//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 The Hive // Story: The Phoenix Project // by Cydon //------------------------------// Chapter 13 The Hive I awoke to an agitated pony prodding my leg. "Unless you have a ticket which I'm pretty sure you don't get off the train." "Where are we?" The brown earth pony huffed as he readjusted his hat. "Appleloosa, now buy a ticket or get off." I quickly stand up catching him off guard. "Sorry gotta go send my bill to the Princesses see ya!" I bolt for the door and head off into town. Looking back the pony shakes his hoof at me angrily as I disappear behind a building. I look around to take stock of my location. 'Where the hell am I?' I walk back out to the street and take a look around. 'AHA! The clock tower. That means the orchard is... this way!' I head off in what I hope is the right direction. 'Seems to have gotten some new settlers.' Ponies stop and stare at me as I jog through town their mouths hanging agape. As I pass by the clinic a familiar stallion waves from the door. The terrain around me changes to apple trees as I leave town. I keep going until I hear the *Thump* of apple bucking. "Dutch! Did you finish the west section?" "Yeah I put all the apples in the barn Braeburn." I snuck up to the farm pony and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me." He jumped a little before turning around. "Well if it isn't our favorite human." He put up his hoof and I lightly bumped it with my fist. "Hey! Dutch, Silver look who's here!" Said ponies trot around some trees over to us. "Well howdy do Cydon what are you doing back in town so soon?" Silver says as they trot up a smile on their faces. "I just stopped by to say hello and goodbye." A look of confusion crosses their faces. "Goodbye? But you just got here." "I'm on a mission." "Oh?" They gave me a curious look. "Yeah, the Professor was kidnapped by Changelings and I'm here to rescue him." "That's terrible when did this happen?" "On the train ride to Ponyville." "Well where is the Royal guard? Surely they should be here to help." "I left without them, I'm doing this on my own so nopony else will get hurt." "That's crazy talk! Those Changelings number in the thousands!" "I'm not stupid, I have an idea to deal with them." They stand there flabbergasted, I turn towards the mountains known as the Macintosh hills. "Goodbye my friends." The mountains loom large far in the distance. 'This is going to be a long walk.' ____________________________________________________________________________ Meanwhile in Ponyville Sky Dasher As I wake up I can tell that something is wrong. Something about this day is off already something... important. I open my eyes and look around. I'm in a large room, I'm lying on a large soft bed covered by its sheets. The walls are a soft teal color but cannot tell me where I am, glass sliding doors to my left that lead out onto a balcony let in the morning sun. The room is sparse in furniture save for a single chair a desk and the bed I am on. Memories of last night fill my mind as I rise from the mattress. 'I must have fallen asleep and Cyd brought me to bed. Come to think of it, where is he?' "Cyd?" My question to the air was answered by complete silence. A little nervous from the lack of his usual morning antics I try again with more force. "Cyd!?" 'Where is he?' Going over to the desk I spot a letter and pick it up. Hoofsteps approach the door and I hear a knock. I put the letter back down and quickly head for the door, pulling it open I find a purple unicorn with a sad look in her eyes as her head is sags towards the wooden floor. "Twilight? What's going on? Where's Cyd?" The unicorn looks up at me and stares into my eyes. "...." Her lip quivers for a moment before she sighs. "Twilight what happened?" "Come downstairs I'll tell you with the others." She turns and heads downstairs I follow along feeling with every step that she has something to say that I am not going to like. As we enter the living room I notice the party mess from last night has been cleaned up. The rest of the girls are sitting on the couches around the room. "Twilight please tell me where Cyd is." Twilight sits down in the middle of the room and motions for me to take a seat. I sit down next to Fluttershy who looks apprehensive as well. "Cydon made me promise to not tell you this until after he was gone." "Tell us what sugar cube? And gone where?" Applejack says as she adjusts her hat. "That Cydon has gone to the Changeling Hive." Several emotions form across the various faces from shock and anger to fear and worry, mine was probably a mixture of all four. "What! He left without us!" Rainbow shouts as she jumps into the air to begin pacing back and forth while flying. "When I get my hooves on him. Why would he leave without us!? I thought we were his friends!" "He doesn't want anypony else to be hurt!" Twilight shouts back. "But were his friends darling, surely he cannot really think he can stop an entire Hive of Changelings by himself, can he?" Rarity says looking to the rest of us for an answer. Twilight stands up. "And that's why were going after him." We all nod in agreement. "But how can we hope to catch up to him? He has a head start." Fluttershy squeaks from behind the couch where she had fled when the shouting had started. "If we take my balloon and have Rainbow pulling us we can probably be there by just after lunch time." "But will it be fast enough?" I ask Twilight who can only look at me unable to answer. "Hey! This is me were talking about here, I'll get us there in plenty of time no sweat." With a plan in place we all went to prepare. 'Don't get yourself killed Cyd. Please.' ____________________________________________________________________________ Macintosh Hills Cydon "Where the hell is it?!" I shout in frustration. I had been climbing these hills for almost two hours and still had yet to find the entrance to the Hive. As the echoes of my shout fade into the mountain air a new sound causes me to freeze in my tracks. A buzzing sound that seemed to be coming from all around me at once and growing louder as the seconds ticked by filled the air. 'Oh Fuck!' I look around quickly hoping to find somewhere I can hide. Spotting a large boulder I run over to it hoping its shadow would be enough. The minutes pass and the buzzing grows louder and louder until it finally stops. The sound of dozens of hooves hitting rock nearby echos around. "Find the intruder!" I could hear them buzz in response as they began searching for me. 'I'm screwed, their going to find me.' Thinking quickly I devised a plan. "Tara hang on to this will ya?" I pull out my pistol and my knife and pass it to the waiting mechanical arm. With my preparations complete I step out into the open. 'Time to do something stupid.' "Take me to your leader." The Changelings freeze and stare at me. I'm facing a horde of them numbering in the thirties. A Changeling slightly larger than the others is the first to respond. "So you finally decided to give up creature? Good, the Queen will be pleased." From the back a Changeling with a damaged wing steps forward giving me a glare filled with so much hate hate I'm surprised I didn't burst into flames. "YOU! You did this to me! You killed my brothers and nearly destroyed my wing!" The Changeling stomps forward aggressively. I steady my rifle on its head and it stops. "I surrender willingly so that no more harm may come to the ponies of Equestria." I eject the clip and place my rifle on the ground. I then stand at attention and wait for their next move. The larger Changeling sneers. "Take his weapon and toss him in a cell, I will inform the Queen of our guest." The Changeling with the damaged wing trots up to me and with a wicked grin bashes me in the head with his hoof. My vision fills with stars as I fall to the ground barely clinging to consciousness. "The creature is not as tough as he thinks." The Changeling says laughing, it's the last thing I hear before I fall into darkness. _______________________________________________________________________________ Twilight's Balloon Somewhere Above Appleloosa Sky Dasher "Were above Appleloosa now!" Rainbow calls back from her harness. "Good! We should be able to make it to the Macintosh hills in a few minutes! How are you holding up Rainbow?" Twilight shouts over the wind. *Pant* "I'm fine but.. *pant* this would be a lot faster if Sky could help!" "I know Rainbow but Sky is still recovering and needs to take it easy!" "Yeah yeah I know." I tap Twilight on the shoulder. "How are we going to find the entrance to the Hive Twilight?" Twilight smiles. "I know a spell that will let me see where Cydon went." "Can it tell if he is still alive?" Her face falls as her smile fades. "No, it just tracks residual energies left behind by the pony or person in this case." "Hey Twilight where do you want me to land this thing?" Rainbow shouts. Twilight peers over the edge of the balloon and picks out a place. "Right there Rainbow!" She said pointing to it with a hoof." "Got it!" ________________________________________________________________________________ Prisoner Cell Somewhere in the Hive Cydon Epic Background Music I was rudely awoken when I was tossed into a cell. "You will wait for the Queen to see you." I grunt and sit up feeling my head for a bump as a headache sets in. "Can I get another Stim?" "Further use of the medistim may cause detrimental effects to your health do you still wish to proceed?" "Maybe I should wait until an emergency." I look around my cell. The walls, floor, and ceiling were solid rock but the bars were made of sort of material that resembled Changeling chitin. A single guard stood facing away from me by the door of the cell. 'Amateurs.' I sneak over to the guard and after a quick check to see if any more guards were around. I reach through the bars and grab its head. With a quick twist I break its neck creating an audible snap. It slumps in my grip as I pull it closer. A set of keys jingle around its neck, with a quick hand I try one key and then another before getting the right one. 'Now that I'm here it's time to do some recon.' I explore the tunnel a little bit and find strange glowing rocks lining the walls that give off a pale green glow. The other cells in this tunnel were empty. 'They either put me in a different cell block or I'm too late. Here's hoping the former.' I head out into a different tunnel, and quickly duck back inside. I hide behind the corner as a group of Changelings continue their patrol. 'I'll have to be careful.' I peek out and follow the Changeling patrol being extra careful to muffle the sound of my boot on the rock. The patrol goes down several tunnels with me following quietly behind before going into a large room filled with more Changelings. 'Must be a barracks or living quarters.' "Tara do we have any explosives?" I whisper quietly. "Four bundles of C5." "Perfect, I'll just leave them a little going away present." I plant a bundle by the door. 'That should keep'em busy.' I continue down the tunnel until I reach an intersection. 'Hmm. Lets try this one.' I head down the tunnel after a short walk I stumble upon two Changelings guarding a room. "Tara. My knife." The mechanical arm shoots out holding my knife I take the knife from the arm and try to approach them stealthily. Both guards appear to be half asleep and very bored. With the precision of a practiced hand I quietly dispatch the first and then take out the second. 'Now what is in here?' Inside the room is more prison cells each one filled with ponies. 'AHA! I found them.' I approach the first cell and whisper to the ponies inside. "Hey! Are you alright? I'm going to get you out of there." They eye me warily as I try the keys but none of them work. "Well that didn't work. Tara silence my pistol." The forge warms up humming quietly for a minute before the arm comes out holding my pistol and a silencer I quickly attach the silencer. With the gun now muffled I point it at the locking mechanism. "You might want to stand back." They back away and I pull the trigger a muffled bang and some smoke later the chitin lock was destroyed. I push open the door with relative ease. "Come on out your free." I head to the other cells and repeat the process. "Is there a Professor Rolling Bones among you?" A grey earth pony stallion steps forward. "They took him to the throne room before you got here." I nod. "Thanks. Do you know the way out of here?" "Yes, the tunnel on he left always leads to the surface eventually." "Good, now go on get out of here I have one more to find." A unicorn foal hugs my leg. "Thanks mister." I ruffle his mane and he goes back to the earth pony. "Before we go, who may I ask who saved us from such a terrible fate?" "My name? It's Captain Cydon Imperius." They take the first left and I take a right. 'If left is up right must be down.' I find another room with two guards in front. I use my pistol to kill the one further away and cut the other ones throat. After wiping the green blood off I peer into the room and discover thousands upon thousands of eggs. Lining the walls covering the floor and piled high everywhere they would fit. 'Holy Shit!' "Tara what is the most efficient way to blow this room to pony Tartarus?" "A bundle placed near the main pile and by the support pillar should be sufficient." I move towards the pillar using the shadows cast by the eggs to hide my movements. "Can you detect any more Changelings?" "My scanners are disrupted by the large amount of eggs." I hear a noise on the other side of the room and freeze. "THE CREATURE HAS ESCAPED!" 'So much for stealth.' I sprint to the pillar and place the charge. Then moving quickly over to the main pile I place the other. 'I still need to find the throne room. But where?' A group of Changelings appears from a nearby tunnel. There he is!" 'Not that way.' I sprint off deeper into the tunnels with the Changelings in hot pursuit. 'Aww Fuck Fuck Fuck!' I fire wildly behind me as I run managing to hit a few as we charge headlong down the dark winding passageways. After a minute of running and gunning I manage to reduce the number chasing me to three. Then I hear a click, I stop and turn to face my remaining pursuers. They continue to charge so I side step them, one manages to graze my arm as I stab one of his friends. With two left they begin to circle me. A flash of green behind me causes me to spin around. I'm about to stab but stop when I realize I'm not looking at a Changeling. "Wait! don't hurt me please!" A blue unicorn with a white mane and a wand with a half crescent moon cutie mark begs. "Heh nice try bug." The mare snarls revealing fangs as I kick it into the wall it collides head first with the wall and slumps to the ground. I hear the clopping of hooves and I turn just in time to grab the other Changeling before it stabs into my heart. I hold its head back with both hands as it tries to push the rest of the way forward. Using its four legs as an advantage it pushes me against the wall. 'Gah its stronger than me. Gotta think fast!' I push its head to the left as I slide to the right. Releasing it from my grip as it grazes my side, the enchanted clothing saving me from needing a new lung. The Changeling slams into the wall dazing it just long enough for me to bring a fist down on its face. 'Now that that is dealt with.' The sound of dozens of hooves coming down the tunnel catches my attention. I reload my pistol as I continue my sprint down the tunnels always taking the right tunnel. Finally the tunnel opens up to two massive doors made of the same chitin material the cell doors were. But standing guard next to them were two of the biggest Changelings I had ever seen. As big as Celestia and packing a lot more muscle than is natural on a body they stand firm as we stare each other down. I raise my pistol and shoot the left guard in the head causing it to grunt in pain. it holds a hoof to its face and begins to laugh in a deep buzzing evil laugh. "Was that it? I was expecting more from the creature who killed dozens of my kin." The other laughed as well as it leaned back against the wall as the first stepped forward. "I'll deal with you myself." The behemoth charged, faster than I thought possible for such a large creature and tackled me. I flew up and over it landing in a neat pile by the massive doors. "HAHAHA! This shall be entertaining." I pick myself up off the floor as it charges me again. This time I was ready though. As it got close I leapt to the side, using my hand I grabbed it by the neck and swung around onto its back. From my new position I saw that the wings of this behemoth were ridiculously undersized. 'Huh muscle head with tiny wings go figure.' I stab my knife into its thick chitin and hang on tight as it jumps around trying to shake me off. After a minute of flailing about trying to hang on it stops. I quickly take the advantage and place a few more shots into its thick skull. With one last howl of pain the behemoth collapses to the ground. I get up off the now dead Changeling and stare down the other. "Hmph. That idiot. The Queen wanted you alive. He never did listen. Go ahead I wont stop you." The Changeling behemoth pushes open the large doors and stands back. "Uh thanks?" I step through the doorway and it closes behind me. In front of me is a massive room with several support pillars along a pathway to a strange looking Changeling. Standing next to it is Professor Rolling Bones, I start to call out but my voice faltered when I notice his eyes were green and glowed eerily. Epic Background Music Part 2 "So it seems you have finally arrived. Tell me how many of my children have you killed since you woke up on this world?" "Your children? You must be Queen Chrysalis, I've been looking for you you know. But let me think here... there was the twelve in Appleloosa, plus eight more on the train, and then there was the forty in the Ponyville ambush although I didn't kill all of them myself, and then another nine here in the Hive not including wounded." "I see." "Yep I've had a very busy week what with being attacked and saving the day." "The Professor here told me you would come to rescue him, he also said that dear Celestia would send her Royal Buffoons to help you. But what Do we find? Not a single pony anywhere. Just you. So tell me where is your army?" Now it was my turn to laugh. "Didn't you know? HAHAHA! I was trained by the best special forces on my planet. I don't need an army, I am a goddamn army!" For a split second I see a grin on the Professor's face and the glow starts to fade away. When Chrysalis sees this she renews her spell. "SILENCE YOU FOAL!" Chrysalis roars causing the room to shake violently. "I may not have a source of love to feed on but I AM NOT WEAK! I shall destroy you for the pain you have caused me!" Chrysalis stamped her hooves onto the ground causing more than a few cracks to form in the rock beneath her hooves. "The pain I've caused you? What about the pain you've caused to countless ponies? Kidnapping, assault, and theft. And those are just the beginning." She glares at me before turning to the Professor her jagged horn glows green for a moment before going dark once more. The Professors eyes return to normal as he recovers from the grips of her spell. "Begone. You will only get in the way." The Professor looks around worried but heeds the Queens words and flees through the large doors. Queen Chrysalis steps down from her throne and makes a slow approach. Her horn glows and my rifle levitates over to me. "If you show me how this device works I'll let you leave here alive. This is my only offer to you creature." I Place my knife and pistol where they belong and grab my rifle from her magical aura. "That's it? Are you really that scared of me? Or are you just stupid?" I say as I deftly load the gun and switch the safety off. "What did you just do?" She looks at me confused and apprehensive I raise the rifle and aim for her head. "Something I should have done the moment I saw you." I pull the trigger and hear a satisfying bang, followed by a not so satisfying ping as the round bounces off solid rock. "Wrong choice. And now I will kill you myself!" I spin on my heels towards the voice and raise my arms just in time to protect myself from a small boulder smashing into my chest. I fly at speed backwards skidding across the floor. I come to a stop at the steps of the throne and slowly pick myself up. I have a rifle shaped bruise on my chest and my rifle is destroyed so I throw it to the floor. A bolt of green magic flies past my head hitting a step and exploding. 'Shit need cover,' I run for one of the support pillars with bolts of destructive green magic whizzing around me. "You need to work on your aim." I taunt. "And you need to hold still!" The bolts stop for a moment so I peek around the pillar. I duck back just in time as a massive bolt blasts the pillar to smithereens. "Bigger is not always better." I run for the next pillar as more bolts fly towards me. 'I need a plan. But what?' Another massive blast destroys the pillar. So I run to the next. Without the pillars cracks begin appearing in the ceiling and several boulders fall. 'Of course! If the pillars are destroyed this whole place will come down.' Chrysalis destroys the pillar I'm hiding behind and I bolt for another. 'Three more to go.' A falling boulder attracts her attention. She looks up to see the ceiling cracking and weakening. "So that is your plan!? Let me destroy my own palace? No! I'm on to you now!" With a flash of green light she disappears. I look around for her when in another flash she appears behind me. Instinctively I jump to the side as she charges where I previously stood. 'If she won't destroy the pillars then I will.' I draw my pistol and take potshots at her as I sprint for a pillar. She ducks and dodges several before using her magic to deflect the rest. She starts firing bolts of magic again as I reach the pillar. 'I've only got one chance at this.' I place my last C5 on the pillar. 'I really hope this works.' I pull out the detonator and step out from behind the pillar holding my hands up. "What trickery is this? What are you doing?" "I'm giving you a chance to surrender." "Hahaha! Me? Surrender to you? When I am so close to victory?" "You may want to rethink that. I hold in my hand a device that once triggered will cause several explosions around this Hive." "Your bluffing! You would die along with us!" "Am I?" I put on my best evil grin hoping she wont test my resolve. *Beep* "Noted reminder you are dangerously close to the blast zone." 'Dammit Tara!'Chrysalis's look of fear changes to a confident smirk in an instant. "Bad timing Tara." "AHA! So you were bluffing." Chrysalis charges her horn for another flurry of bolts. "You asked for it." I release the switch and run for the throne as fast as I can. I hear a loud BOOOOM! followed by several smaller blasts from elsewhere in the Hive. As I feel a flash of hot air from the blast it throws me forward, thankfully I land on the throne's cushion. The pillar now with a large chunk missing begins falling and hits the second pillar on the way down causing it to start to collapse as well. "No! NO! My throne room! My Palace! *gasp* My children!" Chrysalis quickly flees the room as the ceiling cracks further causing more boulders to fall. Seeing that now was a good time I sprint for the massive doors of the throne room. I was almost to the door when the final pillar came crashing down, right in front of the door. 'Well fuck.' ______________________________________________________________________________ Hive Surface Twilight Sparkle After landing the balloon I cast my tracking spell and managed to locate Cydon's trail. After following it around the mountainside for a few minutes we were led to the entrance of a cave. Strange markings and drag marks were scattered about the cave floor. The clopping of hooves brought our attention to a group of ponies heading for the exit. "Stop! Who are you! Are you Changelings in disguise?" Rainbow spread her wings and put herself protectively between them and us. "Be calm young pegasus we are not Changelings we were their prisoners a short time ago." "Then why aren't you now?" "Because my blue friend we were rescued." Sky perked up. "Was he tall and on two legs?" "Yes he introduced himself as one Captain Cydon Imperius." "It Was Him He's Alive!" Sky started to bounce a little in excitement. "Yes yes but I'm afraid he may not be for long." Sky stopped bouncing. "What why?" "He said he was after a pony named Professor Rolling Bones." Sky's eye's lit up at the name. "Did he find him?" "If he did then he is most certainly dead for that pony was being interrogated by none other than Queen Chrysalis herself." We all gasp. I remember well what happened when the Changelings invaded during my brothers wedding. Queen Chrysalis was able to defeat Princess Celestia in single combat. "I'm so sorry Sky." Sky was crestfallen, she moved over to a wall and sat down. Fluttershy quickly went to comfort her. Rapid hoofsteps brought our attention to the cave once more as none other than Professor Rolling Bones himself appeared from the gloom. He quickly trot over to us before collapsing from exhaustion. *pant* "We have to *pant* Help Cydon he's *pant* in trouble." "What happened? Where is he?" "Queen Chrysalis *pant* Fighting *pant* Throne room." With his message delivered he immediately passed out from exhaustion. I turn to the girls. "Well what are we waiting for Cyd's in trouble LETS GO!" Sky shouts, just as we were about to charge into the cave the earth begins to shake and the sound of muffled explosions came up from the cave. We all backed away as a rolling dust cloud explodes out of the entrance. Followed by the sound of the cave collapsing. When the dust cleared we gazed upon the remains of the cave that was now the tomb of our friend. "No! NO! CYD!" Sky flew high up into the sky spinning around two clouds faster and faster as she turned them into powerful thunderclouds. As the thunderclouds began to rain. She flew up higher and higher until she nosedived straight through the clouds causing a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder. She came down with enough speed that she broke the sound barrier creating a blue electric boom. She smashed into the rocks shattering the biggest boulders and pulverizing the smaller ones into dust. She tried again and again but was unable to break through the wall of solid rock. When the lightning wore off, Sky collapsed to the ground and cried herself to sleep. "I never got to throw him a party." Pinkies mane deflated as she teared up. "And now I never will." Rainbow pulled her closer to give her a shoulder to cry on. "Girls we should go." With heavy hearts we returned to the balloon after showing the survivors the way to Appleloosa we started off back home. The ride back was quiet save for the occasional sniffling from Pinkie and the soft snores from Sky.