Patriots of Equestria, Part 1

Thorax towered over the broken Changelings fully determined to end all that had transpired over the past few days. He didn't want a trial, he wanted to have Hopper locked up forever and prevent Chrysalis from returning. Now, even though that he had gotten some truth earlier from a fellow Changeling he had reformed, Thorax was not going to rest until he got the whole truth.

"You are probably wondering why I am facing you all," he said, pacing back and forth between the captured Chrysalis loyalists. "Your comrade, Hopper, is captured and your other comrade, Thumper, is dead. The time has come to face facts and you are going to reveal to me every single detail that is known about their plot to assassinate Equestria's most important ponies. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide."

The Changelings looked up to Thorax and realized that he was indeed right. Hearing that Hopper was captured and Thumper was dead was a sign that it was all over for them.

"Who wants to go first?" Thorax asked and a Changeling prisoner on the far left end of the line stepped forward, his body weakened from all the beatings he had taken as a result of his interrogations. "Speak, Yellow Jacket."

Yellow Jacket was trembling all over his body, fearing of the repercussions of what would happen if he didn't speak now.

"It was all Hopper's idea," answered Yellow Jacket. "He brought up the idea of killing the princesses and their allies. He knew that Chrysalis would kill them eventually and he felt that with them out of the way, there would be very little resistance."

"Traitor!" cried a Changeling on the far right end, giving Yellow Jacket a murderous glare only to be silenced by Thorax with a blot around his mouth. Thorax then motioned for several guards to take the Changeling away to a secular part of the dungeons. Once he was gone, Thorax motioned for Yellow Jacket to speak.

"Did any of you agree to initially go with him and Thumper?" asked Thorax.

"No," said another changeling standing next to Yellow Jacket. "I was scared. Some of us were because we feared of the power that those ponies had. Hopper was always the one who had murder in his eyes. We didn't have murder in our eyes, but we needed to survive, Thorax. You know that."

Thorax contemplated this as he walked towards a portrait of Chrysalis on the entryway leaving the dungeons. It was then that he scrunched his eyes and used his magic to take the portrait and slam it down on the hard floor, destroying it.

"I know that Chrysalis was nothing more than a dictator who wanted to do things her way," said Thorax, quietly as he walked away from the portrait. "She didn't have our best intentions at heart and it would have to take something like bombs to get the message across to you all. But, you all have what is in front of you right now. Chrysalis will never get her power back and soon, she will realize it over time."

"There is something else you need to know, Thorax," said Yellow Jacket. "We were all planning to overthrow Chrysalis."

Hearing this bit of news was a major surprise to Thorax, for up until he now, he didn't know that these Changelings were thinking of putting together their own plot to remove Chrysalis.

"How were you going to do this?" he asked. "Tell me, I've got to know!"

"It was just before she ordered the capture of her targets," said Yellow Jacket, fearing for the worst if he didn't tell Thorax this now. "All of us knew that the ponies of Equestria were just far too powerful for us and Chrysalis was in denial about it. You know that Chrysalis says that it is her way or else, Thorax. Hopper was obsessed with following in her footsteps."

"That's another matter," interjected Thorax. "I need to know just how many bombs you were all planning to set off."

"Hopper and Thumper had a list," remarked another captured Changeling. "It was eventually destroyed, but we remember how many cities in Equestria were targeted. All the major cities like Manehattan, Canterlot, Las Pegasus, the Crystal Empire, you name it. Chrysalis wanted to send a message that she was going to rule all of Equestria and that anypony who should stand in her way would suffer the consequences. "

Thorax took in all the information that was presented to him and realized that these Changelings were just like the Changeling he had reformed earlier, wanting to get away from the tyrannical way of life Chrysalis had dictated. Thorax could see that to them, what was happening now was a blessing in disguise.

"Please, Thorax," pleaded Yellow Jacket, who got on his rear knees and clutched Thorax's front legs. "We've suffered enough and are begging for your mercy. In fact, starting now, we pledge our allegiance to you and you alone."

Thorax considered this matter and realized that these Changelings were actually begging for a second chance. Even more so, if there was going to be a trial, these Changelings would testify against their ringleader in exchange for their lives. But, nevertheless, this wasn't going to let them off the hook easily.

"I appreciate the fact that you are seeking to swear your loyalty to me," he said. "But this does not excuse your behavior nor actions in any sense of the word. You will be punished for your actions although I need time to think of what that punishment is going to be."

The Changeling prisoners were discouraged by this development, but were delighted at the fact that Thorax was going to start to forgive them for their misdeeds, despite their severity.

…

With this valued information, Thorax returned to Ponyville hospital to confront Hopper once again and once the room was emptied of any doctors or nurses, Thorax walked into the room and looked down at Hopper with a stern look on his face.

"It's all over for you, Hopper," he said. "Your friends have turned against you and you know it. There is nowhere left to run, nowhere left to hide. So, if I were you, I'd start thinking about what is going to happen to you."

"You lie, Thorax," retorted Hopper. "My allies would never betray me."

"Is that so?" remarked Thorax, who tossed a piece of paper onto Hopper's bed. "Why else that they would do such a thing?"

Thorax was not convinced in any way by Hopper's words. For he knew that Hopper was still in denial and it would take more than a few words to get him to realize what was at stake. At that moment, a pair of reformed Changelings came into the room and stood on one side of Thorax holding what appeared to be chains.

"What are you doing, traitor?" snapped Hopper.

"These reformed Changelings of mine are going to transport you to Tartarus if you plead guilty and accept your responsibility of what you have done. In other words, I am trying to save you from a situation that would result in you being killed under Equestrian law."

"Is that so?" chuckled Hopper. "Well, this is an interesting development. Words coming from someone who wanted to see me put on trial. It seems that a traitorous leader like you can't even decide whether or not I deserve to live or die. That goes to show you how truly pathetic you are, Thorax."

Realizing that this tactic wasn't working, Thorax simply felt that he needed more time for Hopper to decide whether or not to avoid being put on trial.

"Then, I must leave you to decide your own fate, Hopper," he sighed, completely exhausted and walking towards the door. "Let me know when you make your decision."

Hopper let out a small sinister chuckle as Thorax left the room. To him, there was no clearer path to get Hopper to accept his actions. A little while later, Thorax returned to Canterlot hospital and at that moment, Instant Justice came walking down the hallway intending to visit his son when he saw Thorax.

"Thorax," he said, acknowledging the new leader of the Changelings. "I trust you were visiting with the accused bomber, Hopper."

"I was," sighed Thorax. "All I want is to give him a chance to avoid a trial altogether. A chance for him to spare his life from a death sentence. But, he just won't listen."

"Of course he won't listen," remarked Instant Justice, who decided to tell Thorax the whole truth. "He is a fanatic, Thorax and fanatics don't go down so easily. Either way, I think it would be appropriate for those affected by this monster to face him and express their displeasure over what he had done. I'm sorry, Thorax, but this is a creature who killed six ponies, injured our leaders and their allies along with my son to within an inch of their lives, threw our entire land into chaos and you expect him to just plead guilty? He won't go down without a fight and you know it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to visit with my son."

Thorax realized that there was nothing else he could do. A trial was about to happen…