The large War-Plane soared through the early morning sky over the desert in the badlands, everypony but Story and Lightning, and a single patriot in the cargo bay were fast asleep, the events of the last few days had taken its toll. Sifty and Backfire at first were on other sides of the cargo bay, now were snuggled up together Sifty bearing his usual serious face even in his sleep, while Backfire was leaning on Sifty for support, her mouth hung open letting out the occasional snore while the bandages holding her horn on were worn from the days events causing the horn to give a crooked angle. In bluebloods private quarters, and Lyra laid next to Bon Bon so tired she hadn't even taken her armor off, only raising her mask, Bon Bon laid beside her splayed out on her back letting out a heavy snore, then the plane started to rumble, causing Bon Bon to awaken from her slumber.
"Lyra, wake up somethings going on." Bon Bon said nudging the mare beside her.
"It's just a little turbulence Bonnie, go back to sleep" Lyra said, pulling Bon Bon closer with a magic aura causing Bon Bon to smile, she was about to doze back off when the plane shook violently, this time Lyra stood up
"That wasn't turbulence." She said standing up and heading up to the cockpit, Bon Bon followed drowsily behind grabbing her saddlebag and shotgun. looking down the hallway she could see into the cargo bay, Sifty was woken by the shaking, but from the expression on his blushing face he was less surprised about the sudden turbulence and more on the mare snuggled up on him.
Lyra reached the cockpit with Bon Bon in tow,
"What's going on in here!?"
"I cant tell, somethings hitting the plane though, maybe its a bird."
"No, Birds cant cause the plane to shake like that, I'm going to turn on the spotlights."
With the flick of a switch the spotlights on the wings turned on, Lyra's eyes widened, flicking them back off.
"What did you see?" Bon Bon asked Lyra, poking at one of her standing legs.
"Changelings, Lots of Changelings." She said in a fearful tone.
"What? Changelings aren't that bad, they're weak and as long as we dont let them on the plane we-"
"These aren't your average changelings Bonnie, these are savage."
"Savage?" Bon Bon said confused.
"While you were in a coma, the Changelings tried to raid the Chrystal Kingdom to get revenge on Shining Armor and Cadance."
"Lemme guess, They drove them back with the power of love?" Bon Bon asked with a smirk.
"Nope, ends up the tower they live in, It's a giant weapon! just charged it up and," with little magic made a puff of smoke "poof! No Queen!"
Bon Bon's eye opened and she simply said "Damn."
"Yea, after that day the Changelings scattered, some of them regrouped and named a new queen, but most broke off into small tribes scattered over the world."
"What makes these ones so savage?"
"These specific changelings evolved from their counterparts, they don't change, and unlike their equestrian brethren their chitin is stronger, and they are a heck of a lot tougher and their methods of feeding off love is..." giving a slight pause to think of a word to use, "extreme."
"How so?"
"Somehow, don't ask me how, they found out a more 'violent' way to extract love."
"Why don't they change?"
"They don't see a reason too, they prefer and I quote 'to see the fear'."
"How do you know this?"
"One of the patriots used to be one."
"WHAT!" Bon Bon exclaimed, drawing her shotgun and putting a shell in.
"This is why I didn't tell you Bonnie!" Lyra said grabbing Bon Bon's shotgun and snatching it away from her.
"I HATE CHANGELINGS!" Bon Bon screamed.
"He's saved my life once, I promise he's safe!" Lyra said, after a few minutes of Bon Bon staring at Lyra, she finally spoke up.
"Give me my gun back."
"Promise not to shoot my friend?"
"Does it have a name?"
"Tatau, now promise!"
"Fine, I promise I wont shoot Tatau! Now gimme!" Bon Bon said pouting, Lyra started to chuckle handing it back to her, removing the shell.
"You're cute when you do that face." Lyra said causing Bon Bon to blush.
"You're such a charmer." Bon Bon said Lyra was about to say something back before Lightning interrupted,
"WE ARE SURROUNDED BY THOUSANDS OF CHANGELINGS WHO LEARNED EATING PONIES IS A SOURCE OF NUTRITION AND YOU'RE HERE FLIRTING WITH EACH OTHER!?" he said slamming his hoof on the panel next to him, a feminine voice came on the speakers.
[SIGNAL FLARES DEPLOYED]
His face went flat at the realization of what he had done.
"Get on the speakers and wake everypony up." Lyra said,
"What are we going to tell them?" SP asked confused,
"Prepare for impact."
Nodding she picked up the microphone,
"BRACE FOR IMPACT THIS IS NOT A DRILL!" She yelled into the mic waking everypony up from their slumber, Backfire shot up and gave the same stare back that Sifty had the entire time, Tatau, simply sitting in his seat, listened to the awkward banter between the two, savoring the taste it gave off, years of self disciple had enabled him to control his hunger and feed off love through a passive means, he once tried to explain this ability to a pony but was told it was 'impossible' yet somehow he could, he thought to himself. He then focused intently on the outside of the plane, he could sense his brothers outside, and he knew they could sense him, Standing on all fours he walked over to Sifty.
"They're going to try and breach the ship, not crash it." Tatau said.
"How do you know that!?" Sifty said questioning him.
"Because I used to be with them!" Tatau said changing into his original form, a large changeling with chitin that overlapped each other creating what looked like sharp edged armor, instead of it being a glossy black, it was a matte black with white tribal markings covering his entire body, wings included.
"Holy Sh-"
"Language like that will not get you anywhere, now come, We have to protect her!" Tatau said pointing at Backfire.
"Why me!?" Backfire said pointing at herself with her hooves.
"Because, they see you as a source of food as with your mate."
Both Sifty and Backfire looked at each other with shrunk pupils and thrown off looks, then at the large tribal changeling, then back at each other.
"You ponies are strange, did you not hear me!?" Tatau said grabbing his rifle, an old battered lever action rifle etched with various words of the changeling language, walking over to the speaker in the cargo bay,
"iwi poʻo, The Savages will try to breach the plane, we need to land or they will tear this ship to pieces looking for food!"
"I noticed Tatau, they're going to go after the pony in the vest and his friend, keep them safe that's an order."
"You have my word iwi po'o." he said cutting off the speaker, signaling Canvas and Hilt to load up, he then walked over to Sifty
"I can sense by your attitudes and your pheromones you do not trust me and that is understandable, but we need to work together, they are going to try and breach the plane and use you as food, you do not want this." He said, Sifty stood with a scowl,
"I can take care of her myself bug, How about you worry about yourself!"
This would have been the time where Tatau would have just shot the pony, but he promised iwi po'o that he would keep them safe.
"I was not offering." Tatau stated staring right back into sifty's eyes, "You are filled with blind hate, if you are to become a true warrior you must throw warrant-less hate."
"What do you know about being a soldier, let alone a warrior!?" Sifty said as he did seven Savage Changelings tore through the hull and landed in the room.
"I will not tell you, I will show you Hûpô." Tatau said facing the seven invaders, the changelings hissing at Tatau some muttering traitor in a multi-toned voice.
"I did not betray you, you became weak!" he said using his magic he grabbed he rifle and fired at the first one, causing his head to explode into black and green pieces, the second Changeling leapt, Tatau using his rifle as a sledgehammer swung down bashing in it's skull, the other changelings stood mouths agape, then all at once charged at him, Tatau stood still until the last second where he jumped back using the hooks on his arms he latched onto two of the five remaining foes slamming them into the ground with a sickening crack.
"Then there were three." he said emotionless.
The three Changelings cowered into flight trying to get out of the small rupture they have created two of them got away the third was kicked away by his brothers. Tatau approached him.
"Will you yield?" he said as the changeling jumped at him in on fluent motion he dodged the leaping strike, hooked one arm into the Changelings back chitin and the other in the back of it's skull, and with one tug separated the two.
"Such a shame." Tatau stated removing the head from his arm hooks he carried it in his green aura, throwing it in front of Sifty.
"Is this proof enough of my loyalty Hûpô, now? Are you ready to fight for your mares honor!?"
Outside the Changeling Swarm prepared to breach the descending warplane from all sides.