Crimson

Fluttershy waited in silence while the door to the hospital room was still closed off from her access. A few unicorn doctors came in and out, shaking their heads as they muttered something about her condition, and what likely caused it. She knew, however, what really caused her to gain several hairline fractures in her hind legs, and it didn't have to do with flying stunts.

After almost an hour of waiting, the door finally opened, and a nurse with a light blue coat and a dark green mane stepped out and nodded.

"She's alright to receive visitors. Just don't let her try to get up, alright."

Fluttershy nodded as she got out of her seat and went into the room. It was a standard hospital room, with nothing special added, or anything vital missing. Several machines went unused as the prism-maned pegasus stared at her casts.

"I don't believe it," Fluttershy heard Rainbow mutter.

"D-don't believe what?"

"That Jerk!" Rainbow exploded, causing Fluttershy to take a step back.

"Um, Rainbow, I think you should try to relax," Fluttershy tried to coax her friend.

"That stupid, metal, robot wannabe just foalnapped Twilight! And, he was trying to help Changelings!" she exaggerated with movements of her free forelegs.

"Oh. But, didn't Applejack say that she wanted to-"

"I know what Applejack said!" Rainbow interrupted. "But obviously, the Changelings have her under mind control! That's why she left with them!"

"Well, if that's what you think, then wouldn't they have done the same to the red... thing?" she asked.

Rainbow scoffed at the notion.

"As if. They need emotion to control something, probably. That's how that big bug controlled Twi's brother. It used his love. That... thing, probably just decided how it wanted to try and take over Equestria."

"Well, maybe Twilight will come back on her own. Maybe she'll learn something about the Changelings."

Rainbow's eyes widened as if she had gotten an idea.

"Maybe, she went in under cover! And she's going to spring a trap on the big one, and take 'em all out at once! That's the way I'd do it, at least," she finished with a cocky smile.

\\\//////

Twilight could barely move at this point.

She had just heard a secret conversation, perhaps a diplomatic meeting between one of Equestria's most wanted enemies, and an alien soldier. She heard everything about the Changelings that nopony had likely heard at all. They were close to extinction, for pony's sake! She had heard that several large numbers of their kind were discovered off small towns since then, and were warded off, but she didn't think that they were slaughtered. And the way Five had related them to his own kind...

To think of those other aliens, like the one Five fought earlier. If that was only one of them, and they had done those things...

"Hard to realize, isn't it?" a filtered voice spoke closely to her.

Twilight looked to her left to see Psych staring at her with an expression that... she couldn't place at all. She was so unfamiliar with the Changeling subspecies that she didn't know what to make of its- his, facial expressions.

"To hear the truth after thinking something for so long. It's shocking, isn't it? I remember when I heard of the fate of our great Capital City. Still, though, what do you think of our kind, now that you know our current state?"

The alicorn was at a loss for words of any kind, searching for anything to discuss.

"H-how... is this really... are you all..." she struggled to speak.

"Yes, this is all that's left of us. We can always feel each other through the Hive, but now, only echoes remain where thousands of voices once spoke. As to how this came about, I don't know, actually. Our Queen says because of prejudice and racism. I'm inclined to believe that."

"But... I-I always thought, no, I know, that Princess Celestia would never, ever, in a million years, do something like this to anypony, or try to wipe out an entire species!"

"You may think that now, but think of it from our point of view. Starving, cold, unwanted, hunted, slaughtered, and cursed from birth. This Spartan, Five... I think he might be the first one in hundreds of years to even try to converse with us."

\\\//////

Chrysalis looked up to the red-armored soldier with a questioning look in her eyes. She could feel the different emotions her entourage had towards the Spartan, and thought about the words he had just spoken. Chrysalis didn't have long, though, as Five continued to speak.

"Sid, read out the Extinction Prevention Doctrine, Article 5, Sub-section 3-I."

The lights in the massive room flickered before a blue plane projected itself above the table both Chrysalis and Five were sitting at. Massive amounts of text scrolled by and were pushed around as Sid spoke.

"According to the Extinction Prevention Doctrine, re-issued to all UNSC vessels as of September 23rd, 2554, and revised as of January 6th, 2557, Article 5, Sub-section 3-I states: 'In any and all events in which the sapient species close to extinction is aboard a UNSC vessel post-landing on any world outside of UNSC or Sangheili space, the endangered species may be placed under Protective Care and allowed to remain aboard the vessel in question until an official of the Office of Naval Intelligence can negotiate with their present leader. Should any harm fall under the species in question while they are under the care of the UNSC, all acts of aggression are thereby directed to the United Nations Space Command as well, and acting leaders are given authority to respond as they see necessary, within the parameters of Article 5, Sub-sections 3-C, 3-D, and 3-A.'"

Chrysalis could only stare at the scrolling words, finding the general meaning of what was said.

"Queen Chrysalis," Five spoke.

The Queen in question snapped her eyes back to Five, and saw his hand extended over the table, the palm facing the wall as his limb was held before her.

"As the highest ranking officer aboard Pale Horse, it is with a heavy heart that I apologize for the state in which your kind are in. I hereby swear not only to you, but to every Changeling left on this planet, that your kind will not die out as ours almost did. As of now, this ship is your haven, and our arms at your side. We will stand together to forge a world wherein your kind will not be hunted, and tyranny will have no place."

Chrysalis looked down to the offered appendage and slowly raised her good hoof to meet it. When they met, Chrysalis felt a jolt through her limb as Five grasped her foreleg and shook carefully.

"Welcome to the UNSC."

For the first time in what seemed like years to the Queen of Changelings, she felt as though she had done a good job. Her Changelings were guaranteed safety, as well as a place to stay until their future was secured. For the first time, she felt gratitude for something that wasn't one of her Changelings, sacrificing something for the rest of their kind. She had finally made a real step in achieving something grand. For the first time, she spoke two words that she never thought she would utter to any living creature outside of the Hive.

"Thank you."