starlight coming in and expecting their help.
Spike is technically right, he doesn't owe Equestria anything. It's definitely a massive dick move on his part, and definitely not smart, but at the same time they're asking him to risk his life to save the country he was banished from and Twilight.
Hmm, maybe the "Adventure" tag should be added? The first half of the story was mostly slice of life, but the newer chapters are more or less pure adventure. You know, with flying around in an airship, an invasion going on etc.
And I would also suggest to add the "Changelings" tag. I can imagine that many readers would use this tag to search for such a story.
About the story: And now it happened. Spike (at least for the moment) has lost faith in humani... err... in pony-anity? And Thorax becomes even more likable. I hope he reminds him of ponies like Fluttershy... now that there is no Discord around. Or of the whole past the had together before Twilight went nuts. She seriously needs help, I mean mental help.
And I'm already soooo interested in Twlight's reaction after all this is over. ;)
Once a week…
Definetly worth it though if you need the time to write
Yeah, I'm on Spike's side on this, they seriously expect him to go save Twilight after how much of a bitch she was to him and Thorax? and if he does go and save her I wouldn't put it past Twilight to grab him and run away with him and having Thorax arrested like she's wanted the whole story.
8388717
Unless the 4.0 update changed it, you can't tag a story both Slice of Life and Adventure (sad and comedy also cancel out if I remember correctly). You have to choose whichever one is more fitting for the story.
interesting.....I cant say I agree with Spike's actions, but I also cant think bad of him for them
and I love how you brought up Ember being a female Lord should technically be called Lady Ember
So I guess we're moving forward with the finale. Going to be honest, I really disliked the ending of the finale so I'm a little hesitant to see the story going this direction.
8388510
huh, never really thought of it that way, but your not wrong. I really disliked the ending as well, but for different reasons.
8388741
There are already 1080 stories with both tags on Fimfiction. So, it should be possible...?
8388763
Well, this is just an assumption. We don't know how the ponies would have reacted otherwise. We only have on example: Thorax. And in the end they accepted him in the Crystal Empire, even though he had his old look there.
Now who's being petty and holding a racial grudge?
8388554
I suspect that's just what our good buggy Thorax is going to point out to him.
He does have a reason to help. That reason being how many innocents will suffer if the changelings aren't stopped.
They're asking him to risk his life to save all of those people who quite frankly have nothing to do with Twilight. That's his own personal grudge.
Willing to let the world burn to the ground around you because of a problem against 1~3 people is really close if not worse than Twilight at this point.
8388817
Being angry at the actions of a country/government is not racist. He's just being emotional and as soon as he's reminded of others like Fluttershy he'll probably grudgingly change his tune.
Good Chapter, but I personally feel like that a lot of tension of the Story is simply gone with this approach, of course I don´t know how you will continue. But when Thorax just helps to save all the Ponies like in the series, and then gets accepted because of this it feels somehow a little shallow for me. I mean then it is just clear that he is friendly and don`t want to harm them there is nothing what Equestria or Twilight would risk then when they trust him. Personally I would have loved to see the Story without this Invasion or overtaking attempt, that maybe they just somehow would have worked around the problems by themselves without this ex Machina "I helped to save your Nation" to get accepted, that also Twilight had to give Thorax the benefit of the doubt and a chance to live with them. I guess then it would stay more a Slice of life Story now it feels more like it changes to adventure a little bit.
But that is just my opinion, my English is also not the best so I hope I could explain it understandable.
And of course I can totally understand Spikes current feelings suddenly they approach and want their help after they just send him away and don’t even apologise really.
8388519
Actually this story shows a what if version. Its showing if Shining Armor, Twilight & Cadence refuse to accept him and blame him for the crimes for his race under order from Queen Chryalis.
It's like the 2nd Narnia movie where the narnians want to kill the prince for the crimes of his people.
Honestly, Spike might be justified in his anger, but its very petty of him to throw the entirety of Equestria under the bus just because he's angry at Twilight. Ember's point is valid, this is way bigger then his feelings and he needs to suck it up, deal with the problem then sort out his problems with them.
I wonder if there is going to be an origin story for the Changelings, like the pony race are responsible for the badlands and turn the Changelings into the monster they are. I got an idea for a story but I'm writing a rough draft of it but having difficulty with it
8388480
Blinded by anger, logic goes out the window. Plus, saying anything about Fluttershy in this chapter would just ruin the guilt trip Thorax is going to send Spike on next chapter.
That anger though, woo! Good luck, Thorax!
I swear to tarturus if thorax turns in to that gay stereotyped good guy deer thing and the story ends in a big hug and everybody forgives everybody this whole story will be for nothing