//------------------------------// // 35. - Apocalypse Now // Story: This Nose Knows // by Irrespective //------------------------------// Bob was seriously reconsidering his choice of employment. There had been nothing in Queen Chrysalis’ description of his duties that included Fire. Or Incineration. Or Total Physical Disruption. He really loved his Queen, for the record. Nothing could be as deadly and beautiful at the same time as his beloved Queen Chrysalis. Her every move and every word was graceful and smooth, like how a spider could dance about on the delicate strands of its web. Hers was a power that was confident in itself, and it only grew with every bit of love that her loyal subjects provided to her. No, Bob was now realizing that he really should have thought through what his Queen had meant when she had pointed out the ‘other duties as assigned’ section in his employee handbook. He had no idea how he’d managed to dodge Princess Celestia’s first blast of magic, which had left a glass-lined crater where he had been sitting moments before. He also wasn’t quite sure how he had managed to get back into the palace, but he did remember being forced to run because of the sudden appearance of pegasus guards in the air above the gardens. He poured every last bit of love-boosted effort he could into his hooves, and he was grateful beyond words that his injuries had been mostly faked. Bob cursed his luck when a pair of unicorn guards appeared in the hallway in front of him, but he managed to send them flying backwards through several nearby windows with a shot of his magic. He was still holding a significant store of Celestia’s love within him, and perhaps he could use that to amplify his magic, punch through the palace defences, and make a mad dash back to the hive. Every alternative that came to him in that moment ended with him being splatted, stomped, and possibly even barbequed after marinating in a hollandaise sauce. It was not his imagination. Bob did not have an imagination, as far as he knew. No, Celestia had told him as much, in shrieks of rage between blasts of magic that had shattered statues, devastated hedges, and sent geysers of burning soil into the air directly behind him. A blast of lesser magic ricocheted over his head, and Bob twisted slightly to return the guard’s fire. He had managed to lose Celestia, leaving only a squad of scattered guards on his smoldering tail. Thankfully, the return blast of love-powered magic he shot down the corridor left them tossed in all directions like bowling pins, and for a second, Bob thought his ill-conceived plan had a chance at succeeding. The wall next to Bob did not explode so much as it simply was there one moment, and not the next, sending masonry and marble flying everywhere with a cloud of white dust. The sound of it shattered Bob’s eardrums, and he realized in that moment that he was a dead bug running. Celestia was mad. With a shriek of fear, he poured every last bit of energy and magic that he could into his wings. Celestia’s hoofbeats thundered down the hallway in perfect synchronisation to the snorting blasts of volcanic fumes that burned down the back of his carapace, and each of her steps tore large chunks of marble from the floor in a furious eruption of sparks and fire. Her peytral had turned into a liquid mass that flowed over her withers and shoulders in rivulets of gold, and her tiara had melted into her mane in streaks and waves that made Bob think of solar flares. Her eyes burned with a golden fury that knew no bounds or limits, and it was clear that those eyes would never rest until Baked Bob was no more and Baked Bean was again restored to her. Bob rounded a corner, desperate to preserve his life for as long as possible, but Celestia simply removed the same corner with another blast of magic that pelted Bob with bits of stone and wooden splinters. Rational thought was replaced with a horror that was deeper than any changeling had ever before felt, and Bob squealed like a newly hatched grub as he foresaw his upcoming demise. * * ✹ * * “Did you hear that?” Mandible gulped, and his eyes darted about, desperate to find the location of the rumble that sounded much like a distant roll of thunder, despite them being deep inside the castle. “Oh, stop your infernal whimpering, you coward.” Chrysalis gave Mandible a kick, then paused in front of a nearby mirror to admire her disguise. “We’ll be in and out before Sunbutt realizes we’re even here. Pokey shouldn’t be too hard⁽*⁾ to find.” (*) Ponies saw ranks of identical Royal Guards. Changelings saw each individual item in a full buffet, with a salad bar and croutons. Pokey was more of a chocolate pudding to her senses. “Are you sure you can get him to come with us willingly?” Chrysalis rolled her eyes while walking down a hallway filled with incredibly ugly tapestries. She hated it when her minions tried to think. “Do you doubt your Queen, Mandible? It didn’t take much to corrupt him before, and some of my magic should still be working inside that rather empty skull of his. Once he hears how madly in love I am and how we should run away together, he’ll be putty in my hooves. We’ll get him out of the palace, get married, and then I’ll stuff him in a pod in my throne room for the honeymoon. He’ll make for a nice conversational centerpiece. Maybe I should take two of them to balance the decor.” “But, who are you going to get to marry you on such short notice?” Chrysalis gave a deadly hum of delight and booped Madible’s nose with a hoof. “That’s where you come in. As Queen of the Changelings, I can give you the one time authority to perform marriages. I can then order your execution for my wedding present, so it’ll be a nice package deal.” Mandible swallowed hard. “Actually, I was hoping to give you a nice, hardbound copy of the boop law instead? Which would be rather difficult if I were dead.” Chrysalis glanced up and down one hallway, then grunted. “Where are all the guards? This is ridiculous. I could march right into her private quarters right now, short sheet her bed, and nopony would notice.” “My Queen?” “Oh, if it’ll get you to stop sniveling, Mandible,” Chrysalis snapped, “then yes. If you can somehow get me a copy of Celestia’s law then I’ll consider⁽¹⁾ letting you live. Now shut up and help me find Pokey.” ⁽¹⁾briefly “He might still be in the infirmary, My Queen,” Mandible felt compelled to point out. Another rumble, louder and punctuated with a shriek, made the floor beneath their hooves rattle, and Chrysalis glanced up while a fine powder sprinkled down from the ceiling. “What are those two doing up there? Bob better not be enjoying himself.” Right on cue, Bob rounded the corner and, upon seeing his disguised queen, he let out another squeal and flew right into her chest before she could react. The two of them then slammed into Mandible and the nearby wall, and the surprise impact knocked Chrysalis’ Bluebell disguise off, forcing her to flail and twist to get her hooves back on the ground. “Bob, you idiot!” She threw him off, but he instantly flew back and clamped himself around her neck, screaming into her ear. “SHE’S GONNA EAT ME!” Chrysalis didn’t get a chance to ask Bob to clarify his statement by slapping some sense into him. Celestia came skidding around the corner at the end of the corridor with fire in her eyes and sparks flying from the tips of her mane and tail. Chrysalis managed a weak yelp as a greeting, but when the floor beneath her began to melt, she decided this was a bad time for introductions and sprinted down a random hallway. “Mandible, Bob!” She yanked at the whimpering drone that was choking off her air supply. “Split up!” “Nooo!!!” howled Bob. “She’ll chase me!” “That’s the idea!” spluttered the Changeling Queen, who could barely fly with Bob’s unbalanced weight hanging from her. “Heroic self-sacrifice! Taking one for the team! Saving my life!” “I won’t leave you!” he shrieked. “Never! Nevernevernever!!” Chrysalis made a random turn, flew into an open door, ripped Mandible in with her, then slammed it shut. “Mandible, get back here and help pry!” she gasped in the brief moment she managed to get Bob’s legs shifted open just the fraction of an inch. There was so much love cascading around inside of him that he was almost stronger than she was, although he was burning it fast. “I was going to try to draw her away,” said Mandible, caught in the act of sneaking out of the rear door. “Honest.” * * ✹ * * “Your Highness! Your Highness!” The panicked guard bolted through Luna’s bedroom door, catching the Princess of the Night just as she was stepping out of her bed. “It’s terrible! It’s horrible! It’s the absolute worst thing ever!” “I don’t look that bad, Corporal,” grumbled Luna, running a quick hoof through her tangled mane. “What in the world is making that noise outside?” “Princess Celestia has gone crazy!” babbled the guard. “She blew up part of the statuary garden chasing a changeling! Then she chased it through the modern art gallery, the Hallway of Suggestive Pillars, the indoor orrara... orratarr…” “Orrery,” said Luna, suddenly wide-awake. “The one we could never get to keep proper time, and that the Astrological Society refuses to have replaced.” She paused, then asked in a very calm voice, “The statues in the garden that were blown up. Were they, perchance, the ones from the Mid-Chancenhausen Era?” “Uh…” The guard looked trapped, with his eyes darting from side to side. “The ones with exaggerated hindquarters,” clarified Luna, who began to smile when the guard nodded. “I see. I believe there is a method to my sister’s professed madness, and I know right where she is going next. Let us be off!” * * ✹ * * “COME BACK HERE, WORMS!” A searing beam of pure sunlight cut through the castle corridor, melting stone, vaporizing tapestries, and propelling a scrambling Chrysalis to velocities she never thought she could attain on her own without a cannon. She’s too fat to be this fast!! Chrysalis buzzed down a hallway, desperate to find some way out of this death trap she’d inadvertently wandered into. A whizzing ball of flames burst to her left at the intersection, leaving her and the two idiotic minions to dart right as the only option. In a desperate scramble for time, Chrysalis used her magic to grab every statue they passed and toss it into the hallway, from the sculpture of Celestia with eight legs to a large pedestal that held a silver-cast diorama of a village being overrun by some cutesy looking fluffballs. She snarled and took particular delight in hurling a rather large bronze effigy of Cadence and Shining Armor, but her annoyance boiled out in a groan when she heard it clatter away instead of splashing against a wall like a liquid. Chrysalis then screeched in horror and scrambled to alter her course when the real Princess Cadence teleported in front of the doorway that the Queen had intended to use. Her reaction time was lengthened by trying to figure out how to dodge both Celestia and Cadence at the same time, so when she did finally settle on “away” as the best course of action, she was introduced to both of Cadence’s rear hooves ramming into her nose like a pair of steel sledgehammers. Bob and Mandible were quick to ditch their monarch when she collided with an unburnt tapestry and tore it from its mounting on her way to the floor, but a crystalline shield from Cadence volleyed them back towards Celestia, who then promptly set and spiked both of them into a rather garish painting with exquisite grace and immaculate form. “Chrysalis.” Celestia’s voice cut straight through the Queen’s chitin and drew a line of ice down her heart. “I want Bean. NOW!” “Temper, dear sister,” Luna’s smooth voice slid into the room just before the Princess of the Night in a swirl of midnight clouds. “I’m sure Chrysalis has a perfectly reasonable explanation for her unannounced visit.” Luna plucked the smoldering tapestry off of the Queen. “You do have a reason, haven’t you?” Bluff your way out! Thank me that I kept that yellow nitwit alive! I can trade him and these two numbskulls for my freedom, but only if I don’t make her so mad she fries us all. “Parley!” she practically screamed. “If you ever want to see your Bean again!” Luna calmly stepped in front of Chrysalis, and the solar flare that Celestia had summoned deflected upward to create a skylight for the room. “Wrong answer. Why don’t you try something that doesn’t threaten our beloved Prince?” “Bean is alive, and I didn’t take him,” Chrysalis lied as fast as she could while rubbing her bloodied nose. “I was minding my own business, looking for any little stray bits of love to be had out in the Everfree - a predicament, may I note, that you have forced upon us - and I just happened to stumble across your Prince. He was in dire need of medical attention, and I took him back to my hive to recuperate. Bob here was supposed to tell you, but I see he decided to defy my instructions. Right.” Chrysalis then ripped Bob from the remains of the painting and flung him in front of the fuming solar diarch. “You may inflict whatever punishment you deem fitting for this heinous act. I have no pity for those who reject my commands.” “But-but, I’m Mandible,” squeaked the changeling. “No! You’re Bob! You’re Bob now!” The other drone vehemently insisted from his safe place behind his Queen. The reluctant “Bob” gave a quiet whine while being hoisted up by Celestia’s magic, and he tried to curl into a protective ball when her eyes met his. “Does your Queen have my Bean in your hive?” “Yes!” he squeaked. “Alive?” “Bob” had frozen up to the point where he could not speak, but his snot-covered nose bobbed up and down ever so briefly before Celestia dropped him like a used tissue and focused her burning gaze on the Queen. Literally, because Chrysalis could feel the chitin on her chest begin to smoke. “Why have you not brought him here?” “I incurred a great deal of expense in caring for your Bean, Celestia. His injuries were most severe, and he required some mental treatment when he found that you had left him for dead. Of course, this treatment was provided by the finest changeling physicians at our five star resort, with pool and sauna. I have a special discount for newlyweds if you would like to join—” The few remaining tapestries in the hall spontaneously combusted, along with several oil paintings. “You abducted him!” fumed Celestia. “You stole him away before we could find him and you left that … that thing in his place!” Bob’s contribution to the ongoing conversation was limited to following Mandible’s lead in curling up into a ball and making tiny whimpering noises. “Calm, sister,” Luna cut in again. “Control yourself. There is a vacancy on the moon at the moment.” Celestia tore a large divot of molten stone from the floor with her forehoof, but she said nothing more. Chrysalis smiled wickedly in delight. This was going far better than she had expected. “Now, obviously, Wuvy-Duvy Smoochy Land is ill-equipped to handle such an expense, so I have come here to negotiate the terms for Bean’s return. I’m not asking much, just a token really; a trifle. You’ll never even miss him.” Luna’s cold stare threatened to crush the changeling queen before Celestia could. “There is no end to the emptiness in your soul, is there?” “Oh, you cut me to the core, Luna! I am not without compassion, and my price is not exorbitant. In fact, it isn’t even monetary. I simply wish to confess my true feelings to the one who has managed to capture my heart.” “You have no heart!” Cadence snapped. “Hard as it may be for you to comprehend, I do indeed have fond regards for many.” Chrysalis picked up Mandible and squished his cheeks between her hooves. “After all, I did not entice Shining Armor for my own benefit. No, I asked him to share his love so that I could feed my poor, defenseless drones, like Mandible here. How could any creature neglect such an adorable little face like this?” Cadence’s horn lit, and her eyes began to blaze with the same fire that Celestia’s held. “Make a wish, Auntie Celestia. Whichever one of us gets the half with the horn, wins.” “Would you really strike me down in front of my most special child? You’re such a cruel mare, Cadence. Though I suppose sacrificing myself in front of my true love would be rather romantic.” “Your true love?” Chrysalis looked over the guards that had filled into the empty spaces between Celestia and the walls of the singed gallery, and her eyes settled in on one in particular who she knew all too well. “Indeed. My dear Hokey is right there, and it is only my immense willpower that keeps me from throwing myself into his hooves.” “Go ahead,” said Sergeant Pokey, lowering his spear until the needle-sharp point was aimed right between her eyes. “I love kabobs.” Chrysalis smiled, and with a flash, Bluebell again stood before the steadfast sergeant. “But my dear, sweet Hokey! Haven’t I always treated you tenderly?” “Drop. That. Form.” Pokey’s spear moved dangerously close to Chrysalis’ chest, but she ignored the threat and giggled with a hoof in front of her muzzle. “Oh, Pokey. I really thought we had something special. Don’t you remember the night we met? It was so beautiful, with the stars reflecting in the pond and the gentle gurgle of the stream along the garden path. I accidentally bumped into you, and then apologized profusely.” “I said drop it!” Pokey shouted. “Or what about when you took that three day leave? We ran away to Manehattan and took the town by storm. Don’t you remember taking me to see Hinny of the Hills on Bridleway, or that delightful plate of pasta we shared at The Cantering Cook? I know I’ll never forget that whirlwind tour of Saddle Row, and I even still have that jade necklace and earrings that you bought for me.” “No.” Pokey’s spear went slack in his grip. “You can’t be Bluebell. It’s impossible.” “But I am, dear Pokey.” Chrysalis smiled knowingly, and she gasped. “Wasn’t it just horrible when you had to wake me in the middle of the night and warn me of Tirek’s imminent attack? I admit I did not go to Our Town; I had to check on my poor, defenseless drones. Thanks to you, all of my dear little children were safe and snug as a bug in a rug during the whole ordeal.” Pokey’s spear clattered on the ground. “No. This whole time, you were a … a …” “Yes,” Chrysalis said while reverting to her original form. “And in that time, you managed to steal my heart. While I cared for Baked Bean, the only thing I could think of was you, my sweet Hokey.” Chrysalis paused for the briefest of moments. Her mind had been quickly patching together an alternative plan, and if she played her cards properly here, everything would still be perfect. She had little time to spare thanks to Celestia’s ridiculous law, but there was time enough to be patient and emerge the victor. Admittedly, she would not have to sacrifice Mandible and Bob to accomplish her goal, but no plan was perfect. “Let me make you an offer, Celestia.” Chrysalis spoke with the assured tone that a Queen always had. “Allow me to send Bob and Mandible back to the hive to retrieve your Bean. I will remain here as… let’s say as your special guest. Once you are reunited, we can discuss the payment for his medical bills, and this will give me the opportunity to talk to Sergeant Pokey about our future together.” Celestia glared at the Queen for several long moments, and Chrysalis wondered if Cadence or Luna would produce a magnifying glass and focus Celestia’s fury into a beam of death. “Lieutenant?” The Princess called over her shoulder. “Prepare your troops. We’re going out on a courtesy call.” Chrysalis clicked her tongue. “I wouldn’t do that if I was you. My poor little changelings are bound to mistake a fiery princess and her heavily armored shock troops as an invasion force. There is a good chance that they would take your Prince with them when they evacuate.” Celestia snorted and set fire to the tip of Mandible’s wing. “Fine. They will go, but you will remain here until they return. I will not discuss this further until I am satisfied that you have not harmed my Bean in any way. Lieutenant, escort Chrysalis to her chambers, and ensure a double guard is posted at all times. She will not leave her chambers except at my express permission, nor is she allowed to receive any visitors. Particularly, Sergeant Pokey. Take her away.” Chrysalis held her head high and walked with an aloof grace while spears and horns conveyed her to her accommodations. Celestia then turned her fury on the two drones, and they hugged each other tightly and yelped while waiting for their demise. “I hope, for your sakes, that your flight to the hive is swift and that Bean is in good health. Should you fail to return, I will find you, and I will finish what I started. Leave. NOW!” The two changelings needed no further convincing. * * ✹ * * Baked Bean let out a scream of agonized triumph as the skin of the pod finally gave way, and he collapsed onto the floor of his cell with the vile changeling goo searing the inside of his nose and burning his mouth. It only took a few moments for him to add his own bile to the corrupted slime he was practically swimming in, and for what felt like hours, he simply sprawled out on the ground and wheezed. Bean Burrito Cocoon by Amalgamzaku While he drew in large gasps of air and tried to suppress the numbing pain that was close to overwhelming his system, Baked Bean struggled to go over what he needed to do without making his headache worse. He was hurt, he was nauseous, and he was poisoned. He still had to figure out how to get himself out of the hive, and with a lame leg to complicate the effort. He then had to survive an arduous journey across the Badlands and find a pony or buffalo settlement, all while avoiding any search party Chrysalestia would send after him and without knowing which direction to go. Bean snorted and shut his eyes tightly. Chrysalis. Celestia. One was a demented insect bent on dominating Equestria, the other was his cherished wife. If he was going to have any hope of surviving this and stopping the Princess of the Changelings, he had to keep the two of them seperate in his mind. If he allowed Celesalis’ poison to alter his thoughts, then all hope would be lost. Bean figured that would be as easy as running The Zurst by himself during a Griffon convention in town. There was still the faint hope that Thorax would somehow complete his punishment quickly and return to help him, but Bean couldn’t wait. He had no idea how long it would take Chrysalis to figure out she’d been duped, so he had to move as quickly as possible. Once he felt like he had enough energy to attempt an escape, Bean hauled himself up and staggered to the door while suppressing a wave of nausea. This attempt was going to be over with in an embarrassingly short fashion if the door was locked, or if there was a guard of some sort just outside, so he placed a sticky ear to the door and simply listened for several long minutes. Once he was halfway convinced that there wasn’t a bug on the other side, he gave what passed for a handle an experimental tug. He just about shouted for joy when it moved with his efforts, and Bean inwardly promised to give Thorax a barony somewhere for this. He took a moment to listen for hoofsteps and to survey the hallway, but he heard nothing. Bean hissed out a breath when he limped out, and after debating with himself for a moment, he chose to go right. He was acutely aware of how slow he was moving, and he tried to make as little noise as possible, but the soft click of every hoofstep sounded like fireworks echoing around the changeling hive corridor. Even his breathing, shallow and labored due to the numbing pain in his ribs, was as loud as some idiot yodeling at the top of his lungs on the top of Mount Canter. There were no clues in the architecture of the hive that could indicate the way out, and Bean silently cursed the changeling preference for potted walls and no natural lighting. He could be wandering around in a circle and he’d never realize it. Bean swallowed hard when he realized that being lost was not the worst thing about this predicament. Unless Chrysalis had taken every last changeling with her, this hive should be crawling with drones. Any one of them would be happy to inform Bean that though he could check out any time he liked, he could never actually leave. Could he fight them off if he was discovered? Bean dismissed the thought as soon as it came. If he were uninjured he maybe could fight off a guard - a sick one, perhaps - but as he was now he would be totally helpless. Bean moved at a pace and left a trail of green slime that would make a snail proud, punctuated with several pauses whenever he thought he heard something rise above the ambient sound of the hive. There was a dull and constant buzz and chittering in the air, pressing down on him and filling any empty space with a foreboding of imminent doom. It was like he was a small tidbit of squash trying to swim out of a stock pot full of boiling hot soup, and he was going to get cooked at any moment. The little squash that was Bean then rounded a corner and came face to face with a changeling. He froze and waited for the inevitable cry of alarm, but while his heart tried to explode out of his chest and his lungs burned with fear, the changeling simply tilted his head in confusion. “Bob? What are you doing here?” Bob? Bean’s mind moved through several realizations at a near instantaneous moment. Thorax had said he couldn’t taste Bean’s emotions, so this drone couldn’t sense his emotions either. Thus, this drone figured he was speaking to a fellowling, and that bug had to be Bob based on what he saw. Bean could use this to his advantage, but he had to reply now if he didn’t want to arouse suspicions. “Oh, I forgot to sign off on my timesheet. Trochanter called me back to take care of it, and now I got my directions turned around.” The changeling gave Bean a sympathetic wince. “Oo, good luck. She’s on the warpath today thanks to Thorax. Better hurry up and get out, or she’ll call you back to initial a correction or something.” The changeling made a casual hoof-wave in the direction of a tunnel, which Bean sincerely hoped was an inadvertent gesture in the direction of ‘out.’ “Thanks,” said Bean, meaning it more than he wanted to admit. “I’ll try.” “Hey, when you get back to Canterlot, do you think you could get an autograph from Princess Luna for me?” Bean really had to fight to keep his confusion from showing on his face. “Yeah, that shouldn’t be too hard.” “Just have her make it out to Kevin. I owe you one for this. Good luck!” Bean shook his head once Kevin had buzzed away. That was just about the last thing he would have expected to have happen, but at least Bean knew his emotions wouldn’t betray him, so long as he kept them repressed. He moved forward again, and he limped down two hallways without further incident. He was forced to pause when he came to a large intersection of hallways, and he took a moment to debate which way to go. There was no clear indicator that one way was better than the other, and the wrong choice could be fatal, both for him and for those whom he loved. He could only stare on in incredulous disbelief when the opening suddenly closed off, leaving him facing a solid wall. “Sure, fine. Doorways close at random, why not.” With a grumble, Bean backtracked and took a hallway that had just opened up. This was a short hallway that lead into a large opening that strongly resembled a throne room, and it even came complete with a throne. Or, half a throne. The seat portion was completed, but it appeared that the ornate back was still being constructed. Several black stones of various sizes were scattered around the base of the unfinished centerpiece, much like his own life had been shattered lately. Bean felt oddly compelled to pick up one of the squarest of the pebbles that looked a little like the book on his flanks, although it did not have any of the markings of his own cutie mark. Maybe when he had time later, he could add them as a substitute for his missing Celestial Crystal. Bean decided he liked this little rock. The confusion of the poison felt weaker now that he was holding it, allowing a cool peace to slide across his nerves and tell all of his anxious concerns to be still. With a small smile, Bean stuck the rock in a patch of slime that still clung to his mane, and then he looked around the center of the changeling’s kingdom. “Not much to look at, is it? She should try a new color scheme. Maybe even get some of those decorative throw pillows.” “I always thought some chairs and couches would do wonders for our morale.” Bean gasped slightly and whirled to face the voice which belonged to a changeling who looked exactly like all the rest of them. “Thorax, I really hope that’s you.” “It’s me. We need to move, though. You went the wrong way; we’re in the center of the hive now. This way.” “Where are the rest of the changelings?” Bean asked while he hobbled with Thorax back the way he’d come. “At lunch. They’re serving mushroom nuggets today, and nobuggy skips that. It’s one of the few things that has actual flavor to it.” “How long do we have before lunch is over?” “Not long, so we need to hurry. Over here.” Bean forced himself to ignore the pain that seemed to be burning on every nerve he had. “C’mon, Baked. Feel the pain. Love the pain. This is nothing compared to spring training and the million-yard dash.” “Here, quick.” Thorax dragged Bean through a hole that was closing, but then he motioned for Bean to sit and catch his breath. “We won’t have to worry about the hive changing once we get to the part that’s under construction.” “Thorax, what’s your favorite color?” “Huh?” “If I’m going to be your friend, I need to get to know you. Besides, it’ll help distract me from the pain.” Thorax glanced behind him. “I don’t have a favorite color.” “Okay. How about your favorite dessert?” Thorax tapped his chin. “Have you ever tried chocolate covered crickets?” “I made some once on a dare. The guys on the track team didn’t think I could. Do you prefer milk chocolate or dark?” “Oh, the darker the better.” Thorax smacked his lips. “Can you really make them?” “I bet you twenty bits that I can make chocolate crickets that will make you go cross-eyed with how good they are. With the access I have in the royal kitchens, I could make the chocolate as dark as your chitin, if you like.” Thorax smiled, and his wings buzzed in delight. “Really? Well, I gotta get you out of here first. You ready?” Bean felt a twinge of regret over his actions, and he hesitated. Celly just wanted to— “No. Not Celly.” Bean rubbed the sides of his head and sucked in a breath. “Let’s get out of here.” Thorax moved along at Bean’s injured pace, moving ahead to scout the path from time to time before returning to Bean’s side. Though Bean couldn’t make sense of the twisting path they were taking, he trusted his new friend and kept as quiet as possible while they pressed on. “Almost there,” Thorax finally announced. “The exit should be just up ahead.” “Aren’t there any guards on duty?” “Hopefully not. They should still be at lunch.” Both Bean and Thorax gasped when they heard a pair of voices closing in on their position. “I guess lunch is over?” “Quick, I’ll distract them!” Thorax shoved Bean around a corner. “Straight ahead and then turn right. Head northeast once you get outside. I’ll catch up to you if I can.” “Thorax, I—” “No time! Go!” Thorax shoved him again, and Bean stumbled away. As he retreated, he heard a blast of magic erupt, and when he glanced back, he saw Thorax had caused a small cave-in that had blocked the path from floor to ceiling. Several muffled groans of annoyance from the other side followed with complaints about Thorax’s clumsiness, but Bean mentally thanked the changeling and hoped his new friend would catch up to him soon. Bean had to pause for a moment when he stumbled out into the sunlight, and he shielded his eyes from his Beloved’s sun. Had it really been that long since he’d seen it? He had missed it, but he missed his Celestia more. He pointed himself towards the sun, turned a few steps to the right, and then took off into the barren wasteland as fast as he could. He had to get to the Canterhive … no, to Hivealot … no, not there. It was ... somewhere. Images of the twisted hive and the tall castle merged and flowed through his mind. With Chrycelly’s poisoned magic churning his mind into a froth, there was no way to tell which way to run. There was only one option. He ran away from them both.