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Deep Undercover Part 1

By ArchiveAccount
Created: 2024-04-11 03:02:57
Expiry: Never
/bug/adventureprincess lunapaladin-mlp

  1. Written by Paladin-mlp
  2. https://poneb.in/PpcLJcNv
  3.  
  4. >Canterlot, day of the wedding. You are a royal guard named is Lucky. You are a brown unicorn stallion patrolling the streets.
  5. >Another boring day of being paid to do absolutely nothing.
  6. >Your black mane sticks out sharply from your helmet, warm from being out in the sun all day.
  7. >You regret not getting assigned to guard the royal wedding. There would have been so much extra cake-
  8. >“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!” A mare cries out from the other side of the street as she points up towards the sky.
  9. >“The barrier… look!
  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHCrWSnrIcg
  11. >You see hundreds of small black creatures pounding against the barrier.
  12. >Fear grips your mind as you continue to look in terror.
  13. >The threats made against Canterlot... the possibility of invasion… this was it...
  14. >There were so many of them, they sky was practically black.
  15. >Several ponies come outside from their homes to see what is going on, and a large crowd gathers on the street before you.
  16. >“It’s cracking!” The mare yells.
  17. >The pink barrier surrounding the city begins to fracture.
  18. >Your fear begins to be replaced with courage as you remember you have a duty to perform.
  19. “Everyone! Back into to your homes! Take cover! We’re being invaded!”
  20. >The ponies gaze at you for a second and then look back at the cracking barrier.
  21. “Take cover now! The barrier will crack any-”
  22. >SLAM!
  23. >With a loud thud of all the black colored creatures hitting the barrier at the same time, the barrier shatters to pieces.
  24. >All the ponies in the street scream and run for cover.
  25. >You ready your spear and watch the sky.
  26. >Green trails of light begin to fall down over the city like comets falling from the sky.
  27. >You watch as the green trails of light explode upon hitting the ground, causing destruction upon impact.
  28. >A green flash of light impacts a building half a block from where you are standing.
  29. >A explosion sends debris flying through the air.
  30. >You run to investigate. As you arrive you see several ponies running out from the clothing store.
  31. >“It in there!” A mare yells at you as she runs by you.
  32. “What's in there? What is it?”
  33. >The mare keeps on running.
  34. >After all the ponies finish running out of the building you grab your spear tightly and run inside.
  35. >Several pony mannequins lie throughout the store, some still standing while most have fallen flat on the floor.
  36. >Clothing and debris litter the ground.
  37. >In the middle of the store lies a lone earth-pony stallion clutching his leg.
  38. “Are you alright?”
  39. >“It's in the back room! Hurry! I think there a pony back there with it!”
  40. >He points to a set of closed doors.
  41. >You quickly run to the doors of the back storage room.
  42. >Fear grips you as your spear shakes within your hooves. You slowly use your magic to open the door.
  43. >The door slowly creaks open to reveal the dark room.
  44. “Who’s in there! Show yourself!”
  45. >It's too dark to see, so you cast a light spell from your horn.
  46. >Several shelves filled with boxes fill the storage room, but there is no sign of anything, pony or otherwise.
  47. “There's nothing back here.” You say to stallion, eyes still focused on the room.
  48. >You notice a green flash of light out of the corner of your eye.
  49. >You turn your head.
  50. >Where the earth pony once laid now stands a bug-pony-monstrosity with a fully charge green horn.
  51. “Ohhh sh-”
  52. >Before you can even blink the monster lets forth a burst of green magic from its horn.
  53. >The burst flies quickly through the air and hits you right in the face.
  54. “GHHHHHHAAA!”
  55. >You yell out in pain as you collapse on to the floor, your spear goes flying from your hooves.
  56. >Your blood splatters across the clothing store, landing on a display of new summertime dresses.
  57. >Both of your front hooves clutch your face in pain.
  58. >Your vision goes both blurry and red as blood begins to cover your face.
  59. >As you slowly raise your head to look up at the creature that just struck you.
  60. >All you can make out is a blurry black blob standing in the middle of the store.
  61. >A few seconds pass by as the creature just stares at you.
  62. >Anger boils up inside you.
  63. “You’ll pay for that!”
  64. >You move you hooves across the ground in search of your spear.
  65. >The horn of the monster begins to glow green.
  66. >Out of the corner of your blurred vision you can just barely make out a long spear being levitated away by green magic.
  67. >You grab for it with your hooves but it quickly escapes your grasp.
  68. >You watch as the spear is levitated towards the blurry black figure standing in the middle of the store.
  69. >As it reaches the figure, you hear a snapping noise as the spear is broken in two and then thrown to the ground.
  70. “No…”
  71. >The figure begins to walk towards you.
  72. >Tears and blood form in your eyes.
  73. “No, No, NO!”
  74. >You begin struggling to get back on your hooves, but the pain and dizziness from the facial impact is too much.
  75. “You... you stay away from me! “
  76. >The black figure stands only a few inches from you.
  77. “No! Get away!”
  78. >You attempt to flail your hooves at the creature, but it uses its wings to hover in the air out of your reach.
  79. >“Try to relax, struggling will only make it worse.” There creatures says with a raspy masculine voice.
  80. “NO!”
  81. >You attempt to stand up again, but it is in vain.
  82. >The creature lands on you, pinning you to the ground.
  83. >“Relax… think of the ones you love.”
  84. >The creatures horn begins to turn green. Your mouth is enveloped in a green magic field.
  85. “W-what are you doing?”
  86. >The creature drops down closer to your face.
  87. >“...Feeding.”
  88. >You watch in horror as a green magical aura begins leaving your mouth and entering the mouth of the creature.
  89. >You feel your muscles begin to wither as you become weaker and weaker with each passing second.
  90. >Tears begin to fill your eyes as you are weakened even more.
  91. “no…”
  92. >Your mind begins to falter.
  93. >You watch the beast consumes the green energy coming from inside you.
  94. “…p-please…don’t...”
  95. >You say with a whimper, as your vision begins to become even more blurry.
  96. >The creature pauses for a moment looking at your tear filled face.
  97. >The flow of green energy stops.
  98. “Plea-”
  99. >You pass out.
  100. ~~~~~~~~~~~
  101. >“They sure did a number on our store…”
  102. >“It's alright honey, we can repair the damage, I’m just glad neither of us got hurt- Oh sweet Celestia!”
  103. >“What is it!”
  104. >“Near the back! A guard!”
  105. >“Oh no… is he…”
  106. >“L-look, he’s still breathing”
  107. >“Guards pony, can you hear me”
  108. “...”
  109. >“Honey, ready the wagon, we need to get him to a hospital.”
  110. >“...”
  111. >”Hurry!”
  112. >“Yes, yes”
  113. >“Hold on stallion we’re gonna-”
  114. >You pass out.
  115. ~~~~~~~~~~~~
  116. >Distant hoof steps and muffled conversations fill your ears.
  117. >Slowly you open your eyes.
  118. >You’re in a bed, a hospital bed.
  119. >Your whole body still seems weak, but not as badly as before.
  120. >The right side of your face stings and itches.
  121. >You raise your hooves from under the bed sheets to feel a heavy layer of bandages on the right side of your face.
  122. >There is a large bulge of bandages over your right eye.
  123. >As you touch the bandages a sharp pain hits you, causing you to cringe.
  124. “AH!”
  125. >“Don’t touch that Corporal… and welcome back.”
  126. >You move your hooves away from your face as you turn to look at the pony speaking to you.
  127. >It is your Sergeant, a white stallion in full royal guard armor.
  128. >You let out a sigh.
  129. “Iron Shield... great... your ugly mug is the first face I get to see when I wake up…”
  130. >He makes a grin.
  131. >“Nice to see you too Lucky. You had me and the rest of the squad worried for a little bit…”
  132. >You tense up.
  133. “Where is the rest of the squad, are they OK?”
  134. >“Calm down Lucky. Some of them got a little bruised up, but yeah, they’re fine.”
  135. >He pauses for a second.
  136. >“Some of the other squads weren’t so fortunate though…”
  137. “So what happened?”
  138. >“We won! With the help of Captain Shining Armor’s barrier spell, we repelled the enemy from Canterlot. Sent them flying off into oblivion with their tails between their legs. We don’t expect them to be strong enough to launch another attack anytime soon.”
  139. “What the hell were those things?”
  140. >“They were changelings, their an old enemy of Equestria. Every few hundred years they swarm a city to feed their hive. They feed off of love… looks like you found that out first hand.”
  141. >You pause in silence as the you recall the changeling standing directly over you.
  142. >You begin to shiver.
  143. >“Lucky?”
  144. >He places his hoof on your shoulder.
  145. >You continue to stare off blankly
  146. >“Lucky? It’s alright, you’re safe now.”
  147. “Huh? Oh… sorry, I was…”
  148. >“It’s ok Lucky, now you just sit back and relax while I go let the doctor know that you are awake.”
  149. >You let out a sigh as the stallion leaves the room.
  150. >A few minutes pass by. You stare blankly at the ceiling while your mind processes everything that is going on.
  151. >You place you hoof on your face, carefully feeling the heavy layers of gauze and bandages.
  152. “Lucky, here is doctor-”
  153. >Startled by the voice of Iron Shield, you jerk the bandages with you hoof.
  154. “AH DAMMIT!”
  155. >“Shit Lucky! I told you not to touch that!”
  156. >“Sergent please…” A pink colored unicorn mare interrupts.
  157. >“Hello Lucky, I’m Doctor Rosebud.”
  158. >After taking a second to recover from the pain, you let out a sigh.
  159. “Hi Doc… So what’s the damage.”
  160. >“Well… multiple lacerations and burns across the right side of your face. However, with a combination of healing magic and surgery we should be able to eventually remediate the worst of the damage.”
  161. “H-how bad is it?”
  162. >“The damage was quite severe, you’re lucky to still be alive-”
  163. >The doctor tenses up.
  164. >“Uhhh… sorry… no pun intended”
  165. >You let out a sigh
  166. “Don’t worry about it…”
  167. >“Oh, it’s not that bad Lucky… plus mares love stallions with a lot of scars.” Iron shield chimes in.
  168. “Give me a mirror.”
  169. >“Yes… of course.” replies Doctor Rosebud.
  170. >The mare steps out of the room and quickly returns with a mirror.
  171. >She holds the mirror in front of you.
  172. >As you stare into the mirror you see your heavily bandaged face.
  173. >You can not tell the extent of the damage due to the large amount of bandages.
  174. “I’d like to see the damage, can you please remove the bandages.”
  175. >The doctor pauses for a second.
  176. >“Those are a fresh set of bandages Lucky.”
  177. “Please…”
  178. >“Lucky, I don’t-”
  179. “SHOW ME! I… I... want to see my face…”
  180. >Doctor Rosebud let out a sigh.
  181. >“Alright…”
  182. >Rosebud begins to carefully unwrap the bandages from your face.
  183. >After some minor stinging all the bandages are finally removed.
  184. >She levitates the mirror up to your face.
  185. >You gag as you barely recognize the pony you are looking at in the mirror.
  186. >Large patches of skin have been blasted away, exposing the facial muscle below.
  187. “S-shit…”
  188. >Grief and shock begin to take hold of you.
  189. >Rosebud lowers the mirror.
  190. >“As I said earlier, with with enough magical treatment and reconstructive surgeries-”
  191. “My eye!?”
  192. >“I’m sorry Lucky, but the damage was too severe. You are not going to be able to see out of your right eye.”
  193. >The grief inside you begins to merge with anger.
  194. “Those bastards are gonna pay for this.”
  195. >You turn to Iron Shield.
  196. “How long before the counter attack?”
  197. >“Huh?”
  198. “It’s only a matter of time before they attack us again, right? We should take the fight to them!”
  199. >“I haven’t heard anything about a counter attack, hell I don’t even think we know where the hive is located. Sweet Celestia! You’ve been awake for only ten minutes and you’re already talking about getting back into the fight! You need to heal first Lucky!”
  200. “But-”
  201. >“That’s an order!”
  202. >You let out a deep sigh
  203. “...alright…”
  204. >“Now… I’m gonna go track down your family and let them know you're awake. Anything else I can help with Doc?”
  205. >“No, I should be able to take it from here Iron Shield, thank you.”
  206. >“Understood.”
  207. >Iron Shield takes one last look at your face. After staring for a few seconds he looks down at his hooves and then disappears out the door.
  208. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  209. >A few days pass.
  210. >You regained most of your drained energy and are able to easily walk around.
  211. >They are still keeping you at the hospital to treat your facial injuries.
  212. >It’s getting late, and you hear a knock on the door.
  213. “Come in.” You say as your snout and attention is deep within the latest Daring Do novel.
  214. >“Corporal Lucky?”
  215. “Yeah, that’s me.”
  216. >You lower the book to see who is addressing you.
  217. >To your surprise, it is none other than Princess Luna.
  218. “P-princess Luna!”
  219. >You quickly get out of bed and begin to bow.
  220. >“Rise Corporal.”
  221. >You stand back at attention and stare wide eyed at the Princess standing before you.
  222. >She stares back at you, looking at your disfigured face in particular.
  223. “How may I be of assistance to you my Princess?”
  224. >She continues to stare at your face.
  225. “Princess?”
  226. >“Uhh... I… We are most sorry for our behavior Corporal Lucky.”
  227. “It’s alright Princess… think nothing of it. For what reason do I owe this visit?”
  228. >“We want to discuss a few things with you Corporal. We heard rumors that you are more than willing to take the fight to the changelings, is this true?”
  229. “Yes it is. I’d love nothing more than to protect Equestria from that changeling scum! I don’t want another pony to suffer through the pain I went through… and continue to go through…”
  230. >“You speak with the tone of a valiant warrior, and thou has the scars to back up your claim.”
  231. >She pauses for a few seconds.
  232. >“If we could give you that chance, would you take it?”
  233. “In a heartbeat.”
  234. >Luna uses her magic to close the door to your hospital room.
  235. >Her voice changes, becoming much more stern.
  236. >“What I’m about to tell you cannot leave this room. Do you understand?”
  237. “Uhh… Sure Princess Luna. You can trust me.”
  238. >“Good… Good… We had a strong feeling that we could.”
  239. >“Changelings have plagued Equestria for thousands of years. We have watched them swarm city after city, sparing no pony as they drain everyone of their love. Each time they swarm we are always able to repel them, but they always regroup and come back…”
  240. >A tint of anger flashes in her eyes.
  241. >She looks out the window of your hospital room. She stares at the moon and night sky.
  242. >“We grow tired of this Corporal Lucky… We think the time has come to end this cycle of destruction…”
  243. >She continues to stare out the window without saying anything.
  244. “Uhh… I couldn’t agree more Princess Luna. So, where do I fit in on all this?”
  245. >“We’ve recently come across a valuable piece intel from a changeling interrogation.”
  246. >She turns around from the window and her teal eyes meet with yours.
  247. >She leans in closer to you as she silently speaks.
  248. >“We know where the hive is Lucky.”
  249. “That’s great! So when do we attack!”
  250. >The Princess smirks.
  251. >“We admire your enthusiasm Lucky, but the changelings have been entrenched there for hundreds of years. The hive is likely well fortified, a frontal assault would likely prove devastating for the Royal Guard.”
  252. “Oh…”
  253. >“But all fortresses, no matter how strong they may appear to be, have weaknesses. It's all a matter of discovering what these weaknesses might be. Unfortunately, these weakness may not be present to those on the outside. Sometimes… the only way to discover the flaws is from the inside...”
  254. “Inside? You mean… from inside the hive?”
  255. >Luna let outs a deep breath as she nods.
  256. >A shiver runs down your spine.
  257. >Your hair stands up on end while you feel the sting of air hitting the open wounds upon your face.
  258. >“Your injury makes you a prime candidate for an operation we have been planning. The mission will be extremely dangerous. There is a significant possibility that you may be captured or killed. However… if carried out successfully it will be of great benefit for helping Equestria with the changeling menace.”
  259. >You look at your reflection on the mirror on your nightstand.
  260. >You used to have such a handsome face, until those bastards took it from you...
  261. >She pauses you a second, looking you in your clouded right eye.
  262. >“Are you interested?”
  263. “...”
  264. “Yes.”
  265. >“Then welcome to the Shadowbolts Corporal Lucky. Preparations for your mission will begin immediately.”
  266. ~~~~~~~
  267. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCGlIjLT8OQ
  268. >You can feel her breathing heavy as she holds you tightly against her chest.
  269. >You can feel the moisture from her exhaustion as her sweat bleeds through her black outfit onto your back.
  270. >Bullets of her sweat glide off your black chitin as the wind quickly blow them off.
  271. >She holds you in her hooves as you both fly just a few feet above the ground.
  272. >It is nighttime, you attempting to use the cover of darkness to avoid being seen.
  273. >“Dropping in 60 seconds.” The bat-pony mare says quietly as she can into your ear.
  274. >The wind blowing against your face makes it hard to hear her, but you understand.
  275. >The drop zone is coming up, roughly one mile from changelings central hive.
  276. >You review your orders in your head: Infiltrate the hive, pose as crippled changeling scout who can no longer perform his duties in the field, say that your superiors transferred you to the construction division, gain their trust.
  277. >Upon being accepted you are to gather intelligence regarding hive layout, changeling numbers, military resources, food stuffs, and any other vital information.
  278. >No pony has ever gone into the central hive before… and come back out to talk about it...
  279. >“30 seconds.”
  280. >You’ve been training for this operation for the last few months. You studied changeling history, biology, and culture.
  281. >You read countless reports and witnessed several changeling drone interrogations.
  282. >Through a combination of magic transformation and surgery, your outside appearance is now that of a changeling.
  283. >Even you skin was enchanted to emit the same pheromones that changelings normally emit.
  284. >You are now completely indistinguishable from one of them… minus the functionality of your wings and the ability to shapeshift.
  285. >On your back lies two stumps where your wings should be.
  286. >Ponies possessed the magic to create insect wings… but it was decided to use your lack of wings as cover for your transfer.
  287. >That, your inability to shapeshift, your disfigured face, and mutilated right eye should offer a pretty convincing excuse why you can’t perform your duties as a scout anymore.
  288. >All you were capable of doing now was being a changeling construction worker.
  289. >That was the plan anyway… they might just see right through you and kill you on the spot… but that is a risk you are willing to take.
  290. >“20 seconds.”
  291. >You been in this form of a changeling for the past 2 months.
  292. >It’s been even longer since you’ve talked to friends and family.
  293. >They think you are away on assignment patrolling the border with Yakyakistan.
  294. >Due to the fear of changeling spies being present in the Royal Guard, only a handful of ponies know about this operation.
  295. >Besides for Princess Luna, the bat pony carrying you, and couple of doctors, no one else knows.
  296. >You're not sure if even Princess Celestia knows...
  297. >“10 seconds!”
  298. >You shiver, which is noticed by the mare holding you.
  299. >Fear rips through your body.
  300. >No pony has ever done this before. You are going to attempt to infiltrate an entire hive of changelings… who themselves specialize in being masters of disguise.
  301. >“You can do this Lucky” She whispers into your ear.
  302. >You are going to die in this hive…
  303. >“3… 2… 1… Drop!”
  304. >She quickly slows down and lets go of you.
  305. >You land on your hooves with a thud.
  306. >The mare quickly turns around and flies back the way she came.
  307. >You watch over your shoulder as she quickly disappears into the darkness.
  308. >You are alone.
  309. >You have nothing in you possession... except for a cyanide capsule inside one of you hollowed out molars.
  310. >Well actually it's a canine now, no small detail was overlooked. The doctors made sure of that.
  311. >You cringe thinking about how painful the spells and surgeries were.
  312. >Luna said she would be able to change you back once this is all over.
  313. >Shouldn’t have to worry about that though, your chances of survival are pretty slim.
  314. >You take look at the drop zone and closely note the surroundings.
  315. >This will be your evac point should things go south.
  316. >You turn forward and take a deep breath.
  317. >One hoof in front of the other, you slowly begin to walk forward
  318. >The hive entrance should be a 15 minute walk from your current position.
  319. >You quickly review your training as you walk forward, recalling a conversation with a old unicorn mare in a white labcoat.
  320. >“Changelings are hive based insects, similar to bees and ants. Three main types of changelings exists. First are the drones, the type of changeling you will be disguising as… and are already familiar with. Drones are designed for one thing, collecting love. They usually collect love through deception, but can also collect love overtly, the latter often being the more painful method for the victim. They are organized into squads and follow a military command structure. Second are the workers. Workers are rarely encountered on the surface as they usually spend most of their time in the hive. These sterile females and responsible for the hive upkeep. This involves construction, nursing, food preparation, and storage. The last type is the Queen, the broodmother for all the changelings. Lucky... you need to avoid contact with Queen Chrysalis at all cost. There is a good chance she will be able to see through your disguise and recognize you are not one of her own…”
  321. >Something flurries by in the distance.
  322. >The unmistakeable sound of buzzing insect wings fills your ears.
  323. >Fear grips you, but you continue to walk forward doing your best to appear unfazed.
  324. >The main entrance comes into view.
  325. >The massive mound stands tall in the middle of the night, you begin to make the ascent to the top.
  326. >The footing is treacherous, you walk upon unstable, sharp, jagged rocks.
  327. >Changelings clearly used their wings to get in and out of their hive.
  328. >Getting to the top by hoof was not going to be easy…
  329. >You proceed upwards, one careful step at a time.
  330. >After getting about a third of the way up the mound a loud rumble originates from the top of the mound.
  331. >It's still too dark for you to see what exactly is occurring, but the rumble grows louder and louder.
  332. >A rock narrowly whizzes by your front right hoof.
  333. “SHIT!”
  334. >From within the darkness you suddenly see several rocks tumbling straight for you!
  335. >Reflexively you quickly bring up a shield spell.
  336. >The bright green flash from your spell illuminates the entire mound.
  337. >The rocks collide with your shield, bouncing off or shattering upon impact.
  338. >You let out a sigh of relief as your shield withstands the barrage.
  339. >Turning your head, you watch as the rest of the rocks continue on their way down the hill.
  340. >You attention is quickly diverted by a large rumble coming from above you.
  341. >You fearfully turn your head forward.
  342. >With the green light of you shield you can see a large boulder rolling your way.
  343. “FUCK ME!”
  344. >The boulder crashes through your shield and knocks you to the ground.
  345. >Pain rips through your body from the impact while your breath is ripped from your lungs.
  346. >The sound of two raspy voices comes from the top of the mound.
  347. >“Hey brother, did you see something?” A feminine voice asks.
  348. >“What?” Replies a more masculine drone.
  349. >“I /said/ did you see something?”
  350. >“See what?”
  351. >“Nevermind… Typical for a drone to slack off from his job and not pay attention.
  352. >“Oh... excuse me?
  353. >“Yeah, you heard me.”
  354. >“We risk our chitin every time we go out there to collect love, and this is the thanks we get.”
  355. >“You know what, just forget the whole thing. Just let me dump this load of rocks and get back underground before the Construction Overseer thinks I’m slacking. I really don’t feel like working overtime.”
  356. >“Wouldn’t be the first time you were caught slacking.
  357. >“Buzz off, will ya! Now get out of the way so I can dump this.”
  358. >You don’t think you have the strength to sustain another shield spell.
  359. >Attempts of yelling to them prove futile as the breath is still gone from your lungs.
  360. >The sound of the wooden wagon moving at the top of the mound fills your ears.
  361. >Your heart races, your voice still fails you, your mind spins, there is only one thing you can do to get their attention.
  362. >You charge your horn let out a burst of green light into the air.
  363. >The green flare slowly rises into the air before arching and falling back down.
  364. >“Stop! Don’t drop those rocks. There’s someone down there!”
  365. >You let out a sigh of relief. It worked.
  366. >Fear grips your mind… that flare was likely seen for miles around. You hope your escort does not interpret it as a distress signal.
  367. >The horns on the changelings at the top of the mound begin to illuminate.
  368. >Their lights shine upon you, causing you to squint your lone blue eye as their lights partially blind you.
  369. >“Hey you! What do you think you’re doing down there! This is a drop zone!” The female changeling calls out.
  370. >Your breath slowly trickles back into your lungs.
  371. “Climbing… up…”
  372. >“Are you trying to get yourself squashed! Why don’t you just fly up here you idiot!”
  373. “I... can’t…”
  374. >“What do you mean you can’t”
  375. >You pull yourself up from the sharp jagged rocks. Turning your side to them, they witness the two nubs protruding on your back where your wings should be.
  376. >“Oh… I see… well... carry on then brother” The female changeling snidely remarks.
  377. >“Hey! We can’t just leave him there! We need to help him!” The male changeling yells.
  378. >The other changeling lets out a loud sigh.
  379. >“/Fine/… unhook this wagon from me then.”
  380. >“...So much for no overtime.” She mumbles under her breath.
  381. >After a few minutes the two changelings fly down to your position, lift you up, and carry you to the top of the mound.
  382. >They carefully lay you down on all fours and land beside you.
  383. >You inspect the two changelings, the drone looks quite similar to the one you encountered in Canterlot.
  384. >The mare however seems shorter but stockier than her male counterpart. Her shoulder and leg muscles are much bulkier than the typical pony mare… probably even more so than most stallions as well.
  385. “Thank you…“
  386. >“You're welcome brother… I suppose it was the least I could do after almost killing you.”
  387. >You turn your head to inspect the main entrance to the hive.
  388. >Upon turning your head both changelings get a look at the right side of your disfigured face and clouded eye. Both grimace upon seeing it.
  389. >“Geez, brother! You look like I feel. What the hell happened to you?” The changeling mare asks.
  390. >Time to act out your cover story
  391. “I was scouting in Evergreen Forest, I was ambushed by timberwolves.”
  392. >“Eww… have you considered getting an eye patch” The mare asks.
  393. “It’s on my to do list” You say letting out an angry huff.
  394. >“Wow… they really did a number on you didn’t they. Welcome back home brother, go on ahead and report to the barracks and we’ll get you debriefed.” The sentry responds.
  395. “Actually, my commanders instructed me otherwise…”
  396. >“Huh?”
  397. “Due to my injuries I can no longer shapeshift or fly. I was deemed no longer fit for my duties as a scout... I was told to report to construction.”
  398. >“Oh…”
  399. >“HA! So you get to work with us mares now!” The female changeling blurts out.
  400. “Uh… I suppose so.”
  401. >“I don’t envy you brother… Personally, I think I’d rather take my chances with the timberwolves… probably less bark and less bite.”
  402. >“I’ll agree with you on that one!” The female changeling snickers.
  403. >“Alright then brother, follow me, I’ll bring you to the Construction Overseer myself. You’re gonna be my excuse for arriving back there so late.”
  404. >You begin following her though the main entrance tunnel.
  405. >“So long brother...” The drone says disappear from view as you descend deeper into the underground complex.
  406. >You continue to follow the female changeling worker as she pulls her empty wagon.
  407. >“So what’s your name brother?”
  408. “It’s Lucky.”
  409. >“Lucky huh…” She eyes your injuries. “You know, I don’t think you are doing a very good job of living up to your name...”
  410. >You have no idea changeling
  411. “True… but at least I’m not dead!”
  412. >Yet...
  413. >“You know… not many drones get the chance to do what you are going to get to do. Some may consider it a golden opportunity! The situation you’re in… one could call it… Blind Luck!” She says with a grin on her face.
  414. “HA! Nice one! But if you value your life I wouldn’t repeat if I were you…”
  415. >She bites her lip and smiles back at you.
  416. >“Spunky, good… I’m sure you get along fine with the rest of us mares.”
  417. >The tunnel terminates at a large set of open double doors.
  418. >The doors stand two stories tall and are crafted of thick wood, reinforced with generous amounts of iron.
  419. >It would take a dragon to break through those doors…
  420. >You both walk through the doors into a large central cavern.
  421. >The cavern is well lit with an abundance of torches lighting the hive.
  422. >Several changelings quickly dart across the cavern.
  423. >Each of them appears busy carrying out some sort of assigned duty, some flying, some running on the ground.
  424. >A detachment of drone guards manning the large set of double doors eyeballs you as you pass through.
  425. >You avoid eye contact, not wanting to draw attention to yourself.
  426. >You try to act natural by continuing your conversation.
  427. “So what’s your name sister?”
  428. >“The names Dolly.”
  429. >A smile comes to your face.
  430. “Dolly huh? You strike me as someone who lets others weigh you down-”
  431. >You slam into the back of the wagon as Dolly abruptly stops.
  432. “OW!… worth it...”
  433. >You hear the guards snicker from behind you.
  434. >So much for not standing out, but at least they don’t see you as suspicious.
  435. >Dolly turns her head around to face you.
  436. >“How about we both don’t say anymore puns.”
  437. “Deal…”
  438. >The two of you continue through the main cavern into a large declining hallway.
  439. >You make mental note of every detail you can. The layout of the hive is one of your main priorities, as well as collecting as much useful information as possible.
  440. >The long spiral tunnel goes down and down. You pass by several various caverns along the way.
  441. >You take note of a cavern with various green sacs.
  442. >These must be the “cocoons” you heard the changelings imprisoned Princess Celestia inside.
  443. >Roughly a dozen of these cocoons are spread throughout the cavern, each containing a miserable looking changeling.
  444. >Upon closer inspection of one of the changelings within the cocoon, you see that it is missing a limb.
  445. >A quick scan of the rest of the cavern reveals various healing implements stored on shelves upon the walls.
  446. >This must be some sort of medical wing of the hive.
  447. >As much as you would like to investigate further, you continue on behind Dolly. Perhaps you can gain some intel from her...
  448. “So Dolly, I’ve been out on patrol for a while… anything new going on in the hive since I’ve been gone?”
  449. >“What do you mean?”
  450. “You know… any major events I missed?”
  451. >“No… not really. Most of us workers have just been busy converting all the love you drones collected from Canterlot into food.” Dolly looks down at her hooves and lets out a sigh. “Those of us who were unfortunate enough to not get that work assignment are busy making that new flood chamber at the bottom of the hive.”
  452. “So… I’ll most likely be assigned to that project then.”
  453. >“Yeah!” Dolly perks up “And you’ll get to work with me all day! Aren’t you excited!”
  454. “/Yeeaah/… So why are we building a flood chamber anyway? Our hive is in the middle of the Badlands, it never rains here.”
  455. >“It doesn’t… but it could… if the ponies found out where our hive is and wanted to drown us, that is. That’s why the Queen has made this a high priority for us workers. Everyone must do their part, for the hive.”
  456. >Oh shit… that is some good intel. They are expecting retaliation after the Canterlot incident.
  457. “Yes, of course-
  458. >“MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY!” You hear a changeling mare yelling ahead of you.
  459. >“Oh no… not another accident…” Dolly says in dismay.
  460. .>Two changeling workers hauling a severely injured changeling on a stretcher come running towards you. Her back two legs are completely smashed.
  461. >The two of you both move off to the side of the hallway to let the injured changeling pass by.
  462. >Dolly carefully scans the face of the injured changeling.
  463. >“Onyx!” She calls out as the stretcher passes by.
  464. >The wounded changeling briefly opens her eyes before being rushed up the hallway and out of sight of the both of you.
  465. >Dolly continues to stand still, staring off blankly up the hallway where the stretcher disappeared to.
  466. >After a few seconds you approach Dolly, who is still visibly distraught.
  467. “You were really close, weren’t you…”
  468. >“We were brood-sisters… we grew up together…”
  469. >You place you hoof across her shoulder.
  470. “I’m sorry…”
  471. >She looks at you in the eye, holding back tears.
  472. >“W-we must... all be willing to... make s-sacrifices... for the hive.”
  473. >She looks at you expectantly.
  474. >You nod.
  475. “For the hive.”
  476. >“Come on Lucky, let's go…”
  477. >Both of you continue deeper into the hive in silence. You continue to observe and make mental notes of your surroundings.
  478. >Another changeling worker carrying a wagon load of rocks pass by the two of you. She and Dolly exchange nods and you both continue on.
  479. >Moving downwards you pass a cavern filled with large vats of green slime. You remember seeing this green slime during the invasion. Pony scientists postulated it was used as a building material and bonding agent, you are still not sure.
  480. >As you continue down the passageway, the sounds of chirping and clicking begins to fill your ears.
  481. >You continue downward. You pass by a huge cavern, even larger than the cavern near the entrance. You see two drone guards at the entrance. They scan you as you pass by.
  482. >You look into the cavern and see rows of small green orbs lining the walls.
  483. >Eggs...
  484. >Several small changeling foals run around joyfully, playing and chirping merrily. You see several changeling workers attending to the young.
  485. >The nursery.
  486. >At the far end of the cavern lies a large throne. On either side of the main throne lies two smaller sized thrones.
  487. >The throne room combined with the nursery, not a typical combination in terms of pony standards.
  488. >But if the Queen needed to address her subjects all at once, a cavern of this size would definitely do the trick.
  489. >Slightly off to the side you see another set of double doors being guarded by another pair of drones.
  490. >The Queen's personal chambers must be right beyond those doors. It’s probably best to avoid this area at all costs.
  491. >A being of her power could possibly see through your disguise.
  492. >Dolly and yourself continue down the long spiral hallway.
  493. >Another changeling carrying wagon-load of rocks passes by the two of you.
  494. >The clinking of pick axes fills your ears.
  495. >A booming female voice calls out.
  496. >“You there! Move those rocks out of here! Hey you! Get back to work! Clear that boulder!”
  497. >Where the spiral ramp ends a long cylindrical cavern begins.
  498. >The cavern ceiling stands much taller than the ceilings of the other caverns above you.
  499. >As you move down into the cavern you see hundreds of changelings all busy at work.
  500. >Some are flying around moving debris and loading it into wagons, but the majority are swinging pick axes expanding and extending the tunnel.
  501. >These mares are similar in stature to Dolly, all appear to have a stocky, muscular build.
  502. >Several tall, thin columns of rock stand in the middle of the cavern. They are equally spaced every 20 feet.
  503. >You are no miner, but you doubt the integrity of these columns.
  504. >Considering wounded changeling on the stretcher you saw earlier and the poor structural design of those columns, you have a feeling safety is not a high priority down here.
  505. >Not only do you need to worry about being exposed as a spy, looks like you will also need to worry about getting smashed by a boulder…
  506. >You look around, all you see are changeling workers. You kind of expected there to be at least a few other drones down here in construction.
  507. >Fear grips you, what if drone transfers to the construction division are forbidden for some reason.
  508. >The plan isn’t going to work.
  509. >You begin to turn around.
  510. >“Hey Overseer Lysandra!” Dolly calls out.
  511. >You freeze, cringing slightly.
  512. >The Overseer turns towards the both of you, anger in her eyes.
  513. >“What the hell took you so long to haul that last load of rocks Dolly?”
  514. >“Well I ran into-”
  515. >“Excuses… Excuses… You see Dolly, excuses are like us changelings.”
  516. >“Wa… How’s that?”
  517. >“They're both always full of holes and they never receive any love.”
  518. >Dolly looks at you and then back at the Overseer.
  519. “She was helping-”
  520. >“Quite drone! The Overseer yells.
  521. >Dolly shakes her head and looks down at the floor.
  522. >“No matter what I say or do, you are going to make me work overtime… aren’t you.”
  523. >“Wow Dolly, you actually might be smarter than you look!... not by much though…”
  524. >“Dammit!”
  525. >Dolly shoots you an angry glance.
  526. >“Thanks alot Lucky…”
  527. >You can’t help but feel sorry for her as she walks off..
  528. >”What the hell are you doing down here drone!” The Overseer yells.
  529. >Shit… this is not going to be good.
  530. >You pause
  531. >“I asked you a question you stupid drone! Why are you down here!”
  532. “I...I…”
  533. >The surrounding changeling workers stop what they are doing and stare at you.
  534. >Fuck it, you decide to go with the plan.
  535. “I’ve been transferred… I was a scout but after I was severely injured my-”
  536. >“No! Transfer denied!”
  537. “W-what?”
  538. >“I’m not taking another drone down here. We have one and that's one to many! He's dumb as a box of rocks and you don’t look much better. The only thing he has going for him is his strength, something you definitely don’t have. Us workers can do this job ten times better that you drones, you’ll only slow us down.”
  539. “But-”
  540. >“Be gone drone, find a new work assignment elsewhere.”
  541. >You hang your head low. So much for that plan. Months of prep work, careful planning, magical enchanting, and reconstructive surgery… all down the drain.
  542. >“As for the rest of you slackers, GET BACK TO WORK!”
  543. >The workers all resume their chipping away with their pick axes.
  544. >You slowly begin to walk out of the cavern, unsure what to do next.
  545. >You can’t go to the drones for a work assignment. They’ll ask too many questions, eventually they will find out you're a fraud.
  546. >You consider just scraping the entire mission and leaving, but all the guards know your very distinct face and just saw you enter.
  547. >Leaving right away would definitely arouse suspicion.
  548. >What the hell were you going to do...
  549. >“Disgrace! Why haven't you cleared that boulder yet!”
  550. >“Sorry ma’am, I’m almost-”
  551. >“I want it cleared NOW!”
  552. >“Yes ma’am...”
  553. >The Overseer walks away and proceeds to bark orders at the other workers.
  554. >You watch the scrawny changeling begin to chip away at the under portion of a large boulder protruding from the wall.
  555. >She’s standing directly underneath it while swinging.
  556. >What the hell is she doing, you think to yourself.
  557. >Clink, clink, clink.
  558. >She can’t be that stupid, can she?
  559. >Clink, clink, clink.
  560. >You look around, some of the nearby changeling workers have stopped what they were doing to watch. Yet none of them are saying anything.
  561. >Clink, clink, clink.
  562. “Hey hold on!”
  563. >She continues to chip, not listening to you. Instead of walking towards the the ramp you veer towards the changeling.
  564. “Hey! Stop!”
  565. >She looks at you as the boulder begins to give.
  566. >“Huh?” She say oblivious to her impending doom.
  567. >The boulder quickly gives way and falls.
  568. >You sprint towards her.
  569. >Still sprinting, you throw yourself under the boulder, slamming into the worker and tackling her out of the way.
  570. >As you hit the ground the boulder quickly crashes down behind you with a loud thud.
  571. >All of the surrounding workers stop what the are doing and look to over to the two of you.
  572. >Startled, the changeling mare lies beside you in your hooves. She looks over your shoulder at the boulder.
  573. >“...Y-you saved me!” She says with awe.
  574. >Still dazed from hitting the ground, you gaze into her blue orb eyes.
  575. >“I didn’t think… no one ever-”
  576. “What the hell were you thinking!”
  577. >You stand up.
  578. >“Oh… yeah.. I really should have thought that out a little better, shouldn't I…” She says with an embarrassed smile as she slowly gets back on all fours.
  579. “How could you not know that wouldn’t fall on you! Are you suicidal?!”
  580. >“No… sorry… I’m just a little absent minded at times. But I really appreciate what you did, I’m in your debt. I don’t really have anything to offer you though…”
  581. “Don’t worry it's fine-”
  582. >“Hey you just arrived here from your trip. You must be pretty hungry?”
  583. >It had been awhile since you had eaten.
  584. “Uh… a little I guess.”
  585. >“Great!”
  586. >She spreads her wings and hovers in the air above you.
  587. >Before you can even flinch she grabs hold of your head with her front hooves. You try to pull back.
  588. “Actually I’m not really all that hungry-”
  589. >“But I have to repay you!”
  590. “No it’s fine-”
  591. >You gasp as she opens your mouth with her hooves and positions her wide open mouth directly above yours.
  592. >She makes a gurgling sound as a slimy green fluid flows down her mouth into yours.
  593. >You gag as the warm substance hits your tongue. She stops.
  594. >“Stop fidgeting! Why are you drones so gosh darn silly!”
  595. >Some of the surrounding workers begin to laugh at the sight of you trying to get free of her grasp.
  596. >She begins to gurgle again as more of the fluid comes out.
  597. >You cringe as the fluid flows down your throat. You attempt to pull back again but she maintains her grip.
  598. >Eventually you just give in and let her continue force feeding the green fluid down your throat.
  599. >You focus on the taste, a bit to your surprise the fluid is rather sweet tasting.
  600. >It reminds you a bit of honey... warm, watery, green honey.
  601. >“What the hell is going on here. Why have you all stopped working!”
  602. >The changelings surrounding you stop their giggling and all resume their duties.
  603. >The scrawny changeling feeding you quickly detaches, causing you to fall backwards.
  604. >“Sorry Ma’am... I cleared the boulder ma’am.”
  605. >“Well it's about time- What are you still doing here?” She yells at you as you get back back to on all fours.
  606. “I was just leav-”
  607. >“He saved me! Stopped me from getting squished by that boulder!”
  608. >“Well well well… looks like we got ourselves a real hero. If it was any other changeling besides Disgrace I’d be happy. But it looks like I have to keep her around even longer.”
  609. “Hold on! What the hell is going on here? She almost fucking died!”
  610. >The Overseer stares back at you with an angry look.
  611. >“Stupid drone… off busy scouting and collecting love… not keeping tabs on what is going on back at the hive. This waste of love used to be positioned at the nursery. Her incompetent nature led her to drop and KILL five of our siblings.”
  612. >“It was an accident-”
  613. >“SHUT UP! The Queen bestowed upon her the title of Disgrace… but somehow falling for her pleas of mercy, the Queen decided that instead of exile or death she would be transferred down here to construction. Making her my problem! A problem which you just prolonged! I don’t have time to keep an eye on her while getting these flood chambers built.”
  614. >You see your in.
  615. “So you're saying you need someone to watch over her for you.”
  616. >“Yea- NO! Not you drone.”
  617. “I bet the Queen has been giving you a lot of trouble about how injuries are so common down here…”
  618. >She stares at you.
  619. “My combat training makes me more than capable of making sure she doesn’t accidentally hurt someone or herself. She won’t be a problem anymore, plus you’ll have me down here swinging a pickaxe too. The sooner we get these flood chambers built the better, right?”
  620. >She continues to stare at you before finally replying
  621. >“Alright drone… I’ll allow you to be transferred to construction… but if mess up even once, you’re done! I’ll have you on excrement removal for the rest of you miserable life! You got that!”
  622. “Yes ma’am!”
  623. >She gives you a pick axe that was lying on a rack along the side of the cavern wall.
  624. >“Break apart that boulder! On the double!”
  625. >You and the scrawny changeling begin chipping away at the boulder.
  626. >The Overseer turns and walks away, soon barking orders to the other workers.
  627. >You let out a sigh of relief. You did it. Just barely. You might actually pull this mission off…
  628. >The two of you continue pounding at the boulder until the Overseer is out of earshot.
  629. >“First you saved me… now you volunteered to watch over me… why are you doing this?”
  630. >I'm using you to infiltrate the hive, you think to yourself. You try to think of a more sympathetic answer.
  631. “We are all family are we not.”
  632. >“Yeah but… everyone hates me for what happened. I have been renamed Disgrace.”
  633. “You said it yourself it was an accident. What happened was terrible, but as with all things you must move on.”
  634. >“Hmm… I… thank you brother. What is your name?”
  635. “Lucky.”
  636. >“Thank you Lucky”
  637. “What is your name, before you were renamed.”
  638. >“That name is dead. Speaking it will defy the Queen, I can not say it. My name is Disgrace now.”
  639. “Oh yeah, of course… well what if I just called you Grace…”
  640. >“Grace… why Grace?”
  641. “dis-Grace?”
  642. >“Oh, I see it now!"
  643. >She pauses for a second to think.
  644. >"Umm... technically you are still calling me mostly by my name... so I guess that would be ok…”
  645. >A small smile forms on her face as she resumes working.
  646. >You resume breaking up the boulder as well. You are making some headway on your side, but Grace is barely making a difference.
  647. >She catches you looking at her progress.
  648. >“I’m not really cut out for this…” She says with a sigh.
  649. “Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it, try putting your full body into the swing motion with the pick axe, like this.”
  650. >You slam you pick axe down hard upon the boulder and a large crack forms.
  651. “See, now you try.”
  652. >“Wow! Ok!”
  653. >She quickly lifts the pick axe over her head. She over compensates with her pull and the pick axe goes flying out of her hooves, clashing against the cavern wall.
  654. >You can’t help but let out a chuckle as she walks to go grab her pick axe.
  655. >“I try so hard to contribute to the hive... but I barely make a difference anymore.”
  656. >You quickly lose the smirk from your face.
  657. >“I’m not built for hard physical labor like the rest of our sisters down here. I was much better at caring for the little ones when I was a nurse. I loved caring for them. All their cute smiling faces, and then the accident happened…”
  658. >A tear begins to form in her eye.
  659. “Hey, try not to dwell too much on that, ok? You can still contribute to the hive.”
  660. >“Yeah…”
  661. >You continue to work together on the boulder. With a little more advice Grace becomes slightly more effective at swinging her pick axe.
  662. >A few more minutes goes by.
  663. >You watch as Grace struggles with the boulder. She is definitely not the brightest changeling in the hive, apparent how she almost squished herself.
  664. >However, her below average intelligence may make it easier to gather information without arousing suspicion…
  665. “So Grace… I’ve been away from the hive for quite awhile, anything new going on recently?”
  666. >She looks up at you after taking a weak swing at the boulder.
  667. >“Uhh… not really… the Queen just really wants us to get this cavern built.”
  668. “Anything else?”
  669. >“Not that I know of… no one really talks to me much”
  670. “Oh…”
  671. >“But, if you want to know what's going on you could always attend her daily court. All of us are welcome to go, even if it means not attending to our duties.”
  672. >Being present during the Queen's court would prove vital for collecting useful intel… but close contact with the Queen, even just being in the same room, was likely a bad idea.
  673. “On second thought, it's really no big deal…”
  674. >“Meh…” she shrugs and resumes her swinging.
  675. >After an hour, both of you finish breaking apart the boulder.
  676. >“Finally!” Grace says in a sigh of relief. “Now we can finally begin loading. Try and flag down a wagon hauler.”
  677. >You look around the cavern for any changelings hauling wagons.
  678. >Not to far away you spot one being pulled by a drone.
  679. “So I guess I’m not the only drone who’s been transferred down here.”
  680. >“Yeah, there’s Brutus! He’s been down here with us ever since Canterlot. Hey Brutus over here!”
  681. >A changeling pulling a wagon begins to draw near. As the changeling approaches, you are a bit taken off guard by his appearance. Both his wings are completely ripped off. His horn is broken off at the stump. Several deep scars litter his face and body, his chitin is bent and disfigured.
  682. >“Hey Brutus, looks like you finally will be able to work with another drone for a change instead of all of us mares.”
  683. >Brutus look up at you.
  684. >You both stare at each others disfigured faces for a long while.
  685. >“Don’t know you.” He grunts
  686. >Oh shit, you gulp in fear. This drone may blow your cover.
  687. >“I’m Lucky….”
  688. >“Lucky?” He huffs.
  689. “I was injured while scouting the Everfree Forest. I was told to transfer here.”
  690. >He looks at the nubs on your back and then back at your face.
  691. >“Seen drones continue with worse.”
  692. “I can't transform anymore either…”
  693. >“Hmm…changeling that can’t change...makes you… like me… a burden to the hive.”
  694. >“Don’t say that Brutus! You do more than your part for the hive down here.” Grace exclaims.
  695. >He continues to stare at you, it's hard for you to read his face due to it being so contorted and disfigured.
  696. >“Why have I never seen you before?”
  697. >This guy is going to get you killed if you don’t get him off your chest. Time to go all in.
  698. “Brutus… you hit your head pretty bad at Canterlot…”
  699. >His eyes twitch when you mention Canterlot.
  700. “Your memory might not be as good as it used to be. I recall seeing your face around the hive, but we never spoke.”
  701. >“Hmm… yes… sorry... sometimes hard... to think clearly.”
  702. >“Oh don’t worry about that Brutus, everybody says that about me too.” Grace says with a smile.
  703. >Brutus lets out a huff.
  704. >“Enough talk…. load cart.”
  705. >You and Grace begin to load the cart with all the broken chunks of the boulder.
  706. “That is all Brutus.”
  707. >Brutus lets out a grunt and proceeds to the next changeling worker.
  708. >“Poor Brutus...” Grace says. “When that barrier came up it really did a number on him. I heard it dragged him against the ground for almost a mile… and then he fell off the side of a mountain.”
  709. >You try to contain your surprise. No pony you know would have been able to survive that.
  710. >“It's a good thing he had his helmet on…”
  711. >Helmets… those are only reserved for drone commanders. Brutus must have once been a high ranking officer.
  712. >Through his leadership the changeling drones he commanded took Canterlot.
  713. >But despite taking the city, now all he can do is haul rocks…
  714. >Not exactly the most honorable end for an officer, but at least now he won’t be able to harm any more ponies.
  715. >You and Grace move on to another portion of the cavern and begin clearing more rocks.
  716. >Hours pass. The intense physical labor is taking its toll on you as your muscles begin to ache.
  717. >DING DING DING
  718. >A loud bell rings.
  719. >“Alright ladies, works over for today! Eat dinner and get some rest!” The Overseer yells.
  720. >“Except you Dolly. You owe me another hour.”
  721. >In the distance you can hear Dolly hiss as she continues to haul her cart.
  722. >A long line of changelings begins to form. You follow Grace and get a place in lie as well.
  723. >At the beginning of the line you can see a cart with a large barrel on it.
  724. >Upon reaching the front you can finally see the barrel contains the green substance you passed by in one of the caverns above.
  725. >You get to the front of the line, a worker takes an empty cup, fills it with the green substance, and gives it to you.
  726. >“Next!” She yells as you move out of the way.
  727. >You place the cup with the green substance to your lips. It is much more viscous than the liquid Grace forced down your throat not to long ago.
  728. >As the substance hits your tongue you realize it tastes much sweeter. Must be more concentrated.
  729. >Hopefully you will be able to survive off this sugary substance for awhile.
  730. >If it provides enough energy for all the changelings when they perform their intense physical labor, it should probably be good enough for a pony as well.
  731. >How the changeling’s bodies are able to make this sugary “honey” from the love they collect puzzles you. It will be an interesting detail in your report.
  732. >You finish your cup of “honey” and place it in the stack of empty cups.
  733. >You approach Grace as she lets out a yawn.
  734. >“Time to get some rest Lucky.”
  735. “Yeah, that sounds good to me. “
  736. >You watch as the other workers begin to lie down on the floor. No beds. This was going to be rough.
  737. >The workers cuddle close together with one another, trying to stay warm against the cold rock floor.
  738. >Cuddling with a bunch of changelings… tonight was going to be… interesting. The things you do for the royal guard...
  739. >You watch Grace. She continues to stand by herself not moving towards the pile of workers.
  740. >She notices you looking at her.
  741. >“They won’t let me join them… no one wants anything to do with me after the accident…”
  742. >Your heart skips a beat, this poor changeling…
  743. “Would it be alright if I slept with you tonight?”
  744. >“Really? Sure! Brutus and I will really appreciate the extra warmth.”
  745. >Shit.
  746. “Brutus?”
  747. >“Yeah, we always sleep together. The rest of the workers don’t like to have him sleeping with them because he sometimes yells and wakes all of them up. I don’t mind though… So we both sleep together off from the main group.”
  748. >This isn’t going to be good.
  749. >“Plus, Brutus and I go pretty far back, we’re from the same brood.”
  750. >“HEY BRUTUS OVER HERE!”
  751. >Grace yells as she flails her hoof up into the air to get the drone’s attention.
  752. >The battered drone walks up to the two of you.
  753. >“Lucky will be joining us tonight.”
  754. >Brutus lets out a grunt and falls onto the floor. Grace quickly cuddles up beside him. You watch for a second as she gets comfortable and looks at you.
  755. >“Well get over here will ya! We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and need to get some rest. You drones, I’ll never understand you.”
  756. >You let out a chuckle.
  757. “Alright hold on.”
  758. >Your side hits the cold floor and a shiver runs down your spine.
  759. >You snuggle up next to her. The warmth of her body is soothing, negating most of the coldness from the floor.
  760. >Your muscles relax from a hard day's work.
  761. >“Lucky…”
  762. “Yeah?”
  763. >“You really need to get an eye patch… if the little ones see you it might give them nightmares…”
  764. >You let out a tired, disappointed sigh.
  765. “It’s on my to do list Grace.”
  766. >“Also… Thank you for saving me from that boulder…”
  767. “Of course Grace.”
  768. >She tightens her grip against your back as you both float off into slumber.
  769. >“I try hard… to do...my part… for the hive…but...”
  770. ~~~~~~~~~
  771. >You are back in Canterlot. You are in class, sitting at your desk working on an assignment.
  772. >The questions on the assignment seem endless, going on and on-
  773. >“EEEEEKKKKK”
  774. >A filly with an Erlenmeyer flask on her head runs past you.
  775. >What the...
  776. >She continues running through the classroom being trailed by two other fillies trying to help.
  777. “I didn’t think horns could even bend that way… wait.”
  778. >You realizing you are dreaming, reliving an old memory from your youth.
  779. “Princess Luna. This is agent Lucky, do you read me?”
  780. >A few seconds go by.
  781. >The filly with the flask on her head continues to run in circles around the classroom.
  782. “Princess Luna. This is agent Lucky, are you there?”
  783. >“L...ck...y?”
  784. >The Princess’s voice comes through fragmented and staticy in your mind.
  785. “Princess Luna, this is Lucky, reporting in”
  786. >“We...ca... ba….ly ….ear….ou”
  787. >Several thousand feet of rock separate you from the surface, likely interfering with your communication with the Princess of the night.
  788. >“..old on….we see thee”
  789. >There is a flash in the middle of the classroom.
  790. >The dark blue alicorn appears before you.
  791. >You bow down.
  792. >“Rise agent Lucky. What is the status of the mission?”
  793. “I have successfully infiltrated the base.”
  794. >“Excellent! We are most relieved! There were reports of a distress signal. We feared you would be speaking to us from holding cell... or worse”
  795. “No. The flare was from me, but it was to notify the changelings of my approach, I did not mean it as a distress signal. Agent Nightwing didn’t attempt to come back for me, did she?”
  796. >“No, she did not. We gave her orders not to approach the hive under any circumstances.”
  797. “Oh…”
  798. >>How reassuring…
  799. >"Agent Lucky, your life is very important to us, and please remember that you are broadcasting your thoughts to us.”
  800. >>SHIT
  801. “Princess Luna, my deepest apologies I-”
  802. >“It's ok Lucky, this is your mind after all, we can tolerate the lack of protocol. Now please, give us your report.”
  803. “Yes… of course. The mission is going as planned. It wasn’t easy, but I successfully was able to convince the changelings that I am one of them. I have infiltrated the construction division and I am beginning to collect intel.”
  804. >“Fantastic, begin showing us the hive layout. Let us start from the hive entrance. Begin the lucid dreaming sequence, just like we practiced during your training.”
  805. “Alright I’m bring up the hive entrance in my mind right now.”
  806. >The classroom you are standing in begins to fade to black. Just you and Luna stand in a black abyss.
  807. >“Visualize the hive entrance, the memories should all still be fresh in your mind.”
  808. >A large mound of rocks begins to materialize beneath your and Luna’s hooves.
  809. >“Relax… Focus…”
  810. >You concentrate on the today's memories, Dolly and the changeling sentry appear by your side.
  811. “Alright Luna… exterior security appears light. I only saw one sentry on duty at the top of the mound. Other changelings are constantly going to the top of the mound to dispose of mining debris. I can tell you from personal experience that trying to climb the mound to reach the main entrance is very difficult. The footing is unstable and is not meant for ponies nor changelings to climb on.”
  812. >“That's good to note. Lets proceed downward, shall we?”
  813. “Of course.”
  814. >You and Luna proceed down the main entrance of the hive. The exact details are a little fuzzy in your mind, but you do your best to mentally represent everything you saw to Luna.
  815. “Next is a large set of metal double doors. These metal doors are very secure, once they are closed it will be very difficult to breach. However, the doors normally appear to be left open. It will be possible to sneak in additional covert operatives without gaining much attention, but if a large Royal Guard regiment were to move into the area they would likely seal both of these doors shut, making a siege all the more difficult.”
  816. >“Hmm… we expected this sort of fortification. Please go on.”
  817. >You continue to show Luna the rest of the hive you witnessed so far, to the best of your mental recollection.
  818. >You now both stand in the flood chamber.
  819. “They are scared of us sending in a storm to flood them out, so they are constructing this large flood chamber. The flood chamber is yet to be finished, although its size is still quite massive. If we were to attempt to flood them now I am unsure how effective the flood chamber would be.
  820. >"Hmm... this is most distressing. We had high hopes for using the flooding tactic against the hive. However... perhaps since the flood chamber is not yet completed it still may be viable..."
  821. >Luna stops, inspecting the large column in the middle of the cavern.
  822. >“Lucky, are you remembering these columns correctly?”
  823. “Yeah… I took special notice about how poorly designed this cavern is. The Construction Overseer in charge of this operation is more concerned about results than safety or structural integrity.”
  824. >“Hmm… Lucky this information is extremely valuable. You are doing great so far. I will discuss the hive layout with rest of the Equestria’s military advisors and we shall discuss how to best proceed. In the meantime, continue collecting as much additional intel as you can.”
  825. “Yes Princess Luna, you can count on me!”
  826. >“I know I can Lucky, that's why I specifically chose you for this mission.”
  827. >You smirk a little at the compliment.
  828. >“Now is there any other information you would like to tell me before we end this transmission?
  829. Any mission problems that we may be able to assist with?”
  830. “Well, yes, these is one problem. His name is Brutus, he’s a drone who was actually transferred to construction after being wounded in Canterlot. He used to be an officer. He doesn’t recognize me as one of the drones that he used to command… I attributed it to memory loss from the injuries he received. So far he seems convinced, but-”
  831. >“You should eliminate him. He has the potential to expose you and jeopardize the whole mission.”
  832. “…”
  833. >“Lucky?”
  834. “Yes, that seems like the best course of action”
  835. >“Do you need assistance with how to do this.”
  836. “No… I’ll just make it look like a accident. Cave-ins happen all the time down here. It shouldn’t arouse suspicion.”
  837. >“That plan sounds most wise Lucky, is there anything else you have to report.”
  838. “Yes, about the green-”
  839. *cough*
  840. >You throat begins to tense up.
  841. “Excuse me… about the gre-”
  842. *cough* *cough*
  843. >A growing pain fills your lungs and throat.
  844. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cN1nJDkeb0
  845. >“Agent Lucky?”
  846. >You try to speak, but the air is gone from your lungs. You can’t breath.
  847. >“Lucky what's wrong?”
  848. >>Throat… Can’t… Breath…
  849. >“You can’t... oh no…”
  850. >Panic begins to form in Luna’s eyes.
  851. >“They discovered you Lucky! Someone is choking you! Someone is trying to kill you!”
  852. >You begin to shake as you collapse onto the floor.
  853. >“Lucky you need to wake up!”
  854. >>End… dream… transmission…
  855. >“We are pulling out now!”
  856. >Luna’s horn slowly begins to glow brighter and brighter.
  857. >“Remember your training Lucky, be sure to-”
  858. >Your body feels as if it is falling through nothingness as you pull out of sleep.
  859. >Your eyes jolt open.
  860. >The disfigured face of Brutas stands over you, hooves tightly clamped around your neck.
  861. >You try to push him off but the changeling’s grip is too strong.
  862. >Attempts of flailing your hooves at him are to no avail. The muscular changeling has you pinned.
  863. >You begin to charge your horn. You’ll hit him with a point blank blast of magic.
  864. >At this range you’ll probably injure yourself too, but you have no choice.
  865. >You horn begins to glow green-
  866. >SLAM
  867. >A white flash blinds your vision as you feel a blunt object hit the side of your head.
  868. >You gasp for breath as your throat is now free of Brutus’ hooves.
  869. >SLAM
  870. “AAHHH!” You cry out in pain and shock as his hoof hits your face.
  871. >“PONY!”
  872. >SLAM
  873. >Your head jerks hard to the left as Brutus strikes you again with his hoof.
  874. >“Brutus! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” You hear Grace cry out.
  875. >“PONY!”
  876. >SLAM
  877. >“Brutus STOP!”
  878. >SLAM
  879. >You hear a buzzing of wings fly past you as you feel Brutus being tackled off you.
  880. >“Brutus PLEASE CALM DOWN!” Grace yells out.
  881. >You are dazed from taking multiple blows to the head, but you can hear the two struggling.
  882. >“PONY!”
  883. >“PLEASE Brutus… STOP… PLEASE!” Grace begins to sob.
  884. >“POny...pony…”
  885. >“You're safe Brutus... calm down… you're not in Canterlot anymore... you’re home…You’re safe…”
  886. >“Canterlot… ponies… what?”
  887. >Brutus stops struggling with Grace and looks down at your newly battered disfigured face.
  888. >Several other changeling workers have woken up from their sleep and have walked over to the three of you to investigate what is going on.
  889. >“What have I done…”
  890. >Brutus backs away from Grace. He turns around and runs up the spiral ramp.
  891. >Grace starts to run after him, but sees you lying battered on the floor.
  892. >She walks over and knees beside you.
  893. >Still confused and scared, you try to back away. Flashbacks of your first encounter with a changeling begin to haunt your mind. You are visibly shaking.
  894. >“Lucky… relax…”
  895. >She grabs you by the shoulders
  896. >Her touch is comforting… but seeing her face still scares you…
  897. “No…. Please… Don’t….”
  898. >“Lucky it's OK”
  899. >You try to push her away, but she firmly maintains maintains her grip on you.
  900. >“Lucky… I’m a.... I used to be a nurse… let me give you something for the pain.”
  901. >Her horn begins to glow as she lowered is down to your shaking face.
  902. >All you can do is watch in horror as her horn approaches.
  903. “NO….get away!”
  904. >You squirm but are still unable to move.
  905. >You begin to feel a warmth radiating from her horn as it approaches your face… a comforting… soothing warmth.
  906. >The pain from the beating begins to lessen, slowly fading away.
  907. >You come to your senses and stop shaking. You realize where you are and what is going on.
  908. >Looking up at Grace you see her struggling to maintain the healing spell.
  909. >She begins to cringe as the spell takes its toll on her.
  910. >You reach up and touch her face
  911. “Grace…”
  912. >Her horn stops glowing green.
  913. “That helped quite a bit… thank you”
  914. >She smiles at you as tears fall from her eyes
  915. >“You’re welcome Luc-”
  916. >She passes out on top of you, the strain of the spell must have been too much for her.
  917. >You look around at three other changeling workers surrounding the two of you.
  918. >You recognize Dolly among them.
  919. >“Are you ok Lucky?”
  920. “Yeah… I’m fine.”
  921. >“Fine?… from what we saw it looked like Brutus was about to kill you. What the hell happened?”
  922. >He can sense I’m a pony, he must be eliminated quickly
  923. “Brutus just snapped! That guy is dangerous! I’d probably be dead if Grace didn’t step in.”
  924. >She pauses and looks down at Grace.
  925. >“Is that so… looks like you and Grace are even then.”
  926. “Yeah… I suppose so.”
  927. >“But she still owes the hive four more lives for the five she took!” One of the other changelings interrupts.
  928. >“That she does…”
  929. >Dolly and the other changelings nod.
  930. “So what about Brutus?”
  931. >Dolly lets out a sigh
  932. >“We’ll track down Brutus and take care of this mess… you should just get some rest…”
  933. >Still slightly woozy and still warm from the healing spell, you nod.
  934. “Alright Dolly…”
  935. >“This is the second time tonight you cost me sleep tonight Lucky…”
  936. “Oh… I’m really sorry about all this…”
  937. >“Just get some sleep Lucky…”
  938. >Dolly turns two her siblings
  939. >“Come on, let's go.”
  940. >Together they buzz off into the dark cavern behind you.
  941. >You slowly shift Grace off from begin on top of you to your side.
  942. >You continue to grasp her as your eyes become heavy.
  943. >You're pretty sure you’re going to die down here… but…
  944. >You pass out
  945. ~~~~~~~~~~~
  946. >DING DING DING
  947. >A loud bell rings.
  948. >You jolt awake from your dreamless sleep.
  949. >Looking around, you see changeling workers slowly beginning to get up from the massive pile that formed in the middle of the cavern.
  950. >You feel Grace snuggling in against your chest.
  951. >The events of last night come back to your mind.
  952. >Your face is a little sore, but not nearly as bad as it should be. That changeling healing magic worked wonders.
  953. >Grace continue to snuggle against your chest.
  954. “Grace… it's time to get up.”
  955. >“Head… hurts…”
  956. “Yeah.. you and me both…”
  957. >“Huh?… Brutus… BRUTUS!”
  958. >Grace shoots upwards.
  959. >“What happened to Brutus!?
  960. “Dolly and a couple of our sisters went after him in the middle of the night after you passed out.”
  961. >Grace spreads her wings and begins to fly around the cavern, frantically looking around.
  962. >“Dolly? Dolly?”
  963. >“Shut up Disgrace!” A changeling worker yells. “It’s too early in the morning for your bullshit!”
  964. >Grace shrugs off the insult and keeps searching frantically.
  965. >“Dolly? Where are-”
  966. >“Disgrace! Quit your annoying buzzing and get over here!” A groggy sleep deprived Dolly yells.
  967. >Grace flutters over the changeling that hailed her and lands right in front of her.
  968. >“Do you know-”
  969. >“Yeah yeah… he’s fine.”
  970. >“What happened?”
  971. >“We tracked him down. He was hiding off in a corner over in food storage... he was a nervous wreck... ”
  972. >“Where is he?”
  973. >“He’s in the medical ward.... he’s shell shocked… kept going on about about ponies, Canterlot, and the barrier…”
  974. >“I should go an check on him.”
  975. >Grace begins to fly upwards.
  976. >“No you don’t!”
  977. >Dolly grabs ahold of her tail and yanks her back down.
  978. >“You’re not a nurse anymore! Your place is down here, and our shift starts in 30 minutes!
  979. >“But…”
  980. >“Do you really want to piss he Overseer off even more than you already have?”
  981. >“...no.”
  982. >“Then eat breakfast and get to work. Let the nurses deal with Brutus.”
  983. >“Alright…”
  984. >Grace slowly trods off.
  985. >You follow along side her.
  986. “So what do you think the nurses will do to Brutus.”
  987. >“I… I... don’t know.”
  988. “He doesn’t seem safe to be around…”
  989. >“I don’t know why this happened… he’s yelled in his sleep before… but never anything like this…”
  990. >You’ll have to kill him before he can figure it out.
  991. >“How’s your face?”
  992. “It’s seen worse… but that healing spell you did last night help out quite a bit... thank you.”
  993. >“Great! It's been awhile since I’ve had to cast that, but I’m glad to see I can still pull it off.”
  994. >You notice Grace’s legs begin to buckle slightly. She begins to stumble off to the side.
  995. >You quickly dash to catch her.
  996. “Are you alright?”
  997. >“Yeah… just a little drained… nothing a good breakfast can’t fix though, come on, let's go eat.”
  998. >The two of you proceed down the cavern towards the cart containing a large vat of the green “honey”.
  999. >The changeling server gives you a mug full of the substance. You slowly begin to drink it down.
  1000. >Grace, standing behind you in line is given her cup. She immediately places the cup to her snout and voraciously begins to consume the green fluid.
  1001. >“AHHhhh… UMMmmm…” Grace says in relief as her body begins to shiver slightly.
  1002. >You stop consuming your honey and watch as Grace begins to licking every last drop of the honey from the sides of the cup.
  1003. “You… uh… really used a lot of energy casting that healing spell on me didn’t you…”
  1004. >She stops licking the cup for a second and looks up at you.
  1005. >“Yes Lucky, that was a very taxing and consuming spell.”
  1006. >You look down at you half finished cup of honey.
  1007. “Here.”
  1008. >You extend the cup of honey to Grace.
  1009. >“No Lucky, you’ll need the energy for today's work.”
  1010. “It’s ok, I’m not really that hungry.”
  1011. >“Ok-”
  1012. >Grace quickly grabs cup out of your hoof and voraciously consumes the remainder of the honey.
  1013. >“AH AH AHHhh…” Grace says, with a satisfied grin on her face.
  1014. >She looks up at you in bliss.
  1015. >“Thanks Lucky… I needed that.”
  1016. “Heh…. don’t mention it.” You say while trying to contain your nervousness.
  1017. >DING DING DING
  1018. >The loud bell rings, all the changelings in the flood chamber begin working.
  1019. >You spend the rest of the morning toiling away with your pick axe, all the while keeping an eye on Grace.
  1020. >Making sure she didn’t get herself or someone else hurt was very important for your mission, should you fail the Overseer would throw you out from the construction division.
  1021. >Grace wasn't the only changeling you were looking out for though, you still had to deal with Brutus.
  1022. >You needed to find an “accidental” cave-in location.
  1023. >There are many locations where the ceiling of the flood chamber was unstable.
  1024. >With a small tug of magic in the right spot, you could cause a collapse to occur.
  1025. >Seems like these sorts of cave-ins happen all the time down here, so the changelings should be none the wiser.
  1026. >One spot in particular catches your eye-
  1027. >“What are you looking at Lucky?” Grace says.
  1028. “Oh… nothing, just thinking.”
  1029. >“Your thinking about Brutus, aren’t you.”
  1030. “...Yeah.”
  1031. >“I’m sorry he hurt you last night, but please don’t be angry or scared of him, he just…”
  1032. >DING DING DING
  1033. >“Alright Ladies, time for an hour lunch break!” The Overseer yells out.
  1034. >“Finally!” Grace yells out relived. “I’m going to check on Brutus, did you want to come Lucky?”
  1035. “I don’t think so Grace…”
  1036. >“Alright…” She says with a sigh.
  1037. >She spreads her wings and quickly whizzes out of the cavern.
  1038. >Your light breakfast left you pretty hungry, you hastily get in line for lunch.
  1039. >After waiting a few minutes you finally get your cup of green honey and begin to sip on it. The substance is definitely growing on you, but the color still seems very strange.
  1040. >You listen up as a group of changelings begins to gather nearby.
  1041. >“Hey Shell!”
  1042. >“What…”
  1043. >"I need a little afternoon pick me up…” A changeling worker says with a smile.
  1044. >“/Again/?”
  1045. >“Come on, Shell, pleeeease?”
  1046. >“I don’t know…”
  1047. >“Show us the Warrior Mare!” Another changeling chimes in.
  1048. >“Yeah! Show us She-Who-Cannot-Be-Beat!”
  1049. >Shell lets out a sigh.
  1050. >“Sorry girls, but I’m just not up for it today.”
  1051. >“I’ll give you the rest of my lunch.”
  1052. >Shell’s head pops up.
  1053. >“Deal!”
  1054. >A group of changelings have now circled Shell and begin to watch.
  1055. >“Alright here goes.”
  1056. >The mare is consumed in green flame as she changes form.
  1057. >After the flames settle, a cyan colored mare with an angry face stands in her place.
  1058. >“Behold! It is I, Rainbow Cunt!” She begins to speak with a booming, raspy voice. “Tremble before mEEEE!” Her voice cracks.
  1059. >“Wow… with skills like that you should join the drones.” One of the workers yells out.
  1060. >“Hey shut up!" A different changeling yells. "Not like you can do any better! Keep going Shell!”
  1061. >Shell quickly clears her throat
  1062. >“Behold my aWEEEesomeness!”
  1063. >Some of the other changelings begin to chuckle.
  1064. >“Who do you think you’re laughing at!” Shell yells.
  1065. >She begins to walk around, swinging her rainbow colored mane and tail around. The colors are close, but not exactly like those of the real Rainbow Dash.
  1066. >The mismatched colors of her mane and her squeaky voice bring a smile upon your face.
  1067. >“Listen here you filthy bugs ponies! I can take all you on with one hoof tied behind my back!”
  1068. >Shell begins punching the air while holding on hoof behind her.
  1069. >“A how long would that take you?!” A changeling yells out.
  1070. >“In just ten seconds flat!”
  1071. >A chorus of changelings begin to groan and laugh at the cyan mare.
  1072. >“Hey Dash!”
  1073. >The blue colored mare turns her head to the changeling.
  1074. >“What's the temperature difference between the flood chamber and the nursery.
  1075. >The blue mare stops, then looks up at the ceiling, biting her lower lip.
  1076. >“You know… its gotta be about 20% cooler down here then it is up there.”
  1077. >“BOOOO!!!” Some of the changelings yell out.
  1078. >“Now do you mares mind, I really need to get back to work. You see, unlike you slackers I actually have important work to do.”
  1079. >“Like what!”
  1080. >“Who said that! I’m an element of harmony. Ponies look up to meEEE!”
  1081. >Shell stops for a second to clear her throat again
  1082. >“I take naps on clouds, do loop-de-loops, complain a lot… you know, important stuff!”
  1083. >“BOOOO!”
  1084. >“Hey! You cut that out! I have been know to shit rainbows.”
  1085. >The changelings erupt in a chorus of laughter.
  1086. >“Hey Dash, wanna race?”
  1087. >“Of course I do! ...but I better stretch first.”
  1088. “Oh no…”
  1089. >“She’s gonna do it…”
  1090. >The cyan mare slowly moves her head and front hooves downwards as she sticks the back portion of her body into the air.
  1091. >“Oh shit she’s doing it!”
  1092. >The mare’s face begins to scrunch as her body continues to hold the pose.
  1093. >Her tail slow rises, proudly showing off her goods to everyone in the circle.
  1094. >“UUHhhh…” She moans softly.
  1095. >“She did it!”
  1096. >“So there really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!”
  1097. >The changelings roar in laughter.
  1098. >You can’t but help to laugh as well.
  1099. >You see Grace coming down the entrance way into the cavern.
  1100. >You leave the circle of changelings ogling the stretching mare and approach Grace.
  1101. “So did you see Brutus?”
  1102. >“Yeah, the nurses weren’t very happy to see me up there, but I was able to speak with him for a little bit.”
  1103. “So what's the news?”
  1104. >“He told me the nurses have been consoling him for his shell shock. He said he should be back to work soon!” Grace says with a smile.
  1105. “Oh…”
  1106. >“Lucky, Brutus felt really bad about what happened. He told me he is going to sleep by himself in medical ward from now on.
  1107. >Maybe you won’t have to… No. He is still a threat that knows too much. He must be dealt with before he figures everything out.
  1108. “Alright… that's probably for the best.”
  1109. >“I suppose… but… I’m gonna miss his company though….”
  1110. >She looks down at her hooves as a sad look strikes her face.
  1111. >“That's all I really got to talk with him about, after that the nurses kinda threw me out… but not until I got my hooves on this.”
  1112. >She pulls a strap of leather out from her carapace.
  1113. >“This is for you Lucky! She says with a bright smile. Its an eye patch! This way you won’t scare the little ones if you ever pass by the nursery.”
  1114. “Oh… you didn’t have to do that Grace.” You say as you take the leather eye patch from her.
  1115. >You begin to adjust the eye patch so that it fits your head. There is something scribbled on the front of the patch. You take a closer look at the eye patch and see a red heart drawn on the front.
  1116. >You can’t help but chuckle.
  1117. >This fucking bug…
  1118. >“Do you like it? I thought it could use a little brightening up, but if you don’t like it I can-”
  1119. “I love it.”
  1120. >“Really?”
  1121. “Yeah, thank you Grace.”
  1122. >You place the eye patch on and Grace helps you adjust it so that it's secure.
  1123. >“I better go grab lunch before our break is up.”
  1124. >She quickly flies and gets in line for a cup of honey.
  1125. >Some of these bugs aren’t to bad-
  1126. >Snap out of it Lucky! You have a mission to do.
  1127. >You look back up at the ceiling where the rocks are unstable.
  1128. >Don’t forget all the pain they caused you.
  1129. >You spend the rest of the lunch walking around the cavern eavesdropping on the workers trying to gather useful information.
  1130. >DING DING DING
  1131. >“Lunch is over ladies, GET BACK TO WORK!” The Overseer screams.
  1132. >You resume your duties.
  1133. >The much needed sustenance for lunch has greatly boosted your energy levels.
  1134. >You maintain alertness, keeping an eye out for yourself, Grace and-
  1135. “Brutus!”
  1136. >You spot Brutus is pulling a wagon filled with debris.
  1137. >It's time...
  1138. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tl1OEKVMdk
  1139. >Grace looks up.
  1140. >“Oh, wonderful! He’s been cleared for work!”
  1141. >You quickly glare at the unstable ceiling down the other end of the cavern. Brutus is going to have to pass by you first before he reaches the kill zone.
  1142. >He continues to pull his wagon towards you.
  1143. >You try to avoid looking at him.
  1144. >He pulls the wagon up to the two of you and stops. You begin loading up the debris into the wagon all the while not looking directly at Brutus.
  1145. >You hear Grace talking with him.
  1146. >“Glad to see you working again Brutus.”
  1147. >Brutus lets out a grunt in reply.
  1148. >As soon as you're done with loading the cart you turn around and resume wailing at the cavern wall with your pick axe.
  1149. >The wagon begins to pull away, but then stops.
  1150. >You pause your hammering.
  1151. >“Lucky…” Brutus says in a gruff voice.
  1152. >Shit
  1153. >You slowly turn around.
  1154. “Yeah?”
  1155. >“I’m... sorry…”
  1156. >You pause for a second, unsure what to say.
  1157. “I appreciate the apology Brutus.”
  1158. >You both continue to stare at each other for a second
  1159. >“Great!” Grace steps in. “Now we can leave last night in the past.”
  1160. >“I’ll be sleeping… alone from now on… just in case… it ever happens again.”
  1161. “That's probably for the best.”
  1162. >Brutus lets out a grunt in reply.
  1163. >You continue to stare at each other after a few seconds. You begin to turn back around to get back to work.
  1164. >“I…I…”
  1165. >A tear rolls down the disfigured face of the changeling.
  1166. >“BRUTUS! GET BACK TO WORK!” The Overseer yells.
  1167. >Brutus straightens up his head and immediately pulls away.
  1168. >You and grace quickly resume your duties as to not draw the Overseer’s attention.
  1169. >You watch Brutus continue to pull the cart down the cavern out of the corner of your eye
  1170. >He’s getting closer to the position.
  1171. >You look at Grace.
  1172. >She is too busy swinging away at the rock in front of you to notice. You look over your shoulder.
  1173. >No changelings are watching you. You are in the clear.
  1174. >Brutus continues to proceed forward. He’s almost there.
  1175. >You horn begins to glow. You focus on the rocks at the top of the caven. The rocks begin to glow.
  1176. >You look at Brutus, tears are still going out of his eyes as he continue to pull the cart.
  1177. >You hold your breath.
  1178. >He’s in position.
  1179. >You tighten up. The spell straining you.
  1180. >You were trained to do this! Princess Luna ordered you to kill him! This is part of your mission! This is why you’re here!
  1181. >Brutus is on the edge of the kill zone.
  1182. >You notice your eye has become blurry. You feel a tear drip from your eye.
  1183. >You need to do it now! He’s going to expose you. You're going to die down here if you don’t do it!
  1184. >Brutus continues to pulls his cart.
  1185. >The rocks stop glowing. Your horn stops glowing.
  1186. >You feel a little dizzy, your head is spinning.
  1187. >You didn’t do it. You can’t do it. You're not the right pony for this mission. You're going to die down here…
  1188. >Grace looks over at you and sees the tear on your face.
  1189. >“Lucky, are you ok?”
  1190. “What?”
  1191. >“Lucky, you’re crying.”
  1192. “Huh… oh… it's nothing, just got some dirt in my eye.”
  1193. >You continue to swing away.
  1194. >Grace continues to watch you for a few seconds, but then returns to work.
  1195. >A few minutes pass by. Brutus’ cart is now full and he is returning with a load to haul to the surface.
  1196. >You watch him pass by you. He has stopped crying, but he is completely evading your gaze as his eyes stare straight.
  1197. “Brutus.”
  1198. >He stops. But continues to stare straight.
  1199. “I… understand… what you’re going through. Not a single day goes by when I’m not reminded of when...”
  1200. >Brutus turns and looks at you.
  1201. >You look at his disfigured face as he stares at yours.
  1202. “I forgive you Brutus.”
  1203. >Brutus’ face twitches a little bit.
  1204. >“Thank you…” Brutus nods and then continues forward.
  1205. >Grace looks at you with a smile on her face.
  1206. >“Lucky… You sincerely forgave him…”
  1207. “Yeah… I guess I did…”
  1208. >“Maybe… one day… I’ll be…for-”
  1209. >“DISGRACE! LUCKY! YOU JUST EARNED YOURSELF AN HOUR OVERTIME FOR STANDING AROUND AND DOING NOTHING!”
  1210. >Shit
  1211. >The rest of the day goes by without a hitch.
  1212. >After dinner you curl up next to Grace and easily drift off into sleep
  1213. ~~~~~~~~~
  1214. >You're on duty at the grand galloping gala.
  1215. >A group of six mares just walked into the the castle. Well... five of them walked into the castle. The pink one kind of bounced in.
  1216. >These mares look like trouble. Maybe I should keep an eye-
  1217. >Oh no… they are the Elements of Harmony. You can’t tell them what to do.
  1218. >One of them approaches you. She has a cart... why would she have a cart?
  1219. >Oh sweet Celestia, she’s wearing a cowboy hat too...
  1220. >“Howdy there mister!” The orange mare exclaims at you loudly.
  1221. “Hello ma-”
  1222. >“Can I interest ya in some of the finest apple treats in Equestria?”
  1223. “No thank yo-”
  1224. >“Ya sure there partner? I’ve got caramel apples, apple pie, apple fritter, apple tarts-”
  1225. “Ma'am!”
  1226. >“Apple fries, apple crumble-”
  1227. “MA’AM!”
  1228. >“What is it friend?”
  1229. “Sorry… but you know this is a fully catered event, right?”
  1230. >“Well of course I do partner!”
  1231. “But you brought food to sell anyways?”
  1232. >“Sure did! Apple Family treats are /irresistible/! I figured it would be a good way of makin’ plenty of bits for the Apple Family from all these royal types.”
  1233. “Oh…”
  1234. >“So... can I get ya something? I’ve also got apple cider, apple-”
  1235. “Sorry... I’m uh... not allowed to eat when I’m on duty.”
  1236. >“Well shucks… your loss friend.”
  1237. >You let out a sigh of relief as she leaves you behind and begins to pester the other guests.
  1238. >What did I do to deserve this… sweet Celestia and almighty Luna…
  1239. >Luna.
  1240. >Dreaming.
  1241. “Princess Luna, this is Shadowbolt agent Lucky reporting in.”
  1242. >You try to ignore a yellow pegasus terrorizing the animals of the Royal Gardens.
  1243. “I repeat, this is Shadowbolt agent Lucky reporting in, Princess Luna, do you read me?”
  1244. >“Luck....We hear...ou.”
  1245. >The Princess of the night begins to materialize in front of you.
  1246. >“Agent Lucky! Has your cover been compromised.”
  1247. “No… I’m fine.”
  1248. >Luna lets out a sigh of relief.
  1249. >“Good… good... what happened?”
  1250. “I was attacked by that drone I told you about.”
  1251. >“But he didn’t expose you?”
  1252. “The other changelings attributed it to a flashback. The drone suffers from shell shock from the battle of Canterlot.”
  1253. >“That was close… too close. Did you eliminate him?”
  1254. “No...”
  1255. >“Why not? Were you not able to make it look like an accident?”
  1256. “I had the opportunity, but...”
  1257. >Luna’s expression towards you turns disdainful.
  1258. >“Thou disobeyed our order!? Need we remind you who is your commanding officer?! This drone has the potential to blow the whole operation!”
  1259. >Her eyes are filled with malice.
  1260. “He’ll no longer be in close contact with me. After his episode he will kept away from me and the others. I did not deem his death as necessary and I didn’t want to needlessly expose myself if I botched the assassination attempt.”
  1261. >Luna stares at you. A stern look in her face. Contemplating your actions.
  1262. >“Very well Lucky, but do not disobey my orders again.”
  1263. “It won’t happen again, my Liege.”
  1264. >She lets out a disgruntled breath.
  1265. >“Give me your report for the day.”
  1266. “Yes Princess. I continue to integrate into the hive. I am beginning to establish trust and relationships with my fellow changeling co-workers. The intense workday does not allow for much time to easily wander the hive to collect intel, however given enough time I should be able to gradually collect more.”
  1267. >“Never rely on time to be our ally Lucky… Be cautious when collecting intel, but remember fortune favors the bold.”
  1268. “I understand Princess…”
  1269. >“Anything else?”
  1270. “Changeling healing magic appears to be very powerful. The average changeling nurse has the ability to perform impressive healing spells.”
  1271. >“Hmm… interesting”
  1272. “The spell requires a significant amount of love energy, but can immediately bring a wounded drone back into commission “
  1273. >“That likely explains why they were able to maintain such high troop levels during the Canterlot invasion. The drones which the Royal Guard injured we’re likely healed immediately and sent back out to the front… This is good to know Lucky, good work. Any other information?”
  1274. “No, that is it.”
  1275. >“Alright. In that case, Operation Dark Rain is a go.”
  1276. “Already? Wasn’t the plan to wait until after at least a week?”
  1277. >“As I said earlier Lucky, we can’t rely on time to be our ally. The Cloudsdale weather ponies have sent a storm cloud over the hive. You are to observe the effectiveness of our attempts to flood the hive.”
  1278. “I understand… When will the storm hit?”
  1279. >Luna smiles.
  1280. >“Right about now actually…” Her horn begins to grow white with a magical glow.
  1281. >“Code Blue… Code Blue…” You begin to hear a changeling yell as your dream begins to fade.
  1282. >“Ahh… music to my ears…” Luna says as her smile begins to fade from view.
  1283. >“CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!”
  1284. >You and Grace spring awake.
  1285. >A drone flies around the flood cavern yelling loudly.
  1286. >“CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!”
  1287. >A small stream of water has begun trickling into the flood cavern from the main entry way. It begins pooling at your hooves.
  1288. >The changeling workers begin to panic.
  1289. >“The ponies… th-they found us…”
  1290. >“B-but the flood chamber isn’t completed yet…”
  1291. >“There trying to drown us!”
  1292. >“REMAIN CALM!” The drone yells.
  1293. >“They’re seeking revenge for Canterlot!”
  1294. >“No, NO, NOO!” A changeling mare begins to cry.
  1295. >“The rains won’t stop… the ponies aren’t gonna stop-”
  1296. >“ENOUGH!” Says a roaring voice.
  1297. >All of the changelings look up to the entryway to the flood chamber.
  1298. >There she stands, Queen Chrysalis, towering over every changeling in the room.
  1299. >On her right stands a tall changeling drone clad in armor, while on her left stands a older, changeling worker.
  1300. >“Remain calm my children!”
  1301. >Her thunderous voice and her huge form fills you with fear.
  1302. >You had heard some of the Royal Guards talk about the Queen's voice, how it resonates as if there were two slightly different voices speaking simultaneously.
  1303. >You thought it was just a rumor the guards whispered about to make her sound more menacing… but it turns out the rumor was true.
  1304. >“Th-the ponies… they found us… didn’t they…” A scared changeling worker asks.
  1305. >The Queen stand tall as she speaks, maintaining a confident posture.
  1306. >“Yes child, this is most likely the case.”
  1307. >“What are we gonna do?” A changeling says while sobbing.
  1308. >Chrysalis walks over to the scared changeling and places he long, perforated hoof upon her shoulder.
  1309. >“Fear not my child, we will get through this.”
  1310. >She turns her gaze upwards and spreads her front hooves to the ceiling.
  1311. >“I have the utmost faith that the flood chamber you have constructed will protect the hive!”
  1312. >“Really?”
  1313. >“Yes! We will weather the storm! I’m sure of it! The shear size of this chamber should be able to withstand the downpour from any storm the ponies may throw at us!”
  1314. >The changelings that were panicking previously have calmed down from the words of their Queen.
  1315. >Although the presence of fear could still be seen their faces.
  1316. >“What should we do…”
  1317. >“We will not let the ponies scare us senseless. It is nighttime, we shall rest!”
  1318. >“Shouldn’t we prepare to evacua-”
  1319. >“WE SHALL NOT EVACUATE! This is our home! Our sweat and blood went into carving these caverns. No pony will force us from what we worked so hard to achieve here!"
  1320. >The Queen takes in a deep breath and exhales.
  1321. >“Now…”
  1322. >She turns to her right, addressing the changeling drone clad in armor.”
  1323. >“General Strider, attend to the troops. If our scouts find any sign of Royal Guard troops, alert me at once.”
  1324. >“Yes my Queen.” The changeling drone quickly lifts off and flies out of the cavern.
  1325. >She turns to her left.
  1326. >“Chief Overseer Mazarine, you shall remain here with me and help evaluate the performance of the flood chamber.”
  1327. >“As you wish my Queen.” The changeling says in an old raspy voice.
  1328. >Chrysalis turns to face the huddling mass of changelings in the room. Their hooves wet from standing in the ever-growing puddle.
  1329. >“As for the rest of you, I want you all to proceed to the nursery in an orderly fashion. Do not let your fear scare your younger brothers and sisters! Whatever happens tonight… remember these words…”
  1330. >“Love, fly, fight, or die.”
  1331. >“All of us will do our part, so we may all survive.”
  1332. >“Adapt, change, prosper, and thrive.”
  1333. >“We do what we must…”
  1334. >“FOR THE HIVE!” The entire cavern erupts in unison.
  1335. >Chrysalis makes a weary smile and moves out of the way to let the workers proceed up the entryway.
  1336. >The horde of changeling workers slowly begins to walk upwards towards the nursery.
  1337. >You successfully hide among the crowd as you pass by Chrysalis, not wanting her to get a good glimpse at you.
  1338. >As you proceed up the main spiral ramp towards the nursery, you wade through a small stream of water.
  1339. >Upon reaching the nursery, you notice a small detail that you overlooked when you descended into the hive a few days earlier.
  1340. >The nursery was built with the floors slightly sloping downwards to drain water to the main spiral ramp.
  1341. >Looks like the changelings intended to use the main ramp as the central draining system for the hive, depositing the water into the flood chamber below.
  1342. >They engineered this flood control system fairly well.
  1343. >Walking into the nursery you are greeted with the eyes of dozens of changeling fillies and colts. They are all wide awake from the commotion.
  1344. >You finally get a closer look at the grapefruit sized orbs lining the walls of the cavern.
  1345. >You peer into the orbs. In the center you see a curled up black figure.
  1346. >It takes you a second to make out anything, but after careful inspection you can make out two specks of blue on the creature's face
  1347. >The oversized head and eyes of the developing changeling embryo appear strange to you. They are like nothing you've ever seen before… but you feel yourself filled with a bit of awe.
  1348. >At your side and you notice Grace staring at the orbs as well.
  1349. >Pain and sorrow are forming in her eyes.
  1350. >She's remembering.
  1351. “Hey Grace!”
  1352. >“Huh?” She says looking at you after you distracted her from her gaze.
  1353. “How about we… uh... try and help the little ones get back to sleep.”
  1354. >“Wha… Yes Lucky, that's a good idea.”
  1355. >The other changeling workers begin to pile up in a mound in the middle of the nursery, doing their best to try to get some rest.
  1356. >You and Grace proceed over to a group of changeling foals.
  1357. >They stare at the two of you wide eyed as you approach.
  1358. >“Go back to sleep little ones.” Grace says softly.
  1359. >“B-big sister, what’s going on?”
  1360. >“Oh, nothing to worry your little heads about. It's just a little rain. It’ll go away soon.”
  1361. >“This is because mommy made the ponies angry isn’t it?”
  1362. >“No… everything is going to be-”
  1363. >“I’m scared.” The changeling colt whimpers while beginning to tear up.
  1364. >The others are watching him and are growing scared as well.
  1365. >Grace looks like she is about to start crying too.
  1366. >You step in.
  1367. “Don’t worry little brother… mom’s gonna take care of us.”
  1368. >The colt pauses for a second examining your disfigured face.
  1369. >“B-big brother… what happened to your eye?”
  1370. “Oh… well…you see-”
  1371. >“Are you a pirate?”
  1372. >You can’t help but smirk as you let out a sigh.
  1373. >“YRAA… me eye patch is a dead giveaway… isn’t it laddy.”
  1374. >The changeling's eyes go wide!
  1375. >“Wow Really!?”
  1376. “Ah… yes… I spent many a day sailing the ocean blue in the name of the Queen.”
  1377. >“I didn’t know I had a brother who was a pirate!”
  1378. “Tis a fine profession… the wind against your back… begin able to tame the open seas… an almost endless amount of pony love as well as a never ending bounty of booty to plunder.”
  1379. >“Endless love!?”
  1380. “Tis right laddies, more love than you’d know what to do with! All ripe for the taking!”
  1381. >“I want to plunder a pony’s booty!”
  1382. >“Yeah, me too!” A filly chimes in.
  1383. “HAHAHA… maybe once you’re a little older.”
  1384. >Grace shoots you an angry glare.
  1385. >“Have you been through a storm like this before brother?” A changeling filly asks.
  1386. “Of course I have lass, and this ain’t nothing but a wee storm! I’ve sailed through storms ten times this size and lived to tell the tale!”
  1387. >“I want to be a pirate one day!”
  1388. “Well lass, mum might just let ya! We can always use another good mate on the… H.M.S Loveboat.”
  1389. >You see Grace’s face look very confused and annoyed.
  1390. “But YARR better listen up, our mum won’t let ya be a pirate if you stay up past your bedtime.”
  1391. >The foals look at each other nervously.
  1392. “Ye better go to sleep now before she catches ya awake! As a matter of fact…”
  1393. >You turn your head.
  1394. “Aye… unless me good eye be deceiving me, which it never does, I think I see her coming right now!”
  1395. >The foals quickly collapse onto the floor on top of each other, pretending to be asleep.
  1396. >You look a Grace with a smug look on your face.
  1397. >She looks down and shakes her head.
  1398. >The two of you walk away from the foals and find a place to lie down.
  1399. “Not bad, huh?
  1400. >“You shouldn’t have told that filly she’d be able to collect love when she's older. The Queen makes is clear that only drones are allowed to do that!”
  1401. “Oh sorry Grace… I was just trying to cheer them up… we can clarify their expected roles to the hive later once this storm blows over…”
  1402. >She huffs.
  1403. >“Also... you know that entire brood will is never going to stop talking about becoming pirates…”
  1404. “Yeah…” You chuckle to yourself.
  1405. >“Lucky!” She says with concern. “Pirates aren’t exactly the best role models.”
  1406. “Hey! You’re the one who gave me the eye patch!”
  1407. >Grace lets out a sigh.
  1408. >“We should try to rest.”
  1409. “Yeah…”
  1410. >You both curl up next to each other.
  1411. >The crowded nursery is much warmer compared to the flood chamber due to all the extra body heat.
  1412. >The warmth would make it much easier to sleep… if it weren’t for the frequent sobbing coming from the scared changeling workers.
  1413. >Water constantly dripping on top of you from the ceiling also makes it difficult to sleep.
  1414. >You can hear the water being drained from the hive as it flows down the spiral ramp outside the nursery chamber.
  1415. >For the next few hours you lie there resting, but are unable to fall asleep.
  1416. >Your rest is distracted as you hear the buzzing wings of a drone.
  1417. >You and Grace quickly look up to watch the drone flying upwards along the main spiral ramp connecting the entire hive.
  1418. >A few minutes pass.
  1419. >You then hear two sets of buzzing wings. The same drone as before, now accompanied with a changeling worker. You recognize her.
  1420. “The Overseer…”
  1421. >“Yeah… that was her.” Grace sleepily replies.
  1422. “She doesn't sleep with the rest of us?”
  1423. >“No… she gets her own chamber, along with all the rest of Overseers and Officers… you should know that Lucky!”
  1424. >Shit! Don’t blow your cover Lucky!
  1425. “Oh yeah… silly me.”
  1426. >“You drones…”
  1427. >Grace lets out a deep yawn.
  1428. >“...I’ll never understand the lot of you…”
  1429. “Why’s that?”
  1430. >She turns to look at you.
  1431. >“Soldiers of love… that seems so… strange to me.”
  1432. “Ha… you know, that is pretty ironic isn’t it…”
  1433. >The two of you continue resting for a few more minutes until the sound of two sets of buzzing wings again fill your ears.
  1434. >“RISE AND SHINE LADIES!” The Overseer yells.
  1435. >The changelings in the nursery begin to stir and bring their attention to Construction Overseer Lysandra.
  1436. >“I’ve got some good news! Through my leadership… and your hard work… the flood chamber performed exactly as it was intended to!”
  1437. >“So how full is it?” A changeling in the back yells.
  1438. >The Overseer scoffs as the changeling interrupts her, but replies.
  1439. >“The flood chamber is currently at 50% capacity.”
  1440. >“But it's still raining-”
  1441. >“IF YOU WOULD LET ME FINISH!” She yells as she takes in a deep breath.
  1442. >“Chief Overseer Mazarine noticed the flood chamber is draining much more quickly than expected on the far end of the chamber. She believes it may be draining into some sort of underground cave system.”
  1443. >Lysandra shifts her stance so that she is standing more firm and upright.
  1444. >“After speaking with the Chief Overseer and Queen, we came to an agreement that we should attempt using this underground cavern to our advantage. We shall immediately focus all efforts on excavating the far end of the tunnel. Our goal is to create a channel to the underground cavern so that the flood chamber can drain much more effectively.”
  1445. >She scans the room, looking over the changeling workers.
  1446. >“It is of vital importance that this be performed as quickly as possible! The hole hive is depending on this. It must be completed no matter the cost! Do you understand sisters?"
  1447. >Lysandra looks from side to side, seeing the unanimous nodding of all the changelings in the nursery.
  1448. >“Good! Now grab a pick axe! Today you must work harder than you ever worked before! Proceed to the flood chamber immediately!”
  1449. >You and the rest of the changelings begin to move downwards to the flood chamber. The water moving down the spiral ramp continues strongly with the power of a small stream.
  1450. >You struggle to maintain your balance as the rest of the changeling workers take flight and fly downwards.
  1451. >Grace propels herself up into the air with her wings, flying at your side.
  1452. >Your hoof slips on the slick rock and you lose your balance.
  1453. "Whoa!"
  1454. >You begin to slip backwards, but Grace quickly catches you.
  1455. “Thanks Grace…”
  1456. >“Your welcome Lucky…”
  1457. >She smiles at you.
  1458. >“I thought you were supposed to be the one stopping me from messing up!”
  1459. >You smile back, but your face quickly turns back into a frown.
  1460. “This is going to be a very dangerous operation, we’re not rested, we haven't ate, and the water is going to impede everything. You need to be very careful today Grace!”
  1461. >She nods.
  1462. >Both of you reach the flood chamber. The room is filled with the deafening buzz of hundreds of changeling wings flying above several meters of water.
  1463. >This is what sticking your head in a beehive would sound like.
  1464. >You halt at the entrance.
  1465. >“I don’t think you’ll be able to go any further without wings Lucky... looks like you be assigned wagon duty today.”
  1466. “Yeah… I think you’re right”
  1467. >“Don’t worry, this means you get to keep Brutus company today.”
  1468. >That ain’t gonna happen.
  1469. “Alright… stay safe Grace…”
  1470. >“You too Lucky…”
  1471. >She flies off to join the other changeling workers in the flood chamber.
  1472. >Slightly back from the entrance lies a row of empty wagons.
  1473. >The changelings accompanying the wagons are busy getting themselves strapped in.
  1474. >You see Dolly.
  1475. “Hey Dolly! Looks like I’m hauling today.
  1476. >“You?” She replies skeptically.
  1477. >She looks you up and down.
  1478. >“You sure you got what it takes? Scrawny little thing like you? You're gonna get yourself hurt!”
  1479. >She’s right… this is going to be brutal…
  1480. >You think back to your first day at the hive and remember something Dolly said to you.
  1481. “We must all be willing to make sacrifices for the hive.”
  1482. >She stands at attention, pauses for a second, and nods.
  1483. >“For the hive.”
  1484. >She lets out a sigh.
  1485. >“Alright then. We’re doubling up because of the slick floors. There will be two of us hauling each wagon. Get over here and help me attach a second harness to the stupid thing.”
  1486. “You got it!”
  1487. >You help Dolly attach the second harness to the wagon and promptly attach yourself in next to her.
  1488. >She smirks at you.
  1489. >“Sure you don’t want to partner up with Brutus?”
  1490. >She motions her head to Brutus who is standing a few carts down from the two of you.
  1491. “Uhh… and pass up the chance to give you shit all day?”
  1492. >“Ha!” She shakes her head.
  1493. >“It's going to be a hell of a day Lucky…”
  1494. “Yeah… I’m sure it is…”
  1495. >You watch as the changelings hover above the water at the far end of the chamber.
  1496. >They begin picking away at the rock.
  1497. >A long line of changelings forms from the far end of the chamber to the entrance.
  1498. >As excavation debris comes available it is passed from changeling to changeling in an assembly line fashion until it reaches the entrance of the flood chamber. There it is placed in a waiting wagon.
  1499. >Eventually your wagon is loaded up and you begin your trip upwards.
  1500. >The long spiral ramp is much longer than you remember it.
  1501. >It takes a lot of focus to maintain your balance on the wet stone floor.
  1502. >The harness stabilizes you slightly, as well as being able to occasionally lean into Dolly for support. Thankfully she doesn’t seem to mind you occasionally bumping into her.
  1503. >As you continue to haul rocks upwards, you notice the other changelings of the hive nervously watching the two of you.
  1504. >Both the drones and the workers look upon the two of you with fear.
  1505. >They're scared.
  1506. >Their entire hive is on the line. The changelings working below in the flood chamber are all that stand in the way of their home being completely flooded.
  1507. >You're not even halfway up the hive and the strain from the wagon is beginning to takes its toll.
  1508. >Your muscles ache, but you continue forward.
  1509. >You do your best to focus… one hoof in front of the other… trying your best to ignore the pain.
  1510. >Dizziness begins to overtake you…
  1511. >“Brother!”
  1512. >You dart your head up to Dolly on your left, but she continues to stare straight with her lips sealed.
  1513. >“Brother! Over here!”
  1514. >You look to your right. Flying besides you is an adolescent changeling mare. She's holding a glass in her hands.
  1515. >“Drink brother.” She holds the glass of green honey to your lips. The sugary substances feels glorious as it hits your tongue. Your stomach craves the much needed nourishment the honey has to offer.
  1516. >The mare keeps stride with you, holding the goblet next to your mouth as you and Dolly continue to pull the cart upwards.
  1517. >The last of the honey enters your mouth.
  1518. “Thank you sister… I needed that.”
  1519. >“You’re welcome brother.”
  1520. >The mare pulls out another goblet of honey and flies to the other side of the wagon. She proceeds to feed Dolly as the two of you continue your climb upwards.
  1521. >With your vigor renewed from the nourishment of the honey, you make it the main cavern entrance without incident.
  1522. >As you reach the main double doors you hear the storm howling outside.
  1523. >The downpour of the rain sounds like a never ending barrage of small stones hitting the ground.
  1524. >The occasional clap of thunder adds more uneasiness to the situation.
  1525. >You’ve lived on the surface your whole life and you never heard anything like this before.
  1526. >You look to Dolly, she has a horrified expression on her face as the two of you are nearing the surface.
  1527. “Dolly!” You try yelling.
  1528. >Dolly continues staring straight, not hearing you due to the howling of the wind through the entryway tunnel.
  1529. “DOLLY!”
  1530. >She turns to look at you.
  1531. “You ain’t scared of a little water, are you!”
  1532. >She lets out a sigh as nervous laughter leaves her lips.
  1533. >“Fuck you Lucky!”
  1534. “HA! Come on we're almost there!”
  1535. >A strong gust of wind nearly blows the two of you over.
  1536. “WHOA!”
  1537. >You smash against Dolly, but the two of you recover and continue upwards.
  1538. >Finally you reach the top.
  1539. >The instant you are outside the two of you are immediately soaked.
  1540. >You stare upwards in awe.
  1541. >The sky is black with clouds. Low, angry, evil looking clouds.
  1542. “Hollllly Shiiittt…”
  1543. >Could ponies really make something this menacing?
  1544. >“LUCKY! LET'S GO!”
  1545. >You look at Dolly and nod. The two of you position the back of the wagon outwards to the side of the hill. Dolly uses her magic to unlatch the back door.
  1546. >Together the two of you use your magic to push the rocks out of the wagon.
  1547. >The normally loud clanging of rocks against the hill is drowned out against the roar of the storm.
  1548. >You push out out the last of the rocks.
  1549. “WE’RE CLEAR!”
  1550. >Dolly stands still, staring upwards at the storm.
  1551. >You can see her shaking in fear.
  1552. “DOLLY! WE’RE CLEAR!”
  1553. >She looks at you and nods, still shaking.
  1554. >You re-enter the hive. With the wind against your backs and the cart now empty, moving requires almost no effort compared to before.
  1555. >Dolly begins bawling at your side as you both continue to pull the wagon.
  1556. >“That storm!... It goes on forever… It's never gonna stop… The ponies… The ponies are-”
  1557. “DOLLY!”
  1558. >She rocks her head back as you yell her name.
  1559. “We’re gonna get through this, alright Dolly!
  1560. >She stares at you, scared.
  1561. “Just… just... focus on pulling the cart… ok!”
  1562. >“Ye-yeah... the cart...”
  1563. >She regains some of her composure as the two of you enter through the towering set of double doors.
  1564. >Drenched from the cold rain, you immediately begin shivering as soon as you enter the cool, damp atmosphere of the hive.
  1565. >You are quickly greeted by a three adolescent drones carrying towels.
  1566. >As the two of you continue through the main entrance cavern the three drones quickly and effectively remove the water from your chitin and tail.
  1567. >You smile and nod in acknowledgement to the changeling drones. They nod in return.
  1568. >You proceed down the spiral cavern, passing other pairs of changeling workers hauling rocks to the surface as well.
  1569. >You make it half way down and you hear yelling.
  1570. >“MAKE WAY! WOUNDED COMING THROUGH!”
  1571. >Dolly and you pull over to the side of the cavern.
  1572. >The nurses pass by carrying a wounded changeling in a stretcher. Her entire lower half of her body is completely crushed.
  1573. >“For the hive... for the hive... for the hive...” You hear her mumble in shock as she rocks her head back and forth.
  1574. >Dolly and you both stand shaken for a moment as the stretcher passes by you.
  1575. >You are about to start forward, but you see another stretcher coming up the ramp.
  1576. >The nurses aren’t yelling though.
  1577. >You stare at the changeling upon the stretcher. Her entire front half completely disfigured. Her skull completely crushed. Blood, bone, and brain fragments are slurried together in a horrific mess.
  1578. >You gag as the stretcher passes by.
  1579. “Dolly, who was that?”
  1580. >She looks pale though her dark chitin, still staring at the stretcher as it proceeds up the spiral ramp.
  1581. “Dolly! Was that Grace?”
  1582. >She looks to you.
  1583. >“Uh... who?”
  1584. “Grace- I mean Disgrace! Was that Disgrace?”
  1585. >“N-no, that was Sledge… I can by her frame… she is…”. Dolly shakes. “...was the strongest of us all… she… she…”
  1586. >Dolly begins to tear up.
  1587. “Dolly… we should go… they need us down there.”
  1588. >“Y-yeah… we should go.”
  1589. >The two of you proceed back to the flood chamber and join the other waiting wagon teams.
  1590. >Also at the entrance of the flood chamber are nurse teams with empty stretchers, waiting for the next injury.
  1591. >You hear them speaking to each other.
  1592. >“There’s just too much damn noise and activity going on down here! All the hammering and buzzing is causing all these blasted cave-ins to occur! There has to be another way-”
  1593. >“There is no other way! This work has to be done now before the cavern is completely submerged!”
  1594. >“But… there is so much-”
  1595. >SLAM!
  1596. >SPLASH!
  1597. >…
  1598. >The entire cavern goes silent of the slamming of pickaxes.
  1599. >“MEDIC!”
  1600. >The two changeling nurses zoom off into the cavern.
  1601. >Slowly, the pick axes resume their swinging.
  1602. >The nurses return to the entryway with a wounded changeling upon the stretcher.
  1603. >She is soaking wet and her front right shoulder is bleeding severely
  1604. >They lay her on the ground as their horns begin to glow.
  1605. >“Looks like you have a dislocated shoulder and severe lacerations. We’re going to have to pop it back in. I can cast a spell to dull the pain-”
  1606. >“NO! The wounded changeling interrupts. Breathing heavily.
  1607. >“Don’t wear yourself out on me… save that for someone who needs it.”
  1608. >The wounded changeling sits up upon the stretcher.
  1609. >The nurses look at each other.
  1610. >“Alright sister…”
  1611. >The nurse grabs the changeling’s front leg as the other one supports her shoulder.
  1612. >“I’ll pop it back in on the count of three… one-”
  1613. >“JUST FUCKING DO IT!”
  1614. >The nurse pauses, but then proceeds.
  1615. >CLICK!
  1616. >“GGGHHHHAAAAA!!!!”
  1617. >She shivers in pain for a few seconds and then attempts to stand.
  1618. >She wavers from side to side but makes it up.
  1619. >She reaches for a spare pick axe lying nearby.
  1620. >“Hold on! We need to bring you upstairs to stitch up your lacerations.”
  1621. >“No! There’s no time for that… burn it shut!”
  1622. >“You want us to cauterize? I’ll need to give you a pain-”
  1623. >“NO DAMMIT! I ALREADY TOLD YOU TO SAVE YOUR ENERGY! HURRY UP AND DO IT!"
  1624. >“Very well…”
  1625. >The changelings horn begins to glow green. The green becomes brighter and brighter until it's almost white.
  1626. >The nurse changeling presses her horn against the chitin of the wounded mare.
  1627. >“AH-”
  1628. >The changeling lets out a yelp but quickly silences herself.
  1629. >You watch her bite her lip as the nurse's horn sears the open wound on her shoulder closed. She gazes off into nothing as she tries to ignore the pain.
  1630. >“There, done!”
  1631. >The changelings worker breathes heavily in and out, wavering from side to side.
  1632. >“Sister… you should rest for a-”
  1633. >The changeling propels herself into the air. With the pick axe in her hooves she disappears into the fray at the far end of the chamber.
  1634. >You hear the changeling nurse let out a loud sigh.
  1635. >A few more minutes pass by and your cart is full again.
  1636. >You and Dolly make another perilous trip up to the surface.
  1637. >Again and again you make the trip.
  1638. >Your muscles ache. But you keep going.
  1639. >Despite how grueling each trip up is, you never ask Dolly to stop so you can take a break.
  1640. >You’d feel ashamed if you did. With all the changelings getting hurt and dying down there-
  1641. >But… you're not a changeling… you’re here to spy on them…
  1642. >Although... you can’t help but... to feel sorry for them.
  1643. >You wouldn’t wish this kind of misery on anyone… even after...
  1644. >You and Dolly yield again as more and more stretchers carrying wounded and deceased changelings pass by you on the main spiral ramp.
  1645. >You pay close attention to each changeling on the stretcher, keeping an eye out making sure that Grace wasn’t on one of those stretchers.
  1646. >Not only does your mission depend on her survival… but over the past couple days you’ve grown pretty attached to her. You’d hate to see her get hurt.
  1647. >You're caring about a changeling now, what the fuck is wrong with you Lucky!
  1648. >It's now midday. At least you think it is. The concept of time blurs when you can’t see the sun and can barely focus on anything besides how much pain your body is in.
  1649. >The flood chamber has been slowly rising throughout the day. It now stands roughly 75% full.
  1650. >The air above the water becomes even more hectic with changelings flurrying about with barely any space to maneuver.
  1651. >Dolly and yourself pull the cart up to the edge of the cavern entrance and the line of changelings begins placing the rocks in your cart one at a time.
  1652. >A large blast rocks the far end of the cavern
  1653. >The pick axes stop.
  1654. >Every changeling turns towards the blast.
  1655. >The nurses standing next to you stand at attention looking for those in need.
  1656. >But it's not a cave-in.
  1657. >A suction noise begins to fill your ears. Soft at first, but growing louder
  1658. >SSSSSLLLLLLLLUUUUUUUUEEEEE
  1659. >The draining sound grows in loudness.
  1660. >You try to see what's going on at the end of the cavern, but there are too many changelings in the way to see clearly.
  1661. >Dolly nudges against your side
  1662. >“Lucky… the water level… look!”
  1663. >She points to the water level on flood chamber wall
  1664. >Slowly… ever so slowly… the water level is-
  1665. "Going down… the water level is dropping!"
  1666. >“It's draining faster than it's filling up!”
  1667. >The cavern erupts into a chorus of cheers and rejoice!
  1668. “They did it…” You say softly to yourself.
  1669. >“No... we did it, you did your part for the hive today too.” Dolly smiles at you, tears of joy in her eyes. She places her front right hoof around you and hugs as deeply as the harnesses attaching to the two of you would allow.
  1670. “Yeah… we did it…”
  1671. >You let out a deep sigh of relief.
  1672. >“Not bad… for a drone.” She whispers into your ear, while still in your embrace.
  1673. >You chuckle lightly to yourself.
  1674. >A changeling whizzes out from the cavern and up the ramp.
  1675. “Lysandra…”
  1676. >Dolly detaches from you.
  1677. “Going off to tell the Queen the good news?”
  1678. >“Yeah… as well as how she personally saved the hive…”
  1679. >You watch as an annoyed look grows on Dolly’s face.
  1680. >“I doubt she’ll even mention the names of our sisters who died today…”
  1681. >Although you’ve known the Overseer for only a few days, she definitely seems the type who would do that.
  1682. >“She’s eyeing the seat of Chief Overseer, and this pretty much cemented her appointment to that position.”
  1683. >You can see the anger in Dolly’s eyes as she speaks about her boss.
  1684. “Dolly… it sucks… but look!”
  1685. >You point to the water level, it has gone down by a half a meter since the two of you have been talking.
  1686. “Try and focus on the good right now!”
  1687. >“Yeah… you're right.”
  1688. >The large fluttering of wings comes from the spiral ramp above you.
  1689. >It is the Queen, followed by Construction Overseer Lysandra and Chief Overseer Mazarine.
  1690. >The Queen passes right by you, luckily to distracted by the good news to pay you much mind.
  1691. >You’d be more nervous, but you are just too damn tired and sore to care.
  1692. >The three of them fly into the flood chamber. The changeling workers quickly move out of the way to let them pass.
  1693. >The Queen inspects the newly created fissure at the end of the cavern.
  1694. >Water quickly drains through the fissure with no signs of slowing down.
  1695. >“The underground cavern on the the other side of this wall must be tremendous. The water is showing no signs of stopping.” Chief Overseer Mazarine says while carefully scanning the fissure. “We should continue excavating this wall to see what lies on the other side, the extra cavern space could prove most beneficial for the hive.”
  1696. >“I couldn’t agree more with you Overseer Mazarine.” Queen Chrysalis says. She looks around at the weary changeling workers hovering by her side.
  1697. >“But that shall have to wait for another day. With the flood chamber successfully draining I’d say our workers deserve a break.”
  1698. >Mazarine nods in agreement.
  1699. >“Yes, they look like they can use some relief.”
  1700. >Mazarine turns to her right.
  1701. >“Lysandra if you please…”
  1702. >“As you wish Chief Overseer…”
  1703. >“ALRIGHT LADIES LISTEN UP! I NOT SURE HOW IT HAPPENED, BUT YOU SOMEHOW MANAGED TO PULL THIS OFF! AS A SHOW OF HER LOVE AND APPRECIATION, THE QUEEN HAS GIVEN YOU THE REST OF THE DAY OFF!”
  1704. >“HURRAY!” The entire chamber fills with applause even louder than before.
  1705. >The changelings workers begin flying towards the exit to the flood chamber.
  1706. >A clattering of pick axes hit the ground beside you and Dolly as the changelings drop them before zooming out.
  1707. >You can faintly hear Lysandra in the background
  1708. >“HEY I WASN’T FINISHED, WAIT!”
  1709. >The changelings, either not able to hear her or pretending not to hear her, continue to clear out of the cavern.
  1710. >Many of them collapses onto the floor of the spiral ramp as soon as they are over it, their wings tired from non-stop hovering for the entire first half of the day.
  1711. >You don’t think many pegasi would be able to hover in place for an hour… let alone half a day.
  1712. >You begin taking the wagon harness off.
  1713. >“Uhh… Lucky… What do you think you’re doing?” Dolly asks.
  1714. “Huh?”
  1715. >“The wagon’s full. We can’t end the day until we bring this last load to the surface!”
  1716. >Your heart sinks. Your knees waver…
  1717. >“Wa-wa… really?" You can feel tears wanting to pour out of your eyes.
  1718. >Dolly looks at you sternly.
  1719. >In the corner of her mouth a smirk slowly begins to form.
  1720. >She bursts out laughing.
  1721. >“The look on your face!”
  1722. “You-you asshole!”
  1723. >You shake your head and let out a sigh. You can’t help but let out a laugh as well.
  1724. >By the time the two of you get your harnesses off the chamber is completely empty of the changeling workers. All that is left are the Overseers and the Queen, still watching the flood chamber drain through the fissure.
  1725. >Dolly propels herself into the air with her wings and begins to dart up the ramp.
  1726. >She stops mid air and then looks back at you.
  1727. >“Come on Lucky, lets fly on out of-”
  1728. >She suddenly remembers about the two nubs on your back where your wings "should" be.
  1729. >“Oh shit… Lucky… I…”
  1730. “What?” You say, completely oblivious to her faux pas.
  1731. >“I apologize Lucky… I didn’t mean to make a joke about that…”
  1732. “About what?”
  1733. >“Y-your wings…”
  1734. >You stare at her confused
  1735. “Huh… but I don’t have wings.”
  1736. >“Uh… I know… I mean I realize that… I just wasn’t intending to make a joke about how you lost yours…”
  1737. “Huh?”
  1738. >Wings? I’m a unicorn... I don’t have wings… what the hell is she talking about?
  1739. >You look around at your back and see the two nubs where your wings should be if you were a changeling.
  1740. >It snaps.
  1741. >Oh… shit…
  1742. “OH!… My wings! Oh Dolly... heh heh… don’t worry about it!”
  1743. >She stares at you confusingly.
  1744. “Uh… I guess that one just flew right over my head… heh heh…”
  1745. >Dolly cringes and puts her face into her hoof.
  1746. >“Lucky… I thought we agreed no more puns”
  1747. “Oh yeah… I guess we’re even then… how about we go get some rest.”
  1748. >“Yeah… lets go.”
  1749. >The two of you stumble to the nursery.
  1750. >A large mound of exhausted changelings lie piled up together in the middle of the room.
  1751. >The workers lie covered in sweat and dirt. A few of them even have dried green blood on them.
  1752. >It smell is dreadful. Like twice the intensity of a locker room… which is being used by a bunch of oversized cockroaches.
  1753. >You’d gag from the stench, but you’re too damn exhausted.
  1754. >You scan the room. You see a lone changeling worker passed out by herself, far away from the pile. It is Grace.
  1755. >You begin to walk towards her.
  1756. >“Lucky! Where you going?”
  1757. >You nod over to Grace.
  1758. >“Why don’t you sleep over here with the rest of us? After today you more than proved yourself as a worker!”
  1759. “Thanks Dolly… but Gra... Disgrace looks like she could really use some company. Especially now that Brutus has been assigned separate sleeping quarters.”
  1760. >“Why are you so friendly towards her Lucky?! There’s a reason we ostracize her the way we do! It is punishment for her mistakes! She killed our kin!”
  1761. >You let out a sigh. You look back to Grace lying by herself and then back to Dolly.
  1762. “I just feel sorry for her…”
  1763. “Jeez…” Dolly says as she rolls her eyes. “Suit yourself Lucky.”
  1764. >She continues towards the main pile as you walk towards Grace.
  1765. >You reach her and then promptly collapse down beside her.
  1766. >She half opens her eyes as she hears you fall.
  1767. >“Hi Lucky…”
  1768. “Hi Grace…”
  1769. "..."
  1770. >“…”
  1771. “I see you didn’t get hurt…”
  1772. >“Nope...”
  1773. >“And neither did you…”
  1774. “Nope...”
  1775. >“Good…”
  1776. “Yeah…”
  1777. >You watch her close her eyes
  1778. >You pass out.
  1779. ~~~~~~~~
  1780. >You’re in bed.
  1781. >You're not sure how you did it, but you managed to convince that cute DJ unicorn from the nightclub to come back with you to your apartment.
  1782. >She slowly takes off her purple sunglasses, revealing a pair of magenta colored eyes staring at you wantingly.
  1783. >She bites her lower lip as she flings her blue and teal colored mane out of her face.
  1784. >She crawls into the bed beside you.
  1785. >With a smile on her face she pulls you in closer.
  1786. >Your lips meet.
  1787. >Bliss runs through your body as you feel your tongues intertwine.
  1788. >You can feel a tingling sensation between your legs as you are becoming aroused.
  1789. >You feel her move her front hooves over your body.
  1790. >Her hooves! They feel amazing! Warm and pleasant to the touch!
  1791. >You feel her hooves running down your neck.
  1792. >The warmness of the touch makes you gently coo in delight.
  1793. >Her hooves move onto your back. Your aching back… the warmness of her touch makes you shiver slightly.
  1794. >She continues to stroke your back. You begin breathing heavier as her deep long strokes relieve the your pain.
  1795. >With each passing stoke your member slowly begins to emerge from your sheath.
  1796. >You detach from her lips as you let out a moan.
  1797. “Ohh… ohhhhh…”
  1798. >You continue to look into her seductive magenta eyes as she continues to rub her hooves against your chitin.
  1799. >Your attempts of caressing her back prove futile as you are paralyzed by her touch.
  1800. >Each stroke feels amazing, the warmness… so soothing... you need this. You really need this!
  1801. >You feel her hooves slowly move down to your stomach.
  1802. >You feel her swirl her hooves around in a circular motion upon your belly.
  1803. >The warmness of her touch make your dick swell rapidly.
  1804. >Her hoof begins to approach your now throbbing erection.
  1805. >“Do you want this brother?”
  1806. “Yes!… YES!…”
  1807. >Wait... did she just say brother?
  1808. >You feel the warm wet hooves grasp your rock hard dick.
  1809. >Wait… WHAT?!
  1810. >You jolt!
  1811. >Your body jolts!
  1812. >Your mind immediately begins to pull out of deep sleep as you continue to feel your penis being stroked.
  1813. >You open your eyes.
  1814. >Before you stands a changeling mare with a sultry grin on her face.
  1815. >You look down and see her stroking your shaft with a damp wet sponge.
  1816. “THE FUCK YOU DOING?!”
  1817. >You pull away from her, your dick sliding out from between the sponge.
  1818. >“Oh… I was just following orders… us nurses are supposed to bathe all of you… the Queen was growing tired of the smell…”
  1819. “That sure as fuck wasn’t bathing!”
  1820. >The changeling mare blushes.”
  1821. >“You said you wanted it…”
  1822. “I was sleeping you twisted fuck!”
  1823. >“Oh… sorry…”
  1824. “What the hell's wrong with you! We're brother and sister for fuck's sake!”
  1825. >“Oh come on brother… you’re beginning to sound just like mom! ‘Incest is bad’ ‘No fooling around with your brothers and sisters’..."
  1826. “What!?”
  1827. >“Oh please… Don’t give me that! We /all/ know it happens down here from time to time. You drones have it good… you get to go out and collect love all the time. Getting your rocks off as a pony mares ride your cock, or as one of those stallions plows DEEP inside you. Meanwhile, us workers are stuck here at the hive... alone... with each other. You can’t expect anything NOT to happen!”
  1828. >You stare at her uneasy
  1829. “Uhhh…”
  1830. >“So brother, how about we go disappear into that supply closet on the other side of the chamber for a little bit, and I can properly repay you for your services to the hive. For you see, I’m the kind of mare who always pays her debts!”
  1831. >She bends down to you.
  1832. >“And I for one am more than willing to do my part… for the hive…”
  1833. >She bites her lower lip. Moving in closer to you.
  1834. “Uhhh… how about NO!”
  1835. >“Come on! What's the worst that can happen? All of us workers are sterile!”
  1836. “I said NO!”
  1837. >She lets out a deep sigh...
  1838. >“Fine… have it your way.”
  1839. >She continues to stare at you.
  1840. “What are you doing?"
  1841. >“Oh… I’m not done with you brother, I have my orders!”
  1842. >She raises the dripping sponge in her front hoof.
  1843. >“Flip... or I can grab ahold of that hot, hunk of chitin of yours and flip you myself!”
  1844. >You sigh loudly, but you flip to you other side.
  1845. >“Much better...”
  1846. >She slowly begins to clean the other half of your body with the warm, moist sponge.
  1847. >You close you eyes and try to ignore her.
  1848. >“Oh brother… don’t try to hide the fact that you enjoy this.”
  1849. >Goddam you did… each stroke felt so amazing on your weary body.
  1850. >She begins to stroke your stomach again. Getting closer to your still erect dick.
  1851. “Hey! HEY! HEY! That’s already clean!”
  1852. >“Yes... I suppose it is… are you sure you don’t want to make it… /dirty/…”
  1853. “I WILL FUCKING STAB YOU WITH MY HORN!”
  1854. >“Alright... alright…”
  1855. >She moves the sponge away and proceeds to clean the rest of your body.
  1856. >“Ok… looks like I’m done here.”
  1857. “Good!”
  1858. >She leans in closer to your ear as you lie on the ground.
  1859. >“If you ever change your mind, feel free to swing by the medical ward. If you don’t see me, just ask for Cerci.”
  1860. >You feel her fangs nibble on your ear.
  1861. “Even if I lost all my legs in a cave-in… I still wouldn’t go to the medical ward.”
  1862. >She chuckles as she lets go of your ear…
  1863. >“Your loss brother…”
  1864. >She grabs her sponge and bucket of warm, soapy water and moves on.
  1865. >You watch her as she approaches Grace, who despite all your yelling is still asleep.
  1866. >Cerci grabs her sponge and is about to clean Grace’s dirty chitin, but stops.
  1867. >An angry look grows on her face.
  1868. >“Disgrace… HMPH!” She huffs as she lifts her snout into the air.
  1869. >She throws the sponge back in her bucket, turns around, and begins to walk away.
  1870. >You watch her depart and then look back to the exhausted changeling lying beside you.
  1871. “How could you have messed up so bad to make everyone in the entire hive hate you so much.” You say under your breath.
  1872. >You look at her dirt covered body as she slowly breaths in and out.
  1873. >You let out a sigh and continue resting.
  1874. ~~~~~~~~~
  1875. >A few hours pass.
  1876. >You are awoken by a loud two toned voice.
  1877. >“CHILDREN! Your attention please!"
  1878. >The exhausted changelings slowly raise their heads to look at their Queen.
  1879. >“While you have been resting, the flood chamber has continued to drain. The chamber is now only ten percent full, and it is now draining just as fast as it is filling up!”
  1880. >She points upwards.
  1881. >“The pony's storm has failed to drown us in our home! The day is ours!”
  1882. >“HURRAY!” The weary changeling horde hollers.
  1883. >“In celebration of this achievement, and as special thanks for your hard work and sacrifice for the hive, I have decided to open up the mead reserves!”
  1884. >“THE MEAD!” A changeling worker yells excitedly.
  1885. >Several chirps of joy are made among the changelings.
  1886. >A wagon containing a large barrel rolls into the throne room.
  1887. >The Queen smiles as she sees the excitement in all of the changeling’s faces.
  1888. >“Drink up my children, you’ve earned it!”
  1889. >A line begins forming in front of the wagon as the changelings eagerly await their chance to get a glass of the beverage.
  1890. >“My Queen. Would you like the first glass?” The worker at the front of the line exclaims.
  1891. >“No my child… the mead is for you all to enjoy this evening.”
  1892. >She lets out a sigh.
  1893. >“I am going to retire to my chambers, I have much to contemplate.”
  1894. >She begins to walk towards the set of doors leading to her room. She turns around.
  1895. >“The Brewing Overseer told me this a very potent batch. Try not to get too out of control tonight…” She says with a smirk.
  1896. >With that she walks to her chamber doors and stops.
  1897. >“Actually… Little ones!”
  1898. >A group of a dozen changeling foals lift up their heads.
  1899. >“You will be sleeping with mommy tonight. I don’t want your older sisters to scar you for the rest of your life...”
  1900. >The foals excitedly trot into Chrysalis personal bedroom.
  1901. >As soon as the last foal waltzes into the room, Chrysalis closes the doors.
  1902. >You and Grace get in the long line with the rest of the changelings.
  1903. >Mead made from honey, made from love…
  1904. >You had to admit, even you were a bit excited for the opportunity to taste such a beverage. Even if it was extracted from your fellow ponies...
  1905. >Standing beside you is Grace, she is attempting to look over the shoulders of those in front of her to catch a glimpse of the mead.
  1906. “Hey Grace, when was the last time the Queen broke out the mead?”
  1907. >“Uhh… I don’t know Lucky? Definitely not in our lifetime, that's for sure.”
  1908. “This really is a special occasion isn’t it…”
  1909. >You finally make it to the front of the line and are given a mug of the green mead.
  1910. >You take a whiff.
  1911. >A wave of sweetness and alcohol nearly knocks you off your hooves.
  1912. “Wow! This stuff is gonna pack a punch!”
  1913. >Grace is given her glass and stands beside you.
  1914. “Cheers Grace!”
  1915. >You extend your mug to hers.
  1916. >“Cheers Lucky, so what are we drinking to?”
  1917. “How about not getting squashed by a boulder.”
  1918. >She blushes embarrassingly.
  1919. >“O...K… I can drink to that...”
  1920. >The two of you clink your mugs and then take a swig.
  1921. >The sweetness of the beverage hits your tongue.
  1922. >It is extremely concentrated, the amount of energy stored in this beverage is probably three times that of the normal meals you are given.
  1923. >The high concentration of alcohol stings your mouth.
  1924. >You hold your hoof against your mouth as you swallow down the first gulp, cringing as the alcohol leaves a strong burn.
  1925. >It reminds you of the time you tried moonshine…
  1926. >You hear Grace yelp in pain as she swallows down her first gulp.
  1927. “Strong stuff huh?”
  1928. >She keeps the mug against her mouth and takes another gulp, eyes cringing and tearing up.
  1929. >“A-ahhhh…” She shivers. “Yes… very strong.”
  1930. >You look around the cavern.
  1931. >The bugs are quickly chugging down the substance.
  1932. >Dam these bugs and their sweet tooths, they probably can't even control themselves.
  1933. >A whole bunch of mares drinking down an entire mug of 180 proof mead… tonight was going to be… interesting…
  1934. >You see a mare grab her mug and hold it into the air.
  1935. >“HEY, WATCH THIS!” She yells.
  1936. >She places the mug to her lips and begins slurping the beverage down.
  1937. “Oh shit!"
  1938. >“Look at her go!”
  1939. >A circle of changelings begins to form around her.
  1940. >“CHUG CHUG CHUG!” The mares begin to chant.
  1941. >You see her face grimace in pain as she gulps down the potent mead.
  1942. >“Almost there!”
  1943. >“CHUG CHUG CHUG!”
  1944. >The mare takes the last gulp and holds the empty mug high into the air for everyone to see.
  1945. >“YEEEAAAHHH!” The circle of changelings yell.
  1946. >She wavers slightly from side to side and then slams the empty mug against the ground, shattering it.
  1947. >“Let's see one of those pony goddesses do that-”
  1948. >She places her hoof against her mouth.
  1949. >“BBBUUUURRRRPPPP!”
  1950. >“HA nice one!”
  1951. >You shake your head as a smile comes to your face and take another sip.
  1952. >You look over to Grace.
  1953. >She is already halfway done with her mug.
  1954. >Dam bugs have no idea how to handle their liquor, do they. Tonight is going to be a crazy night.
  1955. >Fuck it, better start catching up.
  1956. >You proceed to take several large gulps.
  1957. >“SHELL!” A changeling worker yells.
  1958. >“SHELL! Get over here!”
  1959. >A changeling stumbles forward.
  1960. >“You know what we want Shell!”
  1961. >Shell points her mug at the changeling that hailed her.
  1962. >“Yeah I know… give me a second will ya.”
  1963. >Shell chugs the rest of her drink.
  1964. >She tosses the mug to the ground, shattering it to pieces.
  1965. >“PLEASE DON’T BREAK THE MUGS!” The changelings serving the mead yells out.
  1966. >“FUUUUCK YOOU!” Shell yells back.
  1967. >The changelings on the wagon look at each other uneasily.
  1968. >“HO-KAY… behold… the scourge of the *hic* Battle of Canterlot… The Rainbow Cunt!”
  1969. >Green fire envelope the changeling.
  1970. >Instead of changing into the familiar cyan colored pegasus with the rainbow mane, the changeling shapeshifts into a mostly cyan colored pegasus with random splotches of color all over her.
  1971. >One of her wings is missing.
  1972. >“BOOO!”
  1973. >“That looks like shit Shell!”
  1974. >“WHAT? *hic*” Shell proclaims. She turns around to look at herself.
  1975. >“Oh… well lets see you do any better BITCH!”
  1976. >The changelings pause for second.
  1977. >“COSTUME PARTY!” One of them yells out.
  1978. >Green flames begin to erupt all throughout the throne room.
  1979. >Various miscolored ponies litter the room.
  1980. >Some of them look beyond ridiculous.
  1981. >There are crooked horns, disfigured faces, and color patterns that looked like someone ate and vomited a package of crayons.
  1982. >You move in to get a closer look.
  1983. >Grace stays behind.
  1984. “Come on Grace, lets join the fun.”
  1985. >“I don’t think that's such a good idea...”
  1986. “What? No... it’ll be fine!”
  1987. >Grace takes another gulp.
  1988. >“Alright…”
  1989. >She slowly follows behind you as you approach the larger group.
  1990. >As you approach the changelings, the outside of the group immediately locks gaze with Grace.
  1991. >“What do you think you're doing Disgrace?” One of the changelings yell.
  1992. >Grace says nothing.
  1993. “Hey, we’re just looking to join the fun.”
  1994. >The changeling looks at you.
  1995. >“You may stay drone, but you-”
  1996. >She points to Grace with her half drunk mug of mead.
  1997. >“You better get the fuck out of here Disgrace.”
  1998. >Grace looks at the floor, a sullen look on her face. She slowly turns around and begins to walk away.
  1999. >She saunters towards the exit of the throne room.
  2000. “Really?”
  2001. >“She has no place here. You’ll welcome to stay, but she sure as hell ain’t!”
  2002. “So how long you gonna keep treating her like shit? Forever?”
  2003. >The changeling takes a gulp from her mug and looks back at you.
  2004. >“How long will our siblings she smashed stay dead? Forever?”
  2005. >You let out a sigh…
  2006. >The changeling turns around and resumes the drunken debauchery.
  2007. >You turn towards the exit, stumbling a little bit as your balance is slightly impaired.
  2008. >This love mead is some strong stuff, you usually don’t stumble like this until after at least 4 or 5 shots…
  2009. >You reach the exit.
  2010. >Grace is nowhere to be seen.
  2011. >You walk outside the throne room, looking up the ramp, and then down.
  2012. >There she is, sitting by herself on a small raised alcove on the side of the ramp, sipping from her mug.
  2013. >The water from the storm rushes around the raised alcove, just barely keeping her dry.
  2014. >She sees you.
  2015. >“Lucky… go back in there and have a good time. Don’t worry about me.”
  2016. >You walk over and plop down beside her.
  2017. >There is just barely enough room for the two of you to sit together on the alcove.
  2018. “I was never one for parties anyway...”
  2019. >As you take a gulp of mead you see her smile out of the corner of your eye.
  2020. >“You shouldn’t be doing this, they're going to start hating you too…”
  2021. >She has a point.
  2022. “Meh… oh well...”
  2023. >She sniffs
  2024. >“I’ll never understand you drones...”
  2025. “Grace, mind if I ask you a question?”
  2026. >“Sure Lucky, what is it?”
  2027. “What happened during the accident?”
  2028. >She pauses.
  2029. >“You already know what happened, the Overseer told you.”
  2030. “That wasn’t the whole story though was it…”
  2031. >“No…”
  2032. “I’d like to hear it from you, if you don't mind.”
  2033. >“Uhh…” Her eyes water up. “A-alright Lucky…”
  2034. >She takes another gulp of mead.
  2035. >“It was a month before the invasion of Canterlot. You were probably out with the rest of the drones amassing for the attack. Meanwhile, the rest of us workers were here at the hive. Since most of the drones were busy preparing for the invasion, love collecting and food processing came to a stand still. Things got pretty bad.”
  2036. >*sniff*
  2037. >"For the past month we were down to one meal per day. The food stores were near empty. I was still as nurse then... and... and…”
  2038. >She turns to you and pauses.
  2039. >“They just kept on killing themselves!”
  2040. “What? Who?”
  2041. >“First it was our older siblings, those past their prime, to old and weak to perform their duties for the hive. They barely consumed any food but… they didn’t want the rest of us to starve. They didn't want to be a burden to the hive..."
  2042. >"They figured if they would no longer eat… there would be more food for the rest of us."
  2043. >"Some of them just stopped eating altogether, but the starvation was just so painful. Many decided it would be less painful if they just used their fangs… used their fangs to...”
  2044. >You cringe thinking about what it must have been like down here just a short while ago.
  2045. >“Their sacrifices were noble, but it was still not enough to tie us over until the invasion of Canterlot. The food stores were nearly depleted. We were down to a quarter cup of honey each day. After the old ones were gone, several of the sick and injured began to do the same, sacrificing themselves for the good of the hive.”
  2046. >“It got to a point where there were no more patients to care for in the medical ward. I spent most of my time trying to comfort the little ones. Eventually, some of the healthy workers, inspired by the sacrifice made by the old and sick, decided to follow suit.”
  2047. >“That is when Chief Overseer Mazarine intervened.”
  2048. >“With our Queen busy in Canterlot, Mazarine decreed that no one else would be allowed to sacrifice themselves for the hive. And then… and then it happened...”
  2049. “What happened?”
  2050. >“It was a week before the planned invasion… the hive needed food to support itself… without sustenance several of us were about to perish... so the Chief Overseer decreed...”
  2051. >Grace begins crying…
  2052. “Grace… you don’t have to keep going…”
  2053. >“She decreed that the majority of the latest brood of eggs be used as food for the hive. The amount of concentrated love within the amniotic fluid of each egg can support dozens of changelings per day…”
  2054. >“It was up to the nurses to choose which of the eggs were to be sacrificed. The Chief Overseer ordered us to sacrifice the eggs which looked the weakest out of the brood.”
  2055. >She looks up at you.
  2056. >“I didn’t want to choose who lived and who died Lucky… it wasn’t right…” Her voice wavering.
  2057. “Grace…”
  2058. >You place your front hoof around her.
  2059. >“We chose the eggs… they were sent to the Food Division to be processed and distributed to the rest of the hive."
  2060. >“They distributed the rations made from our brothers and sisters… but I didn’t eat them… I couldn’t!"
  2061. >“I figured I could hold out until after the invasion, once more love was collected… but... but… I was wasn’t able to....”
  2062. >“It was just a few days before the invasion. I was caring for the remaining eggs which were deemed the strongest of the brood. I was starving… I hadn’t eaten for so long… I just collapsed. When I opened my eyes I saw the remaining eggs of the brood, all five of them, shattered on the ground beside me. Just like the rest of their brothers and sisters, the entire brood was dead..."
  2063. “…”
  2064. >“They locked me up until the Queen returned from the invasion. I told the her what happened, how I refused to eat. She held me accountable for the loss of her children. I killed them Lucky! I wasn’t strong enough to… I was so weak I couldn’t-”
  2065. “Grace, it's alright…”
  2066. >“If I wasn’t so weak those five changelings would still be alive!”
  2067. “No Grace… you aren’t weak. You’re probably one of the most caring and strong-hearted po- changelings I know…”
  2068. >She pauses looking at her near empty mug of mead.
  2069. >“Thank you Lucky…”
  2070. >You both stare off at the wall on the other side of the hall, sipping on the remainder of your mead.
  2071. >“Lucky, can I ask you a question?”
  2072. “Sure Grace.”
  2073. >“How did it happen… your injuries?”
  2074. “Oh… It was just another day. Our squad was out scouting the Everfree Forest. We were attacked by timberwolves. They ripped off my wings and slashed at my face. I would have died if my brothers hasn’t intervened.”
  2075. >She takes a closer look at your face.
  2076. >“Lucky… I’ve treated timberwolf injuries before, I’ve never seen them do this to a face before.”
  2077. >Oh SHIT!
  2078. >“You facial injuries look more like they are derived from receiving a blast of magical energy.”
  2079. >No… NO…
  2080. >“Did a pony do this to you Lucky?”
  2081. “…”
  2082. >Fear and panic begin to take hold of you.
  2083. >She knows too much.
  2084. >She knows more than Brutus.
  2085. >“...d-did one of your brothers do this to you Lucky?”
  2086. “Grace!”
  2087. >She stops. Looking at you intently.
  2088. “You’re right… it wasn’t timberwolves that did this to me… but please don’t tell anyone I lied about that.”
  2089. >“Sure Lucky… but what happened?”
  2090. “I really want to tell you Grace… but, I can’t… not yet… I’m just not ready to talk about it.”
  2091. >“Oh… it must have been pretty bad, wasn’t it.”
  2092. “Yeah, it was.”
  2093. >“Lucky, that night with Brutus, you were having a flashback about it, weren’t you?”
  2094. “Yes…”
  2095. >“Sometimes the best way to overcome that sort of traumatic experience, whatever it may be, is to talk about it with someone else.”
  2096. “I’d love to talk with you about it, you more so than anyone else. But I can’t... not yet anyway…”
  2097. >“I understand Lucky, but whenever you are ready, please speak with me about it… keeping it bottled up inside is not going to do you any good.”
  2098. “Of course…”
  2099. >You chug the rest of your drink. Grace does the same with hers.
  2100. >A few minutes pass by, the two of you sit there in silence, listening to the yelling and debauchery going on in the cavern behind you.
  2101. >The effects of the mead begin to hit you strongly, like you’ve been hit by a train.
  2102. >You hold up your empty glass.
  2103. >The hallway is spinning
  2104. “Sweet Celestia!”
  2105. >Shit!
  2106. >Grace looks at you.
  2107. “-wouldn’t be able to drink a beverage this strong! Am I right?”
  2108. >Grace nods at you confusingly.
  2109. >You better go to sleep before you drunkenly blow your cover, you’re already on pretty thin ice.
  2110. “I think I’m gonna pass out Grace…”
  2111. >“That’s nice…”
  2112. >She's pretty far gone too.
  2113. >You lean in closer to Grace, resting your head on her shoulder. She rests her head on yours.
  2114. >Your eyelids become heavy.
  2115. >“Lucky…”
  2116. “Huh…”
  2117. >“The boulder…”
  2118. “What about it…”
  2119. >“The boulder… I was trying to... I was trying to…”
  2120. “Trying to what?”
  2121. >She passes out.
  2122. >Within a few seconds you are out as well.
  2123. ~~~~~~~~~
  2124. >You're in the royal gardens of Canterlot performing guard duty.
  2125. >You feel /extremely/ hungover.
  2126. >Scratch that, you are still drunk.
  2127. >Did you go out drinking last night? You can’t remember...
  2128. >An orange colored pegasus stallion stands next to you, looking equally bored and miserable.
  2129. >A group of six mares runs by the two of you.
  2130. >“Come on girls!” The purple one yells. “Celestia needs us to collect the Elements of Harmony so we can stop Discord!”
  2131. >They continue running towards the castle labyrinth.
  2132. >The pegasus beside you lets out a sigh.
  2133. >“She did it again…”
  2134. “Shut up Flash!”
  2135. >You feel a headache coming on.
  2136. >“The ancient God of Chaos returns, all of Equestria is in danger, and what does Celestia do?
  2137. Entrusts all of Equestria's safety in the hooves of 6 civilians.”
  2138. “They're the Elements of Harmony Flash!”
  2139. >“Then what the hell are we then? Eye candy? My home is in danger and she expects me just to stand here and do nothing while those six lollygag and play grab ass? Celestia could at least had us help them through the maze!”
  2140. “Flash! You better shut up before Sarge hears you talking treason, AGAIN!”
  2141. >Flash huffs.
  2142. >“Oh… I know he agrees with me… all the Royal Guard agrees with me!”
  2143. “Talk about something else Flash!”
  2144. >“Fine…”
  2145. >He pauses for a second.
  2146. >“You see the ass on the purple mare that just ran by? I would do terrible things to that ass…”
  2147. “Twilight Sparkle? You know that's Captain Shining Armor’s sister, right?”
  2148. >“HA! Really?”
  2149. “Yeah!”
  2150. >“Challenge accepted!”
  2151. “Oh for Celestia's sake...”
  2152. >You both stand and watch the maze.
  2153. >An array of lightning bolts stem from the entrance.
  2154. >“Celestia is like 2000... 3000 years old, right?”
  2155. “Yeah... so?”
  2156. >“Do you think she has gone senile?”
  2157. “Alright Flash! You need to shut the fuck up right now!”
  2158. >You point your hole riddled black leg at him.
  2159. >The two of you stare at the chitinous leg.
  2160. “What the! Oh yeah, dreaming…”
  2161. >“Wow Lucky! You should really get that checked out!”
  2162. “Fuck off Flash! This is Agent Lucky, Princess Nightmare Moon, do you copy?”
  2163. >>Woops...
  2164. “I mean Princess Luna… Heh… heh...”
  2165. >You’re drunk, this isn’t going to be good.
  2166. >The dark blue alicorn materializes in front of you.
  2167. >You slowly and wobbly bow down to greet her.
  2168. >“Rise Agent Lucky.”
  2169. >After a bit of stumbling, you make it back up.
  2170. >“Agent Lucky, are you alright?”
  2171. “Yeah Princess, I’m great!”
  2172. >You say with a stupid smile on your face.
  2173. >“You’re drunk… aren’t you?”
  2174. “Yup!”
  2175. >The princess lets out a sigh.
  2176. >“Why are you drunk Lucky?”
  2177. “We had a party! A big ol' changeling extravaganza! And boy… those bugs sure know how to pound their drinks! I’m not really much of a mead-guy but-”
  2178. >“Lucky! What is the status of Operation Dark Rain?”
  2179. “Operation Dark… Oh that! That's why we were having the party! Dark Rain failed horribly...”
  2180. >“WHAT!?”
  2181. “I mean… you killed a few changeling civilians working on the flood chamber. Sooo... you got yourself a little bit of collateral damage there Nightmare Moon-”
  2182. >“LUCKY!”
  2183. “Oh… sorry… Princess Luna.”
  2184. >“What happened! How did it fail! After the amount of storm clouds we had produced at Cloudsdale the hive should be halfway underwater by now!”
  2185. “/Well/... turns out the flood chamber was connected to some sort of cave network. The chamber just drained right into it. Right now it's only 10% full and it's draining just as fast as it's filling.”
  2186. >“A… cave... network!?”
  2187. >“Here I’ll show ya!”
  2188. >The castle and royal gardens disappear as the flood chamber materializes into view.
  2189. >Hundreds of changelings are flying above the water.
  2190. >You are strapped to a wagon next to Dolly.
  2191. >SSSSSLLLLLLLLUUUUUUUEEEEE
  2192. “There’s that draining sound! I’ll never forget that noise as long as I live!”
  2193. >The water levels begin to decrease.
  2194. >The changelings in the cavern erupt into a chorus of cheers and rejoice.
  2195. >Dolly places her hoof over your shoulder and hugs you.
  2196. >You can’t help but smile.
  2197. >After a few seconds of hugging her back you turn to see Princess Luna looking at you angrily.
  2198. “Oh... sorry Princess… I had a bit of a rough day today.”
  2199. >You look back to the overjoyed face of Dolly as she continues to hug you tightly.
  2200. “Heh… heh…” You nervously laugh as you detach yourself from the changeling.
  2201. >Luna lets out an angry huff.
  2202. >"We shall call off the Operation Dark Rain. We emptied a large chunk of the royal treasury into having Cloudsdale produce those stormclouds… all for nothing…”
  2203. “Oh, I’m sure Cloudsdale could use the extra revenue! Flash Sentry always told me how that place was a giant shit-”
  2204. >“LUCKY! Please tell us you have something /useful/ to report!”
  2205. “Oh… let me think… I never got to tell you about that green slime did I? Turns out it is honey, made from love! How wild is that?! At first I wasn’t the biggest fan of it, but it has definitely grown on me! It makes a pretty potent mead as well.”
  2206. >Luna continues to look at you angrily.
  2207. >“Anything else?”
  2208. “I learned a little bit of changeling history...”
  2209. >Luna continues to stare at you.
  2210. “Turns out before the Canterlot invasion things were pretty bad down here. There wasn’t enough food to eat and everyone was starving. Old and injured changelings were actually killing themselves in an effort to save food for their healthy brothers and sisters. Eventually, they resorted to cannibalism and started eating the eggs of their unhatched siblings… some pretty fucked up shit!”
  2211. >Luna pauses for a second, taken aback.
  2212. >“Are you sure about this Lucky? This tale sounds slightly exaggerated.”
  2213. “Oh… I’m pretty fucking sure!”
  2214. >“Agent Lucky! Thou shall cease this insolence and vulgarity at once!”
  2215. “Sorry princess… its been kind of a rough day. I had to haul five loads of rocks from the bottom of the hive all the way to the top while not trying to slip and break my neck because of your FUCKING STORM!”
  2216. >“LUCKY!”
  2217. “You know, we ever try negotiating with these bugs? If we don’t give them love they are gonna starve to death, so of course they are gonna fucking attack us!"
  2218. >“YOU ARE OUT OF LINE!”
  2219. “Maybe open up some bug brothels in Canterlot! These bugs sure like to fuck! I can tell you much that from first hand experience!”
  2220. >“THAT'S ENOUGH!”
  2221. >You point your chitinous front hoof at Luna.
  2222. “I’m living on borrowed time here Luna! My cover is starting to unravel, its only a matter of time before I’m exposed! I need you to get me out of here!”
  2223. >She stares at you for a moment before speaking in a low menacing voice.
  2224. >“No…”
  2225. “I'M GONNA FUCKING DIE DOWN HERE!”
  2226. >“YOU WILL CONTINUE THE MISSION LUCKY!”
  2227. "FUCK THE MISSION, YOU GOTTA GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
  2228. >"YOU KNEW THE RISKS! YOU ACCEPTED! THERE IS NO TURNING BACK!"
  2229. >You take in a deep breath and exhale slowly.
  2230. "YOU!... you... You’re right... I did... didn't I...”
  2231. >“I will speak with you again tomorrow night. Continue to collect intel.”
  2232. “…”
  2233. >“Do you understand!”
  2234. “Yes Princess, I understand.”
  2235. >“Good. Ending transmission.”
  2236. >The flood chamber fades to black.
  2237. ~~~~~~~~~~~
  2238. >DING DING DING
  2239. >“Rise and shine ladies!” Yells the Overseer to the mass of changelings piled up in the throne room.
  2240. >You open your eyes.
  2241. >You and Grace are intertwined with each other, stomach to stomach, hooves wrapped around one another.
  2242. >Grace slowly opens her eyes.
  2243. >“Good morning Lucky.” She says with a smug smile on her face.
  2244. >Panic hits you as you back away.
  2245. “Oh no! We didn’t… did we?"
  2246. >She huffs while still maintaining a smile.
  2247. >“No... we didn’t.”
  2248. >A sigh of relief comes from your mouth.
  2249. “Good… Good…”
  2250. >The events of last night come pouring back to you, especially the conversation you and Grace had.
  2251. >You mouth is dry, your head hurts, you are very hungover.
  2252. “How about some breakfast?”
  2253. >“Yeah, that sounds good.”
  2254. >The two of you walk towards the throne room.
  2255. >“Hey, look!”
  2256. >She points to the edge of the ramp.
  2257. >“The stream… it slowed! It's just a trickle compared to last night!”
  2258. “You’re right!”
  2259. >“The storm... the ponies ended the storm!”
  2260. >You vaguely recall having a conversation about the storm with Luna. You must have told her the operation failed, resulting in her calling off the storm.
  2261. >The two of your proceed into the throne room for breakfast. The mood is mixed.
  2262. >When told that the storm had ended, several changelings appeared happy, while at the same time looking absolutely miserable from drinking too much the night before.
  2263. >You notice some of the changeling workers staring at each other awkwardly. Things likely got a little out of control during the costume party…
  2264. >With water levels begin just a few inches, you resume your duties in the flood chamber.
  2265. >Expanding to the cave system is your new priority.
  2266. >Work goes slow today, everyone is still hungover and weary from the events of yesterday.
  2267. >By midday the rain water coming in from the spiral ramp was down to a small trickle.
  2268. >By the end of the day it stopped completely.
  2269. >The flood chamber completely drained into the cave system, making it clear for all of the changeling workers to sleep there again.
  2270. >It was a pretty uneventful day. You are not going to have much to report to Luna.
  2271. >You begin to wonder what else you reported to her last night.
  2272. >You really can’t remember anything from what happened.
  2273. >The alcohol must have impaired your memory.
  2274. >You curl up next to Grace after a hard day's work.
  2275. >The rest of the changelings are equally exhausted.
  2276. >The silence of the flood chamber makes it easy to fall asleep.
  2277. ~~~~~~~~~~
  2278. >Canterlot, day of the wedding. You are a brown unicorn stallion patrolling the streets.
  2279. >Another boring day of-
  2280. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOFUXumDEHs
  2281. >“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!” A mare cries out from the other side of the street as she points up towards the sky.
  2282. >“The barrier… look!”
  2283. >You see hundreds of large black creatures pounding against the barrier.
  2284. >Fear grips your mind as you continue to look in terror.
  2285. >The sky was completely black with the monsters.
  2286. >>“It’s just a drea-”
  2287. >“It’s cracking!” The mare yells.
  2288. >The pink barrier surrounding the city begins to fracture.
  2289. >You are overcome with fear. You feel a pain in your chest as your heart beats faster and faster.
  2290. >Your face is dripping with a cold sweat.
  2291. “Everyone! Back into to your homes! Take cover! We’re being invaded!”
  2292. >The ponies continue to run and scream in panic. All but one, a black cloaked mare standing still in the crowd…
  2293. >But your vision is to preoccupied with the barrier to give it a second thought.
  2294. >>“Luna, this is Agent Luc-”
  2295. >SLAM!
  2296. >A deafening explosion rocks the sky.
  2297. >Shards of the pink barrier crash down upon the city.
  2298. >You drop your spear in fear and collapse to the ground.
  2299. >>“No… not this…”
  2300. >Tears begin to stream from your eyes.
  2301. >Green trails of light begin to fall down over the city like comets falling from the sky.
  2302. >You watch as the green trails of light explode upon hitting the ground.
  2303. >With each explosion the screams of ponies fill your ears.
  2304. >>“L-Luna, this is-”
  2305. >SLAM!
  2306. >A green flash of light impacts a building half a block from where you are cowering.
  2307. >The explosion sends debris flying through the air.
  2308. >You watch as several wounded ponies limp out from the store.
  2309. >Slowly you get back up to your hooves.
  2310. >“It in there!” A mare yells at you as she runs by you.
  2311. “What's in there? What is it?”
  2312. >>“Don’t go in!”
  2313. >The mare keeps on running.
  2314. >After all the ponies finish running out of the building you grab your spear tightly. Your hooves slowly begin to take you to inside the building
  2315. >>“NO! Not again!”
  2316. >You desperately try to stop yourself, but to no avail.
  2317. >You feel like a pony strapped inside a straight jacket, unable to move. All you can do is watch.
  2318. >Several pony mannequins lie throughout the store, some still standing while most have fallen flat on the floor.
  2319. >Clothing and debris litter the ground.
  2320. >In the middle of the store lies a lone earth-pony stallion clutching his leg.
  2321. >>“HE’S A CHANGELING!”
  2322. “Are you alright?”
  2323. >“It's in the back room! Hurry! I think there a pony back there with it!”
  2324. >>“MAKE IT STOP!”
  2325. >He points to a set of closed doors.
  2326. >You quickly run to the doors of the back storage room.
  2327. >Fear grips you as your spear shakes within your hooves. You slowly use your magic to open the door.
  2328. >The door slowly creaks open to reveal the dark room.
  2329. “Who’s in there! Show yourself!”
  2330. >>“I CAN’T GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN!”
  2331. >It's too dark to see, so you cast a light spell from your horn.
  2332. >Several shelves filled with boxes fill the storage room, but there is no sign of anything, pony or otherwise.
  2333. “There's nothing back here.” You say to stallion, eyes still focused on the room.
  2334. >You notice a green flash of light out of the corner of your eye.
  2335. >You turn your head.
  2336. >Where the earth pony once laid now stands a changeling with a fully charge green horn.
  2337. “Ohhh sh-”
  2338. >>“SHIT!”
  2339. >Before you can even blink the monster lets forth a burst of green magic from its horn.
  2340. >The burst flies quickly through the air and hits you right in the face.
  2341. “GHHHHHHAAA!”
  2342. >>“GHHHHHHAAA!”
  2343. >Your mind blends with the nightmare, you are completely immersed.
  2344. >You yell out in pain as you collapse on to the floor, your spear goes flying from your hooves.
  2345. >Your blood splatters across the clothing store, landing on a display of new summertime dresses.
  2346. >Your vision goes both blurry and red as blood begins to cover your face.
  2347. >You slowly raise your head to look up at the creature that just struck you.
  2348. >All you can make out is two blurry black blobs standing in the middle of the store.
  2349. >A few seconds pass by as the creatures just stares at you.
  2350. >Anger boils up inside you.
  2351. “You’ll pay for that!”
  2352. >You move you hooves across the ground in search of your spear.
  2353. >The horn of one of the monsters begins to glow green.
  2354. >Out of the corner of your blurred vision you can just barely make out a long spear being levitated away by green magic.
  2355. >You grab for it with your hooves but it quickly escapes your grasp.
  2356. >You watch as the spear is levitated towards one of the blurry black figures standing in the middle of the store.
  2357. >As it reaches the figure, you hear a snapping noise as the spear is broken in two and then thrown to the ground.
  2358. “No…”
  2359. >One of the figures begins to walk towards you, while the other stands alone off in the distance.
  2360. >Tears and blood form in your eyes.
  2361. “No, No, NO!”
  2362. >You begin struggling to get back on your hooves, but the pain and dizziness from the facial impact is too much.
  2363. “You... you stay away from me! “
  2364. >The black figure stands only a few inches from you.
  2365. “No! Get away!”
  2366. >You attempt to flail your hooves at the creature, but it uses its wings to hover in the air out of your reach.
  2367. >“Try to relax, struggling will only make it worse.” There creatures says with a raspy masculine voice.
  2368. “NO!”
  2369. >You attempt to stand up again, but it is in vain.
  2370. >The creature lands on you, pinning you to the ground.
  2371. >“Relax… think of the ones you love.”
  2372. >You desperately try to think of those you hold dear. But your mind is in overdrive.
  2373. >The creatures horn begins to turn green. Your mouth is enveloped in a green magic field.
  2374. “W-what are you doing?”
  2375. >The creature drops down closer to your face.
  2376. >“...Feeding.”
  2377. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_3rofCWO8Y
  2378. >You watch in horror as a green magical aura begins leaving your mouth and entering the mouth of the creature.
  2379. >You feel your muscles begin to wither as you become weaker and weaker with each passing second.
  2380. “no…”
  2381. >>“Think of the ones you love…”
  2382. >Friends, family, lovers, all of them flash before your mind.
  2383. >The pain dips slightly, but quickly resumes to the previous agonizing levels.
  2384. >You watch the beast consumes the green energy coming from inside you. The pain is unbearable.
  2385. “…p-please…don’t...”
  2386. >You say with a whimper, as your vision begins to become even more blurry.
  2387. >The creature pauses for a moment looking at your tear filled face, but continues to drain you
  2388. “Plea-”
  2389. >You are on the verge of passing out, but you can’t.
  2390. >Second after second , minute after minute. The pain continues.
  2391. >You think about Grace.
  2392. >The pain drops suddenly.
  2393. >Curling up next to her for warmth on the cold stone floor of the flood cavern.
  2394. >Smiling and laughing at you whenever you say something stupid and almost blow your cover.
  2395. >Being there for each other.
  2396. >You continue to shiver on the floor.
  2397. >But something feels different.
  2398. >The pain has stopped
  2399. >You look up. The changeling has stopped feeding from you.
  2400. “Y-you…”
  2401. >The changeling continues to stare at you blankly.
  2402. “You... stopped… you... didn’t-”
  2403. >A blue flash of magic sparks from the background where the second blurry black figure stands.
  2404. >The changeling standing over you immediately begins to snarl.
  2405. >His face changes from a blank expression to that of a rabid dog.
  2406. >His horn turns green and he once again begins to drain your essence.
  2407. “GGGHHHHHAAAA!”
  2408. >The pain is even more agonizing than before.
  2409. >You think of friends, family, Grace...
  2410. >Nothing happens.
  2411. >The pain continues to build.
  2412. >You are shaking and screaming. The changeling standing over you continues to hold you in place.
  2413. >You can not free yourself of its grasp.
  2414. >The pain continues to build.
  2415. >You’ve never experienced this much pain in your life.
  2416. >“Lucky!”
  2417. >You hear off in the distance.
  2418. >Your mind can barely focus through the pain.
  2419. >“LUCKY!”
  2420. >There it is again, the voice sounds familiar but you don’t know who it belongs to.
  2421. >“WAKE UP!”
  2422. >You stare up at the vicious looking changeling standing above you
  2423. >You continue to flog you hooves around as the creature has you pinned.
  2424. >The creature wavers.
  2425. >Its expression turns to fear.
  2426. >Your front right hoof breaks free.
  2427. >SLAM
  2428. >You strike the changeling in the face.
  2429. >The creature stumbles a few feet away from where you are lying.
  2430. >Rage consumes you as you propel yourself upwards and pounce upon the changeling.
  2431. >It tries to squirm from your grasp but you have it pinned.
  2432. >“Luc-”
  2433. >You grab its throat and begin to strangle the monster.
  2434. “MY FACE! YOU TOOK MY FACE!”
  2435. >“Plea-”
  2436. >You slam the changeling hard against the ground as it tries to speak.
  2437. “YOU’LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID!”
  2438. >“Sto-”
  2439. >SLAM
  2440. >You continue to strangle the changeling.
  2441. >It begins to squirm less and less as time quickly passes by.
  2442. >Its horn begins to glow, making one last ditch effort to protect itself.
  2443. >You feel its magic begin to surround your head, but you quickly slam the changeling back to the ground before it can finish its spell.
  2444. >The magic manages to knock something off your face.
  2445. >A leather strap falls off you head and lands on the changeling as you continue to strangle it.
  2446. >At first you pay it no mind.
  2447. >But then you look notice the red blob in the middle of the leather strap.
  2448. >The changeling begins to go limp beneath your hooves.
  2449. >The red blob, it's in the shape of a heart...
  2450. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X84uCWrh3go
  2451. >What?
  2452. >An eye patch, with a heart on it?
  2453. >Where did you get that-
  2454. “Grace...”
  2455. >You lessen your grip on the creature's throat.
  2456. >You look down at changeling within your grip.
  2457. “G-Grace!”
  2458. >You take your hooves off her throat.
  2459. >She stares at you with tear filled half-closed eyes.
  2460. >She is partially conscious, being in a state of shock and severe pain.
  2461. >She struggles for breath, but her lungs do not move.
  2462. “NO!”
  2463. >You get off from on top of her. Her throat is severely battered and bruised. Her trakia has collapsed from your pummeling, not enabling her to breath.
  2464. >You fall to your knees.
  2465. >You examine yourself, you are covered in a slurry of cold sweat and urine.
  2466. >Tears roll down your face.
  2467. >You stare down at the scrawny changeling beside you, her lungs continue to remain empty.
  2468. >She stares off blankly.
  2469. >You look over your shoulder towards the rest of the sleeping changelings.
  2470. >Somehow they are still asleep… or maybe they noticed you and didn't care if you killed Grace…
  2471. >Your attention goes back to the changeling lying beside you.
  2472. >Her body has given up attempting to breath.
  2473. “No… NO! NOT FUCKING TODAY!”
  2474. >You place your mouth over her’s and exhale.
  2475. >You watch as her lungs slowly rise and then drop.
  2476. >You repeat.
  2477. >Again and again.
  2478. >You begin chest compressions.
  2479. >Grace continues to stare off blankly, her blue eyes still partially closed.
  2480. >A few minutes pass by, you notice her eyes begin to close.
  2481. >She's about to lose consciousness.
  2482. “GRACE! STAY WITH ME!”
  2483. >You attempt to shake her, but it has no effect.
  2484. >Your mind is spinning thinking of things to do.
  2485. >She only has a seconds before oxygen loss causes brain damage. Only minutes until she asphyxiates. There is no time to get help.
  2486. >An idea comes to mind, you're not sure if it will work, but if it might save Grace then it's worth a shot.
  2487. >You place your mouth to her ear.
  2488. “Grace… feed!”
  2489. >You place your mouth to hers.
  2490. >Nothing happens.
  2491. >You watch her face as she drifts off into unconsciousness.
  2492. “GRACE… FEED!”
  2493. >You place you mouth back over hers, this time placing your lips onto hers.
  2494. >You grab her into your embrace with your hooves.
  2495. >Second after second passes by, gruelingly slow.
  2496. >You begin to think that all hope is-
  2497. “GHAAA!”
  2498. >Green energy begins to stream from your mouth into Grace’s.
  2499. >The pain is severe, something you are all too familiar with, but you endure it.
  2500. >You remove your lips from hers as the green energy continues to stream from you. You look at her neck, it begins to look less bruised than before.
  2501. >It’s working… your love is healing-
  2502. “GHHAAAA”
  2503. >The pain spikes more severely as she begins to feed more intensely.
  2504. >You try to pull away but she firmly grasps your body with her hooves.
  2505. >Your muscles begin to wither away. You mind begins to fade.
  2506. >You squirm and try to wiggle from her grasp, but she maintains her grip.
  2507. >The pain begins to ramp up.
  2508. “God DAMMIT!”
  2509. >You lift your front hoof up and slap Grace across her face.
  2510. >She stops feeding from you.
  2511. >You roll off of her and crawl a few feet away. Attempts of moving any further prove futile as your body gives up on you.
  2512. >You collapse onto the ground with a thud.
  2513. >Grace’s head wavers from side to side. Her chest raises up and down as her trakia is now fully repaired.
  2514. >Her eyes open fully.
  2515. >She looks around her and slowly sits up.
  2516. >“What… happened?”
  2517. >She turns her head towards you
  2518. >“Lucky?”
  2519. >She looks at you for a second and then is stricken in fear.
  2520. >She gets on all fours and backs away from you.
  2521. “I’m... so… sorry…”
  2522. >You attempt to raise your head to speak, but the pain is too much. You continue to speak lying collapsed on the ground.
  2523. “I had a... flashback.”
  2524. >She places her front hoof to her throat, the bruises now completely gone.
  2525. >“What? How did-?”
  2526. >She looks at you in fear and confusion.
  2527. >Maybe you can still salvage this.
  2528. “I casted… a healing spell on you…. drained... most of my… energy.”
  2529. >“How do you know healing spells?”
  2530. >You gulp.
  2531. “When I was on the surface, I once spent six month pretending to be a pony nurse.”
  2532. >“Lucky… what… how-?”
  2533. >She begins to pant excessively.
  2534. >You lie quiet for a few seconds letting her regain herself.
  2535. “I don’t know what came over me Grace... something like this never happened before…”
  2536. >You begin to review the dream in your mind.
  2537. >“Shellshock… Lucky… I…”
  2538. >You again attempt to lift yourself up to your hooves, but your body is to weak and you quickly collapse.
  2539. >“Lucky… here... let me help.”
  2540. >She cautiously approaches you.
  2541. >As she stands over your body you begin to shiver. The dream of the Canterlot invasion still fresh in your mind.
  2542. >But in your dream... there wasn't just one changeling standing over you… there were two.
  2543. >That doesn’t make any sense.
  2544. >“You need energy Lucky… open your mouth.”
  2545. >Still shivering, you do as she says.
  2546. >She slides her body underneath you and lifts your upper back and neck.
  2547. >Supporting your neck with her hoof, she places her mouth over yours.
  2548. >Green fluid slowly begins to churn from her mouth into yours.
  2549. >The warm green fluid tastes pleasant. Much better than the first time Grace fed you. Much better than the more concentrated honey rations as well.
  2550. >You not sure why it tastes so good.
  2551. >Perhaps because you feel so drained.
  2552. >No... you’ve had this honey before when you were extremely tired.
  2553. >Then it dawns on you.
  2554. >You are feeding on your own love. Re-consuming your own energy.
  2555. >Ounce after ounce of the warm fluid flows down your throat.
  2556. >Grace continues to hold you in her arms as you mouths are engaged with one another.
  2557. >You think back to the dream.
  2558. >The second figure.
  2559. >There was no second changeling in the original memory.
  2560. >Where the hell did that come from?
  2561. >Was there anything else out of place during that dream?
  2562. >You think.
  2563. >The cloaked mare standing still in the crowd of panicked ponies.
  2564. >That definitely was what happened in the original memory.
  2565. >Everyone was panicked and running around.
  2566. >She was just standing there.
  2567. >Watching you.
  2568. >The mare with a dark colored cloak-
  2569. >You jolt.
  2570. >Grace notices. She stops feeding you.
  2571. >“Had enough?”
  2572. “Yeah… I think I’m ok.”
  2573. >You attempt to stand.
  2574. >Your legs are shaky, but you are able to get up.
  2575. >You use your magic to clean off the remnants of urine and sweat on your chitin.
  2576. >Grace continues to watch you, not saying a word.
  2577. >Once you finish you look back to her, an unsure expression upon her face.
  2578. “I’m just like Brutus, aren’t I…”
  2579. >“…”
  2580. “I don’t want to accidentally hurt you again… it's probably best if I slept alone.”
  2581. >“Are you going to sleep in Medical Ward?”
  2582. “Uhh… I’d rather not…”
  2583. >That would be an easy way to expose yourself.
  2584. “I’ll just sleep on the other end of the flood cavern away from everyone else.”
  2585. >She nods.
  2586. “Alright…”
  2587. >You turn around and slowly begin walking towards the far end of the flood chamber.
  2588. >You after a minute or two of walking, you look over your shoulder.
  2589. >Grace is still standing there watching you.
  2590. >You keep walking until you reach the end.
  2591. >The fissure stands before you, an eire cold air comes from it, making you shiver.
  2592. >You plop down onto the cold stone floor.
  2593. >This is going to be rough. The lack of someone else's body heat will make trying to sleep miserable.
  2594. >You look back to Grace.
  2595. >She is laying down by herself as well, likely dealing with the same issue you are.
  2596. >Another erie gust of cold air comes from the fissure in the wall of the cavern.
  2597. “Fuck this…”
  2598. >You try to think about something else beside the cold.
  2599. >The blacked cloaked mare.
  2600. >Princess Luna.
  2601. >It couldn’t be…
  2602. >But… no… it was definitely her. She is the Goddess of the Dreamscape, she caused you to have that nightmare, to relive that memory.
  2603. >You saw her there, in the crowd and standing over you, watching you get the energy ripped from you.
  2604. >But… not only that…. she prolonged it. She made the changeling continue draining energy from you after he initially stopped. She made the memory even worse than it actually was.
  2605. >Why should she do something like that?
  2606. >She went out of her way to cause you pain… she… tortured you.
  2607. >Does she think you went rouge?
  2608. >That would be a pretty stupid thing for you to do down here.
  2609. >The changelings would probably kill you if you voluntarily exposed yourself to them.
  2610. >Especially after the ponies just tried to drown them in their own home.
  2611. >At best you’d be a love slave for the rest of your miserable life… at least until you took your cyanide capsule.
  2612. >Goddam goddesses… they have a near infinite amount of power and you somehow managed to get on one’s shit list.
  2613. >What could you have done to piss her off this much?
  2614. >Is this because you disobeyed her and didn’t kill Brutus?
  2615. >Is it something you said?
  2616. >She can read your thoughts when you dream.
  2617. >You don’t remember saying or thinking anything that bad to her during your last few dreams-
  2618. >Last night… your dream… you didn’t remember it.
  2619. >You were very drunk.
  2620. >You just spent the entire day hauling rocks and trudging through water sent to flood the hive by none other than the Princess of the Night.
  2621. >And right before you passed out you heard the disturbing background behind Grace’s accident.
  2622. “Motherfucker!”
  2623. >You definitely drunkenly mouthed off to Princess Luna.
  2624. >Way to go Lucky, there goes your perfect military record.
  2625. >Suppose having a Princess in your mind makes insubordination hard to avoid…
  2626. >Drunk or not… what she did was unprecedented!
  2627. >She went Nightmare Moon on your ass!
  2628. >She nearly blew your cover.
  2629. >She nearly caused you to kill Grace-
  2630. >The last thing you wanted to see is another civilian getting killed.
  2631. >You saw enough of that during the rainstorm.
  2632. *sigh*
  2633. >You really needed rest.
  2634. >You attempt to ease your mind, but you’re afraid to fall asleep.
  2635. >She will be there waiting for you.
  2636. >With that thought in the back of your mind, all you can do is rest until the morning.
  2637. >DING DING DING
  2638. >You slowly rise from rest.
  2639. >Only getting half a night's sleep and being drained a large chunk of your energy, today is going to suck.
  2640. >You stumble towards the line for breakfast.
  2641. >You keep your head low, not wanting to look at Grace right now, to ashamed from what happened.
  2642. >You get to the front of the line and get your breakfast.
  2643. >After quickly chugging down the honey, you enjoy what little free time you have until you will have to start swinging a pickaxe again.
  2644. >You lean against the wall of the cavern, pickaxe in your hoof, and close your eyes.
  2645. >You can do this Lucky… just focus… ignore the pain.
  2646. >“Lucky.”
  2647. >You open your eyes and see Grace standing in front of you.
  2648. >“You look like you can use this.”
  2649. >She extends a nearly full cup of green honey towards you.
  2650. “No Grac-”
  2651. >She shoves it to your chest
  2652. >“Drink! You look like you’re gonna pass out!”
  2653. *sigh*
  2654. >You take the glass and begin to chug.
  2655. >The extra energy definitely feels good.
  2656. >You stop.
  2657. “Are you sure you don’t want any? You have to work today too you know.”
  2658. >“Yeah, I’m fine. Actually, I don’t know why… but I’m not even hungry... It's strange…”
  2659. >Probably because you had full course meal when you feasted upon my love last night.
  2660. “Suit yourself.”
  2661. >You chug the rest of the drink.
  2662. “Thanks Grace…”
  2663. >You place your empty mug in the wagon in the center of the cavern and proceed back to the wall.
  2664. >Grace is still standing there watching you.
  2665. “What are you doing?”
  2666. >“Hmm?”
  2667. “I nearly killed you last night, aren’t you gonna at least try to avoid me?”
  2668. >“No.”
  2669. “What?! Why?”
  2670. >“I know you didn’t mean it Lucky.”
  2671. “Yeah, but I’m still dangerous to be around…”
  2672. >She pauses and mumbles something under her breath.
  2673. “What was that.”
  2674. >“So am I…”
  2675. “What? What do you mean.”
  2676. >DING DING DING
  2677. >The changelings in the chamber begin slamming their pickaxes against the wall.
  2678. >Grace steps in closer to you so that that she is just a few inches from your face.
  2679. >“Need I remind you of how many changelings I killed?”
  2680. “Oh…”
  2681. >You pause for a second.
  2682. “But you didn’t… mean… it…”
  2683. *sigh*
  2684. “Fuck…”
  2685. >You lift up your pickaxe and begin to toil away.
  2686. >The day was horrible, but with the help of Grace giving you her extra rations you make it through.
  2687. >Grace goes through the entire day working more proficient than you’ve ever seen her.
  2688. >She’d rivaling even some of her much bulkier sisters in terms of strength and endurance.
  2689. >Her alertness is also through the roof. She spends the entire day keeping an eye on your tired ass.
  2690. >Her feeding on you probably boosted her mental and physical prowess.
  2691. >After a hard day's work you are sipping on the second glass of honey Grace gave you for dinner.
  2692. >Being on the verge of passing out, you begin to inadvertently spill honey all over your snout.
  2693. >“AGH!” Grace cringes in pain.
  2694. >You jolt back to full alertness.
  2695. “Are you ok?”
  2696. >“Yeah…” Grace clutches her stomach.
  2697. “Maybe you should drink some of this, you haven’t eaten anything all day.”
  2698. >“But I’m still not hungry…”
  2699. “Just drink it Grace. I don’t want to see you suffer on my behalf.”
  2700. >*sigh*
  2701. >“Alright...”
  2702. >She takes the remainder of the glass of honey and chugs it down.
  2703. >Her face show a large amount of displeasure while doing so.
  2704. “Any better?”
  2705. >“Yeah… it was just a sharp jolt of pain… but it's gone now.”
  2706. “Good. It's been a long day. We should probably get some sleep.”
  2707. >“Yeah... that sounds good.”
  2708. >You begin to walk towards the far end of the cavern.
  2709. >You turn around and see Grace staring at you, a look of sorrow in her eyes.
  2710. “Goodnight…”
  2711. >“ ‘Night…”
  2712. >You face forward and plop down on the cold cavern floor in front of the fissure.
  2713. >The fissure has grown in size.
  2714. >A few more days and the wall will be completely excavated.
  2715. >A stronger cool breeze comes from the fissure, causing you to shiver.
  2716. >Despite the cold floor and the breeze, your sheer exhaustion causes you to quickly begin to doze off.
  2717. >Tonight you are going to face Princess Luna again.
  2718. >A goddess who was once banished to the moon for 1000 years after trying to plunge the world into eternal darkness.
  2719. >A goddess who can move the moon and stars with her mind.
  2720. >A goddess who can enter ponies minds and control the dreamscape.
  2721. “Fuck me…”
  2722. >You pass out
  2723. ~~~~~~~~
  2724. >You are standing in the flood chamber.
  2725. >Not a single changeling is present.
  2726. >Just you... alone...
  2727. “Dreaming."
  2728. >You take in a deep breath and exhale slowly.
  2729. "Might as well get this over with… The is Shadowbolt agent Lucky, Princess Luna are you there?”
  2730. >“Yes.” A voice says from behind you.
  2731. >Your eye twitches.
  2732. >You slowly turn around to see Princess Luna standing directly behind to you.
  2733. >Uncomfortably close.
  2734. >You take a step back.
  2735. >She stares at you deeply from her elevated height, eyes penetrating your very soul.
  2736. “H-hello Princess.”
  2737. >She continues to stare at you.
  2738. “So I’m guessing last night was payback for something I said while I was drunk?”
  2739. >“…”
  2740. >She continues to gaze silently into your eyes.
  2741. >Her stern face remains unwavering
  2742. “You nearly made me blow my cover. It's a miracle I wasn’t exposed!”
  2743. >“…”
  2744. “What?”
  2745. >“…”
  2746. “You want me to apologize for drunkenly mouthing off to you?"
  2747. >"..."
  2748. "I got drunk to blend in with the other changelings! It's not like I'm on vacation down here!"
  2749. >"..."
  2750. "Fine! I’m sorry!”
  2751. >“…”
  2752. “What you did was reckless and extremely uncalled for!”
  2753. >“…”
  2754. “Are you gonna do it again? Is this going to be a nightly occurrence now?
  2755. >“…”
  2756. “…”
  2757. >“…”
  2758. “WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING YOU FUCKING PSYCO!”
  2759. >“SILENCE!”
  2760. >A wave of darkness overtakes your body and throws you to the ground.
  2761. >“WE GROW TIRED OF YOUR INSOLENCE.”
  2762. >You slowly raise your head to look at her.
  2763. >Dark clouds of smoke and electricity roll beneath her hooves.
  2764. “W-why? H-how could you make me relive that again?”
  2765. >“As a reminder of what thou is fighting for!”
  2766. “A reminder?”
  2767. >“In your inebriated state thou revealed to us that thou have become soft.”
  2768. “Soft?”
  2769. >“Soldiers that are soft do not win wars.”
  2770. >She moves in closer, inches from your face.
  2771. >“And we are at war with the changelings! We’ve been at war for more than a thousand years! And it is time this war ended!”
  2772. >She pulls her face away from yours and begins to walk in a circle around you.
  2773. >“When we chose you for this mission, we needed a pony that could be trusted. We needed someone who would follow orders. Thou has done a poor job of demonstrating this...”
  2774. “....”
  2775. >“Don’t have anything to say?” Luna says with a grin. “Thou were quite talkative just a few moments ago.”
  2776. “What do you want from me?!”
  2777. >“We want you to end this war. Tonight!”
  2778. “Tonight? Just how am I supposed to do that?”
  2779. >“What's the easiest way to kill an entire beehive?”
  2780. “I don’t know… poison them?”
  2781. >“Kill the queen.”
  2782. “What? You want me to kill Queen Chrysalis? I don’t stand a chance trying to take her out! She bested Princess Celestia!”
  2783. >“We know… but we have a plan.”
  2784. >Her horn begins to glow blue with a magic aura.
  2785. >A black box materializes from thin air.
  2786. >“This is a little something our royal scientists have been working on. It’s called a conformable, combustible, chemical compound. C4 for short.”
  2787. >She opens the metal box and takes out a white block of the strange substance.
  2788. >“This explosive is much more powerful than the black powder used in our canons, and also...”
  2789. >She drops the white block at your hooves.
  2790. >You squirm back and fall backwards as you try to get away.
  2791. >“It's much safer…” Luna grins. “It can not be triggered by impact or fire. Only a magical blast will set the explosive off.”
  2792. “Alright… so what do I need to do?”
  2793. >She points behind you. You turn around to see one of the large stone columns supporting the flood chamber.
  2794. >“The second column from the entrance. That is your target.”
  2795. “What? Why that?”
  2796. >“We spent much time in the dreamscape walking through the hive layout thou collected for us. As we said earlier, no matter how mighty a fortress is, there is always a flaw.”
  2797. “So you want to collapse the flood chamber and try flooding the hive again?”
  2798. >“No… we are not interested in flooding the hive again.”
  2799. “Then what are you trying to do?”
  2800. >“What lies above the flood chamber?”
  2801. “The nursery…”
  2802. >“What else?”
  2803. “Uhh… the Queen's personal- You want to cause a collapse to kill the Queen!”
  2804. >“Precisely. Kill the Queen, end the war.”
  2805. “And just how are you going to get me these explosives?”
  2806. >“Simple, the material transport spell."
  2807. “The material... isn’t that only designed for letters?”
  2808. >“Small objects can be transported as well. Granted, this is not what we had in mind when we casted the spell on thou, but it will work! We had our sister test this on a baby dragon."
  2809. “Wait! You said magic triggers the explosive? Won’t sending it through the material transport spell set it off?”
  2810. >“Yes… it would... that is why we are placing it in this special box. It is made of cold iron, so the magic won’t penetrate the box to trigger the explosive.”
  2811. “And you tested that too?”
  2812. >“We tested sending the box, yes…”
  2813. “But not with the explosives in the box?”
  2814. >“No. We could not risk alerting any changeling spies of what we may be doing. Regardless, we are most confident that this will work.”
  2815. “But-”
  2816. >“Let us show you what you will need to do.”
  2817. >Luna picks up the white block C4 with her hoof.
  2818. >“Be sure to handle the C4 with your hooves, not your magic. Picking this up with telekinesis will... not end well. Place the explosives against the column and form it into place like so.”
  2819. >Luna spreads the explosives against the column.
  2820. >“Since it will be nighttime, thou needn't worry about the changelings. They will most likely be asleep. But should any be awake, thou will be concealed by the darkness. Next, the explosives must be detonated from a safe distance.”
  2821. >She begins walking towards the entrance of the flood chamber.
  2822. >You pause for a few seconds watching her walk away. She stops and turns around.
  2823. >“That will not be a good place to stand...”
  2824. “Oh yeah…”
  2825. >You follow her to the entrance.
  2826. >“All that is required now is to shoot a bolt of magic at the explosive. It should be an easy shot for a Royal Guard pony such as thyself.”
  2827. >She looks down at you.
  2828. >“Go ahead.”
  2829. “Alright…”
  2830. >You charge your horn and focus on the small white explosive strapped to the column.
  2831. >The white speck stands out against the gray rock and dark cavern.
  2832. >You let loose the bolt of magic.
  2833. >The green bolt quickly travels through the air and hits the target right on its mark.
  2834. >*BBOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!*
  2835. >The explosion knocks you off your hooves.
  2836. >Luna remains standing, unfazed by the blast.
  2837. >The column shatters into hundreds of shards of rock while the ceiling immediately gives way.
  2838. >Within seconds the area around the destroyed column collapses in on itself.
  2839. >As the rock comes crumbling into the flood chamber, the avalanche of debris impacts the other columns.
  2840. >Column after column fall, within seconds the entire chamber is filled with rock.
  2841. >The rock stops just short of the entrance to the main ramp.
  2842. >You continue to stare at the rocks, shocked at what just occurred.
  2843. >“Now with the columns destroyed, the throne room and the Queen’s personal chambers will be consumed in the collapse. The Queen will be given a swift death in her sleep, she deserves much worse, but this will have to suffice.”
  2844. >She motions up the ramp.
  2845. >“After the explosives are detonated, the hive will go into disarray. Thou shall take advantage of this confusion to run to the entrance of the hive. At the precipice, the lone changeling sentry must be disposed of. After that, thou shall send out a magical flare. Agent Nightwing is currently waiting in hiding not far from the entrance. Upon seeing the signal, she will rendezvous with thee at the top of the mound. She will then extract thee from the hive and transport thee back to Canterlot. Thou shall be greeted as a hero!”
  2846. “A hero…”
  2847. >“Yes Lucky! Tonight we shall will end the cycle of changeling invasions that has plagued Equestria for countless generations!”
  2848. >You continue to stare at the collapsed flood chamber.
  2849. “But…”
  2850. >“But what?” Luna begins to glare at you.
  2851. “The civilians…”
  2852. >“They will be casualties of war. A necessary step to make Equestria safe from the changeling menace.”
  2853. “You want me to collapse the nursery. There’s a bunch of foals in there!”
  2854. >“Changeling foals. They will eventually be servants of the evil Queen Chrysalis.”
  2855. “During the invasion of Canterlot, I never heard anything about the enemy drones feeding on foals! There has got to be another way!”
  2856. >“NO!”
  2857. >Luna roars as she spreads her wings, filling the entire hallway with their span.
  2858. >“There will be no other way! Thou shall do this tonight! Your Princess commands it!”
  2859. >You stare at her intimidating presence.
  2860. >“Do this and its over. Thou will return home and be changed back to a pony. No more will thou need to don this vile, horrifying disguise!”
  2861. >You raise your front hoof and look at the black, hole-riddled chitin.
  2862. >You cringe thinking about the holes they drilled in you to make the disguise look believable.
  2863. “Do this... and then it's all over, huh?”
  2864. >“Yes!"
  2865. “....And if I don’t?”
  2866. >Luna huffs.
  2867. >“Thou shalt never change back. Thou shalt never again see thy friends and family. And...”
  2868. >A glint of blackness flashes over Luna’s eyes.
  2869. >“Thou shalt receive our judgement!”
  2870. >Luna’s pupils change from circular to vertical.
  2871. >Surprised, you falter backwards.
  2872. >You quickly blink.
  2873. >Her eyes return back to normal.
  2874. "W-what the-"
  2875. >Luna straightens her body and stands tall before you.
  2876. >"Is thou ready for thy final mission?"
  2877. “W-well... I don’t really have much of a choice then, do I…”
  2878. >Luna continues to stare at you with an angry look upon her face.
  2879. >“Thou disappoints us. We had such high hopes for thee.”
  2880. “Let's just get this over with so I can go home.”
  2881. >“Very well.”
  2882. >Luna’s horn begins to glow.
  2883. >“Thou shall awaken in a few seconds. In exactly 5 minutes we shall send the package using the material transfer spell. Thou will need to move somewhere isolated with much haste, as the spell can be bright and may attract unwanted attention."
  2884. “5 minutes? Wait, where am I supposed to-”
  2885. >“Thy life depends on this, we are fairly confident thou will know what to do.”
  2886. >Her horn begins to glow.
  2887. “What!? Wait!”
  2888. >A bolt of blue energy fires forth from her horn and strikes you in the head.
  2889. ~~~~~~~~~
  2890. “AAAHHH!”
  2891. >You jolt awake.
  2892. >Someone is clutching your back.
  2893. >“LUCKY!”
  2894. >You feel a set of hooves firmly secure themselves around your body.
  2895. >“It's OK! Just relax!”
  2896. >Oh no… it’s Grace...
  2897. “Grace! What are you doing here? I told you I’m not safe to sleep around!”
  2898. >“I… I’m sorry Lucky…" She says with a shaky voice. "It... it was just so cold… and… I… couldn’t stand being alone anymore!”
  2899. “Grace…”
  2900. >Your eyes begin to tear up.
  2901. “You shouldn’t… you shouldn’t have..."
  2902. >You look at her distraught face as she slowly releases you from her embrace.
  2903. >The package!
  2904. >The clock is ticking.
  2905. >You stand up.
  2906. >“Please don’t go!”
  2907. “I’ll… I’ll be back Grace…”
  2908. >Your mind spins, looking for an excuse… another lie. How many times are you going to lie to this poor mare-
  2909. >This would be the last time… wouldn’t it.
  2910. “I really need to use the latrine… I’ll be right back.”
  2911. >“Oh... ok…”
  2912. >You slowly turn around and proceed to the row of makeshift latrines located in the middle of the flood cavern.
  2913. >The ramshackle wooden shacks are the only place you ever got any privacy while in the hive.
  2914. >Your walk turns into a trot.
  2915. >It's already been a few minutes, the package will arrive any moment.
  2916. >The package which might immediately explode on arrival.
  2917. >Was that Luna’s intention?
  2918. >Your horn begins to twitch.
  2919. “Oh no! It’s starting!”
  2920. >You gallop full speed for the latrines, passing by the large mound of sleeping changelings.
  2921. >Your horn begins to glow just as you step inside one of the shacks.
  2922. >Using your back hoof you carefully close the door behind you.
  2923. >Your horn glows brighter and brighter as a cloud of magic begins to materialize.
  2924. >A harsh pain begins to form on the area just below your horn.
  2925. >Your skull feels like it is going to explode!
  2926. >This spell was meant for paper, not metal boxes-
  2927. “Ahh-”
  2928. >You place your hoof over your mouth in an attempt to silence your cries of pain.
  2929. >The outline of the box slowly fades into view.
  2930. >The pain is intense!
  2931. >You bite your tongue in an effort to control your cries.
  2932. >Air rushes in and out of your lungs as you begin to pant excessively.
  2933. >The box is almost entirely formed.
  2934. >The taste of blood fills your mouth.
  2935. >Being used to molars instead of fangs, you inadvertently pierced your tongue.
  2936. >The box fully forms in front of you.
  2937. >It falls to the floor with a clang.
  2938. “Dammit!”
  2939. >You hope no one outside heard that.
  2940. >You let out a sigh of relief as the pain disappears from your skull.
  2941. “Well, looks like the Luna was right. The cold steel box stopped the explosive from going off.”
  2942. >You take the box into your hooves and snap open the air-tight case.
  2943. >A single block of C4 lies inside.
  2944. “Do this and you get to go home Lucky…”
  2945. >You close the box shut. Snapping both of the metal latches.
  2946. “Do this and it's /all/ over...”
  2947. >You crack open the latrine door. Still present is the mound of changeling workers. Nothing is stirring, you must not have awoken anyone.
  2948. >The conditions are perfect.
  2949. >The black box rests securely against your side as you slowly walk from the latrine.
  2950. >The second column is only just a short distance away.
  2951. >You quietly walk by the mound of changelings.
  2952. >Luckily, it's the middle of the night, they are all dead asleep-
  2953. >The image of crushed changeling workers flashes in your mind, reinforced with the disturbing memories of all the cave-in victims you saw the day of the rainstorm.
  2954. >You pause.
  2955. “End the war Lucky… you need to do this to end the war… so they don’t hurt any more ponies…”
  2956. >You continue walking, your gaze avoiding mound.
  2957. >You look to the end of the flood chamber.
  2958. >Grace!
  2959. “Fuck!”
  2960. >You almost killed her... and she forgave you.
  2961. >You have to kill her now...
  2962. “Keep walking Lucky! Keep walking!”
  2963. >You focus your attention on the column and continue forward. After a minute you finally make it.
  2964. >You open up the box, take out the the white block of C4 and carefully mold it onto the column.
  2965. >You look upwards.
  2966. >The Queen is up there. This will end it. No more Queen, no more hive… no more offspring-
  2967. >You recall yourself and Grace trying to calm the foals during the storm.
  2968. >All of them were scared that their home was going to be flooded.
  2969. >You managed to get them calmed down.
  2970. >You didn’t have to, but you did.
  2971. >They’re changelings… but they were just a bunch of foals… you couldn't stand to watch them… suffer.
  2972. >Tears are rolling down your face.
  2973. >If you do this you’ll never forgive yourself.
  2974. >You’ll never be able to live with what you've done.
  2975. >You’ll think about the changeling foal everyday.
  2976. >You'll think about Grace everyday.
  2977. >Even if you become the hero that won the war, you’d probably drink yourself to sleep every night trying to forget what you did.
  2978. >...
  2979. >You’d probably kill yourself.
  2980. >...
  2981. >A smile begins to form in the corner of your mouth.
  2982. "Well... if I'm going to get myself killed, it might as well be on my own terms."
  2983. >You snag the C4 from the column and throw it into the box.
  2984. “1000 year old goddesses… what the hell do they know anyway.”
  2985. >You close the lid on the box, snap it shut, and begin to walk back to the latrines.
  2986. >The wooden opens easily with just the slightest push.
  2987. >Walking forward, you stand over the latrine and stare into the pit of urine and feces.
  2988. “Couldn’t think of a better place to put this.”
  2989. >You drop the metal box into the pit. It quickly sinks to the bottom.
  2990. >You continue to watch the stagnant cesspool.
  2991. >The box can no longer be seen. Only you know that it's down there.
  2992. >Someone will eventually drain these latrines once they become full, but it will be a week or so until that happens.
  2993. >Meh... no need to worry about that. You’ll probably be dead by then anyways.
  2994. >With peace of mind, you calmly stroll past the mound of changelings towards the end of the flood chamber.
  2995. >Grace is lying on the ground with her eyes closed. She has a gloomy look on her face.
  2996. >You quietly sneak up to her and lay down beside her.
  2997. >You then quickly grasp her in your hooves, embracing her in a deep hug.
  2998. >Started, she jolts, but then quickly calms down when she realizes it's you.
  2999. >“Lucky! I wasn’t sure you were coming back.”
  3000. “Me neither Grace… but…”
  3001. >You hug her deeply as you nuzzle your snout into her neck.
  3002. “I guess we're both just lost causes aren’t we...”
  3003. >“What?”
  3004. “Never mind… Hey, can you do me a favor?”
  3005. >“What's that?”
  3006. “I have a feeling that I’m going to have some really bad dreams tonight. Possible more flashbacks. If I start acting up… I want you to…”
  3007. >“I’ll be careful Lucky.”
  3008. “I know you can perform healing spells, but do you have something that can restrain me? Stop me if I get out of control?”
  3009. >“Uh… yeah, I have a spell I could use, but…”
  3010. >You lean in closer to her.
  3011. “If it comes down to it… don’t hold back.”
  3012. >“I… understand.”
  3013. “Good… good… let's get some sleep then.”
  3014. >You try to calm your worried mind.
  3015. >You are committing treason.
  3016. >Luna will likely execute you tonight.
  3017. >You hug Grace a little tighter.
  3018. >You just gave up your only ticket out of here because you chose not to kill civilians of a completely different race.
  3019. >A completely different species!
  3020. >And one your kind is at war with!
  3021. >That was either an extremely stupid thing to do... or an extremely noble one...
  3022. >Grace snuggles closer into you.
  3023. >Maybe changeling are not too different from ponies after all.
  3024. >This mare… this will likely be the last time you ever talk with her.
  3025. “Grace… I… uh… just wanted to let you know I’m really glad I met you down here.”
  3026. >"...”
  3027. >No response.
  3028. >She must have drifted off to sleep.
  3029. “If only things were different…”
  3030. >Having her by your side eases your fears of the terror you will have to face tonight.
  3031. >With the changeling mare in your embrace, her body heat keeping you warm, you drift off to sleep.
  3032. ~~~~~~~~~
  3033. >You in the flood cavern.
  3034. >By yourself
  3035. “Dreaming.”
  3036. >Your head begins to scan for-
  3037. >“TRAITOR!” A mare yells from directly behind as a you hear a spell charging.
  3038. >Without hesitation, having learned from previous encounters, you hit the deck.
  3039. >A split second later a lightning bolt flies above you.
  3040. >Spinning your legs around, you push yourself back up.
  3041. >Before you stands a fuming Princess Luna, her eyes filled with gratuitous malice.
  3042. >Her pupils… they are both vertical.
  3043. “Your eyes! N-ni-ni-”
  3044. >“Nightmare Moon! Yes! Thine insolence hath partially released her! And she thirsts for VENGEANCE!”
  3045. >Her horn begins to charge.
  3046. >You quickly throw up a shield spell.
  3047. >Luna huffs.
  3048. >“Doth thou really believe thy can best us in our own realm?”
  3049. >Her horn begins to glow brighter and brighter.
  3050. >You let out a deep sigh.
  3051. “No… I don’t think I could, could I…”
  3052. >You drop your shield.
  3053. >Luna continues to watch you carefully.
  3054. >“What manner of trickery is this?”
  3055. “No trickery… I’m done telling lies… do what you have to do Princess…”
  3056. >Luna shakes her head.
  3057. >“Thou continues to disappoint us! We were hoping for at least a partial challenge!”
  3058. >In the blink of an eye Luna disappears from view and reappears directly in front you.
  3059. >A pair of dark blue hooves grabs you by the neck and raise you into the air.
  3060. >You stare into the furious eyes of Princess Luna as your body hangs limp in her hooves.
  3061. >“Treasonous scum! Thou betrayed us! Thou betrayed Equestria! Thou foolishly betrayed all ponykind, even thyself!”
  3062. “No!”
  3063. >You cough as she holds you tightly.
  3064. “Not myself!”
  3065. >“Thy mind has been corrupted by the taint of the changeling menace! Likely from thou consuming the love ripped from the innocent ponies of Canterlot!”
  3066. >Is she right?
  3067. >Have I been corrupted?
  3068. >I have consumed plenty of the changeling honey.
  3069. >Did it… change me?
  3070. >Luna grins as she reads your thoughts.
  3071. >You immediately stop thinking and visualize a brick wall.
  3072. >She will not receive any satisfaction from this.
  3073. “No! Back when I was a Royal Guard… if I knew then what I knew now, I still wouldn’t blow that column! Killing all those civilians to get to the Queen… it's… it’s... evil!”
  3074. >“War is hell Lucky! Letting the changelings continue to pillage Equestria is evil!”
  3075. “Foals Luna? Could you really-”
  3076. >The cavern becomes a blur as you are thrown across the room.
  3077. >Your body slams violently against the stone wall and you fall to the ground.
  3078. >“Giving those monsters a swift death would be one of the kindest things we’ve done! Thou was not alive during the Unification Wars of Equestria. Unifying the earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns… villages and cities burned beneath the hooves of the two sisters!”
  3079. >You slowly pick up your battered body from the ground.
  3080. “And I suppose Celestia mellowed out, but you stayed the-”
  3081. >A wave of black energy throws you back into the wall, holding you there.
  3082. >“SILENCE KNAVE! THOU SHALT MOCK US NO MORE!”
  3083. “Let's get this over with then! If I die tonight, I'll die proud knowing of those I saved!”
  3084. >Luna begins to walk towards you.
  3085. >“Proud? Thou believes thine sacrifice will save the hive? We shall instead send in another agent post haste to destroy the column and deliver the killing blow to the changelings!”
  3086. “NO! Please! Do what you must to me, but don’t blow the column! There would be to many civilian casualties!”
  3087. >“Ha! You speak of the changelings as if they are ponies!”
  3088. “They-”
  3089. >“ARE NOT! They are vile! They are parasites! They all deserve to be vanquished!”
  3090. >The shape of Luna’s mane begins to change. It begins to wave much more abstractly. The color begins to grow darker.
  3091. “NO! You and Celestia can try a different approach-”
  3092. >“Celestia?! No! She will not be involved with this! Not until the Queen is vanquished!”
  3093. “What… why not involve her? She’s your sis-”
  3094. *GASP*
  3095. >You begin to wheeze as your throat begins to constrict under Luna’s magic.
  3096. >Her eyes squint as she views you struggling.
  3097. >She lets out a sigh.
  3098. >“Twas that fateful day… the day of the wedding. That vile Queen of the damned bested our sister in combat… We were not there for her… we failed her… we failed everyone.”
  3099. >Your throat opens back up. Air fills your lungs.
  3100. >Tears begin to form in the Princess's eyes.
  3101. >Regaining your breath, you reply.
  3102. “You… blame... yourself…”
  3103. >“What would thou know, fool! Thou can’t even follow the simplest of orders!”
  3104. “It... wasn’t...your... fault...”
  3105. >“Does thou not think our sister has not told us this?! But we know… we know she was only trying to lessen our guilt.”
  3106. “But…”
  3107. >“WE CAN HEAR THE PONIES TALKING BEHIND OUR BACK! We can hear their fears! Their worries! Their nightmares…”
  3108. >You feel Luna’s hooves begin to jitter as she stares off blankly.
  3109. >“We can hear them even now… Where was Princess Luna during the attack? Where was Princess Luna when Canterlot fell? Where was Luna when Celestia was defeated?”
  3110. >Luna’s fur begins to darken…
  3111. >Her tone changes to a harsh whisper.
  3112. >“Luna hasn’t changed... Luna still wants to plunge the world into eternal darkness… Luna was behind the attack... Luna tried to stage a coup… Luna is in league with the changelings! Luna is a changeling! Luna is Queen Chrysalis!”
  3113. >Tears begin to stream down her face.
  3114. >“We not only hear these accusations from the peasants, but also the Royal Guard. Even from our most trusted advisors… even… our… sister...”
  3115. >You fall to the floor as she releases you from her hooves.
  3116. >The large mare collapses, landing on her knees.
  3117. >Her front hooves cover her face as she begins to sob uncontrollably.
  3118. >You pull yourself up and watch the mare bawl her eyes out.
  3119. “Luna… I’m sorry…”
  3120. >She continues to cry.
  3121. “Luna?....”
  3122. >Still no response.
  3123. >Slowly, you extend your hole-riddled hoof to her shoulder.
  3124. >Your black chitin makes contact with her dark fur.
  3125. >She flinches.
  3126. >Slowly she lifts her saddened, tear-riddled face.
  3127. “I understand your pain Princess…”
  3128. >She looks deep into your concerned gaze.
  3129. >“It’s so hard… we did not ask for this… we did not want any of this… we had this thrust upon us!”
  3130. “Everything is gonna be alright…”
  3131. >“Will thou help us Lucky?”
  3132. “Yes. I will assist however I can.”
  3133. >Her face perks up.
  3134. >“Really?”
  3135. “Of course Princess? We can get through this!”
  3136. >“Yes… yes we can! We can overcome this!”
  3137. >She straightens herself and stands up, emboldened.
  3138. >“We know what must be done! We know what thou must do!”
  3139. >She looks you square in the eye.
  3140. >“Thou must… destroy the column.”
  3141. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUWi9ytJhDc
  3142. >You pause, staring into her teary eyed face.
  3143. >A cold sweat begins to overtake you.
  3144. >“Do this… kill the changelings… and thou shalt clear our name.”
  3145. >You continue to pause, looking into her vertical pupils.
  3146. >Her eyes are cold, uncaring, devoid of any sort of positive emotion.
  3147. >>She's a lunatic...
  3148. >>Oh no!
  3149. >>Brick wall! B-brick wall!
  3150. >Her face changes from one of sorrow to one of contempt.
  3151. >“Thou is not going to help us…”
  3152. >You begin to shake in fear.
  3153. >“Thou wants to watch us suffer!”
  3154. >You nervously begin to walk backwards.
  3155. “No… I-”
  3156. >“WE’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THY SLANDER!”
  3157. >Black clouds of smoke immediately surround the alicorn.
  3158. >Within the cloud you see the outline of the large mare.
  3159. >Bright flashes of magic erupt from the cloud enveloping her.
  3160. >You watch as her limbs begin to grow.
  3161. >The sounds of bones snapping from their sockets and popping back into place fills your ears.
  3162. >Her limbs become longer and more lean.
  3163. >Her horn begins to lengthen. The tip becomes as sharp as a spear.
  3164. >She spreads open her wings, blowing away the dark smoke surrounding her.
  3165. >“BEHOLD MORTAL! THOU SHALL BEAR WITNESS TO OUR TRUE FORM! THE SCOURGE OF THE NIGHT! THE DESTROYER OF THE PONY REPUBLICS OF OLD! NIGHTMARE MOON!”
  3166. >The cavern goes dark.
  3167. >You look to where the Princess was just standing moments ago.
  3168. >All you can see now is an eerie glow.
  3169. >The glow wavers back and forth, and then vanishes.
  3170. >“HA… HA… HA…”
  3171. >An eerie laughter surrounds you, coming from all directions
  3172. >Anxiety and panic begin to take hold of you.
  3173. >Your heart races.
  3174. >A mare's face flashes in front of you.
  3175. >You jump back.
  3176. >It’s gone.
  3177. >Focusing as much as you can, you attempt to use your horn to create light.
  3178. >Only a minute green glow is emitted.
  3179. >It’s as if the darkness surrounding you is consuming the light.
  3180. >The room becomes colder.
  3181. >Much, much colder.
  3182. >You begin to shiver, breath becoming visible in the freezing cold.
  3183. >You stand alone in the darkness.
  3184. >The laughter grows louder and louder.
  3185. “ENOUGH!”
  3186. >The laughter stops
  3187. “I’m ready for whatever sentence you have!”
  3188. >An outline of a mare illuminates in front of you.
  3189. >On her head she dons a helmet, the metal glistening an eerie glow.
  3190. >A grim smile greets you, from which two sharp fangs protrude.
  3191. >“We couldn't agree more…”
  3192. >With a flash of Nightmare Moon’s horn you are propelled into the air.
  3193. >A dark magical aura surrounds your entire body.
  3194. >With a swift nauseating pull, the magic field brings you face to face with the intimidating mare.
  3195. >She continues to stare at you.
  3196. >“Lucky, we find thou guilty of treason. How does thou plead?
  3197. >You let out a sigh.
  3198. “I did what I thought was right… I plead guilty…”
  3199. >“Thy morals hath lead to thine undoing."
  3200. “So what's the sentence going to be? Are you going to frighten me to death in horrible nightmare?”
  3201. >“Agent Lucky… we have no intentions of giving thou a swift death tonight."
  3202. >You gulp, but try to maintain your composure.
  3203. “Of course… you're going to make me relive the Canterlot invasion over and over again, aren't you?”
  3204. >“Tempting… but no…”
  3205. “N-never let me wake up from an endless nightmare?”
  3206. >Nightmare Moon shakes her head while smiling.
  3207. “Then what?”
  3208. >“We shall give thou a fitting end deserving of a changeling sympathizer like thyself. But first… we shall excommunicate thou from the dreamscape. We have no desire to hear thy pitiful pleas for help during what is about to transpire.”
  3209. “Excommunicate?”
  3210. >“This shall be thy last dream, Agent Lucky. Never again will thy mind be allowed entry into the dreamscape.”
  3211. “If it means I never have to see you again, then I’m fine with that.”
  3212. >“We don’t think thou will see it that way soon enough…”
  3213. >Nightmare Moon’s horn begins to glow. A white electrical orb begins to form on the tip.
  3214. >After a few seconds the orb departs, slowly heading towards for your face.
  3215. >The closer it gets, the more your chitin begins to itch. It emits a strong staticy noise growing louder, and louder-
  3216. >It strikes.
  3217. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r5sjeDH9AY
  3218. >You vision turns white.
  3219. >Your ears are ringing as a dizziness overtakes you.
  3220. >You attempt to move around but you can't feel anything.
  3221. >All you can do is wait.
  3222. >Time passes. Whether it's seconds, minutes, or even hours, you are not sure.
  3223. >Slowly, your vision begins coming back to you.
  3224. >The side of you face lies flat against the floor of the flood cavern.
  3225. >Nightmare Moon stands before you
  3226. “I’m still dreaming.”
  3227. >“The link has been severed. No more communication, no more material transfer spell, no more hope of ever getting out of the hive alive. Once thou awakens, never again will thee be allowed the comfort of the dreamscape. But not before we deliver justice to thy traitorous scum! Thou shalt see the true nature of the changelings! Thou shalt see how they will treat a pony in their hive, especially one as sympathetic as thee!”
  3228. “Just how you will alert them to my presence?”
  3229. >“We? We won’t be telling them, thou shalt be.”
  3230. “Why would I-”
  3231. >Nightmare Moon’s horn begins to glow.
  3232. >A dark blue magic begins to encircle your legs.
  3233. >“Rise Agent Lucky.”
  3234. >Your legs move on their own, quickly propelling yourself upwards.
  3235. “What the… What are you doing?”
  3236. >“We are making thou sleep walk.” She says with a grin.
  3237. >>You just made me stand up in real life, you just made me wake up-
  3238. >>Brick wall
  3239. >“Yes we did, and now we shall make thou speak and reveal thy true identity! Thou shalt proclaim thine involvement in the recent attempt to drown the hive! All of thy changeling “friends” shall find out that thou are actually a pony in disguise!”
  3240. >The mare's eyes open wide as her vertical pupils look at your excitedly.
  3241. >“It is possible the changelings may kill thou on the spot. But we don't think thou will be that fortunate... Thou shall likely be tortured for the rest of thy miserable life. Thy love will be drained every day until thou is on the verge of death. This shall occur every day, again and again!"
  3242. >Her horn begins to spark.
  3243. >“And thou will not get the chance to use the cyanide capsule, as we shall alert the changelings to that as well!”
  3244. >She smiles with a sadistic, fang-filled grin.
  3245. >A dark blue magic begins to encircle your mouth.
  3246. >“Thou shalt repeat after me-
  3247. “MY FACE! YOU TOOK MY FACE! I’LL KILL YOU!”
  3248. >“What?”
  3249. “What?”
  3250. >“Why did thou”
  3251. “Why did-”
  3252. >Your vision jolts black.
  3253. >A wave of pain overcomes your body as you collapse to the ground.
  3254. >“What… how did?”
  3255. “MMhh… mhm mfm”
  3256. >You try to speak but you can’t. Your are completely paralyzed.
  3257. >>Grace! She fell for it! She cast the spell! Ha… ha...
  3258. >“We don’t understand… how”
  3259. “Mh hmmh mhmmgm.... Mhm”
  3260. >Nightmare Moon begins to fade from view, the dream begins to collapse on itself.
  3261. >“No… NO!”
  3262. “Mh… MH!”
  3263. >>HAHAHAHA!
  3264. >Nightmare Moon disappears, the dream ends.
  3265. ~~~~~~~~~
  3266. >Your body is convulsing on the ground.
  3267. >Unable to turn your head, all you can stare at is the fissure on the wall.
  3268. >Out of the corner of your eye flutters a faint green glow.
  3269. >You continue to seize on the ground for a few minutes.
  3270. >As time gruelingly passes by, your body control slowly returns.
  3271. >You turn your head.
  3272. >Grace is standing there, horn fully charged, ready to let loose another spell.
  3273. >A realization comes to you.
  3274. >You did it, you bested the Princess of the Night.
  3275. >She’ll never get a second chance for revenge, as she excommunicated you from the dreamscape.
  3276. >A smile forms on your face.
  3277. “Ha… Ha….”
  3278. >Grace's horn become brighter.
  3279. >Oh fuck! She thinks I’m still having a flashback.
  3280. “Wait! Don't!”
  3281. >Grace eyes you carefully…
  3282. “Flashback over! Regular Lucky!”
  3283. >She lets out an audible sigh of relief.
  3284. >“Oh… thank the Queen.”
  3285. >The spell vanishes from her horn as the green glow quickly disappears.
  3286. >“Oh Lucky… I’m sorry I had to do that! You stood up and started shouting-”
  3287. “Don’t worry! You did great, absolutely great!”
  3288. >“W-what?”
  3289. “I mean, uh… you did just like I told you! No holding back. Thank you!”
  3290. >“Y-You’re thanking me… after I just casted a paralysis spell on you?”
  3291. “Well… it hurt like hell and was very disturbing… but…”
  3292. >Grace looks at you confusingly.
  3293. “Nevermind...”
  3294. >“Lucky! This is the second night in a row you had a flashback! Both were violent! You need consoling for this!”
  3295. “Oh, I have a feeling everything's going to be /just/ fine.” You smirk.
  3296. >“Wa…. Why are you smiling! This isn’t funny!”
  3297. >You lose the smirk from your face.
  3298. >She is really concerned about you.
  3299. >You’re probably the only one in the hive who has shown any compassion towards her.
  3300. “Grace… if I told you something, could you…”
  3301. >You pause.
  3302. >Should you do this?
  3303. >You're already fucked. You’ll likely never be able to leave the hive, and even if you did you have no way to change yourself back.
  3304. >You imagine yourself back in Canterlot trying to convince your friends and family that you are a pony trapped in a changeling's body.
  3305. >Even if you were able to convince some of them, if Luna found out you were back in Canterlot…
  3306. >You shudder.
  3307. >“You can tell me anything Lucky! I want to help you!”
  3308. “Grace… I’m… I’m a…”
  3309. >DING DING DING
  3310. >Time to wake up.
  3311. >She looks at you expectantly waiting for you to continue.
  3312. >You look past her and see the rest of the flood chamber.
  3313. >The changelings on the other side of the cavern begin to stir.
  3314. >A group of changeling workers next to a wagon are getting ready to distribute breakfast.
  3315. >Their wagon is parked right in the middle of the cavern next to a column.
  3316. >...The second column from the entrance.
  3317. >“You’re what?”
  3318. >Luna… she isn’t going to stop.
  3319. >She is going to send another agent down here to blow the column.
  3320. >It's only a matter of time.
  3321. >She is probably beginning the preparations right now.
  3322. >Searching for a pony who wouldn’t care about killing a bunch of changeling civilians.
  3323. >“PLEASE! I want to help you! But you need to speak to me!”
  3324. >It wouldn’t take her long to find a pony who would do that.
  3325. “The column!”
  3326. >“What?”
  3327. “That column… this whole flood cavern… it isn’t safe.”
  3328. >“Y-you’re dodging! I can’t help you if-”
  3329. >You grab a hold of Grace with your front hooves and pull her into your embrace.
  3330. “I’m so sorry… I hate withholding the truth from you… but I can’t tell you… not yet…”
  3331. >“B-But… if you don’t tell me… I can’t help you… I want to help you!”
  3332. “Help me? If you want to help me, look at that column!”
  3333. >You detach from her and point to the second column from the entrance.
  3334. >The mare grudgingly obeys.
  3335. >“Ok, fine, what about it?”
  3336. “What's directly above that column?”
  3337. >“The nursery…”
  3338. “How strong does that column look? How strong do any of these columns look?”
  3339. >“Uhh... strong?”
  3340. >You take in a deep breath and exhale in disappointment.
  3341. “Really?”
  3342. >Grace takes a step back from you and huffs.
  3343. >“I don’t know! I’m just a worker! I’ve never left the hive before! I have nothing to compare it to, OK!”
  3344. “Grace… I didn’t mean to-”
  3345. >“All I ever wanted to do was care for the little ones, and I failed at that miserably! Beyond miserably! Now everyone hates me! Besides Brutus, you're the only one who will ever talk to me! And you’re the only one who communicates using words instead of grunting! And I can’t even properly take care of you, despite the fact I used to be a nurse!”
  3346. “I’m sorry-”
  3347. >“I follow orders from the Overseer, but I can't do anything right! I don’t know anything about flood caverns or columns, that’s what the Overseer is supposed to know, not me!”
  3348. “The overseer…”
  3349. >“I can hear her now... Hurry up Disgrace! You’re pathetic Disgrace! Why haven't you cleared that boulder yet Disgrace!... and to think I was just a few strokes away from-”
  3350. “GRACE! Listen to me! That column!”
  3351. >Grace sullenly looks up to you.
  3352. “The columns in this cavern are not strong enough. If that column in the middle of the flood chamber were to fail, the nursery would come crashing down with it!”
  3353. >“B-But… they’ve worked fine so far?”
  3354. “They have… but they're not safe! If something were to happen to that column... it could kill the Queen!”
  3355. >“But the Construction Overseer designed those columns! I’m sure she knew what she was doing!”
  3356. “This whole cavern is built like shit!”
  3357. >“Lucky! Don’t say that!”
  3358. “It’s the truth! Those columns will be the death of the hive! I can… guarantee it.”
  3359. >“How do you know this Lucky? What makes you a better expert compared to the Overseer?”
  3360. “Well… I’ve been on the surface. I’ve seen lots of structures before.”
  3361. >“But the Overseer has been doing construction her whole life!”
  3362. “Grace! I need you to trust me on this.”
  3363. >“But…”
  3364. “All the fillies and colts in the nursery are in danger. We need to convince the Overseer that the columns are not safe!”
  3365. >The scrawny changeling mare pauses.
  3366. >You struck a nerve.
  3367. >“The little ones…” She shakily replies.
  3368. “Yes! Can you please help me with this!”
  3369. >“I... I… yes, I’ll help you. Although I don’t think the Overseer is going to listen...”
  3370. “I’m sure she’ll listen to reason if we just carefully explain it to her.”
  3371. >15 minutes later
  3372. >“HOW DARE YOU!”
  3373. “I didn’t mean to-”
  3374. >“YOU INSOLENT FUCKING DRONE!”
  3375. >The changeling workers waiting in line for breakfast all look upon the scene you created. All become silent and listen.
  3376. “But please! You have to believe me! The columns and not safe!”
  3377. >“NOT SAFE! The only thing not safe is you trying to make decisions an Overseer should make! Have you forgotten your place in the hive?”
  3378. “Please-”
  3379. >“You just earned yourself two hours of overtime for insubordination drone!”
  3380. >You look at the ground in despair.
  3381. >How they hell are you going to do this…
  3382. >The Overseer, seeing your sullen face, holds her head up triumphant and begins to walk away.
  3383. “You’re all gonna fucking die because of those columns!”
  3384. >She turns around sharply.
  3385. >“That’s it! Three hours of overtime! If you act up one more time you will be reported and will face disciplinary action from the Queen!”
  3386. >You let out a deep sigh, but say nothing.
  3387. >The Overseer continues to glare at you angrily for a few moments before finally turning around and going about her business.
  3388. >The changelings of the flood cavern continue to watch you in silence.
  3389. >You just became noticed. It’s only a matter of time before your cover is blown now…
  3390. >Grace, standing behind you, looks at you nervously.
  3391. >“Uh… How about some breakfast Lucky?”
  3392. “Yeah… sure…”
  3393. >The two of you stroll to the end of the line.
  3394. >The changeling workers slowly resume talking among each other and consuming their food.
  3395. >You and Grace silently wait in the line.
  3396. >Your mind spins thinking about what the just happened.
  3397. >Upon reaching the front, both of you are given a glass full of honey.
  3398. >You begin to gulp it down, while Grace slowly sips hers.
  3399. >Grace finally breaks the silence.
  3400. >“I didn’t think she'd be able to hate anyone more than she hates me…”
  3401. “Fucking engineers! Think they know everything!”
  3402. >“Lucky! You need to stop that! You don’t want to face punishment from the Queen, do you! Believe me, it is not something you want!”
  3403. “No…”
  3404. >Your head perks up
  3405. “The Queen… “
  3406. >What if there was some way you could tell her, or if not her, maybe the Chief Overseer.
  3407. >But when would you get the chance to do that? You work all day, and thanks to your outburst, you’ll be working into a big chunk of the night as well.
  3408. >“I still remember being judged during her court. Everyone looking at me... It was one of the worst experiences of my life.”
  3409. “Her court?”
  3410. >Grace halts. Instantly realizing what you are thinking.
  3411. >“No!”
  3412. “You said that the Queen encourages all changelings to attend, right?”
  3413. >“You can’t go directly to the Queen! Workers report to their Overseer! Overseers report to the Chief Overseer. The Chief Overseer reports to the Queen! You would be bypassing the chain of command! You already showed insubordination to Overseer Lysandra, if you do this you’ll be punished for sure!”
  3414. >Getting further noticed, especially in front of the Queen, would likely lead to being discovered. That would lead to…
  3415. >Your tongue moves over the hollowed out tooth in your mouth.
  3416. “Hmm... you’re right. If “I” try to say something, then I’ll be punished for sure. But what if…”
  3417. >You look at her with hopeful eyes.
  3418. >“What?”
  3419. “Would you be able to bring up the columns during the Queen's court?”
  3420. >“ME?!”
  3421. “I know it's asking a lot, but we’re all in real danger down here!”
  3422. >“If you think these columns are so dangerous, then why didn't you say something earlier?”
  3423. >Shit…
  3424. “Well... I suppose I didn’t fully realize it until last night.”
  3425. >Grace looks at you skeptically.
  3426. “I guess it came to me in a dream.”
  3427. >“Even if I did bring this up during the court-”
  3428. >DING DING DING.
  3429. >The shift starts, all the changelings begin their excavation duties.
  3430. >“-I doubt they would listen to me.”
  3431. >Grace turns away from you and begins picking up excavation debris.
  3432. >She’s right. She's been ostracized from the hive. Having her bring this up might actually make things worse.
  3433. >You sullenly follow suit, picking up various rocks that litter the floor.
  3434. >Maybe you can ask someone else to bring it up during the court.
  3435. >But who could you ask besides Grace? The only other changelings you know are Brutus and...
  3436. “Dolly! I’ll ask her to bring it up!”
  3437. >Grace hesitantly looks back to you.
  3438. >“Lucky… I know you are really worked up from that dream you had last night… I’m sure it must have been very frightening for you… but maybe its best to just end this whole column issue right now.”
  3439. “You don’t believe me, do you…”
  3440. >“I trust you… but… maybe it’s best for your own sake that you stop. I don't want to see you get into trouble...”
  3441. “This isn’t something we can wait on. We need to act now!”
  3442. >Carrying your mining debris, you storm off to a waiting set of wagons.
  3443. >You bypass the wagons in the front and continue looking until you spot Dolly waiting further down the line.
  3444. “Hey Dolly!”
  3445. >“Lucky.” She says as she nods her head. “That was some crazy shit you pulled in front of the Overseer!”
  3446. “That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about…”
  3447. >“Huh?”
  3448. “Would you... be able to bring up what I said at during breakfast at the Queen's court today?"
  3449. >“Whoa!”
  3450. >Dolly looks over her shoulder.
  3451. >“It's a well known fact that the Overseer and I aren’t on good terms, but if I try to pull something like that she’ll have me doing overtime everyday until I die! It's bad enough that she makes me do it as often as she does!”
  3452. “Dolly please! Those columns are a danger to the hive! Someone needs to alert-”
  3453. >Dolly shakes her head.
  3454. >“Sorry Lucky… no can do. Now unless you want to fuck both of us over, I’d suggest getting back to your shift before the Overseer sees you over here.”
  3455. >You let out a sigh and walk back over to the other side of the cavern back to where Grace is.
  3456. >“Any luck convincing her?”
  3457. >You look back at her bleakly
  3458. >“I’ll take that as a no...”
  3459. >Gloomily, you resume picking up the rocks littering the ground.
  3460. >Several minutes pass by.
  3461. >“Are you just gonna stay like this all day?” Grace asks, concerned.
  3462. “…”
  3463. >“No need to be so mopey, I’m sure everything is going to be just fine.”
  3464. “We're all gonna die down here.”
  3465. >“You’re really convinced these columns are going to fail, aren’t you?”
  3466. “I’m more than convinced, I’m certain! It's just a matter of time.”
  3467. >Grace rolls her eyes
  3468. >“Fine.”
  3469. “Fine?”
  3470. >“I’ll bring it up at the Queen's court, they may not listen to me, but it's worth a shot, right?”
  3471. “Really?”
  3472. >“Yeah… anything for you Lucky… “
  3473. “Thank you so much Grace!"
  3474. >You drop the rocks you are carrying and give her a quick hug.
  3475. >Caught off guard, she drops her mining debris as well.
  3476. “So umm…. When is the Queen's court again?”
  3477. >Grace rolls her eyes
  3478. >“It's going on right now. In fact, it’ll be wrapping in a few minutes.”
  3479. “A few minutes?!”
  3480. >“Yeah, maybe I should bring it up at tomorrow’s court? That way you can coach me on exactly what I should say-”
  3481. “No! We can’t waste any time on this! We need to go now! I’ll tell you what to say on the way!”
  3482. >You grab hold of her and begin trotting towards the entrance of the flood cavern.
  3483. “So be sure to stress that the second column-”
  3484. >“WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?”
  3485. >Shit!
  3486. >You stop suddenly.
  3487. >Grace slams into your backside.
  3488. “OW! Uh… the latrine.”
  3489. >“Why were you running?!”
  3490. “Uh... We both really had to go. Today’s breakfast just went right through me. Same with you. right Grace?”
  3491. >Grace looks at you and then back to the Overseer.
  3492. >“Uhhh…”
  3493. >She looks back to you.
  3494. “We better hurry up Grace, we don’t want to keep the Overseer waiting…”
  3495. >The Overseer’s brow tightens above her eyes.
  3496. >“I’m watching you drone. I better see both of you back on duty right way, or else…”
  3497. “Yes ma’am, we’ll be back in no time. Come on Grace.”
  3498. >You give her a tug and proceed towards the latrines.
  3499. >Arriving at the latrines, you look over your shoulder.
  3500. >The Overseer has moved onto the other side of the flood cavern and is barking orders at the other changelings.
  3501. “Come on! Hurry.”
  3502. >Together the two of you race for the entrance.
  3503. >“Y-you just lied to the Overseer Lucky!”
  3504. “It is for the best…”
  3505. >“That’s grounds for insubordination! If she finds out she will report you to the Queen! Plus, she said she’ll be looking for both of us, she’s gonna find out!”
  3506. “Fuck it… I’ll deal with that later, we need to go to the court!”
  3507. >As the two of you run up the ramp you quickly explain what you want Grace to say during the court.
  3508. >Before you can double check that she has everything down, the two of you arrive at the entrance of the throne room.
  3509. >The Queen sits on the main throne on the far end of the cavern, with General Strider to her right and Chief Overseer Mazarine to her left.
  3510. >Several drones clad in armor fill the cavern, along with a number of changeling workers.
  3511. “Alright Grace, I’ll wait back here while you go in and tell the Queen exactly what we went over, alright?”
  3512. >“Yeah, got it!”
  3513. >Grace walks forward into the throne room and takes a place among several of the other changelings watching the proceedings.
  3514. >You listen to the Queen's court from the back of the room.
  3515. >A drone stands before three of them talking about new successful infiltrations and love collection activities.
  3516. >This some amazing intel!
  3517. >Oh wait…
  3518. >To bad you're not an Shadowbolt Agent anymore. Maybe if you collected information like this, Luna would have…
  3519. >Meh… no sense dwelling on what could have been.
  3520. >You continue to watch the proceedings.
  3521. >The drone finishes up his report.
  3522. >"Thank you Lieutenant." The Queen says in her ominous two toned voice. "Now unless there are any other matters that should be brought to my attention, we can adjourn today's session."
  3523. >The Queen looks up and scans the courtroom.
  3524. >You see Grace raise her hoof, in clear view of the court.
  3525. >The Queen pauses for a second, but then keeps looking.
  3526. >Shit! The Queen is ignoring her. You feared something like this would happen.
  3527. >“Does anyone have anything else for today?”
  3528. >“Q-Queen Chrysalis!" Grace chimes in meekly. "I have something important to say regarding the safety of the-”
  3529. >“Very well, if no one else has any important matters then I bid this court-”
  3530. “WAIT!”
  3531. >The entire court room turns to look at you.
  3532. “P-please… listen to her…”
  3533. >The Queen rises from her throne.
  3534. >From her tall visage she sees over all other changelings in the room.
  3535. >She looks at you straight in the eye.
  3536. >She raises a hoof to Grace.
  3537. >“Disgrace has no voice in this courtroom. She is fortunate I haven't had her thrown out!”
  3538. >She turns to you.
  3539. >“Have you something you wish to say?”
  3540. “Uh…”
  3541. >“Yes or no? We all have important matters to attend to!”
  3542. “Y-y-yes!”
  3543. >“Fine, then come forward and speak!”
  3544. >You stand still, legs afraid to move.
  3545. >This is it.
  3546. >This is where you get discovered.
  3547. >The Queen lets out a sigh and begins to speak softly.
  3548. >“Do not be afraid child… step forward and make your case.”
  3549. >Her voice is much more soothing, yet still eerie. She looks at you with non-hostile eyes.
  3550. >She hasn’t seen through your disguise. Perhaps you’ll be able to pull this off.
  3551. >Here goes nothing...
  3552. >You slowly step forward to the front of the throne room.
  3553. >The Queen resumes sitting upon her throne. The General and Chief Overseer both eye you closely.
  3554. >Your gaze stays fixed to the Queen.
  3555. >You reach the front and stop, pausing for a few seconds.
  3556. >“Come on! We haven't got all day!” General Strider yells out.
  3557. >“General please! This poor drone looks like he is about to pass out in fear!” The Chief Overseer replies.
  3558. >“You have got to be one of the meekest drones I’ve ever seen! Who is your commanding officer! I shall have to reprimand him for his improper training!”
  3559. >You begin to noticeably shake.
  3560. “Uhh…”
  3561. >“Enough!” The Queen interrupts. “What do you have to say?”
  3562. “Uh… I... uh…”
  3563. >“Out with it soldier!” The General yells.
  3564. “The flood chamber! It's… not safe!”
  3565. >“And why is that?” The Queen quickly replies.
  3566. “The columns... they are-”
  3567. >“SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU INSUBORDINATE, WORTHLESS EXCUSE FOR A CHANGELING!” A voice calls out from the entrance to the throne room.
  3568. "Oh no…"
  3569. >Overseer Lysandra steps inside.
  3570. >“What is the meaning of this?!” Queen Chrysalis yells.
  3571. >“Sorry my Queen,” Lysandra says as she walks forward directly in front of you. “But this drone has been considerably out of line and needs to be disciplined!”
  3572. >“This drone is one of your subordinates?” The Queen asks, confused.
  3573. >“Unfortunately, yes! Apparently after Brutus was let in, the construction division has become a refuge for all crippled drones-”
  3574. >“Do NOT speak ill of former Colonel Brutus!" Chrysalis snarls. "He has served this hive well and sacrificed more than any of us ever will!”
  3575. >“Oh, I meant no ill will towards Brutus, this one however-” She motions back towards you. “-needs to be disciplined to ensure he remains in line.”
  3576. >“Just what has he done to deserve a decree of punishment from myself?” Chrysalis replies.
  3577. >“He has repeatedly shown me a lack of respect! He has lied to me! And I have caught him slacking off multiple times during his shift!"
  3578. >“Hmm…” the Queen says to herself. “Insubordination is not something I tolerate in my hive.”
  3579. “Please! You need to listen to me! The columns-”
  3580. >“I SAID SHUT UP!”
  3581. >Lysandra twirls around and delivers a crushing blow to your jaw.
  3582. >Completely caught off guard, you collapse to the ground.
  3583. >Lysandra quickly turns back around to face the Queen.
  3584. >“This one has been spewing nonsense all morning, trying to get all the other workers riled up over nothing!”
  3585. >“And just what was he going on about?”
  3586. >“Nothing to trouble yourself with my Queen, repeating it would only make matters worse.”
  3587. >Lysandra looks back to you.
  3588. >“I have a feeling he is doing this only to draw attention to himself."
  3589. >“Hmm…”
  3590. “You’re all gonna die…” You mumble in pain.
  3591. >“What did he say?” The Queen asks.
  3592. >“Just more nonsense. Perhaps it would best if we silenced this troublemaker and moved him to the disciplinary caverns?”
  3593. >"Very well, he must face the consequences for his actions."
  3594. >Her horn begins to glow green as she turns around. She looks down at you with a malice filled gaze.
  3595. >“NO! DON’T SEND HIM TO THE PITS! PLEASE!” Grace yells from the other side of the chamber.
  3596. >But her pleas fall on deaf ears.
  3597. >Lysandra bends down to you and whispers.
  3598. >“Enjoy your time in the pits.”
  3599. >She smirks sadistically at you.
  3600. >“It should change you for the better! Make you more of a drone then you already are! You’ll become mindless, dumb… and obedient.”
  3601. >Her horn becomes brighter and brighter.
  3602. >“STOP!”
  3603. >A changeling mare calls out from the entrance of the throne room.
  3604. >Everyone turns to look.
  3605. >You watch Lysandra's sadistic grin turn to one of anger.
  3606. >Her horn goes back to normal as the spell discharges.
  3607. >“No… Not you!” Lysandra mumbles harshly.
  3608. >You slowly turn your head to the entrance. There are too many other changelings in the way to see who it is.
  3609. >But you can tell that she is pulling a cart.
  3610. “Dolly!”
  3611. >The changelings in front of Dolly move out of the way, giving you a clear view.
  3612. >“I’ve only known Lucky for a few days, but I know him well enough that he wouldn’t be doing something like this unless he had a damn good reason!”
  3613. >“Silence Dolly!” Lysandra yells as she turns back to Chrysalis. “My Queen, don't listen to her! She is almost as insubordinate as the drone is!”
  3614. >“I figured you would say that!” Dolly yells out “So that's why I brought someone else here to vouch for him. Get in here big guy!”
  3615. >Another changeling pulling a cart rolls into the chamber.
  3616. >His disfigured face scans the throne room. He stops when he sees you lying on the ground.
  3617. >“Colonel Brutus!” Queen Chrysalis exclaims.
  3618. >You hear Lysandra exhale deeply as she tries to contain her anger.
  3619. >Brutus begins to walk towards the front of the throne room.
  3620. >He does so with no regard for the other changelings in his path.
  3621. >They quickly flutter out of the way to avoid being run over by his heavily loaded wagon.
  3622. >He stops directly behind of you.
  3623. >“Get up!” He huffs.
  3624. >Really...
  3625. >You let out sigh as you slowly pull yourself up.
  3626. >“Brutus, what can you tell us of this drone? Are his intentions pure?” The Queen asks.
  3627. >“My Queen!” Lysandra interrupts. “Can we really trust the mental judgements of-”
  3628. >“SILENCE!” The Queen roars.
  3629. >She turn back to Brutus.
  3630. >“Please, Brutus… answer my question.”
  3631. >“Hmph! Not... sure…”
  3632. *Sigh*
  3633. >You hang your aching head low.
  3634. >“Didn’t like him… at first… tried to kill him… accidentally… not intentionally… i think…”
  3635. >You place your tongue over your hollowed out tooth. You might be needing to take that capsule pretty soon.
  3636. >“But… he… he…”
  3637. >Brutus looks at you. You both look at each others disfigured faces.
  3638. >The drone turns his gaze to the Queen.
  3639. >“He knew the risks… bypassing Overseer Lasandra... he has demonstrated... a willingness... to sacrifice himself... for the hive… I think... you should… listen.”
  3640. >The Queen contemplates for a moment, stroking her chin with her hoof.
  3641. >“A willingness to sacrifice oneself for the hive should not be punished.”
  3642. >She looks to you.
  3643. >“Go ahead and state your case.”
  3644. “T-thank you m-my Queen.”
  3645. >Overseer Lysandra shoots you a cold glare.
  3646. >You take in a deep breath and exhale slowly.
  3647. “The flood cavern is not structurally sound, the columns-”
  3648. >“MY QUEEN! DON’T LISTEN TO THIS RUB-”
  3649. >“ENOUGH LYSANDRA! ONE MORE INTERRUPTION OUT OF YOU AND YOU’LL BE THE ONE GOING TO THE PITS!”
  3650. >Lysandra closes her mouth and takes a step back.
  3651. >“Please continue.” The Queen says softly.
  3652. “Yes… uh… where was I… the columns... the columns supporting the flood chamber are not strong enough. This is especially dangerous for one column in particular, the second column from the entrance. Directly above that column is where we are now standing, the nursery, the throne room… and your personal bedroom. If something were to happen to that column… especially in the middle of the night when everyone is sleeping… then… then it would…"
  3653. >“I understand your concern.” The Queen replies. “But the flood chamber has supported itself fine over the past few months, there has not been any problems with Lysandra's construction designs.”
  3654. >Lysandra huffs her chest up proudly.
  3655. >“If the columns have supported themselves fine so far, there's no reason they won’t continue to do so in the future. Isn’t that right Mazarine?”
  3656. >“I should believe so.” The old changeling mare replies.
  3657. “B-but what if something were to happen to one of them?”
  3658. >Queen Chrysalis' eyes squint as she looks at you.
  3659. >“What do you mean if something were to happen to them?”
  3660. “Uhh…”
  3661. >Shit!
  3662. “I mean… what if… someone… might…”
  3663. >She begins to look at you suspiciously.
  3664. >You pause in fear.
  3665. >Unable to withstand her penetrating gaze, you look downwards to the ground.
  3666. >“Someone might what?” She asks inquisitively.
  3667. >You continue to look at the ground as your legs begin to shake.
  3668. >If you keep this up, you’ll blow your cover.
  3669. >Attempts at stopping yourself from shaking prove futile. You are too scared.
  3670. >It's as if you're trying to stand still in the middle of an earthquake-
  3671. >Your head pops up.
  3672. “An earthquake! The columns wouldn’t be able to support the ceiling if there was an earthquake!”
  3673. >“An earthquake?” Queen Chrysalis' face changes from being suspicious to confused. “We haven’t had an earthquake in this region for more than one hundred years!”
  3674. “Uh… well I guess that means we're due for the big one!”
  3675. >Queen Chrysalis rolls her eyes as she looks to her Chief Overseer.
  3676. >"Well Mazarine, is there any substance to this drone’s bold claim?"
  3677. >“Uhh… well…”
  3678. >You can hear Lysandra angrily gritting her teeth together.
  3679. >“His story seems a little farfetched…”
  3680. >You tense up.
  3681. >“But… he does bring up a few valid points. I suppose the columns are a little on the weak side...”
  3682. >You perk up.
  3683. >Lysandra jolts her head up.
  3684. >“WHAT! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! YOU HONESTLY CAN’T TAKE THE WORD A STUPID DRONE OVER MY OWN!”
  3685. >“YOU WATCH MOUTH!” General Strider yells as he stands from his seat. “I'll trust the word of one of my drones over this inept Overseer any day! She clearly has been trying to cover her mistakes this entire time! Her incompetence has put the whole hive at risk!”
  3686. >He turns to the Queen.
  3687. >“Since this is now a matter of hive security, I demand the drones take over responsibility for this matter!"
  3688. >“Construction is our domain!” Overseer Mazarine chimes in. “You cannot-”
  3689. >“ENOUGH!” Chrysalis roars.
  3690. >“There shall be no infighting within the hive! Workers and drones must get past this petty sibling rivalry! Not doing so will be the death of us all!”
  3691. >The Queen breaths in and out deeply.
  3692. >“Mazarine, I’d like you to begin an investigation into the structural integrity of these columns.”
  3693. >“I can assure you the columns are-” Lysandra begins to speak but is cut off.
  3694. >“You will perform the investigation without the interference of Overseer Lysandra.”
  3695. >“Wa… this is-”
  3696. >“You will begin this investigation immediately! Once completed, you will speak with myself and General Strider. Together, we will decide how to proceed with this issue.”
  3697. >“I understand my Queen, I will leave at once.”
  3698. >The old changeling slowly flutters out of her seat and exits the throne room.
  3699. >As she departs Chrysalis stands.
  3700. >“This will conclude today's court. Thank you all for attending.”
  3701. >With that, the chamber erupts into a flurry of changelings.
  3702. >Drones and workers begin fluttering through the air and talking amongst themselves.
  3703. >Lysandra continues to stare silently at you, eyes fuming with rage.
  3704. >You slowly turn away and meet up with Grace, Dolly, and Brutus at the entrance to the throne room.
  3705. “Dolly! You came! And Brutus... thank you so-”
  3706. >“BACK TO WORK!” Lysandra yells behind you.
  3707. >After jolting upwards, you turn around to face her.
  3708. “Y-yes Overseer...”
  3709. >With that, Dolly and Brutus disappear up the ramp.
  3710. >You and Grace walk side by side as the Overseer follows closely behind you.
  3711. >None of you say a word.
  3712. >As you reach the flood cavern Lysandra breaks the silence.
  3713. >“Lucky! Report to the end of the cavern. You're on excavation detail.”
  3714. >You and Grace begin to walk in that direction.
  3715. >“Grace! You will no longer be working with Lucky. You are on debris removal.”
  3716. “Hold on, aren’t I supposed to keep an eye on her?”
  3717. >“Talking back to me just earned yourself a fourth hour of overtime!”
  3718. >Shit… this is not going to be good. Pissing off your boss has undoubtedly landed you in a world of hurt.
  3719. >Better keep you mouth shut and keep working.
  3720. >You glance quickly at Grace while proceeding to the end of the cavern.
  3721. >A look of despair and uncertainty fills her eyes.
  3722. >As you walk to the end of the cavern you notice Mazarine flying around carefully inspecting the columns.
  3723. >You quickly bring your eyes back down and focus on the end of the tunnel, not giving Lysandra another excuse to assign you more forced overtime.
  3724. >You grab a pickaxe and begin toiling away.
  3725. >On either side of you stand much bulkier changeling mares, each likely twice as strong as you.
  3726. >The for the next 30 minutes Lysandra does not take her eyes off of you.
  3727. >She watches your every move, waiting to call you out for making a mistake or taking a break.
  3728. >Her gaze is finally interrupted as another changeling worker asks her a question.
  3729. >From then on she begins to walk around the flood chamber barking orders, but does not stray too far from you.
  3730. >She always keeps you in her sight.
  3731. >DING DING DING
  3732. >The lunch bell rings.
  3733. “Finally…”
  3734. >You lean your pickaxe against the wall and stretch your legs.
  3735. >The soreness of your legs is beginning to slow you down, and the pain will likely be much worse as the day goes on.
  3736. >It's best to take full advantage of this lunch break.
  3737. >You begin to walk towards the lunch line.
  3738. >“LUCKY! BACK TO WORK!”
  3739. >You halt in your tracks. The other changelings also turn towards the shouting.
  3740. >Hesitantly, you slowly turn around to look at the Overseer.
  3741. >Her eyes are still fuming with anger.
  3742. “B-but I need to eat-”
  3743. >“YOU NEED TO SHUT UP AND WORK! YOU NOW OWE ME FIVE HOURS!”
  3744. >You cringe.
  3745. >No meals.
  3746. >Now you have to work five extra hours.
  3747. >That's almost the entire night.
  3748. >Today is going to be just as miserable as the day of the storm. Maybe even more so.
  3749. >You turn around and slowly make your way back to the end of the cavern.
  3750. >“HURRY UP!”
  3751. >Lifting your pickaxe up with your hooves, you begin to swing.
  3752. >You try to maintain a steady, relaxed pace. Since you'll be doing this for so long you don’t want to-
  3753. >“PICK UP THE PACE LUCKY!”
  3754. >Shit…
  3755. >You begin to swing faster.
  3756. >Stroke after stroke, you continue to swing at the rock wall in front of you.
  3757. >Time passes by.
  3758. >Bullets of sweat begins to drip from your brow as the work takes it toll.
  3759. >The changelings chatter amongst themselves as you continue to work alone.
  3760. >As interested in hearing what they might be saying, you continue to swing.
  3761. >Your stomach begins to growl for food.
  3762. >Just another pain to add to the already growing number your body is experiencing.
  3763. >DING DING DING
  3764. >Lunch is over, the other bulky changelings mares return to your side. They begin swinging away as well.
  3765. >A few minutes pass by.
  3766. >Every once and while you catch them looking at you out of the corner of your eye.
  3767. >You could really care less at this point though, your mind is too focused on trying to shrug off the pain.
  3768. >“Overseer Lysandra.” You hear a changeling say behind you.
  3769. >"WHAT?! I’m busy here!"
  3770. >“Can you come over and take a look at this? We’re unsure exactly how we should excavate this portion of the wall.”
  3771. >Lysandra lets out a loud groan.
  3772. >“Fine... show me what is the problem.”
  3773. >The two changelings standing next to you perk up their heads as they watch Lysanrda walk out of view.
  3774. >The mare to your left quickly grabs hold of you while the mare on your right steps behind.
  3775. >You jolt in surprise and drop your pickaxe onto the ground.
  3776. >“Open your mouth!” She whispers.
  3777. “W-what?”
  3778. >“Food! Open!”
  3779. “Oh!”
  3780. >The moment you open your mouth the changeling immediately places herself over you. Her large form makes it easy for her to do so.
  3781. >You hear a gurgling noise coming from her throat.
  3782. >The noise from the pickaxes surrounding you suddenly becomes louder.
  3783. >They are covering for you…
  3784. >Warm green fluid begins to slowly flow down your throat.
  3785. >The much needed energy from the sugary substance immediately jolts your senses.
  3786. >You have no idea who this changeling is.
  3787. >You never spoken with her before.
  3788. >But she's risking herself for you.
  3789. >You are in an awkward position as she stands over you.
  3790. >The strain on your achy legs makes you waver.
  3791. >You hesitantly place you hoof around her neck for support.
  3792. >Your hoof slowly wraps around her chitin, rugged with bumps from all the bulging muscles underneath.
  3793. >You stand there in her embrace as she continues to feed you.
  3794. >After about a minute, the changeling behind you lets out a cry.
  3795. >“She’s coming!”
  3796. >The changeling standing over you quickly detaches.
  3797. >An abundance of the green honey still in her mouth, she picks up your dropped pickaxe and thrusts it into your hooves.
  3798. >Understanding the situation, you immediately take it and begin to swing away.
  3799. >The changeling standing behind you quickly returns to her post.
  3800. >The three of you continue working as if nothing had happened.
  3801. >You dare not turn around, but you know that Lysandra is back. Watching you.
  3802. >Hours pass by as you continue to toil away.
  3803. >The fissure grows larger and larger as time passes by.
  3804. >It’s just a matter of time before you and the rest of the changeling workers break through to whatever cave system lies on the other side.
  3805. >However, you’re not so sure you’ll be able to last until then…
  3806. >“WHAT?!” You hear Lysandra yell behind you.
  3807. >The changelings surrounding you halt their pickaxes.
  3808. >You'd stop as well, but you'd rather not gamble with having to do more overtime.
  3809. >“YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!?”
  3810. >“I am serious. I have made my decision and approved it with Queen Chrysalis and General Strider.” Says an old changeling mare.
  3811. >You recognize this voice from earlier, its Chief Overseer Marzanine.
  3812. >“THERE IS NOTHING WRONG-”
  3813. >“Lysandra please! Calm down!
  3814. >You hear Lysandra take in a deep breath.
  3815. >“You know there is nothing wrong with those columns!”
  3816. >“Currently the columns are performing adequately… but… should there be a large cave in… or an earthquake…”
  3817. >“Enough! I don’t want to hear about it anymore! You can go ahead and issue the new orders yourself!”
  3818. >Marzanine pauses for a moment, slightly taken aback by Lysandra's attitude, but she lets it slide.
  3819. >“Very well…”
  3820. >“Attention workers! May I have your attention please!” The old mare meekly attempts to yell.
  3821. >The workers, most of whom have already stopped, all turn towards Marzanine.
  3822. >You stop swinging as well. Your muscles savor every second of the temporary relief.
  3823. >“In light of recent /observations/ about the columns of the flood chamber, it has been decided that the columns may not be as strong as they need to be. Due to the columns endangering the nursery and the Queen’s personal quarters, this issue shall be moved to priority number one. In order to resolve this issue, we shall build wooden supports to supplement the load of the stone columns. The hive does not currently have the lumber to support this endeavor, so a logging run to the Evergreen Forest shall be required. I will be personally leading this logging run, and the majority of you shall be coming with. Work assignments shall be divvied up later by Lysandra.”
  3824. >She motions towards the Construction Overseer, who maintains her apatheticness for the matter.
  3825. >“We shall also have a detachment of drones coming with to provide security, as well as workers and overseers from several of the other divisions. This may be the first time away from the hive for a lot of you, but fear not, our brothers will guard us from dangers of the Everfree Forest.”
  3826. >“BHAA! We would be able to handle ourselves just fine.” A butch changeling mare yells.
  3827. >Marzanine smiles.
  3828. >“True... although having a drone around can prove useful every once and awhile..”
  3829. >She looks at you with a smile and a gleam in her old tired eyes.
  3830. >“Lysandra, I’ll leave you to assigning who stays and who goes. The Everfree Forest is a long trek from here, get a good night's rest everyone, you’ll need it.”
  3831. >Marzanine flutters into the air and makes her way out of the flood chamber.
  3832. >All changelings in the cavern turn to Lysandra.
  3833. >With a disgruntled look in her eyes she scans the room.
  3834. >“I don’t believe I’m doing this…” she mumbles under her breath. “Construction teams A through D shall go on the logging run. Teams E and F shall stay to work on the flood cavern. All transportation teams shall attend on the run except team G…”
  3835. >The pauses and looks around the cavern.
  3836. >The changeling workers continue to stare without uttering a word.
  3837. >“Now… GET BACK TO WORK!”
  3838. >With that the chamber slowly resume productivity.
  3839. >Changelings nervously chatter amongst themselves about leaving the hive.
  3840. >The lack of productivity sends Lysandra into a fit of anger as she storms around the flood chamber commanding everyone to stop talking and resume their duties.
  3841. >While she is distracted, the changeling who fed you begins to speak.
  3842. >“Never thought I’d get a chance to leave the hive, you really stirred the pot down here drone…”
  3843. “Yeah… *clink* I know…” You continue to swing as you speak. “I was…*clink* kind of afraid... *clink* something like this... *clink* would happen... *clink*.”
  3844. >She leans in closer to you.
  3845. >“You’re not the first one to mention that those columns looked weak… but you are the first one brave enough to bring it up to the Queen… at your own expense as well…”
  3846. >She looks over her shoulder.
  3847. >“If those columns fail in the middle of the night while we're sleeping down here, us workers are the ones who are gonna die first! While Lysandra is up in her private room, warm in her comfy bed, I bet she wouldn't notice if this cave collapsed and crushed us all!”
  3848. >The mare spits on to the ground in disgust.
  3849. >“You’re looking out for us… we'll look out for you too, brother…”
  3850. >You turn your head to look at her.
  3851. >This changeling mare looks at you with a worn face. Her body is rough, littered with scars from past construction accidents. The scars still pale in comparison to the large muscles which have developed on the mare after a lifetime of hard physical labor.
  3852. >You nod to her.
  3853. >A bleak smile comes to your lips.
  3854. “Thank you sister…”
  3855. >*clink*
  3856. >You continue to pound away at the cavern wall before you.
  3857. >The non-stop swinging is severely taking its toll on you.
  3858. >The nourishment you received at lunch was helpful, but not enough to support the amount of work you are doing.
  3859. >You are beginning to feel dizzy from dehydration and lack of energy.
  3860. >DING DING DING
  3861. >The dinner bell rings.
  3862. >All the changelings lay down their pickaxes and begin to form a line in the middle of the cavern.
  3863. >Hesitantly, you turn around.
  3864. >As you expected, Lysandra is behind you, staring at you angrily.
  3865. >Having had enough of this madness, you muster up the courage to speak to her.
  3866. “I need to eat... or I'm gonna pass out!”
  3867. >“Get back to work!” She says coldly.
  3868. >You let out a sigh.
  3869. “Plese-”
  3870. >“GET BACK TO WORK!”
  3871. >You turn around and continue to slam your pickaxe against the cavern wall.
  3872. >*clink ca-link ca-link*
  3873. >It drops from your sore hooves.
  3874. >“PICK THAT UP NOW!"
  3875. >You bend down, back aching, and retrieve the pick axe.
  3876. >“NOW WORK!”
  3877. >You begin to toil away.
  3878. >The pain from each strike sends shivers down your spine.
  3879. >You continue on.
  3880. >Every once and while you turn around to look.
  3881. >She continues to stand there watching you, not even taking a break for dinner.
  3882. >Dinner comes and goes.
  3883. >The changelings in the middle of the flood cavern finish their meals while watching you toil away.
  3884. >They proceed to form a large mound and begin to rest, most of them have a large day ahead of them tomorrow going on the logging run.
  3885. >You doubt Lysandra will let you go on that run, she’ll probably have you performing the worst of the worst construction jobs until you die from exhaustion.
  3886. >The torches in the cavern are extinguished, except for one at the end of the tunnel where you are working.
  3887. >You continue on, the pain in your legs is almost unbearable.
  3888. >“Alright drone! You still owe me three more hours! And you will give me those hours tonight! I am going to get some dinner, and I expect you to keep working while I’m gone! Do you understand?”
  3889. “Y-yeah…” You mumble tiredly.
  3890. >”WHAT?”
  3891. “Yeahh!”
  3892. >“Good! Do NOT let me catch you slacking when I return!”
  3893. >With that she disappears into the darkness of the flood cavern.
  3894. >A few minutes pass by.
  3895. >You are tempted to stop, but you continue swinging.
  3896. >A pair of wings can be heard fluttering in the distance, growing closer and closer.
  3897. >Turning around, all you can see in the darkness is a set of two blue orbs, changeling eyes reflecting light from the lone torch at the end of the cavern.
  3898. >“Lucky! Says a familiar voice,
  3899. “G-Grace…”
  3900. >You lay your pickaxe down against the wall.
  3901. >A splattering of blood covers the lower shaft of the tool.
  3902. >You look down at your hooves.
  3903. >Cracks formed in your chitin, blood has begun to pour out.
  3904. >“There’s no time! Quick! Come here!”
  3905. >Her hooves grabs hold of you as she continues to flutter in the air.
  3906. >Mouths locked with one another, the warm green honey begins to flow through her throat into yours.
  3907. >The sugary substance feels amazing against your dry, dehydrated tongue.
  3908. >You grab hold of her sides for support as your muscles strain for rest.
  3909. >“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!” Says a shout from the other end of the cavern.
  3910. >Grace quickly detaches.
  3911. >As you were leaning into her for support, you collapse onto the ground.
  3912. >Grace disappears into the darkness. As she flutters away, you can here another set of wings come closer.
  3913. >Lysandra’s angry blue eyes become apparent in the pitch black cavern.
  3914. >You struggle to get back up to your hooves.
  3915. >“YOU DISOBEYED ME AGAIN! THAT’S ANOTHER HOUR!”
  3916. >You finally pull yourself up and retrieve your pickaxe.
  3917. >“Tell me, who feed you! Was it Disgrace!”
  3918. >You tightly grasp the pickaxe in your hooves as you stare at her.
  3919. >“It was that stupid idiot Disgrace, wasn’t it! Worthless! Just like you!”
  3920. >You turn around and continue swinging at the wall.
  3921. >“TELL ME! WHO WAS IT!”
  3922. “…”
  3923. >*clink*
  3924. >“Fine! That's another hour!”
  3925. >At this point you will only get 1 hour of rest before you have to rise for the next day.
  3926. >“Now I am going to get dinner. DO NOT stop working… or else!”
  3927. >With that, she flutters into the air and disappears into the darkness.
  3928. >You resume toiling away.
  3929. >Blood continues to drip from your hooves.
  3930. >The dizzyness grows stronger.
  3931. >Your muscles ache.
  3932. >Time passes by.
  3933. >You are not sure how much.
  3934. >Seconds seem like minutes. Minutes seem like hours.
  3935. >You dare not turn around.
  3936. >She has got to be out there. Somewhere in the darkness. Watching you. Just waiting to yell and make you work more.
  3937. >You want to tell her off.
  3938. >You want to just say no, but that is not how things are done down here at the hive.
  3939. >Complete devotion to the hive means following orders from one's superiors.
  3940. >Even if it means working until you pass out… or until you-
  3941. >The pickaxe falls from your hooves.
  3942. >The amount of blood on the handle has made it too slippery to hold.
  3943. >You look around behind you.
  3944. >Is she out there? In the darkness?
  3945. >You fumble with your front hooves to pick up the bloodied tool.
  3946. >It continues to slip out of your grasp.
  3947. >You wipe your bloodied hooves onto your side.
  3948. >Finally you maintain a grasp on the pickaxe long enough to hold it.
  3949. >You bring the pickaxe over your head.
  3950. >The pain is tremendous.
  3951. >*Clink*
  3952. >The impact sends waves of pain throughout your body.
  3953. >You breath heavily in and out as you try to shrug off the impact.
  3954. >You raise the pickaxe above your head again.
  3955. >*clink ca-link ca-link*
  3956. >The pickaxe again falls from your hooves.
  3957. >You reach down to pick it up.
  3958. >The dizzyness is too much, you collapse onto the ground.
  3959. “Ghaaa!” You yell in pain as your head strikes a rock.
  3960. >You struggle to get back up, but your body does not respond, all you can feel is pain.
  3961. >Your head lies on its side, staring at the large chunks of rocks you have removed from the wall.
  3962. >With no one to remove them over the past few hours, they have begun to pile up.
  3963. >You look forward to the wall.
  3964. >The gaping fissure stares back at you.
  3965. >A cool breeze comes through, it feels soothing against your sweating and bloodied chitin.
  3966. >The sound of hoof steps begins to fill the cavern.
  3967. >Slowly and painfully, you turn your head to look behind you.
  3968. >You see a pair blue orbs squinting at you angrily.
  3969. “Oh no…”
  3970. >You attempt to get back up, but your body continues to fail.
  3971. >The blue orbs come closer and closer.
  3972. >You keep struggling.
  3973. >Lysandra’s face comes into view of the torchlight, eyes looking at you with disgust.
  3974. >She is holding a near empty glass of green fluid.
  3975. >Your attempts of standing prove futile, you give up.
  3976. >As she stands over you, a familiar aroma fills your nostrils.
  3977. >She reeks of a heavy scent of alcohol, the mead meant only for special occasions.
  3978. >Looking down at your bloodied and exhausted state she begins to speak.
  3979. >“Pathetic… so pathetic…”
  3980. >Her head leans back as she takes a sip of the mead.
  3981. >“You still owe me one more hour.”
  3982. “I c-can’t work anymore…”
  3983. >“Get up!”
  3984. “I... I can’t!”
  3985. >“What… are you too tired… do you need more energy?”
  3986. >She positions her glass above you.
  3987. >“Drink!”
  3988. >She pours the remaining fluid onto the ground beside your face.
  3989. >You watch as it pools up.
  3990. >“I SAID DRINK!”
  3991. >You painfully move your neck so that your head is in the green puddle.
  3992. >Extending your forked tongue outward, you begin to lap up the fluid.
  3993. >Dirt and pebbles fill your mouth.
  3994. >“Now work!”
  3995. >You attempt to raise yourself, but you body still refuses to move.
  3996. “I... I… can’t…”
  3997. >“Worthless! You had one job to do down here drone! Listen to me! And you failed!”
  3998. “I’m sorry…”
  3999. >“Did you think you could mess with me and get away with it?”
  4000. “I... was just trying to help…”
  4001. >“You crossed me... No one crosses me!"
  4002. >She grabs your tail in her mouth and begins to pull you backwards.
  4003. >Your body aches with each pull.
  4004. >Exhausted to the point of nothingness, you can do nothing to resist.
  4005. “What… what are you doing?”
  4006. >Tail still in her mouth, her body facing towards you as she walks backwards, she lets out a muffled reply.
  4007. >“Ha… you should know… I almost saw you do it to Brutus!”
  4008. “What?!"
  4009. >“You were too weak to do it though… you pussied out…”
  4010. “How did you-”
  4011. >“You didn’t think I saw you? I see everything that goes on down here… it's my job!”
  4012. “Please! Don’t! I’ll never go behind your back again! I swear!”
  4013. >A pair of blue orbs becomes visible in the distance.
  4014. >“NO! You made this personal Lucky!”
  4015. >As Lysandra pulls you towards the middle of the cavern, a second pair of blue orbs shines in the darkness.
  4016. >With her back turned to the orbs, Lysandra does not notice.
  4017. >“Ha! You really are pathetic! You can’t do anything right!”
  4018. >Six pairs of orbs now watch from the darkness of the cavern.
  4019. >“Ha! The old accidental cave-in trick! Something out of my own playbook actually!”
  4020. >Two dozen blue orbs now gleam from the other side of the cavern.
  4021. >Lysandra, back still turned to them, continues to drunkenly ramble.
  4022. >You don’t say a word, instead you continue to listen to the twisted mare.
  4023. >The blue orbs silently begin coming closer.
  4024. >“It was such a pity when the last Construction Overseer died in an “accidental” cave-in...”
  4025. >The blue orbs stop moving forward. They stand still, listening…
  4026. >“Cave-ins happen down here all the time… I figured no one would ever notice.”
  4027. >Lysandra continues to pull you further.
  4028. >You're almost at the loose ceiling you were going to use to kill Brutus.
  4029. >“At first I was scared they would figure it out… that it wasn’t an accident. But no one even considered it! No one suspected that I would kill my own sister to become an Overseer! They’re all idiots! All of them!”
  4030. >The blue orbs pause to look at one another, but then proceed to walk forward.
  4031. >“And so are you… for crossing me! I should have never let you work down here! But the time has come to fix my mistake!”
  4032. >She lets go of your tail.
  4033. >You stare upwards at the loosely hanging rocks.
  4034. >You return your gaze to Lysandra.
  4035. >Scores of blue orbs stand not to far behind her in the darkness, slowly approaching.
  4036. >“This is all your fault you know! You’re stupid, but not stupid enough to know I wouldn’t get back at you for making me look like a FOOL in front of the Queen!”
  4037. >Her horn begins to glow and so does the rocks above your head.
  4038. >“I have to ask… before I crush you into a thin paste... why did you do it Lucky? Were you trying to stand out? Were you trying to become the next Overseer? Why?”
  4039. >You divert your gaze from the magic field surrounding the rocks and look Lysandra in the eyes.
  4040. >The blue orbs stop, they all look to you.
  4041. “For... the... hive...”
  4042. >*BBBBBUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZ*
  4043. >*SLAM*
  4044. >A pair of blue orbs come flying from the darkness and slam into Lysandra's side.
  4045. >Lysandra let's out a startled scream as she falls to the ground. Her horn deactivates and the rocks above you stop glowing.
  4046. >“AH!! DAMMIT!”
  4047. >Disoriented, Lysandra picks herself up from the ground.
  4048. >“You’ll pay for that! That was you, wasn’t it Disgrace! You are DEAD!”
  4049. >A pair of hooves grabs your shoulders and begins to pull you out from underneath the unstable rocks.
  4050. >The complete darkness makes it hard to tell who is, but their touch seems familiar…
  4051. >“Once I’m done with the drone I’m coming for you next you pathetic-”
  4052. >*BBBBBUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZ*
  4053. >*SLAM*
  4054. >Another pair of blue orbs comes out from the darkness and strikes Lysandra.
  4055. >“SON OF A BITCH!” She yells, reeling her head back in pain. “Enough of this!”
  4056. >Lysandra’s horn turns bright with magic.
  4057. >The illuminating green glow of her horn reveals dozens of changeling workers surrounding her.
  4058. >The workers look upon the Overseer with faces filled with rage.
  4059. >As the light reaches their eyes, some of the changeling mares let out an angry hiss.
  4060. >Lysandra's lets out a gasp as she glares at the disgruntled workers surrounding her.
  4061. >But her startled face turns into a smile.
  4062. >“Cute… real cute… but I think it's time you all go back to bed…”
  4063. >The circle of changelings continue to stare.
  4064. >“Hmm… let me clarify… Regardless of what you may or may not have heard me say… You are currently threatening an Overseer! The Queen will have all your heads for this unless you back down this instant!”
  4065. >The changelings continue to stand, unwavering.
  4066. >“YOU IDIOTS! I gave you an order! Get your worthless sacks of chitin out of my sight immediately or-”
  4067. >*BBBBBUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ*
  4068. >*BBBBBUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ*
  4069. >*BBBBBUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ*
  4070. >The changeling all take flight, hovering mid air.
  4071. >“You're all worthless! Weak and pathetic! I’m the only one who can make this hive great! You're all SHIT! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF-”
  4072. >*SLAM*
  4073. >A changeling lands a glancing blow across Lysandra's face.
  4074. >She stumbles a few feet from where she was standing.
  4075. >“FUCK… YOU’RE SHIT… LAZY-”
  4076. >*SLAM*
  4077. >“GHAA-”
  4078. >She falls to the ground from another blow.
  4079. >“IDIOTS-”
  4080. >*SLAM*
  4081. >“I’LL KILL-”
  4082. >*SLAM*
  4083. >“AHHHH-”
  4084. >*SLAM*
  4085. >*SLAM*
  4086. >*SLAM*
  4087. >The changelings encircle Lysandra as she is lying on the ground and proceed to pummel her senseless.
  4088. >Grace continues to hold you tightly as you both watch the carnage.
  4089. >The sounds of chitin cracking and bones breaking fill the air, coupled with Lysandra's agonizing screams.
  4090. >After several minutes, Lysandra begins to go quite.
  4091. >The group of changelings mares pummeling her back off.
  4092. >*Cough* *Cough*
  4093. >Lysandra coughs up blood onto the ground.
  4094. >Her broken fangs lye on the ground beside her face.
  4095. >“I’ll… k-kill… you… all…”
  4096. >*Cough*
  4097. >“I… s-should… be… Chief... Overseer…”
  4098. >*Cough* *Cough*
  4099. >The loose rocks above Lysandra begin to illuminate with green magic.
  4100. >“I… should… be… Queen…”
  4101. >The green magic pulls the rocks from the ceiling.
  4102. >*WWWHHHOOOOOOCCCCRRRRAAAAAAASHHHHH*
  4103. >With a quick crunch, Lysandra is flattened by the cave-in.
  4104. >A cloud of dusts fills the air.
  4105. >You and the rest of the changelings continue to stare at the pile of rocks as the dust slowly settles.
  4106. >A pool of green blood begins to form around the base of the fallen rocks.
  4107. >You look around to see which changeling used their magic to pull down the rocks, but you can't tell...
  4108. >Maybe that's for the best.
  4109. >You turn around to look at Grace.
  4110. “Y-you saved me...”
  4111. >You look at the rest of the blue orbs staring at you.
  4112. “Thank you” *sniff* “thank all of you…”
  4113. >*sniff* *sniff*
  4114. >Tears of joy and astonishment begin to stream from your face.
  4115. “I...I…”
  4116. >“Lucky… just relax…” Grace says as her horn begins to illuminate.
  4117. >You watch as her magical aura surrounds you, mending your cracked chitin and easing your aching muscles.
  4118. >Grace finished casting the healing spell and takes a few steps backwards, exhausted.
  4119. “Thank… you…”
  4120. >You attempt to stand, making it onto all fours, but you quickly begin to waver.
  4121. >A changeling grasps you.
  4122. >You turn to see who it is.
  4123. >It is the same bulky mare who you worked with all day.
  4124. >“You need some rest brother… come join us…”
  4125. >You place a hoof over her shoulder and begin to walk towards the far end of the tunnel.
  4126. >You pause…
  4127. “The Overseer… what are we gonna do…”
  4128. >“You heard her… Cave-ins happen down here all the time…” She says with a smirk. “We’ll take care of this mess, don’t worry your head about it.”
  4129. >You let out a sigh, still too tired to think clearly.
  4130. “Alright…”
  4131. >You make it to where the mares were sleeping in a pile.
  4132. >“Lie down Lucky…”
  4133. >You proceed to do so. The familiar coldness of the floor drains the heat from your body.
  4134. >The mare carrying you lies at your side.
  4135. >The burly changeling takes you into her embrace, her belly nestling gently against your back.
  4136. >The warmth of her body is soothing against your muscles.
  4137. >Another mare curls in next to you… then another…
  4138. >Eventually all of the other changelings join the pile.
  4139. >Except for one, still standing on the outer rim of the mound.
  4140. “Grace…”
  4141. >“What?” The mare on your back asks.
  4142. “Grace, she has no one to sleep with.”
  4143. >“Who?”
  4144. >You let out a sigh
  4145. “Disgrace…”
  4146. >You point your hoof at her as she begins to lie down.
  4147. >Using your legs you try to lift yourself up.
  4148. >The mare grabs hold of you.
  4149. >“Where do you think you’re going? You’re one of us now Lucky!”
  4150. “She’s with me!”
  4151. >"Her! Really? The one who killed-"
  4152. >The mare pauses.
  4153. >"...killed..." Her tone changes, becoming much more sorrowful. "...her brothers and sisters... shucks... I guess we're all just like her now aren’t we… kin slayers…”
  4154. >She again pauses for a few seconds.
  4155. >”Only… we did it intentionally… during the accident... she didn’t mean to..."
  4156. >She lets out a sigh.
  4157. >“Grace!” The mare yells out
  4158. >Her head perks up!
  4159. >“Get over here!”
  4160. >Grace stands up, a little unsure of what is happening.
  4161. >“Hurry up will ya! We all need to sleep.”
  4162. >She propels herself into the air and flutters above the pile of changeling mares.
  4163. >She hovers to the center where you are lying down.
  4164. “Join us Grace…”
  4165. >“R-really?” Grace’s face lights up.
  4166. >“We’re all in this together now… all of us… now let's get some sleep, shall we?”
  4167. >Grace daintily lands, carefully avoiding stepping on any of the other mares. She snuggles in beside you, curling into you stomach, you grasp her firmly.
  4168. “What a day…”
  4169. >“You got that right drone…” Says the mare behind you, her name still unknown to you. “Get some sleep, we’re gonna need it for tomorrow…”
  4170. “Yeah… yeah…”
  4171. >The mares on either side of you adjust themselves and become more comfortable.
  4172. >You've gained their respect, achieving total acceptance by all of your changeling peers.
  4173. >Through your sacrifice you have proven yourself to them, and they have risked themselves to return the favor.
  4174. >You rest easy knowing that you likely saved all of their lives from the horribly misguided intentions of Princess Luna.
  4175. >No matter what happens in the future… you shall forever take pride in this moment.
  4176. >Today, you did what you thought was right. You somehow managed to survive Princess Luna, Queen Chrysalis, and Overseer Lysandra.
  4177. >And in the process you made quite a few new friends.
  4178. >You are finally starting to live up to your name...
  4179. >With your aching body and overwhelmed mind, you quickly drift off to sleep.
  4180. ~~~~~~~~~
  4181. >Blackness.
  4182. >Nothing but an infinite abyss of blackness.
  4183. >You look down at your hooves.
  4184. >Nothing is there.
  4185. >You try to scream.
  4186. >Not a sound.
  4187. >All you can do is wait.
  4188. >Time slowly passes by.
  4189. >You have no idea how much.
  4190. >It seems like an eternity-
  4191. >“HAAOOOONNNKKKIIIKKKIIKKK!”
  4192. >A loud, harsh noise occurs behind you.
  4193. >Your eyes jolt awake.
  4194. “What the hell was that!”
  4195. >“HAAOOOONNNKKKIIIKKKIIKKK!”
  4196. >It occurs again.
  4197. >You turn around to face the source of the sound.
  4198. >A sharp set of fangs stares back at you.
  4199. >Startled, you try to scoot away, but your rump hits something-
  4200. “AHH!”
  4201. >Something sharp...
  4202. >“Hey! Watch it!” A mare's voice calls out.
  4203. >You try to stand, but the changeling behind you grabs your body.
  4204. “Help-”
  4205. >Your breath is quickly lost as the massive mare squeezes you tightly.
  4206. >She pulls you into her chest.
  4207. >Fear grips you.
  4208. >You feel her hot breath against your back.
  4209. >Her fangs brush against your chitin.
  4210. >Suddenly she begins to... nuzzle you?!
  4211. >“MMMmmmhhh… so warm... MMMmmmmhhhh…” The large mare coos as she continues to embrace you.
  4212. >Another mare lying beside you begins to chuckle.
  4213. >You try to speak, but your lungs are still too constricted.
  4214. >The large mare rubs her face against the back of your head again and again.
  4215. >“MMMmmmmmhhhh….”
  4216. >Her grip upon you lessens slightly.
  4217. >You inhale deeply, the air relieving your deprived lungs.
  4218. >“HAAOOOONNNKKKIIIKKKIIKKK!”
  4219. >The mare behind you lets out a deafening snore as she falls back into a deep sleep.
  4220. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” You whisper to yourself.
  4221. >“Aren’t you glad you get to sleep with us now Lucky?” A voice whispers sarcastically in the darkness beside you.
  4222. >You recognize the snarky mare's voice.
  4223. “Dolly?!”
  4224. >“Looks like I’m not the only one who can’t sleep listening to that oversized windbag-”
  4225. >“Shut UP!” Another changeling mare yells. “I’m trying to sleep!”
  4226. >“Yeah, no shit sister! So am I!”
  4227. >Dolly pauses for a second and then lets out a deep sigh.
  4228. >“If you’re a light sleeper, next time try the outer rim of the pile. The middle is usually reserved for deep sleepers and loud snorers.”
  4229. “Good to know.”
  4230. >“Now, time to try and get a few more minutes of sleep before they ring that stupid bell.”
  4231. “Yeah, sounds good.”
  4232. >You lay your head down.
  4233. >Eyelids heavy, you attempt to ignore the snoring mare behind you and-
  4234. >Someone grabs you from behind.
  4235. >You stiffen up.
  4236. >You feel the face of a changeling begin to nuzzle gently against your flank.
  4237. >“Wow! She wasn’t kidding! You are warm!” Dolly exclaims.
  4238. >She continues to nuzzle against you.
  4239. >“… and /so/ comfortable.”
  4240. >You begin to feel a tingling sensation between your legs as the mare continues to rub her face close to your nether regions.
  4241. >Dolly more firmly grabs your flank with both of her hooves.
  4242. >“Your warmth… It feels sooo-”
  4243. “AHEM!”
  4244. >“Oh… sorry…”
  4245. >Dolly stops nuzzling against you and relaxes her grip.
  4246. >After a few minutes you can feel her body drift off into sleep.
  4247. >It appears the changelings can sense your extra body heat.
  4248. >Shit… of course they would… you’re still a warm blooded pony underneath all of these magical enchantments and surgical procedures.
  4249. >The changelings are cold blooded.
  4250. >This was never something the scientists prepared for.
  4251. >So far no problems have arisen out of this, besides it making you the ultimate cuddle-bug.
  4252. >Hopefully it won’t lead to these mares smothering you in your sleep.
  4253. >You let out a deep breath.
  4254. >The loud snoring occurring beside you makes it impossible to fall back asleep.
  4255. >You continue to stare off into space while being in the center of the changeling cuddle pile.
  4256. >A buzzing noise occurs off in the distance, growing closer and closer.
  4257. >A changeling drone with an illuminated horn flies into the cavern.
  4258. >After looking around he plops down on the outer rim of the pile of changeling workers.
  4259. >He places his hoof against one of the sleeping mares and begins to shake her.
  4260. >“Sister, wake up! Have you seen-”
  4261. >The changeling mare jolts her head up.
  4262. >Snarling with sharp fangs, she angrily hisses at the drone.
  4263. >“Go AWAY! I’m SLEEPING!”
  4264. >“OH! U-uhhh… Sorry sister.”
  4265. >The drone skimpers off a short distance away.
  4266. >This time he finds a much smaller, less threatening changeling mare.
  4267. >He places his hoof against her and begins to shake.
  4268. >“Sister, please wake up! I need your assistance.”
  4269. >“Wa?” The mare groggily asks as she opens her eyes.
  4270. >“I have an important message for Overseer Lysandra, but I have not been able to find her anywhere in the hive. I checked her room, I looked all over the common areas, but I couldn’t find her anywhere.”
  4271. >At the mention of the name Lysandra, the snoring behind you stops.
  4272. >You feel the mare holding you lift her head and listen into the conversation.
  4273. >The mare speaking with the drone gulps nervously.
  4274. >“Do you know where she is? I must deliver this message to her, it's very important!”
  4275. >“Uhh… well... she’s…”
  4276. >“Is she down here?”
  4277. >“Y-yeah…”
  4278. >“Great! Can you help me find her? I don't want to wake everyone up, do you know exactly where she is in the pile?”
  4279. >“S-she's not sleeping with us. She never has… and… um… never will...”
  4280. >“What? Well if she’s not sleeping with you guys, where is she then?”
  4281. >Several other changeling workers have awoken, their blue eyes shining in the minimal light of the cavern.
  4282. >They all listen intently to the conversation.
  4283. >The mare nervously raises her hoof, pointing to a pile of collapsed rocks in the middle of the cavern.
  4284. >The drone turns to where she is pointing, shining the light of his horn on the rocks.
  4285. >“I don’t see her over there-”
  4286. >His light shines upon the dried pool of blood forming around the base of the rock pile.
  4287. >“What is-”
  4288. >He pauses, instantly realizing what has become of Lysandra.
  4289. >“S-she’s DEAD!”
  4290. >The drones turns back around to face the mare.
  4291. >All of the eyes of the workers look upon him.
  4292. >Noticing that he is the center of attention, the noticeably becomes nervous.
  4293. >“W-what happened?!”
  4294. >“Uhh… well… you see…” The changeling mare stumbles, unsure what to say. “The rocks crushed her.”
  4295. >“I can see that!” The drone yells. “Why didn’t anyone report this!?”
  4296. >“Well it happened in the middle of the night… and well-”
  4297. >“The middle of the night! No one should have been working down here in the middle of the night! Lysandra shouldn’t have even been down here! How could something like this have happened!?”
  4298. >The changeling mare nervously looks to her sisters.
  4299. >They give her blank stares back.
  4300. >“Um… well, you know… cave-ins happen down here all of the time…”
  4301. >“Accidents don't happen in the middle of the night when no one is working-”
  4302. >The drone pauses, nervously scanning the pile of changeling workers staring back at him.
  4303. >“This was no accident… was it…”
  4304. >The mare pauses unsure what to say.
  4305. >The other changelings in the cavern also remain silent, their gazes fixed to the drone.
  4306. >“You killed her…”
  4307. >The drone begins to shake, fear and panic taking hold of him.
  4308. >Unable to take the silence, you stand up.
  4309. “Listen brother! We can explain! Just calm down-”
  4310. >The drone spreads his wings and zooms out of the flood cavern.
  4311. >The buzzing of his wings quickly disappears as he flutters up the spiral ramp.
  4312. “Oh no… this can't be good...”
  4313. >The changelings in the pile, now all awake and standing, begin to nervously chatter among themselves.
  4314. >“What have we done?”
  4315. >“What are they gonna do to us?”
  4316. >“Once the Queen finds out… she’ll…”
  4317. >“I don’t want to die!”
  4318. >“QUITE!” The burly changeling mare yells.
  4319. >“We’re gonna get through this! Hell, we’ve all been through worse, haven't we!”
  4320. >“What are we gonna do?” A scared changeling asks.
  4321. >“We should probably try to calm things down a bit… SHELL!”
  4322. >A mare flutters up from the crowd.
  4323. >“Yo!”
  4324. >“Get over here will ya!”
  4325. >The mare begins to flutter over.
  4326. >“I need you to do something…”
  4327. >“Uhh… Is now really the best time for my Rainbow Cunt impression?”
  4328. >“NO SHELL! I need you to go to the Queen and try to explain what happened last night.”
  4329. >“Oh… sure! I can do that! No problem!”
  4330. >“Great! Now go before the Queen thinks we are staging a revolution!”
  4331. >With that she flutters into the air and out of the cavern.
  4332. >You turn to look to the bulky changeling mare standing beside you.
  4333. “Uh… should we send someone else too?”
  4334. >“No… If any of us can pull it off, it would be her. I’d go to, but I need to keep an eye on you. The Queen will likely think you killed Lysandra, but we’ll make sure you don’t get blamed for it! Isn’t that right girls?”
  4335. >The changelings surrounding her nod in unison.
  4336. “S-so what do we do now?”
  4337. >“We wait...”
  4338. >Several minutes pass by.
  4339. >The cavern is quite.
  4340. >The anxiety is thick.
  4341. >Looking around you see the scared looks on all of the changelings faces.
  4342. >A rumble begins to stir in the distance.
  4343. >You look to the cavern entrance.
  4344. >The drones…
  4345. >The deafening sound of buzzing wings fills the air.
  4346. >Flying in formation, hundreds of changeling drones erupt from the entrance of the flood cavern.
  4347. >“Dammit Shell!” The mare standing next to you yells to herself.
  4348. >The drones fly around the cavern surrounding the large circle of workers.
  4349. >Wind generated from the hundreds of drones hits your face.
  4350. >Dirt and debris shoots up from the floor.
  4351. >A large drone, clad in armor, breaks formation.
  4352. >It is General Strider.
  4353. >“You know why we're here sisters! This insurrection ends now! We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way! Hand over the ringleader of all this and it ends right now! Give us the drone known as Lucky!”
  4354. >The large mare grabs ahold of you and yells.
  4355. >“Lucky did nothing wrong! The Overseer was going to kill him! We stopped her! And she admitted to killing the previous Construction Overseer! We all heard her!”
  4356. >“YEAH!” Several changeling workers yell in unison and stand supportingly by your side.
  4357. >“Shell told us all about these /bold/ claims! True or not, I have my orders from the Queen! Give us the drone!”
  4358. >“But he didn’t kill her!”
  4359. >“Well then who did!”
  4360. >“I killed her!” A changeling mare yells out from the crowd.
  4361. >The General looks into the crowd of workers to the mare who identified herself.
  4362. >“Very well, guards detain her-”
  4363. >“I killed her!” Another changeling yells.
  4364. >General Strider turns his gaze to the other changeling.
  4365. >“I killed her!”
  4366. >“I killed her!”
  4367. >“I killed her!”
  4368. >The changeling workers all begin to yell in unison.
  4369. >The angry General looks around the cavern at the eruption of changeling mares.
  4370. >“Enough of this! Hand over Lucky!”
  4371. >“You’ll have to kill me before you lay a hoof on him!” The mare yells.
  4372. >The eyes of General Strider’s face burn with fire and rage.
  4373. >His brow tightens gazing at the mare who defied him.
  4374. >Bright, green magic begins to radiate from his horn.
  4375. >In a cold, harsh voice, the General speaks.
  4376. >“So be it…”
  4377. >With a quick flash of green light, a thin bolt of magic zooms from the tip of his horn.
  4378. >Within a split second, the ultra thin bolt strikes the burly mare in the temple.
  4379. >She continues to stare straight at the General, still maintaining her angry glare.
  4380. >Within a few seconds, a small trickle of blood begins to pour from a small slit on her forehead.
  4381. >Her eyes continue to maintain her glance at the General as the blood drips around her eyes, over her snout, and onto the ground.
  4382. >You and the rest of the changeling workers stare at her, waiting for some kind of response.
  4383. >Drip after drip of the green blood falls from her face.
  4384. >She begins to waver, her face goes blank.
  4385. >The burly mare collapse on top of you.
  4386. >You attempt to catch the large mare as she falls, but her heavy mass causes you to topple over with her.
  4387. >You look directly into the blank eyes of the mare as her bodies lies limp on top of you.
  4388. “You… y-you killed her!”
  4389. >“Yes. I did.” General Strider says coldly.
  4390. “I didn’t even know her name… she saved my life… and I didn’t even know her name…”
  4391. >Tears begin to roll down your face as you continue to watch the blood trickle from the forehead of the large mare.
  4392. >“So is the fate of anyone found guilty of killing an Overseer!”
  4393. “She was… just trying to help me… S-she-”
  4394. >“Enough of your blubbering! Now I think I’ve made my point clear! There is no need for further bloodshed! Hand over the drone!”
  4395. >The nearby changeling workers look down at you holding their deceased sister in your hooves.
  4396. >Hesitantly, they begin to back away.
  4397. >“Good!” The General motions towards two of the drones on his right. "Grab him!"
  4398. >The two drones nod and begin to fly forward.
  4399. >Just as they do, a changeling mare stands in front of you and blocks their way.
  4400. >The drones stop mid flight.
  4401. >You turn your gaze up from the deceased changeling to the mare standing at your side.
  4402. >It’s Grace.
  4403. >“You’ll have to kill me before you lay a hoof on him.” The Grace says coldly, no fear in her voice.
  4404. >“What is this?” General Strider asks in surprise. “Disgrace?! You dare defy me after what you just saw?”
  4405. >Your head is spinning, shock is making it hard for you to understand what is going on.
  4406. “G-grace?”
  4407. >The mare in front of you continues to stand firm.
  4408. >General Strider smiles as he shakes his head.
  4409. >“You really are that stupid aren’t you… and to think she actually had plans for you…”
  4410. >General Strider’s horn begins to glow.
  4411. >“Very well then-”
  4412. “NOOOO!”
  4413. >You release the deceased changeling from your hooves and shove Grace into the surrounding group of changeling workers.
  4414. “I KILLED OVERSEER LYSANDRA! I CAUSED THE CAVE-IN! I’M THE RINGLEADER! IT WAS ME! I DID EVERYTHING!”
  4415. >“Enough! I grow weary of this! Take him!”
  4416. >General Strider motions to the two changelings drones.
  4417. >The drones quickly fly over and grab either side of you.
  4418. >“Attach the irons and take him to the pits!”
  4419. >The guards carry you towards the outer perimeter of the drones.
  4420. >A drone holding an assortment of chains and metal rods approaches you.
  4421. >He forcefully inserts the metal rods through the holes in your legs. The metal rods lock shut.
  4422. >The rods are linked with short chains, completely immobilize you and making it near impossible for you to walk without causing severe pain.
  4423. >“NOOOO! Please don’t take him!” Grace yells from the group of workers.
  4424. >The drone then places a metal cone over your horn.
  4425. >Likely made of cold iron, so you can no longer cast spells.
  4426. >Using a leather strap, the drone secures it painfully tight to your head.
  4427. >As soon as the irons and cone are firmly attached, the two drones carrying you lift off into the air.
  4428. >It's a blur as you fly up the main hive ramp.
  4429. >Still in a daze, you don’t really pay attention to where they are taking you.
  4430. >You mind is still focusing on the dead changeling that was in your hooves.
  4431. >She didn’t have to die… why didn’t you say something… why didn’t you push her out of the way...
  4432. >You continue to sob as the drones fly you through the hive.
  4433. >The tears make the trip even blurrier.
  4434. >Suddenly the drones let go of you.
  4435. >You fall to the ground with a painful thud as the metal bars snap the weak chitin within your legs holes.
  4436. “AHHHHHGGGG!” You cry out in pain.
  4437. >Taking a second to recover from the pain, you open your eyes.
  4438. >You are in a narrow pit, just small enough to lay down in.
  4439. >The top of the pit is several feet out of your reach, even if you didn’t have these dreadful manacles on.
  4440. >Three changeling drones look down upon you.
  4441. >Two of them are the ones who brought you here.
  4442. >The third is a stout, hunched, ugly drone, looking down on you with a sadistic smile.
  4443. >“Been so long since we’ve had visitors down here!” He says with a drawl. “I’ll be sure to take /extra/ special care of you!”
  4444. >He turns to the two drones.
  4445. >“So what's this one here for? Catch 'nother one stealin' mead?”
  4446. >The drones maintain a stern look upon their faces. One of them speaks up.
  4447. >“He killed an Overseer.”
  4448. >“Killed an- WHAT!”
  4449. >“He killed Overseer Lysandra. We heard him confess ourselves.”
  4450. >“Lysandra? Oh no… She was one of my brood sistas!”
  4451. >The ugly drone looks down upon you.
  4452. >“Well don’t get too comfortable down there, I have a feelin' the Queen is gonna make short work outta you!”
  4453. >With that, the drone slams shut a heavy iron grate over the top of the pit.
  4454. >“I can take it from here boys.” The stout drone says.
  4455. >Both drones take to the air and flutter off.
  4456. >Their buzzing disappears in the distance.
  4457. >Looking up, you see the ugly drone staring back at you.
  4458. >You close your eyes and rest your head against the ground.
  4459. >You move your tongue over your false tooth containing the cyanide capsule.
  4460. >The time has come...
  4461. >“Killed one of your own, did ya!?”
  4462. >You try to ignore him.
  4463. >As soon as he’s gone, you’ll pull out the false tooth and take the cyanide capsule.
  4464. >“Hey! I’m talkin’ to you!”
  4465. “Please… just leave me alone…”
  4466. >“HEY! Unless ya want to move to a smalla pit, you better listen to me when I’m talkin' to you!”
  4467. >A smaller cell… that would be the last thing you need.
  4468. >You slowly lift up your head.
  4469. >“That’s more like it! Now I hear ya killed Lysandra! That true?”
  4470. >You let out a deep sigh.
  4471. >Speaking with this fool is not how you wanted to spend the last few minutes of your life.
  4472. >Best just tell him what he wants to hear so he goes away.
  4473. “Yeah… it's true.”
  4474. >“Shiiittt… killed your own kin… you’re despicable! You know that?”
  4475. “Yeah…”
  4476. >Your tongue continues to brush against the false tooth.
  4477. >“Why’d ya do it brotha?”
  4478. “Ha... for the hive…” You mumble under your breath.
  4479. >“What was that?”
  4480. >Best to just keep it simple for this guy.
  4481. “She gave me too much overtime...”
  4482. >“Overtime? Shit! You killed your boss over to much overtime? You’re a real messed up bug, you know that?”
  4483. “Yeah… I know…”
  4484. >“Tell you what, seeing how the Queen is likely gonna to kill you today, I feel obliged to offer you a last meal.”
  4485. “Nah…"
  4486. >“You sure brotha?”
  4487. >Maybe having him fetch a jar honey would be enough time for you to bust your false tooth out with your hooves.
  4488. “Actually sure... why not.”
  4489. >“Great!" He says with a devilish grin. "Hope ya like it!”
  4490. >With that, the drone's front hoof extends down to his crotch.
  4491. >A thin stream of green fluid begins pouring down on top of you.
  4492. >“How’s that taste ya dirty rotten scoundrel!”
  4493. “MOTHER FUCKER!”
  4494. >The stream of green urine splatters upon your face.
  4495. >You close your eyes and attempt to cover your face with your hooves, the iron continues to crack into your chitin even deeper as you attempt to pull.
  4496. “AHHH!”
  4497. >“HA! That’s what you get!”
  4498. >The stream of green urine splatters upon your face.
  4499. >You close your eyes and attempt to cover yourself with your hooves.
  4500. >The sudden jolt of your legs causes the iron bars to further crack into your chitin.
  4501. “AHHH!”
  4502. >“HA! That’s what you get!”
  4503. >The stream of fluid moves from your face into your cracked and bleeding legs.
  4504. >The sting is unbearable.
  4505. “AAHHH DAMMIT! YOU SON OF A BITCH!”
  4506. >“What!?”
  4507. >The stream of urine stops.
  4508. >“What did you say?”
  4509. “FUCK YOU!”
  4510. >“Say what you will 'bout me, but no one ever speaks bad 'bout mama!”
  4511. >With that, the lid of the pit swings open.
  4512. >The chains locking your legs together glow with magic as they begin to rise upwards.
  4513. >The metal rods dig deeper and deeper into your chitin as the chains continue to levitate and bring you out of the pit.
  4514. >“I’m givin' you the smallest pit I’ve got!”
  4515. >Dragging you out of the pit, you helplessly slide against the floor as he pulls you away.
  4516. >The pain being tremendous, all you can do is yell out in agony.
  4517. >With a quick fall, you collapse face first into an extremely small pit.
  4518. >The diameter of the pit is so small your body becomes wedged.
  4519. >A metal grate slams shut above you.
  4520. >“That’ll teach ya for speakin’ bout mama like that!”
  4521. >The drone begins to walk away, satisfied with the level of torment he brought upon you.
  4522. >You attempt to move your hooves.
  4523. >It's too tight, you are wedged in too securely.
  4524. >You wiggle and squirm, but you can’t break free.
  4525. >How are you going to get to the cyanide capsule!
  4526. >You being to panic.
  4527. >You try to swing your head against the wall in an attempt to break off your teeth.
  4528. >It's to no avail, you are too far away.
  4529. >You try to use your tongue to move the tooth.
  4530. >It's no use.
  4531. “No... NO…”
  4532. >The blood begins to rush to your head, making you dizzy.
  4533. “Fucking dammit!”
  4534. >“HEY! SHUT UP IN THERE!”
  4535. >You close your eyes.
  4536. ~~~~~~~~~
  4537. >Time passes by.
  4538. >Hours… maybe a day. You are not sure.
  4539. >Your captor leaves you to rot in your cell.
  4540. >The sound of multiple buzzing wings fills the room.
  4541. >“Hello Lieutenant!” Says the voice of your captor.
  4542. >You hear the two drones land quickly upon the ground with a thud.
  4543. >“Where is he!” A drone asks sternly.
  4544. >“Oh, I have him right here.”
  4545. >You hear the metal grate lift above you.
  4546. >“Your time has come!" Your captor yells with a drawl. "Time to face judgement for your actions, you murderous swine!”
  4547. >The chains holding your legs together illuminate with green magic.
  4548. >The haunched changeling violently yanks you from the pit, breaking you free from your previously wedged state.
  4549. “AHHHHHHHGGGGG!”
  4550. >You yell out in agony as the bars continue to rip into your chitin.
  4551. >He drops you on the ground before the two guards.
  4552. >They pause for a second, gazing upon your sorry state.
  4553. >You attempt to look up at them, but are still disoriented from being upside down for the last several hours.
  4554. >“Shit... you really did a number on him.”
  4555. >“The asshole brought is all upon himself!”
  4556. >“Dammit! You were supposed to just keep him confined until he could stand trial!”
  4557. >“Well… uh… he was being uncooperative! There was nothin' I could do to avoid this.”
  4558. >The nostrils of one of the drones standing next to you begin to sniff.
  4559. >“He smells like… YOU STUPID IDIOT!”
  4560. >“Come on, he killed one of our kin, I had to teach him-”
  4561. >“THAT IS FOR THE QUEEN TO DECIDE!”
  4562. >The drone grabs the neck of your captor with his hoof.
  4563. >“You had one job… ONE JOB-”
  4564. >“Lieutenant, the Queen is waiting for us.” The other drone chimes in.
  4565. >The Lieutenant lets out a sigh.
  4566. >“I’ll deal with /you/ later.”
  4567. >The two drones carefully grab hold of you and fly you out of the prison chamber.
  4568. >Just as before, everything passes by in a blur.
  4569. >Your worst fear has been realized.
  4570. >They undoubtedly know you are a fake.
  4571. >You pray they will grant you a swift death…
  4572. >The drones bring you into the entrance of the throne room.
  4573. >The chamber is overflowing with changeling drones and workers, all coming to see your trial.
  4574. >“MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY!” The drones carrying you yell.
  4575. >Swiftly you are flown to the far edge of the of the throne room.
  4576. >The drones carefully lie you on your side in front of the three thrones.
  4577. >The left and right thrones lie vacant.
  4578. >In the middle throne sits Queen Chrysalis, gazing down upon you.
  4579. >“My Queen,” Both drones bow down in unison. “We bring you the drone known as Lucky!”
  4580. >“Good, now rise.”
  4581. >The drones standing beside you rise from their bow.
  4582. >You continue to lay on the ground.
  4583. >The Queen looks at you flustered.
  4584. >“I said RISE!”
  4585. “Oh! S-sorry my Queen.”
  4586. >You attempt to wrap you legs around and untangle the mess of chains.
  4587. “AH!”
  4588. >You yelp in pain, the tangled chains make even standing up extremely painful.
  4589. >“GUARDS! Remove these irons at once!” The Queen demands.
  4590. >“Yes my Queen!"
  4591. >A drone immediately flies beside you and carefully removes the irons going through your leg holes.
  4592. >Your cracked chitin rejoices as the irons are pulled out.
  4593. >One by one the drone removes the irons until all are gone.
  4594. >“That is the last of them my Queen.”
  4595. >“The sheath. Remove that too!”
  4596. >“Very well.”
  4597. >The drone nods and proceeds to carefully loosen the metal sheath going over your horn.
  4598. >The show of good faith catches you off guard. Is she sincere? Or is she just toying with you?
  4599. >Your gut tells you it is the latter, but you decide to play along.
  4600. >“Thank you my Queen.”
  4601. >Your legs continue to sting, some of your wounds still dripping blood, but you manage to bring yourself on all fours.
  4602. >“Lucky! You stand before my court for multiple crimes. First and foremost being the death of Overseer Lysandra! I demand to hear your explanation of what happened last night!”
  4603. >You slowly raise your head and look at the ominous Queen.
  4604. >Her intimidating presence instills fear deep within you.
  4605. >“Well come on!” The Queen yells. “Out with it!”
  4606. “I… I killed her. It was me and me alone.”
  4607. >The Queen takes in a deep breath and quickly exhales.
  4608. >She slowly rises from her throne.
  4609. >Step by step, she strolls over the where you are standing.
  4610. >Extending a long leg, she gently brushes it against your snout.
  4611. >“Lucky… Lucky… Lucky… I just interviewed two dozen workers present during last night's incident. All of them told me the same exact thing. I will only tell you this once... if you lie to me again, you will spend the rest of your miserable life in the pits!”
  4612. >She looks at you with an angry face. Her sharp white fangs glistening in the torch light.
  4613. >“Do I make myself clear?”
  4614. “Y-yes…”
  4615. >“Good! Now tell me exactly what happened between you and Lysandra.”
  4616. “Uhh… well…”
  4617. >You give Chrysalis a detailed explanation of what happened.
  4618. >You explain how she drunkenly confessed to killing her predecessor.
  4619. >You admit to not seeing who actually collapsed the cavern onto Lysandra, and explain how you lied about doing it yourself to save other workers from being punished as well.
  4620. >“Hmm…” The Queen says to herself. “That explanation seems to correspond with what the others have said. I think it's time we lay this issue to rest.”
  4621. >The Queen stands firmly and addresses the horde of changelings filling the cavern.
  4622. >“In regards to the death of Overseer Lysandra, I see no further need for bloodshed over this matter. The death of veteran worker Lacey, tragic as it was, shall serve as an example that vigilantism and disrespect of authority has no place in our hive! All will answer for their crimes through a royal court proceeding! Order must be maintained!”
  4623. >You let out a sigh of relief.
  4624. >She’s being reasonable... You might actually survive this trial!
  4625. >“However!"
  4626. >She turns to face you, eyes squinting at you suspiciously.
  4627. >"We will now move onto the next matter at hand.”
  4628. *gulp*
  4629. >All of your optimism disappears.
  4630. >“Despite the protests of General Strider, I sent him and everyone else off on the logging run necessary to strengthen the flood chamber. But before he left, he did a thorough investigation into your military history. He informed me he was not able to discover anything... None of his officers have any idea who you are!”
  4631. >She moves in closer, lowering her face to be on the same level as yours.
  4632. >“You’ve been impostering as one of my children, haven't you Lucky?”
  4633. “U-Uh… well…”
  4634. >Her horn sparks.
  4635. >She looks at you with an anger-filled gaze.
  4636. >Snarling, she shows off her sharp, pointy fangs.
  4637. “Y-yes. I... a-am... not one of your children. I’m an imposter...”
  4638. >You hear several gasps among the crowd.
  4639. >“I knew it! Then tell me who you are!? What are you doing in my hive!?
  4640. “I… I…”
  4641. >You’re damned if you tell her the truth.
  4642. >You’re damned if you don’t.
  4643. >There's a chance she’ll kill you if she thinks you're lying.
  4644. >But there's a better chance she’ll kill you (or worse) if she finds out you are a pony.
  4645. “I…”
  4646. >...don’t feel like dying.
  4647. >NO, NOT FUCKING TODAY!
  4648. >Princess Luna and the rest of her team trained you for this type of worst case scenario.
  4649. >Luna called it plan Z.
  4650. >EXTREME last resort, even after the cyanide capsule.
  4651. >You perk up.
  4652. >You look Chrysalis straight in the eye.
  4653. >Confidence is key! Confidence is key!
  4654. >You can do this!
  4655. >You can do anything you set your mind to!
  4656. “You’re the reason I’m here!”
  4657. >Chrysalis’ eyes go wide in surprise.
  4658. “I’ve traveled from long and far to be here! I’ve sailed the Celestial Sea! I’ve been horrifically maimed! All for you! And it has all been worth it, just to be in your presence!”
  4659. >A large grin forms on the lips of the Queen.
  4660. “Queen Chrysalis the glorious!” You bow deeply, pressing your body against the floor. “Will you accept me as your Royal Concubine?”
  4661. >The crowd erupts into a flurry of buzzing and chattering.
  4662. >“HA! As I suspected! Another drone from a distant land trying to woe me! Tell me Lucky, where do you come from!”
  4663. >You raise from your deep bow.
  4664. “I hail from a hive in Saddle Arabia. We are a proud hive, however, once I heard rumors of your beauty and magnificence, I had to abandon my people to find you!”
  4665. >Chrysalis tilts her head back smiling, basking in pride from your non-stop compliments.
  4666. >“Saddle Arabia? Most of my past concubines traveled to me from the Dragon Lands. I’ve yet to have a concubine come from that far away…”
  4667. >The Queen pauses for a second, giggling to herself.
  4668. >“But I don’t understand… why didn’t you just make yourself known as soon as you arrived?”
  4669. >Shit...
  4670. >Just keep confident!
  4671. “The answer is simple my liege! I wanted to prove myself worthy to you! I purposefully took one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs in the hive. I noticed the flaw with the flood cavern. I put myself in harms way, suffering the wrath of the dreadful Overseer Lysandra, all so that I could prove myself worthy!"
  4672. >“Ha! HAHAHA!”
  4673. >The Queen pauses for a second, laughing to herself.
  4674. >“Never before have I seen a concubine with such reckless abandon.”
  4675. >She leans in closer to your ear.
  4676. >“I /love/ it!”
  4677. >Her tongue slithers out and slides against your ear as she pulls away.
  4678. >You do your best not to shiver in disgust.
  4679. >“A master infiltrator! A hard worker of good intellect! A willingness to make sacrifices for the hive! Truly, offspring with your devotion would be a great benefit for the hive!”
  4680. >The Queen turns to address the changelings in the cavern.
  4681. >“Children! Hear my decree! I declare the foreign drone Lucky to be a full fledged member of our hive! He shall provide our hive with the strong and cunning offspring needed to keep us dominant! May his seed provide us with a new generation of drones and workers that allow us to bring our hive to heights we’ve never before seen!”
  4682. >You look at the hundreds, possibly thousands of blue eyes staring back at you intently.
  4683. >“Welcome Lucky, our new Royal Concubine!”
  4684. >The changelings in the cavern erupt in a chorus of applause.
  4685. >You stand there, awestruck.
  4686. >What the hell have you done…
  4687. >The Queen lets the applause continue.
  4688. >She turns to look at you, eyes scanning your face but then quickly moving further down to the rest of your body.
  4689. >She licks her lips as she sets her gaze between your legs.
  4690. >You nervously continue to watch her, unsure what to do or say.
  4691. >The applause begins to die down.
  4692. >Chrysalis returns her gaze to the audience.
  4693. >“I now declare this court adjourned!”
  4694. >With that, the changelings begin to clear out of the cavern.
  4695. >Chrysalis looks down at you from her tall form.
  4696. >Her two small fangs protrude from her desirous grin.
  4697. “So what now my Queen?”
  4698. >“I think you know what…” She says biting her lip.
  4699. “Right… now?”
  4700. >“Of course! Can’t you smell that I’m ovulating!”
  4701. “Oh… well...”
  4702. >Shit… you can’t detect changeling pheromones!
  4703. >“You can’t... can you?"
  4704. >Time for damage control!
  4705. >You're already in this far, what's another lie!
  4706. “I'm afraid my sense of smell was a little damaged the same time this happened.”
  4707. >You point to the side of your disfigured face.
  4708. >“Oh you /poor/ thing.”
  4709. >She caresses her hoof gently against your face.
  4710. >“Nothing... /important/ to performing your royal duties has been damaged, I hope?”
  4711. “W-wa… Oh! NO! Everything is still intact and fully functional!”
  4712. >“Good! Good. Otherwise I’d… well, let's not talk about that…”
  4713. >She continues to brush her hoof against your face.
  4714. >“I simply /love/ this eyepatch!”
  4715. “T-thank you… it was a gift from one of your children.”
  4716. >“Oh how sweet! I’m so glad to hear you are getting along with my offspring. Now why don’t we go make more of them!”
  4717. >She places her hoof over your shoulder and turns you towards her personal bedroom.
  4718. >She begins to walk forward, forcing you to walk along beside her.
  4719. “Y-you don’t mind that I’m bleeding… a-and covered in urine…”
  4720. >She looks at you with a devious smile. Her eyes raise as if you had just aroused her.
  4721. “…Because it sure doesn’t bother me! Nothing could stop me from wooing a mare as beautiful as you!”
  4722. >She quietly giggles to herself as she wraps her long front leg around you even tighter.
  4723. >You reach the doorway to her royal chambers.
  4724. >Two drones clad in armor stand on either side of the doorway.
  4725. >One of the drones quickly opens the door for the two of you.
  4726. >“Make sure no one disturbs us.” The Chrysalis orders to the guards.
  4727. >“Yes my Queen!”
  4728. >You walk into her room.
  4729. >Rows of bookcases line the walls, each filled with ancient scrolls and books.
  4730. >A large desk littered with ledgers and maps stands on the left wall.
  4731. >On the right stands a large bed.
  4732. >The vibrant, red blankets covering it stand out in the otherwise dull stone hewn room.
  4733. >Upon closer inspection of the giant bed, you notice it is in the shape of a giant heart.
  4734. >Of course…
  4735. >SLAM!
  4736. >The door flies shut behind you.
  4737. >CLICK!
  4738. >Chrysalis slides the deadbolt into place, all while biting her lip and staring at you with a frenzied grin.
  4739. >You look the large changeling up and down.
  4740. >Her sleek, slender frame...
  4741. >Her toothy, sadistic smile...
  4742. >Her smooth, black chitin...
  4743. >Everything about her screams hot, kinky, sex…
  4744. >This was going to be… interesting…
  4745. >Not to mention she is twice your size...
  4746. >You should be able to handle her though...
  4747. >Especially if it means surviving another day. You guess you’ll do what you gotta do…
  4748. >You move in.
  4749. >Extending your neck as far up as you can, you lock lips with her.
  4750. >Wrapping you front hoof over her neck, you cautiously move your forked tongue into her mouth.
  4751. >Your tongue intertwines with hers, sending a tingling sensation across your entire body.
  4752. >Its been so long since you kissed another mare.
  4753. >Perhaps if you tried hard enough, you could just pretend she was a regular pon-
  4754. "AH!"
  4755. >The taste of blood hits your tongue as it gets pricked by one of her sharp fangs.
  4756. >You pull your tongue back and attempt to remove your lips.
  4757. “EEHH!”
  4758. >Chrysalis bites your lower lip with her fangs, not letting you detach.
  4759. >You squirm, fearfully looking at her large, green eyes.
  4760. >Giddy from watching you struggle, Chrysalis giggles to herself.
  4761. After a few seconds she finally releases you from her hold.
  4762. >You place your hoof up to your lip, wiping away the green blood.
  4763. >“Kissing… really? What do you take me for? Some sort of pony?” She says, mockingly.
  4764. >Shit, you may have almost blown your cover.
  4765. >Time for damage control.
  4766. “Uh… where I’m from it is customary-”
  4767. >“Shhh!”
  4768. >The Queen cuts you off.
  4769. >Chrysalis grabs ahold of your front hoof, moving it away from your mouth.
  4770. >“You're just /so/ cute! Do you know that! I could just eat you up…”
  4771. >Out from her mouth slither her long forked tongue.
  4772. >With a long slow pull, she licks the blood off of your lip.
  4773. >Her eyes widen
  4774. >Her nostrils flare.
  4775. >She exhales in delight.
  4776. >You notice your entire body begins to illuminate with a green glow.
  4777. >With a crazed smile, the large mare tosses you across the room to the red heart shaped bed.
  4778. >Your back lands against the bed with a thud.
  4779. >You cringe out in pain as your cracked chitin snaps open even further.
  4780. >Blood continues to trickle out from your leg holes.
  4781. >You tilt your head up.
  4782. >The Queen, licking her lips with her long dripping tongue, sets her gaze upon your exposed sheath...
  4783. >She begins stepping towards you, her rump rhythmically swaying from side to side.
  4784. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlV5AKdIGOQ
  4785. >“Lucky…”
  4786. >Step.
  4787. >Step.
  4788. >Step.
  4789. >Step.
  4790. >“Fuck Me!”
  4791. >Step.
  4792. >Step.
  4793. >Step.
  4794. >Step.
  4795. >“FILL ME!”
  4796. >Small droplets of fluid drip from her marehood as she saunters over.
  4797. >She looks down at you from the base of the bed.
  4798. >Your heart begins to thump heavily.
  4799. >“Sometimes I feel I've got to-”
  4800. *THUMP* *THUMP*
  4801. >“Run away, I've got to-”
  4802. *THUMP* *THUMP*
  4803. >“Get away from the pain ponies drive into the heart of me!”
  4804. >“The love we share.”
  4805. *THUMP* *THUMP*
  4806. >“Seems to go nowhere.”
  4807. *THUMP* *THUMP*
  4808. >“But now I’ve found my knight!”
  4809. >“Now give me your seed, so I can save this HIVE!”
  4810. >Her massive body towers over you.
  4811. >She lunges forward, pinning you against the bed.
  4812. >Your green blood begins to trickle down onto the red sheets.
  4813. >Her eyes open wide as she begins to salivate.
  4814. >She lowers her head over you, her green mane drooping over your black chitin.
  4815. >She extends her long forked tongue into one of your bleeding leg holes.
  4816. >Her tongue circles round and round, filling you with fear, unpleasantness, pain, awe, and-
  4817. “OOHHHHHHH!”
  4818. >Fug da bug…
  4819. “OoooOOOOoooohhh!”
  4820. >Fug da bug…
  4821. >NOW I KNOW I’VE GOT TO!
  4822. “AHH! AHHH!”
  4823. >RUN AWAY, I’VE GOT TO!
  4824. “AHH AHHH!”
  4825. >GET AWAY!
  4826. >You don’t really want any bug pussy
  4827. >But to save your life.
  4828. “AHH! AHHH!”
  4829. >You begin to hold her tight.
  4830. “AHH! AHHH!”
  4831. >And don’t think how you’re her prey.
  4832. >But you’re sorry it turned out this way!
  4833. >She glides down your neck.
  4834. >Her tongue slithers across your chest.
  4835. >Her mane brushing against your belly.
  4836. >She quickly moves down to your sheath.
  4837. >Noticing your limpness, she looks up at you.
  4838. >You return with a apologetic and embarrassed look.
  4839. >Wasting no time, she begins to vigorously lap the sides of your sheath with her tongue.
  4840. >You are filled with of bewilderment, pleasure, terror, desire, disgust, and-
  4841. “OOHHHHHHH!”
  4842. >Fug da bug…
  4843. “OoooOOOOoooohhh!”
  4844. >Fug da bug…
  4845. >Your member does not stand a chance against the merciless onslaught of Chrysalis's long slender tongue.
  4846. >Up.
  4847. >Down.
  4848. >TIghtly wrapped around.
  4849. >You shaft begins to quickly emerge from your chitin sheath.
  4850. >You begin to sit up to watch as she goes to town on you, but are quickly thrown flat onto the bed by one of the Queens hooves.
  4851. >Your member is now erect, firm, and good to GO!
  4852. >Fug da bug…
  4853. “OoooOOOOoooohhh!”
  4854. >Fug da bug…
  4855. “OoooOOOOoooohhh!”
  4856. >Chrysalis removes her tongue from your fully erect cock.
  4857. >Standing tall from the side of the bed, she looks down upon your underside with a satisfied grin.
  4858. >Her gaze turns back towards your sweating face.
  4859. >You look back at her with a nervous smile.
  4860. >The large mare begins to mount you.
  4861. >She moves the upper half of her lanky body over yours, placing her front hooves upon your shoulders.
  4862. >Due to her large size, your face lines up with the Queen’s chest.
  4863. >You struggle to tilt your head back to look at her face.
  4864. >Her back hooves remain firmly planted upon the floor as her body slowly lowers itself upon you.
  4865. >Looking between your two bodies, you see her marehood soaking wet in anticipation.
  4866. >You feel one or two drips of her juices land upon your awaiting shaft.
  4867. >She slowly lowers herself so that the tip of your head makes contact with her lips.
  4868. >“AHhh! AHHH! Ahhhhhhh...”
  4869. >She quivers in delight while laying over you.
  4870. >The tip of your cock rejoices from the welcoming warmth given off by the mares folds.
  4871. >Chrysalis looks you in the eye.
  4872. >Her smile turns from one of pleasure, to one of devious intent.
  4873. >With a quick shove downward, Chrysalis forces the entire length of your cock into herself.
  4874. “GAAAAAHHH!”
  4875. >“UUGGHHHHH!”
  4876. >The two of you cry out in pain.
  4877. >The muscles supporting your cock strain from the sudden impact, and have no time to recover as the large mare immediately begins to viciously pound away.
  4878. >The muscles of her vagina securely maintain your rod, giving you absolutely no chance of escape as she has her way with you.
  4879. >You attempt to hold onto her flanks as she continues to pound away.
  4880. >With each downward thrust she takes in the entire length of your shaft.
  4881. >Your balls slam against her marehood with each thrust.
  4882. >More juices begin to pour out of the mare's vagina, dripping onto your balls, then on to the red sheets of the bed.
  4883. “Oh… s-s-shit…”
  4884. >Waves of pleasure begin to overtake you.
  4885. >It will not be long now
  4886. “I... I’m close-"
  4887. >“GIVE IT TO ME!”
  4888. >She begins to increase her pace.
  4889. >Her thrusts become even more rough.
  4890. >“YOUR QUEEN DEMANDS IT!”
  4891. >You struggle to maintain your grips on her flanks as she begins to violently thrust up and down upon you.
  4892. “AHHH!”
  4893. >A wave of pain overcomes you as she slams down hard against your pelvis.
  4894. >Your front hooves fall limp onto the bed, the mixture of pain and pleasure is too much for you to continue holding on.
  4895. >You can no longer tilt your neck back to look at her face.
  4896. >You simply lay still, staring up at her chest.
  4897. >You feel your member begin to pulsate.
  4898. >The walls of her vagina clamp down firmly upon you.
  4899. >She pushes down with another deep thrust!
  4900. “UUHHHGGgghhhh!”
  4901. >You moan as your sperm shoots out from your shaft.
  4902. >“AHH!! YESSSS YESSSS!”
  4903. >You feel the walls of her vagina squeeze tightly against your shaft.
  4904. >The Queen continues to lock you inside of her, well after your organism, continuing to milk you for every little drop.
  4905. >Your shaft quickly begins to grow limp.
  4906. >The walls of her vagina begin to pinch, causing you pain.
  4907. >You look up at her face, her gaze both focused and pleasured.
  4908. “M-my queen… P-please…”
  4909. >She slowly looks down at you, beads of sweat dripping off her chitin on to you.
  4910. >With a satisfied grin, she looks down upon your beaten face.
  4911. “P-p-please… S-stop!”
  4912. >She exhales slowly and nods her head.
  4913. >“Very well…”
  4914. >She releases her grasp and you immediately slide out from the large mare.
  4915. >The Queen spreads her wings and hovers in the air above you.
  4916. >She lazily flutters to the front of the bed.
  4917. >Landing gracefully, she lays down, resting her head against a red heart-shaped pillow.
  4918. >You continue to lie still on the edge of the bed, covered in a myriad bodily fluids.
  4919. >Every part of your body aches.
  4920. >“Lucky, care to join me?” The Queen says, motioning for you to lie beside her.
  4921. “Uuhhgg… hugghh…” You mumble unintelligibly.
  4922. >You attempt to roll, but the slightest movement makes your body sting in pain.
  4923. >Trying to ignore it, you continue on.
  4924. >A sharp jolt of pain in your pelvis makes you curl up into the fetal position.
  4925. >You legs buckle as you roll out of the bed and collapse onto the ground with a thud.
  4926. >Chrysalis lets out a sigh.
  4927. >“Hmm… perhaps I was a bit too rough with you…”
  4928. “Uuugghhhh…”
  4929. >“Very well Lucky, having performed your royal duty, you are now dismissed until the next time I have need of you.”
  4930. >Her horn turns green as the locked door to her room disengages.
  4931. >“Guards!”
  4932. >Two changeling drones cautiously look inside.
  4933. >“Bring to royal concubine to-”
  4934. >You pass out.
  4935. ~~~~~~~~~~~
  4936. >You feel an itch on your eye.
  4937. >Slowly your crusty eyelids slide open.
  4938. >You’re in a bed.
  4939. >A very comfy, warm bed.
  4940. “What the...?”
  4941. >You look around the clean, well-lit room.
  4942. >The walls are lined with shelves, bookcases, and a small desk.
  4943. >It is so quiet… and peaceful...
  4944. “Where am I?”
  4945. >Nothing seems familiar.
  4946. “Can this be real?”
  4947. >Your mind tries to recall where you were last.
  4948. “I was underground...”
  4949. “There was a bunch of water…”
  4950. “There were… bugs!”
  4951. “Changelings! Workers! Drones! /Queen Chrysalis/....”
  4952. >You mind cringes thinking about the things Chrysalis did to you.
  4953. “No… there’s no way any of that could have happened! No way! I must have been dreaming...”
  4954. >You look around the room.
  4955. “This must be some sort of hospital room, I must have had an accident!”
  4956. >You look down at you body covered beneath the blankets.
  4957. “It was a dream… All of it! It had to be!”
  4958. >Slowly, you begin to push the covers off your front right hoof.
  4959. >You stop.
  4960. “It all has to be a dream, right?…”
  4961. >A cold sweat begin to drop from your face.
  4962. >You look down at your leg.
  4963. “IT HAS TO BE!”
  4964. >In one quick motion you sit up and violently throw off the covers.
  4965. >Underneath the blanket lies a black, chitinous body, riddled with holes.
  4966. “No… NO! GOD DAMMIT NO!”
  4967. >The door slams open.
  4968. >A changeling mare bursts through.
  4969. >She looks at you in your panicked state.
  4970. “FUCK NO! F-FUUCK NOOOO!”
  4971. >“Lucky! The mare yells. “Calm down! You’re safe now!”
  4972. >You begin to breath in and out heavily, rocking back and forth.
  4973. “NO NO NO-”
  4974. >The mare grabs ahold of you.
  4975. >Her horn begins to glow green.
  4976. “GET AWAY!”
  4977. >She lets loose a spell from her horn.
  4978. >It hits you directly in the chest
  4979. >With a quick jolt, a warmth overcomes your entire body.
  4980. >Your muscles almost collapse from the soothing effects of the spell.
  4981. >You mind instantly stops.
  4982. >All panic is gone.
  4983. >Looking up, the tired mare continues to hold you. She stares at you worryingly.
  4984. “G-grace…”
  4985. >“W-what?”
  4986. “Grace, thank you so much… whatever you did... I really need that.”
  4987. >“You’re welcome. But my name is not Grace.”
  4988. >The mare slowly detaches from you and backs a few steps away.
  4989. >“I am Overseer Valentine.”
  4990. “W-who…”
  4991. >“I’m from the Birthing Division. The Queen assigned me to watch over you.”
  4992. “Watch over me?
  4993. >“You know… make sure you are in good health, keep you in tip-top breeding shape.”
  4994. “Oh... ok…”
  4995. >“And just to make myself clear, I'm also here to make sure you are saving your seed solely for the Queen. We’re not going to have a problem with you wasting your prime genetic material on a sterile worker… are we?”
  4996. >She looks at you sternly.
  4997. “Ha… no, you won’t need to worry about that.”
  4998. >She continues to look at you with a cold face.
  4999. >“And none of the drones?”
  5000. “What?! NO! I’ll stay away from them too!”
  5001. >She continue to stare at you sternly for a second, before forming a large smile upon her face.
  5002. >“/Fantastic/! I have a feeling the two of us are going to get along /just/ great! Which is good, considering I will be spending almost every waking moment keeping an eye on you...”
  5003. “Ha… yeah… great...”
  5004. >You laugh nervously.
  5005. >She moves her head in closer over your body.
  5006. >“Looks like your chitin lacerations have healed nicely.”
  5007. >You look down at your leg.
  5008. >“I had our best nurses patch you up.”
  5009. >You put your hoof up to your face and begin looking through one of the holes.
  5010. >The interior portion of your leg holes are now completely healed.
  5011. “Wow… they did a really good job!”
  5012. >Through the other end of the hole you see Valentine starting back at you.
  5013. >“How are you feeling? Any residual pain?”
  5014. “No, I don’t think so…”
  5015. >You place your legs over the edge of the bed and plop down onto the ground.
  5016. “AHHH!”
  5017. >Your pelvis shoots out a sharp pain, causing your legs to buckle.
  5018. >Valentine quickly stabilizes you.
  5019. >“Curses!” The mare says as she moves her head lower to your nether regions.
  5020. >You feel her hoof gently prod around your groin.
  5021. “H-Hey! What are you-”
  5022. >“Relax Lucky… I’m just checking a few things.”
  5023. >You look off into the distance, embarrassingly trying to ignore as this mare feels around your private parts.
  5024. >She continues to gently push around your sheath.
  5025. >“If I press here does it feel tender-”
  5026. “OWW!”
  5027. >“OH! Sorry! Sorry!”
  5028. >She pulls away.
  5029. >“I’ll have the nurses swing by and give you a little something for that.”
  5030. >You look at her, perturbed.
  5031. >“You were pretty shook up when you woke up just now, weren’t you.”
  5032. “Yeah…”
  5033. >“She was too rough on you, wasn’t she?”
  5034. “Uhh… well… no... it was fine…”
  5035. >She places a hoof upon your shoulder.
  5036. “Lucky, your not a very good liar.”
  5037. >HA!
  5038. >You can’t help but smirk at that.
  5039. >“Just be honest with me. I’ve been doing this job my whole life, I’ve seen it all.”
  5040. >You exhale deeply as you look into the mares blue eyes, her concerned gaze locked upon your face.
  5041. “Yeah… it was very rough… and extremely painful...”
  5042. >“Alright, thanks for letting me know. Next time I’ll make sure that she tones it down on you.”
  5043. >You perk up as you give her a puzzled look.
  5044. “/You/ are going to tell the Queen what to do?! In bed no less?!”
  5045. >She takes her hoof off your shoulder.
  5046. >“Yes, and she will listen!”
  5047. “What!? No way! I don’t believe you!”
  5048. >“Listen!” She looks at you sternly, putting her hoof firmly upon your chest. “After all the time I spent with a hoof up that mare’s vagina pulling out eggs, she is going to listen to what I have to say!”
  5049. >You pause for a second, visualizing what she just said.
  5050. >Your head tilts down as you examine her hoof poking you in the chest.
  5051. >You pull back.
  5052. “Sorry… but I’ve had enough contact with that mare’s vagina for one day…”
  5053. >“What?”
  5054. >She looks down at her hoof.
  5055. >“Hey! I wash my hoof when I’m done!”
  5056. >You snicker to yourself.
  5057. >A slight grin forms on Valentine's face as well.
  5058. >“Listen, my job is to take care you. Your next breeding session with the Queen will be much better, I promise!”
  5059. >She looks at you with sincerity in her eyes.
  5060. >You feel a relieved… partially at least...
  5061. “Thank you… I’m not sure I’d be able last very long with more ruttings like that. Speaking of which, mind if I ask you a few /confidential/ questions…”
  5062. >“Sure! You can trust me with anything!”
  5063. “I’m the only concubine, right?”
  5064. >“Yes, that is correct. And in case you were wondering, the Queen’s last brood was sourced from a pony.”
  5065. “A pony? Really?”
  5066. >“Yes. She courted him while pretending to be Equestrian royalty. The stallion had powerful magical abilities and a strong willingness to serve authority. We are hoping that the broods sourced from his seed will exhibit these qualities as well.”
  5067. >Poor Captain Shining…
  5068. >He could be rough on his troops, but you wouldn’t wish a night in bed with Queen Chrysalis on any stallion...
  5069. >“The Queen had just used up the last bit of that stallion's genetic material, so your timing is impeccable!”
  5070. “Well... what happened to the last changeling concubine? D-did the Queen…”
  5071. >Valentine looks at you hesitantly.
  5072. “She didn’t... fuck him to death? Did she?”
  5073. >“What? NO! She wouldn’t do that!”
  5074. “Yeah /sure/… she just about bit my head off in there! Both of them actually!”
  5075. >“No Lucky, you have her all wrong! She just has a few 'interesting fetishes’, that's all-”
  5076. “Then what happened to her last concubine then!?”
  5077. >Valentine pauses. She looks at you angrily, and raises her hoof at you.
  5078. >She is about to say something, but then stops.
  5079. >Her face changes to one of sorrow.
  5080. >“I failed…”
  5081. >She looks down to the floor, averting her eyes from your gaze.
  5082. >“He went to Canterlot with all the other drones…”
  5083. >Tears begins to form in her blue eyes.
  5084. >“B-but... he didn’t come back…”
  5085. “Oh… I’m…”
  5086. >“It’s only fitting that the father be there along side his children during our moment of glory. But when the barrier came… it just came up so quickly… he was still inside the castle… I was right there next to him… I was standing next to a window… he was… he was standing next to the wall… it… it just happened so fast… I… I-”
  5087. “Valentine… I’m sorry… that was rude of me-”
  5088. >“No… you asked... I told you… nothing to be sorry about…”
  5089. >She attempts to brush away the tears from her face.
  5090. “Listen… it sounds like you are blaming yourself, but what happen wasn’t-”
  5091. >“MY FAULT!” Her head shoots up. “I FAILED! Barrier or not, he is dead! And... and… It will be a mistake I will not make twice! I’d die before I let something happen to you!”
  5092. >She looks at you with absolute seriousness.
  5093. “Hey Hey Hey! Who said anything about me dying?!”
  5094. >You throw on a smile and a positive attitude in an attempt to cheer her up.
  5095. >She sniffs to herself. Looking at your smile she lets out a deep breath.
  5096. >“Yeah… yeah…”
  5097. >You attempt to change the subject.
  5098. “So where am I?”
  5099. >“Oh... this?”
  5100. >The mare looks around the room.
  5101. >“This will be your new living quarters, when not in the Queen's personal bedroom of course. I hope it is to your liking?”
  5102. >You look around, everything seems nice and tidy. Even the bed was very comfy.
  5103. “Yeah, this will work.”
  5104. >“Excellent. You are fortunate to get your own room right away. Usually there is a waiting period of a few weeks to a few months. The Construction Division is always busy with major projects, and living quarter expansion is always low on the priority list.”
  5105. “Oh yeah… I guess I’m pretty familiar with that.”
  5106. >She smiles at you.
  5107. >“That's right, you're already well acquainted with the Construction Division aren't you… well anyways, this room just recently opened up and the Queen decided to let you have it.”
  5108. “Just recently opened up? Wait… do you mean this room used to belong to?…”
  5109. >Valentine smirks at you.
  5110. >“Yes… it did”
  5111. “Ha…”
  5112. >Thanks Lysandra…
  5113. >“If there is anything else you need, please let me know! Keeping you happy will keep the Queen happy. Keeping her happy will definitely keep the hive in good spirits!”
  5114. “Uhh... thanks… but I’m pretty low maintenance…”
  5115. >“Good! Well I’m going to get a nurse down here to help with that bruising, please take it easy while I’m gone.”
  5116. “Oh, ok…”
  5117. >The mare turns around and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
  5118. >You stand there, alone.
  5119. >You begin to look around the room.
  5120. >The bookcase catches your eye.
  5121. >You slowly waddle over to it, being careful not to strain your hind quarters.
  5122. >It contains various well-known pony stories you’ve seen back on the surface.
  5123. >There are also a few odd books that catch your eye.
  5124. >One shelf in particular contains nothing but black, leather-bound books.
  5125. >No… not leather… chitin…
  5126. >You pull one out.
  5127. “The Chain That Binds: Hive Hierarchy Protocol.”
  5128. >You pull out another.
  5129. “Swarm Tactics: Volume 3.”
  5130. >And another...
  5131. “The Pony Sutra.”
  5132. >You look at the cover of the book.
  5133. “Whoa!”
  5134. >There lies a pony and a changeling intertwined in a position you didn't even think was possible.
  5135. “Hmm… some of these might be kind of interesting to read.”
  5136. >You place the books back and continue to look around the room.
  5137. >Nothing else of interest really stands out.
  5138. >You look towards the door.
  5139. “Might as well take a quick look around outside and get to know the place. Maybe life here won’t be so bad.”
  5140. >You place your hoof on the doorknob.
  5141. >*Click* *Click*
  5142. >It wont turn.
  5143. >Locked.
  5144. “Shit…”
  5145. >You're a prisoner to them… aren’t you...
  5146. >The door swings open.
  5147. >Valentine stands there with another mare beside her.
  5148. >You look at her with an angry glare.
  5149. >“/So/… you noticed I locked the door…”
  5150. “/Yeah/…”
  5151. >“It's just temporary, I can assure you…”
  5152. “Oh really?…”
  5153. >“I just want to make sure you are well acquainted with the hive first. Don't want you to wander off somewhere dangerous and get hurt…”
  5154. >You look at her skeptically.
  5155. >She rolls her eyes.
  5156. “No other reasons?”
  5157. >“Well…” She looks up.
  5158. >“...Considering last night... it’s understandable that you may be having... seconds thoughts about begin a royal concubine. /So/... the Queen and I just wanted to... /you know/… make sure you weren’t a flight risk.”
  5159. “Flight risk!? Do I look like I can fucking fly?!”
  5160. >She looks at the two nubs on your back.
  5161. “How the hell would I be able to escape from here!” You point upwards with your hoof. “Climbing down that mound?! I almost died doing that when I first arrived here!”
  5162. >“Uh... well... I guess that should make my job a whole lot easier then!”
  5163. >She smile back at you hesitantly.
  5164. >You roll your eyes.
  5165. >“Don’t worry Lucky, if everything goes well you’ll get free roaming privileges in no time. Meanwhile, if there’s anywhere you want to go in the hive just let me know! I’ll take you there myself!”
  5166. “Great…”
  5167. >“No need to be such a Debby downer! You’re gonna have it pretty good down here! You have the most enjoyable job in the hive!”
  5168. “Enjoyable?! Last night sure as hell didn’t seem enjoyable!”
  5169. >“I told you I will fix that, trust me! Now…” She points to the mare next to her. “My nurse friend here is going to give you a little something for those bruises.”
  5170. >You look up at the mare.
  5171. >She looks back at you with a sultry gaze.
  5172. >“Nice to see you again Lucky!”
  5173. “CERSEI?!”
  5174. >“You two already know each other?”
  5175. “Yeah! She tried to fuck me while I was asleep back when she thought I was her brother!”
  5176. >“She what!?”
  5177. >Valentine turns to the mare.
  5178. >“Uh… that little incident? Oh... that was nothing…”
  5179. “You better not let this sex fiend get anywhere near me!”
  5180. >“Oh come on Lucky, you know I’d never hurt you!”
  5181. >Valentine grabs hold of the mare!
  5182. >“Alright Cersei, you need to go.”
  5183. >Cersei breaks free of her grasp and begins to enter your room.
  5184. >“NO wait! Please just let me have five minutes with him!”
  5185. >Valentine’s horn illuminates with magic as she grabs the mare by the tail.
  5186. >Cersei lets out a yelp as she is violently yanked backwards into the hallway.
  5187. >“PLEASE! I /NEED/ THIS!”
  5188. >The door slams shut.
  5189. >You hear Cersei continue to yell as she is dragged down the hallway.
  5190. >You listen closely until her voice finally disappears.
  5191. “Well… at least Valentine is good for something…”
  5192. >You again attempt to open the door.
  5193. >*Click* *Click*
  5194. "Dammit!”
  5195. >Still locked
  5196. “Oh well… Might as well try and make the most of this…”
  5197. >You grab ‘Swarm Tactics: Volume 1’ and begin to read.
  5198. >The knowledge you are gaining would be considered indispensable if you were still working as a Shadowbolt agent.
  5199. >Now however, it is simply for your own interests.
  5200. >None of that matters anymore.
  5201. >You get a few pages in and you hear a knock on the door.
  5202. “Uh… come in... I guess…”
  5203. >The door unlatches from the outside.
  5204. >Two drones stand at the doorway.
  5205. >One of them stands tall with an angry look upon his face, the other one cowers down, hunched over.
  5206. >It’s the Lieutenant and the drone in charge of the pits.
  5207. >Your captor...
  5208. >“Concubine Lucky!” The Lieutenant says firmly. “This drone has something he wanted to say to you.”
  5209. >The dominating drone looks to the haunched changeling standing beside him.
  5210. >You think back to when the drone cracked open your chitin, tossing you from pit to pit.
  5211. >And how he urinated all over your bleeding wounds.
  5212. >You look back at him angrily.
  5213. >The drone looks to the floor.
  5214. >“I’m sorry-”
  5215. >“LOOK HIM IN THE EYE SOLDIER!”
  5216. >The drone jolts up and looks at you hesitantly.
  5217. >“I-I’m sorry for the way I treated you in the pits C-Concubine Lucky…”
  5218. “You know how painful that was…”
  5219. >“Uh… I…”
  5220. >“Please allow me to make things right Royal Concubine!” The Lieutenant says as he turns his body to face the drone.
  5221. >Before you can even blink, the Lieutenant lands a swift blow onto your captor's jaw.
  5222. >The drone collapses on to the floor.
  5223. “Oh shit!”
  5224. >A trickle of blood begins to sprout from his mouth as he lies on the floor.
  5225. >“Hmm… this doesn’t seem nearly the same amount of pain you inflicted upon the Royal Concubine... But it's a start. Would you like a swing at him Lucky?”
  5226. “Tempting… but no thanks Lieutenant.”
  5227. >“Very well… Perhaps instead you'd like to urinate on him while he’s down?”
  5228. “I don’t think I’d stoop that low…”
  5229. >“You hear that grunt? This drone has standards! Maybe if you’d stop being such a stupid piece of shit you could have standards too!”
  5230. >“Yes Lieutenant!”
  5231. >“Now get off the floor and get back to your post!”
  5232. >“Yes Lieutenant!”
  5233. >The drone gets back on all four hooves and skimpers off.
  5234. >The Lieutenant watches the drone run down the hall and shakes his head.
  5235. >“That entire brood of changelings… nothing but trouble… the whole lot of them! I think the Queen was feeding on tainted love when she had them...”
  5236. >A shiver runs down your spine and your pelvis begins to ache. For some reason you think about last night, you don’t know why.
  5237. >The Lieutenant stands there for a moment and then lets out a sigh.
  5238. >“I’m really sorry all this.” His voice changes, become immensely softer.
  5239. “It's alright, I don’t plan about pursuing this incident any further… I understand…”
  5240. >He looks up at you, eyes staring intently at your face.
  5241. “You more than made up for the pit incident Lieutenant, you have no need to feel obliged to do anything further.”
  5242. >The Lieutenant continues to look at your disfigured face, not saying anything.
  5243. “Lieutenant? Is something wrong?”
  5244. >“What... oh no! Sorry... You just reminded me of something… something that happened back at Canter- Nevermind. I should get going.”
  5245. >The drone begins to turn around.
  5246. “Hey wait, what's your name Lieutenant?”
  5247. >He stops.
  5248. >“No one calls me by my birth name anymore… now everyone calls me Deadeye.”
  5249. “Deadeye? What are you some sort of expert marksman or something?”
  5250. >He places his hoof behind his neck.
  5251. >“I’m a decent shot, yeah… but the name is mostly for something I did during the invasion of Canterlot.”
  5252. >You feel your heart beating within your chest.
  5253. “W-what did you do…”
  5254. >“Well there was this guard, and-”
  5255. >“What's going on here?”
  5256. >Overseer Valentine steps into the doorway.
  5257. >“Oh... hello Overseer. I was just making amends to Lucky for the whole pit incident. I was just going… So long Lucky.”
  5258. >The drone quickly departs.
  5259. >You stand there with mouth open, dumbfounded.
  5260. >That was him.
  5261. >The drone that did all of this to you.
  5262. >It had to be.
  5263. >“Lucky, are you ok? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost?”
  5264. >You continue to stare off into space.
  5265. >“Lucky!”
  5266. “What?”
  5267. >“Are you ok?”
  5268. “Y-yeah… I’m fine….”
  5269. >Valentine and the mare next to her exchange worried looks.
  5270. >“Did Lieutenant Deadeye say something to you?”
  5271. “N-no… It's just that… I guess I’m not the biggest fan of his name. It brings back some bad memories...”
  5272. >“Huh… What are you talking about- OH! You mean because of your…”
  5273. >She points a hoof at your eyepatch. Somehow it’s still attached after all you've been through.
  5274. >Valentine walks over to you..
  5275. >“Don’t worry about the Lieutenant, he’s actually one of the most respectable officers in this entire hive. He can be rough, but deep down he’s got a really big heart.”
  5276. “Yeah… I’m sure he’s just full of love…”
  5277. >My love
  5278. >“What ?”
  5279. “Nothing…”
  5280. >Valentine eyes you confusingly for a moment and then turns to the mare.
  5281. >“Well… This is Helga. She’s one of the head nurses.”
  5282. >A large old mare stands proudly, puffing up her chest.
  5283. >“Helga assured me she wouldn’t have the same problem that nurse Cersei had.”
  5284. >“No!” The large mare bellows. “You can trust Helga!”
  5285. “/Great/…”
  5286. >You lean in closer to Valentine and whisper into her ear.
  5287. “She’s speaking in the third person you know.”
  5288. >“I know…” She whispers back. “But she's a damn good nurse!”
  5289. >You let out a sigh.
  5290. >“If drone can please get on bed, Helga can begin treatment.”
  5291. >You look back to Valentine and shoot her a grimace.
  5292. >She returns with quick shrug.
  5293. >“You heard her Lucky, on the bed.”
  5294. >You shake your head, but do as you're ordered.
  5295. >After about an hour of Helga working your groin with magical treatments and hoof massages, you are mostly back to normal.
  5296. >Her rough yet gentle hooves actually felt kind of relieving… as much as you hate to admit it.
  5297. >“Did Helga’s massage help drone’s groin?” Helga asks you loudly.
  5298. “Uh… Yeah Helga, thank you.”
  5299. >“Excellent! You are dismissed Helga” Valentine says.
  5300. >“Very well, Helga see you next time.” The mare turns to Valentine. “Helga always willing to massage drone’s groin! Helga not afraid to serve hive!”
  5301. >“Yes… yes... Thank you Helga…”
  5302. >Valentine places her hoof over her shoulder and escorts her out of the room.
  5303. >As soon as the mare the is out of earshot, you speak.
  5304. “This is going a regular occurrence… isn’t it…”
  5305. >“Well...” Valentine rolls her eyes.
  5306. “Chrysalis is the kind of mare who will always be on top, isn’t she?”
  5307. >“Yeah… you and Helga are gonna see a lot of each other…”
  5308. >You let out a deep sigh.
  5309. “Meh… as long as it's not Cersei I guess…”
  5310. >Valentine's cautious glance turns to bright smile.
  5311. >“That's the spirit Lucky!”
  5312. >You let out another sigh.
  5313. “Well... so what now?”
  5314. >“How about some lunch?”
  5315. >You did feel a bit hungry…
  5316. “Sure, alright.”
  5317. >Valentine turns towards the door and into the hallway.
  5318. >She begins to close the door.
  5319. “WAIT!”
  5320. >She stops.
  5321. “I’m coming with you!”
  5322. >“What?”
  5323. “I need to get out of this room!”
  5324. >“Oh… well… are you sure you really want to leave? I mean... there's lots of books to read and…”
  5325. >You look at her harshly.
  5326. >“Maybe I can track down some playing cards and we can play some go fish?”
  5327. “Valentine…”
  5328. >“Or maybe I can find some board games and we can just-”
  5329. “VALENTINE!”
  5330. >“Alright! Alright… I guess the exercise would probably be good for you…”
  5331. >She lets out a deep sigh.
  5332. >“Just promise me you’ll do anything dangerous, alright?”
  5333. “Fine, fine… just get me out of this room!”
  5334. >“OK, lets go.”
  5335. >The two of you proceed from the top level of the hive to the mid level, where food storage is located.
  5336. >As you walk around, several of the changeling drones and workers merrily smile and nod at you as they go about their daily routines.
  5337. >This might not be so bad, you think to yourself.
  5338. >After lunch, Valentine shows you throughout the rest of the hive.
  5339. >She goes through each of the major worker divisions, introducing you to all of the overseers.
  5340. >After that, Valentine brings you to the military section of the hive.
  5341. >She was a bit hesitant as first, paranoid about you somehow being maimed by some sort of out of control training accident.
  5342. >But after a bit of prodding, you finally get her to take you there.
  5343. >A large chunk of the drones were absent performing security on the logging run.
  5344. >The majority of those remaining were younger drones still in training.
  5345. >You got to see their shapeshifting practice areas.
  5346. >You peeked into class rooms devoted to maximizing love collection activities.
  5347. >The drones went over various seduction techniques, as well as methods for maintaining a lasting relationship with a pony.
  5348. “What's down this tunnel?” You ask Valentine.
  5349. >“Oh, that's the Advanced Love Collection training rooms.”
  5350. “Advanced Love Collection training…”
  5351. >You walk in front of the cavern entrance and your mouth nearly hits the floor.
  5352. >Upon the ground are dozens of ponies, both mares and stallions, engaged in a giant orgy.
  5353. >“You know... love collection during intercourse. It's usually one of the best times to drain love from a pony. They're so caught up in the moment they don't even notice.”
  5354. >You look at one of the mares. Beneath her a stallion has his cock tucked deeply inside her anus.
  5355. >On top of her lies another stallion wildly plowing into her vagina.
  5356. >In her mouth she guzzles upon a large cock from a third stallion.
  5357. >You member begins to tingle between your legs.
  5358. >Valentine notices you staring at the orgy.
  5359. >“Lucky…” Her voice becomes stern. “You told me you wouldn’t have a problem staying away from the drones...”
  5360. >“Oh yeah!” Moans the orange stallion with his dick in the mouth of the mare.
  5361. >The pink mare getting triple teamed spits the dick out of her mouth.
  5362. >“You call that moaning Private?! How are you supposed to draw any extra love with a moan like that?! I want to hear you do better!”
  5363. >The mare shoves the dick back inside her mouth.
  5364. >“O-O-OHHHH YEAH!”
  5365. >“B-bb-etr!” The mare mumbles, the stallions shaft obscuring her speech.
  5366. >The stallion increase his thrusting speed.
  5367. >“OOOOHHHH YYYYEAAAHH! AHHH! AHHHH!”
  5368. >The orange stallion releases his load into the mouth of the mare.
  5369. >She quickly swallows it down, maintaining her mouth on his shaft with each pulse of semen that is erupts from his large cock.
  5370. >The mare pulls the stallions cock form her mouth.
  5371. >“Now that more like it! Now get this private cleaned up Private! Now it's your turn to be the mare!”
  5372. >That mare... is actually a stallion... a changeling drone…
  5373. >They’re all drones, this entire cavern!
  5374. >You feel your member begin to emerge from its shaft.
  5375. >“Lucky! Need I remind you that your seed is only for-”
  5376. “Nope!”
  5377. >You quickly walk away from the cavern.
  5378. “No need to remind me! I’ve seen enough! Let's go!”
  5379. >Valentine follows suite.
  5380. “Where to next?”
  5381. >You ask as you quickly trot out of the drone section of the hive.
  5382. >“Well that's pretty much the entire hive.”
  5383. “Wait... didn’t you forget something?”
  5384. >“What's that?
  5385. >You point downwards with you hoof.
  5386. >“\The flood chamber/? Haven't you seen enough of that place?”
  5387. “Yeah I have… but…”
  5388. >You think about Grace…
  5389. “I’d like to say hi to some the friends I made down there.”
  5390. >“I don’t know… it's an active construction area…”
  5391. “Come on Valentine! If I survived that dammed cavern for this long, I think I could survive a quick visits to say hello to some friends!”
  5392. >She exhales deeply.
  5393. >“Well…”
  5394. “Pleeease?”
  5395. >“Fine… you can go… but don’t even think about lifting up a pickaxe and trying to help out again!”
  5396. >You think about to the night Lysandra kept making you work. The image of yourself clutching the pickaxe in your bloody hooves...
  5397. “Oh… don’t worry about that, I never want to hold one of those fucking things again for the rest of my life…”
  5398. >With that, the two of you make your way down to the flood chamber.
  5399. >The room is almost empty compared to how it was just a few days ago.
  5400. >Only about 50 changelings are present on the far wall, the majority having departed for the logging run.
  5401. >You proceed to the far end of the cavern.
  5402. >The mares that are left are definitely the more frail and inexperienced construction workers.
  5403. >Yet all of them are diligently at work chipping away at the rock.
  5404. “Wow… the fissure!”
  5405. >The fissure is now a large gaping crack in the wall.
  5406. “It looks like they're almost through!”
  5407. >“Almost!” One of the frail workers says to you.
  5408. >She smiles upon seeing your face.
  5409. >“Hello Lucky.”
  5410. “Grace!”
  5411. >You lurch forward and grab the mare.
  5412. >Her hooves lock around you firmly.
  5413. >“I... thought I’d lost you…”
  5414. “No... I’m not going anywhere…”
  5415. >She pulls back from your embrace.
  5416. >“So... Royal Concubine?”
  5417. “Grace… I’m sorry about everything… I feel terrible lying to you.”
  5418. >“It's alright, I understand… as a matter of fact, you really changed things for the better down here! Lysandra is gone, everyone's in good spirits, you made the hive a whole lot safer! Plus you got the other mares to accept me again!”
  5419. “Glad to hear they’re treating you as one of their own!”
  5420. >“Yeah... I think after I stood up for you against the General, that really cemented it…”
  5421. “Lace…”
  5422. >“She’ll be missed… but such is the life of a construction worker… harsh, brutal, and more often than not, cut shor-”
  5423. >*PPPPPPPHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPPPMMMMMMMM*
  5424. >The entire cavern rumbles.
  5425. >A green shield instantly materializes around you.
  5426. >A cloud of dust and debris erupts from the fissure.
  5427. >All eyes look upon the fissure in silence.
  5428. >Looking over your shoulder you see Valentine’s horn glowing. She's focusing intently on keeping the shield spell up.
  5429. >Ignoring the overprotective mare, you attention turns to the fissure.
  5430. >You listen closely for cries of pain or someone yelling for help.
  5431. >A meek mare's voice comes from the cavern.
  5432. >You can barely hear her though the shield.
  5433. >The rest of the changeling workers begin to move towards the voice.
  5434. >You instinctively move forward too, but immediately slam your head upon the shield spell.
  5435. “Valentine!” You shoot her a glare.
  5436. >She continues to focus on maintaining the spell.
  5437. “The cave-ins over. Its safe now!”
  5438. >She slowly turns her head from you to the fissure.
  5439. >After a few seconds of watching the dust settle, she turns her head back to you.
  5440. >Hesitantly, the mare nods her and ends the shield spell.
  5441. >She exhales deeply, the strain of the spell taking its toll on her.
  5442. >You turn back and listen to the fissure.
  5443. >The sound of hoof steps can be heard coming through the large opening.
  5444. >A mare erupts from chasm.
  5445. >“Is everyone ok in there?!" Another mare cries out.
  5446. >“Yeah yeah we’re fine, but you’re not going to believe it! WE’RE THROUGH!”
  5447. >“WE’RE THROUGH?!”
  5448. >“WE’RE THROUGH?!”
  5449. >The changeling mares exclaim to one another in surprise.
  5450. >“HA! Wait until Division A hears that it was Division E who finally broke through!” Yells Grace proudly.
  5451. >You smile at her.
  5452. >This ragtag group of workers is far from the best, this triumph definitely means a lot to them.
  5453. >“You are not going to believe what is on the other side!” The mare standing in the fissure yells.
  5454. >“Is it another cavern? A chasm?”
  5455. >“You'll just have to come see for yourself! Follow me!”
  5456. >The mare turns around and disappears into the blackness of the fissure.
  5457. >The surrounding mares dart in as well, with giddy looks upon their faces.
  5458. >You and Grace look at each other, smiling.
  5459. >Together you both nod in unison and dart off for the opening.
  5460. >“WAIT!” Valentine yells out. “It could be dangerous in there!”
  5461. >Ignoring the concerns of your guardian, you continue forward.
  5462. >The cavern is pitch black, you and the rest of the changelings illuminate your horns.
  5463. >Together, all of you form a long single-file line marching through the tight stone fissure.
  5464. >At the end of the tunnel you can see something glistening in the darkness.
  5465. “Is that some sort of waterfall?”
  5466. >“I can’t tell.” Grace replies.
  5467. >You continue forth, the glimmering becomes brighter and brighter.
  5468. >A bright green reflective glow shines back at you from the end of the tunnel.
  5469. >“WOW!”
  5470. >“By the Queen!”
  5471. >The changeling mares in front of you yell out in awe.
  5472. “What's there? What did you find?”
  5473. >You excitedly ask, but the mare continue to gasp and ogle at whatever is on the other side.
  5474. >The reflective gleam glows brighter and brighter as you proceed, it is almost blinding!
  5475. >You reach the end, the fissure opens up into a large cavern.
  5476. >Large gleaming piles stand on either side of you.
  5477. “What is that?!”
  5478. >Grace stands close beside you.
  5479. >“I’ve never seen anything like this before… it's… it's so… beautiful.”
  5480. >Mounds of glistening gold are piled high in the cavern.
  5481. >Coins, jewelry, ingots, gold of all sorts fills the piles, interspersed with bright, multifaceted gems.
  5482. >The piles stand tall, halfway to the ceiling of this huge cavern.
  5483. >The height of this cavern easily surpasses five times the height of the flood chamber.
  5484. >At the very top of the cavern protrudes long, thick stalactites. Small deposits of ancient cobwebs connect some of them together.
  5485. >You and rest of the changelings continue to stand near the fissure, looking around and marveling at the tremendous accumulation of wealth.
  5486. >Behind you the sound of galloping hoofsteps fills your ears.
  5487. >Valentine quickly appears at your side with an angry look on her face.
  5488. >“Lucky! What were you thinking! This is an active construction zone! It’s extremely dangerous for you to-”
  5489. >You raise your hoof to her chin, cutting her off.
  5490. >You turn her head to the large piles of gold.
  5491. >“What the…”
  5492. >Her eyes go wide as she realizes what she is seeing.
  5493. >“This is… unexpected…”
  5494. “Yeah... I’ll say…”
  5495. >“What is all this doing down here…”
  5496. “I don’t know… did we tunnel all the way to the Canterlot Royal Treasury?”
  5497. >“Ha!” Grace laughs. “Us mares are good diggers, but even we can't pull that off!”
  5498. “Hmm... Is there a diamond dog colony nearby?”
  5499. >“No… not for miles.” Valentine replies.
  5500. “Well... the only other place you’d see this much gold is-”
  5501. >You tense up.
  5502. >So does Valentine.
  5503. >Grace sees the both of you suddenly change your demeanor.
  5504. >“W-what is it…”
  5505. >You and Valentine look at each other.
  5506. “We need to get you out of here right-”
  5507. >“DRAGON!” A mare yells at the top of her lungs.
  5508. >You all turn to look at the mare, she is perched halfway up a pile of gold looking across the cavern.
  5509. >She stares intently at something off in the distance.
  5510. >You and the other workers freeze in fear.
  5511. >Valentine grabs you and begins to shove you towards the fissure.
  5512. >The mare standing on the pile shoots up into the air. She continues to look down at whatever is on the other end of the cavern.
  5513. >You begin to trot along as Valentine pushes you swiftly.
  5514. >Looking backwards, you continue to keep an eye out for the horrendous dragon trailing behind you.
  5515. >The mare flying above the pile turns towards all of you.
  5516. >“Hey! Wait! They’re just… bones… THEY’RE JUST BONES!”
  5517. >You pause, but Valentine continues to push you.
  5518. >“WHAT?!” A mare yells out.
  5519. >“THEY’RE JUST... dragon bones…” The flying mare yells embarrassingly.
  5520. >“YOU IDIOT! YOU NEARLY SCARED US ALL TO DEATH!"
  5521. >“Sorry… sorry…" The flying mare says as she attempts to hide her chuckling underneath her hoof.
  5522. >Valentine continues to frantically push you towards the fissure.
  5523. “Valentine wait!”
  5524. >She looks as if she didn’t hear you.
  5525. “VALENTINE! IT’S DEAD!”
  5526. >She pauses, but continue to keep both hooves on you.
  5527. >Her face is still spinning with anxiety.
  5528. “The Dragon’s dead Valentine, it’s ok…”
  5529. >“It's… dead?” She says to you, partially in a state of shock.
  5530. “Yeah… we're safe… relax…”
  5531. >You look at her hooves tightly gripping your shoulders and then back to the eyes of the mare.
  5532. “Relax….”
  5533. >She slowly lessens her grip on you.
  5534. >“It's dead… good… good…” Valentine begins to back away from you.
  5535. >“GIRLS YOU GOTTA CHECK THIS OUT!”
  5536. >The flying mare yells as she darts across to the other side of the treasure pile.
  5537. >The workers surrounding you, feeling both relieved and still slightly flustered, lift off into the air and proceed to the other side of the pile.
  5538. >All except Grace and Valentine.
  5539. >Valentine continues to stare off blankly at the ground.
  5540. >You slowly approach her.
  5541. “Are you ok?”
  5542. >“I... am just a little shook up, that's all…”
  5543. >Grace approaches the two of you.
  5544. >“Overseer Valentine… you should sit down for a little bit and try to rest your nerves.”
  5545. >Grace gasps the mare and directs her towards a pile of treasure.
  5546. >“Yeah... that sounds good.”
  5547. >Valentine sits down upon the pile with Grace at her side.
  5548. >You watch as the rest of the workers disappear to the other side of the cavern.
  5549. >Your curiosity is killing you.
  5550. >You’ve never seen a dragon skeleton before, let alone a dragon hoard.
  5551. >Suppose even dragons have to die of old age sometime, you were fortunate that this one died in its lair long before you got here.
  5552. >You strongly feel the urge to join the other workers, but you feel kind of bad leaving Valentine alone.
  5553. “Valentine… You gonna be ok?”
  5554. >She looks up to you.
  5555. >You finally realize the telltale signs of age on this mare.
  5556. >Her chitin does a good job of masking the usual signs of age that you see in ponies, such as wrinkles and saggy skin.
  5557. >But her many years begin to show though as you look at her eyes.
  5558. >You see a mare who is tired and has been through much.
  5559. >“Y-yeah … yeah… I'll be fine... I just need a sec…”
  5560. “Good… Good... I’m gonna climb up this pile a little bit so that I can take a look at those bones. Is… that ok?”
  5561. >“Yeah… Yeah… that's fine…” She says, still catching her breath. “Not to far though…”
  5562. >Grace continues to hold her, rubbing her back and helping her relax.
  5563. “Oh don’t worry… I’m just going up a little bit.”
  5564. >You feel a terrible leaving the two of them down there, but you are dying to see the dragon's remains.
  5565. >You begin to trudge up the pile of gold.
  5566. >You tread carefully, mixed among the gold are several sharp gems sticking out.
  5567. >These gems could easily tear right through your hooves.
  5568. >Coins roll down the pile of treasure as you near the ridge.
  5569. >You can just make out the pointed ends of rib bones sticking up into the air.
  5570. >Your heart flurries in excitement and wonder.
  5571. >Step after step, your hooves continue to plow through the pile of gold upwards and around the ridge.
  5572. >You see the other changelings workers flying around the skeleton, prodding and walking upon the bones.
  5573. >Finally, you make it around the bend.
  5574. >Before you is the gargantuan skeleton of the dragon.
  5575. “I didn’t know dragons could get this big… It must have been thousands of years old…”
  5576. >The specific features of dragon are a bit hard to make out. They are covered in what may have been centuries of dust and cobwebs.
  5577. >From your high vantage point you look across the cavern.
  5578. >Immense piles of untold wealth span the entire chamber.
  5579. >So much gold…
  5580. >This has to be ten times the amount of gold in the Canterlot Royal treasury…
  5581. >You continue to scan the cavern, but with the limited light of your horn it's hard to see much.
  5582. >Far off in the distance, some thing catches your eye.
  5583. >Several mounds…
  5584. >They are shrouded in darkness, making them difficult to see with your already poor eyesight.
  5585. >Perhaps more piles of treasure-
  5586. >“Lucky!” Valentine and Grace are fluttering in the air behind you.
  5587. >“It's time to go!”
  5588. >Looks like she finally came to back to her normal self...
  5589. “Can’t we explore around some more? The dragon is dead, I don’t see anything dangerous down-”
  5590. >“LUCKY!”
  5591. >You let out a sigh.
  5592. “Alright… /fine/…”
  5593. >Taking one last look at the dragon skeleton, you proceed down the hill of treasure with Valentine and Grace flying closely by your side.
  5594. >You begin to walk towards the fissure.
  5595. >“We must alert the Queen of this discovery at once.” Valentine says assertively.
  5596. >She looks around for the other workers, but they are all off joyfully exploring the newly discovered chamber.
  5597. >She reluctantly looks to Grace.
  5598. >“You better come with to help explain, it would be bad form not to have a member of the Construction Division present while bearing such profound news.”
  5599. >“M-Me… talk to the Queen… are you sure?”
  5600. “Don’t worry Grace. If I could get the mares in the Construction Division to talk to you again, I bet I can get you on good terms with the Queen too.”
  5601. >“Well…”
  5602. “Trust me… I’ve got something she /really/ wants! I’m sure I can help make things right.”
  5603. >“If you say so…”
  5604. >The three of you walk through the fissure and back into the flood chamber.
  5605. “All this extra wealth for the hive, think about the possibilities!”
  5606. >“Hmm?” Valentine asks.
  5607. “Think of all the trading you could do now!”
  5608. >“Trading? Our hive doesn't /trade/. We either make what we need or... when it comes to love... we take it from the ponies.”
  5609. “But we have a giant hoard of gold now! Why not use it to buy the things you need?”
  5610. >“Buy things?” Grace and Valentine look at you confusingly.
  5611. “Yeah, if not trade with the ponies… perhaps the griffons! Hell, they’re so greedy I bet they’d have no problem trading with us!”
  5612. >“What else could this hive need? We are fine just the way we are!”
  5613. “I mean… wouldn’t it be nice if everyone had their own beds... like the overseers do?”
  5614. >Valentine chokes up, a little stunned.
  5615. >“Umm... well…”
  5616. >“But I like sleeping in a pile with all the others.” Grace replies.
  5617. “Ha!” You chuckle to yourself.
  5618. >Valentine looks a little more calm.
  5619. “Well maybe we can by you guys a rug so you don’t have to sleep on the cold stone floor.”
  5620. >“Hmm...”
  5621. >Grace smiles thinking about the idea.
  5622. “And some hard hats… and a bunch of other safety gear to stop you guys from getting hurt all the time. And better mining equipment besides pick axes. And-”
  5623. >“Alright, alright!” Valentine chimes in. “The extra wealth might prove useful for trading purposes. Might be a little difficult to convince the Queen though.”
  5624. “Oh... we'll see about that!”
  5625. >The three of you arrive at the entrance to the throne room.
  5626. >It's near the end of the day, well after the royal court proceedings.
  5627. >The only changelings that are in the cavern now are the nurses taking care of the eggs lining the walls.
  5628. >Some of the caretakers are also busy keeping an eye on the changeling foals running around and playing joyfully.
  5629. >Queen Chrysalis’ personal guard of half a dozen drones stands at attention.
  5630. >As the three of you enter the throne room, the guards each keep a close eye on you.
  5631. >You proceed to the set of thrones at the end of the cavern.
  5632. >Chrysalis sits on the middle throne, listening to a drone.
  5633. >As soon as you see her, your pelvis begins to ache.
  5634. >You try to ignore the memories of last night and instead look at the drone she is talking to.
  5635. >You recognize him! It's… Lieutenant Deadeye… of course...
  5636. >Having no desire to interrupt, or even speak to the Lieutenant, you wait quietly for them to finish.
  5637. >“Our spies inform us that the Elements of Harmony have once again successfully defeated Nightmare Moon.”
  5638. >Oh shit…
  5639. >“There is still no official decree from Canterlot explaining as to the causes of Princess Luna’s recent relapse.”
  5640. >Did your dream cause that?
  5641. >“As one might expect, this is causing much unrest and fear towards the Equestrian diarchy. The general population has grown so fearful of Princess Luna that some are suggesting she step down.”
  5642. >“Heheheh!” The Queen laughs. “Excellent! What a lucky turn of events! I wish I could claim that our hive was behind all of this!”
  5643. >The Queen notices you standing off in the distance.
  5644. >She makes a sultry smile and eyes you voraciously.
  5645. >She turns back to Deadeye.
  5646. >“Is there anything else you have to report Lieutenant?”
  5647. >“No that is all my Queen.”
  5648. >“Very well, you are dismissed.”
  5649. >The drone nods and turns around.
  5650. >As he begins to walk away the three of you approach the throne.
  5651. >Seeing you, he smiles.
  5652. >“I figured you were the one she was making those bedroom eyes too, glad to see it wasn’t me!"
  5653. >You fake a smile as the changeling that horrifically maimed you passes by.
  5654. >“Lucky!” The Queen replies in glee. “It’s so good to see you! I admire your eagerness to strengthen the hive.”
  5655. >She bites her lip and eyes you seductively.
  5656. “Uhh… actually I’m here bearing good news!”
  5657. >“Oh really?” She leans in towards the three of you. “And just what might that be?”
  5658. >You turn to Grace.
  5659. “You're the construction division representative, go ahead and tell her.”
  5660. >Grace nods to you and turns towards Chrysalis.
  5661. >“My Queen, Construction Division Group E is pleased to announce-”
  5662. >“LUCKY!” The Queen interrupts with a scowl upon her face. “Instruct the worker known as Disgrace to leave in my presence!”
  5663. >Grace pauses, and then looks back at you, disappointed.
  5664. “My Queen… could you at least hear her-”
  5665. >Chrysalis shoots you a cold, angry glare.
  5666. >Fear and nervousness overtake you as her gaze penetrates your very soul.
  5667. >You look back and forth between the Queen and Grace.
  5668. >It looks like there is no way you are going to win this one...
  5669. >You place your hoof over her shoulder.
  5670. “Sorry Grace…”
  5671. >The mare turns around begins to walk away, leaving you and Valentine in front of the Queen.
  5672. >The Queen watches vigilantly as Grace walks to the far end of the Throne Room.
  5673. >“Now… what did you wish to tell me?”
  5674. >You let out a sigh and then continue.
  5675. “The workers of Construction Division Group E have broken through the fissure connecting the flood chamber and the previously unknown cave system.”
  5676. >“Excellent… excellent…” The Queen says rubbing her hooves together.
  5677. “And also... the other side of the fissure was a little different from what we expected.”
  5678. >“How so?”
  5679. >You begin to smile.
  5680. “They broke through into a Dragon's Lair…”
  5681. >“WHAT!”
  5682. “Don’t worry, the dragon is dead, but its wealth still remains. Piles and piles of gold, jewels, and-”
  5683. >“Wait! You say this dragon is dead?”
  5684. “Yes! And now we have access to all of its hoard! I know this may seem a bit unorthodox, but I think it may be best to use the gold from this hoard to trade for-”
  5685. >“The Dragon, describe it!” Her face remains stern.
  5686. “The Dragon… well it was long dead from the looks of it. The skeleton of the dragon was gargantuan! I’ve never seen a creature so large before… But the gold, I think we should-”
  5687. >“Was there any sign of a struggle? Was there evidence of what killed the beast?”
  5688. “Ahh… from where I was standing, I didn't see any evidence of a struggle… I figured the dragon died of old age. The creature was so huge, it had to have been around for thousands of years, I assumed its time was up.”
  5689. >“No… no… that doesn't make sense…” Chrysalis nervously grips her chin. “Dragons have the potential to live forever, as long as they are not slain… Are you sure you didn’t see signs of what may have killed the beast?”
  5690. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sSVQrnvyIk
  5691. “No… there was only the skeleton. I didn’t see any indication of other types of creatures. All that was on the skeleton was in dust and cobwebs-”
  5692. >“Cobwebs!” Chrysalis’ face goes pale with fear.
  5693. >You pause for a second, watching her as if she just went into shock.
  5694. “Y-yeah… just ordinary cobwebs… nothing to be concerned about...”
  5695. >“Are you sure you didn’t see anything else down there?”
  5696. “Just a bunch of mounds of treasure… Some big and some small…”
  5697. >She pauses.
  5698. >Her large green eyes look absolutely terrified.
  5699. “My Queen, is something wrong?”
  5700. >You and the rest of the changelings are slightly taken aback by her fear. She’s such a large and powerful mare, what could she possible be afraid of?
  5701. >She continues to stare at you, but does not say a word.
  5702. >The faint buzzing of wings catches your attention.
  5703. >You and Chrysalis both look at the entrance of the throne room as a green blur quickly whizzes by.
  5704. >Both of you pause in silence, unsure what you both witnessed.
  5705. >“W-what was that…”
  5706. >“That was a worker!” Lieutenant Deadeye steps forward. “She was coming from the flood chamber. She looked like she was covered in… blood!”
  5707. >“Lucky…” The Queen speaks, fear extremely apparent in her voice. “How many workers went through the fissure?”
  5708. “Uh… all of them…”
  5709. >The sound of buzzing again fills your ears. All of the changelings in the throne room turn to look.
  5710. >A lone changeling mare buzzes in, green blood dripping from her entire body.
  5711. >Tears pour from her face.
  5712. >“THEY’RE COMING! THEY’RE COMING!”
  5713. >The Queen looks at the mare, petrified.
  5714. >“What's coming!” Lieutenant Deadeye yells. “What down there!”
  5715. >“S… SP.... SPIDERS! THEY’RE COMING! THE SPIDERS ARE COMING!”
  5716. “What?!”
  5717. >“Spiders!?”
  5718. >Queen Chrysalis continues to catatonically look forward, her mind lost in thought.
  5719. >“They... they… started coming out from the mounds of webs… no… the eggs… the mounds were giant eggs!”
  5720. “Oh no… That's what those were!?”
  5721. >Your body shivers as you think back to what you saw.
  5722. “There were dozens of those mounds…”
  5723. >“As soon as the first one emerged… it just… just…”
  5724. >She pauses, as she tries to hold back further sobs.
  5725. >“Just what? You must tell us!”
  5726. >She raises her head.
  5727. >“IT JUST STARTED KILLING EVERYBODY!”
  5728. >Further sobs begin to erupt from the mare.
  5729. >“Our blood…. they frenzied for it!”
  5730. >Deadeye turns to Chrysalis.
  5731. >“My Queen what are your orders?”
  5732. >She continues to stare forward, shaking slightly.
  5733. >“My Queen! Have you encountered these begins before?”
  5734. >The blood covered mare continues to speak.
  5735. >“We tried to fight back, but then more started coming… They were so huge… and there were so many of them…”
  5736. >“MY QUEEN! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THESE BEINGS ARE?”
  5737. >“HHHHOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!”
  5738. >A loud howling comes from the flood chamber.
  5739. >The Queen looks up.
  5740. >“Spiderlings…” The Queen says softly.
  5741. >“Spiderlings?” Lieutenant Deadeye exclaims.
  5742. >“They are what destroyed my mother's hive…” Chrysalis mutters, the utmost terror causing her to tremble in her hooves. “Back when I was just a-”
  5743. >“IT’S COMING! IT’S COMING!” The blood covered mare shrieks in panic.
  5744. >One of the nurses goes to the screaming mare’s side and attempts to comfort her.
  5745. >“They somehow didn’t find me… while I was hiding under a pile of my dead brothers and sisters…”
  5746. >“MY QUEEN! YOUR ORDERS!”
  5747. >“They overran our entire hive in just minutes…”
  5748. >“CHRYSALIS! ORDERS! WHAT SHOULD WE DO!”
  5749. >“They killed every one… every drone... every worker… even our Queen…”
  5750. >Deadeye spreads his blue translucent wings and propels himself into the air.
  5751. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgtDUtZp9PM
  5752. >“CHANGELINGS! HEAR MY DECREE!”
  5753. >The Lieutenant looks across the room at all of the terrified changelings.
  5754. >“I AM EVOKING EMERGENCY PROTOCOL BLACK! I AM ASSUMING CONTROL OF THE HIVE!”
  5755. >He points a hole-riddled hoof to the six drones standing guard.
  5756. >“DRONES! FORM A PHALANX!”
  5757. >The drones stare at the Lieutenant, not believing what is going on.
  5758. >Deadeye lands in the middle of the cavern with a large thud, his body facing the entryway.
  5759. >“TO /ME/ BROTHERS!”
  5760. >The drones immediately fly towards their commander.
  5761. >Standing shoulder to shoulder, they form a line.
  5762. >Be it your military training from the Royal Guard, or the Lieutenant’s commanding voice, you find yourself among them.
  5763. >“WORKERS! FORM AN AIRBORNE PHALANX!”
  5764. >The mares of the chamber, mainly nurses, nervously look at each other.
  5765. >In the hooves of many of them lie scared foals.
  5766. >“FORM THE LINE! WE MUST PROTECT THE QUEEN! TO /ME/ SISTERS!”
  5767. >The mares fly directly above you, forming a line parallel to the drones.
  5768. >“Go to mommy little ones…” Grace says to the scared foals.
  5769. >They stand there in fear.
  5770. >“Come on now... GO!” Grace utters, holding back tears.
  5771. >The foals begin to skimper off to the far end of the throne room.
  5772. >“HHHHOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!”
  5773. >A howl, immensely louder than before, erupts from the tunnel just outside the room.
  5774. >“WHATEVER HAPPENS, DO NOT LET IT HARM THE QUEEN!”
  5775. >You hear the scraping of legs against stone coming from just outside the throne room.
  5776. >“CHARGE HORNS!”
  5777. >Your vision goes bright green as the two lines of changelings prepare to fire.
  5778. >“WAIT FOR MY COMMAND!”
  5779. >The scraping stops.
  5780. >A long black leg protrudes across the entryway to the throne room.
  5781. >The chitin of the leg forms a sharp, slender point at the base.
  5782. >The bottom of the leg is stained green with blood.
  5783. >A black head, partially equine in appearance, peers into the cavern.
  5784. >Eight red orbs on the face of the hideous looking monster begin to scan the Throne Room.
  5785. >Long, sharp fangs protrude from the beast’s large mouth, dripping with blood.
  5786. >The creature slowly begins to open its mouth.
  5787. >“SSSSSSSCCCCRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCHHHHHHHH!”
  5788. >You all cringe from the hideous sound.
  5789. >A green bolt of magic is let loose from one of the workers behind you.
  5790. >The spiderling quickly disappears around the corner as the bolt hits the wall.
  5791. >“HOLD YOUR FIRE! NOT UNTIL MY COMMAND!”
  5792. >There is a long pause.
  5793. >The strain of holding the spell is getting to you.
  5794. >Your body begins to shake.
  5795. >You hear whimpering from the foals behind you.
  5796. >“Is… is it gone? D-did we scare it away.” A mare asks.
  5797. >“STEADY!”
  5798. >The silence continues for several seconds.
  5799. >You feel a bead of sweat form on your brow and drip into your eye.
  5800. >“Did it-”
  5801. >A massive black monstrosity rounds the corner and quickly charges towards all of you.
  5802. >“LOOSE!”
  5803. >A barrage of green bolts fly through the air at the incoming monster.
  5804. >Half the shots go wide, but the other half hit true, hitting the beast’s abdomen.
  5805. >The beast stagers from side to side, but remains standing.
  5806. >The beast regains its footing and stands fully upright, standing five times the height of a changeling.
  5807. >A black ichor begins to pour out the newly formed holes.
  5808. >“SSSSSSSCCCCRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCHHHHHHHH!”
  5809. >The beast roars, its head moving in the air wavering from side to side.
  5810. >“CHARGE HORNS!” The Lieutenant roars over the screech of the spiderling.
  5811. >All of you begin to charge. Your peripheral vision is again filled with green light.
  5812. >The beast once again runs forward.
  5813. >“BROTHERS ONLY, FIRE!”
  5814. >You and the rest of the drones let loose another volley, each shot connects.
  5815. >The beast continues onward.
  5816. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS0v9Lit4Tg
  5817. >“BROTHERS CHARGE!”
  5818. >“SISTERS, FIRE!”
  5819. >The mares above you let forth a volley of green bolts, the majority of them connecting, some going wide.
  5820. >The beast staggers, but continues to charge.
  5821. >“SISTERS CHARGE!”
  5822. >“BROTHERS FIRE!”
  5823. >Black ichor sprays across the room as more bolts impact the beast.
  5824. >Each phalanx lets loose a volley of green magic bolts, one and after the other.
  5825. >“FIRE!”
  5826. >“FIRE!”
  5827. >“FIRE!”
  5828. >“FIRE!”
  5829. >The beast is hit again and again with non-stop barrages as each line rotates between charging and shooting.
  5830. >The eight chitinous legs continue to propel the spiderling forward.
  5831. >Lieutenant Deadeye continues to yell orders as all of you all fire away.
  5832. >You notice few and fewer bolts are let loose with each volley.
  5833. >The changelings are beginning to pause in fear as the monstrosity continues to approach, its massive and horrific presence causing them to freeze.
  5834. >The spiderling has nearly to the arrived at the phalanx and it shows no signs of stopping.
  5835. >“DRONES! AIRBORNE NOW! FLANK LEFT!”
  5836. >“WORKERS! FLANK RIGHT!”
  5837. >“MOVE MOVE MOVE!”
  5838. >The drones quickly take flight, moving into position.
  5839. >The workers do the same, hastefully getting out of the way of the unyielding monster.
  5840. >You stand there. Your lack of wings not allowing you to join the aerial phalanxes.
  5841. >The spiderling sets it’s eight glowing red eyes upon you.
  5842. >Paralyzed in fear, and alone by yourself, you do nothing.
  5843. >The spiderling is just a few feet from you.
  5844. >Droplets of green blood and black ichor fling across the room as the beast quickly raises its chitinous leg into the air.
  5845. >You clench up, preparing your body for the strike.
  5846. >The spiderling begins to lower its spear-like leg towards you.
  5847. >Something hard hits your side.
  5848. >The room flies by as you are launched across the room.
  5849. >You slide across the ground several feet from where you were standing.
  5850. >“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGGGG”
  5851. >A mare yells out in agony.
  5852. >You look up.
  5853. >You see Overseer Valentine impaled on the end of the spiderling’s leg.
  5854. >“CHARGE! HORNS!”
  5855. >The spiderling brings up another one of its legs to the screaming mare.
  5856. >“BROTHERS! AIM FOR THE FRONT LEFT LEG!”
  5857. >The spiderling inserts another leg into the torso of Valentine.
  5858. >Blood begins to spurt from her mouth.
  5859. >“SISTERS! AIM FOR THE FRONT RIGHT!”
  5860. >The spiderling tears the mare in two.
  5861. >Her lower body goes flying to the right, while the upper part lands close to where you lay prone.
  5862. >You look down at her face, her eyes fixed upon you.
  5863. >From her blood covered visage, it almost appears as if she is smiling at you.
  5864. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ByQDV2ifr4
  5865. >“BROTHERS, FIRE!”
  5866. >The volley of bolts connects with the leg, severing it from the body.
  5867. >The spiderling howls in pain.
  5868. >It lashes out with its right leg, impaling one of the flying drones.
  5869. >“SISTERS, FIRE!”
  5870. >The shots connect, not enough to sever the limb, but enough to severely cripple it.
  5871. >Both the leg and the impaled drone fall limp to the ground.
  5872. >The beast again lets out an ungodly howl.
  5873. >It voraciously begins to swipe at the flying changelings with its other limbs.
  5874. >Two mares flying side by side are simultaneously impaled.
  5875. >“BROTHERS! AIM FOR THE-”
  5876. >Lieutenant Deadeye is cut short as the spiderling flings the corpse of a mare directly at the drone.
  5877. >The mare’s body is hurled with great speed, striking the drone with devastating impact into the walls of the throne room.
  5878. >You hear his carapace crack as his back strikes the hard stone wall.
  5879. >All of the changelings look at their commander lying on the floor with the dead mare on top of him.
  5880. >The officer’s face grimaces in pain, his body stunned.
  5881. >“AAAAAAAHHHHHHGGGG!”
  5882. >Another mare yells as she is impaled while watching the Lieutenant lie on the ground.
  5883. >Hearing the agonizing scream of the mare, the Lieutenant tilts his head up from the floor.
  5884. >“F… FI… FIRE!”
  5885. >The drones let fly another volley and another leg is blown off.
  5886. >As the creature howls out in pain, you rush to the Lieutenant’s side
  5887. >“S-SISTERS! NEXT LEG!”
  5888. >You remove the dead mare from on top of him, and help him get back up to all fours.
  5889. >“FIRE!”
  5890. >The magic bolts all strike true and a fourth leg is blown off.
  5891. >The spiderling collapses onto the floor, black ichor pouring from all of its wounds.
  5892. >The beast looks forward and sees a pile of huddling foals, as well as Queen Chrysalis standing paralyzed in fear by her throne.
  5893. >It begins to push its body towards the far end of the cavern, its red eyes set upon the Queen.
  5894. >With each push it leaves a black trail of ichor on the floor.
  5895. >“NEXT SET OF LEGS!”
  5896. >Both you and the Lieutenant charge your horns as well.
  5897. >“EVERYONE, FIRE!”
  5898. >Both volleys connect, another set of limbs is blown off, further crippling the beast.
  5899. >It begins to squirm around on the floor, howling in agony.
  5900. >Its remaining legs flail around wildly.
  5901. >Deadeye propels himself into the air, green blood dripping from his back carapace.
  5902. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA0jY2b_QpI
  5903. >“RALLY TO /ME/, BROTHERS!”
  5904. >The drones of the cavern quickly converge upon the Lieutenant.
  5905. >“INITIATE ATTACK PROTOCOL 23!”
  5906. >Nodding in agreement, the drones fly with their commander to the ceiling of the Throne Room.
  5907. >“SHOW THIS FIEND THE TRUE MIGHT OF THE CHANGELING SWARM!”
  5908. >Their horns begin to glow green.
  5909. >All at once, the changelings begin flying downwards from the top of the ceiling with great speed.
  5910. >As six of them head towards the spiderling, their bodies become immersed in a green field of magic.
  5911. >“FOR THE HIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEE!!!!”
  5912. >“SSSSSSSCCCCRRREEEEEEEE-”
  5913. >With a large crash, the body of the spiderling erupts into an explosion of green magical flame and black icor.
  5914. >It’s hideous screams go silent.
  5915. >The creature’s blood spatters across the cavern, a large splash striking Crystallis across the face.
  5916. >From the carnage, six drones covered in black ichor slowly rise to their hooves.
  5917. >“Y-you… killed it…” Queen Crystallis says, breaking her silence. “I didn’t think… they could be...”
  5918. >“If it bleeds, we can kill it.” Lieutenant Deadeye says as he wipes the black ichor from his eyes.
  5919. >“Their blood…” Chrysalis slowly raises her hoof to the drones “the scent will only attract more...”
  5920. >Deadeye looks to the ichor dripping from his hoof.
  5921. >“They can’t be stopped…”
  5922. >“My Queen.”
  5923. >“HHHHOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!”
  5924. >A loud howling comes from the flood chamber.
  5925. >“They can’t be stopped…”
  5926. >“MY QUEEN!”
  5927. >“They can’t be-”
  5928. >*SLAM*
  5929. >Deadeye strikes Chrysalis across the face with his hoof.
  5930. >The Queen stares at the drone who hit her, awestruck.
  5931. >“You know what must be done my Queen. Say it!”
  5932. >The Queen looks at him, her eyes begin to water up.
  5933. >“The order must come from you!”
  5934. >She continues to pause.
  5935. >“SAY IT!”
  5936. >“EVACUATE THE HIVE!”
  5937. >“What!” The changelings in the cavern gasp.
  5938. >“B-but this is our home.”
  5939. >“We’ve always lived here!”
  5940. >“Where else can we go?!”
  5941. >“We can not defeat the spiderlings!” Chrysalis yells over the panicking changelings. “Especially with the bulk of our forces already gone… We will meetup with with the rest of our hive in the Everfree forest.”
  5942. >“B-but we sacrificed so much for this hive-”
  5943. >“LISTEN TO YOUR QUEEN!” Deadeye yells at the scared changelings.
  5944. >“Take the foals, the unhatched, and the food... leave everything else…”
  5945. >The Queen looks up at the scared and disheartened changelings in the cavern.
  5946. >“What are you waiting for… alert the others… GO!”
  5947. >The changelings of the cavern begin to flutter into the air.
  5948. >The nurses grab the foals and eggs lining the walls and zoom up the main spiral ramp.
  5949. >“Lieutenant!” Chrysalis says just as he begins to turn around. “Wait…”
  5950. >“Yes my liege…”
  5951. >She looks down upon the drone. Tears forming in her face.
  5952. >“I need you to go to the flood chamber... Take the rest of my personal guard… Hold them back… Buy us as much time as you can…”
  5953. >The Lieutenant stares at the Queen. His mind coming to terms with the death sentence he has just received.
  5954. >“I… I… u-understand… my Queen… I WILL NOT FAIL YOU!”
  5955. >“BROTHERS TO ME!”
  5956. >The drones of the cavern, some of whom have already begun to assist with gathering the foals, look up.
  5957. >“TO ME MY BROTHERS, QUICKLY!”
  5958. >The five ichor covered drones once again converge upon the Lieutenant.
  5959. >“IT IS A DRONES DUTY TO FIGHT AND DIE WHEN HIS HIVE IS THREATENED! TODAY.... WE WILL DO OUR DUTY! WE SHALL HOLD BACK THIS SPIDERLING SCOURGE SO THAT OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS CAN FLEE.”
  5960. >Several of the drones begin to breakdown in tears upon hearing this order.
  5961. >“FEAR NOT BROTHERS! THOUGH WE MAY DIE, OUR HIVE SHALL LIVE ON!”
  5962. >The Lieutenant propels himself into the air.
  5963. >“IT IS THE DARKEST DAYS LIKE THIS WHEN WE SHINE THE BRIGHTEST! OUR TIME HAS COME…. TO MAKE OUR SACRIFICE… FOR THE HIVE…”
  5964. >“FOLLOW ME BROTHERS!”
  5965. >The drones quickly fly out of the Throne Room down into the flood chamber below.
  5966. >The Queen watches the drones disappear down the spiral ramp and then looks to the rows of eggs lining the walls.
  5967. >“The hive will live on…”
  5968. >Using her magic she levitates the eggs off of the shelves, keeping them suspended in the air within a field of green magic
  5969. >Chrysalis spreads her long lace wings and flutters up the spiral ramp, disappearing from sight.
  5970. >You stand next to Grace as the rest of the changelings workers flurry about.
  5971. >You see a lone foal in the corner of the throne room.
  5972. “Grace over there, we need to go-”
  5973. >“HHHHOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!”
  5974. >A creature howls from below.
  5975. >You pause.
  5976. >You watch Grace flutters over the the crying foal.
  5977. >You look around the rest of the Throne Room, nurses flying around in a panic.
  5978. >You think about how the spiderling kept charging at you, even after all of the magic you all had thrown at it.
  5979. >It even kept crawling even with most of its legs missing.
  5980. >Those six drones will do little to slow down the spiderlings.
  5981. >Grace picks up the crying foal in her hooves.
  5982. >Just like the spiderlings ripped through the workers in the construction division, the spiderlings will rip through the entire hive before they get a chance to evaluate.
  5983. >Grace begins to flutter over to you with the foal.
  5984. >Grace and the foals…
  5985. >To save the lives of the civilians...
  5986. >That was the main reason you didn’t blow the flood chamber…
  5987. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6OtF7daIPM
  5988. “…”
  5989. >Your eyes open wide.
  5990. >“I got him!”
  5991. >It's the only way you’ll be able to stop them
  5992. >“Come on, let's go!”
  5993. >If you don’t do this, they will tear everyone to pieces...
  5994. >“Lucky!”
  5995. >You have to blow the column.
  5996. >Grace stares at you, looking deep into your eyes.
  5997. >She has seen you act like this before.
  5998. >You lock eyes with the terrified mare.
  5999. “There's something I need to do in the flood chamber-”
  6000. >“NO!”
  6001. >“She attempts to grab ahold of you, but you're forcefully bat her away.”
  6002. >You turn for the entrance of the throne room.
  6003. “I’ll meet you at the entrance of the hive. No matter what happens, don’t come back for me.”
  6004. >You begin to make your way out of the Throne Room.
  6005. >“NO!”
  6006. >Tears begin to stream from her face.
  6007. >“I CAN’T LOSE YOU AGAIN!”
  6008. >You look down the ramp towards the flood chamber.
  6009. >You can hear magical bolts being fired.
  6010. >“YOU CAN’T! YOU-”
  6011. “This is more important than just you or me…”
  6012. >You look at the foal and then back to her.
  6013. >You dart forward and take Grace within your hooves.
  6014. “Save the little one Grace…”
  6015. >“No!” *sniff* *sniff* “Please... Don’t go!”
  6016. >You detach.
  6017. >Taking one last look at her tear-filled face, you turn around.
  6018. >“Please!”
  6019. >You run down the ramp.
  6020. >The buzzing of wings and the snap of magic on chitin fill your ears.
  6021. >As you enter the cavern you see the 5 drones flying circles around a massive spiderling.
  6022. >One drone already lies on the ground in a pool of green blood.
  6023. >“THE LEGS BROTHERS! GO FOR THE LEGS!”
  6024. >You look to the latrines in the middle of the cavern.
  6025. >There it is, just past the spiderling.
  6026. >You take a few deep breaths.
  6027. >You can do this Lucky!
  6028. “You can do this!”
  6029. >You sprint off, keeping an eye on the spiderling as you run.
  6030. >Fortunately it is far more concentrated on the attacking drones than it is you.
  6031. >One of its legs already lies severed on the floor.
  6032. >You stick close to the wall as run between the fighting.
  6033. >“YOU THERE! WHAT ARE YOU... LUCKY!?”
  6034. >Lieutenant Deadeye exclaims as he sees you run past the fighting.
  6035. >You keep running until you get to the latrine.
  6036. >You pull on the door, but it doesn’t budge.
  6037. >Deadeye sees you frantically yanking on the door.
  6038. >“KEEP FIGHTING BROTHERS!” He yells as he flies over to investigate.
  6039. >“Concubine! What the hell are you doing!?”
  6040. “We need to blow the column and collapse the flood chamber! It's the only way to-
  6041. >“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
  6042. >Another drone gets impaled by the spiderling in the middle of the cavern.
  6043. >“Blow the cavern… of course! But… there isn’t enough of us to destroy one of the columns...”
  6044. “I have something that can help with that.”
  6045. >You look at the stuck latrine door and begin to charge your horn.
  6046. >With a quick flash of green you blow the lock clear off.
  6047. >Inside you see a changeling worker cowering in the corner of the stall.
  6048. “HURRY! GET OUT OF HERE! GO GO GO!”
  6049. >The mare looks at the two of you and then quickly darts out of the latrine.
  6050. >You look to the bottom of the revolting cesspool.
  6051. >“What the hell are you doing Lucky!” Deadeye yells in anger and confusion.
  6052. >Your horn illuminates as your magic grabs hold of a small metal box at the bottom of the pit.
  6053. >You pull it out and grab it with you hooves.
  6054. >“What the hell is that?”
  6055. >You snap open the airtight box and pull out the white slab of explosives
  6056. “Lieutenant, we need to place this on the third column from the entrance, this substance is-”
  6057. >“Conformable, combustible, chemical compound… C4 for short…”
  6058. “What?! How did you know?”
  6059. >“I spent two years pretending to be a janitor at the Canterlot Royal Weapons Research Center. It wasn’t until the wedding when my cover was blown and I was-”
  6060. >“NO! NOOO! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH-”
  6061. >You both turn and watch as a drone is decapitated by the large jaws of the spiderling.
  6062. >“SHIT! Fine then! We’ll blow that cavern!”
  6063. >You turn towards the column.
  6064. >“Wait!”
  6065. >Deadeye grabs you.
  6066. >“This doesn’t make any sense. Why would you have…”
  6067. >The Lieutenant pauses looking at your face.
  6068. >“That would mean… You’d have to be working with...”
  6069. “Let go of me!”
  6070. >“You were going to use those explosives to…”
  6071. >His horn begins to glow as he looks at your angrily.
  6072. “We don’t have time for this!”
  6073. >His grip becomes tighter. His horn becomes brighter. You can see the fire and death in his eyes.
  6074. >A deep bitterness and disdain begins to overcome you as well.
  6075. >You let out a sigh…
  6076. “So... are you gonna kill me this time?”
  6077. >“What?”
  6078. “You spared me the first time we meet…”
  6079. >He looks at you puzzled…
  6080. “It's in the back room! Hurry! I think there a pony back there with it!”
  6081. >“What the… no…”
  6082. “Try to relax, struggling will only make it worse.”
  6083. >“It couldn’t be...”
  6084. “Relax… think of the ones you love.”
  6085. >“Y-You're him! You're the guard!”
  6086. >With a quick thrust you break free from his grasp.
  6087. >The drone looks back at you totally surprised.
  6088. >You lunge upon him, tackling him to the ground. His spell dissipates from his horn.
  6089. >Dropping the explosives, you use both hooves to pin him to the ground.
  6090. “Yes… I am that guard! And you took my eye from me!”
  6091. >You begin to charge your horn with the strongest magical attack possible.
  6092. >The drone looks at you terrified.
  6093. “Do you know what I’ve been through to get here! The pain! The suffering!”
  6094. >He attempts to squirm. You hold him tightly.
  6095. “The reason I came down here wasn’t for Princess Luna… it wasn’t for Equestria… it was because of you! I wanted revenge!"
  6096. >He attempts to charge his horn with a spell but you fiercely smash his face with your hoof.
  6097. “I dreamt about this moment since the night after the Canterlot wedding. Thinking about this is what got me through those GODDAMN HORRIFYINGLY PAINFUL SURGERIES!”
  6098. >His face looks upon you with the utmost fear and terror.
  6099. “AND NOW YOUR TIME HAS COME… DEADEYE!”
  6100. >“HHHHOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!”
  6101. >A chorus of howling comes from the end of the flood chamber.
  6102. >You look up.
  6103. >The once tiny fissure is now a gaping hole, the spiderlings having clawed it open with their razor sharp legs.
  6104. >A massive spiderling emerges from the opening, followed by another, and another…
  6105. >You look down to the quivering drone beneath you.
  6106. >You look into his terrified blue eyes.
  6107. >Reflecting upon their blue surface you see a enraged and vicious changeling ready to deliver a killing blow.
  6108. >You see something upon the changeling’s face.
  6109. >It’s an eyepatch.
  6110. >There is a small, red crudely drawn heart scribbled upon it.
  6111. >Your own heart skips a beat.
  6112. >You look up again at the advancing spiderlings.
  6113. >Everything that happened to you down in this hive begins to flood your mind.
  6114. >You look back down to the terrified drone.
  6115. >A wet, sticky substance begins to cover your hooves.
  6116. >You notice you are lying in a pool of green blood, the Lieutenants carapace wounds are continuing to bleed out.
  6117. >So much blood… so much suffering…
  6118. “Fuck it…”
  6119. >You discharge your spell.
  6120. >The drone looks at you in complete surprise as you get off of from on top of him.
  6121. >“W-what…”
  6122. >Standing over the prone changeling, you extend your hoof to him.
  6123. >He nervously looks up to your hoof and then at your face.
  6124. “Hurry up! We don’t have much time!
  6125. >The drone grabs your hoof and you pull him up to all fours.
  6126. >As he gets back to his hooves he stares at you bewildered.
  6127. “Only we can save the others! We must blow the cavern!”
  6128. >The Lieutenant looks at the spiderlings advancing from the end of the tunnel and then at the two remaining drones fighting the injured spiderling.
  6129. >You pick up the explosives lying at your hooves.
  6130. “Well?”
  6131. >The Lieutenant looks back to you. He shakes his head, unsure of himself, unsure of chaos unfolding around him.
  6132. >“Very well pony… let's do this...”
  6133. >Setting your difference behind you, you both nod in agreement in what must be done.
  6134. “Cover me while I place this charge on the column! It needs to be the third one from the entrance. That will cause the Throne Room to collapse, and it should cause a chain reaction and bring down all the columns in the flood chamber!”
  6135. >“Pony… do you mean that column?…”
  6136. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxEuQjE50LQ
  6137. >Deadeye raises his hoof and points to the column, beside it the injured spiderling is fighting with the two remaining drones.
  6138. “SHIT! Yeah that's the one!”
  6139. >“Dammit! Fine... we’ll try to draw it away, you place the explosives!”
  6140. >The Lieutenant flies into the air, joining the two remaining drones.
  6141. >You take another look over your shoulder.
  6142. >The spiderlings are advancing further.
  6143. >Several more have sprouted from the opening.
  6144. >They will be on top of you in a matter of seconds.
  6145. >You try to ignore them and begin to run towards the column.
  6146. >“BROTHERS! WE MUST DRAW THE BEAST AWAY FROM THE COLUMN!”
  6147. >The drones look to their officer.
  6148. >“WE MUST CAUSE A DISTRACTION SO THAT LUCKY CAN-”
  6149. >“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!”
  6150. >One of the remaining drones is impaled by the spiderling.
  6151. >“NO! GOD DAMMIT!”
  6152. >The Lieutenant lands onto the ground not far from the spiderling.
  6153. >“OVER HERE YOU EIGHT-LEGGED FREAK! OVER HERE!”
  6154. >Deadeye charges his horn and lets loose a bolt of magic.
  6155. >The bolt connects with the face of the beast, hitting it in one of its red, horrific eyes.
  6156. >“SSSSSSSCCCCRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCHHHHHHHH!”
  6157. >The monster reels back in pain, waving its front legs wildly in the air.
  6158. >“LUCKY! GO NOW! THE BEAST IS BLINDED!”
  6159. >You quickly dart towards the column.
  6160. >The spiderling is right next to it, flailing its legs around.
  6161. >“OVER HERE YOU FIEND! WE’RE OVER HERE!”
  6162. >The Lieutenant yells, trying to gain the attention of the beast.
  6163. >Hearing his voice, the spiderling begins to waver from side to side.
  6164. >The beast begins to sidestep directly towards you.
  6165. >You feel a rush of wind pass over you as one of the sharp legs lands inches from where you were running.
  6166. >The force of the impact causes the leg to break into the underlying rock several inches.
  6167. >As the it continues to sidestep, you find yourself directly underneath the beast, its large black abdomen towering over you.
  6168. >You continue to maneuver through the many legs of the spiderling.
  6169. >You can see the column.
  6170. >Its right there in front of you.
  6171. >You are just a few feet away-
  6172. >A swift blow strikes your side.
  6173. >One of the legs of the beast hits you with a force that launches you into the air.
  6174. >The column quickly shoots past you as you are thrown towards the entrance of the tunnel.
  6175. >The white block of explosives is ripped from your hooves and is flung off into the distance.
  6176. >The breath is ripped from your lungs as you hit the ground.
  6177. >“DAMMIT!”
  6178. >Deadeye shouts as he watches you get flung across the cavern.
  6179. >“LIEUTENANT!”
  6180. >The last drone guard yells as he quickly pushes Deadeye out of the way of a sharp chitinous leg.
  6181. >The leg swiftly impales the drone.
  6182. >“NOOOO!!! GOD DAMMIT!”
  6183. >The additional spiderlings from the back of the cavern finally converged upon them.
  6184. >Deadeye looks upon the long row of spiderlings filling flood chamber.
  6185. >He looks back to you, and then to the white block of explosives lying on the ground.
  6186. >“My time has come…”
  6187. >He flies towards the explosives, dodging the legs of spiderlings as they attempt to strike him down.
  6188. >He quickly scoops up the block of explosives.
  6189. >“PONY! IF YOU CAN RUN DO SO NOW!”
  6190. >You watch as the drone begins to fly towards the ceiling of the flood cavern.
  6191. >His horn begins to glow green.
  6192. >“Love, fly, fight, or die.”
  6193. >You get up to your hooves.
  6194. >Your body aching and lungs stinging from lack of breath.
  6195. >“All of us will do our part, so we may all survive.”
  6196. >The Lieutenant begins to chant to himself as he tightly presses the explosives against his chest.
  6197. >You slowly begin to run towards the main spiral ramp.
  6198. >“Adapt, change, prosper, and thrive.”
  6199. >The howling and screeching of the spiderlings is almost deafening as they all are flailing their legs towards the drone.
  6200. >“We do what we must…”
  6201. >You turn back towards the drone, watching him as he chants to himself.
  6202. >He suddenly shoots downward.
  6203. >His blood coated wings flapping as fast they possibly could.
  6204. >His body becomes enveloped in a green field of magic.
  6205. >“FOR THE HIVE!”
  6206. >Like a comet, the drone strikes the base of the column.
  6207. >In a mixture of green and orange fire, the column is instantly shattered.
  6208. >The surrounding spiderlings are shredded apart from the force of the blast.
  6209. >The ceiling immediately begins to collapse.
  6210. >You turn around and focus on the spiral ramp, running as quickly as you can.
  6211. >The howling and screeching of the spiderlings is quickly silenced as the avalanche of debris topples down on top of them.
  6212. >You can hear the cavern crumble behind you.
  6213. >Out of your peripheral vision you begin to see rocks falling on either side of you.
  6214. >The spiral ramp is just a few feet away!
  6215. >You’re almost there!
  6216. >YOU’RE ALMOST-
  6217. ~~~~~~~~~~
  6218. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj4mYvz5wQM
  6219. >Itching…
  6220. >Your eyes itch… painfully so...
  6221. >You attempt to open your eyelids, but both are crusted shut.
  6222. >Lying on your side, you feel the cold stone floor pressing against your aching body.
  6223. >Each of your limbs are overcome with stiffness.
  6224. >Using your front hoof, you begin to wipe the crust off your eyes.
  6225. >You start with the left, and then carefully lift up your eyepatch and clean the right.
  6226. >Both of your eyelids slowly spring open, easing the intense irritation.
  6227. >Everything is dark and blurry, you cannot make out any of your surroundings.
  6228. >Pained and disoriented, you wait, giving your unblinded eye time to focus.
  6229. >Eventually, your world comes into view.
  6230. >The first thing you see is a small, dark rock lying on the ground a few inches from your face.
  6231. >You slowly lift up your head, feeling considerable stiffness and pressure while doing so.
  6232. >The hallway is dimly lit.
  6233. >Only one of the many torches that line the walls is still burning.
  6234. >Its flames flicker a dim orange light.
  6235. >Eerie shadows line the walls where the torchlight does not reach.
  6236. >You attempt to stand.
  6237. “AHH!”
  6238. >A sharp jolt of pain strikes your back right leg.
  6239. >You collapse onto the ground as a wave of agony overcomes you.
  6240. >You lay there, shivering.
  6241. >With all the misfortune you have been through, you are no stranger to pain.
  6242. >But this level of excruciating torment is by far the worst you’ve ever experienced.
  6243. >After a few minutes of recovering, you slowly turn your neck to gaze behind you.
  6244. >A massive wall of rocks towers above.
  6245. “The flood chamber...”
  6246. >Lieutenant Deadeye shooting down like a comet comes to mind.
  6247. “He blew the column… it worked… we saved them… we save the-”
  6248. >You look towards the bottom of the rocks.
  6249. “My leg!”
  6250. >You attempt to move it again but another sharp pain overcomes you.
  6251. “AH!... DAMMIT!”
  6252. >Your heart jumps when you realize your hoof is trapped under a large boulder.
  6253. >Leaning forward, you begin to take a closer look.
  6254. >Your fears begin to lessen slightly, the boulder isn’t overly large, perhaps only the size of a foal.
  6255. “Hmm…I-I’ve moved bigger… th-this shouldn’t be too hard.”
  6256. >All you need to do is prop the boulder up slightly, just enough to slide out your trapped appendage.
  6257. >You attempt to charge your horn.
  6258. >Nothing happens.
  6259. >You let out a sigh.
  6260. >The pain must be getting to you, interfering with your ability to cast spells.
  6261. >You take in a deep breath and exhale slowly.
  6262. “Alright… you can do this Lucky…”
  6263. >Feeling a bit more relaxed and determined, you again attempt to charge your horn.
  6264. >Nothing happens.
  6265. “Dammit!”
  6266. >You try again, keeping an eye out for the green magical aura.
  6267. >Nothing envelops the rock, the only thing that moves across it are eerie shadows cast from the dying torch.
  6268. “Why isn’t-”
  6269. >Your frustrated temperament abruptly ends as a jolt of fear overcomes you.
  6270. >A thought hits you...
  6271. >You slowly lift your front hoof towards your head.
  6272. >Bringing it directly in front of your eyes, you inspect it carefully .
  6273. >Upon it lies the crust you wiped from your eyes… flakes of dried, green blood.
  6274. “S-s-shit…”
  6275. >You hesitantly raise your front hoof to your head, shaking it uncontrollably in fear as you approach.
  6276. >Slowly, you begin to slide your hoof along your forehead.
  6277. >Dried flakes of blood peel off your chitin as you glide across.
  6278. “AHHH!”
  6279. >A wave of agony hits you as your hoof strikes a deep cut in your chitin.
  6280. >Your teeth clench as you quickly move your hoof off the sensitive area.
  6281. >Something doesn’t feel right...
  6282. >Did you not-
  6283. >You begin to shiver.
  6284. >Breathing in and out sharply, you begin to move your hoof towards the center of your forehead.
  6285. >Droplets of cold sweat begin to form upon your brow.
  6286. >Your hoof moves closer…
  6287. “No…”
  6288. >Tears begin to fill your eyes.
  6289. >Moving closer, you are just an inch from touching your chitin.
  6290. “Please… no…”
  6291. >Your wavering hoof continues forward.
  6292. >Slowly and carefully, you place your hoof directly in the middle of your forehead.
  6293. >You cringe from the pain.
  6294. >Feeling around, you discover a raw, gaping wound.
  6295. “W-where is…”
  6296. >Tears begin to stream down your blood coated face.
  6297. “It’s not…”
  6298. >You hoof slides over the center of your forehead.
  6299. “M-my horn…”
  6300. >It has been snapped off at the base.
  6301. >Nothing remains.
  6302. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN2Xs-MvxLw
  6303. “N-No…”
  6304. >You continue to shiver.
  6305. >All that blood on your face… a boulder must have hit you in the head just as you left the flood cavern.
  6306. >You were so close…
  6307. >You were so fucking close!
  6308. >Turning your attention to the ground, you see a bowling ball sized boulder lying not too far from you.
  6309. >This was the one that struck you, it had to be...
  6310. >Beside it lies that same rock you saw earlier… small, black-
  6311. >You freeze.
  6312. “Oh no…”
  6313. >You look away.
  6314. >Your breathing kicks up as you begin to hyperventilate.
  6315. >Closing your eyes, your head begins to waver back and forth.
  6316. “N-n-n-no… no... no no… This can’t be happening… This can’t be happening… This can’t be-”
  6317. >You open you eyes and once again look at the obsidian spike lying at your side.
  6318. >As you continue stare at it, you are filled with a disturbing vibe.
  6319. >It’s as if someone just walked over your grave.
  6320. “A unicorn... who lost his horn…”
  6321. >You continue to stare deeply into the blackness of your former extremity.
  6322. >The dark abyss of the horn almost draws you into a trance.
  6323. “Out of all the injuries… Why did it have to be…”
  6324. >You try to imagine what your life would be like without your horn.
  6325. >Magic was so much a part of everything you did.
  6326. >Sure earth ponies got by without one, but you’ve always used your horn… for everything!
  6327. >Cooking, opening doors, writing…
  6328. >You picture yourself writing a letter without using magic, scribbling out words while holding a quill in your mouth.
  6329. >The incompressible mess being scrawled out on the paper...
  6330. >You can’t even write anymore…
  6331. >You can’t even-
  6332. “Enough!”
  6333. >You yell to yourself, attempting to regain your resolve.
  6334. >Air continues rush in and out of your lungs as you continue to breath heavily.
  6335. “I gotta... f-focus… yeah… gotta… r-relax…”
  6336. >You look up at the boulder ensnaring your back hoof.
  6337. >Looks like you’re going to have to move it the hard way.
  6338. >You place both of your front hooves on the boulder.
  6339. >You take in a deep breath.
  6340. >With all the might you can muster up, you being to push.
  6341. >A wave of pain overcomes you as the boulder begins to pinch your leg.
  6342. “COME ON!”
  6343. >Pushing against the stone with all your might, the pain continues to build.
  6344. >The boulder begins to tilt slightly.
  6345. “ALMOST THERE… ALMOST... AH!”
  6346. >*SNAP*
  6347. >Your back collapses onto the ground as a world of throbbing misery overcomes your leg.
  6348. “AAHH!! SWEET CELESTIA!”
  6349. >You yell in agony as you begin to shiver on the cold stone floor.
  6350. >Shakely lifting up your head, you look back up at your leg.
  6351. >Blood has begun pouring out from where your leg is wedged between the rock.
  6352. >You just cracked your chitin...
  6353. >The angle…
  6354. >You can’t push the rock off from where you are lying.
  6355. >Your trapped....
  6356. [spoiler]You're going to die down here-[/spoiler]
  6357. “M-maybe there is still some changelings around!”
  6358. >You look up the dimly lit spiral hallway.
  6359. “H-hello! Is anybody up there?!”
  6360. >Your voice echos up and down the hallway.
  6361. >There is no response.
  6362. “HELLO! Anyone! I… I’m stuck!”
  6363. >Your wait in silence for a few minutes.
  6364. >Did they all evacuate?
  6365. >Did they not notice that you collapsed the flood chamber?
  6366. [spoiler]No one else is down here-[/spoiler]
  6367. “Keep it together Lucky! Keep it together… IS ANYONE UP THERE!”
  6368. >You continue to wait, yelling for help every few minutes.
  6369. >Time passes by.
  6370. >Blood continues to seep from your newly cracked chitin.
  6371. “P-PLEASE… I NEED-”
  6372. >The hallway goes black.
  6373. >The lone torch finally burnt out.
  6374. >You see nothing but blackness.
  6375. >Absolute darkness.
  6376. “S-shit…”
  6377. >You say with a shiver.
  6378. >The cold stone is beginning to takes it toll on you.
  6379. >The coldness... The blackness…
  6380. [spoiler]You're going to die down here.[/spoiler]
  6381. “NO! Keep it together! I just need to wait a little bit longer and someone will come eventually!”
  6382. >Sitting alone in the darkness.
  6383. >You listen carefully for even the slightest noise.
  6384. >You hear nothing.
  6385. >You see nothing.
  6386. [spoiler]There’s no one left in the hive Lucky…[/spoiler]
  6387. “...”
  6388. [spoiler]You are going to die down here.[/spoiler]
  6389. [spoiler]Trapped like a rat.[/spoiler]
  6390. [spoiler]Ha...[/spoiler]
  6391. [spoiler]How fitting…[/spoiler]
  6392. [spoiler]The pony informant… dying like a rat with its leg caught in a-[/spoiler]
  6393. >You mind spins back to when you were a colt.
  6394. >Your childhood home had a rat problem once.
  6395. >One evening, right before you all went to bed, your father laid out a traps.
  6396. >The next morning you woke up and eagerly checked them.
  6397. >One of the traps had sprung.
  6398. >There was no rat in it though…
  6399. >Just something small sticking out from beneath the metal bar.
  6400. >You take a closer look at the trap.
  6401. >It's a leg…
  6402. >The rat was trapped…
  6403. >It chewed its own leg off in order to…
  6404. >…
  6405. [spoiler]You know what you need to do Lucky.[/spoiler]
  6406. “No…”
  6407. [spoiler]You're a survivor lucky.[/spoiler]
  6408. [spoiler]You’ve done what you’ve needed to survive up until this point.[/spoiler]
  6409. [spoiler]You need to continue to do so.[/spoiler]
  6410. “NO! I can just keep waiting!”
  6411. [spoiler]You’re going to bleed to death Lucky.[/spoiler]
  6412. “NO! I can hold out!”
  6413. [spoiler]You’re hallucinating Lucky.[/spoiler]
  6414. “I’m…”
  6415. [spoiler]...having a conversation with yourself.[/spoiler]
  6416. “I…”
  6417. [spoiler]...have three options.[/spoiler]
  6418. “I can wait…”
  6419. [spoiler]...and die a slow, painful death.[/spoiler]
  6420. “I can gnaw my own leg off…”
  6421. [spoiler]...and escape.[/spoiler]
  6422. “Or I can…”
  6423. >Your tongue rubs against your hollowed out tooth.
  6424. >The cyanide capsule still remains inside.
  6425. “...end it all…”
  6426. [spoiler]...and die a quick death. Slightly better than option one, but still not what is best.[/spoiler]
  6427. [spoiler]You know what you need to do Lucky.[/spoiler]
  6428. “But…”
  6429. [spoiler]Do it Lucky.[/spoiler]
  6430. >You begin to move your fangs closer to your wedged leg.
  6431. >You open your mouth.
  6432. [spoiler]You are the rat Lucky.[/spoiler]
  6433. “...I am the rat.”
  6434. [spoiler]You know what must be done.[/spoiler]
  6435. “...What must be done.”
  6436. >You place your fangs at the bottom of your trapped leg.
  6437. >Your tongue presses up against the bloodied chitin.
  6438. >You take in a deep breath.
  6439. [spoiler]Do it Lucky.[/spoiler]
  6440. >You brace your front hooves upon the ground, getting ready for the pain that is about to come next.
  6441. >Your hoof brushes against something.
  6442. “My horn…”
  6443. [spoiler]Your horn…[/spoiler]
  6444. [spoiler]Yes… you should use that… instead of your fangs… it will be must easier…[/spoiler]
  6445. “It's still useful…”
  6446. [spoiler]Yes... use it to cut your leg off Lucky… it's the only way.[/spoiler]
  6447. “The only way…”
  6448. >You lift up the horn in your front hooves.
  6449. >With the sharp end pointing downwards, you begin to approach your leg.
  6450. >You place it right where your leg is wedged between the rocks.
  6451. >You feel the sharp point of your horn as it rests on the your chitin.
  6452. [spoiler]Push down Lucky.[/spoiler]
  6453. “Push…”
  6454. [spoiler]Do it Lucky.[/spoiler]
  6455. >Your hooves begin to shake.
  6456. [spoiler]Do it Lucky![/spoiler]
  6457. “I… Don’t…”
  6458. [spoiler]It's the best option Lucky![/spoiler]
  6459. “But… I…”
  6460. [spoiler]It’s this or die![/spoiler]
  6461. “Other… choice….”
  6462. [spoiler]There is no other choice! Survival is the only choice! It’s this or certain death![/spoiler]
  6463. “No...”
  6464. [spoiler]DO IT COWARD![/spoiler]
  6465. “NO!”
  6466. [spoiler]YOU GOING TO DIE-[/spoiler]
  6467. “NO!”
  6468. >You take the horn off your chitin.
  6469. [spoiler]You… YOU IDIOT![/spoiler]
  6470. [spoiler]YOU’VE DOOMED YOURSELF![/spoiler]
  6471. “...”
  6472. [spoiler]SO WHAT WILL YOU CHOOSE THEN?! A SLOW DEATH OR A QUICK DEATH!?[/spoiler]
  6473. “…”
  6474. [spoiler]YOU HAVE TO CHOSE ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS! WHICH ONE WILL IT BE?[/spoiler]
  6475. “I… choose…”
  6476. [spoiler]WELL... WELL![/spoiler]
  6477. “Neither...”
  6478. [spoiler]YOU IDIOT! YOU CAN’T THINK STRAIGHT! YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR DAMN-[/spoiler]
  6479. “SHUT UP!”
  6480. [spoiler]...[/spoiler]
  6481. “SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!”
  6482. >You attempt to pull your leg again.
  6483. “AHHHHHHH!! “
  6484. >Another wave of pain shoots through you.
  6485. “F-FUCKING… STONE!”
  6486. >You raise your horn into the air with your front hooves.
  6487. *SLAM*
  6488. >You stab at the boulder with the obsidian spike.
  6489. *SLAM*
  6490. “PIECE OF SHIT ROCK!”
  6491. *SLAM*
  6492. *SLAM*
  6493. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c05aOG5p0P4
  6494. *SLAM*
  6495. *SLAM*
  6496. *SLAM*
  6497. *SLAM*
  6498. “...”
  6499. *SLAM*
  6500. “…”
  6501. *SLAM*
  6502. >Your horn gets stuck between the bottom of boulder and the stone floor.
  6503. >You try to yank it out.
  6504. >It does not budge.
  6505. “Piece of shit horn!”
  6506. >You jerk your horn back and forth, but it remains stuck.
  6507. >You stop pulling.
  6508. >It’s wedge in securely…
  6509. >It’s curved...
  6510. >It’s…
  6511. >It’s…
  6512. “It’s a lever…”
  6513. “My horn…”
  6514. “It’s still useful…”
  6515. “I can escape…”
  6516. “I can… “
  6517. >You begin to waver from side to side… dizziness from the pain and loss of blood are taking its toll.
  6518. “F-focus!”
  6519. >You place both of your front hooves on the base of the horn.
  6520. >You push down on it as hard as you can.
  6521. >The boulder slowly begins to lift.
  6522. “It’s… working…”
  6523. >The boulder continues to rise.
  6524. >You feel a large amount of pressure lift off your back hoof.
  6525. “It’s… It’s... free!”
  6526. >You slowly remove your leg from the boulder.
  6527. *Crack*
  6528. >Your horn breaks.
  6529. >The boulder comes smashing down with a thud just as you remove your hoof.
  6530. >You fall backwards to the ground, breathing heavily.
  6531. >You slowly begin to bend your right knee.
  6532. >It begins to tremble in stiffness and pain.
  6533. >You sit up and extend your front hooves to massage newly freed limb.
  6534. >Before you begin, you notice you are still clutching something in your hoof.
  6535. >It's your horn.
  6536. >As you feel it more closely you notice it is just the lower half of the horn.
  6537. >Although you can’t see it, the top half likely has been completely crushed by the boulder.
  6538. “S-shit...”
  6539. >Another round of tears fills your eyes as you realize most of your horn has now been completely destroyed.
  6540. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve2Fj1KgJL8
  6541. “Thanks for the help… this one last time…”
  6542. >You solemnly place the remnant of your horn upon the ground.
  6543. “I’ll miss you… old friend…”
  6544. >You let go.
  6545. >Listening closely, you hear remaining portion of your horn roll down the ramp.
  6546. >After a few seconds it gently collides with the massive wall of rocks that is now the flood chamber.
  6547. >Trying not to think about your loss, you begin to massage your wounded leg.
  6548. >In an attempt to stop the bleeding you apply pressure on your cracked chitin.
  6549. >Your efforts are met with little success, without bandages there is not much you can do.
  6550. >You need to get out of here and you need to get first aid.
  6551. “The medical wing…”
  6552. >The changelings may have left in a hurry, but they probably didn’t take all the medical supplies with them.
  6553. >You slowly get onto your knees.
  6554. >Your back hoof pains you considerably as you maneuver it, but you can move it freely once again.
  6555. >Slowly you get back up on to all fours.
  6556. >Hobbling towards the wall, you lean against it for support and slowly begin to make your way up the ramp.
  6557. >With each step you take, you feel a sharp jolt of pain from your smashed hoof.
  6558. >You try to ignore it, filtering out the pain as you have time and time again.
  6559. >After going up a short distance, you see a small flickering glow coming from up the ramp.
  6560. “Another torch…”
  6561. >You continue upwards towards the glow.
  6562. >The light glows brighter and brighter with your approach until you finally see it.
  6563. >It is directly outside the entryway to the throne room.
  6564. >As you finally reach the torch you stop, giving yourself a chance to rest.
  6565. “This is going to be a long-”
  6566. >Your mind is interrupted as you look through the entryway of the throne room.
  6567. >The floor and walls of the room are completely gone, just a large cavern remains.
  6568. >A large pile of debris lies far beneath the ledge upon which you stand,
  6569. >The throne room is now nothing more than a pile of rock filling what is now the flood chamber.
  6570. >It worked just like Luna said it would.
  6571. >Her plan would have undoubtedly killed every changeling inside the throne room, including Chrysalis…
  6572. >You remove the torch from its holder.
  6573. >Your head and back leg ache so much, but you need to keep going.
  6574. >If you pass out, you may not wake back up...
  6575. >Taking one last look at the giant void which is now the throne room, you continue upwards.
  6576. >Step after step.
  6577. >The flickering flames of the dying torch guide your way.
  6578. >After several minutes of agonizing pain, you reach the food storage room.
  6579. >You finally take notice of your dry mouth and empty stomach.
  6580. >It's been awhile since you’ve had anything to eat or drink.
  6581. >You extend your torch into the cavern.
  6582. >The large vats and barrels of green honey that once filled this room are now gone.
  6583. >There is nothing left.
  6584. >Not even a single drop.
  6585. “Onwards… must go… onwards…”
  6586. >You keep climbing.
  6587. >Your back hoof feels so raw.
  6588. >Your cracked chitin has continued to drip blood.
  6589. >The wound becomes more and more agitated with each step you take.
  6590. >You look down at your hoof.
  6591. “GAH!”
  6592. >You gasp, cringing at the horrifying state that your hoof is in.
  6593. >Quickly turning away to avoid looking at your gruesome injury, your attention turns to behind you.
  6594. >Behind you lies a long trail of green hoof prints.
  6595. “So much b-blood...”
  6596. >Your legs begin to buckle as you waver from side to side.
  6597. >The torch drops from your hoof.
  6598. >You lean against the wall for support.
  6599. >A wave of dizziness overtakes you.
  6600. “F-focus…”
  6601. >You look forward.
  6602. >The hallways seems to extend before your very eyes, as if it goes on forever...
  6603. >You feel your eyelids becoming heavy.
  6604. >You body aches tremendously.
  6605. >Your muscles scream for rest.
  6606. >Continuing to lean against the wall for support, you carefully bend down and attempt to scoop up the dying torch from the ground.
  6607. >Your front left hoof just barely touches the wooden handle.
  6608. “Almost… got… it…”
  6609. >You reach out a little further.
  6610. “Almost…. AHH!”
  6611. >You collapse harshly upon the cold stone floor.
  6612. >Your entire body cringes in pain from the impact.
  6613. “AHH… AH… hh… h...”
  6614. >The dying torch light is just a few inches from your face.
  6615. >You watch the flickering flames dance before your eyes.
  6616. >The dying flames struggling to keep alive...
  6617. >As you continue to watch, your mind gradually becomes less and less concerned about the amount of pain you are in.
  6618. >After awhile, you start to become more relaxed.
  6619. >Your body begins to feel warm and numb.
  6620. >You begin to close your eyes as your eyelids grow heavy.
  6621. >Relief overwhelms your aching muscles as you continue to lie there on the ground.
  6622. >You are at peace.
  6623. >You could lie here forev-
  6624. >“Lucky!”
  6625. >Your eyes jolt awake.
  6626. >“What are you doing sleeping on the job?”
  6627. >Standing over you is a changeling mare with a cart attached to her.
  6628. >“Get up you slacker! We got to haul these rocks to the surface!”
  6629. “D-Dolly?...”
  6630. >“Yeah… Now are you gonna lay down there all day or are we gonna get moving?”
  6631. “It hurts so much…”
  6632. >“You can do it! Just get up!”
  6633. “I can’t-”
  6634. >“Thats bullshit and you know it! You and me, the day of the rainstorm! I saw you keep going! I know you can do it!”
  6635. “The… rainstorm…”
  6636. >The memory of the rainstorm comes flooding back to you.
  6637. >Hauling load after load of heavy rocks up the spiral ramp.
  6638. >“Yeah! And you don’t even have to worry about wading through a current of water! You remember how many cartloads we brought up to the surface that day?”
  6639. “It… was… so many…”
  6640. >“Yeah it was! I’m pretty sure you can haul just one more!”
  6641. “One… more?…”
  6642. >“Well…” Dolly rolls her eyes back. “I know you drones are pretty lazy…”
  6643. “Well… at least… I’m not named… after a cart…”
  6644. >The mare pauses for a second, taken aback.
  6645. >“Oh yeah… well you better get up or you’ll be /lucky/ I don’t smack that little grin off your face!” She says with a smile
  6646. “Ha… ha… alright.”
  6647. >You get up from the ground and position yourself next to Dolly.
  6648. >She straps you inside beside her.
  6649. >You bend down to pick up the torch.
  6650. >“Forget about that Lucky, I can get us up there. I’ve been up and down this ramp so many times I can navigate it with my eyes closed!”
  6651. >You lean away from the torch and back towards Dolly.
  6652. >Standing shoulder to shoulder with the mare, the strap of the wagon and her at your side help maintain your balance.
  6653. >“Come on, let's go!”
  6654. >The two of you continue to walk up the ramp.
  6655. >Your leg still hurts, but having Dolly to lean on for support helps quite a bit.
  6656. >The hall begins to get darker as you get further and further away from the torch.
  6657. >Just ahead of you something strange catches your eye.
  6658. >With the torchlight just barely gleaming from down the spiral ramp, you can see a large pile of debris in front of one of the entryways.
  6659. >As the two of you reach the doorway, you find a large assortment of crates, beds, and shelves.
  6660. “What’s all this junk doing here?”
  6661. >“Beats me… but don’t even think about taking a nap on one of those beds slacker!”
  6662. “HA! Give me a break Dolly! You know I wouldn’t do that. But all this junk… which cavern is this again?”
  6663. >“You really don’t remember?” Dolly shakes her head. “Just when I was starting to have a little faith in you drones.”
  6664. “Let’s see… it’s the… it’s the medical bay!”
  6665. >“Took you long enough!”
  6666. >You roll your eyes at the mare.
  6667. >“Well I’m not gonna lie, you look like shit Lucky… more so than normal anyways…”
  6668. “Hey!”
  6669. >The pain in you leg starts coming back.
  6670. “Actually... yeah… I’m not exactly feelings so hot right now.”
  6671. >“As much I’d like to get these rocks topside, I think we better make a pitstop here to get you patched up.”
  6672. “Oh… well I guess that sounds like a good idea.”
  6673. >Dolly uses her hoof to unhook you from the wagon.
  6674. >As you detach you stare at the large wall of debris blocking the entryway.
  6675. “Well shit…”
  6676. >“Well what are you waiting for slacker?! Move that junk out of the way and grab yourself some bandages!”
  6677. >You let out a deep sigh as you begin to toss aside the debris.
  6678. >Your leg strains as you move a wooden shelf.
  6679. “Ow…”
  6680. >You turn around and look at the mare watching you.
  6681. “Hey Dolly! How about a little help over here?”
  6682. >“Jeez! Do I have to do everything!”
  6683. “What? Do these beds and shelves look to heavy for you? I thought you workers were supposed to be the strong ones?”
  6684. >The mare lets out a sigh.
  6685. >“Oh… don’t make me mess you up more than you already are!”
  6686. >You smirk back at her.
  6687. >“Fine… I’ll help... Just let me get this stupid harness off, I think the damn thing’s stuck.
  6688. >You watch Dolly struggle with her harness and then turn back to removing the debris.
  6689. “Excuses excuses…”
  6690. >You slide a mattress out of the way.
  6691. >An opening into the medical bay opens up.
  6692. >Inside it is pitch black.
  6693. “Who put all this shit here anyway…”
  6694. >You pauses for a second, peering through the opening.
  6695. >You don’t see or hear anything.
  6696. >“Are you just gonna keep standing there Lucky, or are you gonna get those bandages?”
  6697. “Would you get off my back! Jeez!”
  6698. >You continue to tear down the debris.
  6699. “Fuck… when I meet the changeling that left all this junk lying around I am going to-”
  6700. *TIIISSSSS*
  6701. >The shelf you were moving is blown to pieces as a green bolt of magic forcefully strikes it.
  6702. >The impact throws you off balance as your carapace hits the ground with harsh thud.
  6703. >As your shattered hoof hits the ground, you howl out in agony.
  6704. >Cringing in pain you curl up on the stone floor.
  6705. >The sound of hooves scurrying about becomes apparent from the other side of the debris.
  6706. >“The spiderlings! They found us!” A scared mare's voice calls out from inside the room.
  6707. “Ahhhhhhhh… dammit!”
  6708. >There is a long pause.
  6709. >“Did you hear that…”
  6710. >“HMPH!” Grunts a male changeling.
  6711. >“Wait… that doesn’t sound like a spiderling...”
  6712. “I’m not... a spiderling.... you idiots!” You say, panting between words.
  6713. >Grabbing onto the debris, you painfully get upon all fours.
  6714. >“It’s… It’s a drone! They came back for us! I almost didn’t think they’d…”
  6715. >You look through the opening.
  6716. >Eleven sets of blue orbs stare back at you in the darkness of the room.
  6717. “Which…. one of you... MORONS... almost killed me?!”
  6718. >A pair of blue eyes begins to to waver in the darkness.
  6719. >“Oh! I’m so sorry brother.” A meek changeling mare responds. “I thought you were one of the spiderlings.”
  6720. “One of the?... nevermind... I really could use... some first aid…”
  6721. >“Oh… of course brother! Just a second!”
  6722. >Two sets of eyes begin to walk towards you from the darkness.
  6723. >“Is it s-safe for us to take down our barricade? Are the spiderlings still roaming the hive? H-have they been contained?”
  6724. >You pause for a second, looking at the large wall of furniture.
  6725. “So that’s what… this pile of junk… is doing here…”
  6726. >“Uh… yes… but is it safe out there brother?”
  6727. “Yeah, yeah… it’s safe.”
  6728. >The mare lets out a sigh of relief.
  6729. >“Great! We’ll get that barricade down for you in just a minute then. We should have plenty of medical supplies for you and the rest of the drones in your squad.”
  6730. “Huh?”
  6731. >“Your squadmates…” The mare pauses abruptly and the tone of her voice becomes somber. “The rest of your brothers…. Are they-”
  6732. “What are you talking about? It's only me and Dolly out here?”
  6733. >Both of the blue sets of eyes stop.
  6734. >“D-Dolly? But she… she...”
  6735. “She’s gonna kick my ass if I take too long in here. Isn’t that right Dolly?”
  6736. >You turn around.
  6737. >Nothing but long dancing shadows cast from the torch at the bottom of the ramp remain.
  6738. “Dolly?”
  6739. >You look up the ramp.
  6740. >Upwards lies nothing but complete darkness.
  6741. “Where did she go…”
  6742. >You begin to turn your head, but a wave of dizziness overtakes you.
  6743. >You collapse onto the barricade, a mattress cushioning your fall.
  6744. “S-she’s… gone…”
  6745. >Losing all motor control, your body rolls off the mattress onto the cold, stone floor.
  6746. >A blue pair of eyes peers through the opening in the barricade.
  6747. >The mare gasps.
  6748. >“L-Lucky?!”
  6749. “I don’t believe it... she left without me…”
  6750. >“LUCKY!”
  6751. >The mare begins to frantically toss the remnants of the barricade out of the way.
  6752. >You hear shelves and beds being thrown across the floor.
  6753. >Your eyes begin to grow heavy as a wave of relief overcomes your muscles from resting upon the ground..
  6754. >You continue lie still, eyes locked on the darkness leading up the spiral ramp.
  6755. “I… I… wanted to help her…”
  6756. >“Oh no!” The mare says as she stands directly over you. “You lost your- I’m s-so sorry Lucky...”
  6757. >The mare begins to choke up as she looks at your sorry state.
  6758. “I need... to help…”
  6759. >“Lucky!” The mare grabs you. “Look at me Lucky!”
  6760. >You stare blankly into the mare’s face.
  6761. >“J-just relax. I’m gonna get you some help… ok!”
  6762. >The room is spinning. The blue eyes of the mare begin to drift in and out of focus.
  6763. >The mare turns her head around and yells.
  6764. >“Hurry! Get a stretcher!”
  6765. >“HMPH!” Grunts a changeling from the other side of the barricade.
  6766. “But what about... Dolly?”
  6767. >The mare turns back to face you.
  6768. >“L-let’s forget about Dolly for now-”
  6769. “N-NO!... I need to…”
  6770. >“Lucky…”
  6771. “Help her... ”
  6772. >“Lucky please…”
  6773. “Haul to the surface...”
  6774. >“Lucky... Dolly was down there with us in the dragon's lair… she was with the rest of the workers…”
  6775. “But…”
  6776. >“She didn’t come out...”
  6777. “…”
  6778. >The two blue orbs directly in front of you begin to fade in and out of view.
  6779. “No… she was right-”
  6780. >“She’s dead Lucky! Dolly is dead!”
  6781. “…”
  6782. >A cold eerie feeling runs down your spine.
  6783. “But… I… just…”
  6784. >Your eyes begin to water up.
  6785. “She was... right there… I saw her!”
  6786. >“Y-you lost a lot of blood Lucky… but everything is going to be ok... alright!”
  6787. >The mare gently rubs her hoof upon your face.
  6788. “But… Dolly…”
  6789. >Your memory begins to flair.
  6790. >You remember Dolly flying off into the distance with the rest of the workers as they went to explore the cavern.
  6791. “no...NO…”
  6792. >Tears begin to stream down your face as you begin to sob in the embrace of the mare.
  6793. “She was… just…”
  6794. >You pass out.
  6795. Part 2 continued at:
  6796. A097eCjQ

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