When I first sent Flash on the Ponyville Mission to protect my sister, I knew I would be waiting on pins and needles until Twilight was safe. It wasn’t until that badly wounded Changeling appeared in the prison chamber, two weeks ago, that the feeling of dread truly began to sink in, assailing me with all kinds of doubts.

Each day I heard nothing from Flash or Trojan brought with it the far too real possibility that they were killed in action. Or even captured and compromised. Every update could be the day I receive the bad news of their mission failure. Cadance constantly reminded me that lingering on such thoughts would only wear me down needlessly. It was sound advice, but I found it harder to follow each passing day.

Every free moment I could spare was dedicated to ensuring I was able to provide Flash with whatever support I could as soon as possible. Shine Spark and Sunburst were critical to the success of this special project. The four of us, including Cadance, had been working hard well before Flash left for the mission, building off the data Flash had provided me concerning our most promising guards in combination with what little data Trojan provided us in dealing with Changelings. The only factor that had not been accounted for until Flash reported it to me was this strange ‘pathos’ magic. If we had a decent sample or source to draw the magic from, we could figure out a lot more about it. That would be up to our sleeping guest to help with.

Despite all of this, those damnable doubts still ate away at me. So many questions and unknowns demanded to be answered. What other information was Trojan hiding from us besides the pathos? Was it right to send Flash on a mission dealing with Changelings? And what about Spike? I knew Flash wouldn’t let him get hurt, but what if something did happen?

“Shining, we talked about this. Stop stressing yourself out.”

Oh. Right.

My bleary eyes look up from my untouched coffee and bowl of oats to find Cadance staring at me, her picture perfect face and bright lavender eyes filled with concern. Usually, I could put up a strong face and pretend everything was fine, but I just didn’t have the strength for it this morning. “Sorry, honey. Just can’t help it.”

“I know,” Cadance said as she took another sip of coffee from the mug held in her light blue aura. “I’m also worried about Twilight. But I do trust Flash to hold his own until he’s ready to call in the cavalry.”

I tapped my forehooves together out of habit. “He’s been through alot with Changelings before. If I felt remotely comfortable with anypony else handling this, I would’ve chosen them. But with this strange magic that seems to deal with some ponies' emotions... if that gets to him…”

“All we can do is have faith in him. I may not be the biggest fan of Trojan, but at least she seems to be making an honest effort to bring this mission to a peaceful resolution. On the bright side, I’m grateful Spike is there to support those two. With Spike, the Brave and Glorious at their side, they can’t lose.” Cadance giggled.

I couldn’t help but join in the chuckle. Spike had certainly grown up to be quite a capable dragon. My sister may have more victories under her saddle, but Spike was just as much a courageous hero and sibling as Twilight in my eyes. With Flash there to throw in a bit of extra guidance, there was no telling what sort of potential would be brought out of him. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Of course I am. Now stop being a worrywart and finish your breakfast.”

“Yes, ma’am!” I grinned playfully as I resumed chowing down my bowl of oats.

Until the sound of scrambling hooves and rapid knocking on our door grabbed our attention. “Prince Armor! Princess Cadance!”

Recognizing the panicked voice, I was filled with both hope and dread. “Come in, Sunburst.”

The gamboge unicorn pulled open the doors with his magic, his usually frazzled red mane looking even more hectic than usual. “It’s the Changeling! H-He’s awake!”

I shot up from my seat. While it was great news, something about his alarmed state told me it was anything but great. “Is something going on with the Changeling?” I asked.

“Yes. He’s… w-well, you will see when we get there.”

That didn't bode well, but I didn’t press the matter further.

Cadance hurried with me as we followed Sunburst down the towering castle, climbing down the stairs until we reached the basement level where the containment zone for Changelings was created. Thanks to Trojan’s specifications, any attempt of the Changeling trying to reach out to their friends was blocked out by powerful enchantments and barriers placed all over this level.

The first sign of trouble were the rushing unicorns flocking towards the chamber our captive was locked in.

As we neared the source, we heard it.

Thumps, pained screeches and snarls echoed down the stone halls. I primed a magic blast in my horn, ready to pulverize the Changeling for hurting my personnel. It wasn’t until I arrived that I got a clear picture of what was going on and why Cadance seemed so disturbed.

Four unicorns were focusing their shielding magic on the glass between them and the raging Changeling. The yelling and screeching were all coming from the Changeling, who was constantly throwing himself against the glass like a feral animal desperate to escape a death pit. Tiny cracks spread across his chitin with every tackle. Splotches of blood stained the glass.

Trojan’s advice echoed in my mind. Listen up, because this is important. Once the captured Changeling wakes up, two things might happen. If that Changeling wakes up and tries to blend in or act coy, you got off lucky. However, if that Changeling starts going crazy, then you need to act fast before they go berserk and try to kill you all. Restrain that Changeling, but be careful not to hurt them.

“Let Cadance and I through the barrier. Keep it closed behind us so that Changeling can’t escape. Sunburst, stay with them and monitor everything you can from the Changeling’s reactions and magic,” I ordered rapidly.

“Alright. Please be careful.” Sunburst quickly moved towards the defending unicorns to organize their efforts. With a quick nod to my wife, I ignited my horn to generate a rose-colored shield over us. Once we were ready to move in, the unicorns maneuvered their magic around mine to grant us entry into the tempered glass prison without giving the Changeling a chance to slip through.

The moment we entered, the Changeling immediately tried to break through my shield. The blow did little more than rattle my barrier. Unfortunately for him, protection spells were my speciality; he was not breaking through it anytime soon.

But the more he tried to break the shield, the more I realize he was not after anypony; he was trying to break through us.

“He’s terrified.”

I glanced at Cadance, whose eyes held laser-like focus on the Changeling. Whenever she got that grim look on her face, I knew she was onto something major. “Cadance, talk to me. What are you sensing?”

“There’s some violent interference with his heart. It’s barely weak enough for me to feel his loneliness and desperation. Something has him scared out of his mind.” Her frown deepened. “He’s either trying to reach his friends, believes we’re going to hurt him, or both. Either way, we have to calm him down.”

Once I saw a lull in its movements, likely dazed and tired from the constant tackling, I conjured another spell towards him, magically chaining him to the floor. His eyes squinted together with effort, likely trying to transform into something that could slip out of my grasp. Thanks to the magic limiter on his horn and the enchanted choker on his neck, that was not going to happen.

When he realized struggling was useless, he merely laid there and shut his eyes, shaking like a leaf. While I may not have the strongest feelings for Changelings, the way he just seemed to resign himself as if he expected execution unsettled me. At least he seemed to calm down. Now to recall the next bit of Trojan's instructions.

As soon as you deem the Changeling unable to harm you, get your bed warmer to give him a bit of love. It will make him far more receptive to you, but still a bit guarded.

Remembering Trojan’s ‘nickname’ for my wife was an aggravating reminder of her lackluster charisma. Regardless, it still held important advice.

“Cadance, if you would…”

With a nod, Cadance dipped her head low, eyes shut, and lifted one hoof up to her chest. She took a deep, long breath. A spark of magic slowly came into shape at the tip of her horn; but this was a little different than anything me, Twilight, or any other unicorn I knew could do. This was all her.

Cadance lifted her eyes a fraction to meet mine, and she smiled warmly. I returned the gesture equally, very glad to have my wife with me to banish the cold dark of the dungeon.

Then, as if she'd just found what she was needing, she angled her horn at the Changeling, and a vibrant ball of pink in the shape of a heart rushed across the space between us and exploded in his chest. The Changeling jolted upright with a shocked gasp. His eyes were still cast down to the floor, but I could tell he was peeking towards us. His mouth worked soundlessly in incomprehension.

“Thanks. I think that will work for now.”

Once Cadance stopped her alleviating magic, the Changeling released a pained sigh before looking at me, directly this time, scanning my face as though expecting some sort of trick.

If you did everything else perfectly, recite the following passphrase to him. Word for word.

I leaned down until the Changeling and I were face to face, but not close enough for him to leap forward and try to bite me. Then I began.

“The shadow of the noble heart lives on.”

His eyes grew as wide as saucers, and his jaw dropped. His stunned silence lingered to the point where I wondered if that passphrase somehow broke him.

“The one who told you that passphrase...” The Changeling croaked weakly, “...is she alive?”

Interesting. He automatically assumed a female told me this, meaning that passphrase is a direct connection to Trojan. “Yes, she is.”

Suddenly, he collapsed on the floor, bawling. “S-she’s alive! Thank the queen, she’s still alive!” I couldn’t tell if he was laughing or wailing. Still, it was preferable to whatever happened to him a minute ago.

“Do you have a name?” Cadance asked.

Rubbing his bruised and cracked face, he took the moment to stall his tears of joy before nodding. “My name is Thorax. Thank you for for feeding me, Princess.” Cadance smiled at him while I sighed with relief. Already I was liking him far more than Trojan. “What is the name of the Changeling who told you that phrase?”

“Her name is Trojan.“ I briefly considered telling him the fact she never gave us a name and instead opted for us to give her the codename Trojan, but decided against it. He didn’t need to know that. “We have some questions we need you to answer.”

“If it helps, I will answer what I can. But, erm…” Thorax averted his eyes downward and pawed nervously at the ground. “I-I don’t want any of my kin to get hurt.”

“I don’t want anypony, especially my sister, to get hurt either,” I hissed. “We know Chrysalis is trying to assassinate my sister.”

Thorax's head shot up with whiplash-inducing speed. “W-what? What are you talking about?”

I blinked. Cadance blinked. Thorax looked between us in utter confusion.

I took a breath to calm myself down before I got fired up. “Now is not the time to play dumb. Trojan told us Chrysalis was after Twilight because she helped us stop her when she tried to take over Canterlot all those years back. With something this big, you have to know something!”

Thorax gulped as he cowered under my glare. “I-I honestly didn’t know anything about that. Then again, I’m just a lowly drone. They don’t tell me much.”

I looked to Cadance. “Is he…?”

“He seems to be telling the truth. It’s not like dealing with Trojan; he’s much easier to decipher,” Cadance answered.

I’m not sure what worried me more, that Thorax was telling the truth, or Trojan was hiding something vital from us. Again.

Maybe I was imagining things... but that phrasing of his hinted at something. “Thorax, when you say ‘drone’, is that a rank?”

“Yes. Drones are very low in rank. Like a pony who works a garden or fixes things.”

Interesting. “What other ranks are there?”

Thorax paused, likely making a risk assessment of divulging that information. “Um… in the hive, we call it a caste. The lowest caste are hatchlings, which you can think of as foals growing up. Once they are old enough, they are designated into roles governed by our queen and become drones, such as me. Then you have the sentinel caste, which I suppose you can think of like the royal guard. They protect us and help micromanage drones who are sorted to them. Above them are lords, who help govern those below them into various tasks and do micromanagement on a bigger scale.”

“So they are like lieutenants and high officials?” Cadance inquired.

“That’s right. Above the lord caste are the overlord caste. They do a lot of very important things and watch over many, many Changelings. They are some of our oldest and most powerful Changelings. In some ways, you can compare them to princes or princesses like you two.”

“And that leaves Chrysalis at the top, akin to Celestia?” I guessed.

“Well, sort of. Our queen’s rule is absolute and without equal.” Thorax’s hoof moved to rub what had been his broken foreleg. “That’s all the major castes. The rest are divided by roles and directives given by the higher caste.”

“So just to be clear; that’s all the castes? There’s no other?” Cadance asked.

Thorax seemed to take notice of Cadance’s suddenly serious demeanor. “Yes. That is all the castes.”

“You’re lying.”

Thorax's and my eyes widened at Cadance as she continued. “You can’t hide your heart from me. When you said there were no other caste members of your hive, there was a pulse in your heart. There’s fear, but also something else. Adoration, perhaps?”

The Changeling looked downright spooked, completely giving him away. Many wouldn’t know it, but Cadance’s ability to read hearts was not only useful for knowing another pony’s feelings, but sensing any feelings they may be wanting to hide. Once she found something, there was no slipping away from her.

Cadance leaned closer to the Changeling, bearing a sweet, merciless grin. “There’s something super important about this caste, isn’t it?”

“I...I-I’m sorry, I can’t.” Thorax shook his head furiously, only to stumble and nearly crash on the floor from dizziness. Probably still feeling all of those wounds from crashing into the glass and shield. “Yes, there is another caste, but I am forbidden to speak of it, even if you are considered trusted by Trojan.”

“Come on~, I promise I’ll keep it a secret. You can trust me, Thorax.” Cadance cooed.

I decided to intervene while our one and only ‘cooperative’ Changeling was still cooperative. “We can worry about that later, Cadance. Let’s stay focused on the mission, alright?”

Cadance pouted as she moved back from the frightened Thorax, glaring at him. “Fine. I’ll just have to find out later.”

“Moving on, I have a few more questions I need to ask you, and not about the caste,” I reassured. Cadance’s frown deepened while Thorax breathed a sigh of relief. “However, some of these questions I want to have Trojan and the team with her present for so we can collaborate on this. Besides, I need you rested and healed before we meet her.”

The news made Thorax’s tired appearance brighten. “Thank you. I-I’m also pretty hungry if you have something to eat.”

On reflex, I narrowed my gaze.

“Um…” Thorax looked decidedly uncomfortable. “I-It can be normal food and water. Though a little more love would be nice…”

“I’ll have my assistants take care of that and mend your wounds. Although, there is one thing I want to know before we send you off. Our reports indicated that you were trying to harm Mr. Cake when we caught you. Why Mr. Cake?”

“O-oh. Um, that is… I-I couldn’t help it.” Thorax lowered his head shamefully. “Y-you see, we’re no longer the same Changelings you knew in Canterlot. There’s something that’s changed all of us. Something vile.”

“You mean pathos?”

Thorax gasped sharply. “She told you about that?” I nodded. “O-oh. Well, yes. The pathos is very bizarre magic. It makes us feel cold. Angry. Hungry. Very, very hungry. Pathos gave us new ways to feed and protect ourselves, but at a terrible cost.”

“One moment, Thorax.” Cadance interrupted. “Did you just say new ways to feed? As in, outside love?”

“Yes. Love is still important for us, but now we can feed upon very bad feelings, like hatred. It allows us to feed off any living creature without fail, but if we are not careful, the bad feelings take over. We get angry and lose ourselves to the pathos. We become hatelings, or rather, Changelings that have fallen sway to the pathos and the one who controls it. I...I hate it. I hate everything about it.”

Hatelings. I was now getting the picture of what this pathos magic involved. Sunburst was going to have to be all over that to create countermeasures. “So love helps you balance out the pathos magic, but too much pathos turns you into a hateling?” I asked. Thorax nodded. “You still didn’t completely answer my question regarding Mr. Cake: What did you mean you couldn’t help it?”

“We were ordered to feed on and spread as much pathos as we could while staying undetected. Pathos is bad, but it hurts just as bad to not feed on it." He glanced off to the side, looking like he wanted to spit something out. "The more we have in ourselves, the more we want it. I hadn’t been able to feed on love as much as normal because of my directive, so I was desperate. I-I just wanted to get a little bit of love and get some of the pathos out of my system. It was driving me crazy.” His voice and gaze lowered as he snarled, speaking more to himself than us. “I would rather die than side with the Cold One.”

A strange chill then flowed from Thorax's body, and an odd gleam of white flashed in his eyes.

Just as I opened my mouth to inquire about what that was about, Cadance touched my shoulder. She gave me a silent nod before directing her attention to Thorax.

“That will be all for now, Thorax,” said Cadance. “Do what the attendants tell you and rest well. Know that you are safe here.”

The dark look on his face lifted at Cadance’s words. Once I gave the signal, Cadance and I exited the room to let the unicorns go in and get Thorax situated and healed. Sunburst was about to go in there when I pulled him aside.

“Stay cautious and monitor everything, magical readings and all. Pull what data you can from him and see what you can utilize to counter pathos. I want to know everything.”

“Right.” Sunburst gave me a quick nod as I released him. I waited until Cadance and I were alone in the hall before consulting her.

“What happened back there?” I asked.

“When he talked about the 'Cold One', I detected a surge of anger and pain from him.”

“I have no doubt this is related to this ‘mysterious partner’ Flash reported Trojan mentioning. Sounds like some Changelings aren’t a fan of Chrysalis’s new friend or their gift.”

“That’s not what bothered me. Not completely.” Cadance shook her head. “When I took part in Trojan’s interrogation, I sensed something similar in her, though it was far more subdued and controlled. She stated it was just a result of magical interference and negative feelings to being captured; clearly a lie to cover up the fact she had pathos. I couldn’t put my hooves on why that bothered me so much until just now. I think that all that time, what I had been sensing was pathos.”

“Makes sense. Didn’t this Cold One give the Changelings pathos?”

“That’s exactly what’s bothering me.” The look in Cadance’s eyes were filled with dread. “Whatever sort of magic is in the Changelings feels alive and volatile. The only magic I’ve ever sensed that was this intricate and warping to another living being was Discord.”

I stopped, tossing Cadance a grim stare. “Hold on. Are you saying…”

Cadance nodded, confirming my suspicions. “Worst case scenario, we might be dealing with another Discord.”

The next few days came and went in a blink. Between interrogating Thorax, coordinating the information with Sunburst, and alerting Shine Spark and the rest of the training sergeants involved with the mission what we learned, there were some days I completely forgot to sleep due to the whipped-up frenzy I was in. There was progress to be made, and I didn’t want to waste a single second that could help protect Twilight and help Flash and his team.

Sunburst’s research on Thorax’s body and magic was a goldmine of information. Much to my fears, the pathos was indeed similar to Discord’s style of magic; parasitic and heavily warping to whatever it touched. Even though Thorax was restricted from a lot of key details thanks to his low status of a drone caste, the ability to study pathos in a safe, low impact environment helped us learn more about what we were dealing with. More importantly, this knowledge acted as a guidepost to help us develop better tools to deal with it.

Thorax had grown from a wary prisoner to a warm guest. While I ensured to take every security measure necessary to keep him under surveillance, I did not feel as paranoid with him as I did with Trojan, who seemed to take every single opportunity to get under my skin or pilfer confidential information. However, he was still a curious one that couldn’t stay still to save his life. At least Cadance enjoyed talking with him, though I had to play interference whenever her curiosity went a few steps too far.

The day finally arrived when I felt ready to invite Thorax to our next meeting with Flash’s team. Once the preparations were made, I extracted Thorax from his containment cell. He had a foal-like excitement to see Trojan until it was time to actually see her. That enthusiasm seemed to disappear, and reluctance and anxiety filled the void.

“What’s wrong, Thorax?” I asked as we travelled down the halls in step.

“I-I...um, n-nothing’s wrong! I’m just so excited to finally talk with Trojan!”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. It was like Flurry trying to convince me she wasn’t afraid to go to the dentist.

There was no denying that Trojan was no normal Changeling. After all, her mane and height alone were a dead giveaway. The big question was how important to the Changelings she was. It was clear he looked up to and respected her, but there was always this sense that whenever the topic of Trojan came up, he was constantly walking on eggshells.

“Indeed. You’ll be speaking with a team who is doing everything they can to find Chrysalis. All I ask is that you answer as best you can to help us.”

“I-I understand.”

Ascending the spiral staircase to the floor just below the Crystal Heart and past a series of guards and magic security barriers, we entered the hallway connecting to what Sunburst calls the ‘comms center’. The walls and floor were outlined with a transparent crystal surface, displaying a fragmented view of the Crystal Empire around us. A large, diamond-shaped prism hovered in the center of the room, pulsing with a soft, white aura.

Thorax nearly tripped over himself as he stopped just at the edge, his wide eyes looking down at the empire’s ground level. I resisted the urge to chuckle at his reaction as I entered the room.

“It’s fine to enter, Thorax. You won’t fall.” I assured.

“A-are you sure? That’s a long way down.”

I blinked, staring at him in silence for a few moments. “You have wings. You could just fly.”

Thorax was silent for a beat. Then blushed. “I, er, k-kinda forget things when I get nervous or scared.”

“Just wait there. I’ll call you forward when I’m ready to introduce you to the team.” I rolled my eyes, failing to hide my amused smirk as I approached the communication prism.

If there was one thing I’ve come to appreciate about the Crystal Empire, it was the abundance of unique minerals and crystals that possessed versatile magical applications. This prism itself was a perfect example of that, capable of linking up with other like fragments attuned to its resonant frequency. Igniting my horn, I launched a stream of energy into the prism. After a moment, light streaked from its surface and enveloped the room until it was completely dark.

The prism shimmered, releasing a pulsating chime akin to a heartbeat. My point of contact was Flash, who should be sensing my incoming message on his shield choker. After a few minutes of waiting, it was safe to assume he was either busy or unable to get in touch with me.

Charging the prism again, I augmented the magical signature to target Trojan’s choker. After a few pulses, the prism brightened, securing the connection.

The once pitch-black room now resembled a humble office space. Furniture, structure, and smaller details appeared out of thin air around me, perfectly simulating the area my communication target was in. Last to appear in the simulated images was Trojan and Spike.

Trojan was as ‘friendly’ as ever with her ever-present scowl and snappy attitude, something Spike was quick to admonish her for. Though I had more important business to discuss, I couldn’t help but prod Trojan, made even sweeter by by Spike’s contribute to the poke. It felt good to take a little back for myself. Thorax was not amused.

It was interesting to note that Trojan only seemed to get off guard and embarrassed when Spike joined in the jab, something I’ve never seen from her before. Interesting.

Things seem to take a turn when the subject of Flash was brought up.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

The heavy sound of the knocks rang across the room. If that was meant to be Flash, that was a bad sign. When I heard his voice, that raised a red flag. He was definitely in a foul mood. I mused over how this reminded me of the time Cadance and Shine Spark roped him into a blind date. Despite that being well over a year or two ago, I don’t think he ever got over it.

POMF!

My eyes widened as Flash proceeded to beat the tar out of his teammates utilizing the pillow treatment. While watching Trojan get throttled was amazingly cathartic, the fact Flash was pushed this far to bring out a technique garnered from Cadance’s anger management sessions was deeply disturbing. Upon seeing Flash, Thorax’s anger at seeing Trojan getting hit with a pillow seemed only matched by the fear in his eyes at seeing Flash’s face. Considering the shape he was in when we found him, it was clear why he was bothered by Flash’s presence.

What in the world could have pushed Flash’s anger to the point he had to resort to the pillow venting technique?

“You two,” Flash breathed heavily through his nostrils as he glared, “have got some nerve to tell Twilight I was in love with her!”

Oh. Oh no. Of all the berserk buttons they had to press, they had to choose that one?

I was rather split on this. For one, I was worried about how Twilight got roped into this. The absolute last thing I wanted was for Trojan to be involved in whatever matchmaking nonsense was going on.

Second was my concern for Flash. If it were any other pony who was doing such a thing I might have been more bothered by the one spreading that kind of information. But considering it was a Changeling that was spreading misinformation to manipulate actions, especially concerning subject matter that was a hot button topic for Flash, I could see how his anger was warranted. It’s hitting way too close to home for him.

What eventually grew to be the most dominant feeling, however, was the draining of my patience and growing headache as the arguing intensified. They were aware my sister was still in danger, right?

With everything that was going on with Twilight, Chrysalis and the pathos, this was the last kind of argument that should take precedence over finding a way to solve the problem at hoof. Trojan’s flippant attitude about my sister’s feelings only served to piss me off more. I don’t think I’ve ever met any living being more ungrateful than Trojan.

For a Changeling who was desperate for help, she showed no appreciation that our lives were in as much danger as her own. I was willing to put up with it because she was our only means of uncovering Changelings. But with Thorax being far more pleasant company and Trojan apparently manipulating her teammates in a very unhealthy manner, I was half a second away from just pulling her from the mission and throwing Thorax into the mix.

“I made Spike promise not to say anything, so don’t you dare try to guilt trip him. If you have a problem with something, say it to my face.” Trojan challenged as she interposed herself between Flash and Spike.

Did she just defend Spike?

I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it. Trojan had been, for lack of a better word, a bitch to deal with and showed little regard to anypony else’s well being as long as she got what she wanted. But that moment with Spike raised several questions, including the distinct possibility that Spike may have somehow wormed his way into the chink of her proverbial armor. How much of her behavior was a fabrication and what was real? Regardless, it was time to end this charade.

“That’s enough.” I stated heatedly.

Finally, a moment for everypony to calm down and reclaim their senses. Flash looked like he was about to have a heart attack after finally noticing my presence. While I had plenty of strong words to say to them, I tempered my words for Spike. From what I could gleam of the situation, Spike had the best of intentions when he kept silent with what was going on. While I expected far better from Trojan and Flash, I was willing to be more forgiving to Spike.

“Now,” I started, “getting back to the main reason I wanted to start this meeting. We have a special guest that wants to meet you all, and has something very important to share with us. I’ll let him speak for himself.” I motioned for Thorax to enter the room.

With a gulp, Thorax moved to meet everypony like he had led in his hooves. “Um, h-hi. M-m-my name is Thorax. It’s a p-p-pleasure to meet you.”

A hush fell over the team. Thorax shuffled uncomfortably under their respective gazes, especially from Flash’s glare. Spike raised an eyebrow, giving a thoughtful hum as he appraised Thorax. Trojan’s reaction was unreadable outside raised eyebrows. She went completely stiff, but otherwise simply stared at Thorax with indifference. I would have expected her to be relieved or overjoyed to see one of her kin.

“I would like to use this time to have Thorax aid us in developing a strategy to securing Twilight and stopping whatever plans Chrysalis is attempting to put in motion,” I said. “Now, if I recall, there were two key points Trojan needed to confirm. Is that correct, Trojan?”

Silence.

I blinked owlishly at Trojan, who simply continued to stare at Thorax in silence. Flash and Spike gave her an odd look while Thorax shuffled in discomfort. “Trojan, I asked if that was correct.”

“I heard you the first time,” said Trojan calmly. There was the tiniest hesitation in Trojan’s voice as she cleared her throat and her eyes refocused. I would bet bits she was struggling to contain her emotions at seeing one of her kind after so long. “Thorax, what was your directive and… who is leading this mission?” That last question came out rather sullen, as if she was dreading the answer. Interesting.

“My directive was to track and monitor Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Twilight, Spike and Zecora while applying distractions when necessary. The one leading the mission is… i-is…” Thorax gulped as he averted his eyes from Trojan, “Overlord Elytra.”

I had no idea what to make out of the name, but for a brief moment I was able to catch Trojan’s eyes going wide and pupils shrinking. Though she tried to hide it, it was clear the news confirmed whatever fears she had in her head. The caste was also worrying, as that was only a step away from Chrysalis, barring the idea of the mysterious caste Thorax kept hidden.

“Friend of yours?” I guessed.

Trojan threw me a harsh glare before sighing and resetting her expression to neutral. “Overlord Elytra is a very cunning and deadly opponent. The lack of Changeling and pathos sightings now make sense; she’s a brilliant strategist and does not take chances, especially since we’re in Twilight’s domain.”

“You sound quite proud of her,” Spike pointed out.

Trojan flashed a wide grin. “Of course. After all, I…” suddenly her smile fell, and she cleared her throat, “oversaw many of her victories. It’s going to be an uphill battle, but knowing who our target is will do wonders to develop a counter strategy.”

“Which means we need more intel,” said Flash. “Thorax, how many Changelings are involved in this mission?”

When Thorax’s eyes locked with Flash he tensed up. “T-there were ten other Changelings, not including Overlord Elytra and myself.”

“What were their directives? Where are they hiding?”

“I don’t know about the other Changelings’ directives, but we were originally staying in Everfree since ponies don’t go there. But with me gone, they probably moved by now and cleaned out the hideout. I don’t know where the new hideout is. I wasn’t told much.”

Flash’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t lie to me, Thorax. You’re all part of the same team on an assassination mission. How could you not have any idea about the movements of the other Changelings?”

“We simply don’t need to,” Trojan answered for Thorax, “whoever is in charge of the mission delegates tasks to the other Changelings. Those Changelings in turn act independently depending on the directive given. The reason why we can act so well independently is because we can always connect with each other and coordinate via hive mind link at anytime. Considering Elytra is involved, she likely has most of the Changelings on tracking duty or taking simple or inactive roles until she’s ready to make her move or is forced to do so.”

“I wonder then; is that why we couldn’t find any trace for so long? Maybe losing Thorax scared Elytra into playing it more cautiously?” Spike asked.

“Exactly. We caused a shift in her plans without giving her a clear idea of what exactly happened. Knowing Elytra, that hideout in Everfree is abandoned by now thanks to Thorax’s disappearance. Thorax would not have been told of the secondary hideout beforehoof.”

“A clear idea on what happened… hold on!” Flash’s eyes lit up suddenly. “Thorax, when we fought, did you send any alerts or descriptions to Elytra?”

“No, I didn’t. Everything happened so fast, and I knew Overlord Elytra would be very angry with me if she knew what I did, so, um, I didn’t think about it until it was too late.”

A smile slowly spread across Trojan’s muzzle. “Perfect! Your screw up may have given us the edge we need!”

Thorax blinked. That was quite the backhoofed compliment. “Oh. Um. You're welcome?”

Flash grinned widely with anticipation, ready to jump at the opportunity to finally take the initiative. “Alright, so Elytra has no idea we’re onto her or that we’re even involved. This means we still have a decent element of surprise, even if she’s moderately alert that something’s up. So how do we go about seeking her out and countering her? What can we do to bait her out?”

“Pretty easy strategy, actually. We continue to do what we've been doing; keep an eye out and wait. She’ll show her hoof eventually.”

“Wait? What do you mean ‘we wait’?!” Flash exclaimed.

Trojan tossed him a deadpan gaze. “We wait. As in, stay inactive for a long period of time. If you have trouble comprehending this, feel free to ask Twilight for a dictionary or—ACK!” She nearly fell back as a pillow soared from Flash’s position and into her face. Well deserved.

“We’ve been doing nothing but waiting for the last few weeks. There has to be a way to take the offensive before she strikes Twilight.” Flash pointed his hoof at Thorax like a spear. “Tell us everything you know about this mission of yours to assassinate Twilight!”

Thorax looked between Flash and Trojan as he shrunk back, “I don’t know anything about that.”

Flash’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. “Excuse me? Did you just say you knew nothing at all about this?”

“Y-yes. I’m not told very much.”

“It’s due to the caste system,” I clarified. While this grabbed Flash and Spike’s attention, I just barely noticed Trojan cursing under her breath. “When I asked him the same question, he confirmed he didn’t know because of his ranking as a drone, which is effectively the civilian working class. Overlords are much higher in rank, like a prince or princess.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Flash held his chin and closed his eyes in thought, “Thorax is a lower ranked Changeling placed on a mission he knows nothing about outside keeping an eye on Twilight and her friends. Higher ranked Changelings manage tasks and duties out to lower ranked Changelings to handle independently because they can talk to each other anytime using their special means of communication.

“In other words, this Overlord Elytra, who is apparently very smart and dangerous according to Trojan and is equal to a prince or princess in terms of rank, made the choice of adding civilian personnel on an assassination mission targeting Twilight. Did I miss anything?”

“Huh. That sounds about right.” Spike answered.

“Agreed. Cadance even helped to confirm Thorax wasn’t lying.” I added.

“Um, I guess?” Thorax added.

Trojan said nothing, her facial expression passive.

“Well, Trojan? Got anything to confirm or deny?” Flash asked haughtily.

“...No. You are correct.” Trojan answered.

“I see.” Flash opened his eyes and looked at me. “Captain, why did you send me to protect Twilight? Why not some other pony?”

It took me a second to catch on to Flash’s game plan. Now was as good time as any to bring this to light. “Because I refuse to take any chances at failing this mission. I’d rather send my most trusted and skilled guard to handle such a critical task.”

Flash smiled. “Thank you, Captain. And Trojan, what were your words about Elytra again? Something about her being the type to not take chances?”

“Get to the point, Buttermilk.”

Flash walked up to Trojan’s face, glaring. “Once again, to the surprise of nopony, you lied to all of us. I’m looking at two possible conclusions; either all of you Changelings are incompetent, or you lied about Chrysalis’s assassination plans. You are clearly hiding something else from us.”

“Flash,” Trojan regarded him seriously, “we are getting dangerously off topic here. Let’s focus on dealing with Elytra and talk about this later.”

“Oh, NOW you want to do something about Elytra! What happened to ‘wait and see what happens’? On that topic, you seem to know Elytra very well. In fact, from what Thorax just demonstrated, you seem to know her far better than a lower ranking Changeling should know, to the point you are able to develop counter strategies.”

Now seemed like a good time for me to add my two bits into this theory. “Which actually brings up something interesting we learned. According to Thorax, the Changeling caste is as follows, in order of lowest to highest; hatchling, drone, sentinel, lord, overlord, and queen. However, there is apparently a secret caste that Thorax is forbidden to speak of. We can thank Cadance for pulling that one out of him. If your thought process is following what I think it’s following, Trojan is either another Overlord, or is ranked somewhere above that station but below Chrysalis. Conveniently, that missing gap could also answer the question of the important of the secret caste.”

Trojan’s facade shattered. She threw a death glare at Thorax, who lowered his head in shame.

Flash’s grin couldn’t have been wider at Trojan’s reaction.

“That raises one last question then. Thorax!” Flash called out. Thorax was beginning to sweat bullets at this point. “What’s her real name?”

“Flash, drop it. Now.” Trojan looked ready to jump at Flash’s throat.

“Why so nervous, Trojan? It’s just a name. After all, you know all of ours.” Flash teased. “Thorax, let’s hear it; what’s her name?”

Thorax looked conflicted for a few moments, then was struck with confusion. “Wait. But you know her name already. It’s Trojan.”

Trojan facehoofed. “You idiot!”

“Captain,” Flash smirked, “Thorax has no idea what he did just now, does he?”

Thorax looked between Flash and I with worry. I decided to solve the mystery for him. “Thorax, that was her codename. In truth, she never actually gave us her true name, and instead opted for us to give her that codename.”

When it suddenly dawned on him what happened, he visibly paled. “I-I… that is…”

“Save it. That told me everything we needed to know.” A cold fury surged behind Flash’s eyes as he refocused on Trojan. “Everything about you has been a lie until now. You hid the truth about the pathos from us. You hid the truth about how you’re manipulating Twilight. Now you’re hiding details about your identity and possibly about Chrysalis’s mission itself. All of this while WE are trying to help YOU find Chrysalis and stop her!”

“You think it’s so easy, don’t you?” Trojan’s face was a breath away from Flash as she met his eyes with an equally fierce stare. “That I should just spill my heart out and tell you everything about us? Just as you ponies slapped the collar on my neck for your own safety, what makes you think I will tell you something that would endanger my hive? I only tell you what you need to know, no more, no less.”

“You lost the right to talk about trust when you withheld information about pathos from us and tried to manipulate Twilight's feelings. In case you can’t comprehend it, miscommunication like that could easily compromise us or get us killed!” Flash’s nose flared as the two glared daggers at each other. “We are putting our lives on the line and doing what we can to help you! But I guess our lives just don’t matter unless you get what you want, right? I should’ve known better than to think a changeling could care about something other than themselves.”

“U-um, S-S-Shining Armor?” Thorax called to me in a hushed tone.

I kept half an ear on the conversation at hoof while listening to what Thorax had to say. I didn’t want to miss out on what was going on, but Thorax clearly had something important he wanted to say. “What is it?”

“I-I will tell you whatever you want to know if you can stop that pegasus. Even...e-even about the secret caste.”

Admittedly, while I was uncomfortable with the volatile argument at hoof, Flash posed far too many valid points to ignore. Trojan had hidden far too much for us to be considered trustworthy. But if Thorax was willing to talk…

“Why the sudden change of heart? Isn’t it forbidden for you to talk about it?”

Thorax bit his lip. “It is, but I cannot stand to see her hurt so much. Even though Trojan had hidden a lot of information from you all, you have to see it from our side. The Changelings are suffering, and Trojan risked everything by confiding her trust in you. We have to take into consideration that anything we tell you can always be used against us later.”

His eyes drifted toward Trojan, who began to look increasingly agitated. “When she suddenly disappeared without a trace, we thought she was dead. I understand now that she faked her death to seek help from the very ones we wronged. Please understand that we Changelings only have each other for support and trust. There are no others I could think of that would even consider helping us.

“Even if it’s only for a moment, put yourself in her hooves. Imagine you had to make everypony you love believe you were dead, only to beg for help against those you had only ever considered an enemy. That you had to hurt some of your loved ones, perhaps even kill, in order to save your species. All while working with those who can turn around and betray you anytime they wanted. I know I am asking a lot, but I beg of you, please help her stop hurting.”

I briefly imagined what he described. The idea of everypony I knew thinking I had been killed. Infiltrating the Changeling hive and being forced to hurt and kill the very ponies I was hoping to save. All of this while acknowledging that my life was constantly in the hooves of Chrysalis and her hive.

It was beyond brutal.

The level of loyalty and determination to undergo such hardship was astounding. While I didn’t agree with Trojan’s tactics or feelings towards us, I had to admit there were not a lot of ponies who could go through something like that. I couldn’t unsee the crushing weight of responsibility and despair that was likely resting on Trojan’s shoulders. Was her irritating nature a farce to cover up her frustration? Perhaps her secrecy was due to minimizing as much risk to her hive as possible?

I had no way of knowing what was actually true, but if there was one thing I could agree with: Trojan definitely had it rough.

“I want to know everything,” I said to Thorax after a lengthy pause. “I don’t care how forbidden you think it is or how much trouble you could get into, you need to tell me all of it. But in return, I give you my word and honor as captain of the guard and prince of the Crystal Empire that you and Trojan will be protected in absolute confidentiality. And before you ask, no, I have no interest in damning your race. All I want is to secure the safety of Equestria’s citizens and make sure my sister is safe, so unless Chrysalis forces me to do otherwise, I won’t use the knowledge you provide against your kin.”

Thorax gaped at me. “R-really?”

“I may not agree with how Trojan does things, but as a military leader, I think I get it. But if you’re lying to me, I won’t save you the next time Cadance starts getting curious. Trust me, you will regret breaking our trust.”

Thorax gulped.

“U-understood. Thank you.”

I extended my hoof to Thorax. “Trust works both ways. Never forget that.”

Thorax didn’t hesitate to shake my hoof. “I agree.” His smile was the widest I’d ever seen it. I didn’t need Cadance to tell me he was being genuine about this.

I nodded him before returning my attention to the mess at hoof. Flash was berating her quite harshly while she stood there, her scowl deepening every second.

“That’s enough! Both of you!” I announced sharply. Their heads whipped towards me.

“Captain,” Flash started, “you know I’m right on this. We have to get Trojan to stop hiding these secrets from us once and for all!”

I glanced at all the faces. Trojan looked worn out, struggling with whatever dark thought was swirling in her head. Spike was decidedly uncomfortable while Flash, though still heated, looked completely confident in his argument. Thorax waited for me to make my move, eyes shimmering with hope. Once the air settled and I formed the proper words in my head, I began.

“One thing needs to be made abundantly clear: this is entirely unacceptable. Our priority is the safety of Twilight and all other Equestrian citizens. All of this scheming, manipulation, and deception behind each other’s backs is inexcusable and it needs to end right here and now. This goes for all three of you. After this meeting, you all WILL work harder to begin treating each other like team members rather than threat assessments. I am not afraid to pull ANY of you out of this team the moment I see the necessity. Am I clear?”

“Yes sir!” “Yeah. Sorry, Shining.” “Tch, whatever.”

“Trojan,” I continued. Her face fixed into a cold stare as she gave me her attention. “If you’re going to stay as a part of the team, you need to understand that there are some things you must communicate with your teammates. As a Changeling, you should be all too familiar with the importance of proper communication and trust. You may not like working with us, but you have to acknowledge the risk of sabotaging the very mission you are attempting to accomplish by not trusting in your teammates. I picked Flash and allowed Spike to stay as part of the operation specifically because I trust them to do their part and work with you despite the odds being stacked against them. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, sure…” Trojan sighed. For a Changeling who had seemed so unflappable and headstrong, she didn’t look like she had the strength to put up an argument right now, even if she wanted to. Hopefully, she was registering how much could have been avoided if she was a little more upfront with us.

“However. Hesitant as I am, I’m willing to leverage a bit more trust in you and allow you to maintain some level of secrecy of non-mission critical information that pose a security risk to yourself or your hive. As long as you communicate information that aids towards the mission’s success or avoids risking our agents or citizens, you are free to reveal only what you are comfortable with.”

Life returned to Trojan’s eyes as she stared at me, dumbfounded.

“WHAT?!” Flash gaped in horror. He was not going to like what I was going to order him to do next, but this would knock out two birds with one stone.

“Flash,” I started, “from this moment onward, you are not to press Trojan on information that doesn’t directly correlate to the mission. This includes Trojan’s true identity and caste. Furthermore, concerning the misunderstanding involving Twilight, you are to personally clear this up yourself. Neither Trojan or Spike shall aid you unless Twilight personally seeks their council. Do you understand?”

Flash stared blankly at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. “No. I don’t understand any of this. Why are you taking that thing’s side?!”

Instantly there was a shift in the atmosphere. Thorax and Trojan gave him disgusted looks. Even Spike looked livid at his pig-headed comment. My blood boiled at the idea Flash could be this foalish and blind. I fixed him a hard glare.“That “thing” is a living being and your teammate, Captain! You will treat her and Thorax with the same integrity you would give any pony teammate!”

“With all due respect, she has clearly shown herself to be manipulative and deceitful! How can I trust her when she is constantly hiding secrets that endanger us?”

“I am not condoning her actions until this point, but I am willing to meet her halfway as long as she learns from her mistake and shows an honest effort to amend it. You will do the same.”

Flash gave me a leveled look as she straightened himself up. “I refuse.”

It took me a second to register exactly what he said. Spike and even Trojan stared at him in shock. “What did you just say?” I asked.

“I said I refuse! We can’t work with Trojan and Thorax while they play us like this! Can’t you see they’re manipulating us for their own gain? It happened exactly like this back in Canterlot, and I can guarantee that if this continues, Ponyville and Twilight will suffer the same fate! Hay, were it not for Twilight, Chrysalis would have won!”

I’ve never seen Flash act so defiant before. Almost frantic with desperation. For a moment, I found myself second guessing my choice in choosing Flash for this mission. “Flash, you are out of line and acting foalish!”

In my anger, I failed to register my next words before they came out, fueled by all the stress and frustration cumulated from the last few weeks. “You will calm down and get over it, or I will be forced to consider you unfit for duty and remove you from this mission.”

Flash reeled back with the most wounded expression I’ve seen on him. I tried to find something, anything I could say to rescind that last statement. Suddenly, something dark flickered behind his eyes as he turned about-face and made for the door.

“Where do you think you’re going? This meeting isn’t over! Flash!” I shouted after him, but my words fell on deaf ears as Flash stormed out, slamming the door closed with enough force to rattle the building. All I could do was stare emptily at the door, reflecting on what just happened.

Somewhere between outrage at Flash’s attitude and disbelief at what just happened was the overpowering sense of regret over my reckless outburst. I allowed my doubts to cloud my judgement for only a moment, but it was enough to shake the foundation that was Flash and I’s faith in each other.

Damn it… what have I done?

“Flash! Wait!” Spike’s voice and rapid movement snapped me out of my daze as he made a break for the door.

“Spike! Stand down!” My voice boomed. Spike froze, his hand resting on the door knob. I paused, taking a deep breath. Running after Flash right now would only make things worse. The last thing I needed was for Spike to be caught up in Flash’s warpath.

“Let him go,” I spoke again, a little calmer, “he just needs some time to cool off. For now, we need to stay focused on the meeting.”

Spike glanced back and forth between the door and myself, ready to make a break for it. “But we can’t just leave him alone. He needs a friend to be there for him.”

“Flash is a big colt. I know you’re worried about him. Believe me, if I was there I would want to be right out there with you, but I know him. He will be fine. Trust me, Spike.”

Spike took one last look at the door, then sighed, and let go, returning to the center of the room. “Alright. I’ll give him some time to cool off, but then I’m going to check on him.”

“That’s fine. Thank you for staying, Spike.”

Perhaps I was seeing things, but for a moment I caught Trojan’s eyes aimed at the front door before she returned her attention to me. Confusion was written all over her face.

“Shining Armor, why did you do that?” Trojan asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You chose me over Flash. What’s your aim?”

“It wasn’t about choosing sides,” Spike answered for me, “it’s all about perspective. Right, Shining?” When he winked at me, I couldn’t help but laugh. He must have quite the hearing if he heard Thorax talking to me over Flash and Trojan’s argument. Or perhaps he was simply paying more attention than the other two bickering teammates. Either way, he had surprisingly keen senses, more than I ever remembered him having.

“Spike nailed it in one. Yes, Flash could have handled that far better, but I don’t think he was completely wrong, particularly about the deception. If you continue sabotaging your own teammates by hiding too much information, you’re only dooming yourself and the team for failure. Just as I looked at things from your perspective and made a decision based on that, you have to give us the same courtesy.”

“I see,” Trojan wore a contemplative look. After a moment, she grinned. “You’re not as dumb as I thought, Shining.”

“Trojan!” Spike facepalmed. I simply rolled me eyes. Back to business as usual, I see.

“Actually, no. That’s not what I meant to say.”

All eyes were then on Trojan. She closed her eyes, and sat on her haunches. After a beat, she sighed and opened her eyes again, expressing a sense of calm.

“I can’t fault Flash for having his prejudices when I’ve been exhibiting my own. I allowed the stress and frustration of my predicament cloud my judgment and place us all in an unnecessary conflict. What I had meant—no, should—say, is sorry for allowing things to get this out of hoof. And thank you. All of you.”

I was truly floored. Out of everything that happened today, that was by far the most shocking turn of events. Once the shock had settled, Spike, Thorax and myself brandished wide grins at the humbled Changeling before us. There were still concerns to address, but I was grateful for that moment of alleviated tension.

“Amazing,” I mocked a gasp, “humble AND grateful! She can learn!”

“...Just continue the damn meeting,” she scoffed. There was even a tint of red invading her puffy cheeks. I was sorely tempted to call her adorable, but knew she would likely get me back later for it.

“You’re kinda cute when you get embarrassed-HEY!" Spike yelped as a swift hoof smacked him upside the back of the head. Her face was practically a furnace at this point.

“Alright, let’s give it a rest and focus on Elytra.” While I was grateful for that small bit of tension, there were still problems to solve. “I'm afraid I have to side with Flash on this one. If we just sit still and let her plans go unhindered, won't they just progress?”

“Yes and no. There's a particular reason I said to wait," Trojan said pointedly. "It speaks to a level of psychological warfare that we let her make the next move. What's important is how we react to whatever is happening, something that can’t be easily planned as we pay close attention to shifts of behaviors or patterns.”

I sighed. “So without any clues to go on, I suppose all we can do is follow your suggestions until something comes up.” I would have appreciated at least a small inkling to why Trojan felt the need to keep the thought process behind this tactic hidden, as she is the only one who seems to truly know this Elytra’s tactics.

I glanced over at Spike, finding him looking down at the floor, brow scrunched together with thought. Occasionally, I heard him muttering to himself.

“What's on your mind, Spike?” I asked.

“Hmm… denying the enemy information to stay ahead… AH HA! I get it!” His eyes lit up, a victorious grin plastered on his face.

I gestured him to continue. “Alright, let's hear it.”

“A wise teacher taught me a very special expression: ‘The guile mind seeks as much information as possible while denying the enemy information to stay ahead’. I bet a Changeling like Elytra would be going crazy right now if one of her Changelings disappeared without any idea what happened. Kinda ties into the whole ‘nothing is scarier’ expression, where not knowing something is far scarier than actually seeing the scary thing. In other words, she’s going to slow herself down and waste time looking for problems that don’t exist, at least not in the way she’s thinking. I think that's what Trojan was trying to say.”

Trojan nodded. “Spike is correct. She will start to panic and imagine the worst-case scenario, not realizing that her own imagination will be a trap. Elytra is a very careful one, so she would want to make sure all unknowns are cleared before proceeding with her plans.”

This Elytra was starting to remind me of Twilight whenever she started overthinking or entered panic mode. This was a blessing and a curse, as my sister was a masterful problem solver once she caught onto a possible solution. Hopefully this Elytra was not as intelligent, or else we were all in trouble.

As I let this sink in, I noticed a peculiar reaction from Thorax; he looked like he was about to have a heart attack as his eyes bounced between Spike and Trojan, eyes growing wider each second. Suddenly, he settled for a goofy grin, as if he'd figured out some dirty secret.

“Can't believe I didn't think of that! Great catch, Spike!” I praised.

“It sounds like this wise teacher taught you very well,” said Thorax. He seemed suspiciously chipper.

“I know, right?” Spike seemed just as suspicious as Thorax, as if they were speaking some sort of code.

“Moving on,” Trojan threw a withering stare at Thorax and Spike, “the point is that Elytra won't do anything too brazen until she is confident that all elements are accounted for. The longer we keep her in the dark and give her no indication we are pursuing her, the better. We just have to play it safe and look for clues.”

“Any ideas where to start?” I asked.

“Yes. Thorax mentioned that the initial hideout was in Everfree. True, that one is no longer going to be a viable hideout due to the fight that happened in that forest, but it’s still worth investigating to see why they started there. Once I’m positive that it’s safe for us to proceed, I want to start looking into that forest to confirm something.”

“Didn’t Thorax mention that he was also tasked with spying on Zecora?” Spike asked.

“Exactly,” Trojan confirmed. “If it was just the element bearers, that’s one thing. But if Zecora is involved, that means there’s more to our presence here than just Twilight.”

“More to the Changeling’s presence in Ponyville than Twilight?” I didn’t like where this was going. There were far more questions growing than we had answers for. “Wasn’t that the whole point of sending an Overlord to Ponyville?”

Trojan hesitated for a beat, like she was thinking something over. “I’ll find out more once we manage to capture Elytra. Once we secure Ponyville completely, we will have all the answers in our hooves. Twilight is still a concern, there’s no doubt about that. But the problem lies in that I’ve been separated from the hive for almost two months now; there’s no telling what other goals we might have here. That’s precisely why I don’t want us to take unnecessary risk and expose ourselves. Once they know we’re hunting them, things will get very dangerous. Stealth is the only protection we have against the possibility of assassination protocols, aka killers coming after us.”

Now I was starting to form a better picture. Would have been nice if she had just simply started with that. “So that explains why you’re playing the patient game so much. Rather than show we’re actively hunting her, we make it look like we’re simply responding to an unusual situation.”

“Now you’re thinking like a Changeling.”

I smiled, satisfied for now. “Alright, so that makes your next objective clear: play it safe and investigate Everfree when you feel it's time to do so. Unless there’s anything else, I think that wraps up our meeting for the time being.”

“Actually,” Trojan spoke up, “there’s one thing I would like to know.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about Flash. During that argument, I sensed a level of hatred inside him that I’ve never seen in other ponies." She paused, glancing to the side; she almost looked uncomfortable. "It wasn't all the explosive, spread-out kind, either. He had… real intent behind it. Focus. Ponies don't get that without having a reason. I recall you mentioning that he’s dealt with Changelings before, but you never told me exactly what happened.”

From defending Spike to worrying about Flash, who she literally just fought minutes ago. I just couldn’t figure her out. I thought back to what Thorax told me earlier and started wondering if her aggressive attitude was a defense mechanism or simply a struggle of being a Changeling in a pony world. Time would tell if this was just a temporary change, or an actual honest effort from her. I was willing to withhold judgment until I could nail it down one way or another.

Normally I wouldn’t be so open with Flash’s history, but it was more important than ever they understood that Flash’s feelings came from a very deep scar in his heart. One that never completely recovered.

“When the Changelings attacked Canterlot, Flash was a private at the time. The squad he was part of got caught up in the middle of the madness while he helped Canterlot civilians seek safety. We were completely unprepared for the psychological warfare involved with Changeling disguises, guerilla strategies and mind control tactics. While many of the citizens were saved, a good portion of the guard were killed.

“Of the twelve guards Flash’s squad composed of, he was the only survivor. Even then, his body and sanity was hanging on a thread, crippled by paranoia and PTSD. He told me about the details of his squad’s downfall, miscommunication, treachery and distrust instilled by the Changelings devastated and divided them. Since that day, Flash swore he would never again let what happened that day repeat itself. Considering this team is experiencing miscommunication and distrust on such a grievous scale, I imagine he probably felt history was repeating itself.”

I briefly wondered if Flash encountered a similar crisis with his unit as he did with today’s outburst before they were killed. My stomach churned at the thought.

The others made faces that mirrored my feelings on the matter. While Flash’s outburst was rather extreme and out of line, it was impossible to completely fault him on how he felt. Trojan was silent for roughly a minute before she spoke again.

“Shining, if you knew all of this, why did you put him on this mission? Why pair him up with a partner you knew he would hate?”

Such an ironic question considering that was what led to my own outburst. “To be honest, I hesitated at first for that very reason. Even though it’s been a long time since then, I knew he would have strong feelings tied to this mission, not to mention the obvious risk of someone who's suffered in the way he did. But at the same time, it’s that same reason that I put him on this mission. Who better to know how to handle himself and his team against a Changeling infiltration than one who was driven mad by it and experienced the worst of it? Beyond that, the only pony I would trust with my sister’s life is one I would trust with my own life.”

I say that, and yet I let myself doubt him. Flash must feel utterly betrayed.

“Thank you for telling me that, Shining Armor,” said Trojan with a grateful nod.

Again, I was caught off guard by Trojan’s shift in behavior. There was not an ounce of sarcasm or superiority in her tone. Once was a fluke. Twice was a sign. “Of course. Just give him some time to cool his head. And if you can, just talk to him as a teammate. If you can show him that his trust isn’t misplaced, he will eventually come around.”

“Trust works both ways, captain. A pony with a history like that may not hesitate to slay Chrysalis if the opportunity comes. I will always put my hive first, no matter what. However, if he shows that he can be trusted in that regard, I… suppose I can begin to meet him halfway.”

Spike patted Trojan on the shoulder, bearing a wide grin. “Don’t forget, you've always got me to help you two along. I know both of you have a lot of good inside. I’ve seen it. You two just have to catch up and realize it yourselves. Just be glad Twilight isn’t here to see you two like this. We would be stuck with a month’s worth of friendship lessons.”

I laughed heartily. “That sounds like Twily, alright.”

“I will certainly have to keep that in mind.” Trojan smiled—a real smile—at Spike. If this didn’t confirm that there was a connection forming with those two, I would eat my armor.

“Now that we’ve made some headway, I have a lot of preparations to take care of with Thorax. I will be checking up on you two tonight for a follow-up. Anything else?” They shook their head. “Good. This meeting is officially concluded then. Dismissed.”

I ignited my horn again to cancel out the communication enchantment, returning the room to its default state of observing the Crystal Empire. Thorax hovered in the air momentarily, only to drop down when he realized he was not going to fall, which was only after I gave him a strange look. Such an odd Changeling.

“Let’s go, Thorax. The meeting may be over, but we still have a lot of work to do.” With a nod, we departed from the communication room, descending upon the long flight of stairs to return Thorax to his room, though I still had a ton of questions to ask him. Particularly of the forbidden variety.

I’d taken notice of Thorax’s silence as we walked. Whatever was on his mind made his face go through several phases; anxiety, worry, frustration, depression, and then as we reached ground level, determination. That’s when Thorax chose to speak.

“Excuse me Shining Armor, I have another request I would like to make.”

I looked down at Thorax, who looked like he had set his mind on something important. “What is it?”

“You plan on sending help over there, right?”

“Most certainly. Why do you ask?”

Thorax took in a breath, as if readying himself for something. “I would like to join them in Ponyville, please.”

I shook my head. A noble sentiment, however... “No, that’s not going to happen. You’re a nice Changeling and all, but keep in mind that mere weeks ago, you were about to kill my agents. It’s one thing to work with you for intel, but another to throw you into the thick of it.”

“Yes, I did hurt Flash and Mr. Cake back then. I’ve done a terrible thing and deserve whatever punishment you feel I deserve. But I have to do whatever I can to fix this the mess we’ve created.”

I stopped as we reached the bottom of the stairwell, then reached up and took hold of his shoulder, turning him around so I could look him in the eye. “If I put you out there, that means I am trusting you with the lives of Ponyville, including my own sister. I didn’t have a choice when it came to Trojan, but with Flash and Spike, I knew them long enough to know that my sister was in good hooves. But... I don’t know you," I said slowly, enunciating every word. "Even if I take precautions, there’s no guarantee you won’t do anything to harm the mission or my sister. Why should I believe you? How could you possibly convince me that you’re that trustworthy to send out there and protect my own sister?”

For awhile, Thorax said nothing, his eyes wavering as he looked to the floor. Just before I decided this conversation was not worth my time, he finally looked back and met my eyes.

“Among the hive, I am one of the weakest Changelings, even among drone standards. Many don’t think I could ever amount to anything important, even our queen. It can be very rough for drones, especially if you’re clumsy and cowardly like me. The only Changeling who made me feel like I was worth something was Trojan.”

If this was his attempt to convince me, he was going in the completely opposite direction. But I allowed him to continue.

“Trojan was always so nice to me. She had her scary moments, but not once did I ever feel pathetic in her eyes. She told me that every Changeling was part of a whole, and that even the smallest contribution or effort could make a world of difference. All I had to do was do my best at anything I do and believe in myself to do what’s important to the hive, even if no other Changeling thinks so.”

“So the reason you want to help is because of Trojan’s influence on you?”

“Mostly, but that is not the only reason. Yes, she helped me realize that no matter how weak or lowly I am, I should always do my best to support the hive, even if it involves something other Changelings may disagree with. The other reason is because of Flash Sentry.”

My brow raised at this. “Flash?”

Thorax nodded. “I knew I did many terrible things, but seeing Flash’s anger and resentment made me realize that it was our fault. I didn’t have to sense his feelings to see the amount of pain that is in him. I realized that I had to do something to fix this so we can stop hurting each other. If I could do something, anything to stop ponies and Changelings from hurting one another, I have to. I want to show ponies that there are good Changelings too, not just scary ones who want to hurt them. Maybe then we won’t have any more victims like Flash Sentry.”

A flicker of a smile tugged at my lips. Never thought I would say this, but I was really starting to like Thorax.

In my eyes, Thorax seemed genuinely determined to help not only his hive, but ponies too. While I couldn’t make such a big decision on the spot, I did acknowledge the effort he was willing to make.

“I’ll consider it. Of course, even if I did decide to send you, you will not be going alone.”

“I understand. I’ll do whatever I can to prove you can trust me.”

“Hope you can keep up that enthusiasm. I may be willing to tolerate you, but it takes more than a speech or song to earn my trust. In fact, I think I have the perfect way to determine if you will make the cut.”

“How so?”

I smiled. “You see, I have a special project I’ve been working on for awhile now, utilizing the best minds, soldiers and equipment available. While I am not completely convinced to let you join the fight now, if you can pass the test, I may be more inclined to let you be part of this project to help Flash, Spike and Trojan. But if you fail, then I won’t let you join the fight.”

“If it will prove to you that I want to help, I’ll do it.” Thorax agreed without any hint of hesitation. That was a point in his favor.

The large double doors leading to the main hall swung open as my favorite sergeant entered the area. Perfect timing.

“Alright, Thorax. If you’re so eager to get started, then let’s not delay. Sergeant Shine Spark!”

Thorax stiffened and immediately began sweating bullets as Shine hurried towards us. His timid nature always crumbled in the presence of the brash and robust personality that was Shine Spark, who openly showed her disdain for the Changeling. Had Thorax realized what he signed up for, he would not have been nearly as determined to sign up for the special project.

“Reporting for duty, sir!” The red earth pony instantly stood at attention before me. Always did appreciate how dutiful and confident she was. She was just as trustworthy and dedicated to her duty as Flash was, a perfect compliment.

“At ease, sergeant,” I ordered.

The moment she relaxed and took noticed of Thorax, she gave him a quick nod. “‘Sup, buggy?”

“U-um, my name is Thorax…” Thorax muttered as he did his best to avoid her gaze.

“Excellent timing, sergeant. A congratulations is in order!” I announced happily.

“Oh? What are we celebrating?”

“Thorax was telling me all about how amazing he is. That he can take on any challenge you throw at him to prove his loyalty and worth for the Crystal Empire.”

Thorax paled. “W-wha, but I didn’t—”

“You should have heard him,” I interjected, “he went on and on about tough he was and how nopony in Equestria could break his undying spirit!”

“Oh, really?” Shine grinned as she looked up and down Thorax appraisingly. “And here I thought he was just a cowardly punk!”

“I-I actually—”

“In fact,” I interrupted him again, “I’m thinking about throwing him in our special project to see if he has what it takes. Speaking of which, we’re gonna have to speed things up. A lot. So give him the full Crystal Empire treatment. No brakes.”

“W-w-wait, do I get a say in—ack!” Thorax gasped as Shine threw a foreleg around his shoulders and pulled him in tight, grinning ear to ear.

“Aww, is it my birthday already? You spoil me, boss! I’ll just go ahead and take it from here!”

“Sounds good. Just make sure he’s still breathing for the first few days. I still have questions he needs to answer.”

“Don’t you worry. If he’s as tough and strong as he brags about, he’ll come out singing like a canary. Isn’t that right, buggy?”

“U-um, that’s not—GACK!” I swore I heard the sound of chitin cracking as Shine Spark tightened her grip.

“I said, isn’t that right, Buggy?”

“Yes! Yes! Just please stop hurting me!”

I smiled at them as I channeled my horn to teleport to my office. “Have fun, Shine Spark. Try not to die, Thorax.”

“D-d-die?!”

Shine Spark laughed, an evil glint flashing in her eyes. “He’s just kidding around, Buggy.” In a lower voice, she whispered in a foreboding to him with a foreboding tone. “That would be too merciful.”

The last thing I saw before teleporting was the pure terror on Thorax’s face, followed by Shine’s sinister grin and cackling.

I’m sure he will be perfectly fine.

Once I returned to my office, my momentum took a dive as I slumped into my seat at the desk and dropped my head into my hooves. Between Thorax waking up, Flash exploding, and Trojan’s drastic shift in behavior, today was filled to the brim with enlightening information and stressful consequence.

My eyes drifted to the picture of Flash, Shine Spark and myself, pure nostalgia flooded my mind. Of all the guards I’ve trained and personally recruited, those two always found a way to surprise me, for better or worse. Flash had especially come a long way considering the tragedy involving his old squad and his path to recovery. Once I talk to him later tonight, I plan on smoothing things over with him and making sure he keeps his head straight… after a strong reprimanding, of course. No way I could let that slide.

Until then, there was one important task I needed to take care of.

Underneath my desk was a magically enchanted safe that could only be opened or moved by myself and Cadance where we kept all of our confidential files. Using my magic, I interacted with the combination, twisting until I felt the pulse of the invisible enchantment seal unlock.

From the safe I pulled out a thick folder. I flipped through the pages until I reached the section depicting a list of names, most of which were garnered thanks to Flash following through on my task of assessing military readiness and guards with a particular set of skills and potential. In that same list, I added Thorax. If I had more time, there were several preparations and extra measures I would have taken, but after the meeting today, it was clear that our time was far more limited than I would have hoped. I immediately went to work on the other documents to get everything finalized.

I had to get Project Prism running as soon as possible.

Author's Notes:

What's up, my paladins?

So... this chapter. My god, this chapter.

So, when I first conceived this chapter, I thought it would've been a simple venture. Thorax wakes up. Shining starts the meeting. Flash storms out. And the rest is history. But it just goes to show that when it comes to writing, sometimes the characters and scenes write themselves. As you can see from the word count, this was a beast of a chapter to pin down, especially with characterizing Thorax and Trojan.

As for the chapter itself, a lot of different things occurred here. We get to see some more things from the changeling's side, as well as get to see some of Flash's berserk buttons. Hopefully this makes up for the chapter's delay.

I definitely gotta hear what all of you think. Any pieces or clues coming together? What other secrets could Trojan be hiding? What about the secret caste? What's gonna happen next? Look forward to seeing everyone's theories.

Until next time, stay classy my paladins.