//------------------------------// // The Hive Pt. 3 // Story: OC, Oh Crap! // by SmokeShadow95 //------------------------------// All hell broke loose. Ben stood amidst the chaos, his eyes passing over everything. The camp was gone, destroyed. Tents everywhere were torn down. Wooden posts were all that remained of most of the them. A few scraps of fabric hung loose and ragged from some of the least damaged. The rest were scorched from the flames of the previous night, many of which were still burning strong. Pillars of black, charred wood stood throughout the camp, as if on watch and keeping an eye on all the ponies. Most of them no longer stood up straight and sagged as if they themselves knew they had failed in their duties. And through all of this Ben could still hear the crackling the flames around him. === The Changeling looked up at Ben. He was horrified. Not only was the human much larger than him, but he had just walked up, laid his hands on him, and revealed his true form. That was suppose to be impossible, or so damn near it that nopony is supposed to be able to do it. He did the only thing he could think of. He mustered up what little strength he had left and sent up a magical flare. It passed easily through the tent fabric and lit up the night sky with a brilliant green light. Brothers and sisters! I have been found! The time is now! Attack! A moment of the purest silence filled the tent. Ben stared up at the tent. The hole created by the Changelings flare was smoldering slightly, ready and waiting for any cause that would let it ignite and erupt into an inferno. The silence kept on. Not a pony breathed in the tent. All the eyes split between the hole and the Changeling, or bouncing between the two. With each one they didn't know what to do. The Changeling teetered ever so slightly as its eyes drifted to a close. Consciousness faded away as the world around to turned to black. It fell to the ground just as the wind outside picked up. An eerie whistle tore through the silent tent followed the quickly by the crackling of a growing flame that was hungry for anything. The silence persisted for just a moment longer, and in that moment something set in. It came upon them in the quiet of the night and sank deep its fangs into their minds. Panic. === Ben gazed out over the camp. Ponies were scattered about. Nearly all of them were injured. The injuries varied from minor cuts, bruises and burns to more serious things. Deep gashes, larger burns of a more serious degree. He watched as two guard ponies helped another limp away to a temporary medical center that had been set up a little ways outside of the camp. The guard pony was limping due a rather nasty bruise on his left hind leg. Something hit him, and hit him hard. The bruise almost completely obscured his cutie mark and went down to his knee. That had to hurt. Ben found his eyes searching for familiar faces among all the ruin and carnage. He first found Fluttershy. Her and Rarity were helping tend to the wounded, which was just about all the ponies. Fluttershy's natural kindness and affinity for caring for others made it the perfect place for her to be. She had just finished wrapping a ponies hoof in some bandages when Ben saw her. And she was smiling. Even through all of this Fluttershy could still find something to smile about. Rarity was right there with her, using her magic to move things about as needed. Her mane was a mess and her coat was less than pristine, but she didn't seem to care. She may seem like a priss sometimes, but Rariity had one of the biggest hearts of anypony Ben knew of. Noise off to the side drew his eyes to find more familiar faces. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were securing the rest of the camp, making sure no surprises could pop up and hurt any more ponies. They made up the front lines of the rescue operations going on. It wasn't a big job as most of the ponies had been accounted for. Still, it was a very important job. Rainbow Dash directed a few Pegasi she flew with. Their flight advantage gave them an edge when it came to spotting trouble. Opposite her on the ground, Applejack coordinated a small team of earth ponies. Their inherent strength made them well suited for clearing away the rubble and the debris. A few Unicorns also accompanied them. They were busy pulling a couple of clear of a wrecked tent as Ben looked away. Next was Pinkie Pie and Tessla. They actually suggested the job they had. It was quickly agreed that the job was well worth some effort so they headed that up with a small team of ponies composed mostly of unicorns. It was basically the salvage job. They moved around checking the areas that the rescue teams had deemed safe and secure for anything that could be salvaged. Pinkie Pie seemed to be having fun with it, but it was Pinkie Pie. She could make fun with nothing but a paper clip, a gum wrapper, and tissue. Then she could make it it fun for you. Twilight was standing with Austin and her brother. They were deep in conversation, if it could even be called that. It fluctuated a bit as they went on. Most of the time it was a normal conversation. Other times it blew up to a full on argument between the three of them. In between those times were fleeting times of debating and intense discussion. Ben wondered how they were going to get anything resolved. Three strong and forceful personalities like that all colliding. He hoped they would not cause more trouble. As Ben looked around at all these ponies. From Fluttershy's kind smile to Applejack's determination and Pinkie's fun loving nature Ben saw something. Something that some would be surprised to see after the night they had. Ben looked around the broken and burned ruins of the camp, and what he saw was more than happiness and cheer. It was better than that. It was hope. === Ben emerged from the tent in the middle of a mass of ponies. They all ran out with no clear direction where they were going. Panic was driving most of them. Reason, logic, and thinking were abandoned in the now blazing command tent. Ben stopped and stood there. He watched the ponies rush past him, moving around him like a raging river past a boulder. He looked around, finding his friends off to the side. He had to dodge a few ponies running by to get to them. “Hey, Ben,” Tessla called out, “What's with the flare and the stampede?” “I found a changeling,” Ben quickly spat out, “In the tent, on stage behind Shining Armor. A changeling. He sent up the flare, probably to alert more changelings either in camp or near it.” His words proved true as a commotion sounded off behind them. They all turned to see everything turning to chaos, and not the fun kind. Nopony was prepared for this. Nopony was prepared at all. The stampede had stopped for now, and they were joined by Twilight and Shining Armor. They arrived just in time to see the camp go straight to hell. Fights were breaking out all over camp, between all the ponies. Friends were accusing one another of being not being themselves. Brothers and sisters were fighting each other. Arguments rose and tempers flared. As if to add insult to injury the command tent behind them erupted into a full on blaze, casting an eery glow over the entire camp as the flames danced in the night air, seemingly the only thing enjoying the chaos brought that night. “This is horrible,” Twilight said. “How do we stop this?” The camp was burning around them. Pony was fighting against pony. Everything was going downhill faster than anyone could believe. And it was all about to get a whole lot worse. Such was the chaos around them that nopony ever thought much of the Changeling, or of the flare it sent out. The nighttime sky was already dark, but the shining of the stars and the moon gave it a dim, yet calming light. It was a soothing kind of low light that made it feel comfortable and safe to just lay down and slip into peaceful slumber. That was about to end. A shadow came forth from the sky and blocked out that lovely light from the moon and the stars. It cast the camp in all its entirety into darkness with nothing but their own burning tents to light to the way ahead. This shadow did not come alone, however, as it was accompanied by a buzzing. A buzzing that could only mean one thing. The first words of warning were barely spoken before it happened. A small flash of green light and a changeling appeared in a shallow crater before them. It smiled before running off. Then they flooded in. Changelings rained down from the sky like comets of green fire. The ponies of the camp scrambled to avoid being hit as their enemy fell all around them. If it wasn't chaos before it most certainly was now. “This is absolutely insane,” Shining Armor muttered angrily, “I have guards running around trying to get their armor and weapons. I have guards running around trying to fight changelings. And I have guards that I don't even know are actually my guards. How the hell did this happen?!” “We can worry about that later. For now we have more important things to worry about,” Twilight replied to her brothers outburst. “Agreed,” Ben said, “For now we just save as many and as much as we can.” “Alright, spread out,” Twilight said commandingly. Everyone there turned a different direction and moved out. Immediately they had to do their best to protect and defend. Not every pony in that camp was a trained guard pony. There were scholars and scribes. A few interested in the magic of the Changelings, so they came to study it. Barely a few steps out and it all started for them. Like a hurricane they swept through the camp, their light guiding the way for all to see. Wherever they tread it was like their light brought a sense of order to the chaos reigning around them. With a swift justice they dealt with all the changelings they encountered. Each had their own way of going about it, but each was effective in their own right. From Ben and Twilight, who focused his energy more on the defense of the ponies than on the defeat of the changelings to Shining Armor and Austin, who believed the best way to defend the ponies was to stop the threat before them. It didn't matter how they approached the problem, as each of them accomplished the same goal to some extent. That was to save as much as they could. But the night was long and filled with danger. Some they knew, and some were unknown to them. Ben breathed heavily. His chest heaved with each breath heavier than the last. He wasn't exactly built for this and he had been going at it for a few hours now. He wasn't sure exactly what time it was. There was no moon visible to try and figure it out. He didn't have a clue. Any further thought was cut off by the hissing of the Changeling standing no more than two feet from him. The only other sound was the whimpering. Ben heard it behind him. It was the sound that originally drew him to this spot. A pair of sister mares. Scholars, the both of them, sent here by both the princess's to record the Changeling Hive location in the history books. They huddled together hoping to find protection in one another. Ben stood in front of them, and now he was staring down a changeling. “Go on!” Ben shouted, “Leave them alone. Just leave.” The Changeling paused for a moment and stared back at Ben. Then it got angry. The hollow eyes narrowed in on Ben. It hissed and snarled angrily. It lowered itself down into a stance that told Ben it was ready to attack at any second. And in just that time it did. The Changeling's horn powered up as green energy built up around the tip. It glared at Ben one last time and unleashed the built up magic with a hiss. Ben carried with him a crystal kite shield he had picked up along the way. It was pretty banged up from all the abuse he had put it through during the night. All around the edges were chipped areas and there was even a small chunk gone from the bottom. And yet, Ben raised the shield anyway. He placed it over himself so as to cover as much of his body as he could. He made it so that he was looking just over to top of the shield. Ben took a deep breath and braced himself for the impact of the blast. The blast hit directly into the shield, shattering it into countless crystal shards. Ben was knocked back from the sheer force behind the blast. He flew back just an inch or so and landed in front of the pony sisters. The world around him was gone for a moment, but then it all came rushing back. The cold of the night wind brushing along his sweaty skin sending a chill down his spine. The feeling of exhaustion from half a nights worth of physical exertion. The pain in his body from the blast knocking him on his ass. The crying of the ponies so close to him. Ben looked up as the pounding in his head faded to dull thud. The sisters were crying. Ben rolled over and looked up at the Changeling. It wore a wicked smile and stared down it him with another blast already charged and waiting. Another wicked hiss and it was out. Just as the Changeling let loose that blast something happened, something appeared. A curtain of sorts, a screen. It was as if it formed from the night sky itself, dark in color with purples and blues shimmering across its surface. It encircled the Changeling at the very last second as it let loose the magic. The screen was so dark they could no longer see the changeling on the other side. All anypony saw was the silhouette as the blast let of a flash of green light whenever it struck the curtain. Six times it ricocheted off the screen. Six times the Changeling felt the pain of his own magic. And then the screen melted down into nothingness and the Changeling fell with it. Beyond it Ben saw a very welcome sight. “Austin,” He exclaimed excitedly. Austin nodded but said nothing in return. He didn't speak much when he got really focused on something. He this intense stare to. Ben saw and knew. He also saw something else. Fatigue. Exhaustion. Austin was even more drained than he was. Austin stood, barely. His breathing was heavy and slow. Each breath took more and more effort from him. His eyes had lost their focus and his was absentmindedly drifting with his gaze. Beads of sweat lined every part of his body, giving him a almost a shine that was only accentuated by the glow of the flames around them. “Austin, you okay?” “Fine,” Austin said. “But I don't know for how much longer.” He managed to make his way over to them with no trouble. Austin held out a helping hand to Ben. He gladly accepted it and Austin helped him up off the ground. He looked over to the two sisters. Still they huddled together and still they cried. Tears ran down their faces and fear filled their eyes. “Let's take them back to the center of camp,” Austin said, “The ponies have managed to get setup there and are holding off the Changelings.” “What about Tessla and the Mane Six?” “Tessla, Fluttershy, and Rarity are there with the non combat ponies. Everypony else is scattered about doing everything they can to help.” Austin explained. “Alright,” Ben said. “Let's go.” Meanwhile, the others were just where Austin said they would be. Scattered. Everypony was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Somewhere in the chaos of what was quickly becoming a warzone were friends, and absolutely no way of knowing who was where and in what condition they were in. But that didn't stop anybody. Ben and Austin lead the two trembling sister ponies through the ruins of the camp. Fires blazed everywhere. Changelings ran amok terrorizing whoever they could find. For every pony fighting to defend and protect there were at least three Changelings ready, if not more. Ben and Austin got the two sisters to what used to be the command tent with little trouble. “Hey, we got two more,” Tessla announced as they arrived. Quickly a couple of medical ponies hustled the sisters away to safety. Tessla my not have been out there fighting, but that didn't mean he wasn't as affected as the rest of them. He wore the stress of the night like any other that was there and suffering it. “You two look like hell,” He said. “Look around, Tessla,” Austin said, “This is hell. We're just looking to fit in.” “Oh my,” Fluttershy said as she rushed over, “Are you guys okay? You don't look that good. Do you need to rest? Maybe some food will help. How about some water?” “Calm down, Fluttershy,” Rarity hushed her worried friend. “She does have a point, however. You two look simply dreadful.” “As much as we would like to stay and rest and eat and all that,” Ben said, “We can't stay for too much longer. There are still a lot more Changelings to deal with out there.” As if on cue a screeching drew all their attention away. They looked behind Ben to see a Changeling with an injured wing falling from the sky. Screeching as it went it struck the ground like a falling meteor, leaving behind a trail of green fire. The Changeling bounced once after it fell and soared over the small wall some of the ponies had managed to build up. A rather large Earth pony was quick to respond by bucking the incoming Changeling back over the wall before moving on. “Besides,” Ben stated, “It seems like you have everything handled here.” Fluttershy refused to let the two leave without at least having a small drink of water. The two were in no state to argue and gladly accepted as she went and got them. The small rest they did get while there did more to help than they let on. The two had aches and pains that were feeling better, but wanted to move on out again before everything else set in. Fluttershy was back within just a few minutes with their water. Both of the cups she had were broken in some places but they still held the water. The two said their thanks and drank heartily. Austin was never fond of water, but he was never happier to drink it than at that moment. They gulped down every drop as the fluid satiated some of their considerable thirst. They handed the cups back to Fluttershy, who nearly dropped them as a thunderous sound shook the camp. Fluttershy barely had a hoof on the fragile cups as the whole camp shook beneath her. There were fires raging all around and the sounds of battle filled the air. Ponies calling out, crying out and Changelings screeching and hissing and snarling. Yet all of that seemed to stop suddenly as the sound filled the air. Another thunderous sound rang out. Fluttershy threw the cups away and huddled closely to Rarity. “W- w- what's g- going on?” She asked with a frightful shake to her voice. “I haven't the foggiest idea, dearest Fluttershy,” Rarity said, trying not to let her know how truly terrified she really was. Again, it rang out. That thunderous sound. In the sudden silence that overtook the camp it was easier to tell where it was coming from. The front. The front of the camp. The main entrance. Twilight and the girls as well as the guys all walked through that very same entrance when they arrived just a few days before. It seemed like ages ago to them. They all stared toward the entrance. It was a straight shot to them. An empty pathway with nothing but a few ponies and Changelings scuffling about. Many of the posts that bordered the camp had fallen to block the way, but that was doing little to stop whatever was on the other side. “Whatever it is, it is big,” Austin said, feeling like he was stating the obvious. Another thunderous hit struck the posts, nearly splitting the lot of them into pieces. That only reinforced Austin's obvious statement. It made Fluttershy shudder against Rarity and Tessla take a step or so back. Ben and Austin looked at each and shared the same thought. It passed between them as easily as if they had used telepathy. They had to do something. They both nodded to one another and stepped up to meet the challenge. “Tessla, you stay here and keep these ponies safe,” Austin said, “You okay with that?” “Perfectly fine,” Tessla replied They walked out to meet the unknown that was coming in. Whatever this was they were going to face they were going to do side by side. They tried not to think about what it was. They reached the halfway point when it finally happened. Another thunderous strike on the barricade of broken posts. This was the last hit. The final nail in the coffin. The posts broken and betn shattered into even more pieces. Many split just enough to make an opening. A set of hisses filled the air as the posts shattered more. Whatever it was was in. The posts were pushed inward by sheer force of strength. Ben and Austin finally saw the face of their foes. Changelings, but not like any they knew of. These were not the same Changelings that had been besieging the camp so far. No these were much different. Bigger, meaner. The brutes of the Changeling Hive. Wingless, so they could not fly up to their enemies. But bigger and stockier in frame. They looked to be able to take more damage than any other Changeling. Natural armor plating covered these large Changelings. Every limb was toned with muscle that oozed raw physical power, as was portrayed with their entrance. “Great,” Austin said, “Changeling Tanks. You got any ideas for these guys?” “Yeah,” Ben said, “One of your favorites. Improvise.” Austin should have seen that one coming. But Ben was right, that was one of his favorite ideas. Flying by the seat of pants, surviving by the skin of his teeth. Narrowly escaping the enemy grasp while getting the job done. That was how he usually went about things. It was also the reason he had the collection of scars building up. This night was giving him plenty to add. The fight was brutal. It really wasn't even a fight. There were four of them. Tanks by Changeling standards, and they acted like it. They were sent to reinforce the Changeling force that had already laid waste to most of the camp. Austin and Ben did their best to hold them off. And that was all they did. Two against four already put the odds not in their favor. The Tanks were large, but they were also fast. Surprisingly so, catching both the guys off guard as they were quickly put on the defensive. Forced to duck and dodge the flurry of blows laid out by the Tanks the fight was quickly turning into an enemy advance. They did share one commonality with the other Changeling, though. Horns. That meant magic. They did not use it to the same extent that the rest of them did, but they did use it. Every time it seemed one of the humans was getting the upper hand he lost it. Austin played the defense with a shield catching the magic blasts of one, and as he pressed forward another Tank moved in, swiftly kicking him aside and pressing he attack. Ben was faring no better. Every time he ducked or dodged the attack of one he found himself staring down another. It was a constantly shifting box of attacks that never ended. He rolled out of the way of one attack just to find himself in place for a bucking. The Changeling Tank landed a hard and truly devastating blow to Ben;s right arm. And that was how the night went on. With the night slowly ebbing away and only a few hours left everyone was doing everything they could to help. All around camp ponies scrambled to stop the Changelings. They were holding their own and that was the best that was to be said of them. Many ponies fought bravely that night. And they fought well into the night and on into the morning. The darkness that followed the Changelings that night was slowly fading, ebbing away as the night came to a close. Morning broke over the horizon finally. A single night of fighting, and yet it felt like so much longer. Morning came up, it rose from behind the hills to greet everyone and everything and it brought with it the brilliant light of a new day. The light spread over the land and came quickly upon the camp. The Changelings froze in place as the light of the day washed over them. They hissed and screeched and flew up into the air. They called out to each of their own in their own language that nopony understood. Day was coming and it was time for them to leave. High into the sky the sun rose. It bathed the camp in the warm light that signaled an end. And end to the fighting, and end to the injuries, and hopefully and an end to all this conflict once and for all. The Changelings scrambled to get themselves out of that place. It took only a full ten minutes for them all to clear out. They flew away in large mass with many of the Changelings carrying more of their kind that were unable to fly themselves. The ponies did not cheer as they fled. They did not throw up their hooves as they enemy left. They just stood. They stood and watched. === Ben stood there and looked out over the camp. His injuries were all wrapped and bandaged, but they still caused him pain. He blocked it out though. Now was not the time to be bothered by pain. They spent the first day after the attack just trying to make sure nothing else would fall apart. Healing the injured the ponies assigning duties to those well enough to carry them out and the like. And now it was time. Time to go. “Hey, Ben,” Austin said. “Come on. Shining Armor is speaking.” Ben followed his friend to the place outside camp. Most of the ponies that occupied the camp had amassed in or around the makeshift medical center. A small stage like area was set up so Shining Armor could speak to everyone. Ben and Austin found Tessla soon after getting there. Twilight was on stage. Shining Armor made his way up there, although it was clear that each step was made with pain. Twilight watched as he finally got up. He breathed deeply before stepping up to talk to them. He looked out over all the ponies. “Many of you may want to say that we won that night,” He started, “But you're wrong. You are very wrong. We did not win anything. Let's face the facts here, the Changelings beat us. They got one of their own on the inside and they used that inside link to get the drop on us.” Shining Armor was putting his whole heart into his words, but that also was aggravating his wounds. He nearly doubled over on stage right there. Twilight moved forward and helped her brother. She showed genuine concern. Although they fought before, she did love her brother more than anything. He took a few breaths and stood up to continue speaking. “We did not win the night. We merely endured it, survived it. And look at what happened. Look at what was lost. An entire camp. Gone! Every tent gone to scraps. All our maps and logs and history books. Gone! All of it is gone. Look around you, all of you. You know what you see. You see the faces of the injured and the wounded. That's all there is. Not a single pony came out of this unscathed. We have each gotten a reminder of this night. But I am not standing here just to tell you what you already know. I am here to tell you to have hope. Not a single pony came out unscathed, and not a single pony was lost. We fought and we held off the Changelings. We showed them that ponies are not to be messed with, even here in their own backyard! We may have lost this one night, but we have all survived to see this new day! “ Each and every pony there took Shining's words to heart. He was right. The Changelings won that night, but they all survived. For the most part each and every pony was intact. It was still morning then, and the day moved on so much faster than before. Before anyone knew it noon had rolled around and a plan had been set in motion. In the ruins of the command tent stood a group. Shining Armor stood with his sister at his side. Before them stood five ponies. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. Each of them had some sort of bandage or wrap on and they wore them proudly. Each of them had played an importance role during the night and each of them were thanked beyond measure. Those five parted as three more entered the tent. Shining Armor looked at theses three. These humans. “You three did more for the ponies here than I ever thought possible. You fought well. You defended the honor and stability of this camp, even when it was long gone. You defended the weak and the defenseless when they could not do so themselves. I am not to proud to admit that I was wrong about you. You have my thanks. More than that you have my respect.” “Ughh, can we get on with this and get to the good stuff,” Rainbow Dash blurted out. “I heard that there was a plan or something to be heard.” “Yess, Rainbow Dash, there is,” Twilight said through grinding teeth. “We have discussed it thoroughly and have come to a conclusion. One final push on the Changeling Hive.” “You know, I never thought I would say this, but I really don't want to fight anymore after last night,” Dash said with a groan. Her left wing had taken a bad hit and she had been in an even worse mood ever since. “Good, because this is a mission of peace,” Twilight said. “We will venture into the Changeling Hive and talk with Chrysalis directly. This has already been decided. The only thing that hasn't is who exactly is going. So, who wants to go?” “I will,” Ben said. “I will go with you.” “Good,” Twilight said. “That is one.” “Ah will go too.” Applejack spoke up. “Ah reckon Apple Bloom will want to know all the details when we get on back to Ponyville.” “Ooh, I wanna go! I wanna go!” “Okay. Applejack and Pinkie Pie make three.” “Some of you will need to stay behind and watch over the camp. Just because the Changelings left doesn't mean they won't be back,” Shining Armor said. “I can do that,” Tessla said. “Same here,” Austin answered. “Really?” Twilight replied, “I kinda thought you guys would want to see this for yourself. And back up Ben.” “Trust me, I am pretty sure I know what Ben will do in there,” Austin said. “Me and Fluttershy will also stay behind,” Rarity said, “Fluttershy is frightened enough as it is and that bug nest is no place for a lady.” “Rainbow Dash,” Twilight questioned. “What about you?” “Ya know, I think I'm gonna stay here. I can't fly to well with my wing messed up like this. I don't wanna slow you down if you have to hurry out of there.” “Then it's decided,” Twilight said, “Five of us will go into the Hive and five of us will stay behind.” As the two groups went their own ways on to the their own separate missions a common thought was shared among them. It bounced around from mind to mind getting in front of whatever was previously there. Good luck. === Five stood at the entrance. Th entrance, the gateway that lead them to a place that seemed to be outside of Equestria alltogether. The Changeling Hive rose before them. In this land of green grassy plains full of colorful flowers and rolling hills that directed the gentle breezes sat this Hive. This Hive, this dark, ugly thing. It rose from the ground and emerged from a cliff side. It was obviously built to go deep within the cliff and even deeper under the ground. The Hive was was a truly strange structure. It was large, yet little of showed above the ground. What did show was completely alien to all who saw it. It was unlike anything they had ever seen. An unusual dark material made up most of the Hive structure. It was harder than anything they knew of and coated in a layer of something. Some substance covered every inch of walls. It was so thick in some places that it ran and dripped off in globs. Whatever this strange substance was it had an equally strange effect on the surrounding area. In the immediate vicinity of wherever this substance was found there was no life. No life, no plants, not even water could be found there. It was nothing but dead, cracked, broken layers of dust earthen rock. “Ooohh. This place is kinda spooky,” Pinkie Pie remarked as they came ever closer. “Well git over it already,” Applejack said in a hushed tone, “We ain't exactly alone anymore.” She was right. As they continued to move forward getting ever closer to that place they could hear them. Changelings, scurrying about behind the rocks. They could hear them scuttling about like bugs. Every now and then a few pebbles would trickle down from a place high up in the rocks. That meant that even more were watching, waiting. But for what? The five of them. They finally came to an end of their journey. A dead end. They came to a stop in the path. It was a wall of rock higher than they could see. Smooth and rough, filled with holes and cracks many witch oozed that strange substance. This was the place. Twilight stepped forward and Shining Armor stepped up beside her. They stepped out ahead of the other ponies and Ben. Although, as they stepped up Ben did notice the shadows creeping up on them, and the hissing that came with them. Twilight took a deep breath. “We are not here to fight,” She called out. “We wish to speak to your queen. All we want is to speak with Queen Chrysalis.” “Take us to her,” Shining Armor said. “Please.” He added lastly in hopes it would better the chances they wouldn't be spontaneously attacked. Silence filled the air for the next few moments. Ben could practically feel the shadows as they crept ever closer. Pinkie Pie was shaking so much it was clear that her Pinkie senses were letting her know. Applejack was getting antsy, too. Although Ben was sure that she would say that was just intuition. Suddenly, before them the face of cliff itself shifted before their eyes. Green light flashed brightly, forcing them to cover their eyes until it passed. When the five finally looked again the cliff was gone. Before them was a doorway. A massive set of double doors faced them now. As they stood and stared up at them the doors eeked open slowly with the sounds of heavy chains behind them. On the other side of those doors stood four Changelings. This was the welcoming committee. The four Changelings were of the Tank variety. They stood tall and at rest in a manner similar to how guard ponies stood at the royal palaces and castles. Two stepped forward to meet them. They took only a couple steps forward before stepping to the side. The two left just inside the doorway turned and stood with their backs to the five. It was clear they were to lead them inside. “This could be a trap,” Shining Armor whispered. Everyone else had the same thought, but he was the only one that said it openly, even if it was just a whisper. Slowly they moved up behind the Tanks inside the doorway. They moved in and the other two took their places behind them. The five were effectively boxed in. “This is not making me feel any better,” Shining mumbled under his breath. “Hey, we're in, aren't we?” Twilight said back to him. “Ah honestly wasn't sure if we was gonna make it this far,” Applejack said. They passed through what seemed to be the lobby area, or the equivalent of a lobby at least. They emerged into the true Hive shortly after. An enormous room lay out before them. A wide center walkway went the length of the room. The Changelings didn't stop and wait for the five to get their heads together. They pushed Pinkie Pie and Applejack to get moving. That didn't stop them from looking as they walked. Ben couldn't stop gawking at all that was going on around him. Changelings filled nearly every open space. They covered the entire cavern floor below them. They argued and wrestled among themselves. That all stopped as they saw them walking past. Once they saw the five they stopped whatever petty squabble they had going and moved in to investigate. Swarms of them moved in to get a closer look. This was the first time any outsiders were allowed in without being restrained or being unconscious. “Well, we are definitely in,” Ben said, “Now what?” Just after Ben spoke their tour came to a halt. They had stopped at a large round platform at the very center of the cavern. Many other Changelings were on that very same platform. They tried to move in and investigate when they could but for some reason the bigger Tanks blocked them whenever they got close. For a moment all was still, except the occasional Changeling trying and failing to get at them. Them came a shadow, bigger and darker than the others they had seen. All eyes turned upward as she finally appeared. The Changeling Queen, Chrysalis. She glided down quickly from a perch higher up, landing quite gracefully a few paces away. “So, I heard you wanted to talk,” She hissed as she walked up. With a wave of her hoof the Changeling Tanks backed off and took up positions along the outer edges of the round platform. “Yes, Chrysalis,” Twilight said nervously, “We came here today to talk with you.” “You know, I was having a hard time deciding if I should let you in or not,” Chrysalis said. She slithered her way up close to Twilight, getting close to her face. Twilight didn't back down, though. “I had my reason not to. Mainly you, Twilight Sparkle. You bested me once before, but that was on your ground. This is my home.” “But then again,” She hissed as she moved past Twilight and on to Shining Armor. She ran a hoof along his face, but he leaned back as she got close. “I also had plenty of reasons to let you in. Oh, how would like to get my fangs into you once again, my dear Shining Armor.” Chrysalis eventually moved on past the two ponies. She glided up to Ben. Chrysalis stood almost as tall as Ben surprisingly. Her eyes were at the height of his chin. She stood tall and straight to get as close to his eyes as possible. “Eventually my decision came down to you human. I was intrigued to find out one you had accompanied them here. Tell me, what is your name, human?” “My name is Ben,” Ben answered quickly and directly. “And I know you are Queen Chrysalis.” As Ben spoke, all around them the Changelings began to change their behavior. No longer were they simply glaring and hissing, hoping to get close enough to attack them. Now they were wobbly, and their eyes unfocused. It was a lot like how Rainbow Dash looked after she drank her normal amount of spiked cider. Chrysalis didn't seem to notice, or just didn't care. “Indeed I am Chrysalis, human,” She said. “Ben, is it? A strange name. Tell me, why are you here?” “It's just as Twilight said,” Ben replied, “We are here to talk.” “Many would think you would not want to talk after my Changelings attacked your camp just the night before last,” Chrysalis stated. She moved back out of the five and Ben followed her to the middle of the round platform. “I did injure many of your pony friends, did I not?” “You did,” Ben said, “But we also injured many of your Changelings. The fact that we are both here now, and talking is a good sign I think.” “You are here because I was curious and wanted to see a human up close. Nothing more,” Chrysalis, “Do not pretend to know my motives, human. Ben.” “Well, if that is the case than I have just three words for you, Queen Chrysalis.” Ben said quite seriously. Ben took one step forward and sent off an invisible wave. No pony could pick up on this wave, but the Changelings sure could. And they reacted to it. They swarmed in close just to fall into the same state as the rest. That didn't stop Ben as he quickly bounded forward to grasp the Queen. In just a moment he had her in her arms. This spurred even more Changelings to action. They flew up and charged down to him, but they never got close. Whenever a Changeling got within ten to fifteen feet of him they dropped out of the air. Even the Tanks were effected. One of them was currently on his back with his hooves in the air. “What in the pink blazes of hell is going on with them?” Pinkie asked. “Ben is using some magic,” Shining Armor said, “Some strange human magic that is putting every changeling through some grueling punishment. Just look at their pain.” “Ah don't think that its pain they're feeling,” Applejack said as she examined one from afar. It was quivering on the floor and rolling slightly as it experienced every bit of what Ben was doing. “I'm with AJ, brother,” Twilight said, “Ben, what are you doing?” “Yes, human, what are you doing,” Chrysalis said, “Why is that I don't feel the need to strike you down right now? What have you done to my Changelings?” Ben released Chrysalis from his grasp and looked at her. He was still close and looked deeply into her eyes. She looked deeply into his. A moment of silence passed between them, and that was enough. It was in that moment that it dawned on Chrysalis, just what it was she was feeling. Normally she took this by force or through some sort of trickery, but this time it was freely given. She looked deeply into Ben's eyes. Ah, this feels so nice. “I love you.”