//------------------------------//
// Chapter Sixteen: A Tale Of Two Alphas. 
// Story: Gone Mustang 
// by BurningBright 
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Dawn could feel her heart pounding in her chest, with every Moment Chrysalis and her guards were drawing closer. The guards turning over everything in their search for the intruder. This was hardly normal circumstances and the queen was angry, extremely so.  

From a safe Vantage Aberration watched with the others of the collective, they wanted to help, but knew that the queen was too powerful, there were not many like them, and for the first time in their lives they felt something new. Fear for their own lives. As the queen approached though Aberration had an idea, she passed the thought to the others, then they nodded in agreement and went to find the ponies.

They searched the area desperately for the refugees, the queen did not have many guards, they knew the hive guard would not risk the queen in direct conflict, even the queens orders did not take priority over the programming they had ingrained into them to keep her safe from harm. The problem was once they escaped the hive where did they go? That little filly didn't have long if Chrysalis was pissed off with her and they all knew it. 

The hive was calling out to them and they couldn't resist forever though. If they tried for too long the
fight would be well and truly lost and they would all be identified. They searched as long as they could before turning back with a heavy heart.

Chrysalis could practically taste the fear from the little pony that had dared to invade her sanctum. Around her her guards were turning the area upside down searching for Dawn. Chrysalis was enjoying this, ponies were jumpy and this one was alone. She encouraged her guards to make as much noise as they possibly could. Maybe if they were loud enough their target would panic and make a break for it. If not then so be it, she could easily post guards and leave the wretched creature to die of starvation or thirst waiting for an opening to escape. Time was on her side here and she would enjoy making the pony squirm for what they had done.

Dawn crawled back further into her short term refuge as the guards started to approach. Then the alpha of the Hardshells came up to the hiding place, Dawn felt herself panicking as she was surrounded in a magic field her hooves leaving the ground. “Come on out you filthy little whorse” Snarled Chrysalis, ”it's time  for you to pay the price for disrupting my hive.” Then there was a commotion outside and the magic surrounding her suddenly released. Then she found herself meeting the gaze of a single green eye. 

Queen Chrysalis was not having a good day at all , today she had been robbed of food her hive relied on, betrayed by her own subjects, her hive had been damaged badly. The nymphs in the hatchery had been startled, upsetting all the carers and stirring the hive up badly, her large love draining pods had all been sabotaged so severely that repairing them would take months . She had been booted in the eye by food. Now just as she finally caught up with her target something hit her hard. Slamming her into the rock wall with several tonnes of force. Weakened as she was she couldn't shrug that off , she heard a sickening crunch as her body slammed into the rock behind her, a long lancing pain as her already weakened chitin was smashed with the force of an avalanche with teeth.  and the world went black. 

One eye snorted as she stepped away from the unconscious alpha, this pony had fed her pups. She would not see the pup come to harm. Around her the guards buzzed angrily, the queen was injured, with concern they noticed the damaged chitin, and the green ichor leaking from the cracks. She would survive these wounds but the queen was the hive, she had to be taken to safety. But they could not let the one who had injured her escape. Inside them two conflicting sets of instinctual commands were fighting against each other. Then the rocks around them crumbled and slid just a little bit,  a realisation hit them, this wasn't one old Timber Wolf, from the rocks above them they heard a snarl and looked up.
One eye's pups were glaring down at them balefully, they had filled out nicely, these were not old Timber Wolves, this was a pack in its prime prepared to defend their alpha and mother to the death. It wasn't like a lone pony could survive that and that tipped the scales a lot, not in the queens favour. 
Thinking quickly they realised they were outnumbered. One eye quickly pawed at the burrow widening it, snatched the Pony, and ran off . Turning to the fallen queen they gingerly picked her up, and started to carry her back to the hive. They would report the enemies demise to the queen as soon as she woke up. For now though they could not afford to risk the queen being devoured too.

Dawn was confused now, this was the same wolf that had once tried to eat her, yet here it was carrying her around like a wayward pup. She attempted to wriggle free, that action was soon discouraged though by a warning growl. Then she was dropped, not too far from the group of ponies, they were watching nervously. Dawn went to follow the pack , and suddenly found herself faced with several sets of fangs bared in gentle warning. 

Then Dawn understood, in helping them she had left the pack, they were even now. With a few tears Dawn turned back and headed towards the ponies. Right now they needed all the help they could get, and she fully intended to provide it. 

With a glance back at the creatures who had taught her everything she knew about how to survive the wilds, and a look of thanks she stepped into the group of ponies, ignoring it when they backed away anxiously. It seemed that this little group had a lot to learn.