//------------------------------// // 54 - Confrontation // Story: Change: Queen of The Hive // by tom117z //------------------------------// Celestia and Luna walked alongside each other, their eyes watching their surroundings with great care. The seemingly peaceful forest stretched out for miles, with a few of the smaller creatures poking their heads from their burrows to watch the passing alicorns. There had yet to be any sight of the changelings, but they knew they were close. They would arrive later that day, and both princesses were prepared in body and soul for the struggle. The two stopped, the Princess of the Night lighting up her horn softly as beams of light traced around their surroundings quickly. It was a spell any particularly capable unicorn could cast with training, one typically utilised by mages and those unicorn guards with the prowess to cast it alongside the use of the magical green coloured salve capable of unmasking a changeling. The spell itself also able to detect changeling much like the salve, and one the alicorns had been casting at regular intervals. The blue light died away, their surrounding completely untouched. The alicorns continued on their way, content that there were no close pursuers readying to strike at them. Well, aside from one, which Princess Luna finally decided to voice to her sister with the hive being so close. “You realise Cadenza had been following us, right?” Luna enquired in annoyance. “And has been for some time.” “Of course I realise,” Celestia said back. “And neither am I surprised. At least Shining Armor remained to maintain the shield around Canterlot.” “Our niece is a most troublesome mare,” Luna noted. “Why did you not say anything? We agreed that it would be best for her to stay, after all.” “I could ask you the same, dear sister.” Luna fluffed her wings in irritation. “I did not wish to press the issue, she has made her choice. And, I will admit, it might not go amiss to have backup the Empress isn’t expecting.” “I concur,” Celestia stated in agreement. “Let her keep her distance, she has volunteered herself as our backup plan. I just hope it hasn’t endangered Canterlot further, but I trust in Shining Armor’s capability to maintain the shield.” “I pray we don’t need her to step in,” Luna responded. “But I do fear she may become a necessary component, given the Empress knows we’re coming.” “You sound certain of that,” Celestia stated, though in a manner suggesting she didn’t entirely disagree. “I cannot know it for certain,” Luna admitted. “But it is a feeling I have in my gut, and sister I have learned to trust my own instincts.” “I feel the same, which I imagine is why we both accepted Cadance following us. She will see us two, but won’t expect her,” Celestia noted, looking at her sister with an expression that was a combination of smugness and proudness. “You’re catching on, Lulu.” Luna snorted. “Catching on? Sister I am just a capable as you are, and being a few years younger is irrelevant when we’re both over a thousand.” “It doesn’t mean I don’t get to be proud of my baby sister anymore,” Celestia joked, draping a wing over Luna whether she like it or not. “I still remember the first time you managed to teleport as a filly, it took me four hours to get you to stop bouncing in circles from sheer excitement.” Luna’s cheeks became a rose red. “That was a long time ago, I have matured greatly since my days as a foal.” “Most of the time.” “Celestia…” Luna growled warningly. Celestia took back her wing and looked innocent. “Oh if you do insist. But you cannot stop me from reminiscing, the day you teleported you had the exact same reaction to Twilight when she got… her… cutie mark…” Celestia mood fell off a proverbial cliff, something Luna didn’t miss. It was her turn to drape a wing over the elder of the two sisters. “We’re going to get her back, today,” Luna informed her sister factually. “We are close now…” Celestia looked up directly ahead, all the joyfulness she had been feeling replaced with something else. Her goal was in sight, her daughter’s freedom in her hooves, and that fact hit her full force. A tempered fire reignited, imaging Immortalis smugly awaiting them on her throne. “Yes, Luna. We are.” There it was. The First Hive. The Princess of the Sun and Princess of the Moon both sat behind the treeline, equally obscured by their respective invisibility spells. They dared not move past the trees, at least not until they had decided what to do from there. An invisibility spell would only get them so far, and all it would take would be an eagle eyed drone capable of spotting the slight distortion produced by their camouflage. They could see a guard at every single entrance, combined with a select few patrolling the grounds. It was a token force, as expected, with the main swarm busy raiding Equestrian territory. They were no match for the two alicorns, three if you counted their stalker, and any combat would conclude quickly and easily. But that would alert the Empress. Whether the Empress was expecting them to come or not, they didn’t want her to know they had arrived until they ‘introduced’ themselves personally. “Wait for the patrol to pass by again,” Celestia told her little sister. “Follow them until they reach a blind spot, unseen by the guards at the entrances, and incapacitate them.” Luna nodded in understanding. “It will be a simple matter. After I have disposed of them, I will take care of all the other guards systematically. Don’t worry Tia, I will go easy on them.” “Good. Mother willing we will set them free in short order.” “Mother willing indeed,” Luna replied with a hum. “She is somepony I miss having around about now. Her power wouldn’t have gone amiss.” Celestia smiled. “And she would have been able to write a fantastic book adaption afterwards. You do remember the stories she wrote us as foals?” “In the short time we knew her before the Wendigoes, yes,” Luna replied sadly. “It’s hard to imagine this Empress being an older being than she was.” “In but a few short centuries we will be of a similar age to what she was when…” Celestia didn’t finish the sentence. “But back on topic. Ensure the strikes are fast and without reaction, we don’t want any changeling to send even a single word to the Empress over the hive mind.” “And what if the Empress checks in on her guards?” “We must hope she does not,” Celestia replied grimly, before spotting the patrol coming back around. “Alright Lulu, good luck.” “I am the shadows incarnate,” Luna rebuked as her form slipped away into a cloud of wispy smoke matching the colouration of her mane. “As these changelings shall now learn.” Celestia watched with worry as the blue cloud snaked out of the clearing, trailing unnoticed behind the patrol as they moved onwards. As she and her elder sister discussed, Luna kept to herself until the patrol were out of sight to any of the guards at the four entrances to the hive. It wouldn’t be long until they came back into view at the next entrance, so the shadowy form of Princess Luna shot forwards and snaked its way through the five drones making up the patrol. She passed over their bodies in an ethereal manner, the changelings drifting off into deep sleeps before even remotely being able to register the attack. The shadow gently hovered above the five unconscious drones, before hastily proceeding to the entrance directly ahead of them. The guards there would grow suspicious if the patrol failed to show up, so she had to take out each entrances’ guards in order that the patrol would have passed by them. The drones at the first entrance were quickly led into a deep slumber. The second, third and fourth entrances soon followed suit. Luna then waited. But nothing stirred within the ancient structure, all remaining still and calm. Once Luna had performed a final sweep of the area, Celestia felt confident enough to shed her invisibility and approach the hive herself. Her sister, still in shadow form, dropped down before her. “I wish the Empress was going to be such an easy target,” Celestia commented as she examined her sister’s work. “With the will to assimilate other hive minds, I wouldn’t dare try it,” Luna’s voice responded, but a whisper on the breeze. “I shall move on ahead inside, send any further guards to the dream realm.” Celestia looked at the downed changelings again. “What dreams did you give them?” “They believe nothing has changed, dear sister,” Luna replied. “As far as they know, they are still standing guard. Only a call from the Empress would change that anytime soon.” “Then let us make haste,” Celestia stated, her sister confirming by shooting off into the darkened hallways of the First Hive. Celestia followed on, her hooves clipping against the floor no matter how lightly she would step. And every step she took the tenser she became, the closer she was to meeting the one who had brought so much misery to both her ponies and the changelings. The one who had dared take Twilight away. Heated air shot through her nostrils as she huffed, passing by several peacefully sleeping changeling that marked the passage of her little sister. Several more followed suit, and Celestia just followed the sleeping bodies. Deeper into the hive she went, an experience she felt was akin to entering the gates of Tartarus. Supported by the monster at its heart, who deserved to rot with the rest of the magical subterranean prison’s powerful inmates. Not that the Empress was going to live long enough to see those dark caves. She came across one final hallway, the shadow of Luna hovering between two sleeping guards before a large set of double doors reminiscent of the ones leading into their own throne room. It was clear they were in the right place, and who likely sat behind those double doors in preparation for their visit. Luna’s form shifted, returning to the body of an alicorn in quick succession. She turned to face her sister, her features both determined and worried. “Sister,” she addressed quietly. “We are at our journey's end, the fiend is inside.” “Any sign she knows we’re here?” Celestia asked. “I don’t think she would tell us if she did,” Luna pointed out. “Either way, we’re committed to our course of action. I just hope Cadenza is safe nearby, wherever she has decided to watch us from.” “She’ll come running in if she must,” Celestia assured. “She’s probably hoping we will finish this quickly, and that she can sneak back before we ever know she left.” “Well, she failed,” Luna remarked. “Something we must not. Are you ready?” Adrenaline already pumping through her veins, anticipating meeting the changeling whom she despised as she did, Celestia gave a nod of confirmation to her sister. Their horns lit up together, and cautiously they swung open the doors and entered on into the throne room. Immortalis watched them enter, and they instantly knew she had been patiently waiting for them to arrive. Her narrow pupils tracked them steadily, her flowing ethereal mane resting against the back of the throne, the regalia on her chest sparking with some of her power. Worry immediately filled up the sisters, but they didn’t let it show. Not that it mattered, the Empress could feel it within them. She could also feel the love they held for each other, the trust. She would enjoy consuming every last drop. “I welcome you Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I am Empress Immortalis, and this is my Empire,” Immortalis greeted in mock cordiality. “I do hope my guards didn’t give you much trouble. But as it is, I never got word of your assault.” “Your drones are sleeping peacefully,” Luna explained. “Ah, Twilight said you can control the dream realm,” Immortalis noted, seeing Celestia bristle at the mention of Twilight Sparkle. “A pity you didn’t offer the same gentle defeat to the now deceased of my swarm.” “You left us little choice, the fault is your own,” Luna retorted. “Not that you truly care, Empress.” “Enough of your games!” Celestia demanded with a stamp of her hoof. “You have enslaved the changelings and led many to their involuntary slaughter. You have forced them to kill my ponies in equal measure, while you sit back and watch from your throne like the craven you are!” “You misunderstand,” Immortalis said, standing up from her throne. “I am the swarm, where they go I am also present. But my form must stay here. It is inadvisable for the brain to leave the skull, after all. It is but the natural order of things.” “This strife and violence you have wrought is anything but natural!” Luna argued adamantly. “And you may find sitting atop a dominated world is a lonely existence.” “I cannot possibly be lonely with the hive, Princess Luna,” Immortalis pointed out. “Not that it matters. Unlike you I will not buckle over such a petty sentiment, Nightmare Moon.” Luna’s eyes narrowed, her horn sparking dangerously. “And you,” Immortalis addressed Princess Celestia with a mocking smirk. “You came here for one true reason, Twilight Sparkle. A mare not even of your own blood and yet you consider her a daughter, and she thinks of you as a mother. Or did, such weakness has been since stamped away.” Fires burned within Celestia, her eyes flashing orange. A recently quelled demon was relit once more. “You lie! Twilight remains beneath your control, and she will be free!” Immortalis laughed, the sound echoing against the walls of the former council chamber at the centre of the hive. Her horn began to crackle horrifically. “I welcome your attempt, alicorn.” And then she fired.