//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: No Matter The Cost. 
// by Cyan rainbow 
//------------------------------//

I awoke with a screaming pain in my head, unable to open my eyes without howling in agony. Frustrated, I resorted to my other senses to get an Idea of my unknown surroundings. I waved my chitin hooves around to see if I could contact anything within my immediate vicinity, and to my horror I found great resistance from a thick, almost jelly like substance as I waved my hoof through it. Realization and horror dawned on me as to just what Droid had done.

Suddenly I heard his muffled voice from outside the pod I was restrained within. He spat with glee and pleasure at my situation, ecstatic towards my predicament. I scowled, cursing myself for being so foolish during my escape, and regretting my decision to not leave the hive sooner. Though more than anything, I wished to know just how he had managed to stuff me into a pod without creating one, for only the queen of the hive has the power to do so.

Droid spoke, his ecstasy formed after getting his way at last dying down. "I must say that I regret setting Glamour free to succeed in this situation, though I would much rather have someone of your standards of treason within this pod over a petty thief. The hive is much more secure this way." I heard his muffled hoof steps as he walked away, cackling triumphantly.

I glanced at what I could in my immediate surroundings by moving my eyes around. There were no guards in sight, likely due to the fact these pods were supposed to be infallible. Throughout the history of our hive, not a single changeling or pony had escaped from one. I had one desire within my mind to fulfil at that moment.

I would be the first.

I released some magic from my horn, albeit with a slight pain, though much less than had occurred before as it seemed I was getting used to my split horn. Though as I suspected the effort was fruitless. The magic was immediately sucked up by the pod and dispersed to feed the hive.

The pods existed for two reasons within the hive. The first was to trap ponies to suck out and disperse their love throughout the hive for feeding. The shape of their horns caused them to have their magic suppressed by the pod, as the spiral within their horn served as a pathway for it to travel to the dispersing vines throughout the hive.

The second reason was to trap trouble causing changelings to let them serve as an example of what becomes of traitors of the hive. A changeling's magic was suppressed due to it blending with the pod's own.

I pondered how I could use these thoughts to my advantage. Using changeling magic was out of the question, even with the increase in my power. Which left one option—I needed to perform pony magic. Earlier in the day I had performed a pony-made spell with great consequence-I grimaced as I remembered the reason for my now split horn-Though I still had yet to channel pony-specific magic. I sighed as I realized escape was going to be near impossible, but I needed to try.

I closed my eyes and dug deep into my mind, searching for anything that could replace the changeling magic within myself. I rounded corner after corner within my mind, desperate to find an end to the massive maze expanse within my head. After a seemingly uncountable number of times turning back upon myself, I found an opening at the end of a corridor, a great blue glow emanating from it. With a bright flash I crossed the expanse into the large opening.

I stood dumbfounded at what I saw. Before me was the brightest ball of light I had ever seen. Though something looked wrong with it, as if it was trapped in something, unable to reply to my plea for help. I pushed my thoughts closer towards it and reached out. Just as I felt I was going to be submerged in it, I was forced violently back by an unseen force. Cursing, I righted my thoughts and charged at the barrier once again, only to be thrown backwards into the wall of my mind and almost waking up from loss of focus. I groaned and up righted myself, this time hesitating. Seeing that running blindly or cautiously into the wall within my mind wasn't working I strained my mind for a different approach. What was an ideal way to break through a mind barrier besides brute force?

The answer hit me like a brick hitting glass. I needed to focus mentally. I poured my thoughts into my desires to leave the hive and warn the ponies. I poured them into revenge against my hive and taking down my queen. But most of all I poured them into making my first real friends.

I walked towards the barrier with these thoughts in mind, channelling them towards the bright blue light. At first I felt like I was about to be thrown backwards once again, but at the last moment the barrier shattered and the light came flowing outwards in all directions into my mind. 

I woke with a start within the pod, my horn mending and vision quickly fading to white as my new magic took over. Immediately the pod burst and sent the changeling goo flying outwards, coating the rest of the pods. It was at that moment I lost control of all my actions and thoughts, my only goal set towards escaping the hive to Canterlot and making my first friends.

"Friends." The word rang within my now chaotic mind. It felt so alien to me, yet at the same time the only thing that currently lent me happiness and hope.

I began my trek towards the exit, focused on only escape. Several guard patrols who had heard the racket had come running to investigate, though I paid them no mind. They were useless to me now, only interfering with my goal. With a great rage towards them building inside me, I charged my horn to rid of them and spoke with a voice that was not my own.

"You will not restrain my desires any longer!" I yelled with a power I did not believe I could obtain. "Too long have I been stuck in this disgusting hive, unable to see what lies within the light. It is time to END THIS!"

With a yelp the guards turned to run for help, realizing they were no match for my current power surge. But they weren't able to even turn their heads before they were thrown into the wall by my power, instantly knocked unconscious.

I continued on towards the exit, any lesser changeling stepping in my way suffering the same fate as the first two. I trekked on, walking slowly as if to show off my presence in an attempt to insert fear into the rest of the hive. I rounded the corner to the exit ramp once again, starting my second ascent up towards the surface.

"YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!"

I heard Droid's voice scream outwards behind me, and turned towards him with a fury topping even his previous malice. My horn and eyes still glowed white, my thoughts still unlike my own. He snarled towards me, his own horn lighting in preparation for a blast to once again restrain me. Yet the bolt only made it within an inch of my body before my magic dispersed it into nothing. Droid fired more shots of goo magic towards me, though each shot dispersed like the first.

I continued to trek towards him.

Desperate, Droid charged one last bolt with more magic than I have ever seen him charge before. This bolt had made contact with my chest, forcing me into the wall and breaking several of my ribs. But it melted away after several seconds, my ribs mending with a snap at the same moment the goo melted. I started walking towards him once again.

"How is this possible?!" Droid's voice had a desperation I had never heard within it in the past. "Changeling magic can't have power surges! not even the queen's!"

I spoke again with the voice that was not my own. "This is not changeling magic," I replied. "This magic has been in existence far longer than changelings ever will be. The same magic that will always triumph, the magic of the ponies."

Droid took a step back in shock at my statement, yet scowled at my usage of our enemies power at the same time. "I'll never let you leave here alive while I still stand!" he screamed, and charged towards me, his horn aglow.

I merely froze him in place with a paralysing spell of my own. "For years I have been stuck here, ordered around by you as my bucking superior! No longer. No one will stop my leave. Not the lesser drones. Not the royal drones. Not even you."

With a scream Droid was flung backwards far down the corridor into the hive, fury escaping his voice as he left. I turned and continued to the surface, triumphant. After I was a few hundred meters outside of the hive's range, my power surge wore off, leaving me drained and exhausted beyond measure. I crawled into the hole in the front of an oak, determined to hide while I rest if I could not escape proximity of the hive. After a few moments of thought on what had just come over me, I fell into a deep, dream-full sleep.