*BAM* The door was knocked open as a terrified Runner bounded in.
"S-Sir! The Tenth!" She yelled, "The Tenth are, are, are, are, ar-"
"Calm down my child...biscuit?" Harmonize said to the Runner, offering the treat.
She took it and calmed down, finally saying, "The Tenth, they invaded Canterlot!"
"What? Did you just say Canterlot? Equine capital?"
"Y-Yes Father." The Runner said crying. "Those of us in Canterlot are trying to help the ponies, but the Tenth's Hivemind is interfering with ours, they're all alone!"
"Shhhhh..." Harmonize said, grasping her in his forehooves, "There-there young Tailor. They are never alone, they know that, and thank you, it was very brave; I wondered why I couldn't hear the Canterlot children for the last hour...wait," he stopped, turning to the Runner, "You flew here, from Canterlot...in an hour?"
"Y-Yes, I was just so scared that I-"
Harmonize once again embraced Tailor, "That was amazing my child. You deserve rest." he said as he began cradling her, "Sleep now...." and just like that she fell asleep, purring in his hooves.
"Sister Alter, get young Tailor to a bed...she's worked hard and is scared." He said to one of his Praetorians, and she was off with the youngling.
Harmonize turned to his right, "Tune, what do you make of this?"
"Brother...I don't know...I just...How can she be that diluted? or that desperate." His other guard replied. After a moment he asked, "Are you proud of your Children? Of your Hive?"
"Without an order, the Children of the Forty-Second helped the citizens of Canterlot...I couldn't be more proud of them for sticking with their beliefs...that we aren't monsters...just like the Thirteenth and Twenty-Forth Tribe..."
Tune raised an eye, "The Dreamponies and Breezies? Wow...you really do love us."
Harmonize raised a hoof to his chest, pretending to be hurt, "Agh, did you ever doubt that?"
Tune smiled, "Nah."
The Patriarch smiled back, "I just hope those six mares from town are there, if they can bring back Luna and defeat Discord, then I know they can see this one through...though our reputation is going to be severely hurt, I need to address the Hive. Call the Children."
"Sure thing buddy!" Tune said as he jaunted away.
"Children of the Forty-Second, you have been called here to be informed. You may have felt that you lost connection to the group in Canterlot, and there is a reason!" the crowd of over a thousand gasped, "But not for the reason you may think. I have just learned that Queen Chrysalis of the Tenth has invaded the Equine capital...She attacked a Goddess." More gasps, a few *thud*s as some fainted. "Her Hive is much larger than ours, and her Hivemind is interrupting ours, but from what I have been told your brothers and sisters are assisting the ponies, fighting against the Tenth, pray for them." Cheers rung out, a few mummers of 'let's help them' as well. "Be strong for them!"
Meanwhile in Canterlot...
A white Changeling with a scar ushers out ponies to safety, "Go, go, go, I'll give you as much time as I can!" he yelled.
One mare stood behind, a teal unicorn, "Whoever, and whatever you are...thank you." she said.
He smiled, "Aye lass! and for your information, I'm a Cuddlebug, now get going!"
She gave a nod and ran with the others.
Across the street he saw one of his brothers, a large behemoth of a Changeling at least the size of Celestia herself, having plates in place of a simple carapace. The white Changeling ran to him, shouting, "Oi! Tiny! Hey brother I didn't know you were in Canterlot!"
The Behemoth look toward him, his eyes widening as well as a smile appearing, "Brother Transmute! How nice to see you." He suddenly shifts to a serious expression, "We have got to get the ponies out of here"
Transmute looked up to him, "I know, I already got a few groups, but DANG does Chrissy got a big hive!"
On the other side...
A Cuddlebug stood between a large family and a squad of Changelings.
"Stand down, maggot!" one of the Changeling called in a raspy voice.
"Hey, I'm a Cuddlebug, not a maggot!" yelled the lone Cuddlebug. "And even if I wanted to, I can't; you wouldn't understand."
"Pray tell." Another of the Tenth Hive asked.
"If you insist; a Blood pact with this family, I protect it and in return I get fed; more to the point, I will not let you hurt the Family Orange."
"The Queen was right, your Hive has diluted itself. It's sad, really it is." The first Changeling said.
A smirk came across the Cuddlebugs face before he launched several blasts into the air and nearby buildings.
"...What was that supposed to do?" one of the Changelings asked.
An evil smile made its way onto the Cuddlebug as he spoke, he voice now much deeper, "Ahem...Reinforcements have arrived!"
"What?" The leader asked as buildings around them began to shake.
"Skulls on!"
"Huh?" asked the Changeling in the back of the group, "I don't get i-" it started before being silenced by a rocky hand picking it up.
"Shut Down!"
"What the ***** the ponies have *****-ing Golems!" the leader yelled in fear before being promptly slapped by the Cuddlebug.
"Hey, no swearing, there are foals here!" he shouted into the leaders face.
An older stallion from behind the Cuddlebug raised a hoof asking, "Ummm....Grandpa Surrogate, shouldn't we be getting out?"
Surrogate thought for a second before answering, "Yeah, probably," he turned toward the golem, "Charleston, get Crag and help the ponies to safety."
Charleston raised a hand to his head saying, "I shall gather no moss."
Surrogate grabbed the family and began running through the streets of the city, trying to find a safe place for the time being.
In the Canterlot Guards Barracks...
A Cuddlebug clad in the gold Canterlot Royal Guard armor zoomed around the ceiling, instructing the remaining conscious ponies to safety, and if need be, retaliation.
"Commander YellowJacket?" asked one of the guards.
"Aye, what is it?"
"One of the invaders is attempting to enter, it request to be designated as a 'she' and says its name is Akrid."
"Bloody hell....OPEN IT UP!" YellowJacket shouted, slightly annoyed.
As they did a wingless Cuddlebug ran in yelling, "Elder YellowJacket, it's the Tenth!"
YellowJacket lowered his eyes to the ground, "Harmonize is not gonna be happy to hear this." he mumbled. "How many?"
"From the looks of it, the entire Hive, hatchlings included." Akrid responded.
"The entire...by the damned....Chrysalis what are you thinking?" YellowJacket thought out loud. Then something caught his train of thought, "Akrid...you were supposed to be stationed in the castle with another...where is he?"
"He stayed in the castle." She replied sheepishly.
"...WHAT?! DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU JUST LEFT IN THE CASTLE? ALONE?!" The Commander screamed. "I can't believe you left him there alone..." he said with a shake of his head.
"Um...sir? Who? An important Pony?" asked a guard.
"No...she was with...."
In the Castle...
A lone Cuddlebug stayed in hiding in the main overlook, right where Chrysalis was. Where was he...well...he was on the ceiling...how? No one knows, he was just there. His name? 'Psycho' Mantis.
Looking down he saw that Chrysalis had captured not only the Six Elements, but also the Sun goddess. "Echo One to Echo Actual, come in Echo Actual." he whispered to himself.
Suddenly his voice changed, "Echo One this is Echo Actual, how copy?"
His voice changed again, "Echo One, Echo Actual, this is Bravo Company, status report?"
His voiced shifted to it original, "Echo Actual, Bravo Company, copy, Chrysalis is staging a take over; taken out the elements and the Sun Goddess."
He switched again, "What about the Mistress of the Night?"
Again he swapped, "She's over the hill."
"Great, and it's Charlie foxtrot out there."
"What we need to do is free the Elements; sooner we do that the sooner we can say Alpha Mike Foxtrot."
"A-firmative! We're Oscar Mike."
Finally he settled back to his original voice, "Oh wait, I'm already here....Cool...time to free the Elements...wait is she...no, don't tell me...she is....she's....singing."
With a sigh he ran above the Six captives, "Psst! HEY!" he somewhat shout-whispered. To no effect at that. Taking a seat he began thinking...and thinking...and thinking. Suddenly a fire ignited above his head...which promptly caused him to flail around trying to put it out, breaking his cover and somehow making him susceptible to gravity. "GAH! Putitoutputitoutputitoutputitoutputitoutputitoutputitoutputitout!" He screamed while rolling on the ground until the fire was gone. When he looked back up he was greeted by the face of the Queen of the Tenth. So he did what came natural. "Our cover has been compromised! PLAN B!" He shouted, quickly putting a Gas-mask over his face...which he got from...his non-existent pockets. Rearing up on his hind legs, he began to float up, forehooves at his sides. "So you like The Elder Scrolls do you? Still not convinced? Step away from your computer and/or mobile device and/or any other medium of entertainment and I shall vibrate your Device/Medium...WITH MY MIND!" Chrysalis was so preoccupied trying to...stay sane, that she never noticed the Bride and Groom come together and release the spell.