For the following month, things went fairly smoothly. While there was still some friction towards the new arrivals from some of the more stubborn members of the hive, all in all, Sleight and Chrysalis's subjects had accepted their colorful cousins. After settling in, the new residents made an effort to find places within the hierarchy.
Some, like Honeycomb and Sheen, enlisted as Soldiers. They stood with the other trainees before a horrendous-looking training course, consisting of hurdles, rings on posts that swung and spun, mechanical jaws, and numerous other obstacles.
"Okay, newbiezzz..." Char approached the new recruits. "Are you ready to zzzerve thizzz hive?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" The new recruits chorused.
"Well, firzzzt you have to zzzhow me what you've got!" Char declared.
"With respect, sir, I was a soldier back in the old hive." Sheen declared. "I think I kinda have a leg up on the others."
"Izzz that zzzo?" Char declared. "Then the training zzzhould be a piece of cake, right?"
"Right." Sheen nodded.
"Wrong!" Char corrected. "I'll admit, your hive'zzz zzzoldierzzz aren't too zzzhabby. But we do thingzzz a little differently around here."
"How differently, sir?" Honeycomb asked.
"You'll zzzee." Char smirked. "It'zzz a good thing you enjoy being zzzo colorful, zzzince you'll be getting zzzome nice black and blue added to your color zzzcheme once you run thizzz courzzze..."
"With respect, sir, bring it on." Sheen smirked.
"That'zzz the zzzpirit..." Char chuckled. "Now, get moving!"
The trainees rushed onto the training course.
"This'll be a piece of ca-whoa!" Sheen yelped, as a trap door in the course opened beneath him. He used his wings to avoid the fall. "Dangerous, life-threatening cake..." He cringed.
As Honeycomb jumped a hurdle, a hammer swung down to meet him.
"Whoa!" He swerved out of the way just in time. "Okay, so maybe they do do things a little differently here..."
"Of courzzze." Char nodded. "We don't have thingzzz quite azzz cuzzzhy azzz you did with Thorax. We face extinction practically every other month, zzzo we need to be tough! We need to be zzztrong! And thizzz courzzze will help you be juzzzt that!"
"Maybe I should have just volunteered to be a scout..." Honeycomb panted, as he narrowly passed through one of the swaying hoops.
"You wanna throw in the towel, be my guest." Sheen sneered. "But I'm not giving up that easily!"
"Neither am I." Honeycomb declared.
They, along with all the other new recruits, struggled through the course. Honeycomb narrowly avoided one of the mechanical jaws, while Sheen was almost ventilated by a spray of darts.
"Yow!" Sheen yelped.
"Feeling the burn, newbie?" Char called.
"Not even close." Sheen said smugly.
Mere moments lately, the new recruits reached the end of the course. Honeycomb and Sheen collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
"Do I still have all my legs?" Honeycomb asked, out of breath. "Those jaws didn't snap one off?"
"Not that I can see." Sheen shrugged. "Though my vision is kinda blurry..."
"Not bad, newbiezzz." Char smiled. "Now, let'zzz try thizzz one more time."
"Seriously?!" Sheen gaped.
"What'zzz wrong?" Char smirked. "Thizzz izzz a 'piece of cake', right?"
"...Right." Sheen groaned. "Me and my big mouth..."
Meanwhile, Carpenter had taken on work as a trainee construction Changeling. Constructing individual dwellings was far different than the work required in the original, shifting hive. It was tricky at first, but Honeycomb enjoyed the tactile pleasure of building something with horn and hooves.
"Nice work." The head of the operation, a hardy fellow by the name of Scaffold, smiled as Carpenter completed work on a section of roof. "You're a real natural at this."
"It's easier than I thought it would be, that's for sure." Carpenter admitted.
"Well, it'd be easier without all the chatter." His superior chuckled. "Back to work, bright eyes."
"You got it." Carpenter nodded.
As Carpenter continued his work, a noise like a wolf whistle filled the air.
"What the-?" He frowned. He looked around, but the street was empty. "Must be hearing things..."
Mere seconds after Carpenter had returned to work, Slinker emerged from around a corner.
"Hello there, neighbor." Slinker called. "Hard at work, I see?"
"Yep." Carpenter nodded. "Did you hear something just now?"
"I didn't hear anything." Slinker shrugged. "But I can see quite a bit. All that hard work is really making you build up a sweat, isn't it?"
"No kidding." Carpenter nodded.
"But it's really good for the old muscles, though." Slinker grinned. "Aren't you just a prime physical specimen?"
"Uh... thanks." Carpenter said awkwardly.
"Seriously, just look at those muscles." Slinker declared. "Construction Changelings are ripped by nature, but you really blow the rest out of the water. You truly are a sight to behold, Carpenter."
"I guess I am, when you think about it." Carpenter smiled proudly.
"Keep up the good work." Slinker winked. "And keep looking good doing it..."
"I, er, I will..." Carpenter nodded, a little put out by Slinker's oddly-voiced compliments.
As Carpenter returned to work, Slinker walked away from the half-constructed building. He stopped as he reached a corner, then glanced back at Carpenter as he went about his work with gusto.
"A sight to behold..." He whistled softly.
Across the hive, Silkwing, intent on finding a way to suppress the pain of "losing" Char, had volunteered for nurse work. She was placed in the nursery hive, tending to the freshly-hatched larvae.
"Hello, there, little one." She held up one newborn larva, who wasn't overly bothered by her colorful appearance. "Don't you worry. I'll keep you nice and safe, so you'll grow up big and strong... then fall in love, only for your love to be refused, because the Changeling you love is at the beck and call of some Pegasus hussy-"
"Silkwing." Dair, head of the nursery, sighed. "Please don't bore the larvae with your personal problems."
"Sorry, ma'am." Silkwing cringed. She looked back at the larva. "Let's get you all cozied up in your little nook."
The larva squeaked happily.
"I like you too, little guy." Silkwing smiled as she placed the larva in his comb.
"After work, why don't we go and get a drink?" Dair offered. "It could help take your mind off things."
"I suppose I could use a distraction..." Silkwing sighed. "Sure, let's do it."
"Terrific." Dair smiled. Her maternal ways didn't just apply to larvae. She intended to take Silkwing under her wing and help her move on.
'I do enjoy a project...' She thought, as she led Silkwing out of the nursery.
At the end of the day, the new Changelings had fit in quite well with their "classic" style brethren.
Sleight couldn't help but feel very pleased with himself, as the outcome he had been hoping for had finally come to pass.
'I love it when a plan comes together.' He thought, as he and Chrysalis surveyed the blended community. Chrysalis wore a contented smile on her smile.
"It's funny, really." Chrysalis declared. "Once, the sight of even one of these colorful Changelings would drive me insane with rage. But now, I've come to enjoy seeing them among our subjects. It makes me... happy."
"And you know I love to see you happy." Sleight nuzzled her. "For the first time in a while now, everything just seems... perfect."
"It does." Chrysalis nodded. "Let's just hope it stays perfect."
"You know, Thorax is due to drop by soon to see how things are going." Sleight noted.
"I remember." Chrysalis nodded. "He should be quite pleased."
"Well, I was thinking... maybe we could make it a real occasion?" Sleight offered.
"How so?" Chrysalis asked.
"Maybe we could invite some of his hive over to celebrate our little union?" Sleight offered. "Really make it official that our two hives are friends?"
"Hmm..." Chrysalis mused. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a little levity after what's been happening these last few months... Very well, then. But let's send a scout to run the idea by Thorax first. Just so we're all on the same page."
"My thoughts exactly." Sleight nodded.
Before long, a scout was sent off with the message. A day later, he returned, bringing back with him a definitive "yes" from Thorax.
"Looks like we're throwing a party after all." Sleight smiled.
"Did someone say 'party'?" Prometheus asked as he entered the throne room, fresh from his latest nap.
"Yeah, a little get together with some of Thorax's hive." Sleight confirmed.
"A little something to celebrate our alliance." Chrysalis added.
"Sounds good to me." Prometheus grinned. "I haven't been to a decent party in a Diamond Dog's age..."
The next couple of days involved the hive preparing for the celebration. It was to be held in the center of the hive, a large table and countless chair being made especially for the occasion, with some of their best food reserves being brought in for their guests. Most of the hive were quite pleased at the prospect of the celebration, both for welcoming their cousins and for just the opportunity to have a good time after the events of the past few months.
Unfortunately, not every Changeling shared those feelings. Though Fugax and his cohorts had refrained from any open acts of bigotry or violence since the encounter with Scuttle (due mostly to Char's threats of throwing them all in the dungeons), they still stubbornly held on to their views regarding the newcomers.
"It just isn't right." Fugax growled, as they walked through the streets the night before the celebration. "Those color-coded freaks are still infecting this hive, and we're the only ones who seem to think there's anything wrong with that!"
"No kidding." Bullet scowled. "It looks like we're the only ones left who actually see sense!"
"We've got to do something." Hopper declared. "I can't take seeing those... perversions running around our hive. Especially not tomorrow, when they'll be all over the place!"
"Yeah, they're actually holding a party for them... and inviting more from Thorax's vile hive." Fugax spat. "This cannot stand! We need to do something. Something that lets every Changeling in this hive know that we mean business. That we aren't going to allow this to happen!"
"Maybe we can help you with that." An unseen voice declared.
"Who's there?!" Bullet turned around.
"Just some like-minded allies." The voice remarked.
"Oh, yeah?" Fugax growled. "Then why don't you show yourselves?"
"Gladly."
Pincer, Abdo and Strut emerged from out of the shadows.
They were among the few members of their insurgent gang who had survived "Project: Infestation", but not completely intact; Pincer had suffered severe damage to one of his eyes due to being infected, and the cure did not reverse that. The eye was a defunct mess, forcing Pincer to wear a patch over it.
Abdo and Strut weren't quite as damaged, though they still bore scars from the experience. Abdo in particular had a jagged scar running across her muzzle, while Strut's left front hoof had one more hole than it should have. They had mostly laid low after the event, since one of their own had unknowingly been the first to be infected, something they weren't keen about allowing to get out. But now they had emerged.
"Hey, I know you guys." Fugax frowned. "You're the ones who kicked up all that stink just before the virus hit."
"Have you been spying on us?" Hopper frowned.
"More like overhearing." Abdo declared. "And make no mistake, we share your discontent with these interlopers."
"Very much so." Pincer added.
"Wait a minute, Pincer?!" Bullet frowned. "I thought they locked you up in the dungeons after that virus nightmare?"
"Let's just say I got myself an early parole." Pincer smirked. "One of our buddies agreed to change into me and take my place."
"After Sleight and Chrysalis let those colored freaks into the hive, he barely even needed convincing." Abdo scowled. "He was rarin' t be as far away from them as possible."
"But that's not important." Strut sneered. "What is important is that we all agree that those pastel-colored pukes are ruining this hive."
"No kidding." Fugax growled. "First they suckered in the King and Queen, and now almost all of our brethren seem to think they have a right to live here."
"They're even having a little party this weekend, all to celebrate their moving here." Hopper growled. "And they're inviting Thorax and the rest of his turncoats."
"Truly a punch to the face of every true Changeling in this hive." Abdo growled.
"No kidding." Pincer agreed. "And like you said, something needs to be done.... and we know just what that something should be."
"Hold on." Bullet frowned. "It's good to know there are others who share our thought, but you guys have a rep for being... extreme."
"Is that so?" Strut mused.
“Yes.” Fugax frowned. “And don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think we should trust you. We all know you've had it out for Sleight ever since he became our King, and for Chrysalis for making him our king.”
"And why wouldn't we?" Abdo sneered. "They tainted this hive with Sleight's pony ways. Infected us all with distinctly non-Changeling elements."
“...You do know that Sleight is part-Changeling, right?” Hopper pointed out.
“That changes nothing.” Pincer scoffed. “In fact, filthy hybrids are worse than ponies!”
“Look, the thing is, we don’t have no beef with him.” Fugax declared. “It’s Thorax and his ilk! They somehow fooled our King and Queen into accepting this whole 'unity' nonsense.”
"Oh, please." Pincer smirked. "Is that really what you think?"
"They weren't hoodwinked." Strut spat. "They fully agreed to all of this. Another example of how they're letting this hive go downhill."
"He has a point there." Hopper admitted.
"Maybe so." Bullet admitted. "But even if the King and Queen did choose to go ahead with this horrendous arrangement, what can we possibly do to change it? If we try to cause any trouble, we'll just get thrown into the dungeons by those color-loving traitors."
"Not necessarily." Abdo declared.
"What do you mean by that?" Fugax inquired.
"Do you remember those attacks made on Canterlot a few years back by some of our more... misguided brethren?" Pincer asked.
"The ones where they bombed Canterlot's underground, making the buildings collapse from below?" Hopper asked.
"The very same." Abdo nodded. "We're planning to do the same here."
"What?!" Bullet gaped.
"That's right." Strut nodded. "In fact, we'll be recycling one of their old plans. There are caverns right underneath the hive. A few explosions in the right places, and the whole place will collapse."
"We'll do it during their little celebration." Pincer smirked. "We'll bring down half the hive, getting rid of Thorax and most of his colored clowns, and in all the confusion, we'll plant evidence that implicates them. Sleight and Chrysalis will have no choice but to cast the survivors out."
"Whoa, doesn't that seem kind of... too extreme?" Hopper cringed.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Pincer declared. "It's not like there's any other way to get rid of those pastel-colored pansies."
"So..." Abdo turned to Fugax and his group. "Are you with us?"
"Well..." Fugax frowned.
"Or maybe you'd prefer to have those neon backstabbers keep wandering around this hive like they own the place?" Strut sneered.
"Of course not." Bullet growled.
"But still, blowing up part of the hive..." Hopper frowned. "With so many of our own brethren..."
"They're not our brethren any more." Pincer snarled. "They welcomed those traitors back with open hooves. And none of them stood up for you when you tried to preach the true way of the Changeling, did they?"
"...No, they didn't." Fugax spat. "They sided with the interlopers, and stood against their own kind."
"Exactly." Abdo nodded. "They rejected you, and embraced those vile outsiders."
"If you ask me, if they love those guys so much, they should share their fate." Pincer snarled. "And those who survive will be so shell-shocked, they can easily be convinced to see the light."
"Think of it." Strut smirked wickedly. "Once Thorax's filth are cast out from the hive, things will return to normal. We will be of one creed and one goal again. Isn't that worth the cost of a few misguided Changelings?"
Fugax, Bullet and Hopper glanced at each other. Then their faces adopted identical expressions of vileness.
"Yeah, it is." Fugax grinned.
"If those others are too blind to see the truth, then they should pay the price." Bullet agreed.
"The King and Queen shouldn't have let this happen in the first place." Hopper added bitterly. "It's only fitting they see where their bad decision will lead them."
"Now that's what I like to hear." Pincer smirked triumphantly.
"It's good to see there are still those in this hive who actually know what it means to be a Changeling." Abdo added.
As the insurgent group all cackled over their twisted plan, Pincer's remaining eye was drawn by a glint in the nearby shadows.
"Hold on." He frowned.
"What is it, Pince?" Abdo asked.
"I think we're being watched... by something glittery!" Pincer snarled.
Pincer leapt into the shadows, ready to attack the assumed interloper. Instead, he collided with an empty crate.
"Oof!" He grunted, winded by the impact.
"Way to go, genius." Strut snorted. "That crate'll think twice before it spies on us again."
"I thought-" Pincer stopped as he spotted the source of the glint: A crocus-cola bottle cap. "Ah, forget it. False alarm."
"Unbelievable." Abdo rolled her eyes. "Then again, what can you expect, with just one good eye left? Keeping lookout isn't exactly your strong suit any more, is it?"
"Watch it, Scarface." Pincer scowled, earning himself a dirty look.
"Quick question, though." Hopper piped up. "Where are we going to get the explosives we need to put this plan into action?"
"We already have some." Strut smirked. "I found some in the wreckage of the Forefather ship that tried to poison the entire hive. Ironic, isn't it? Something those scum made will actually help us get this hive back on track."
"Got it all figured out, huh?" Fugax smiled.
"We've actually been mulling this strategy over for a while now." Pincer admitted. "Inspected the caverns, figured out the best places to put the explosives, all of it. It was sort of a last resort if things spiraled too badly out of control around here."
"Letting those refugees from a crayon box into the hive was the last straw." Abdo growled. "The last resort has just become the best resort."
"Until that lousy celebration starts, keep a low profile." Strut told Fugax and his fellows.
"Shouldn't be too difficult." Bullet scoffed. "Lately, every Changeling around here's treating us like we're invisible anyway..."
"Once it does start, that's when we'll make our move, right?" Hopper asked.
"Right." Pincer nodded. "We'll slip away, go into the caverns, then get the explosives ready. If all goes well, we'll really bring down the house..."
The bigoted Changelings chuckled darkly to themselves, assured that their vile plan would succeed.
The next morning, final preparations for the celebrations were in full swing.
"That's it." Wizel told a pair of servants, who were stringing multi-colored banners along the outside of the tower. "Keep them nice and high."
"Boy, this is gonna be some shindig." Sazh smiled. "As long as I don't wind up infected with a deadly virus, like at the last party I went to..."
"I highly doubt we'll have to go through that again." Wizel chuckled.
"Let's hope not." Sazh joked. "And hey, at least we have a reason to party again. After that virus nearly destroyed us, I was worried we'd never get the chance again."
"As was I." Wizel agreed. "But thankfully, it seems we were both wrong. The good times are back, and better than ever."
"I'll drink to that." Sazh smiled. "Y'know, when the party actually starts."
Not long after, Thorax and several of his subjects arrived. A few had chosen to remain behind in order to keep watch over the hive, the eggs, and the larvae. But most were ready to celebrate their union with Chrysalis's hive.
Naturally, Sleight and Chrysalis were there to greet Thorax.
"Welcome back to the hive, King Thorax." Sleight smiled.
"I can personally assure you, your visit will be far more pleasant this time around." Chrysalis winked.
"Your invitation made that quite quite clear." Thorax grinned. "And I'll admit, it was nice to actually be invited here. For once..."
"Don't push your luck, your highness." Chrysalis lightly chided him.
"Sorry, couldn't resist." Thorax chuckled.
"Welcome, one and all." Sleight addressed Thorax's subjects. "We're so glad you could all be here to celebrate the union between our two hives."
"It's our pleasure, King Sleight." Wallcrawler declared.
"Though some of us never thought we'd see the day." Hardshell admitted. "The day when we could all stand together, as one."
"Neither did I." Chrysalis admitted. "Thankfully, I had help seeing things from a different point of view."
"She sure did." Sleight smirked. "But that's enough talk. Let's get down to partying!"
The visiting Changelings cheered in agreement.
The group made their way to the main square of the hive, where the resident Changelings and the new inhabitants were waiting.
"Welcome!" Scaffold smiled.
"Glad you could make it!" Carpenter added.
"Like we'd miss a chance to see old pals again." Clack grinned.
The party began in earnest, old friends reuniting, the inhabitants of both hives mingling.
"Hey, how ya doing?" Sazh waved. "Nice to have you here. Try the punch. It's great!"
"Well, aren't you a regular party animal?" Wizel joked.
"Guilty as charged." Sazh nodded.
"So many fabulous colors." Slinker smiled. "It's like I'm in psychedelic heaven!"
Silkwing wasn't having such an easy time getting into the swing of things. Though she hadn't seen Char yet, she knew he was near, and the thought that she could not be with him was still weighing heavily on her mind.
"Come on, dear." Dair urged. "Try to enjoy yourself."
"I'm trying." Silkwing sighed.
"Maybe some punch would help." Dair offered.
"Yeah, maybe..." Silkwing sighed.
As Silkwing made her way to the punch bowl, she bumped into Scaffold.
"Sorry." He apologized.
"Well, you should-" Silkwing stopped as she got a good look at the rugged builder. "Hello. I'm Silkwing."
"Scaffold." Scaffold smiled. "You, er... have really pretty eyes."
"Why, thank you." Silkwing purred. "Care to join me for a drink?"
"With pleasure." Scaffold grinned.
Dair watched as the two walked to the punch bowl together.
"Couldn't have planned that better myself." She grinned.
At the main table, Sleight, Chrysalis and Thorax enjoyed some of the food provided for the event.
"This is some great stuff." Thorax admitted. "My compliments to your chefs."
"Yeah, it's great stuff." Prometheus joined them. "Good enough even for my raggedy old digestive tract.
"Hey, grandpa." Sleight smiled.
"We haven't been formally introduced, have we?" Prometheus asked Thorax. "Prometheus, Sleight's grandfather."
"So I've heard." Thorax nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet the first King Changeling. Though I only heard about you after my own ascension, it's still an honor."
"Eh, I didn't really do anything with my 'royal position'." Prometheus shrugged. "But you? You did way more than I could have imagined. If only I had your courage back then..."
"At least you did a pretty good job with me." Sleight declared. "I wouldn't be the King I am today without your guidance."
"And what a tragedy that would have been." Chrysalis nuzzled him.
"Just look at us." Prometheus chuckled. "Three Kings and a Queen. Reminds me of a winning poker hoof I had in Las Pegasus a couple of decades ago... Though the buffet was kind of lackluster. Speaking of, I'm gonna go grab some more of those okra pockets. Delish."
As Prometheus departed, Glinda joined them.
"Enjoying the party, little one?" Chrysalis asked.
"Definitely." Glinda nodded. "And I thought V's last birthday party was really something..."
"You must be Glinda." Thorax smiled. "Sleight and Chrysalis told me all about your recent decision. I must admit, I'm surprised."
"You are?" Glinda asked. "Is it because I have this completely different color scheme to all of your subjects?"
"No... though that is interesting..." Thorax admitted. "I'm talking about how you chose to become like us, yet still remain a part of this hive."
"I really wanted to transform myself." Glinda admitted. "But this hive is my home. Always has been. And I don't plan on going anywhere."
"Well said, my daughter." Chrysalis smiled.
"I'm happy to hear you say that." Thorax smiled. "That's what this union is all about; Our two hives, two castes, joining together as one. You, my dear little one, are a living example of that goal. A symbol of the newfound link between our two hives."
"Aw, thanks..." Glinda blushed.
"We're all very proud of her." Sleight hugged Glinda. "This little lady's always been special. And now it's plain for everypony to see."
"Okay, now you're embarrassing me."
"And humble, too." Chrysalis grinned. "She certainly didn't get that from me... or Sleight, for that matter."
"Very funny." Sleight rolled his eyes.
Meanwhile, beneath the hive, the insurgents were making their way through the tunnels.
"This is it." Pincer smiled wickedly, as they reached a wide, open cavern. "We're right below the center of the hive. All we have to do is plant these explosives, retreat to a safe distance, then set 'em off."
"Hopefully, we'll get as many of those colored clowns and their spineless sympathizers as possible." Fugax sneered.
"Oh, yeah..." Bullet cackled.
"And when the dust settles, all will be right with the hive again." Abdo declared.
"As it should be!" Hopper smiled, before suddenly frowning. “Hold on…” He turned to Pincer. “Did you say that others tried this before?”
“Oh, yeah.” Pincer grunted. “It was back when that Red Eclipse psycho was mucking up the place. I heard the same group of Changelings who were attacking Canterlot thought Chrysalis was making a mistake with that pony peace treaty, so they were going to take down the hive to make a statement.”
“What ever happened to them?” Fugax asked, curious. “I mean, it seemed like someone stopped them from doing it the first time.”
“...You know, I really don’t know.” Pincer frowned, as he turned to Strut. “Hey, Strut, what ever happened to those bomb nuts?”
“You got me.” Strut shrugged. “All I heard was someone found them underground with some illegal explosives and they got the bug juice kicked out of them, before being ‘dropped off’ in the dungeons. No Changeling has any idea how they got there."
“Not that it matters.” Pincer sneered. “They failed and now are spending the rest of their lives in solitary confinement in the dungeons, with no hope of release ever. Us on the other hoof, are going to make the hive rue the day they spurn us!”
"And remind the more open-minded among them what it truly means to be a Changeling." Fugax added.
"Yeah, that too." Pincer shrugged.
“Now, what say we start setting those explosives?" Strut smirked.
"Or how about you don't?"
The insurgents turned in the direction of the voice, and saw (to their horror) Char and several soldiers approaching them. Among those soldiers were Honeycomb and Sheen.
"Uh... Char?" Pincer gulped. "What are you doing here?"
"I could azzzk you the zzzame thing, conzzzidering you're zzzuppozzzed to be in the dungeonzzz right now." Char growled. His gaze settled on Fugax, Bullet and Hopper with great disappointment. "Juzzzt couldn't zzztay out of trouble, huh?"
"Th-this isn't what it looks like!" Fugax trembled.
"Really?" Char asked. "Becauzzze it lookzzz like you're about to uzzze thozzze explozzzivezzz to dezzztroy the hive."
"We're only doing what we must to save the hive!" Strut yelled.
"We know you think that's what you're doing." Honeycomb growled. "I overheard your whole psychotic plan last night."
"You what?!" Abdo gaped.
"That's right." Honeycomb nodded. "On my way back home, I overheard you all talking. And after my last encounter with those three." He pointed out Fugax, Bullet and Hopper. "I had a feeling trouble was on the horizon, so I moved in for a closer look."
"I knew it." Pincer growled. "I knew I saw something!"
"Not that it matters." Sheen declared. "We're here to be a stop to your twisted little plan. So why don't you do yourselves a favor, and come along quietly?"
"I ain't going back to the dungeon!" Pincer yelled. "Get them!"
Pincer, Abdo and Strut charged the soldiers. Fugax, Bullet and Hopper hesitated for a second, then followed, knowing it was their only hope of avoiding the dungeons.
"Let's see what you're made of, buzz-for-brains!" Abdo taunted Honeycomb. "Or are you... yellow?"
"Ho-ho." Honeycomb rolled his eyes. "Never heard that one before..."
Abdo charged Honeycomb, but Honeycomb, his reflexes honed from the training course, dodged the attack.
"Why, you..." Abdo charged again, but Honeycomb took to the air, avoiding her attack.
"My turn." Honeycomb dived down, ramming into Abdo before she could react, and slamming her hard against the cavern wall.
"Ugh..." Abdo groaned.
As she tried to get up, Honeycomb punched her hard, knocking her out.
"I may be yellow, but now you're black and blue." Honeycomb smirked.
Strut tackled Sheen, knocking him down.
"Like I'd let some brightly-colored pansy take me out." He snarled.
"Again with the color prejudice." Sheen sighed. "So close-minded..."
"And you're even pretending to be a soldier." Strut snorted. "Like your kind could ever learn anything from us."
Sheen kicked Strut in a very vulnerable spot.
"Arrh!" Strut groaned.
"Funny, I learned that move from General Char himself." Sheen declared. He followed up by firing a magic blast, which caught Strut right in the forehead.
"Gah!" Strut roared. "Dirty, cheatin'..."
"I call it 'winning'." Sheen smirked as he kicked Strut in the face, knocking him out.
"I wizzzh I could zzzay I'm zzzurprizzzed, Pincer." Char growled, as they grappled. "But zzzome Changelingzzz never zzzhed their zzzkin..."
Pincer hadn't had much chance to stay in shape during his stay in the dungeons, so he wasn't faring too well. He wasn't going to back down, though.
"Look at you." He snarled. "Bad enough you accepted a pony being King. Now you're letting those abominations into your caste!"
"I don't have to explain myzzzelf to you." Char retorted, shoving Pincer back.
"How about me?!" Fugax tackled Char, knocking him away. "You threatened to throw me in the dungeons! Put these outsiders above your own kind!" He punctuated his statements with punches.
"'Own kind'?" Char frowned, catching one of Fugax's blows. "We are all Changelingzzz, regardlezzzzzz of color. Thorax'zzz hive izzz no different than that of Miazzzma'zzz, or any of the otherzzz."
"...Shut up!" Fugax roared, unable to come up with a decent retort.
"Wrong anzzzwer." Char twisted his hoof, dislocating Fugax's.
"Aggh!" Fugax yelped.
"Don't worry." Char headbutted Fugax, knocking him out. "It'll have plenty of time to heal in the dungeonzzz."
Meanwhile, Bullet and Hopper were contending with soldiers of their own color, Lep and Dot.
"Brothers, please!" Hopper pleaded. "We're only doing this for us! For the Changelings who belong in this hive!"
"Save it." Lep spat. "You're willing to let all Changelings die in this attack, regardless of color."
"But that's not going to happen." Dot declared.
"Try and stop us!" Bullet roared, charging at the Dot.
"With pleasure, traitor!" Dot side-stepped the charge, and charged Bullet from behind, trapping him in a half-nelson.
"Let... go!" Bullet struggled.
"Not a chance." Dot taunted him.
Hopper half-heartedly swung a hoof at his foe, but the blow was parried, and Lep blasted him with his horn, knocking him out.
"Too easy." Lep smirked.
"Okay, all of you just back off!" Pincer roared, drawing the attention of every Changeling there. He held the bag of explosives close, his horn glowing. "Or else I'll set these off, and we'll all go down together!"
"Wait a minute!" Bullet yelped. "I never signed on for a suicide mission!"
"I already told ya, I'm not going back to the dungeons!" Pincer snarled madly. "I'll die first!"
"Okay, let'zzz juzzzt calm down." Char declared, slowly walking toward Pincer. "Put the bag down."
"Never." Pincer cackled madly. "We're all going 'boom' tonight!"
Honeycomb and Sheen shared a look, then nodded. Honeycomb opened his shell, just as Sheen lit his horn up brightly. The light from Sheen's horn glanced off Honeycomb's shell, and caught Pincer right in his good eye.
"Ahh!" Pincer yelped, dropping the bag. "Can't see..."
Char took advantage of Pincer's temporary blindness to tackle his foe, knocking him away from the explosives.
"Gotcha." He smirked.
"No, no, no!" Pincer struggled. "I won't go back! I won't!"
"Zzzhaddup!" Char hammered his hoof against Pincer's head, knocking him out.
The soldiers cheered Char's win, and quickly restrained the insurgents.
"Nicely done, I muzzzt zzzay, rookiezzz." Char smiled.
"Thank you, sir." Honeycomb nodded.
"Our pleasure, sir." Sheen grinned.
"Just doing our duty, sir." Lep declared.
"Ditto." Dot beamed.
"Maybe I can make real zzzoldierzzz out of you guyzzz yet." Char grinned. "Now, let'zzz take thizzz zzzcum to the dungeonzzz."
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers chorused.
Char and the soldiers took the insurgents to the dungeons, then joined the celebrations in the center of the hive.
"There you are." Sleight noted as Char arrived. "Where have you been all day?"
"Juzzzt... putting the newbiezzz through their pacezzz." Char declared, not wanting to sully the evening with news of the insurgents' actions. "Need to make zzzure the hive izzz under the bezzt protection pozzzzzzible, you know?"
"I've always valued your dedication to duty, Char." Chrysalis admitted. "But the entire hive won't collapse if you take some time off."
"Oh, I don't know about that..." Char said under his breath.
Shortly after, Sleight tapped a fork against his punch glass.
"Sorry to interrupt all the merrymaking, but we'd like to make a toast." He announced.
"Indeed we do." Chrysalis added. "I shan't mince words, Thorax. There was a time, not so long ago, when the mere thought of you and your hive filled me with insurmountable rage and hatred. But thankfully, those days are over. Bygones are now bygones. And your hive will always be considered a friend to our own. Whatever the future may hold, we can all sleep peacefully, knowing that we have allies willing to aid us in times of great need, and support each other throughout."
"I'm glad to hear you say those worlds, Chrysalis." Thorax smiled. "Those words fill me with hope for tomorrow. Hope that I'm sure we all share, regardless of color. As long as we stand together, there is nothing we cannot do."
"And that includes holding a top-notch party." Sleight grinned. "Am I right, folks?"
"Yeah!" All Changelings cheered.
"Then let's cut the speeches, and get back to the fun!" Sleight whooped, embracing Chrysalis lovingly.
The Changelings all cheered in agreement.
"You always did have a way with words, dear." Chrysalis beamed.
"I'm just saying what we're all thinking." Sleight shrugged.
"Well, that's not quite what I was thinking." Chrysalis smiled deviously. "I was thinking more along the lines of..."
Chrysalis kissed Sleight passionately.
"Yeah, that's way better than what I was thinking." Sleight swooned.
And so it was that the formerly divided Changelings stood as one again, allies and friends. It would mark the beginning of a veritable golden age for their two hives.
That was the end of their great division, but as always, an ending is little more than a new beginning. The future held all sorts of twists and turns for both hives. In times to come, they would be glad of their alliance, as it would help greatly in the trials ahead. And they would be glad of each others' friendship, through both good times and bad. Thorax in particular was grateful that they could finally leave the past behind, and look to the future. A future where they would stand together as one, united race, regardless of home or color. A future that had come to pass in the present.
The End.