//------------------------------//
// Chapter 51; Plans for revolution 
// Story: The War of 1002 
// by Fireheart 1945 
//------------------------------//

James kept his hand by his revolver. However, he didn't shoot. The Queen wasn't acting hostile, and none of her followers showed any sign of physical aggression. He realized that he should probably have identified her sooner; being the tallest among the group, as well as female, it was obvious, or should have been. The Queen was noticeably different from Chrysalis, however. While the latter had borne what was supposed to be a mane in a sort of wild manner, Metamorphosis had her mane braided, not unlike Applejack. Chrysalis had had an unmistakable air of malevolence around her; he felt no such force around this particular queen. And, given the fact that the group she brought with her as a handful of retainers rather than an army, he didn't believe that his army was going to be attacked. So many questions that need to be answered, though, he thought. And I will have them.

"I hope you can forgive me if I say that it's difficult to believe what you've said, given that a member of your race has declared war on Equestria. That particular hive have tried to overthrow the rightful rulers of that country, and are still up in arms against it in spite of military fortunes. I think you'll understand why me and my officers will need some questions answered before we can make any sort of deal." 

The other Changelings looked worried, glancing nervously at one another. The Queen, however, merely sighed. "I thought that would be the case. I must agree, considering what would happen to my subjects if I do not." 

"Alright." Turning to Sword Stroke, he added, "Get me every officer in this army Major and above. I am calling a war council." 

"Yes sir." 

"Are you sure about this?" Shield asked him.  

James started, not realizing his friend had come so close. "No," he whispered. "But I intend to become sure, one way or the other." 

---------------------------------------------------- 

The air wasn't hot, like it had been in the desert, but it was still... dry. That was the only thing he could think of to describe it. The Badlands weren't entirely dead; the fact that Changelings could live here - that anything could live here - was proof of that. 

The army had taken defense positions, all the while keeping an eye out for hostile activity. Not all the watching was done on the land outside the camp, either; plenty of soldiers were eying the Changelings in their midst. James had a feeling, a strong one, that the visitors had no hostile intentions. But then again, he hadn't been truly present in Canterlot when the attack had taken place; many of his soldiers had. And by now, some of them had seen what Changelings could do in battle. He could understand their feelings. It would take a miracle, in his opinion, for them to lose their distrust. 

"I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them, not that that would be very far," Shield said, still glaring at the intruders. "I say we send them home; no doubt they're lying through their fangs. And even if what they're saying is true, I don't see why we shouldn't keep and eye on them every second of every day. They live off ponies' emotions, and they can disguise themselves as us at a moment's notice." 

James was going to reply, but Shield's voice suddenly came from his right; "And what would you know about it?" 

He looked. The pony before his eyes was an exact replica of Silver Shield, only without the armor. 

The Shield that did have armor jumped up from where he had been lying down. "How dare you make yourself look like me!" he roared. "Change back, immediately, or I'll haul your worthless ass to jail myself!" 

"No jails out here," the other Shield said, grinning. "The only prisons out here are in Changeling hives." 

"Is that a threat?" 

"Drone 4502," the Queen said, in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "Stop antagonizing our hosts." 

As Fix switched back to his natural appearance, James thought about the exchange. Wow. She said his number like my mother would say my name if I were in trouble. Maybe the numbers are their official designations, but they allow nicknames which they use most of the time... He broke off as he realized that his officers had gathered as he'd ordered, and were waiting for the council to begin. 

"I think you all know why we're here," he said. "We have to decide whether or not to skirt around the hive that has just contacted us, or to take a third course." 

"We should just send them away," a Major suggested. "They admitted that they were helping our enemies."

"Only because we were forced," the Queen said indignantly. 

"Even so. How do we know that you haven't come to us because you were ordered to, and were given instructions to lie?" 

The Queen looked ready to flare up, but she was clearly making a massive effort to control herself. "I can offer no proof of that. But if I came here by trickery, my hive would have great cause to regret it, and quickly. I have no reason to lie, and no room to do so. My subjects are brave, but their lives would be lost in a futile gesture if we were forced to fight. I do not want that to happen." 

She's telling the truth here. He was certain of that. "Does Chrysalis have any armies in this vicinity? As in, within ten to twenty miles of here?" 

"No. I'd say, based on the evidence, she has no idea that you're here." 

"And yet you knew. Your scouts must have detected us." 

"They did. However, we saw no need to, er, enlighten the councilors of that fact. They do not know you're here either, and unless they find out, it will remain that way." 

"Can you tell me the location of Chrysalis' hive?" 

"Oh yes," the Queen said with scorn, though it wasn't directed at him. "My subjects have had to go there to bring tribute. It's north of here, about thirty miles." 

"In that case... hmm." James scratched his chin. "I would still like some general information about Changelings to be... corrected. I have been told things about them that contradict some of what I've seen and heard of here." 

"I cannot refuse. What would you like to know?" 

"First off, I have been told that Changelings aren't really individuals, except for deviants who are somehow disconnected from the normal mindset or hive-mind or whatever one would call it." 

Metamorphosis thought about that for a few seconds, then said, "It is both true and not true. Not true in the sense that, to an extent, that members of the hive are individuals, with dreams and hopes of their own. However, drones are all connected to the will of their Queen. If we give an order, they are, except for the detractors you mentioned, obligated to follow it." 

"Then..." 

"Chrysalis' hive is ruled by a tyrant, as you well know by now. Her personality and her need to control every aspect of drone life may well have sapped the individuality of her own subjects; it's not impossible, I know that. I've noticed her own people acting almost like automatons. They act and think like she would. I should know," she added dismally. "They like to express their sense of control, even over me." 

"I was told that there was only one Changeling hive." 

"Again, yes and no. My hive and others were independent at one time. Chrysalis subdued us through sheer military might, cunning, and in many cases, outright treachery. I wouldn't argue that she tells her subjects that. It would give her greater control over her own people, and she'd largely be able to keep the truth secret, except for the few who have to know, like her councilors." 

"How would she be able to hold that fiction if she marched against you? Or for that matter, after conquering numerous hives?" 

"I assume she tells her drones that the enemies they were facing - us - were rogue drones in an outpost somewhere who had to be put down, subdued, subjugated." 

"Okay. I was told, by the same source, that you usually deal harshly with those who are not connected to the hive mind." 

"Not all of us. Mostly, we can still find uses for them. It's only those who go out of control and violently insane who have to be put down. If your source was telling the truth, then I assume Chrysalis would exterminate those that she found within her hive - probably to kill off any potential rebellion. Not that that has much bearing on reality; detractors have often contributed greatly to a Changeling hive, either in spite of or because of their differences. But naturally, a power freak wants to root out any source of independence out of fear that it would mean rebellion. And who knows?" the Queen asked, shrugging. "Considering the tyrannical way she rules, maybe those detractors would be a threat, at least from her own eyes."

James quietly mulled things over. If this were all true, and he had no reason, save the war obviously, to believe otherwise, then here was a golden opportunity to both free a subject people and deliver a striking blow against the enemy. Of course, he could just ignore Metamorphosis' hive and strike due north, crushing Chrysalis' own hive and taking her effectively out of the conflict, in which case the other hives would go free in any event. But that had it's own problems. Those councilors, who were the real power behind Metamorphosis' people, would, if they discovered his army, force their hive to war, and he would most likely be cut off from his supplies. Assuming he defeated them, it would mean that the word would be out. If Fix had it right, there would be more of Chrysalis' followers in her own hive than he'd expected. And that problem wouldn't stop there. No doubt Chrysalis had "councilors" in other hives. If those were brought to bear, however reluctantly, it would change the balance of power. 

Those hives might not want to be under Chrysalis' control, but it was likely that they had no choice. Queen Metamorphosis almost certainly had to sneak out of her own hive in order not to have been noticed. If other Queens were held hostage, he could see how they would have no choice but to fight him. And they would either destroy him and his army or be destroyed themselves in the process. 

"I still say they aren't to be trusted," a second Major said. "We can't trust a race that lives by lies and deception." 

"And how else would you have us live in our current form?" the Queen asked. "We can't help needing emotional energy to live. And if we tried to get some from an actual town or city, what do you think that would look like? A bunch of ugly, black pony-looking things coming out and saying, 'sorry for the need, but we need to buy some emotions off you'? They'd tear us to shreds or throw us in prison, all the more so now that that tyrant has made war on you. We can't help being who we are, or change our needs." 

"But perhaps we can change our attitudes toward one another," James said quietly. 

His subordinates all turned toward him. 

"Sorry to say it, Jim," Shield argued, "but I have misgiving about any alliance with creatures that look like our enemies, and live like them. If they want our help, maybe we should take this Queen hostage, that way her hive will do-" 

"Did you even hear your own words just now?" James asked, just as quietly, but with more authority behind it all. "Is that what they taught you in the Royal Guard, to take hostages and use them to your advantage? I thought they taught you loyalty and honor there, not the working of criminals." 

"They taught us those things," Shield protested. "Loyalty to the Crown and honor above all else. But-" 

"But nothing. And you know full well that dishonoring the white flag is not honorable. Quite the opposite. The white flag was made so people would have protection against what you just ignobly suggested during a truce." 

Shield didn't reply; he just stood and looked own front hooves. 

"And what of you, Crystal? What do you have to say?" 

"Me?" the aide said, surprised. "I'd be against allying with them or letting them off with nothing if I were in your place. However, I am not, and I trust your intuition. It's gotten us out of some rough times before, and I wouldn't be surprised if it did it again." 

You might not trust my intuition if you knew how much of what I know came from others, all better than I at this trade. "If I may suggest it, is it possible for you to remove the councilors?" he asked the Queen."

She scoffed. "Yes, for a while. But they'd be baaaa..." She trailed off. "I see. Are you offering a military alliance?" 

He took a deep breath. "Yes." 

Immediately, protests broke out from the ponies who heard it. 

"I am aware of your feelings!" he shouted, raising his hands for silence. "I know what another hive of this species has done. But we cannot, in light of this new evidence, place all Changelings in the same basket." He took another breath, and spoke more quietly. "Look at the practical facts. I don't think we could survive if this hive were forced to fight for our enemies, as our supply lines, already tenuous as they are, would be cut, and it is very likely that we would be discovered if we just proceeded north. A loss for the enemy is a win for our side. And, just as important, the combined strength of our own forces and the liberated hive would be stronger than if we just proceeded alone."

Of course, we'd also be freeing oppressed people from an evil tyrant, but I don't think that will sway very many of them, distrustful as they are of all Changelings. I know a few of them, or perhaps more than a few, would say it's cliché as well. Maybe it is, but I don't have to give a care about thoughts like that, so I won't.

"Hmm." The Queen thought about the proposal for a moment. "I could easily remove the councilors. They rely on fear to keep us in line. But the problem I'm worried about is that they have several guards around our nursery. They haven't interfered with our business there... yet. But they will, you can count on that. I shudder to think of what would happen if those guards got a whiff of trouble..." Here, she really did shudder. "And they have a messenger ready to go at any sign of upheaval, make no mistake about that. The coup itself would go off well enough, if only we were able to take out the guards and cut off any messenger they might send before they could carry out their threats."

"Wouldn't they be able to inform the Queen via the hivemind, or link, or whatever it's called?" 

"They would not; the Queen can force her will on her own subjects by it, but they cannot reverse the polarity, so to speak. They need to use verbal communication amongst themselves, and they would need to speak to the Queen, or give her something in writing, in order to pass on news to her. And, in order to enforce her will on her subjects, she'd have to be in relatively close proximity to them." 

"Hmm. The trouble with the whole thing is doing it right," James noted. "It can be accomplished easily enough, but preferably I'd like this to go down without a messenger getting away, and without collateral damage." He looked westward, trying to think about what needed to be done. 

"Sir, are you certain this is the course we should pursue?" 

Can't you give me a moment to think? "I am. for all the reasons I outlined a minute ago. If any of you have a better idea..." 

There was a round of muttering as the officers assembled tried to come up with a better idea. 

He took the chance to continue thinking. "Is there a secret entrance around here?" 

The Queen nodded. "That's how I was able to leave without being detected. I don't think that most of your army could follow us back, though; they'd see you for sure, even if we were successful afterwards." She shivered. "I cannot put my hive's brood at risk. If this is to be accomplished, we must do it quickly and with precision. I'd say we probably have a day, maybe two, before they find you, and then this would all come to nothing." 

"I cannot argue with that."

"But... sir... that sounds suspicious. For only a small piece of our army to enter their hive? It's ideal for you to be ambushed!" 

"I know, Major, but what choice do we have? I wasn't expecting anything like this when we left. We have to take whatever chances are given to us." And we all have to learn how to trust sometime. It's not fun, living in fear of betrayal and lies. If we pull this off, maybe we can partially erase the stain on all Changelings that Chrysalis brought. It would mean less conflict and hostility later. I don't want to win the war, only for everything to fall apart once it's over. "I've made my decision," he added. "We will form a plan in accordance with the Queen and liberate this stretch of land from enemy control." 

His officers still looked dubious at the idea, but the Changeling party visibly relaxed. Fix sighed with relief, while the Queen merely nodded in James' direction. One Changeling started dancing, only to stop when he realized that he was being stared at. 

The assembled officers began muttering to one another, but he paid them little mind. They might disagree with him, but they'd follow him. That would do. Opinions generally didn't change overnight, and an hour or two was asking a bit much. 

------------------------------------------ 

"It's right over here," The Queen said, as they walked westward. 

"What's over here?" James asked. "I don't see anything other than a few withered trees and tumbleweeds."

Metamorphosis smiled. "Which proves how effective our hiding places are." She stopped in front of a boulder and sat down. She tapped her hoof on it twice very quickly, then three more times, with more space between each tap. A final three taps in quick succession, and she stopped. 

James wasn't the only one to exclaim in surprise when a much smaller rock next to it rose, revealing what was clearly some sort of speaking tube, as one would expect to find on old steamships. It was made, not with metal, but with the same material that Chrysalis' armies had used to build their bases. A voice in Changeling came from it. The Queen answered in the same tongue. The voice came again; if James had to put a label on it, he would have said that it sounded confirmatory, as opposed to sounding questioning, as it had the first time. The tube disappeared as the rock took it's place. 

The boulder shook a little, then, as though it were on a hinge, swung onto it's side; a large hole, big enough for the whole party, had been underneath it. Now that he could see the underside of the boulder, he noticed that it was mostly hollow, though not to the point where it would collapse if somebody sat on it; light enough to swing open more easily than it would be otherwise, but strong enough to stand up to the wind and weather.

"Hiding in plain sight is easy enough for us," the Queen remarked. "This is just one of many such entrances." 

James heard one of the ponies behind him mutter something, but he wasn't able to hear the precise words. He chose to ignore it. "And why are you willing to give us such facts?" he asked. 

"Because, eventually, ponies and Changelings will have to share a world in peace, and the best way to do that is to build trust. I am willing to show off Changeling lifestyle because it will do us more good than harm. There was a time when I would have been as secretive as possible, but with the fiasco in Canterlot. that's no longer feasible. Come, if we stay out here too long, we might be spotted." 

"By what?" he asked as he followed her down the hole. 

"Her patrols. The guards they station in my hive will go on aerial patrols, looking for anything - or anypony - out of place." 

At that, the rest of the party - Silver Shield, Bright, a couple of junior officers and several privates, as well as the Changelings who had come with the Queen- followed them in. The boulder came back down. 

But unexpectedly - at least to the non-Changeling members of the group - it wasn't dark. An eerie green light spouted from crystals on the walls. It highlighted everything - true, everything looked green, but at least the light didn't make things appear out of place. 

He was pondering the light when he heard the Queen speaking with someone. Looking to his left, he saw her conversing with a Changeling that had been sitting in a nook in the wall. He quickly realized that this was the one who had been on the other end of the speaking tube. 

From the looks of it, the sentry didn't look as if he was sure that he and the Equestrian soldiers should be here. His voice was questioning again, and only after the Queen said something rather forceful - though not in a malevolent way - did he back down. 

"Sorry for the delay," the Queen said. "He's just trying to do his job. We'll probably have similar run-ins down the line with other sentries. They take their job very seriously, especially around secrets like this tunnel." 

"I suppose it can't be helped," James murmured, but offered no real protest. 

The tunnel was long, and the walls were, for the most part, black, with only the green crystals on the walls lighting the way. It was unnerving for everyone who hadn't been there before, but the Changelings took it in stride. Occasionally, they'd whisper to one another in their own language; James had a funny feeling that they were talking about him and the Equestrians. When one soldier started looking this way and that nervously, one Changeling said something to his comrade, who pretended to poke himself in the eye. Both of them chuckled, though not in a very nasty way. 

There were indeed other guards in the tunnel, at several different checkpoints; the Queen had told the absolute truth there. Each time, they tried to argue with her, but after using a measure of force in her voice, they conceded to her wishes, although they did not stop staring at the newcomers until they were out of sight. 

After they had been walking for something close to an hour, James could feel the anxiety building. He was about to ask how long it would be before they arrived when suddenly the Queen stopped, and James, after readjusting his sight, realized why. There was a black door of the same material of the tunnel just in front of them. The Queen made the same sequence of taps on the door as she had with the rock.

"Doesn't that hurt?" he asked. 

"No; Changeling hooves are just as hard and unyielding as those of ponies, and have no nerves; although of a different material, they function the same way. We'd have a harder time disguising ourselves as ponies if that were not true." Just then, a shutter in the wall next to the door opened, and the Queen again addressed someone behind it. After a few seconds of back and forth chatter, the shutter closed and the door opened. 

"Quickly, down this hallway," Metamorphosis urged. "Sorry for the lack of a welcoming committee," she added dryly, "but I wasn't expecting to bring home guests." 

"It's fine," James said quickly. 

They marched down the hall; anxiety ran high, but with the entrance into the official hive, a sense of purpose swirled inside all of them. It overcame fear and caused them to move like people on a mission, which, of course, they were. 

"Are these hallways what form the hive?" James asked. 

"Oh no, this hallway is merely connected to my chambers. You should be safe there while we make our plans for my people's  defection to your cause. The main part of the hive is, in essence, an underground city. You might find it difficult to reconcile that idea with your own image of what a city should look like, but I promise you that that is what it really is." 

"Why are you hurrying us along then, if it's so unlikely that we are to be detected?" 

"Because the councilors find out all sorts of things, and of course, that information doesn't get passed directly to me," the Queen said, again sounding dry. "They relay everything to Chrysalis, while only giving me instructions." 

"Is everything here made out of that black stuff?" Bright asked. 

"Almost everything, yes. It took many centuries to build all this." 

"What powers the crystals on the walls?" 

"Magic, of course. Fueled by emotional energy. It's all linked to a large, central crystal in the center of the city, which is where we bring the emotional energy in order to get them all to light up and stay lit." 

"Wait, doesn't that mean giving it your food?" 

"Well, yes. But that energy is used for numerous things. Without it, the walls you see would be impossible to make. It serves for all kinds of things." 

"And how many ponies do you have in prison to power it?" a soldier in the back of the group asked snidely. 

"None, idiot," the Queen said, rolling her eyes. "We have many members of the hive working daily in the nearest towns to earn that energy, not steal it. When they've collected a decent batch, they bring it here, to be used as needed, whether as food, power, mortar, or for other things. The phrase, 'a little love goes a long way' is one we take very seriously, as it's certainly true; a single delivery of energy can power these crystals for weeks on end, for example, or feed our children in the nursery for a month." 

"You said, 'our children,' in the plural," James noted. "Can Changelings other than the Queen reproduce?" 

"Yes, but reproduction from anyone other than the Queen is something very carefully watched in Changeling hives. We can't afford to have a population surplus if we consume too much energy by doing it, otherwise the children we bear would die in hunger and misery. I must carefully watch our young as they break forth from their eggs, keeping an eye on them as they grow into adolescence and ultimately adulthood. Every so often, I run into a youngster who is disconnected from what you might call the 'hivemind'. As our usual means of preserving our control over them - not that I like to exercise it much, personally - won't work with them, they need special classes, as well as mentors to watch over them and help them to become productive members of the hive." 

"You act like yours is a civilized society," Shield said. 

"It is, even if you don't or won't recognize it as such. I am indeed the ultimate lawmaker in the hive, but I put rules in effect to bring about peace and prosperity, not to abuse power, as she does. The hive is run much like a city above ground, although perhaps more tightly than you'd be used to; as I said earlier, having too many mouths to feed would be trouble, even with the energy that our many deliveries would bring, and, being despised by most people outside, we need to be highly disciplined and obedient to survive and thrive in this environment." She stopped talking as they came to another door. She didn't tap this one; rather, she used magic to shape a sort of spiral into the door; the green light melded into the door and disappeared, leaving no mark or other trace of it's existence, but a moment later there was a click, and the door opened. 

"Welcome to my room," The Queen said. 

The room was large, as large as one would expect a royal bedroom to be. Although the walls were black, most of the other objects in the room had color. The bed was... a bed, with actual quilts and sheets and all a bed would require; it was large and had a pink curtain around it, forming a sort of roof over the bed as well. A crystal, of white this time, stood atop a golden post near the door, where it gave light; a much bigger white crystal that hung from the roof of the room - positioned over the bed - lit the entire room. A small chair and table, both made of wood, stood near a window to their left, close to yet another door, one that was very tall and very grand. A door on the opposite end of the room was less fancy, but it looked at though it got more use. 

"Where did you get all this?" James asked. "It doesn't look like it was made by Changelings."

"You're right, it wasn't. Most of it wasn't, anyway." 

"Have you been stealing things from ponies' homes?" the same soldier from before demanded. 

The Queen said something that sounded foul in Changeling, then rounded on him. "No! Do you still think we can only live by unfairly taking that which belongs to others? It's simple. Our harvesters, and yes they are disguised, earn money as well as making energy; it gets sent back to the hive, where we use the currency to buy things we can't make ourselves, or that are of better quality than things we could make on our own. We went through a period of making our own beds; they didn't measure up as well as ones made by ponies." 

"So you have a treasury of sorts?" James asked." 

"Yes. And of numerous types of currency, in case we need to purchase things in lands other than Equestria. It's nothing compared to the treasury in Canterlot, but it's a whole lot better than not having money at all. Besides comfort, we buy medicines and supplies for dealing with the injured, as well as tools to help in our construction. Not that we need tools so much; we could live without them. But a lot of things are easier to do when you have access to better technology, and having some creature comforts takes a bit of the heat off when you've had a bad day." 

"Interesting," a pony in the group said, looking at the crystals. "What are they made of?" 

"We call them sssssiirrrraccck, but you can call them... oh, bother, I don't think there's a word in your language that that would properly translate to. We make them out of some kind of crystal, which we call by the name I've just told you; each is carefully carved and given a node to connect to the big crystal in the center of the hive; the same goes for all of them." 

"Why do you people like black and green so much?" 

"It matches the color of our natural bodies, as well as that of our magic." The Queen shook her head. "We've wasted enough time with nonessential trivia questions. Now it's time to get down to business." She motioned for them all to sit in a circle; while the Equestrians mumbled, they complied. James touched the floor as he sat down; the material felt hard, but not in the same context as concrete or rock. Something about it told him that it was a sturdy material, well designed for building. 

To his surprise, he found the Queen pointing a hoof at him. Feeling grateful about the invitation to speak first, James said, "I must thank our hosts for having brought us here, and for giving us the chance to form a new alliance. Forgive me, but I must ask if this room is secure."

"It is. I don't normally stand up to the councilors much, so they haven't found a need to take over my palace." 

"Alright then. The main problem will be to get the..." He stopped and frowned, though not out of anger. "Do you have a map of the hive? It would help out greatly." 

"I do." The Queen's horn lit up again, and a large scroll appeared in a flash of green; it unfolded and lay flat before them. 

She's right that this is a city, he thought. It clearly wasn't as big as Canterlot, but it was still fairly big, considering that it was underground. He could see various blocks and what he assumed were important buildings - he couldn't tell, because they were all labeled in some sort of Changeling script. One really big building, ornate and tall, was off to one side. "Is this the palace?" 

"Yes. It's where we are now." 

"How come it was built off to the side, and not in the center?" 

"Because, assuming there was the be an attack, the enemy wouldn't be able to trap the current monarch - namely, me, but my predecessors and my successors as well - in her own palace. Other hives were built with the palace in the center, but escape from the middle of a city would be difficult. I may abscond from here whenever I need, taking those who escaped the enemy's grasp with me in order to regain my hive at another time. But again, enough questions. What is your plan?" 

"Hmm." James scratched his chin - Ugh, I need a shave - as he thought about the issue. "Well, first off, I need to know where the nursery is." 

"it's right here, not far from the palace," Metamorphosis replied, pointing at a large, circular building. "They have guards all around it; they won't let our own people do it, as they know that doing this pretty much guarantees their hold over us." 

"How many?" 

"Usually about thirty or fifty; enough so that some of them could..." The Queen appeared reluctant to go on. "Could do... to our young..."

'Okay," James quickly said. "Is there anything we could do to distract them?" 

"They are very dedicated to their job. They just stand there, threating any of us who get too close, with the exception of those who need to get in to care for our brood. It would take something pretty big to get them away from their posts." 

"Would an explosion do the trick?" 

"Hmm... it might, but we don't produce war materials in the hive." 

"Is it possible to overload one of those crystals, so that it would blow up?" 

"Yes. That happens every once in a great while, but we take great care to prevent that from happening, and at any rate the explosion wouldn't be big enough to distract them." 

"What about that big crystal?"

"No, absolutely not. It is vital to keeping power flowing throughout the city. It does more than just provide light, of that I can assure you. However, there are a number of smaller, secondary crystals around the city that we've built, in case the big one broke or somehow stopped working. We could overload one of those with emotional energy and cause the detonation you're looking for, but I'm still not sure it would work. What are you planning if it does work?"

"To surround them somewhere, in a place where we would have the advantage. Are they the only garrison troops here?" 

"They are the only substantial garrison, but there are groups of guards all over the hive. I'd say maybe thirty groups of two guarding certain areas, as well as patrols, probably about the same number. Including replacements for when a watch has to sleep, I'd say between a hundred and seventy five to two hundred eighty, more or less." 

"And how many of your hive live here?" 

"Twelve thousand, not counting children. I suppose if we could lure them away from their posts, we could surround and attack them as they're scattered. I could organize an attack like that, although it would take time for the word to spread, and more time still to actually organize things. And the main problem would still be the safety of the young in the nursery." 

"Hmm. You said that they allow in those who are assigned to care for them?" 

"They do. I can see what you're trying say, and I'm sure attacking them from within the building would not be enough, as the nurses don't number very many. The same would apply if I put them there to guard our young." 

"What about the routine? What do the foreign Changelings do during the day?" 

"Nothing much, other than guard, patrol, east, and sleep. The councilors stay in a residence across from the nursery, close enough to the palace to get here quickly, and close enough to the nursery so that the guards can get to them if there's any trouble." 

"Are any of those secondary crystals near their residence? It sounds like that would get the guards' attention without their thinking that it was an attack." 

"There's one that is fairly close, but not close enough to do any damage, if that's what you're thinking." 

"No, although that would be great, as it would add to the deception. Well, could we hold the councilors prisoner?" 

"No. That wouldn't work. They'd order the guards to attack the nursery anyway, even if we cut their throats afterward. That's how dedicated they are to her." 

"Well then-" 

Suddenly, there was a knock on the less fancy door. "Hold on," the Queen said as she stood up. 

------------------------------------------------------------ 

Queen Metamorphosis felt a sense of dread as she went to answer the door. Could they have found out so quickly? She tried, with difficulty, to restrain her thoughts. No, this must be something else. There's no logical way they could have found out what we were doing. She stopped just shy of the door. "Yes?" she asked in Changeling, opening the door with magic to see a member of her own hive.  

"Sorry to bother you, your Majesty, but Chrysalis' councilors have... requested to see you at once."

Surely...? "I guess I have no choice. I will come down immediately."

"Your Highness is the very image of-"

"I will come down." Then. seeing that the courtier was looking at the crowd in the room, she added, "Not a word to anyone about this. Do I make myself clear?" 

"Yes, my Queen. I will keep silent." The servant left. 

"I apologize," she said to her guests. "I have no choice but to see the councilors." 

The leader - the one who wasn't a pony, but some sort of bipedal person - looked alarmed, and his hand reached for the gun on his belt. 

"No, no!" she said, raising a hoof to forestall him. "You are my guests, and come under our protection. Plus, I don't think they know you're here. They like to barge in at unexpected times," she added. "They like to keep us on the edge of our hooves." 

She didn't stay any longer but walked down the stairs. 

She thought about the whole affair so far. Changelings weren't mind readers, but they could detect the different emotions coming off of others. Most of the ponies were distrustful of her; the Guard certainly was, though not hateful. The one in the back who had accused her hive of stealing things definitely despised her people, regardless of whether or not they made a (to her, at any rate) honest living. The strange being wasn't as bad as the others, but he was still slightly apprehensive. It would have to do. 

Assuming the plan worked, and her hive was freed, and the war won... what would happen after that? Would her hive be able to mingle freely with ponies? Or would mistrust and anger destroy them? Would the Princesses demand the annexation of her people to their own, just to keep an eye on them? 

Whatever life we'll live then, it will be infinitely better than living under that  monster. She easily remembered years of enforced servitude. Of how she herself was slapped or kicked when unwilling or unable to comply with a demand. Of her subjects receiving treatment just as bad, if not worse. Of how the councilors took energy her hive had harvested and gave it to Chrysalis to use. Being an Equestrian protectorate wouldn't be so bad, compared to that; at least physical punishment would be forbidden, if I know Celestia. And I do. It had been years ago; she'd disguised herself as a particularly tall unicorn mare - it had to be a tall one, for Changeling disguises were more or less cosmetic - and seen the Princess in person at a great ball before the years of oppression by Chrysalis. She'd even gotten to speak with her for a few minutes. 

She could also remember the day that the skies blackened with enemy Changelings, and how, after her army was virtually destroyed in the battle to keep the invaders out, the evil Queen, Chrysalis, had walked up to her, arrogant and behaving like there was nothing whatsoever to fear, and demanded, in a calm yet cold voice, for her surrender. 

And of course, for us to have any future after that, I had to agree. They had us by the throat, and they would have squeezed. Hard. She still felt a tear come to her eye whenever she remembered the sadness in the eyes of the few of her soldiers who had remained, and how one of them had promised that, no matter what happened, he would fight to protect her if he had to, against Chrysalis or anyone else. 

Her own people were still ready to obey her, to glory or ruin, and that wasn't simply because of her power to enforce obedience, though she could have used this. It was mainly because they loved her, although, considering the fact that she had been unable to protect them from the attack, she didn't think it was deserved. 

"About time you got here, slouch!" 

That hated voice drew Metamorphosis out of her thoughts. Two councilors and a couple of their guards were standing in the throne room, waiting for her. "And what request would you offer me today?"

"We do not 'request' anything, as you ought to know by now," one said, sneering at her. "We demand, and you'd better fulfill our demands, or you and your worthless people will suffer for it, mark my words."

"Fine. What are your demands this time?" 

"Watch your tone, scum." The one who had spoke slapped her across the face. "Now, we have received our instructions from the Queen of all Changelings, Her Majesty Chrysalis herself, and we now relay them to you. The needs of the current conflict require more effort from this hive, which is but a mere extension of her Majesty's own, the councilor said, sneering nastily at that last. 

"And?"

"We require more energy than this hive has been supplying us. You will give us fifty percent of your stock immediately, with 25 percent more of that which is delivered to be brought to us."

"But... That would mean our own hive would lose food and vital power that it cannot afford!"

Slap! "How dare you question us?" the more prominent of the two said. "Your worthless people are as nothing before the needs of our Queen! You will comply, or your hive will feel our displeasure. Do you understand? DO YOU!?!" 

"I... I understand."

"You'd better see reason faster in the future. Her Majesty's patience is not infinite."

What patience? she thought. Fifty percent of our current stock, as well as 25% more of the energy our harvesters deliver? That will cripple us! Our hatchlings will go hungry, and my subjects as a whole will starve! Not to mention that to make up for the food shortage that we'll have to draw back on power, leaving our hive dark most of the time. We won't be able to recover from that easily. Then, almost as an after thought, she wondered, I wonder if other hives have received similar demands.

"Still worried about your own miserable subjects, are you? We told you, your hive is but nothing compared to our Queen's needs. If your subjects serve us well, they will not be harmed... beyond what the shortage will cause them, of course. Delay, and things will go poorly. Very poorly. You do not want to see how poorly they will fare."

Curse you both! "I will comply, and send out the necessary orders," she sighed. 

"Good. Remember, we have guards... protecting your nursery. It would be a shame if we had to issue certain orders to them. Farewell, slave of our Queen. Until we receive further orders."

Metamorphosis resisted the urge to burn them to a crisp with her magic. It had been like this for more than seven years. The only thing that was really protecting the councilors were their threats, as well as the might of the hive they represented. They knew it, and hid behind those levers. 

It's a good thing we're starting an uprising. If I had any doubts about it's necessity, they're gone now. If they demanded this, they'll take more. Sooner or later, we'd have to stand up for ourselves. Better to do it while we still have some strength, instead of letting them drain us little by little. And we'd better do it fast; they'll be wanting it within half a day, although they might let me get off with just a beating. That last she thought without any real fear. She wasn't afraid for herself, except in that she was necessary for her hive. She was far more afraid for her subjects, and what would happen if the uprising didn't work, than she was for herself. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

James waited with trepidation as the silence went on. The ponies had gone to their weapons, and he himself had kept his hand on his pistol, though he hadn't drawn it. Nobody was aiming at anyone else yet; the Equestrians were just jumpy. For five minutes, nothing was said by either party; the only sound was that of anxious breathing. 

Finally, one of the Changelings said something in his own language to another, who responded. James noticed something feminine about the second. After all the information he'd received, it shouldn't have surprised him, but it did. 

Bright noticed too. "You're a mare?" he asked. 

The female Changeling said something that sounded hardly complimentary in her own language, then said, "Yes, I am female. Why should that surprise you?" 

"Well, I just thought..." 

"You thought all of us, save the Queen, were mindless drones connected to the Queen purely by a sort of mind control." 

"Uh, well, er... how was I supposed to know? You all look the same to me! Same size, same muzzle, no eyelashes or anything to tell you apart!" 

"Are your eyes really that dull?" the female asked, rolling her eyes. "My comrades and I can tell each other apart with ease. The size and location of the holes in our bodies, for example, as well as by the state and shapes of our manes." 

"Are you calling me blind?" 

"No, just foolish." 

Fix turned to her. "Scree carrack clee!" 

"Sil sokk qulock!" she replied, turning to him. 

Fix reeled back, as though stung. 

"What did she say?" James asked. 

"Nothing I can repeat in public," Fix answered. 

"Next time, don't try to shut me up!" the female Changeling said, keeping her eyes on him. 

"I didn't say that!" Fix protested. "Be careful around Meta," he added, looking at Bright. "She's a little fiery." 

"Don't speak for me, especially when you're saying things about me!" Meta snarled. 

"Can you guys please stop arguing?" another Changeling in the group said, rubbing his temples with a hoof. "You know how I don't like loud noises." 

"Sorry, Calcareus," Fix said, turning to look at him. "I'd forgotten." 

"And I keep telling you, call me Cal," the third Changeling replied. "Who would want a name like 'Calcareus'?" 

"It's better than Cicadellidae," yet another Changeling, also a female, spoke up. "I don't know what they were thinking when they named me." 

"Wow," a young private in the group whispered, "they're talking just like ponies would." 

"And why shouldn't we?" Meta asked forcefully - clearly, the private hadn't been quiet enough. "Except for the link to the Queen and our need for emotional energy to survive, we are basically like ponies." 

"I can see why you'd think otherwise, though," Cal said, rubbing an eye this time. "Sometimes, I wonder whether or not Chrysalis' subjects aren't a separate species, considering how so much more insect-like they act." 

"As far as I'm concerned, they are another species," Meta said, stomping her hoof, hard, on the floor. "After what they've done to us for seven years and more, they aren't Changelings. They're monsters." 

"You know they can't help it... not entirely, anyway," Fix said. "Their Queen is responsible." 

"'Not entirely.'" Meta quoted. "I've seen those worthless councilors; they enjoy their job! And most of their guards, too. Maybe a few of them don't like it, but it's not like they do anything to help us, either." 

'How come you speak English as well as we do?" James asked. 

"Oh, it's a required course for all Changelings," Meta shrugged. "Those assigned as harvesters have to learn more than the Equestrian tongue. It's basically a second language to us, although we usually use our own language in the hive." 

"Then..." 

"Sometimes we slip into this speech more easily around ponies," Fix explained. "Maybe it's a subconscious sort of thing, I don't know." 

"In any case," Meta went on, "We're sick and tired of being pushed around, of being beaten for failing or being late, and for standing up to them. And knowing our allies halfway hate us doesn't help, either." 

"No one here said that," Shield protested.

"But you feel it. I can sense your distaste, your dislike - from one of you, even hatred. And all of you are anxious; I don't even need my ability to detect emotions to know that." 

"Are you saying that you can read our minds?" Bright asked cautiously.

"Of course not. But I can easily deduct certain things from the emotions coming off of you. For example, you're feeling nervous, but very curious, so I can make a good guess that you're actually trying to get rid of at least some of your preconceptions about us." 

Bright stood sat there, staring. 

"Felt a little surprise there from each of you," the female Changeling said, grinning a little. But that smile quickly died. "And now the distrust is back, even stronger this time." 

"Yeah, well, considering that you're able to do all that," Shield muttered, "it's rather obvious why."

"So, just because we can do this - a natural ability that we just have - you won't trust us?" 

"We did get attacked by Changelings, and you admitted that members of your hive were fighting against us." 

"By force. For the love of... do you think we'd fight for her if we had the choice? I've lost a brother in this war! Most of us have! If they didn't hold our hatchlings as hostages, we'd have rebelled long ago!" 

"Unless your Queen wanted otherwise."

"Well, of course," Meta answered, as if to a child trying to learn. "But she's just as sick of this occupation as we are, and at least she's tried to protect us, insofar as she could." 

"Does she have to use her power to enforce her demands much?" James asked. 

"What, her? No! She doesn't use it often. She doesn't have to; we follow her for as much as who she is as what she is. She's always joyful when new eggs are laid, she tries to organize things so that everything runs on time, and she always tries to be there to help someone out when a loss, whether material or otherwise, is suffered. Also, she likes to sneak out of the hive to purchase books from Equestrian stores for the hive library." She sounded wistful as she said this. 

"Or rather, she did," Cal said. "For the last seven years and more, we've been stuck under that beast, and since then, we've been, well... you ponies might say poor, or dismal, but neither word does justice to it. I don't think any words could." 

"And it's not like you take how we feel about ponies into account," Cicadellidae added. 

"How you feel...?" 

"Right. Ponies are all rich, and they're happy, and they never run out of love. And yet they never think of giving that love freely to us." 

"That's just biased!" 

"And your views of us aren't?" 

"..." 

"It might be illogical to feel that way, but when things go especially wrong, sometimes members of our hive blame it on the idea, justified or not, that ponies are to blame for it all. It isn't fair, true, but they can't help but think how much better things would be if ponies weren't so stingy with their love."

"But... how were we supposed to know? It's not like you went out of your way to reveal yourselves that much," Bright complained.

"No, that's true, but facts tend to be ignored when people are angry. And, since Chrysalis' guards give us a beating when we get angry at them, we don't have any other real outlet for our anger and misery." 

"But.. what have we ever done to you?" 

"We could ask you the same question. Our hive has always tried to interact peacefully with ponies, though, yes, in secret; I doubt, as had been said before, that you'd take well to the appearance of our actual bodies. I've definitely been able to get out of the hive every so often. It might be why I find it harder to blame ponies for our problems." 

"So, we both have stereotyped ideas of each other," Bright said, finally nodding. 

The door on the other side of the room opened, surrounded by green magic. Queen Metamorphosis walked through and shut it. "They don't know you're here," she said quickly. "However, we must move quickly; they've demanded fifty percent of our stock of energy, as well as twenty five percent more of that coming in from deliveries."

The other Changelings all gasped. 

"But... how will we feed our families?" Fix yelled. 

"We can't let them get away with this!" Meta greed, thrusting a hoof into the air. "If they want this today, they'll want more tomorrow. Soon, the hive will wither away to nothing!" 

"I told them that; they gave me the usual response to objections," the Queen said. "It's a good thing you and your army came, actually; given the fact that they have no knowledge of your presence here, they would have made it whether you came or not. I don't know what they'd do with that energy, but I am not about to let them get it; we'd starve." 

"Hmm. Maybe it would be a good idea for them to get that delivery of energy... or at least, a small part of it," James said, thinking. 

"What? I thought you were with us!" 

"I am. Is the energy explosive?" 

"...What are you planning?" 

"Let's say that a big cartful of energy was brought past the councilors' residence. And say it happened to explode in an obvious accident. The guards' need to ensure the safety of their superiors will entice them to abandon their posts to help... whereupon they end up surrounded by an angry crowd of your subjects and captured." 

"This is the same plan you outlined earlier. Why this one modification?" 

"Because, the more convenient the 'accident', the less likely the guards will be to assume you had any deliberate part in it, and the less likely they are to attack the nursery." 

"Hmm. It might work. But I doubt they'll just give up; either way, it means that some of our people will die." 

"It does. But at least your hatchlings will be spared, ensuring the future of the hive." 

"Indeed. Of course, they might assume we blew it up the energy in a deliberate attack, and... well... I just don't know whether the risk is worth it. But," she continued. "after the recent meeting, I have no choice but to initiate some kind of action." 

"Why don't we combine an explosion with something else?" Cal suggested. "Maybe we could stage some kind of fake protest rally to distract them..." 

"That's possible," the Queen said, "but they'll counter something like that with force, and an open protest would make the explosion seem less accidental, and they'll take punitive measures anyway." 

"Oh."

"In any case, the army is expecting a signal from us within 36 hours," James added. "Hmm. If we made some kind of feint attack from the outside, that might distract the guards. As they're going to fight, they'll be surrounded and crushed."

"It's possible," the Queen admitted, "but the councilors will be the first to demand that we go and fight, and I have no idea if they'd send the guards out to fight. Probably not; they're brutal, but not stupid. It would be easier to live under them otherwise. They'd know that the hive would be subject to a change in sides at that point." 

James sighed. "I know how to handle military affairs to a point, but I'm not prepared to deal with this particular kind of hostage taking, where the executioners would take orders to kill their captives and do them in spite of the loss or capture of their leadership. Honestly, other than a situation at Trottingham, I've never seen anything this... dark before in this world. If this were something where I come from, it would usually fall to police - or special, heavily armed police units - to deal with this."

"Maybe so, but that's not the case here." The Queen shook her head. "There are hundreds of baby Changelings in the nursery, defenseless. Any provocation we make - that's obvious, anyway - would lead to their.. their... t-t-termination." She shook badly and covered her eyes. 

"Is there a secret entrance into the nursery?" James asked. 

"No. Sadly, before the takeover, we didn't think anyone could d-do such a thing." 

"Hmm."

"And there's the possibility that some of the guards might remain, no matter what we do." 

"I guess we'll have to make a kind of flexible plan that takes multiple contingencies into account," James said. "Even if some of the guards left, they'd almost certainly leave a hole of sorts in their coverage. If we have a group smuggle the kids out the windows where and when they aren't looking, that might solve the problem." James rubbed his forehead. "It's possible that we could do that, as well as the distraction. Would the guards immediately attack the nursery if we took Cal's idea into account?" 

"Hmm. A rally - assuming no explosion - would draw their attention if it came down their street. And no, as long as the action weren't taken for open rebellion, they might harm the children. That doesn't apply for the marchers, though, who would be put in harm's way, and if any of them were caught, they might be killed." 

"Hmm. We're back to our old plan then." Cal put a hoof to his chin. "Maybe what we do is this; blow something up - 'accidentally', of course - outside the councilors' house. Surround and take out the guards that come to check things out as soon as they're out of sight of the rest. Set up roadblocks - again, out of sight of the nursery - that keeps other guards from informing the ones stationed there of our activities. Try to rescue the hatchlings from holes in their perimeter coverage in the meantime." 

"I can't say it's without risk," the Queen said. "But something like that sounds like our best choice. The roadblocks shouldn't be hard to set up; all we'd need are maybe thirty of our own at each place to block off the streets at any place, as the patrols only go in twos; we'd take out any who decided to check things out. Of course, they might try to fly over such partitions, but that's something any of us can do too, so that shouldn't be much of a problem. And maybe we could pull an attack from inside the nursery, as you suggested earlier, once our children have been evacuated." She sighed. "I'm putting all of us at great risk," she said, looking at her subjects in particular. 

"Well, once you've said that what we'll do, there's no choice but to do it, is there?" Fix said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Your Highness, We'll all do our part." 

"Yeah!" Meta added. She said something further in Changeling, something that actually brought a smile to the Queen's face. 

"I suppose we'd better get started, then," the Queen said, standing up. "I haven't had much hope for the past seven years," she added. "But now, which the chance before us, I'm starting to know once more what it feels like." Then, still smiling, she turned to the Equestrian party. "As for our guests... Welcome to the hive!"