//------------------------------// // Ch. 12; Uninvited Guests, Part 2 // Story: A Demon In Equestria // by Dorath //------------------------------// HellCaller’s little band had grown; the doppelganger-ponies proved easy to ambush in turn by those who could see their true forms, and the demoness and her companions had picking up several Palace servants, visitors, and even a pair of guardsponies rescued from assailants masquerading as fellow ponies. The halls had grown eerily quiet as they pressed deeper into the Palace, and the last two encounters with the invaders had involved undisguised bug-ponies; the first group had eagerly charged forward, while the second, quickly realizing that they were outnumbered, had tried to flee … tried. Neither group had gotten far. A faint scratching sound from one of the walls brought the group to a halt, the armed members stepping forward to face the potential threat as the civilians huddled uneasily behind their protectors. A section of the wall slid back and aside to reveal a pale grey, amber-maned, unicorn stallion in a costly suit, his blue eyes widening in surprise as he raised a fireplace poker defensively, while a number of other ponies crowded behind him inside the hidden tunnel. “Prince Blueblood!” Fancy Pants declared happily, “You escaped, and even rescued several other ponies! I say, well done old colt!” While Blueblood preened slightly at the other stallion's comments, he didn’t lower his poker, “How do I know that you’re actually Fancival Pants?” “Ve don’t have time for this crap,” ‘Caller snarled, quickly reaching out she dragged her fingers across the surprised unicorn’s eyes as he tried to pull away, “Vis Ocuirir. There, now you can see vhat ve are! Satisfied?” The stallion sniffed at the affront to his royal personage, but waved his group into the hall to join the others, “There are secret passages, known only to the Royal Family, throughout the Palace, once I got to one of the entrances, these revolting invaders had no hope of catching me,” Blueblood said, a trifle smugly, “Now we only need to get to one of the concealed posterns and … wait … where is Honey Swirl?” “I think your corridors are no longer so secret,” Tavros rumbled, “And we should be moving,” he added, glancing at Fancy and Fleur. “Quite right, Ambassador,” Fancy said, adjusting his monocle as he turned to the gathered civilians, “Please go with Prince Blueblood, gentleponies, his Highness will see you all to safety.” Blueblood blinked at his fellow noble’s pronouncement, before drawing himself up, “Yes, yes I will,” his gaze fell upon the pair of guardsponies, “You two will accompany us,” he ordered. Turning to the wall, the unicorn pressed a few stones and turned a everburning torch sconce, causing another secret door to open, “Once we get out of the Palace, I’ll rouse the Canterlot garrison,” Blueblood promised as the group vanished down the concealed corridor. As the door closed, Fleur shook her head, “Prince Blueblood risking ‘imself for the common ponies, I would never ‘ave believed it.” “Really now, my dear,” Fancy chided his wife, “I admit Blueblood can be a bit … vexing at times, but he is Seneschal of the Royal House, and can be a capable diplomat at need.” “‘e was known as an arrogant peter plus haut de son cul among the Guard in my day,” the mare replied distastefully, “And I fear that ‘e ‘as done little to change since then, mon cherie amour.” ‘Caller started to say something, only to be interrupted as a full squad and a half of insectoids clattered around the corner, their voices raising in an eager cry as they spotted the small group. Glancing at the onrushing soldiers in annoyance, the demoness snarled, “Uoinota Ixen,” and flames, burning deep violet and pure white instead of an honest red or gold, erupted in the hall, the roaring of the sudden inferno swallowing up the bug-ponies’ screams as the conflagration washed over them, leaving behind no trace they had ever been there … except for their shadows burned into the flagstone floor. “Right,” ‘Caller said, ignoring her companions’ horrified stares, “Shall ve be off, then?” Twilight and Pinkie carefully moved through the Palace, the two mares’ ears twitching as the occasional shout or the sound of distant fighting echoed through the halls. Twilight reached up to slap away Pinkie’s hand as she tried to rub her eyes, “Stop that,” the librarian admonished. “But it makes my eyes feel all funny,” Pinkie complained, squinting at her friend. “Yeah, True Sight makes my eyes itch too,” Twilight admitted, “But better that than getting ambushed by those bug-ponies again.” Carefully peeking around a corner as they snuck deeper into the residential wing, the two ponies stopped as they spotted a cluster of insectoids, their true natures cloaked, leaving Princess Cadance’s suite; they were all battered and bruised, and four of the insect-ponies had to be carried by their companions, while another four were busy dealing with an unconscious alicorn of love wrapped in a cocoon of green slime, as a final quartet stood guard. “What are they doing with the Princess, Twi’?” Pinkie asked, her ears drooping and her mane losing some of its poofiness. “I don’t know, Pinkie,” Twilight replied, her voice eerily calm, and for a moment the baker could have sworn that she saw flames licking through the unicorn’s mane, “But these … bugs … have attacked me, attacked the Palace and the Princesses know how many other ponies, and now they’ve attacked my foalsitter, and I have had enough!” as her shout echoed through the hallway, Twilight charged at the false ponies, a blast of concussive magic lancing out from her horn to send several of them sprawling. “Huh,” Pinkie cocked her head, “That really seems more like something Dashie or AJ would do … oh well,” with a shrug, the earth pony raced after her friend, a rubber chicken raised defiantly above her head, “Allons-y!” The insectoids scrambled to face the oncoming ponies, but already injured and burdened with both their own wounded and a captive, they were quickly overwhelmed by Twilight’s barrage of spells and Pinkie’s skillful wielding of fake poultry. Ignoring the fallen insect-ponies, Twilight began tearing at the goo binding the princess, blanching as she saw the welts and cuts that festooned her old foalsitter, “Cadance? Cadance, can you hear me? Please wake up.” “Here, try this,” Pinkie said, offering a vial of smelling salts. “Thank you,” Twilight said, before stopping to stare quizzically at her friend, “Why are you carrying around smelling salts?” “Oh, I always carry some, in case of fainting emergencies,” Pinkie explained cheerfully. The librarian couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, “Rarity?” “Rarity.” The pungent chemicals soon revived Cadance, “T-Twilight?” she coughed, “Y-you have to get away, something is posing as ponies ….” “I know, Cadey, they’ve already gone after me, and we’ve heard fighting in the Palace,” Twilight’s aura flared as she cast a True Sight spell upon the alicorn, “Can you stand?” “Yes, I think so,” Cadance struggled to her hooves, her own aura flashing as she cast a minor healing spell, “I never thought I might start to agree with Sunset’s ‘blast first’ philosophy,” she muttered. Pinkie glanced at the youngest Princess, “What was that?” “Just thinking out loud,” the alicorn replied, “So, do we have a plan?” Twilight nodded, “We need to find Shiny or Princess Celestia.” “Alright, let’s go.” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew through the corridors in search of their friends, or rulers, avoiding or outflying those insect-ponies they encountered, much to the frustration of the weatherpony, who would have preferred to leave a trail of trounced insectoids in her wake. Coming to an intersection, the two mares spotted Shining Armor and Spike approaching from another hallway, “Hey! Spike! Shiny dude! Are we glad to see you!” Rainbow cried happily as she landed before the pair, only for her face to darken, “Wait, how do I know you’re really you?” “Well, how do we know that you’re really Rainbow?” Spike countered, as Shining warily raised his sword. “Umm … maybe we could ask questions?” Fluttershy offered, “Like … umm … like … what did Spike give to Rarity on his birthday?” “A fire ruby, she used it to make a cape,” Spike immediately declared, “What is Rainbow always bragging about her pet?” “Tank?” the athlete blinked, “What isn’t there to brag about? He’s an excellent listener, the fastest flying tortoise in all Equestria, a champion at leveraging objects off pinned wings –." “Okay, I’m pretty sure you’re you,” Spike hastily conceded. “Oh, that’s good,” Fluttershy said with relief, “I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t me, so … now that we’re sure we’re us, what are we going to do about the bug-ponies?” “First thing, we get some reinforcements from the barracks,” Shining said, sheathing his blade. Rainbow frowned, “But how will we know if the ponies we meet are who they say they are?” “We won’t,” the stallion shrugged, “But it’s either take that risk, until we can find Princess Celestia, Twiley, or a senior Magus to do True Sight, or we try to handle this situation entirely on our own, unless one of you has another idea?” without any suggestions of their own to offer, the three could only shrug and follow after the unicorn. The Palace Garrison barracks were actually quite small, only being used by guardsponies on temporary assignment to the Palace, or those members of the Solar and Night Guard who had not yet acquired permanent lodgings in the city. Shining knew there was barely a dozen ponies currently quartered therein, and some of those had probably been on duty, or caught outside the Palace, when the insectoids attacked, ‘Still,’ he thought, ‘Even a handful of additional Guards will help,’ approaching the barracks, the quartet stopped to stare at the green slime that sealed the doors, while pounding could be heard faintly from within. “Well, I guess whoever is inside is probably a real pony,” Spike observed, picking at the semi-hardened goo with a claw, “I’m pretty sure I can scrape all this stuff off,” he added, glancing up at his brother. “Do it,” Shining ordered, turning to watch the halls as the drake got to work. Shortly thereafter, the door opened to reveal a small group of anxious, fully armored, guardsponies, “Captain Armor!” a unicorn stallion said, stepping forward with a salute, “Are we glad to see you, Sir! What is happening out here?” “The Palace has been infiltrated by shapeshifting bug-ponies, Sergeant Mustard, we don’t know how many of the staff and garrison have already been compromised and replaced,” Shining replied, “Grab your weapons, we need to get to the Princesses,” he glanced over at a pair of thestrals as the ponies went for the arms rack, “I’m well aware that the Night Guard has a tendency to keep more in the barracks than regulations allow,” he said sternly, “This is not the time to be holding anything back.” The two Night Guardsponies looked at each other sheepishly, “We’ve just got a pair of light, folding, crossbows and some thunderstones squirrelled away, Sir, honest,” one replied, as they held up their small stash. “Keep the bows,” Shining instructed, passing around the small supply of thunderstones, “The invaders seem to be keeping to Palace Duty equipment, probably to help them blend in, so they’re not carrying any bows. Having some archers of our own should prove helpful.” The stallion looked over his little detail, “Is everyone ready?” he asked, giving a small, reassuring, smile to Fluttershy and Spike, “Good. Everything seemed to go to tartarus a bit after lunch, so we’ll look for the Princesses in the Royal Apartments first.” His aura flared a pale rose for a moment, “I just sealed the Palace inside a spell shield, those fake ponies won’t be getting out now.” “B-but what about the real ponies?” Fluttershy asked, her lips trembling with fear, “Won’t they be trapped inside too?” the mare’s eyes widened in concern, “Our friends will be trapped with those awful bug-ponies!” “Yes, they will,” Shining replied, his voice suddenly sounding much older and wearier, “The Guard’s priority is the safety of the Princesses first, then the containment of this threat. Seeing to the safety of other ponies, even our friends and family, has to come after that.” Rainbow wrapped an arm around her timid friend’s shoulders, “Being a Guard must really suck, sometimes.” “Yes … yes it does,” Shining sighed. Applejack rolled a shoulder to stretch the muscle as she and Rarity stood over a trio of downed insectoids, ‘Swords are a’right, Ah suppose, but Ah miss ma hammer,’ she mused, her thoughts flitting to the heirloom maul currently sitting above Sweet Apple Acre’s fireplace. “They ain’t even tryin’ ta be sneaky anymore,” Applejack observed, giving one of the bug-ponies a small kick. “They’re probably confidant that they have dealt with most of the Palace’s occupants,” the fashionista replied, forlornly, “And given that we haven’t seen anypony in some time, I fear they may be right.” “Hey now, no long faces, ya hear?” Applejack gave her friend a quick, one-armed, hug, “We ain’t done for yet; tha other fillies are still out there, not ta mention tha Princesses, shoot, HellCaller is probably havin’ herself a grand old time beatin’ on creepy bug-ponies.” Rarity gave herself a small shake, “Yes, darling, you’re quite right, of course,” she frowned, “Wait, these horrible insects … they knew about Sweetie Belle … what if they’re in Ponyville?!” “Oh, Alicorns!” Applejack whispered, before shoving down her own fear to put on a brave face, “Pull it together, Rarity!” she admonished the fashionista, “Ah promise we’ll check on our families and Ponyville as soon as we can, but we can’t do that until we got thin’s squared away here!” “Yes, yes, ‘stiff upper lip’, as they say,” Rarity took a deep breath, visibly pulling herself together, “There will be time for hysterics and drama later.” “Oh, Ah’m sure there will be,” The farmer replied, unable to resist tweaking her friend’s muzzle, “An’ who’s this ‘they’, anyway?” “… I’m not really sure …,” Rarity admitted, “And this is not the time for such distractions, Applejack Apple!” Applejack merely smirked as the fashionista glowered at her. Continuing down the hall, the pair kept a wary eye out for more insectoids, only for Rarity to stop them with a raised hand, “I can hear someone sneaking up ahead.” “Tha bugs ain’t botherin’ with sneakin’ anymore,” Applejack observed, “So Ah conjure we jus’ finally found us some more ponies.” “Thank the Princesses,” Rarity sighed in relief. They hurried on, eager to meet their fellow refugees … a concept which brought an outraged frown to Rarity's muzzle, ‘Refugees in our own Imperial Palace! The indignity of it all!’ turning a final corner, the mares found themselves muzzle to muzzle with Pinkie, Twilight and Cadance, “Fillies!” “I’m so glad you’re both safe,” Twilight said, once the impromptu group hug finally broke up, “Have you seen any of the others? Do you know who is attacking us?” the academic tilted her head as she noticed Rarity’s weapon, “How did your rapier get here?” “No, no, and a lady must have her secrets,” Rarity replied, “Now what is the plan, darlings?” “Looking for all you fillies, Celestia, or Shining and Spike,” Cadance said, “I’m afraid we’ve mostly been making it up as we go,” she added, apologetically. “It’s okay, Princess,” Applejack reassured her, “Twi’s gotten used ta workin’ without a plan, even if it does leave her a mite frazzled.” “These are still warm,” Corporal Quartz Prism said, looking up at his Captain from where he was checking a group of insectoid bodies, “We probably only just missed whoever is fighting.” “Then we should run into them in the next few halls,” Shining declared, “Spike, I want you, Fluttershy and Rainbow to stay in the back for now. Whoever these ponies are, they’re violent and well trained, and I don’t want to risk you getting hurt if they think we’re more bug-ponies.” “Y-you’re not going to fight them, are you?” Fluttershy asked, turning big, pleading, eyes on the stallion. “Not if we don’t have too,” Shining quickly assured her, “But we need to take precautions, just in case,” he glanced down at his little brother as the timid mare retreated to the back of the group, “Divines, have her puppy-dog eyes always been that strong?” “You think Fluttershy’s puppy-dogs are impressive?” Spike chuckled. “You should see Pinkie Pie's.” The little drake walked back to join his friends, oblivious to the guardsponies grinning behind him. A short cough erased the smirks from their muzzles as the guards turned back to their Captain, “Don’t say it,” Shining ordered firmly, “Not. One. Word. Understand?” “Yes, Captain!” they chorused. Resuming their trek, the little band pressed deeper within the Palace, “I always forget how huge this place really is,” Spike grumbled as he jogged along, his short legs pumping to keep pace with the ponies. Shining started to reply, only to stop and look around the chamber, “Defensive formation!” Even as the guardsponies moved to surround Spike and the two Bearers, a heavily accented voice spoke from the air, “Drop spell, Fancy, they’re ponies.” Shining sighed in relief as the illusion faded, “Lord Pants, Lady de Lis, it’s good to see that you got away,” turning, he bowed to the other two, “Ambassador Tavros, Empress HellCaller, I’m grateful that you have escaped the invaders, although I must admit to some surprise at your actions since,” he added, nodding at the notched and stained blade in the minotaur’s hand and the fresh scars on the demoness’ armor. “The Minosan Isles would never interfere in a purely internal matter of the Equestrian Empire,” Tavros rumbled, “But, these insect-ponies’ flagrant attacks upon emissaries gives me enough justification to … indulge myself.” “Heh, I vas just bored,” ‘Caller admitted with a dark chuckle, “This has been vay more entertaining than I vas expecting.” “It sure has!” Kragor chortled, making the guardsponies start, “Hey, Spike, Fluttershy, Rainbow! You guys playing too?” The drake blinked, “Playing … yeah ….” “Erehm,” Fancy coughed, “Yes, anyway, we were on our way to the Royal Apartments to check on the Princesses, where might you be heading, Captain?” “We’re also going to the Apartments,” Shining replied, “Best we go together.” As the reinforced group continued on their way, Kragor’s chiming voice reached the ponies from her place at the front, “I vonder if actually vedding vill be this much fun?” “Ve can only hope,” her sister replied, “These ponies do seem to know how to put some spark into pre-nuptials.” Corporal Schwalbe shot the three Ponyvilleans an uneasy glance, “There’s an entire empire of more like her?” “HellCaller? Oh no, we’re pretty sure that she’s fairly unique,” Fluttershy reassured the thestral, “Pretty sure ….” Twilight was not having a good day, in fact, between the insectoids posing as ponies, the attempted foalnapping of her beloved foalsitter, the invasion in general, and now finding that Celestia was not in her chambers like she had hoped, the academic was very close to a panic attack. “Breathe, Ladybug,” Cadance said, “I know you were counting on finding Auntie Tia here, I think we all were.” Applejack sighed and pushed her hat up, “So, what do we do now?” The alicorn of love started to reply, then stopped as both her and Pinkie’s ears began to twitch and swivel, “Somepony … no someone is coming.” “Someone, Princess?” Rarity asked, taking a firmer grip on her rapier. “Yes …,” Cadance frowned in concentration as she listened, “Multiple sets of hooves … and something else … sandals? No, heavier ….” “Boots!” Rarity declared happily, “HellCaller is the only person I can think of who might be wearing boots this time of the year!” seeing the looks from her friends, she coughed, “Yes. Well. Most species have hooves, you see, and of the few who don’t, griffins and diamond dogs only wear boots to deal with winter’s ice and snow, and dragons simply never bother.” “Ah can’t see ‘Caller jus’ goin’ along with these bug-ponies,” Applejack observed, “So that means she likely has some other ponies with her,” she grinned, “Sounds ta me like we’ve found us some reinforcements.” Eagerly pushing on, they soon ran into Shining’s group. While the resulting reunion buoyed many spirits, he quickly brought everyone back to the reality of their situation, “Have you seen any signs of Princess Celestia?” Shining sighed at the mares’ response, “I see. Cadance … Princess Cadenza, we need to get you out of the Palace immediately.” “What? Leave all these poor ponies, and maybe Auntie Tia as well, in the hands of these bug? Why would you even suggest that, Shining?!” “Because with Princess Luna away, and Celestia’s current whereabouts and condition unknown, you are now in charge of the Empire,” Shining explained, “Whatever else may be happening, whatever other concerns anypony might have, however much we might want to stay, right now your safety has to come first.” Cadance glared at the stallion, then her features softened into a smug little smile, “Then, as the acting Empress, I order the Guard to help me find and rescue Auntie Tia and our ponies.” Applejack leaned over to one of the guardsponies, “Can she do that?” “I have no idea,” the guard whispered back, “The real question is whether the Captain buys it.” The gathered ponies waited anxiously for Shining’s decision (Tavros, instead, merely looked mildly curious, while HellCaller seemed more bored than anything else), “That is a complete misuse of your authority!” he accused. “Yes, yes it is,” the Princess of Love nodded, “Now, are you going to obey my order, Captain?” The stallion glared at her, before his shoulders finally slumped in defeat, “Yes, Princess.” “Thank you, Shiny,” Cadance gave the stallion a quick kiss. “Cadey!” Shining protested, blushing furiously, “Not in front of the troops!” Once she got her giggles under control, Twilight raised the obvious question, “What do we do now?” “I say ve look for vhoever is leading this invasion in Throne Room,” ‘Caller suggested, “No matter vhat you’ve achieved, a conquest never feels complete until you sit in defeated ruler’s chair.” The ponies exchanged looks, “O-o-okay … does anyone have any other ideas?” Rarity asked. When no other suggestions proved forthcoming, Shining shrugged, “The Throne Room it is, then.” Rarity stole back to where the others were waiting, “There’s nearly a hundred bugs guarding the door!” she whispered. Shining grimaced, as he glanced at the demoness, “Looks like you were right. How are they positioned?” he asked, turning back to Rarity. “There’s fifteen with their shields up blocking the hall, the rest are just standing around behind them.” “So, we have over sixty hooves of open hallway to cross with a shield wall waiting at the end and we’re outnumbered over five-to-one,” Mustard sighed, “It could be worse, I guess ….” “Vhat are you grumbling over? Five each is a good varm up before Throne Room and real fun starts.” Shining shook his head at HellCaller’s cheerful bloodthirst, “We need to get to that shield wall and push through, or they’ll just hold us off and then pick us off or overwhelm us at their leisure, and that’s not counting whatever losses we suffer closing in down an open corridor.” “I can help there!” Twilight offered eagerly, “Trixie taught me an illusion that should make us harder to target,” her aura flared, as the group’s forms seemed to shift and waiver. “Not bad,” ‘Caller said approvingly, “This should help as well, Queelak.” Everyone blinked as energy rushed through them, with Pinkie (and, to a lesser extent, Twilight) vibrating in place. “Oooh! ThisislikethetimeIhadsixchocolate-espressosandtwovanillalattes!” Pinkie Pie declared, “NowtheCakeswon’tletmehaveanycoffeeatall! Hey,IthinkIcantastetime!” her muzzle wrinkled in a confused, slightly disgusted, frown, “Whydoestimetastelikecandycorn?” Applejack leaned towards the demoness, “That … might have been a mistake, sugarcube.” “Hmmm … you may be right.” “We’ll deal with the caffeine-crazy later,” Shining said, “We still have to get to the guards first … Twily, you can teleport ….” The librarian shook her head, “I can only carry six, and besides, I’m not licensed yet. ‘Caller?” “I can only carry eight on a Teleport, and distance is too short to Shadow Valk.” “Horesapples,” Shining sighed, “I was hoping we wouldn’t have to rush that shield wall, and I don't want to split our forces … no choice now. On three.” The insect-ponies snapped into formation, the front line bracing their shields, as the Equestrians and their allies burst into the hall, descending up the insectoids with unnatural speed as multicolored blasts of magic, crossbow quarrels, and a whirling bolt of fire, slammed into the shield wall, while a blast of pale rose magic splashed harmlessly against the Throne Room doors. Tavros, Pinkie Pie somehow riding on his shoulders, crashed into the weakened front rank, shattering their formation, and allowing his companions to poor into the bugs’ broken ranks. “Jivntir Llonnair,” a shudder went through the insect-ponies at ‘Caller’s incantation, with several of them collapsing in withered husks, while the ponies pressed deeper into the enemy. The insectoids swiftly rallied, however, and between their numbers and the fact that all of them were in full armor, the Equestrians’ assault quickly ground to a halt, forcing the ponies and their allies to go back-to-back as the swarm pressed about them, while Schwalbe and Mondlicht peppered the bugs with quarrels from the air. Despite everything, Twilight smiled as she watched Cadance and Shining fight the insectoids side-by-side, they just seemed so right together, even if Shiny was still the worst shot she knew – and that was including Fluttershy and the Cutie Mark Crusaders! Still, her BBBFF and the bestest foalsitter in the history of foalsitters were going to be married! She couldn’t help but give a happy squee and dance a few steps in place, not noticing as the bug-ponies she was facing pulled back, leery of getting too close to the clearly deranged mare. Even as ‘Caller, Cadance and the unicorns’ spells cut swaths through the bugs, concentrated blasts of magic from the outer ring of the swarm knocked the two thestrals, bleeding and broken, from the sky. A blast of dragonfire pushed the swarm back for a moment, allowing Fluttershy to drag the wounded ponies into the protection of a hastily conjured hedge of brambles. Tavros bellowed in pain as he took a bolt of bug-pony magic full in the face, while another insectoid stabbed the blinded minotaur in the chest with her spear. Fancy Pants valiantly stepped forward to protect the gravely wounded ambassador, only to fall himself as a bug struck low and hamstrung him. A shield of pale rose magic sprang into being, covering the hole in the Equestrian’s defenses, as Spike ran forward and, with far more strength than his little form should have been capable of, dragged the minotaur and unicorn back to Fluttershy. Even as their numbers feel, Twilight unleashed a roaring wave of flames at the swarm, while entire squads of insectoids tumbled to the ground as mummified corpses as ‘Caller called out “Jivntir Llonnair” again. Finally, with over half of their number fallen, the bug-ponies had enough and retreated behind a hastily raised shield of green magic, dragging their wounded along beside them. Mandible wiped some blood from his gashed forehead as he glared at the enemy who was bandaging their own wounds and readying to assault the magical fortifications his remaining drones had conjured, ‘I don’t expect that to last long, as is,’ he thought grimly, ‘The Captain of the Guard with a handful of guardsponies and a baby dragon to back him up would have been bad enough, but something we could deal with … throw in a pair of pony nobles, who can actually fight, a minotaur, the entire Elements of Harmony, a divinesdamned Alicorn, and whatever “Empress HellCaller” may be, and we haven’t a hope of holding them unless the Queen Herself comes out to join us.’ While capable warriors, especially with competent leadership to direct and focus them, Changelings were much better at infiltration than in a straight-up battle, particularly against magical powerhouses like the Element of Magic and the Empress. “Sergeant Maxilla!” he called, with both Lieutenant Tarsus and Captain Kephri among the casualties, the sergeant was now the most senior drone available, “Get me the four most capable drones we have left, and ready everydrone else to gather our wounded and fall back into the Throne Room to the Queen.” “Yes Sir, and what will the General be doing with my four most capable drones while we are falling back?” “Buying you time,” Mandible replied grimly. Mandible could feel the ponies’ magic probing the edges of the shield as the Sergeant returned, “The drones are ready to go on your command, Sir.” The Changeling nodded, turning to face the drone, only to stop and stare at the full squad that was formed up, some with crudely bandaged wounds, waiting on his orders. “What in tartarus do you think you’re doing?!” “Going with you, General,” Maxilla answered calmly, “If four drones will help you buy the wounded time, then ten should buy at least twice as much.” The General glared at his impudent drones, before giving them a small smile, “Very well, then. The shield won’t last much longer, so we’re going to flare it for as long as we can, to keep the Equestrians from seeing the others escape, then, once the shield falls, we charge and keep them focused on us,” Mandible raised his sword, “For the Hive!” “For the Hive!”