//------------------------------// // We're All Doing What We Can // Story: Honey Pie III: Revolution // by SPark //------------------------------// My Queen. I jolted awake, aware of a strange but familiar duality. I was curled around Pinkie Pie, in my own bed. I was also walking through a quiet, night-time city, my hooves echoing from the pavement. Quicksilver? Yes. I am about to go inside the Ptyxis hive. I wanted to let you know what I have found so far, in case the hive shields cut our bond. I remembered when I had lost my hive bond. Will you be okay if that happens? Oh yes. It will merely be annoying, given that I will not be able to immediately re-establish it. I felt somewhat dubious about her breezy assurance, but she continued. This hive is large, at least as large as the Floret hive, and it seems to be somewhat more aggressive and war-like. What I learned from the drone I encountered suggest that their aggression is turned towards Floret hive more than towards us, but I feel there may be more to learn here. My bond with them is weak yet, so entering the hive will let me gather more information without drawing attention to myself by "shouting" at the hive. She was still walking steadily as she spoke to me. Ahead a dark concrete staircase led down to the subway system that ran beneath the city. As Quicksilver descended she said, So far I have learned that they are definitely contributing warriors to the attack on our hive, but the infiltrator I first contacted didn't know anything more. Given the general aggressive tenor of their hive mind, I would not be surprised to find that this is the hive behind the attacks. But who knows what I'll find when I get there? She was excited about the idea of sneaking into this other hive. I wanted to suggest that perhaps she should go slowly, work on strengthening her bond, and get the information without risking herself, but so far she'd known what she was doing, so I kept silent and simply followed with her as she made her way through the subway station. The trains were running but seldom at this hour, so there were few ponies there, but a steady trickle passed her as she walked along. She turned down a particular hallway that led away from the station proper, went through a closed door, turned several corners, and halted in front of another door, which was flanked by to burly ponies. I felt them reaching out to her, touching the upper layer of her mind, which was that of a changeling of their own hive now, not a pony, and letting her pass with a nod. She returned the nod calmly, as if she passed this way every night, but her inner self was bouncing up and down with glee. We're in! And you're still will me, so the shields didn't cut the bond. That will save us a great deal of trouble! Inside, the walls were still apparently pony-built at first, but as she continued, the squared concrete gave way to the rounded stone walls of a hive much like our own. Other changelings moved around Quicksilver. Their wing cases were bright emerald green, and their eyes a paler grass green. On seeing one, she "dropped" her pony disguise, by replacing it with one just like the changeling drones all around her. Well, the colors suggest these are not the changelings behind the attacks, said Quicksilver as she walked along. Yes, the one who delivered the initial message was red-eyed. Indeed. Still, every time I whisper a bit of thought about the conflict into this hive, there's anger in response. They seem more dedicated to the cause than their rival hive was. I wonder... She continued along the corridor, but paused when she passed a feeding crystal to dump some of the energy she'd been carrying into it. Have to keep up appearances, she told me with an inward smile that didn't show on her face at all. Now, about that thought... yes, there it is. Of course. They're angry because one of their warriors was killed in Canterlot. If they hadn't attacked us, that wouldn't have happened, I said, feeling a flicker of anger of my own. They were mad at us because of a single warrior? I'd lost nine of my children! Very true. It makes me wonder why that anger is directed at us, and not at the one who instigated this conflict? Perhaps it could be re-directed. Before I go, I believe I will try to slip that thought into their minds, and see what comes of it. Are you leaving now? Of course not. I would only draw attention to myself if I left now. An infiltrator just come from gathering energy would sleep, which is what I will do. And there's still much to learn. If I can just find the right thought, the right way for my Ptyxis-hive infiltrator self to wonder about who and what is behind the fighting in just the right way, I may get the information you need. I'll be a bit restless and unable to sleep, I think, and will let my mind wander, until curiosity makes me ask the hive. I yawned, feeling my own tiredness drag at me. Pinkie made a soft sound in her sleep and shifted in my embrace. I squeezed her gently. Another spark of desire stirred in me as I did. I pushed it aside, though. She needed her rest. So did I, really, but I wanted to know what Quicksilver would find. So I remained awake, reaching across the gulf between us, watching through her eyes as she found a communal sleeping chamber and prepared to sleep. The drones there greeted her just as they would have in my hive, and groomed her as well. I could feel her surface mind's sleepy enjoyment of the contact, and Quicksilver beneath it seemed to enjoy it also. I felt uncomfortable about it, for some reason, and withdrew somewhat from Quicksilver, so I couldn't actually feel what she felt. I tried to pick apart my own discomfort as I lay there, waiting. Was it just that I didn't like such close contact with enemies who would no doubt kill Quicksilver if they knew who and what she was? That might be part of it, but there was something else lurking beneath that thought. I wasn't really afraid for Quicksilver, I realized. I was uncomfortable with seeing that my enemies were just like my own children. I'd hated the alien attackers who'd caused me such grief and pain, yet here were some of them, peaceful and affectionate, just as my own drones were. I knew, as I watched them groom each other, that their warriors would be like mine as well, brave and loyal. Only their queens would differ. The queen makes the hive. Chrysalis made ours rather psychotic. Floret made hers careless and detached from the world. Ptyxis seems to be making this one somewhat warlike. And the other queen, the one whose name I will hopefully know soon... Well, we'll have to wait and see what she's like. Quicksilver curled up with the drones, her eyes closing. After a few moments she rolled over restlessly. It was odd, since I could faintly hear her surface mind thinking idle, randomly racing thoughts, much as I myself often did when I couldn't sleep, even while I could also hear Quicksilver carefully shaping the question to be inserted into those thoughts. Why are we fighting this stupid fight, anyway...? The Ptyxis-hive drone's mind thought that, and worried over it, and finally consulted the hive's memory. The hive didn't seem to know much. The queen had ordered them to enter this alliance, so they had done so. The false-changeling Quicksilver had constructed didn't find that a satisfying answer, so she naturally decided to ask her queen. I nearly gasped at the daring of it, and found myself holding my breath. Ptyxis herself was awake, the city-dwelling hive in general kept late hours, and a moment later I could actually hear, faintly, the voice of another changeling queen. Because we have to uphold the old ways, she said. We cannot let the mad changelings of one hive ruin everything for all of us. So you decided to form this alliance so we could fight the mad ones, noble queen Ptyxis? Oh, I cannot take credit for the idea, my child. Chelicerae, of Las Pegasus, proposed the alliance. Gotcha! Quicksilver crowed silently in delight. Her other self, though, was still talking. Is Chelicerae right, though? Before, ponies just knew about one hive, the mad hive. But our dead warrior was left behind in Canterlot. They know about us now! There are rumors about changeling war in the streets out there tonight. It worries me. Don't worry, my child. Chelicerae has promised that once we are victorious, it will be a simple matter to wipe the minds of the pony leaders, and the lesser ponies are no danger to us, they are merely our prey. And there may be other benefits as well. I could almost see the other queen's sharp-toothed smile as she continued. Think, my child, on what may come if Chelicerae is victorious. She will conquer and absorb the hive of this upstart "Sweetcake". And should that prove possible, well... Floret may learn that this city can be ruled by one after all. Ah. Yes, that is a worthy cause, noble queen. Pleased at the thought of victory over the hive's traditional enemies, the faux-changeling withdrew from the contact and soon settled into a peaceful slumber. Quicksilver was somehow able to stay awake. I had no idea how that worked. But I found myself yawning again. It was time for me to rest too. I'll depart for Las Pegasus in the morning, said Quicksilver. Meanwhile we know more than we did. Yes. Thank you. I made a mental note to pass along what I'd learned about the numbers of warriors that the two hives had, and how many they'd contributed to the alliance, to Celestia in the morning. That, at least, was hopeful news. If it was just the six hives I knew about, and if the other four had contributed similarly, my warriors would indeed be outnumbered but the royal guard would not be. Perhaps this would all end well after all. Thank you very much, I repeated to Quicksilver, and then I let go of her mind and slipped immediately into a deep, peaceful slumber. I woke to a sense of wrongness and conflict, and for a moment, half awake, I was full of nameless dread. Had someone attacked the hive again? The caravan of refugees from Canterlot? The few remaining infiltrators gathering emotional energy? Then I realized that the conflict came from my bond with Pinkie, not from the rest of the hive, and felt a wave of relief, followed immediately by a stab of guilt. Pinkie was my love, my other half, the person who'd kept me sane and happy and healthy through all this, who'd worked just as hard in her own way to save the hive as I had. I shouldn't be relieved that it was "only" something upsetting Pinkie. As the guilt swept through me, my sense of Pinkie nearly vanished, for she was feeling guilty as well. I tried to untangle the confused feelings enough to get a sense of what was going on. Strangely, even as a crushing, guilty despair wrapped its tentacles around Pinkie, a kind of manic energy burbled in her mind as well. I finally caught of glimpse of what was happening through her eyes, and found that she was bouncing up and down, babbling cheerful nonsense at Rainbow Dash, who lay on her side on the crude bed she'd been provided with, facing away from Pinkie, and from her other friends, who were there as well. "I'm fine," said Rainbow, with a frustrated tone that suggested she'd already repeated this sentiment several times. "We won't be here forever, I can race and practice again soon. I'll be just fine." "Aww, but Rainbow, you don't look fine, you look all sad and droopy! You need to turn that frown upside down. Come on, smile for your auntie Pinkie!" Pinkie reached out, turning Rainbow's head towards her, and tried to pull her lips up in a smile, grinning ridiculously herself. All the while I could feel her despair slowly growing. Pinkie... you promised you wouldn't pretend like this. Rainbow Dash may or may not be fine, but you're not fine. I tried to say this as gently as possible, putting all my love and concern for her into it. Yet even as I sent the words across our bond, I felt something in her crumble. My care and concern was only making things worse, increasing her guilt. I know I promised but it's my fault Rainbow is stuck here and it's my fault your hive is in trouble and all of this is my fault and I want her to be happy and I want everything to be better and I can't fix it! That sent an additional flood of guilt through me as well. It wasn't Pinkie's fault, it was mine. If I'd cut the bond when Mender connected the hives instead of taking responsibility for everyone, if I'd given in to the enemy's demands immediately, if I'd done any of a hundred things differently, none of this would have happened. It's not your fault, Pinkie, it's mine. I'm so sorry. I'm hurting you. I'm hurting my hive. I should never have become queen. I felt Pinkie's facade collapsing as her guilt and mine fed into each other, dragging us both into despair, but I couldn't pull free of it. I was guilty. I was destroying everything I cared for. Despair overwhelmed me and spilled from me through my other bond, to the hive. The hum of constant activity faltered, individual changelings stopping in their tracks, suddenly despondent. There were many individuals in the hive who had their own fears, and worries, and even guilt about the current situation. They all fed into the sudden pool of despair, which grew, sucking in every changeling who shared the bond. My own guilt only grew faster as I felt it happening. My lack of tact with Pinkie and my reckless emotions were making everything worse. I was destroying the hive without even needing an enemy threat. I knew I had to somehow pull myself out of this spiral, and somehow pull the hive with me, but I couldn't. The hive was larger than I was, and I couldn't fight it. That was just one more failure, and it only recognizing it made everything worse. I was drowning, the hive was drowning, and we would never emerge from the ocean of despair. Everything was over, I had failed as queen, and the hive would die because of me. I was not suited to be queen. I should never have let myself think I could somehow rule. That is a lie. You are better suited than any I have served, even Sepal. That voice came somehow from both beyond and within the bond, and I recognized it as Quicksilver. The ordinary changeling mind she used to connect to the hive was echoing with despair, but her other selves were unconnected, and thus undespairing, yet somehow using the extra bond her original self had established with me to reach through that despair. Her mind, or minds, touched mine closely, offering me confidence, support,and something that felt shockingly like love. She reached beyond me as well, finding other minds within the hive. There were strong, independent minds that were fighting back against the sucking maelstrom of emotion. Quicksilver pulled one free, and I heard another familiar voice, Wildcard's, offering me the same reassurances. I believe in you. I wouldn't be returning to the hive if all was lost. I wouldn't be taking all these changelings and ponies with me either, even if I were crazy enough to do it myself. I think we can beat them. I think you can beat them, and I'll be there to help. As will I, my queen. Minder's quiet voice surprised me. There was still sorrow and guilt in it, she had not entirely freed herself from those feelings, but then perhaps she had cause to feel them, for she added, If anyone is to blame for your current position it is I. I am the one who pushed you into this role. I did it because I believed you would serve the hive best. I still believe it. I am not without fear, but I trust you. You will do what's best for us all, pony and changeling alike. If you cannot save us, then none could. A slow but growing chorus of other voices joined. Changelings in the room with me, those all across the hive, even Bright Steel, far to the north, gave me their support and filled the hive bond with something that I could not deny: love. It was not like drawing love energy from a pony, but it was a feeling that buoyed me up, pushing my guilt away. They believed in me. They were helping me. Some of them might well be the hive's eventual salvation. All of them were its—and my—salvation now. Whatever might come, they were my people, my children, my charges, and I couldn't let them down. I wasn't going to let Pinkie down either. She couldn't feel what I felt, the flood of support didn't reach through our bond, so I reached instead, and poured my love for her into her. As I did so I rose to my feet. Rainbow Dash's room wasn't far from my own chamber, so it took me only moments to reach it. When I arrived I saw all five of Pinkie's friends gathered around her, offering her concern and comfort, while she was curled into a ball of misery, with tears leaking down her cheeks. I joined them, adding physical comfort to the love I was sharing. "I'm sorry, Pinkie," I said gently out loud. "It's all messed up and I can't fix it!" she sobbed. "I can't make everyone happy. I just made everyone sad! Everyone!" "You didn't make me sad, Pinks," said Rainbow, trying to be gentle, but sounding a little bit aggravated. "But I did! It's my fault you're stuck inside. And then I made everyone else sad, too. All the changelings were all depressed and it was all my fault!" That got a puzzled look from Rainbow Dash, and from the other ponies. But I shook my head and said, "It wasn't your fault. If it was anyone's, it was mine. But I'm not sure it was anyone's fault. We have a strange bond, and neither of us tried to make that happen, it just did. We can't help that it shares our feelings, and there's nothing at all wrong with feeling sad, Pinkie." "I'm supposed to make ponies feel happy! That's my cutie mark!" "You do make ponies feel happy, every day, Pinkie dear," chimed in Rarity. "You're better are cheering ponies up than anypony I've ever met," said Twilight "Yes. You are our best friend," said Fluttershy fiercely. "We want you to be happy too." She hugged Pinkie with equal fervor. Just as the hive was pouring love into me, I could sense her friends pouring their love into Pinkie Pie. They didn't have a hive bond, but the taste of it was strong in the air, and even without being able to taste or feel it, I knew Pinkie could hear it in their voices, see it in the way they hugged her and stroked her hair. I felt something shift in her as she realized the extent of the love they were offering. She started sobbing again, but the tears were different now. "You are all so great. You are the best friends a pony could have," she said, and hugged them all back at once somehow. The love and friendship were so strong around me I felt like I might be rendered somehow taste-blind from it, and I drew in all that I could. All around me in the halls and chambers nearby other changelings were doing the same, for the love was strong enough to reach through stone walls, flooding half the hive. I smiled, feeling not only filled with love, but also filled with gratitude for Pinkie and her friends. Their friendship was one part of what would save the hive. In that moment I could actually believe that the other parts-Quicksilver, Bright Steel, Wildcard and perhaps even Celestia herself—would all come through in the end. Some time later I sat atop a cloud above the hive. Far in the distance I could just make out a faint rainbow streak, arcing through the air. I had been foolish to not realize that the ever-active pegasus would not deal well with being cooped up inside the hive for days on end, but once the situation had become clear, the solution had been easy enough. She was doing a series of long scouting patrols, something I really should have begun immediately after the first attack. The hive's location was not exactly public knowledge, but it was no longer a complete secret either, and the enemy changelings could probably discover it easily enough. Rainbow was not, perhaps, the ideal scout for a hive that wanted to stay hidden, but she needed something to do, so this solution nevertheless seemed fairly good. I'd introduced her to the high scout, so she'd know where to report anything she found. Then I'd found a cloud perch of my own and settled down to once again check in with the various pieces of my hive, and see that they were well after the strange emotional storm they'd all weathered. Bright Steel, stalwart and stoic as always, seemed completely unaffected. She was traveling through a steady snowfall, still accompanied by Peridot and Shadowed Path. She relayed that Peridot estimated they might reach their goal late the next day, if the snow didn't become too heavy. I bade her luck and moved on to Quicksilver. Her I spoke with longer. Both because I had to thank her for helping pull me—and the hive—out of the spiral of despair, and because I thought her quest had the highest chance of saving the hive. She was on a train to Las Pegasus, and would also reach her destination late tomorrow. We spoke for a time about the difficulty of infiltrating the Chelicerae hive, and of what she might find there when she did, but I finally bade her good luck as well and turned my attention to Wildcard and the approaching caravan. They were in the badlands now and would arrive before the day was out. They had seen no sign of trouble on their journey, which I wish I could have greeted as a relief, but instead I felt as though I were waiting for the other horseshoe to drop. The enemy might be smaller than I'd feared, and their warriors less united, but that didn't mean they weren't still a threat. I heartily hoped that Quicksilver would able to gain access to their plans, not knowing when or how they might strike next was maddening. I yanked my attention away from that frustrating train of thought and turned it to the hive. After what had happened this morning, I should keep a close eye on the tone of the hive's background hum. Mostly it was good. The despair had been brief and the outpouring of love after had been strong. Indeed hundreds of ordinary workers were still buzzing with pleasure and delight at having tasted emotions directly from ponies, without simply drinking from the hive's energy crystals. Unfortunately that wasn't the only feeling I caught from the hive. The little clump of disapproval I'd sensed before was still there, and if anything it had only been strengthened by what had just happened. I frowned, trying to decide what to do. I could continue to ignore it, it represented a minority of the hive, but what if it spread? There were at least two underqueens who were part of it, and if they decided to try some form of rebellion, I wasn't sure what I'd even do. Crushing dissent by sheer force of mind was possible, I was the queen and had the weight of the rest of the hive behind me, but I didn't want to do that. If it did turn into an outright rebellion, though, I wasn't sure what other option I would have. Perhaps it would be better to see if I could somehow deal with it now. I reached out, somewhat cautiously, and asked the changelings who were radiating such doubt and unhappiness, What is it that displeases you? What would you have me do for the hive? One of the underqueens immediately responded, We would have you surrender, and agree to return to hiding. You truly think that would help? We can't erase the knowledge of our existence from the minds of every pony, no matter what this other queen may claim. Does it matter if we can? If we agree to try, the attacks will stop, the hive will be safe. From the other changelings. But we'll have betrayed the ponies. We'll have betrayed Celestia and Luna. Do you think they won't find out what we've done? Do you think they won't regard us as enemies, after such an act? Would you rather be at war with a few changelings, or with all of Equestria? There was a long silence, and I sensed the under-queen organizing her thoughts. At length she said, My queen, I had hoped that you would return us to the old ways, the right ways, when you replaced Chrysalis. She led the hive into madness, and her under-queens hoped to free the hive of that madness when her reign ended, myself most of all. I stayed silent when you instead chose a new way, for at least the hive seemed to thrive. But it is not thriving now. It is under attack and may be starving again soon. Please, let us go back to the way things should be. I can't do that. Why not? Hiding is our nature, my queen. We are meant to disguise ourselves, and take what we need from ponies. We were not meant to walk openly among them. It is wrong. Maybe it isn't as mad as Chyrsalis' desire to conquer them, but it is madness all the same. It's not right. I tried to formulate a reply. I wanted to argue that changelings were not "meant" to do anything, that we could chose our own destiny without a care for such notions. Yet the scrap of information Bright Steel had found suggested that changelings were a created race, like thestrals, and thus might well have a purpose and a destiny. I didn't know enough to know what such a purpose or destiny might entail, but it was possible that it did exist. I did know, though, what lay at the root of my inability to chose any other path than the one I'd chosen. I loved Pinkie Pie. Returning to the old ways would mean giving her up, and that was one thing I simply could not do. That thought sparked another in me, and I finally found the words to answer her plea. Hiding is not our truest nature. Love is. Feel the love the fills the hive now. Taste and test the levels of our feeding crystals. They may not be full to the brim, but there is enough there, and it is because of love. We hide only in service to gathering love. Love is the power that fuels us and the goal that drives us. It is central to everything we are. The worst thing Chrysalis ever did was pervert the hive to cause fear. We should cause love. We have caused love! And if we turn against that now, if we throw aside my love, and Pinkie's love, and the love of all the other ponies who have supported and befriended us over the last few months, we will be acting against our nature even more surely than we are by refusing to hide. The under-queen was silent for a long time. The other discontent changelings, who had heard all that we'd said, murmured among themselves, divided and uncertain about this new way of looking at things. Finally the under-queen replied, I know that love is our nature, as you say. Yet so is hiding. So is deceit. Can we not find a way to live true to both these things? If I knew such a way, and that it would save the hive, I would take it in a heartbeat. But I don't. Do you? You could... you could keep your consort and return the hive to hiding, keeping her secret within it. And her friends, whose friendship and love for her is so strong it has fed the entire hive this day? It wouldn't be right to destroy their love either. Should I keep them captive too? I think that Princess Celestia would notice that her favored student was missing. Shining Armor—I invoked that name, knowing that memory of his shield flinging the changelings from Canterlot was still strong in the hive—might also notice that his sister was missing, and he and his consort come seeking her. No, that is no solution. There must be some way out! There must be some way back to what we should be! There is no perfect solution. Those are precious few in life. The only way out is forward. We learn more of our enemy's weakness every day. Their alliance is not strong. We will find a way to break it. I will not let the hive be destroyed, I promise you. I am queen, and you are all my children, and I will not abandon you. That's love too, and that's also our nature and our strength. Trust in it. I projected all the love and sincerity I could through the bond, seeking to reassure her, and the hive as a whole. I felt, and could almost see, the under-queen sigh softly and bow her head, submitting to the will of her queen. There was a kind of echo as many of those who'd resisted my reign with her did the same. I will try to trust you, my queen. But I still wish things could be other than they are. So do I, I said gently in reply. So do I. It was late afternoon when the caravan from Canterlot finally arrived. I went to the hive's main entrance to meet them myself, with Pinkie Pie by my side. A pair of Guard unicorns were at the head of the little procession, alert and wary but tasting mostly of curiosity as they stepped into the hive's tunnels. Behind them several changelings, including Wildcard, were helping to tow a trio of wagons, heaped with supplies, with guardsponies marching warily in between each. I greeted both changelings and supplies with delight. The fungus grown in the hive sufficed to keep us alive, but I knew that with so many ponies living here, other food would be more than welcome. The ponies came next, mixed with their changeling friends, and were also well guarded. I wondered exactly how many guards Celestia had sent, already more than a dozen had entered the hive. I spotted Lilac among them, walking tightly by the side of High Peak still. I didn't see Sunbeam, and a quick mental query to Wildcard revealed that she had failed to come at the last minute, without notice. The changeling who had been Silver Song wasn't exactly happy about that, but there was little I could do to comfort her. Two other ponies, however, had apparently found their friends since the news conference, and made up their minds swiftly to accompany them. I made certain to greet each of them warmly, and thank them for coming. They reacted with varying degrees of curiosity and pleasure. None of them seemed wary or afraid, and after another mental query I found myself thanking Wildcard as well, for he'd had their friends spend the whole trip telling them in detail about hive life, soothing many of their fears and uncertainties. Pinkie, of course, greeted everypony as well, including the guards—half of them by name—as well as the returning changelings. She bestowed cheering smiles and hugs with reckless abandon. When all the changelings and their friends were safely inside, I addressed the Guardspony who seemed to be in charge. "Thank you for escorting them safely here." "Just doing my duty, Your Majesty." He gave a brief, almost formal nod. Then he added, "The ambassador tells me you can provide a suitable barracks for my ponies?" I blinked at him in bafflement for a long moment. Barracks? Then I heard laughter behind me, and felt a spike of gleeful delight from the hive bond. "They're staying here," said Wildcard. "Surprise!" And you have no idea how hard it was to avoid even thinking about that whenever you checked in, he added silently. I didn't even have to turn to see his broad grin. The Guardspony was smiling as well, and I could taste faint amusement from him. "Ah, so you weren't told. Yes, Your Majesty. The ambassador has apparently been relaying intelligence from your hive's spy network to the Princess, and Celestia has decided that the risk of outright war is minimal. Additional troops will be following in a few days, once they're organized, but since I and my ponies were here already, we've been sent orders to stay and assist in protecting the hive any way we can." "Thank you," I said, feeling completely and utterly floored. Though I also had time for a flicker of amusement at the thought of the hive's "spy network", which currently consisted of one single changeling. I shook the thought off and tried to focus on practical matters. A few silent messages summoned several warrior drones to escort the guardsponies to suitable barracks. I thought they might be more at home with their fellow fighters. My mind hummed with sudden, hopeful thoughts. The day was late, and no doubt the ponies needed sleep, but I also needed to have some sort of meeting, perhaps with a few of my own warriors, some of the under-queens, and the guardsponies, about how best to use the new resources that had arrived, both militarily and to keep the hive fed. There was so much to be done! As the ponies filed off towards their new quarters, though, the brush of soft pony fur against my side distracted me. Pinkie leaned against me and smiled up at me. I tasted and felt a flicker of loving care from her. "Looks like all those changelings saying things would be okay earlier were right. Things are looking up." "They are," I responded, leaning down a bit to nuzzle her. The scent of her filled my nostrils, waking a wave of sudden desire that flashed through me. Pinkie giggled, a delighted and somewhat naughty sound, somehow, and lifted her muzzle to give me a quick but intense kiss. "Maybe it's time to retire to the royal bedchamber, hmm?" I chuckled. "Well, there's not much more I can do tonight, so yes." "There's at least one thing more you can do, it looks like!" She winked at me, her gaze directed around the area of my hindquarters. I felt a faint flush of embarrassment at the realization that my desire was having a rather obvious physical effect on me. I wasn't normally the one who initiated that sort of thing, usually it was Pinkie who started our occasional lovemaking, but apparently tonight I was very much in the mood. Pinkie just giggled again and trotted down the corridor, her tail flicking against my side as she went by. I followed after her, suddenly very much able to put all my worries out of my mind. For at least a brief time only Pinkie, and the bond of love that we shared—physical as well as emotional—would matter. Much later, as we lay contentedly together, the brief peace we'd found was shattered. My Queen! The shout coming from the high scout perched above the hive was urgent. Enemies are approaching! I touched her mind, looking through her eyes. The sun had just touched the horizon, and from her cloud perch I could see nothing amiss, but Rainbow Dash hovered beside her, quivering with agitation, and I swiftly read the memory of the report she'd just given. A swarm of changeling warriors, far outnumbering the warriors of my own hive, was approaching by air. "Did you see their colors?" I asked through the scout. "Yeah." Rainbow Dash nodded. "I got pretty close. There's a bunch of different colors, but most of them have red on them." I'd known what the answer would be before she'd spoken, but somehow the confirmation wasn't comforting. Chelicerae and her allies had arrived.