When Scootaloo entered the ebony castle that was the Hive of Queen Chrysalis, they found that every light had been turned out from end to end, as if the Hive was expecting a night time air raid. The only lights were the shining, blinking eyes of scores of changelings waiting there in the dark for her. Then a green circle of firelight lit up around Queen Chrysalis, who grinned. "The full changeling returns. Welcome, Scootaloo, you have proved yourself to this hive. Come and receive your new wings." As Scootaloo came close, the Queen passed her a potion with her magic. "Drink this, and your new wings will sprout. Unlike pegasus or griffin wings they need remarkably little preening, but be careful not to get them torn, the flipside is that they are more easily damaged." As Scootaloo drank the potion, with only a small amount of pain long iridescent wings came out of her sides, and when she fluttered them she was able to take off. "Turn on the lights, and let's party like it's the New Year," ordered the Queen. "Hand the loving cups around-but tomorrow it's back to normal work and normal rations for everyling." As the changelings busied themselves bringing light back to the Hive, Scootaloo's new wings shone and glittered many-coloured. Whole tureens of love soup were brought out along with various kinds of meat, fungus and fruit.
Scootaloo did not feel quite ready to take on eating meat yet, but she drank the love soup happily enough. First she drank the hot, fiery love of a griffin, only to start choking, much to the laughing of the changelings around her. One said "Griffin love tastes like firewater, only some of us can stand it. It's a good thing that you didn't join the Aractnia Hive as griffin love is their staple diet." She decided to wash it down with some sweet pony love, but as soon as she drank it, it brought back memories of Sweetie Belle and she realized that it was . Meeting the white unicorn for the first time at Diamond Tiara's cutecenara. Forming the Cutie Mark crusaders to try and get their cutie marks. The time they thought it would be great to give Big Mac and Cherilee a love potion. All the crazy things that they did together-and now her friend would never get a cutie mark, or a coltfriend, or any of the things she was looking forward to, but instead would hang in a cocoon until she died, providing her love to the Chrysalis Hive. I betrayed one of my very best friends to serve my own selfish needs. To her horror, she noticed that the meat dish nearest her, that three changelings were happily tucking into, was a well-cooked and prepared pony. It had been skinned first, but it was definitely pony meat.
Scootaloo barely managed not to throw up. She asked a nearby changeling "How long do cocooned ponies last before they...die?"
"About five years on average, although some live as long as ten. Once they die, we eat them."
Oh Sweetie Belle, what have I done to you? Scootaloo decided that she could not and would not allow such a horrible thing to her friend. Leaving Sweetie Belle to a long *life* of luxury if only in her mind was bearable, but she would not leave her to a short heavenly *life* followed by dying and having her body cooked and eaten by changelings and the bones thrown into a rubbish pit. She decided to rescue Sweetie Belle somehow even if she risked being killed in the process. She owed it to Sweetie. As a full changeling she could go to most places of the Hive without suspicion. She walked into the room where the see-through cocoons of those captured by the Changelings hung. Most were ponies, but there were a few griffins and a minotaur or two. Soon enough she located the cocoon of Sweetie Belle, who hung there with a big smile on her face. She's not a pegasus, she can't fly. If I free her here, we won't get very far before they find out what happened here and send a search party after us. And what I'm doing is Treason to the Hive, stealing their food source from them. Under Changeling Law they could execute me for this.
She used her silk glands like a spider to attach Sweetie Belle's cocoon to herself and bit free the strand that held it to the ceiling. It was hard to fly whilst carrying Sweetie Belle, but it could be done. Flying out of a window could be done, but it was illegal except in an emergency and therefore could quickly attract some very unwelcome attention. Every gate was normally guarded to keep attackers and would be unwelcome infiltrators from other Hives out, but surely the gate guards were all carousing in the Main Hall with everyling else?
To her relief there were no guards on duty, due to the party that was going on, and she was able to leave the Hive.
Queen Chrysalis raised her head. Something was missing. Not something, someone. The Hivemind, whilst it did not and could not control the Hive members like they were puppets, did let the Queen sense when something was wrong. A changeling was missing. She mentally searched in her mind for which one it was. Scootaloo. The new changeling who was once a pony. Is now in the Love Storage Room. Cutting down a cocoon...traitor. Traitor! "Guards, Scootaloo is escaping with one of our meals from the Left Side Gate. Get after her and bring her back here now." As her royal guards scrambled to obey her orders, she inwardly cursed the day she decided to let Scootaloo become a changeling.
Scootaloo was quite far away from the Hive when she heard a loud buzzing, and glanced behind her to see her pursuers. I can't surrender to them, I owe it to Sweetie Belle and Rarity and Apple Bloom to bring her back to Ponyville alive. I hope that she will forgive me. Weighed down as she was by the cocooned Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo was unable to fly at her full speed, and Chrysalis's guards were getting closer and closer. When they were almost close enough to touch her, Scootaloo forced her diaphanous wings to go still...and fell out of their grip, falling through the sky and through a layer of clouds and mists. When she was close to the ground, she started flying again, landed amongst several tree stumps and with a quick blast of green fire, took the shape of a large tree stump and stayed still. Her pursuers were quickly in the scene, flew around and circled a couple of times and then left the area. It's a good thing that I'm a changeling Scootaloo thought. She shed her disguise and flew east towards Equestria as quickly as possible.
When I get back-if I get back, what will I do about Babs Seed? Scootaloo thought. I suppose I'll have to out her, and she will hate me forever afterwards and see me as a traitor to my race. But if I don't out her she will see me as a deserter and a traitor anyway for leaving the Hive and freeing Sweetie Belle and will want revenge.