//------------------------------// // 54. Military Matters // Story: Tales of the Oppressed // by Terran34 //------------------------------// So since my spur of the moment declaration towards Vinyl (which I'm still unsure of whether or not it was the right decision), all we've been doing is sitting around, talking about stupid shit. I mean, I assume that the guards are going to contact us...somehow. Assuming that they even know we're here. I don't remember us telling any of the guards where we were going to sleep. Whatever. I don't really care. They'll find us if they have at least a semi-decent intelligence system. And if they don't, I'll just make the excuse that I was told to wait for more orders. With that in mind, I lean back, listening to Rainbow and Vinyl talk about the former's adventures in the mines on her way to free Celestia. “Spitfire and I were unstoppable! Poor Twilight is in the back, totally unable to keep up with our speed. And then wham, smack!” Rainbow relates, over-embellishing her own feats with over-dramatic hoof motions. Vinyl seems to be eating it all up though. Seriously, these ponies that listen to her are doing nothing but stroking her ego. “That one changeling flew back so far, it was like a bowling ball! I guess you could say I got a...” Rainbow is interrupted by an strong knock on the door. “Huh? I wonder who that could be,” Rainbow wonders. She sighs and moves over to the door, opening it to reveal Commander Rose, still clad in her battle armor. Oh. So there's the guard. Except they sent one of the higher ups to come get us. “Oh. Hey Rose. What's up?” “I've come to retrieve Seth,” Rose responds officially, without so much as a proper greeting. She casts her gaze around the room until she sees me. Her expression changes ever so slightly upon seeing me. If I hadn't been looking back at her, I'd never have noticed. Her lips curve downwards into a slight frown, and her eyes narrow. But it's so slight, neither Rainbow nor Vinyl seems to notice. “Come with me.” “Guess we'd better get going,” I reply with a shrug. I stand up and join Rainbow by the door. I guess whatever problem Rose has with me, I'm going to find out about it soon. “But what about...” Rainbow starts, shooting a concerned glance back at Vinyl. “Eh, don't worry about me. If they need ya, they need ya,” Vinyl assures her with a shrug. “I'll just stay here and get some more rest.” “You sure?” Rainbow presses. Vinyl nods and shoots Rainbow a reassuring smile. “All right. Well, lead the way, Rose.” Without a word, Rose turns around and leaves the room, expecting us to follow her. And I've forgotten how much of a bitch she can be. I guess she can't stay all emotional forever, like how she was in the battle. This isn't going to be fun. But then again, I knew that when Celestia assigned me to stay here for however long it takes to get all this shit put back together. We're walking through the hallways in silence for a good five minutes before I get fed up. “Okay, so what's the deal? What does Celestia want us doing now?” I demand, crossing my arms. “The princess has temporarily assigned you to the command of the First Regiment for the duration of your stay in Canterlot,” Rose corrects me. “She is not always responsible for directing you.” “Was correcting me necessary? Just tell me what I need to do,” I snap, already getting irritated. I wish she could have just stayed tolerable. I mean, over the month and a half I spent with her, we had at least an amicable working relationship. Now, it seems like she's regressed back to what it was when we first met. “I suggest you curb your tongue. Remember why you are here,” Rose warns me. I'm about to shoot back a retort, but then my eyes widen. Wait, what the hell does she mean by that? “But to answer your question, Captain Blades has requested your assistance in the mines.” We walk outside of the castle and down the steps, as Rose continues our briefing. “During a previous incursion, the Second Regiment discovered a construction of foreign design deep in the mines. We believe it may be of changeling origin.” “Makes sense. I doubt all of these changelings came from outside. You just can't hide a force like that, even if they're all transformed,” I muse. For some reason, a funny mental image of the changeling army traveling as a massive flock of geese strikes me, and I quirk a smile. “Why do you need me?” “There is a possibility that the changeling queen may be using it as a hiding place, while she regains her strength,” Rose reveals, and my heart promptly rises into my throat. Fucking fuck. “Shit, really? Then you don't need me, you need Celestia. She's the only one that can beat down a monster like that,” I point out, shaking slightly at the thought of having to see Chrysalis again. I calm down slightly when I think about it a bit harder. “I doubt she's there, though. She's not stupid enough to hide so close to Canterlot, especially after realizing how screwed she is if she stays here.” “The possibility remains, however. And as you said, the princess has indeed joined us in the mines, though she cannot enter the hive herself, lest another trap be sprung,” Rose explains. “That makes sense. If she gets canceled again, we're all fucked,” I think aloud. Still, I feel much better about this knowing that I have that overpowered fucker backing us up. “So let me get this straight. To minimize the risk of further losses, you're gathering the strongest fighters in the city?” “That is correct. Captain Spitfire and Commanders Iron and Fleetfoot will also be accompanying us,” Rose continues as we near the first major hole in the streets that leads into the mines. Much to my surprise, I see that the ponies have constructed a wooden scaffolding so that members of every race can get down into the mines safely. Sheesh, it's only been one night. How the hell did they build that so fast? Ugh, why am I asking? The answer is probably magic. “There is one last matter that I wish to discuss.” “And what is that?” I ask, resisting the urge to groan. I can't believe I'm going into a changeling hive. Still, I guess the presence of a hive proves that Chrysalis has been building up this attack force for a long time. Rose turns her head slightly, one eye fixating on me. “A full incident report was released to the military a several hours ago, courtesy of Princess Celestia. That includes your...transgression,” she informs me grimly. Oh. Now I understand why she's being so cold and stiff. A sinking feeling falls upon me. “Now wait just a minute!” Rainbow protests, rushing to my defense. “If you read the incident reports, then you know what he had to choose between!” “That is correct,” Rose affirms, but her tone doesn't get any softer. “I disapprove of your decisions. Had it been me in your place, I would have chosen my country immediately.” “Oh, what the fuck,” I snap. So she's just going to be super condescending the whole time. Bitch, you were never my friend, so why the hell should you care that I betrayed you? “You're telling me you wouldn't hesitate. You're telling me that your family means that little to you. Am I understanding this right?” “You assume correctly,” Rose replies, causing both Rainbow's and my jaw to drop. Are you kidding me? I'm an asshole, but I'm an asshole that cares about his family. Is it possible that I've found somepony worse than me? “I left my family behind years ago. My country is more important to me than the fickle bonds of family.” “What? How can you leave your family behind!?” Rainbow demands, looking beyond shocked at Rose's perceived callousness. “Don't they love and care for you?” “Perhaps they did. It doesn't matter now. A short time after I left for military training, the correspondence between my family and I slowly ceased, and I never felt the need to resume it,” Rose reveals. “As a result, I am much more effective as a soldier. I have nothing the enemy can use against me, so I will never fall prey to a trap like the one you did.” “Bullshit, you fucking ice queen. I guarantee that even you would freeze up if Chrysalis had your family in her clutches,” I challenge her, unable to believe what I'm hearing. Sure, I can understand not talking to your family when you're busy with education. I mean, I only saw my family once every few weeks. But to completely abandon them? “How dare you judge me based on a situation that you've never faced?” “I reserve the right to judge as I please. As a warrior, your personal needs should come secondary to the needs of your country, else you have no basis on which to call yourself such,” Rose responds coldly. “That's it. Fuck you, I'm not fighting for this country!” I snarl, finally losing my temper with this bitch. “How many times do I have to tell you!? This is not my country. In fact, I hate it! I hate Equestria! I hate the fact that I'm here more than anything! I couldn't give less of a shit what happens to it! Hell, that deal Chrysalis gave me was the best thing I've heard since getting here! I could have left this goddamn world!” “Then why didn't you?” Rose hisses, her expression showing every ounce of her fury. “You have made it clear to me that this isn't your home!” “Because I found that there's something here worth fighting for. And it's standing right next to me,” I growl, so angry that I forget to filter the words coming out of my mouth. Rainbow freezes and looks up at me with a look of awe and appreciation. Rose looks between Rainbow and I. “But I doubt you'd understand that, you cold motherfucker.” “So you believe that one pony is enough to...” Rose questions, seemingly unperturbed by my insults. “Enough!” an authoritative voice cracks like a whip, interrupting Rose, and a familiar armored pony approaches. Rose cuts off immediately as she spots Commander Iron approaching. Even I'm taken off guard slightly. I've never really seen him angry, but that change in tone is chilling. Hell, he's extremely angry, if that narrowed brow and bared teeth is anything to go by. “Commander Rose, what is the meaning of this? You are a soldier, not a foal!” “What are you talking about?” Rose returns, looking offended. Oh right, they're the same rank. He has no real authority over her. So I don't know what he intends to do by yelling at her. “Shouldn't you mind your own business, Iron?” Much to my shock, Iron crashes his head right into Rose's, shutting her right up and causing her to recoil, nursing her muzzle. What the fuck...did he just attack her? “If your argument poses a threat to the success of the operation, it is my business,” Iron hisses, taking advantage of Rose's silence. “I overheard you. For all your talk concerning keeping personal feelings out of military matters, you are doing a very poor job of it. If there's anything that I despise, it's hypocrites.” Rose opens her mouth to protest, but she backs down without a word, looking away from Iron. I don't know if it's because she's intimidated by Iron, or because she recognizes the truth in his words. Hell, maybe it's both. I'd be intimidated by him in this situation if I were her, especially since he's still fully clad in that silver armor of his. “Very well,” Rose emits, relenting with bad grace. She walks away from us, holding her head high. “But I won't forget this. Seth, I am beyond disappointed with you..” With that, she moves into the mines without us. “Like I give a fuck what you think, bitch!” I yell after her, but before I can say anything further, Iron slams the butt of his trident into the ground, regaining my attention. “Do not instigate, Seth,” Iron scolds me. Shit, he's focused on me now, and he doesn't look any less pissed. “According to Princess Celestia's report, you are technically under my command. While I do not regard you as beneath me, the fact remains that I will not tolerate disagreements, especially when we're working towards a common goal.” “Right, whatever. She was being a bitch in the first place,” I respond, averting my eyes. Shit, after a show of force like that, I can't help but feel a bit intimidated by his dominating personality. “Though what do you care? You're probably pissed at me too, right? You read the reports, so you know what I did.” Iron falls silent, and to my surprise, his expression softens, so that he's now looking at me with tranquil eyes, and expression I've never seen from him before. That looks surprisingly like emotion. “No, I am not mad at you,” Iron says, walking closer to Rainbow and I. Okay...this I wasn't expecting. I expected him to be the most angry, out of the other officers. “As you may or may not know, I am not from Equestria.” “I do remember hearing you say that back in the dungeons,” I recall, calming down now that he doesn't look like he's going to rip my head off. Or bash it in, considering what he did to Rose. “But what does that have to do with anything?” “I am from a island country far off the coast of Vanhoover, called Bleak Island. It was so named because of the frequent storms that plague its shores,” Iron reveals, looking towards the horizon. Though I still don't see how this matters. He looks back at me solemnly. “I was one of many soldiers that lost their families in the civil war, decades ago.” Shit, so he probably knows exactly how I feel. But this also tells me that while Equestria is peaceful, not every place is. “I believe how I understand what you felt, when the changeling queen approached you,” Iron continues, as I listen silently. This is the last thing I would have expected from him. “In the end, it's no use worrying over events that have already occurred. I respect the decision that you made, and recognize that it was difficult.” “And you're still willing to trust me, even after my late decision cost some of your soldiers their lives?” I ask, looking at him in confusion. It's weird, knowing this guy has emotions. “My soldiers knew what they were risking when they went into battle,” Iron tells me sternly. He walks forward and rests a hoof on me, another gesture that doesn't really seem like him. “Each and every pony in this battle had a choice whether to run, or stand and fight. And even those who fell believed that what they were fighting for was worth dying for. Therefore it is selfish of you to garner the responsibility of every death to yourself.” “But that's not...” I protest, because he's using some very awkward logic. “We are all equally guilty. I guarantee that you are not the only one feeling down about those that we've lost,” Iron presses. “But it's over now. Take solace in the presence of those you did manage to save. It is something I have had to learn myself.” “Yeah, see? That's what I told you!” Rainbow reminds me with a nudge. Yes, Iron's words do ring similarly to how Rainbow's did, except his is from experience. A really bad one, if his mention of a civil war is anything to go by. “Listen to this guy.” “Shit. Well, you'd probably know a lot better than I would. How many battles have you been in?” I ask, giving some ground. Maybe it's because I've heard the same message from two very different ponies, but I'm starting to feel less shitty about all of this. “Too many. It's why I left Bleak Island. There's nothing left for me there.” Iron grunts. At last he removes his hoof from me and moves towards the scaffolding. “Now, we should get moving. The longer we wait, the lower the chances of finding the Captain and Princess alive.” “All right. Let's go then,” I say, letting the matter rest for now. The three of us descend the staircase build into the scaffolding. I notice that this scaffolding runs along the entire edge of the street, and there's ponies all over the place. On the other end of the hole, there are stone-working ponies, laying the framework for the street repairs. There's also some ponies building support structures that I assume will eventually hold up the stonework. And yeah, I can see how it's getting build so fast. Those unicorns and their telekinesis totally render any of our lifting technology back in my time totally obsolete. They don't need elevators, they can just fly the beams up. “So, Iron,” I remark as we reach the bottom of the stairs. Iron turns his head slightly, letting me know I've got his attention. “I have to say, I'm a bit shocked. That you have emotions, I mean.” Iron gives a small groan. “You aren't the first to tell me that,” he admits, making me grin a bit in amusement. “My personal feelings aren't something I give out lightly. I don't understand how the ponies in Equestria stand putting their hearts on full display.” “Now that is something I definitely understand,” I remark. Huh. Who knew that I'd start identifying with this guy? That's exactly how I feel most of the time. It always confuses me whenever a pony randomly spills their inner feelings for no real reason. “Ugh, you two. It's not a bad thing to show some emotion,” Rainbow remarks, taking me by surprise. “This coming from the athletic pony with a hatred of anything sappy,” I quip, much to Rainbows chagrin. “You know, come to think about it, you're always being sappy whenever you talk to me. What's up with that?” “Because you're always so down all the time. You don't respond to anything but sappiness!” Rainbow points out. “I do too...er...not...I mean goddammit!” I say, my tongue tying itself in a knot from her verbal trap. Rainbow chuckles and pumps a hoof in victory. “Besides, it's not like I'd do it for anyone else,” Rainbow says next, and then her eyes widen when she realizes what she just said. She facehoofs hard. “Ugh, I'm doing it again.” “Somepony's a sappy pony,” I tease her, earning a glare from her. “Aw, is the sappy pony mad? Poor sappy pony.” “Stop saying that! I am not!” Rainbow shouts at me hilariously. Next to us, Iron just shakes his head slightly. Hah, he's never had to deal with our dumb bullshit before. Sucks to be him. “Sappy pony!” “Stoppit!” And then, much to Iron's annoyance, Rainbow and I start smacking and batting at one another, until the both of us break out into laughter. “Oh Seth. You're always so much fun.” “Awesome. Maybe I should patent and sell myself,” I joke, and then I stop when Rainbow looks at my oddly. “Wait, that came out wrong.” Rainbow chuckles, but before she can reply, Iron stops us. “All right, that's enough. We're in the mines. It's time for the two of you to be on your guard,” he warns us. I look around, and since I've been focused on our discussion (and the resulting bullshit) I hadn't really noticed my surroundings. Shit, when they said this was a crystal mine, they meant it. These caverns look to stretch on forever, and the walls are lined with more crystals that I can count, reflecting the light from above in a beautiful display of natural wonder. Right now, I'm walking upon an old broken down mine-cart track, my feet crunching on the gravel. “So, what exactly are we hoping to find down here?” I ask Iron, looking around carefully. I notice pockets of slime clinging to the walls, showing signs of being forced. I assume the guards have already saved some of the ponies that were trapped in here. “Rose said you found some kind of hive.” “Yes, but I'm unsure if 'hive' is the proper term,” Iron admits. “I've never seen anything like it. It's not just a maze of tunnels. It's structured and consists of planned architecture, as if it was intended to be a base of operations.” “Right. Rose seemed to think that Chrysalis might be hiding down here,” I recall. “Though I think that's bullshit, myself.” “It can't be ruled out. But we can inform you of the plan in a moment. We've arrived,” Iron announces, and then we walk into a large camp of sorts, situated on the edge of a cliff leading into a dark abyss, with the only way leading forward being one simple rocky path that leads to a sizable crack in the wall on the other end. That crack is covered in the same black substance that had been in the wedding hall, before Chrysalis blew it the fuck up. That's not all. I can see an eerie green glow emanating from within. Looks like a portal to changeling hell if you ask me. The camp itself consists of several pitched tents arranged in a circle, with boxes and barrels lined up against the wall. Some of those containers are open, and I can see food, water, and supplies in them, which means they plan to be down here for a while. Makes sense, seeing as how this place looks massive. Iron leads us through the camp, where we pass many guards, who seem to either be standing watch, ferrying supplies, or carrying more slimed ponies to the camp, where they're being freed and treated by a punch of nurse ponies. Sheesh, the changelings really wreaked havoc on the populace. I wonder how many made it to safety before the changelings got to them? We're taken to the main tent, where I can see Blades, Rose, Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Celestia herself crowded around a table. On the table are spread scrolls where what looks like maps of the tunnels are roughly sketched. Yeah, I bet they have to draw maps, because if they knew about these mines, Chrysalis wouldn't have been able to hide out here in the first place. “Commander, we've been waiting for you. Come inside,” Celestia orders Iron once she catches sight of us. “You two as well.” Rainbow, Iron, and I join the circle of important ponies around the table. Rose noticeably avoids looking at me or Iron, keeping her gaze focused on Celestia. Blades acknowledges our arrival with friendly nods, including mine. “Okay, so why exactly am I needed for this?” is the first thing I ask, because it's been bothering me. “If you have Celestia, you don't need anyone else.” “We cannot afford to be careless, Seth,” Celestia informs me. “We don't know what we'll find in that hive, and it's foolish to walk in there blind, confident in my own strength.” “I guess that's fair, but...I feel like we have enough powerhouses here,” I say, looking around at all of the powerful ponies. Celestia nods, and then looks back down at the map. “I will start at the beginning, with my hypothesis. I believe that Captain Shining Armor and my niece are hidden down here,” she declares. She must have been waiting to tell the others that until we all were here, because they're looking amongst one another. “It's possible that the changeling queen intended to use them as hostages, in the event of her defeat. This may still be the case.” “Then we have to act fast, and coordinate our efforts,” Iron inserts, placing a hoof on the table. Several of the other officers nod their heads in agreement. “We have no way of knowing what's inside. We'd be galloping in blind,” Rose expresses, looking between Celestia and Iron. “This ain't good. To do this, we'd have to cover a lotta ground to avoid tippin' off any changelings inside,” Blades inputs, thinking hard. I can't help but look between them all, in awe. They're all incredible. As much as I hate Rose, she does her job well. They're all versed in battle tactics, a lot more than I am. I just do what makes sense. “That's right. If even one changeling spots us, they'll use their hostages against us, if they are in there,” Spitfire warns us. “Princess, do you have any ideas?” “I do. In the end, I believe it will be impossible to sneak through their base of operations undetected,” Celestia admits. “We do not know everything about changelings, and as such we do not want to underestimate them.” “Well, we know Chrysalis can control them!” Rainbow speaks up, even though she's technically not part of the discussion. I feel like she's here just because I am. “Remember when she talked to us through that one changeling, Princess?” “I do. This could mean that the changelings operate through a group consciousness, of sorts,” Celestia determines, nodding her head at Rainbow's words. “If this is true, they have the edge on us in communications, and possibly cunning, if Chrysalis is controlling them.” “That doesn't make sense,” Iron states, and attention returns to him. “Seth, you were fighting with their queen alongside Princess Luna, correct?” “Yeah. It sucked, to say the least,” I say, understating the hell out of that fight. “What's your point?” “She was focusing on your fight, and yet the changelings were still able to function. It wouldn't make sense for the queen to control each of them at the same time,” Iron reasons. “Furthermore, some of the changelings have been witnessed speaking to one another.” “Okay, this is pointless,” I interrupt. “We can't possibly hope to understand the changelings with just our experiences fighting them. Every time I see them, they surprise me.” “Seth is right. We simply do not have enough information on them to proceed in a manner that guarantees success,” Celestia agrees grimly. The other officers look amongst themselves uneasily, not liking that their fearless leader didn't have a plan for them. “The most we can do is find a way to minimize risk. But I believe I have an idea on how to do just that.” “Let's hear it, then,” Blades prompts her. “I am sending all of you into the hive together, as a team,” Celestia informs us. I look at the others, and then back at Celestia. That seems a bit unnecessary. I mean, I'm damn sure Chrysalis isn't in there, and even if she is, I doubt all of us together could do anything to her. If she's there, we're fucked. If not, we'll crush them all. And if we're all inside, Chrysalis could strike us elsewhere while we're distracted. “You will split into three groups of two, with a Captain in each group.” “Princess, there aren't three captains,” Spitfire brings to her attention. Celestia nods, and then she looks at Iron. “For all intents and purposes, Commander Iron is in command of the First Regiment. I am now finalizing it with a temporary promotion to Acting Captain, until such time that Shining Armor is rescued,” Celestia explains. Iron salutes in response, saying nothing. “What about me, Princess?” Rainbow inquires, pointing at herself with a hoof. That's right. The only one called here was me. “Can I help somehow?” “Of course, Rainbow. Your assistance is appreciated,” Celestia replies graciously. “I would like you to continue carrying out the order I gave you last. Do you remember it?” “Uh...your last order...?” Rainbow trails off looking a confused. It hits her a second later. “Oh! You mean go with Seth. Okay. Got it.” “What are the match-ups?” Fleetfoot questions. “Will I be going with Spitfire?” “No. I plan to distribute you, such that each team will have a variety of abilities,” Celestia explains. “Fleetfoot, I'd like you to accompany Iron.” “A well balanced team,” Iron comments approvingly. He glances at Fleetfoot, who meets his gaze. “Commander, I will trust you to keep any threats away from my flank.” “The second team will consist of Rose and Spitfire, and lastly the final team will be comprised of Blades and Seth,” Celestia finishes. Blades gives me a reassuring grin, which leads me to wonder exactly what he thinks about my betrayal. He doesn't seem to show any anger. In fact, the only pony that's reacted negatively to me has been Rose. Even fucking Iron took off his mask and spilled his thoughts to me. Maybe the others are just hiding it better. “Once you all enter the hive, split up and branch out. Alert me if you find anything.” “How do we do that?” Rose questions. I mean, it's not like we all have a magic dragon to send messages through. In response, Celestia lifts a brown cloth bag onto the table, in which I can see multiple clear orbs of crystal, each about the size of a golf ball. “Magic storage crystals,” Blades observes. “That's right. For the purposes of this mission, I have configured these crystals to respond to a signal given to any one of the others. A magical entanglement, to put it simply,” Celestia explains. Okay, Twilight touched upon magical entanglement at one point during my lessons with her, but never really got into the details. Thankfully I know what that means. It's a way of connecting two objects through a magical leyline, so that whatever happens to one of them will be reflected somehow in the other. “In this case, there are three signals: a red, black, and green signal. The red will alert your comrades and me of hostiles present in the caverns. The green will let us know if Cadance or Shining Armor has been found. Lastly, the black will serve as a signal for retreat, in case Chrysalis is indeed hiding within.” “An interesting plan, but it has its flaws,” Iron muses aloud. When Celestia looks at him for clarification, he shakes his head. “It's not something we can fix. There's really no other way of coordinating our efforts in a practical manner.” Yeah, I can see what the flaws are myself. Even if we see our orbs light up, there's no way of knowing where the signal originated from, or how bad the situation is. Literally, the black one is the only one that gives you a clear direction: to get the fuck out of dodge. “How do we activate the different signals?” Blades inquires, lifting one of the orbs with his magic. “The crystals respond to a variation in magical frequency. To put it simply, the color will change to green when touched with magic, and will proceed from red to black depending on how much magic you use,” Celestia explains. “You should take this time to familiarize yourself with the levels of magic necessary for each color.” “Good idea. Everyone grab a crystal,” Spitfire tells us, grasping one of the orbs and handing it to Rose. I reach out and take one myself, as does Iron and Blades. There's a moment as all of us start testing the crystals to see how they react to our magic. When I bring the crystal back to me, Rainbow pokes at it a few times with her hoof. I absentmindedly push her hoof away and then touch the crystal with a magic infused finger. The crystal immediately turns green, as do the rest of the crystals in the room. I take my finger off quickly, so that the others can try as well. One thing I notice after using magic is that I'm fully replenished, thanks to that long sleep I had. Also, my reservoir of magic feels deeper, as if there's more there to draw upon. Huh, I guess pushing myself to the limit during the battle with Chrysalis caused me to get a little bit stronger. We take a few more minutes to test our the crystals. Once the rest of us are done, we put the crystals somewhere that we can store them. For the other unicorns, it's in their armor. For me, it's in my pocket. “Is everyone ready?” Celestia questions, once we're all looking at her. No, Celestia. Clearly we're attempting to enter a state of meditation by looking at your face. “Yup! Though, if I might add, I'm hopin' all this preparation will be unnecessary,” Blades expresses, to which several of the others nod in agreement. “Yeah, after the thrashing we gave them, I bet they've all flown off in fright,” Fleetfoot adds hopefully. “I mean, it'd would be stupid to leave behind troops in your enemy's camp, right?” “I hope no fighting will be necessary either,” Celestia agrees with a sigh. “Now then, it's time to begin. I shall accompany you to the hive entrance.” “All right, let's go!” Iron says, and he leaves the tent first. With that, I follow him out as well, with Rainbow flanking me on the left and the other officers behind me. You know, this feels weird. That they're all treating me like I'm as important as the rest of them. Which I'm really not. I feel like the only reason I'm here is because I'm strong. I shouldn't have any say with the military higher ups, but I guess this is how things turned out. The only one here who has problems with being full of herself is Rose, as far as I can see right now. I should stop. Every time I start thinking about how things were before, what I'm dealing with now seems unreal, like I'm dreaming. Everything I deal with right now is so drastically different than what I expected to ever be doing with my life. I went from a dumb college student to a magical world where I fight bug things and befriend rainbow ponies. Yes, that sounds fucking stupid no matter how you say it. We walk through the camp. Because of all the important ponies with us, the ponies we pass stop what they're doing and take a moment to salute or bow. That makes sense, especially because Celestia just passed the rest of us and is now leading us. As I walk onto the narrow path that leads to the hive, I can't help but look off the edge. It looks like it goes pretty far down, with ledges cut into the wall, where I can see the wreckage of old mining equipment and structures. There are railroad trestles connecting the ledges, and the tracks sometimes go deeper into the mines through tunnels that trail back into the darkness. Sheesh, it looks like something out of Lord of the Rings, only with less mythril and more crystal. The group I'm in gets quiet as we approach the hive. Once we're close enough to see inside, I can see that the inside is structured, with the same arched roof design I saw in the wedding hall. The green glow that I saw from the camp is coming from small pockets of green slime embedded in the walls and floor. “Whenever you're ready, my dear ponies,” Celestia says, coming to a stop in front of the entrance. She peers in the crevice worriedly, as if afraid that there are changelings lying in wait in the darkness. “I'll go first. We'll split up at the first fork,” Iron declares. He lifts his trident with his magic and strides into the crevice, with Fleetfoot right behind him. “Sounds like a good idea ta me,” Blades comments. With his own magic, he lifts two daggers out of the crazy amount of sheaths lining his armor. After giving them a quick twirl, he motions to me. Right, I'm with him. I follow him wordlessly into the changeling hive, with Rainbow following. The darkness envelops me like a blanket, and a chill settles down my spine. I swear, once I get out of here, I'm burning this hive to the ground. With shark infested acid.