//------------------------------// // Into The Black // Story: Fallout: Equestria - Project HIVE // by Cascadejackal //------------------------------// PROJECT HIVE Into The Black Damsel and Ironside stood together by the wall, out of the way of the party. It seemed like everyone in the Stable was crammed into the cafeteria, the crowd spilling out into the surrounding corridors. The cheering and laughter was deafening, hope spreading like wildfire from the announcement of the mission. "Morale went all-out," Damsel observed, taking a sip from her cup of punch. Ironside nodded. "They sure did. We're setting out tomorrow, so they wanted to give us a proper send-off." He sipped his own punch, looking at the crowd thoughtfully. "I heard Gingersnap and Tagalong talking; they've got something bigger planned for when we get back." Damsel shrugged, her wings buzzing lightly. "We'll need to bring back good news, then..." The pair fell into silence, watching the party raging around them. After a minute, Ironside swallowed the last of his punch. "Not gonna be much time tomorrow..." He said. Damsel grunted in response, preoccupied with watching the crowd. "Look, Damsel, Merry... she..." Ironside sighed and shook his head, deciding to just get it over with. "She wants you in our herd." Damsel blinked, her ear twitching to aim at her partner, but kept her eyes on the crowd. "She's getting broody... her nest is empty, Holly is all grown up and has her own place... and... well, Merry doesn't like you living alone. You're practically family already..." He paused, watching the changeling for a reaction. She stayed passive, her face betraying none of her thoughts. "You don't have to say anything now. Just, keep in it mind. Give her an answer when you get back." Ironside settled down, wishing he hadn't finished his punch, just so he'd have something to do in the suddenly uncomfortable silence between himself and his partner. "Might be nice," Damsel mused, surprising Ironside but still not looking at him, "Having someone to come home to, I mean. Merry's a good mare... you're not so bad yourself..." The corner of her muzzle curled upwards in a small smile as her eyes flicked to the side, glancing at her partner for a moment before returning to the crowd. "We'll talk about it when we get back." Ironside relaxed and nodded with a small smile of his own, the pair going back to watching the party but shuffling slightly closer together. Holly laughed as she grabbed her friend's hoof, dragging him into the crowd, lured out by the pounding music that filled the cafeteria. "C'mon, Lory! Let's dance!" Lorikeet half-heartedly tried to resist, but didn't do anything more than slow the pegasus down as she dragged him deeper into the crush. "Holly, I thought we were waiting until I got back for the party!" "We are, but there's one now, too!" Holly laughed again and snapped her wings open, taking to the air, where pegasi and changelings were busy dancing. Since she still had a firm grasp on Lory's hoof, though, the flutterpony was yanked up with her and flailed around for a moment before spreading his own wings to regain his balance. "Holly," Lory said as he fluttered in place, his large wings beating slowly, "I don't... know... how to... dance..." He trailed off, watching his oldest friend flailing around, a look of pure glee on her face even as she turned the immediate airspace around them into a no-fly zone with her terrible dancing. "Did you say something?!" Holly called out as she did a small loop-de-loop around Lory, coming to a halt in front of him and upside down, her mane a dangling mess and a broad grin on her face. Lory just sighed and shook his head before moving closer to Holly, trying to corral her and keep the number of injuries from her dancing to a minimum. Dawn approached, the party having ended hours before. Despite the early hour, the Hive was still alive with the bustle of activity. Equipment needed to be checked, farewells needed to be said. Much of the activity was centered in the Security offices, the Equestrian team going over their final preperations under Ironside's watchful eye, but Lorrikeet was headed in a different direction, following the corridors and halls towards the Maintenance stalls, guided by the Regent's presence in the hivemind. His saddlebags were filled with everything he could think to bring, love crystal and food nestled beside bandages and canteens, and he'd taken care to mark every landmark he could on his Pipbuck. It didn't take long for him to reach his goal, and he paused to get his bearings. The Maintenance stalls were dull, with monotonous grey walls for the most part, broken up by resin reinforcing and the occasional scorch mark or grease stain, but after a moment (and asking through the hivemind) he moved on, quickly finding the right door and stepping through. He blinked in suprise as the door hissed closed behind him. "Ma'ams." Lory stood at attention. Both Chief Damsel and the Regent were waiting for him, with one of the changeling Maintenance personnel, and Damsel was... naked? Her security barding lay on a nearby table, along with her Pipbuck and saddlebags. Lorikeet didn't know what to think. "You wanted to see me?" The Regent nodded. "That's right. Officer Lorikeet, are you aware of the importance of your mission?" Damsel remained silent, watching impassively. Lorikeet tried to stand even straighter. "Yes, ma'am." The Regent nodded again. "Then you understand that this isn't a mission for Security." "Ma'am?" Suprised, Lorikeet blinked. The Regent eyed him carefully. "First, your Pipbuck. Honeycut, remove it." As the changeling moved in, Lorikeet raised his foreleg so the technician could get to it easier. "Um, ma'am, won't I need my Pipbuck?" Lorikeet asked, curious. "No." The Regent shook her head. "As I said, this isn't a mission for Security. Any connection to the Stable is to be minimal, and your Pipbuck tracks your movements." She gave the young flutterpony a stern look. "We cannot allow anyone to know the location of Flutter Valley. Do you understand?" "Ma'am, yes ma'am!" Lory would have saluted, if it wasn't for the technician working on his foreleg. "Good." The Regent nodded, a pleased smile making its way onto her muzzle. "You are being placed under the command of Queen's Guard Damsel." "Queen's... Guard...?" Lorikeet felt his knees go weak, barely registering the low click and sudden feeling of lightness as his Pipbuck was removed. He looked at Damsel, the changeling he'd only known as his Chief, now revealed to be one of the Queen's Guard, the protectors of Hive and Queen. "Ma'am.. you're..." "She is." The Regent nodded again. "Damsel, are you prepared?" "Almost, ma'am." Damsel reached into her saddlebag, bringing out a helmet quite unlike the Security riot helmets. It was dark blue, glossy, the finish almost shell-like, utterly alien to pony design. She lowered the helmet onto her head slowly, fitting her horn and ears through holes in it, her finned crest standing proud through a slot in the back. When it was secure, she saluted. "Queen's Guard Damsel, awaiting orders, Captain." Lorikeet gaped, his jaw falling open in shock. "C-Captain? Ma'am, Regent, ma'am, you're the Captain of the Queen's Guard?!" "That's right." The Regent nodded, giving an amused smile. "You think our Queen would trust our survival to any other? I serve Her, as She wills. By Her word am I Regent, and by Her word do I guard Her sons and daughters." Lory saluted, fast, wincing when his hoof struck his forehead. "Ma'am, it's an honor, ma'am! I had no idea, or I-" "At ease, Lorikeet." The Regent's smile grew slightly as she interrupted the babbling flutterpony, Lorikeet shutting up instantly. From the side, Damsel and Honeycut shared a look and smirked. "This is my first act as Queen's Captain in some years... and perhaps the most important I've ever taken. Damsel. Lorrikeet. You are to reach Flutter Valley, locate the Queen, and awaken Her. Let nothing stop you. Is that understood?" "Ma'a, yes ma'am!" "By your word, Captain." Together, Damsel and Lorikeet saluted. The Regent nodded. "Good." Everyone who could cram themselves into the atrium did, gathered around the small stage to see off the away teams. The Equestrian and Flutter Valley teams stood beside each other as both Regent and Overmare gave their speech to the crowd. The Equestrian team, two changelings and four ponies, headed by Ironside, had left their Stable barding behind, choosing comfortable, protective barding, the kind worn by frontiersponies, instead. The carried only light weapons, sidearms and batons, to fend off whatever wildlife they might encounter on the road to Appleoosa, following the maps on their Pipbucks. The Flutter Valley team, consisting only of Damsel and Lorikeet, had packed much lighter. Simple hooded cloaks to protect from the sun, their saddlebags filled mainly with canteens and love crystals, proper food a secondary concern for the pair. Neither wore barding, Stable or otherwise, and their forelegs were bare of Pipbucks. Lorrikeet hadn't admitted it out loud, but it felt strange not wearing his Pipbuck, and the fur on his leg where it usually sat was a different shade and length to the rest, something that bothered him more than it should have. "-and now, let's hear it for our brave people!" The Overmare finished her speech and stepped back as the crowd errupted into applause. The two teams, smiling confidently, left the stage, descending into the crowd for their final farewells before leaving. Holly darted up, hugging first her father, then her aunt, and finally Lorikeet, squeezing him until he squeaked. "You guys come back quick!" She demanded. "You got it?" While Holly squeezed the life out of Lory, Merry trotted up and pulled both Ironside and Damsel into a winghug. "Ooh, I can't bear to see you go! Both of you, hurry back. And Damsel, dear," Merry smiled at the changeling, "we need to talk when you get back." Ironside and Damsel shared a knowing look as they were pulled into a smothering hug by the broody pegasus. "This is it." Ironside said, looking into the distance. Beside him, Damsel nodded. The pair and their teams stood at the edge of the town, a low wall of resin and sand slowly taking form behind them. Patchy clouds let harsh sunlight through, bathing everything in golden light. "Be safe." "I will," Damsel replied, before spreading her wings and buzzing them, Lorrikeet spreading his own wings being her. "You, too." With one final look backwards, both changeling and flutterpony took to the air, their wings carrying them away from their home and into the desert, to where no pony would dare to tread. Ironside sighed, and turned to his team. "Okay, people. Let's head out." The small herd started moving, headed for Equestria, the far-off land shrouded by clouds. Beneath them, in the Hive, Overmare and Regent shared a hopeful smile. The future seemed bright.