//------------------------------// // 50: Seeking a chance. // Story: An Exercise In Management // by Nameless Narrator //------------------------------// Bright Star stared into his glass of water, hoping against all hope that the meeting this time wouldn’t be bad news. Unfortunately, throughout his long, long life he’d learned that good news were rare commodity in the paladin circles generally called only when the worst of the worst threats emerged. “Another changeling attack, Resolute?” he asked the second paladin currently sitting down to the table with a mug of beer. “Yeah,” the other unicorn nodded. He was wearing the white and gold paladin full plate armor as well, leaving only his blue-maned, white head uncovered, with his helmet lying on the table next to his drink, “Stalliongrad slums. Twenty-six missing. A police report said few witnesses saw a huge caravan leaving the eastern platform outside of schedule. After comparing what the caravan should have been according to ponies who knew the owner and what really left, we suspect it’s the changeling queen and the attackers from Riverside. All local police attempts at following the caravan failed.” “Celestia damn it!” Bright Star sighed, “This complicates things, especially the trials.” Resolute shrugged. “Can’t say I care, really. We’re at war with the bugs right now. They should be in camps where we can keep an eye on them, not be allowed to live among us, waiting to strike.” “I believe in princess Luna’s and Blazing Light’s judgement about them. They’ve been doing good job so far, and we haven’t had any trouble with the changelings who passed the trials,” objected Bright Star. “I have my reservations about trusting a pony-turned-changeling, especially the one responsible for actually allowing Chrysalis to take princess Cadenza’s place and gain control of the Royal Guard captain. And now, with princess Luna compromised, the trials are over.” “Temporarily,” Bright Star nodded, “I spoke with princess Celestia about cooperating with the safe changelings in regard of feeding those who are awaiting trial. Unfortunately, after she got us out of the castle, she wasn’t exactly open to discussion. How is princess Luna anyway?” “Being watched, but not showing any suspicious behavior yet.” “At least some good news.” “Definitely,” Resolute nodded, “I can already see the newspaper headlines in a day or two. Princess Celestia is already under pressure from the nobility vultures who are using this to make her seem weak and gain power for themselves. She doesn’t deserve this.” “Agreed,” a rougher, new voice made the two paladins look up at Star Trail. Bright Star’s eyes went wide, “And that’s why it’s up to us to stop it.” The third paladin wasn’t the oldest by far, that honor belonged to Bright Star in his hundred and forties. Serving so close to the immortal alicorn of the Sun and Life-giving Warmth for so long granted certain paladins some serious resistance to aging. Star Trail wasn’t even a paladin anymore, having received his discharge several years ago, and during his service he hadn’t made it to the upper echelons anyway, resulting in the look appropriate to his sixties. Now, however, to Bright Star he looked downright alien. His silver mane glowed as if from the inside, and his legs previously ruined beyond the help of standard medicine by the changelings were pitch black with veins of flame-orange running through them. Also, they were working, as shown by the unicorn having walked in on his own. Such feat of healing magic must have taken the powers of many unicorns or- Bright Star closed his eyes, and felt the area around them with his horn instead. As expected, Star Trail’s legs were enveloped by dark smoke usually being symptomatic of dark magic. Bright Star was the last pony to object against the use of dark magic by competent and sane users, but the main source of his worry was an amulet on Star Trail’s neck depicting a black alicorn head and chest with spread wings. To Bright Star’s arcane vision, the amulet practically burned with red flames. -a sacrifice. “The alicorn amulet?” Bright Star raised an eyebrow, “I didn’t take you to be one to mess with dark magic.” “You’re the one to talk, mister ‘there is only power, no light or darkness’,” Star Trail grinned when Bright Star shrugged, faced with his own saying, “And don’t look at me like that, I sacrificed some of my own remaining years. I already used my last paladin request to grant Puff squirehood and future paladin post, so I can’t ask for longer life like you. Look at how that turned out...” Star Trail’s grin turned upside down immediately. “Look, I liked that overgrown colt too, which is why I’m here now. Still, the alicorn amulet is a restricted weapon.” “I took it up with Celestia herself, and reminded her what the changelings did to us in Canterlot and the Castle of Two Sisters. Princess Luna’s predicament only helped my case. She knows about our previous investigation, even if it involved me, which is technically… well, let’s not get technical about this. I got the access to the arcane armory and was granted the use of the alicorn amulet for this mission only.” Bright Star was suspicious that Star Trail couldn’t have told princess Celestia everything, but after what the report about princess Luna being mind controlled said, he couldn’t be sure. Anyway, taking his concerns up with the princess herself wouldn’t be useful, because second-hoof witness of what a changeling had said would mean very little, especially this soon after the castle events. Things needed to cool down a little. “You can’t just wear it, Star Trail,” Resolute pushed a chair out for Star Trail, “Or do I take it as a sign you know where the changelings are, and that we’re leaving?” “Exactly, Resolute,” the elderly paladin nodded, “Unfortunately, the bugs caused so many losses to the paladins that we’re stretched, and since this is an... investigation with complications, not a combat operation, officially, we won’t get any reinforcements anymore. So, are you two still in?” “Yeah,” Resolute nodded, “I didn’t crawl, half-crushed, out of a mine tunnel rubble to let the changelings get out of it free.” “I really wish we could solve this without bloodshed, but you two need someone with sanity around.” Bright Star sighed. Time for things to cool down was apparently a luxury these days. “Heh,” Star Trail chuckled, “Princess Luna said the changelings spoke about going to Manehattan and then escaping into the Griffon Empire. We’ve got a long way ahead of us.” *** Ground Coffee, an aging earthpony stallion, was walking through the streets of Las Pegasus with a clear goal in his mind, but unfortunately without a direction. He’d spent several hours over the past few days searching, and he knew full well how unlikely he was to succeed. While Las Pegasus wasn’t a big city like Manehattan or Canterlot, it was always packed to the brim, and… a changeling would be near impossible to find. However, there was something filling him with vigor whenever his will wavered. “Eeeeh!” his son Bubblegum on his back suddenly started bouncing up and down, pointing into one of the less prominent streets of Las Pegasus. Coffee turned his head to see what had gripped his easily excitable colt. An enormous dragonpony holding a brush with still dripping grey paint was measuring the facade of what Coffee faintly recalled used to be some cheap haunted house while a young unicorn mare levitated up a smaller brush, shoved its tip into a bucket presumably filled with paint, and added a finishing touch here and there. She looked familiar too, but the dragonpony was a definite clue. Spurred by his son’s eager “eeeh!”, Coffee headed towards the duo. When he got closer, he realized that the duo wasn’t chatting, they were singing along with more voices coming from various rooms of the haunted house. The first thing Coffee heard came from the upper floor window: “I never claimed to be a leader, my mistakes are all written in goop. One always claims to be perfect, but armed ponies make me go poop. Our flaws are what makes us special, they bond us and keep us strong! Our flaws are what brought us together, and we’ll bite whoever thinks it’s wrong.” “They say that I'm a big shot, that my egos the size of Sunbutt. My confidence comes off as cocky. But my best part is my soft green cu- heart.” "Sure, I can be a drama queen. All nobles know it’s true." “And I exist to fight, tease, and please, and there's no such thing as being too pervy too! Cause'!” “We’re not flawless, we’re work in progress. We’ve got fangs, and we’ve got holes, but it’s out love that makes us whole. Yeah! We’re not flawless, we’re work in progress. So tell me what flaws you got too, Cause' I still like what's flawed about you.” "Miss One thinks I'm a little too nervous. That I’m a scaredy cat. But I’m learning from her so much! And I don’t want to turn out bad." “It took me a while to learn how, and now fight for the new hive I shall.” “Because no buggy can survive alone, AND WE’LL GIVE THE PALADINS HELL!” “We’re not flawless, we’re work in progress. We’ve got fangs, and we’ve got holes, but it’s our love that makes us whole. Yeah! We’re not flawless, we’re work in progress. So tell me what flaws you got too, Cause' I still like what's flawed about you.” “Eeh eeeeh eeh eeeeh! Eh eh eh eeeh eeeh!” Bubblegum’s wordless noises quietened down into humming as the two ‘ponies’ in front of the haunted house noticed Ground Coffee approaching. “Hello,” Coffee raised his hoof, which the unicorn mare shook, “If memory serves, you’re the ponies with the changeling, right? Changeling costume I mean.” Suddenly, without doing anything but looking straight at Coffee, the quiet dragon pony looked vastly more menacing. After a moment of silence, as if talking to someone inside his head, he smiled. “You’re right, but we’ve been busy for the past few days repairing this house, so we haven’t had time for more rides. I can call the boss if you want one, though. I mean, if the little one wants it,” said the unicorn. “Oh, no no no,” Coffee shook his head, put Bubblegum down, and took his saddlebag off, “I overheard the first time that the rides were a promotion for some attraction, and considering how Bubble and other foals liked it, I wanted to give you this,” he presented a pamphlet. “The Las Pegasus tour guide review group,” read the mare, “What’s new and hot edition. Until the end of the month… three critics… all new places… the winners will be declared on the first of next month, and promoted in City Of Gold? What’s City Of Gold?” “The official Las Pegasus tourist guide magazine,” explained Coffee. “That does sound helpful,” the dragonpony added his two bits to the conversation. “I don’t know,” the mare frowned, “We’d have to sign up for this tomorrow, and we’d have only by the end of the week to finish the reconstruction. I don’t think we’re ready-” “THE SONG, REMEMBER THE SONG!” someone screamed out of the window. The mare blushed, and took the pamphlet. “I’ll talk it out with the others. Thank you very much, mister…?” “Ground Coffee.” Smiling, the mare disappeared inside. “Bubble-” Ground Coffee noticed his son trying to crawl up the rather confused dragonpony’s foreleg, “Sorry, sir. Bubble, come here!” Suddenly gripped by his barrel, Bubblegum started waving his forelegs as the dragonpony raised him off the ground, and blowing air at him. “Hmm?” pondering the situation for a second, the dragonpony let out a thin plume of fire from his mouth into the air. Bubblegum’s eyes went wide and his smile reached proportions usually seen only before a careless beach swimmer disappeared. “Come on, Bubble,” Ground Coffee received his happy son back, who immediately took his place on his dad’s back, “The nice lady said she didn’t have much time, and we don’t want to waste more of it. See you later, mister…?” The dragonpony froze. “Erm, umm… Vindictus?” “Oh, a griffon name? Interesting. Anyway, good luck in the contest.” “Thank you,” Vindictus waved at him, then returned to finishing the paint job on the house facade. *** Never ask One “what if” questions. She has this nasty habit of answering them. I learned that the hard way when she explained what would have happened if our love ran out before we purged all the hive memories. It went like this: “One, we almost burned through all our love fighting the hive mind without even knowing it. What if we took too long?” “Then Four would have tackle-hugged someone with much less sunny disposition than us. The old rulers were spoiled by the amount of love they were getting all the time, and they had no problem sending imperfect changelings to the grinder, or doing the job on their own. I’m pretty sure they’d made us watch too.” Seriously, can’t she ever be comforting? I’m pretty sure she enjoys watching me go pale or green whenever she describes something horrific. Sadist. Anyway, the past few days were busy with us gathering love in any way we could, and also cautiously promoting the adventure trip we were gradually building in and under the repurposed haunted house. Thankfully, Ten managed to sell the cocaine and other less illegal goods Mayor Mare’s goons were storing in the hidden cellar, giving us the resources to pay the city rent, and do some basic reconstruction work on the place. We still had to cut corners whenever possible, and do a lot of the work on our own, but that was fine because One and Eight seduced some of the workers we hired for the primary rebuilding while I was digging the tunnels underground, drained them, had fun with their heads, and then stored the stolen know-how into the clean hive mind for everyone to use. Since then, Nine has been doing most of the hard work while Ten’s eye for detail and decorating led to a house transformation beyond everything I hoped for. It’s basic, but for now it’s more than enough. Four opens the office door, and puts a flier on my official work desk. I’m not sure what work the desk is for, but One insisted that I, as the leader, had my own office and a desk. We’re still working on the strewn papers and writing supplies for that buried-in-work look, because Ten said looking busy was more important for a manager than actually doing something useful. “So, what do we do, boss?” “I say we take the chance,” comes from under the desk, followed by Eight smacking her head against it and cursing. “What were you doing down there, miss Eight?” asks Four. “Nothing, yet,” she grins, “Just practicing for later. There’s woefully little space. Speaking of which, can we get some secretary clothes as some point? Short skirt, glasses, low cut top, don’t bother with panties.” “Everyone, do you think we can finish some basic version of our idea by the end of the week?” ”We might have enough love,” comes from One, ”Four won’t be digging with us anyway, so I think it’s time for her to learn the lust part of infiltration. Ten, Eight, you up for some good old plowing?” ”Ugh,” I can practically feel Ten roll his eyes through the link, ”Okay, okay, I’ll go seduce some lonely mares for cheap lust.” ”I think miss One is right,” Four’s voice is a bit shaky, ”I’ve been successful with love and affection, but since we’ll need a lot of energy quickly, I’ll do my part. Miss Eight, miss One, can you give me some more pointers about seduction?” ”Honey, with your genuine interest in ponies and the look we’ll make you wear you’ll be able to walk up to a straight mare and she’ll be your pet for the rest of her life even without venom,” I feel One grin. ”We?” asks Eight, ”Are my ears working right?” ”You have your uses, now back under the desk!” chuckles One. ”Can’t, you’re hogging all the space.” As they start bickering again, I weaken all my links, and stand up from the desk. A second later Four takes a peek over it, only to see One grinning back at her. “Don’t ask,” I shake my head, “At this point it would be less weird if they actually did something, but they just sat there and bickered for the past twenty minutes. I’m going downstairs to try out an idea.” With everyone’s roles clear, I find myself in the small complex of tunnels under the haunted house. It’s going to have to get a lot bigger in a very short time for what we have in mind. How? I tap on the wall of an unfinished tunnel, and feel the sound resonate through the ground. The sewer system seems to be down and to the left, either that, or a round hallway of sorts. There’s some sort of a cellar to the right, and the little tremors die out straight ahead, absorbed by the soft ground. “Alright,” I focus my love around my forehooves. It would be way better if I could shapeshift them straight up, but beggars can’t be choosers. Green glow envelops my fetlocks, forming a stair-like shape under which the soft wall melts like butter. Unfortunately, this means we’ll need something to reinforce the soil. ”One, I’m gonna need a lot of goo if we’re to build fast. I can dig easily if I burn love, but the tunnels will collapse. Las Pegasus isn’t exactly built on rocky ground.” ”Don’t worry, King. Just get me the new edition of Playmare, and I’ll make sure you have all the goo you can ever need.” ”Ten, what’s Playm-” ”She’s just kidding, King. I’m sure all she needs at this point is you to strike a good pose wearing Rarity’s clothes. Isn’t that right, One?” he answers immediately. ”M- Maybe...” I can feel her bleeding nose already. Sighing, I shift the shaped love around my fetlocks a little, and try to dig again. This time a practically cleave through the ground. “King or not, I’ve still got the drone thing down to a D.” Grinning, I get ready to finally do what I was made for, literally. *** What we needed took forever anyway, but as I stand in one of the larger caverns now spreading under this section of Las Pegasus and send the updated map to everyone via our links, I can’t stop smiling to myself. It’s not completely pitch black thanks to the green crystals lining the walls, not that it would be a problem for any of us, but our victims would have trouble getting out, and that’s what we don’t want. Bioluminescent shimmer of walls with thin veins of green goo criss-crossing them for structural stability should make it possible even for ponies to gain a faint sense of where they are underground, and I purposefully made every cavern unique in a way so that keen eyes will not get lost easily. The entire underground looks less and less like square hallways and more like round tunnels the further away from the house cellar you are as well. I am exhausted and energized at the same time. I’ve received and burned through so much lust in the last few days that I was worried I’d get poisoned like the prisoners in Canterlot, but the underlying stream of love coming not from outside but from my changelings made sure we’re not having to deal with it. It makes me think how things might have worked out for Chrysalis and the old hive if changelings learned to love each other and share. “Hmmm, finally feels like home,” One’s soft hoofsteps echo through the cavern followed by a second, heavier and louder set. “I enjoy a soft bed like anyone else,” Eight looks around, one corner of her mouth curling upwards, “but this does make me a little nostalgic. All that’s missing is the quiet buzzing of thousands other changelings, eggs strewn around, moaning, bloated pony broodmares, and constant paranoia and hunger… eeeh, scratch the last part.” One nuzzles my neck, to the light surprise of both me and Eight. “You’re basically radiating ‘ pure happy’.” “I am happy. It’s been a very long time since I felt useful. Linking you up and rationing love is something, but this,” I take a deep breath, “I really enjoyed this.” “Well, deep down you’re still a drone, no matter what happened until now, hmm?” “I doubt you’d have to go too deep down, really.” One’s smile immediately turns into a devious smirk. “Well then, ehm, as a drone… you’re supposed to obey us infiltrators, aaaand I kinda want someone to play with.” I look at Eight who’s giving One a flat stare. She raises an eyebrow when she notices. “Do I tie her up here so that we can get some rest, King?” One just pokes Eight’s nose, not losing her enthusiasm whatsoever, much to her annoyed scrunch. “Kinky, but if I’m getting dommed by someone, it’s gonna be the boss, not you.” Did I hear her right? One look at Eight who’s now watching One with tilted head proves I did. For the first time, One’s resolve wavers a little when she notices our puzzled stares and adds: “What?” “You called him boss, not king?” One thinks for a second, then shrugs. “Huh… if the cock fits, I sits.” Eight huffs and facehoofs. “Alright, ALRIGHT, I can’t take it anymore. Yes, you can have him for tonight, One!” she rolls her eyes in the end, “Just return him in one piece and BEFORE the group of critics arrive.” Why are One’s eyes glowing? “Do I get a say in this?” I ask quietly. “What do you think?” “What do you think?” Not sure if I should be happy they are finally seeing eye to eye, or to preemptively lament my pelvis, so I choose both. On the other hole, One is significantly lighter than Eight, so it’s not my bones that might be in danger this time. Why did a shiver run down my spine when I thought that? “Ehh… for the good of the hive then?” I give up. It’s not as if Eight hasn’t taught me some tricks to survive this. If I get a couple of five-minute breaks and a lot of water to drink, I might even wake up tomorrow. “Alright, One-AAAAAH?!” She’s staring at me like a hungry cannibal mass murderer in a fully equipped butcher shop cellar with a bunch of ponies tied up. Eyes wide and twitching, thick string of drool coming from the corners of her mouth open to proportions unseen before. Golden glow envelops me, raising me from the ground, and I follow suddenly galloping One into the nearest tunnel mouth. “We need more drones? We’ll make more drones!” One laughs like a maniac with me flying in tow. ...mommy… *** “Oww...” I try to say, which comes out much less coherent as something like: “Wnngh...” On the second attempt at pushing myself up I manage to get a hoof height off the ground before dropping like a rock again. I was soooooo wrong about One. Specifically about the part where I thought that spending night with her would be less intense and hectic than with Eight. My body isn’t working properly, and it’s not only because I’m deathly tired. She made me do things Eight couldn’t even imagine. My head hurts from venom overdose, because One wasn’t kidding about wanting a toy to play with. I think I faintly recall me being frozen like a statue while One invited herself to everything my body had. I now also understand why they called her a succubus back in the hive. She loves forcibly ripping love out of others, then returning it back. Again, and again, and again. It hurt so much, I know it did, but the way she messed with my head… ...I begged her to do it over and over in the end. Speaking of playing with my head, I don’t even know what parts of what we did were real. No, wrong phrasing. What I meant was what part of what we did actually happened down here in the tunnels. Everything was real, every touch, every thrust, every second of agony and ecstasy, even if parts of it happened only in our heads. “Aaaah!” One stretches her legs, smiling at me, this time not in a scary way, “Next time we’ve got to try something more interesting. All this vanilla stuff tonight was sweet, but I need a bit more to get my blood flowing properly. If you agree, groan,” she jabs her foreleg into my side. “Owwww...” “Perfect!” she stops, as if suddenly noticing something. With one foreleg, she rubs her belly, “Huh, a fertilized drone egg the first try. Well done, boss. Ahhh, the humiliation of an infiltrator of my status being made to carry a mere drone egg, Eight would explode just hearing about it. Speaking of which, where is she? I gotta tell her every juicy detail and watch her steam.” I finally get my mouth working. Turns out my throat was still clogged with One’s goo. “Just make sure to stop taunting her before your inevitable fight destroys what we spent last 3 days building.” “Pff, she’ll thank me after you use all I taught you on her… boss. Hmm, still feels strange coming out of my mouth. Nevermind, the important part is not what’s coming out, but who’s coming in. Heh.” She trots off, just like that, humming a happy tune. Everything goes blissfully quiet, at least until I hear Eight’s: “YOU DID WHAT TO HIS WHAT?!” I let my cheek rest against the cold ground. Oh dark tunnel, you understand me. Short time later, quiet clip clop of hooves approaches, and with all my remaining strength, I raise my head. Faced with a meek smile of Four, warmth spreads through me. Just being near her is enough to refresh me a little without having to drain her at this point. She shapeshifts into a larger form, and levitates me on her back. “Ehm,” she says as she carefully walks through the tunnels towards the house cellar, “I was watching the whole thing.” “I don’t know why, but I feel like I should scold you. It’s not like few weeks old infiltrators weren’t normally being sent to ensnare ponies at large back in the hive. Makes no sense.” “It’s a pony thing, boss, and I don’t mind anyway. Lust is tasty and all, but love is… warm inside.” The words ‘warm inside’ make my stomach revolve with memories from last night, but the heat seeping from Four and slowly reinvigorating me is washing the memories away. Just like Three, she’s generating love on her own, but unlike Three it’s not a general love for everything, this is aimed towards me. I love that little critter too. To be honest, I love everyone in my group in a way. “I’m pretty full, boss. You don’t need to feed me right now,” Four says out of nowhere. “I’m not. Well, I’m not trying to. I guess I just love you, Four, somehow. If it’s a pony thing, then we might be less different from them than the old hive rulers made us think.” “I love you too, boss. We all do.” Eventually, she walks the final steps to my office where she drops me off onto the soft carpet. “The critics will be here in the evening, and everything is as ready as it can be. Get some rest.” “Thanks, Four,” I mumble into the carpet, my eyes closing already. “No problem… dad.” The door closes, and with it do my links to others.