The First Hive
The Empress remained in her throne room, only ever leaving for things such as food, drink and sleep; the necessities of life in order to keep herself going. Otherwise, she sat comfortably in her throne and commanded her changeling through the vast hive mind. They were her vassals, her link into the wide world while she herself remained at the ancient hive. Her ears and eyes were everywhere, all of it in preparation for what was soon to come.
She was the one who commanded the queens, but every now and then a Changeling Queen would reach out to her for one reason or another. Never drones though, they would always pass whatever intelligence they gathered onto the queens first, only then would they decide whether that information was fit for the Empress herself.
This was one of those times.
“My Empress,” the voice of Queen Cocoon called out through the hive. “I am soon to link up with some of the drones Vulgaris took to the Equestrian Hive. They have pursued some renegade drones to a pony town.”
“And? Why do I need to be bothered with this information?” the Empress asked in a bored tone. “Can you and your little daughter not handle such a simple task?”
“I thought it prudent due to the town in question,” the brainwashed queen replied dutifully. “It is Ponyville, Empress.”
The Empress seemed to light up a little. “Ponyville? Is that not the town that my favourite pet loves so very much?”
“Yes, Empress.”
The Empress couldn’t help but give a small chuckle, reaching out through the hive and briefly feeling the presence of Twilight Sparkle. The Changeling Queen in question was still at the hive, at that time overseeing some training drills for many of the drones who would be fighting in the battles to come. Immortalis could still feel Twilight squirm defiantly deep within her subconscious, but was otherwise a completely loyal pet.
“Empress? I understand your interest in that queen and those around her. We intend to retrieve the drones, but what of the town?”
“Leave it and the population standing, for now,” the Empress commanded in a severe tone of warning. “Light damage is permitted, but nothing major on pain of death! I have something far more fitting in mind for Ponyville.”
“I live to serve. Is there anything more?”
The Empress tapped a hoof for a moment in thought, deciding to make a few things absolutely clear to prevent unfortunate mishaps that could possibly get a queen executed for incompetence. “Yes. The Element Bearers, the dragon Spike, and that tree library. No harm to them in particular. Another is to have that particular honour.”
“It shall be done.”
With that done, the Empress sat back in her throne with a contented sigh. She hummed to herself, sifting through some of the memories of several queens and drones throughout the hive mind. She was in a happy mood, and there was something among those memories she felt was fitting for the mood she was in. After some searching, she successfully found it.
Something the late Queen Chrysalis liked to sing to herself if Twilight Sparkle’s memories were to be believed. And something Queen Crudelis had once replicated, if the memory of one of that particular queen’s drones was also correct…
Crudelis chuckled. “Now, what is it my niece so loves saying?”
She considered for a moment, before it came to her. “Ah that is it…” The ancient queen’s smirk widened.
“This day is going to be perfect, the kind of day of which I’ve dreamed since I was small...”
“I have finally reclaimed my throne, soon the ponies will be nought but bone,” the Empress continued singing the tune to herself. “Who says a girl can't really have it all?”
Ponyville
“Now j-just hold on a minute,” the current Mayor of Ponyville stuttered as the stallion stood in front of the town hall. “I don’t think it would be wise to help you.”
The changelings he was talking to looked sufficiently horrified, mixed in with the terror they had been feeling since fleeing the Equestrian Hive. The changeling stood opposite to the Mayor, facing the town hall with pleading eyes.
“Please, you can’t throw us out!”
A small crowd of ponies that had started to gather around the scene, and some of those ponies spoke up in support.
“Yeah, what would Twilight Sparkle say?”
“Mayor Mare wouldn’t be so cold!”
“What did we vote you in for?”
“Quiet!” the Mayor shouted out. “We can’t take the risk! Changelings have become dangerous!”
“Mayor, that’s enough of that! Ya’ll hear me?” Applejack stated sternly as she and her friend pushed through the crowd towards the changelings.
The Mayor wilted back at the glare of the Element Bearers and their dragon friend, said dragon proceeding to approach the changelings while the others moved to disperse the crowd. The changelings, of course, were able to recognise the dragon almost instantaneously. The Equestrian Hive was his home too after all.
“Mr Spike!” one of the two nymphs in the group called out joyfully.
The changeling group consisted of about a dozen adults and the two nymphs, the children being a single colt and filly respectively. The de-facto leader of the group gently shushed the child before moving to talk to their Queen’s ever so faithful assistant.
“Spike, we cannot express how relieved we are to see you,” the drone declared. “I knew Ponyville was a safe bet! The Queen lived here, after all.”
“What happened?” Spike asked.
“The hive was attacked, we barely made it out. There… there were more of us. We’ve been hunted for the past week, drones giving chase and never giving in!”
“Wait, you’re being pursued?”
“Well,” the drone began to reply nervously. “We haven’t seen them in two days, but… I don’t know if we actually lost them.”
Spike groaned, that was not good news.
“Hey, Spike,” Rainbow Dash called out, gently floating down to the ground next to the dragon. “One of the weather team just reported to me. Apparently, one of the patrols hasn’t returned.”
“What? Where were they last?”
Rainbow nodded towards the changelings. “Out in the direction they came from.”
It just got better and better.
“A-are they still chasing us?” one of the changelings said in a growing panic. “We can’t let them get us! I saw what they do to other changelings, I don’t want to be like them!”
“Hey, hey! You’re going to be fine,” Spike reassured. “RD, keep an eye on these guys. I need to send a letter to Princess Celestia.
The changelings were moved into the town hall for the time being, Spike himself being distracted a few times by various concerned ponies wondering what was going on and the Element Bearers asking for his help on a few things. He did eventually manage to send out that letter to Princess Celestia, the scroll vanishing amidst his green flames. It wasn’t long before he received a reply, one informing him of coming EUP reinforcement soon to arrive in Ponyville in case of an imminent attack.
Spike was certainly grateful for that, but feared it wouldn’t arrive soon enough.
After all was said and done, he and the Element Bearers found themselves outside the town hall once more. Each of them were on edge, but determined.
“So, how are our guests?” Spike asked.
“They’re doing alright,” Applejack assured. “Food and blankets, most haven’t slept much recently. Nurse Redheart is checking them over.”
“Oh, those poor nymphs…” Fluttershy said sadly. “What a horrible thing to go through as a child.”
“Well, they’ll be right as rain in no time,” Applejack stated.
“What about these other changeling after them?” Rainbow Dash reminded the others. “We really think they’re just going to let them go? If not, I’m more than ready to crack a skull or two.”
“We know,” Spike responded. “Hopefully they’ll decide a dozen drones isn’t worth the trouble.”
Applejack looked uneasy at that statement. “I hate to say it sugarcube, but I doubt it.”
“They sound like real party poopers,” Pinkie Pie muttered. “I should do something to cheer them up. Nothing too loud, but… something.”
“Laughter is good for the soul.”
“Exactly!”
“None of the birds have seen anything,” Fluttershy added in. “I asked.”
“They’re changelings, Flutters. They could be blending in,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
“Oh, right…”
“We shouldn’t let it distract us,” Applejack stated. “We got to do right by these changelings. It’s what Twilight would want us to do.”
“Erm, Spike?” one of the changelings called out, emerging from the town hall. “What’s going on…?”
“Nothing’s the matter, it’s all fine out here,” Spike said to the approaching changelings. “You should head back inside. Has the nurse seen to you yet?”
“Uh, yeah. And I’ve ate a bit. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
“Well, uh, we’re still a little worried,” the drone continued. “It might be best if we go, we don’t want to cause trouble for you all.”
“Not a chance!” Applejack blurted out. “We’re not afraid of a few drone who’ve lost it a bit, we’ve dealt with worse.”
“Yeah!” Pinkie agreed. “Dashie once said her middle name was danger!”
“I don’t think she was being serious about that…” Fluttershy muttered.
“Don’t worry about it,” Spike said to the changeling, ignoring the chatter of his friends. “We can handle any trouble. Just… head back inside. The EUP will be here to lend a hoof soon.”
That was when the first explosion was heard. And explosion followed by many, many screams.
The group swing around to see the rising smoke, Applejack adjusting her hat to see it properly.
“What in tarnation!?”
Several ponies emerged from the streets leading away from the town hall, all running from the direction of the smoke. Eyes remind on the rising cloud as some of it parted to reveal black figures with glowing red eyes. Each one had their horns already charged with putrid green magic, and at the centre of the force hovered two royal changelings with bloodthirsty smirks on their muzzles.
Queen Cocoon and Princess Insecta hungrily gazed down towards the distant town hall. All it took was a single mental command, and the swarm shot forwards with barriers of magic forming around them as they shot towards the ground.
“Dive!” Spike ordered, and he and all the others hitting the floor as large impacts occurred all around them.
The changelings struck the ground, the magic barriers creating small explosions that left sizable craters; much as they had during the Canterlot Wedding so many years prior. As the ponies, dragon and single non-afflicted changeling rose to their hooves they were met with the feral, snarling faces of dozens of drones. The drones quickly encircled around them, and Spike’s eyes narrowed as the Queen and Princess both came to a far more graceful landing opposite them.
“Well if it isn’t little Spike,” Cocoon scoffed. “You have something belonging to us, dragon.”
“Cocoon!” Spike bellowed out angrily. “Stop this! No further! You know you don’t want to do this.”
“Irrelevant. The Empress’ will is the reason for our continued existence, and we shall see it done.”
“This isn’t you!” Spike insisted. “She’s warped your mind, fight it!”
“Save your breath,” Insecta snarled, mirroring the thoughts of all the afflicted changelings. “You do not have many left.”
“So, you’ll kill us and take the changelings?” Rainbow Dash shouted out. “Over our dead bodies…! Wait, that didn’t come out right.”
Applejack facehoofed.
“As much as I would love to go through with that request,” Cocoon stated with disdain. “I cannot. We have been commanded to leave you alive until the Empress’ plans for you are complete. Now, step aside and none of you shall be harmed.”
“Your Empress wants us alive?” Spike asked in surprise.
“She has something special in mind,” Cocoon taunted. “But I’m sure she will forgive a few bruises and perhaps a broken bone or two.”
Spike growled animalistically, flames could be seen gathering in his throat. “You’re not harming a single pony or changeling!”
Queen Cocoon huffed. “So be it.”
All the drones immediately turned towards the town hall and unleashed their built up torrents of magic towards the structure, not enough to destroy it but enough to create several new entrances into the building.
Likewise, Coccon and her daughter unleashed beams of magic towards the group, not giving them time to react. Each of them were knocked chaotically to the ground in various directions. Rainbow Dash was the first to recover, flipping into her hooves and bolting in the direction of the Queen, her wings beating furiously. When the Pegasus reached the Changeling Queen however, she was simply caught in a strong levitation spell and sent careening into the side of a nearby shop.
The others recovered after that, Spike unleashing a torrent of flames designed to injure rather than kill towards the two royal changelings. Insecta produced a shield to protect herself and her mother, the latter seeming unfazed by the attack. Pinkie Pie recovered a lasso from her mane and threw it to Applejack, the farm pony immediately putting the rope to good use. She caught three drones within the lasso and quickly tied them together, the changelings trying to use their horns to escape but were bucked into a daze before they could accomplish that task. At the same time, Fluttershy moved to help the changeling refugee who was being accosted by two drone, those two being quickly subjugated by the power of the mare’s stare ability.
Pinkie Pie had conjured her party canon and fired a volley of confetti at several changelings, who seemed to be quite perplexed at how effective it was at knocking them out of the sky. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had recovered once more and had impacted herself into Princess Insecta, knocking out the changeling’s shield and causing them both to tumble to the ground in a pile of tangled limbs.
Spike rose up into the air and unleashed a new torrent of flames towards the Changeling Queen, who formed a portal beneath herself and sank down into it. Spike’s eyes widened in panic as Cocoon emerged up next to Fluttershy and proceeded to swiftly buck the Pegasus in the side, eliciting a yelp of pain from the mare. Rainbow Dash saw this, and in a rage attempted to launch herself at the distracted Changeling Queen. However, fangs clamped down on her tail and pulled her backwards and onto the ground one more. Insecta reared up and attempted to stamp down on the Pegasus, but she was too fast for the Princess. Rainbow Dash responded by administering a buck to the face, which only served to enrage the younger of the two royal changelings. Her fangs attempted to snap at the blue Pegasus’ wing, but once again she wasn’t fast enough. With a growl of frustration she unleashed a torrent of magical energy that Rainbow had to move to outrun.
At the same time, Spike’s claws glimmered in the sun as he shot down towards the Changeling Queen, who shot up a bolt of magic the dragon banked to avoid. When he refocused on the Queen she was mere metre away, and a hoof was already moving to meet his muzzle. He couldn’t avoid it in time, and felt himself get knocked off course and hit the ground hard. His vision went blurry from the impact, and for a moment he swore he saw Applejack and Pinkie Pie attempt to distract the Changeling Queen away from the refugee before being simply tossed aside like insects. When his vision stopped swimming finally, he watched in horror as the Changeling Queen’s horn met the refugee’s, his eyes going blank a moment as a red glow overtook them.
“No!” Spike shouted out in horror, the dragon getting up and charging at the Changeling Queen.
The Queen gave him a bored look, blocking incoming flames with her shield before picking up the dragon in her magic and throwing him away like a piece of rubbish only fit for the bin. The dragon flew out of control right into the town hall, the force pushing him through the wall and into the central space where Nightmare Moon had first appeared many years earlier.
Inside, several of Cocoon’s force were surrounding the rest of the refugees. The Mayor and Nurse Redheart were with them, each completely and utterly terrified.
Spike grunted as he got back up, growling to get the attention of the changelings. However, a green aura forced him back onto the ground as Queen Cocoon entered through the hole he had made in the wall. She forced his head in the direction of the surrounded refugees, the Queen laughing gleefully.
“I cannot kill you, dragon. But I can make you watch.”
The afflicted drone moved on in. One of the changeling refugees stumbled accidentally, falling out of the group and almost immediately being grabbed by the approaching swarm. He was forcibly integrated, much like his companion outside, and the sight caused several of the others to scream in terror.
One of the afflicted drones approached one of the changeling on the outside of the surrounding pile of terrified bodies. It was one of the nymphs, the filly, and the drone approached her as if she were no more than mere prey. The changeling’s horn was alight and he was ready to forcibly integrate the child into the Empress’ hive mind as the terrified Mayor of Ponyville watched.
“Stay away from her!” the Mayor unexpectedly, but bravely bellowed as he mustered the best buck he could, successfully sending the drone across the room.
However, another drone hissed at him in anger before letting off a precision bolt of magic. That bolt of magic past through the stallion’s neck and sent a torrent of blood all over the traumatised filly. The stallion gurgled as a he fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming around the new, twitching corpse.
The filly screamed.
Another afflicted drone leapt at another of the refugees, only for Nurse Redheart to step between them and attempt to grapple with the drone. The changeling’s fangs glinted as he plunged them into Redheart’s right foreleg, biting deep and hard before tossing the mare aside. The unfortunate nurse cried in pain as she went to stop the bleeding.
It was then the rest of the afflicted changelings pounced. The refugees attempted to fight back, but they weren’t guards or soldiers or anything of the likes. One by one, each of them was forced into the service of the Empress. Even the two nymphs.
“See?” Cocoon gloated. “They are where they belong now. It is the order of things, and it is futile to rebel against natural order.”
“Order this!” a prismatic blur stated angrily, as it shot into the town hall and collided with the Changeling Queen.
Cocoon gave an angry shout as she was knocked to the floor, glaring up at the hovering form of Rainbow Dash. The Changeling Queen shot back up and fired a spell at Rainbow, who dodged out of the way.
Spike regained his composure and, still on the ground, quickly shot forwards and bit his own fangs down into the Queen’s leg. Cocoon gave a shout of pain though gritted teeth, only to be once again knocked to the ground as Spike shot up and raked his claws along the Queen’s barrel.
Several dazed changeling joined her as they careened on into the town hall, including Insecta. The rest of the Element Bearers jumped in after them, joining Rainbow Dash and Spike as they stood before the Queen confrontationally.
Cocoon snarled. “ENOUGH!”
A pulse of magic shot towards them and all five were sent flying back out of the town hall and onto the hard ground outside. They entire swarm of changelings, all relatively recovered from the fight, followed them out. The refugees were with them, minds subjugated and all too willing to serve their new master.
“Insolent insects!” Cocoon insulted the group as they groggily recovered. “Soon the Empress will take what is hers, and your pathetic excuse for resistance cannot stand in the way of order!”
The sound of distant blades chopping through the air came to all of their ears, causing Cocoon to frown.
“Well, it seems we’ve overstayed our welcome. We may yet see each other again, Spike. Farewell.”
With that, Cocoon and her swarm all opened their wings and took off into the air, heading in the opposite direction of the incoming EUP reinforcements. They left behind a tired, and heavily demoralised group of four ponies and one dragon. They were bruised and tired, but themselves were not that worse for wear. Several other ponies moved in to help no that the changelings were gone, assisting Nurse Redheart in her journey to the hospital, a moving the Mayor’s body somewhere other than the middle of the town hall.
The town was still standing, but the changelings of Empress Immortalis had gotten what they came for.
When the EUP finally landed the Element Bearers had to explain what happened. They explained how they had failed to stop the Mayor of Ponyville’s death, and to stop the assimilation of the changeling refugees into the Empress’ hive mind.
And in all, Spike couldn’t help but let the guilt eat at him. He couldn’t help but feel that he had failed Twilight.