//------------------------------// // Fourteen: Hives and an old friend turned enemy. // Story: The Non-Equestrian Equestrian Hero // by New Dawn //------------------------------// What I saw outside that window, scared and relived me. It was a man, Yes a MAN not a pony, with glowing white eyes. He had very thick armor that was black with gold and red accents. On his shoulder was a thick iron, maybe, sword that was also accented with gold and a red hilt. His face was never shown but, I had a pretty good idea who it was by the armor alone. "G-G..." I tried to call out but... something inside me was stopping me. "Spit it out already!" Navi cried out. "G-G...Gavin..." I muttered, horrified at what I was seeing. "Who now?" Navi said, shivering with a mix of excitment and fear of the moment. "You heard my story. Gavin. He was the guy I came with. I never expected him to be this..." I said. I couldn't quite put my finger on the word I was looking for but soon a ear shattering crash came from the window and the same sword was sticking out of the window. "If you come willingly, maybe I'll make your deaths less painful..." A thick voice mixed with a slightly higher pitched voice spoke. "That's not Gavin anymore..." I muttered to myself, falling to my knees. "Uhh, Heather? Might I suggest something?" Navi said, shaking like a leaf. "Y-yeah... One second..." I said, feeling distant. 'I can't believe this is what happened to him... after days of worrying... this is what I get? What happened? He was perfectly happy and... I need to figure this out...' "HEATHER!" Navi screamed in my ear. "What?!" I snapped at her irritably. She pointed at a pathway between the changelings and Gavin. I slipped my shield on my arm in defense and thought. "I get it..." I whispered to her. I stood up and said "You win." A grin began to grow on his face as I started to walk closer with navi following. *SLAM* I slammed my shield into Gavin's face and ran, picking up Navi as I did. "GET THEM!" That strange mixture of voices cried out. Soon we had a army of changlings behind us as all hell broke loose. "FOR CRYING OUT LOUD NAVI! DID YOU EXPECT US TO MAKE IT OUT OF HERE ALIVE!?" I screamed as I ran for my life. "I DIDN'T GET THAT FAR!" She cried out. I could literally feel my eye twitch at that sentence... "NAAAAAAAVVVVVVIIIIII!" I screamed. I looked behind me and saw as one changeling came up and managed to sink his fangs into my left arm. I could feel a burning pain shoot up before Navi threw a right hook at the changeling's face. "Thanks!" I wheezed at her. She nodded. I began to see light as I ran past some weird green cocoons of some sort. I looked behind me again and saw that the changelings stopped. "HA! SEE YA LOSERS!" I laughed at them. "Heather? Can you slash this one?" Navi said, terrified. I slashed the one she was looking at and saw a yellow pony with a brown mane fall out and on the floor. "Braeburn!" Navi yelled as she tried to carry him. I picked him up and slung him over my right shoulder. It burned when I moved my left arm but I did get bit. I really should get that looked at. We walked through the endless sea of cocoons. half of them had ponies in them. "Who could do such a thing?" I said as I inspected a few of the green cocoons. "The changelings who are connected to the hive..." Navi said. "So, Changelings are like ants or bees?" I asked. She nodded. "And you're not connected to this hive? Do I have this right?" "Used to. It was broken the moment I got banished. Apparently I'm also a wanted outlaw in changeling hives too..." It was a walk of silence as we found the rest of the walk to the exit unguarded. We stepped out into the light and saw nothing but sand and the occasional desert plant for miles. "OH GREAT!" I yelled. "Well, we walk?" Navi said. "First? What's up with your wings?" I asked her. "Looks like Chrystalis used her magic to prevent me from using mine or my wings. We'll need a unicorn to break this... But I really don't know who would be willing to help a changeling out..." She said, looking around. "Well, Great... I guess we'll walk..." I groaned, already feeling the aches my feet are going to get. "I know what will help! A song!" Navi said, clearing her throat. "OOOOH! Ninety-Nine buckets of oat on the wall! Ninety-Nine buckets of oats! Take one down pass it around! You got ninety-One buckets of oats on the wall!! Ninety-One buckets..." She sang. I groaned as she sang THAT song. Or rather, an equestrian version of it. "This is going to be a long hike..." I muttered.