//------------------------------//
// 7. Seeing the Threads 
// Story: The Teal Changeling 
// by MrAlterad 
//------------------------------//

    Chrysalis ignored the looks she was given as she ran through the tunnel, following the direction Mantis had left in. She ran with great haste, her wings flapping in an attempt to increase her speed, as if instead of pursuing Mantis, she was running from the worries that threatened to slow her down.

Bulwark was going to be fine. Momo was somewhere safe, and waiting.

With each step, she told herself this, ignoring all else around her. So naturally, she was caught off guard when Darrin managed to get in front of her and stopped, forcing her to run right into him.

He let out a small grunt as they collided, skidding back several paces, but managed to keep both of them from toppling over. Her momentum lost, she looked to him, seeing a troubled look, which made her frown as she hit him in the shoulder.

“Move it, Darrin, we need to get Mantis!” she demanded, her hit doing nothing, more to her annoyance than anything else.

“No. First, you're going to tell me what happened,” he said, his eyes matching hers as they glared at each other. She could feel the specter of her worries catching up to her, but she knew, if she was going to get anything from Mantis, she needed to be calm, and, she needed help. So, she glanced to the side, and surprised Darrin by jumping on his back.

“Keep going, I'll talk,” she said as she gave him a troubled look. He gave her a nod, and continued down the hall as Chrys recounted what happened. Her conversation with Mantis, the accusations they tossed, the fight she started, and how it ended.

Shortly after she finished, all she got from him was brewing silence, which held until they reached a split in the tunnel. Without even pausing, he turned towards the tunnel that lead to the Royal Halls, getting a questioning look from her. “Mantis went this way?” she asked, getting a nod from Darrin.

“If I were him, I would deliver what happened to the queen personally. It would make me look better,” he said coolly, before raising an eyebrow to her, “Chrys, do you really want to talk to him now?” he asked, getting a doubtful look from her.

“No, I want to stay with Bulwark, but I need to know, Darrin. He wants something from me, and I need to know what.”

“I can guess what,” Darrin said as he glared at nothing in particular, getting a curious look from her, one which shifted to annoyance when he didn't elaborate.

“Well?” she asked, and he was about to reply, but his answer was cut off when he spotted Mantis ahead of them. “Mantis!” she shouted, getting a curious look from him as he turned towards them.

She then blinked when Darrin increased his pace, making Mantis raise an eyebrow as he adopted a defensive stance. Glancing over Darrin's shoulder, she saw his glare had shifted to hatred, making her eyes widen. He was going to attack Mantis.

Chrys did the first thing that came in mind to stop him. She bit his ear. In the same motion, she yanked her head to the side, catching Darrin off guard and making his direction change. She then closed her eyes when she saw him drive them towards the wall.

There was a crash, followed by the world turning white. Her ears rang for several moments as she clutched her head, rolling on the floor in pain, tears in her eyes. “Darn it, Darrin!!” she shouted over the pain, the world slowly returning to her as she saw Darrin standing over her, cradling a bump on his head as he gave her a very heated look.

“You run me into the wall, and yell at me!?” he said.

“Yes!!” Chrys replied as she bonked his muzzle, making him rub it and shake his head before glaring back at her, “I had to do something dumb to stop you from something dumber!”

“Says the hatchling that picked a fight with Mantis!”

He said the 'h' word. With her anger having plenty of fuel to propagate a lack of restraint, she tackled him, slapping and biting and bonking all while punctuating a fact of life.

“I'm! Not! A! Hatchling!"

“Are you two gonna wrap this up anytime soon?” Mantis asked as he let out an exasperated sigh, making Darrin and Chrys look to him, then to each other. She blushed slightly as Darrin stepped back, before helping her to her hooves. They both then adopted a determined look as they turned to Mantis.

“Mantis, we need to talk,” she said, composing herself as he looked him in the eyes.

“Oh, is that what you wanted? It was starting to look like you just wanted to waste my time. Again.”

“That was-” she began, before shaking her head. “Look, what do you want from me?” she asked, making Mantis adopt a disappointed look.

“I don't know what you're going on about, and I don't care. I need to tell Her Highness about what transpired,” he said dismissively as he started to turn around, making her slam her hoof down.

“Mantis. I want to know what you did to Momo,” she said, grinding her hoof as she tried to stay composed. “I want to know what you want. I want her back.”

“This again? I've already told you-”

“Mantis! Stop lying!” she demanded as she took a step forward, looking him in the eyes. “Please?” she added in a more composed tone, prompting a sigh from him.

“Words aren't going to get you anything from me, Your Highness,” he said with certainty, before turning his back to them, continuing down the hall. Chrys' shoulders trembled as she glared at the ground, her anger making her still throbbing head ache more. She then blinked, before gently placing a hoof on her temple, feeling the sure signs of a forming bump.

“Mantis,” Chrys began, grabbing onto a thread, looking to pull him close with it. “If you don't speak with me, I'll tell the queen that you hit me,” she threatened, making Mantis pause. He glanced over his shoulder, looking to her eyes. There he saw a fire burning bright; he knew she would carry through on her threat.

“And you think she'll believe you after what you did?”

“Do you think she'd believe you if you said 'she ran herself into a wall'?” she asked as she adopted a snide grin. He considered her for a moment longer, before turning them, surprising her as he gave an impressed smile.

“I suppose you've earned this conversation now rather than later. Fine, I'll hear you out, Your Highness,” he then raised a cautionary hoof, “If, and only if, we speak alone.”

“Yeah, that's not happening,” Darrin said immediately, getting a glare from Mantis and Chrys. “Glare all you like, I'm not budging on this one Chrys. If you two are gonna talk, it's where I can see you,” he stated, prompting another sigh from Mantis.

“If that's all, then we can talk in the Windtrap,” he suggested, “It's big enough and loud enough for you to watch us, but not overhear us,” he added, making Darrin look to Chrys, who gave him a small nod.

“Right then. Let's get this over with,” Darrin said impatiently, before turning around and going back the way they came. Chrys hopped on his back, and they both kept looking behind them as they went down into the depths of the hive, seeing Mantis several paces behind them. As they got closer to the Windtrap, Darrin looked over his shoulder to her.

“Chrys, keep away from the well, alright?” he whispered, a sense of fear in his voice that she'd never heard from him before. “Don't give into him easily, he'll hold Momo over you to make his plan come together, and don't keep anything from me. Okay?”

“D-Darrin...” Chrys replied, never seeing him this worried before, she then adopted a determined look as she gave him a nod. “I won't keep anything from you. Promise,” she assured, getting a small smile from him as they spotted the end of the tunnel.

Entering the chamber, the constant roar of air was prevalent. In the Windtrap's wall were over a two dozen drone-sized holes that either led to the surface, or to other parts of the hive. The scent of The Badlands clung to the room, and it was warmer in the chamber than the rest of the tunnels.

The room was shaped like a thick ring, having three tunnels attached to it, each of them linked to the ring by a small bridge. The tunnels each had a guard posted, a precaution to keep hatchlings out. At the edge of the ring, where it would connect to the walls, was instead a gutter where the run-off water descended during the monsoon.

When the rains came, the air vents would bring in water, which would drain away beneath this chamber into several places below. Most of the water would become stored in large basins to supply the hive's needs through the year, while a small amount of the water went into the well in the room's center.

The well was wide enough for two drones to fit side-by-side in it, and water that would fall into it fell down, down, down into the depths of the earth. Chrys could see the air ripple from heat coming from the well, dug down into a large chamber where the earth was so hot, the bottom of the chamber glowed red. Suffice to say, that well was a death trap for any changeling that couldn't fly.

When the rains came, the well would turn the water into steam, and heat up the lower tunnels of the hive. There, the hatchery would remain warm and moist enough for eggs to incubate comfortably. It was also in those lower tunnels where the Sleep Watch would reside, kept active by that heat while the rest of the hive slept through the monsoon's chill.

Hopping off Darrin, Chrys eyed Mantis, who eyed her, as they both entered the large room, leaving Darrin at the door so they could converse alone. As they got closer to the center, Chrys paused, not wanting to be near the well. Seeing this, Mantis adopted a small smile, before motioning the guards to back down the tunnels, leaving just Mantis, Chrys and Darrin in the chamber.

“Mantis, where's Momo?” Chrys asked as she looked up to him, getting an appraising look in turn.

“She's in my custody, under guard someplace outside the hive,” he answered coolly, making Chrys tremble in anger for a moment, making her take several deep breaths in an attempt to stay calm.

“So, you lied to Lores.”

“Why should I give her the truth?” he asked as he raised an eyebrow at her, making her shake her head dismissively.

“What do I have to do?” she asked, holding her head up as she glared at him.

“Leave,” he said with a shallow sneer, his answer making her blink in surprise.

“W-What?”

“Leave the hive. Run away, and never return,” he said with a cold stare, before letting out a long sigh. “That's what I'd like to say, but that's unrealistic,” he added, getting an annoyed and confused look from Chrys, making him raise an eyebrow. “If you left and never returned, Her Highness would likely force the same fate on me.” He then waved a hoof dismissively as he elaborated, “I want you to leave, and not return until after we've taken Canter Town.” He then took a step towards her, but she didn't budge as he lowered his head, “I want you out of my mane. I don't want to see you. I don't want to breath the same air as you. So, you will leave, and you will do so with the queen's permission.”

“...And Momo?”

“She'll be let back in, and as long as you stay out till summer, they'll all be safe and sound. Oh, and don't think you can take any of them with you,” he said as he raised an eyebrow, “I want them where I can see them.”

“To make sure I don't come back early?” she asked, getting a small nod from him.

His words, his demands, rolled in her head for a minute, her pent up anger starting to bubble over as she saw another reason for why he instigated the fight. He wanted Bulwark wounded, so he couldn't go after her when she left. He was holding her clutchlings and Bulwark against her, so he could get rid of her, and she didn't understand why.

He said it was because of her color. Her mother said it was because she was different. These were simple answers that didn't give what he was putting her through justice; she wanted to know.

“What did I do?” she asked quietly, her eyes looking to the ground. Over the roaring breeze, Mantis didn't hear her, making him bend closer.

“What was that?”

“What did I do to you!? Why do you hate me!?” she shouted at his face, making his brow furrow as he matched the glare she gave him.

“Why!? Where do I start!?” he asked as he started to pace around her, “You have all the time in the world, and you waste it while everyone else is working hard. You're privileged, and the thought that you're going to inherit all the work of all those that came before you infuriates me! You're not fit to be a queen!” He then shook his head, “No, you're not worthy of being a queen!” He then pointed a hoof at her, “You don't know what it's like, to always be hungry. And I'm not referring to that 'appetite' of yours; I mean true hunger! The kind that eats at you, makes you weak and gaunt as you see the clutchlings you grew up with waste away and perish before you! The Queen and I know that feeling, it's what drove us! And, of course, I despise you because you. Are. Weak. It's in your color.”

“In my color? In my color!? What does that even mean!?” she asked as she took a step towards him, her glare matching his. “I can't help that your life was terrible, so you have no right to hold that against me! Besides, it's thanks to you that I don't know what 'true' hunger is!” She then shook her head in disbelief. “You say I do nothing with my time? What am I supposed to do? 'Queenly' things!? I haven't even reached your height, so just what am I supposed to do!? I don't have drones to order, I don't have responsibilities to fill, so what am I supposed to do!? You say I'm not fit to be queen!? What makes you think you get to decide that?” she shouted, before shaking her head again in disgust, “You, you're just full of it!”

His words weren't reasons, at least not to Chrys; they sounded more like excuses.

“Tch, I shouldn't have expected anything more from you,” he replied dismissively.

“You're not done!” Chrys replied, “Why do you hate me? Why have you spent so much time taking away what's dear to me? Why are you so bent on making me alone!?”

“Because I look at you, and I see the death of our kind,” he said coldly, leaving Chrys speechless as he turned to the side. “Little pest," he added, making Chrys tremble for a moment, taking all of her mental effort to keep herself from lunging at him. "Before you leave, you should keep this in mind. I have a number of loyal soldiers who share my grievances with you.” He then adopted a small sneer, “You see, Her Highness taught me something interesting when I saw your egg for the first time. You can place a lot of power over someone when you tie their life to yours.” He then raised an eyebrow, “If something happens to me, or if I lose my standing in the hive, those soldiers are under orders to get rid of you, and your precious clutchlings,” he assured, making Chrys' eyes widen. “So go ahead, tell Her Highness that I 'hit' you, and we'll just see how that plays out.”

There were soldiers that would follow such orders? She immediately found the idea ridiculous. Soldiers willing to harm her? She was a princess! However, harming the others was easier for her to see. That, and reflecting on how Sledge acted against her cast doubt on her assumption, making her put more weight into his threat then she normally would.

He then turned his back to her as he started to leave. “You have two days till the main tunnel is sealed, you better be gone by then,” he finished, pausing for a moment as she tugged his tail with her magic, getting an aggravated look from him.

“I want to see Momo,” she asked in a small voice.

“You're not in a position to ask for anything!” he shouted as he turned on her. “Oh, and you better leave Darrin in the dark. You can't control him as well as you'd like, and I don't need him tripping over my hooves in a vain effort to protect you.” He then considered something before adding, “And so would your guard, even if he's in no condition to do so. Now, make your plan, and leave,” he finished, before continuing on his way out, making her glare at his retreating back, hatred fuming in her eyes as Darrin came to her side. Her glare persisted for several moments after Mantis was out of sight, before she let out a tired sigh. She then gave Darrin a considering look, before hopping on his back.

“Well?” he asked.

“Give me a minute,” she quickly replied, Mantis' words played through her head; he wanted her out, and she had two days to do it.

But, leaving the hive? Right as the monsoon's about to begin? It was either that, or he would-

She then shook her head, not daring to consider that outcome. Leaving the hive meant she'd need to head to Equestria, and she also needed to talk to her mother about it. There was something else about this, something about this whole situation that gnawed at her, but she couldn't place her hoof on it. She then looked to Darrin.

You can't control him as well as you'd like...

The way he put that infuriated her. Darrin wasn't her soldier, he was her clutchling. Still, she could see it being hard to talk him into staying behind...

Her eyes then widened as she looked to where Mantis had left from. Mantis was setting down what she could and couldn't do, and she realized that if she played along, she'd never get one over on him; that she'd never keep those close to her safe.

“Darrin, don't let Bulwark hear this, not yet anyway,” she began, her chest aching when she pictured him back at Lores' chamber, “Mantis, he wants me to leave the hive,” she said, feeling Darrin's glare as she added, “He wants me out of here before we seal the main tunnel, and he also—”

“Wants you to convince the queen you want to leave,” he finished, getting a slightly surprised look. “He wants to make sure it doesn't fall onto him. If you left suddenly, he'd be the first the queen blamed.” He then glanced over his shoulder, looking her in the eye, “Chrys, once you leave, he'll get rid of you.”

Well, now she knew what had been gnawing at her.

“He'd really do that, wouldn't he...?” she said, feeling a little hollow at the realization.

“And, I bet he'll try to pin it on Equestria. That way he'll be free,” he added as her brow furrowed.

“Well, isn't that just great!?” Chrys let out, wanting to hit something. While hitting Darrin was a tantalizing idea, she simply let out a frustrated sigh as she rested on his back. “So, I need to leave the hive, and avoid whatever he's got in store for me...” she said as she glanced to the side, feeling as if some unseen weight had been added to her shoulders.

“If you need a plan, I can help, you know.”

“I don't need your help making a plan, Darrin,” she replied, feeling a little insulted. “I just, need some time to think...” she added as she glanced the way Mantis left. “Let's go back.” With that, he gave her a small nod, before carrying her off to Lores'.

As they went, her mind looked through a number of possibilities, trying to weave together something that could protect her from whatever Mantis had in mind. She considered taking Darrin and Bulwark and leaving the hive immediately, but quickly dismissed the idea. Mantis was likely waiting for that, Bulwark wasn't in any shape for fleeing, and of course, it meant abandoning Momo. That wasn't an option. Her eyes then widened in realization, her ears falling as she looked to her clutchling.

“Darrin, what about Momo? If I get away from him, won't Mantis-”

“Don't think about it,” he said in a stern tone. “We don't know enough, and going down that train of thought will blur your vision,” he said, getting a surprised look from her as she glared at him.

“But, Darrin, don't you care!?”

“Yes, I do,” he replied, sounding a little hurt, “But I have faith.”

“In who?”

“In Mantis,” he said with a scowl.

“W-What!?”

“I have faith he won't throw away a bargaining chip so wastefully,” he then paused, looking to her, “Outside the hive, if he does threaten Momo to get to you, it's a bluff. You need to get away from him. He'll still need Momo to keep Bulwark in line.”

“What about you?”

“I'm going with you,” he stated matter-of-factly, getting silence from Chrys, earning a curious look from him, before he continued on, letting her mind wander again as she considered what she'd need for leaving the hive.

She'd need to talk to her mother about leaving. She'd need a guide to Equestria, and she wasn't going to settle for a soldier; she couldn't trust them in this situation. She'd also need a royal guard to protect her in Bulwark's place, likely Aegis. Supplies for the trip. Knowledge to help get through the Badlands safely. And how to tackle whatever ploy Mantis had in store for her.

It was a lot to work out in two days, which Mantis was probably counting on, but she wasn't discouraged. She wasn't going to let him win.

She put her thoughts to the side when she noticed they were coming on Lores' chamber. The place was bustling with activity, and many paused when they noticed their arrival. The large number of workers then made the effort to avoid her gaze, undoubtedly hearing her attack against Mantis, who to the normal changeling, was something of a hero to the entire hive.

Several drones were gathering debris and leveling the damaged floor, while a pair were aiding Lores in replenishing the nectar the fight had ruined. Chrys noticed that the guards for Dud were gone, and to her surprise, his wings weren't bound; his cage however, had been 'repaired', with the broken side being filled in and sealed in stone. Her eyes then saw, on the far side of the room, nestled next to the wall, Bulwark, who was being looked over by Aid.

Bulwark was laying on an old pony mattress, with Aid covering certain spots of Bulwark's body with a waxy resin-like substance. When Darrin and Chrys reached them, Aid took notice, and motioned them back.

“Give him some room, it's difficult for him to breathe right now,” he ordered, paying no mind to whom he was talking to. Chrys was too concerned with Bulwark to care.

“How long will he be out?” Darrin asked.

“He'll be awake sometime tonight or tomorrow. His body will fully recover in about a week, but he won't be able to talk again for several weeks.” He then looked to Chrys, raising an eyebrow, “And he shouldn't exert himself, or it'll take even longer to recover his voice.”

“So, he's going to be fine?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yes, in time,” he assured, getting a small relieved smile from her. He then looked over his shoulder, “Lores, you want us to move him out of here?”

“No, he's welcome here." Lores replied, "Besides, after seeing what it took to get Sledge out of here...”

“What happened?” Darrin asked as he looked to her.

“He was sensitive after being hit in the, well, let's just say he wasn't in the mood to make things easy,” she said as she made a dismissive gesture, “Took a whole squad to get him out of here,” she added, getting a nod from Darrin as he looked to Chrys, who was eyeing the caged pony in the room with an odd look on her face.

“He saved you, right?” Darrin asked, getting a nod from Chrys.

“Stay with Bulwark,” she said as she got on her hooves, seeing Darrin get up too, “Please? I'm just gonna talk to Dud.”

“Dud?”

“The pegasus,” Chrys added, getting up to move. Before she could start off, Aid stopped her, giving her an appraising look.

“Looks like you were hurt during the fight.” Aid pointed out as he tapped her on the forehead, making her wince in pain.

“No, this happened afterwards.”

“Whatever you say, Highness,” Aid said as he grabbed some of the waxy substance on his hoof.

“I'm fine Aid, you don't—”

“Not gonna hear it,” Aid replied as he tapped her head in annoyance, making Chrys wince as he expertly applied the stuff on her bump. It felt cool to the touch, before it started to warm, ebbing the pain as Chrys looked to the side. “And what do we say?”

“...Thank you.” Chrys mumbled, getting a nod from Aid as he stepped back from her, seeing Darrin trying to hide a laugh from her. She gave him an annoyed look, before turning to the hive's top healer. “Aid, Darrin's hurt too, you should be more thorough with him, he ran into a wall.”

“What's this?” Aid asked as he turned to Darrin, getting a surprised look from the soldier. Smile briefly, Chrys left him to his fate as she went to the sleeping pony.

Reaching his cage, she noticed that there was a bit of that healing wax spread on his forehead, giving her the impression that he must have had rocks fall on him when Mantis and Sledge crashed into the wall.

“Hey. Wake up,” she said as she poked him with her magic, giving her a sense of deja-vu when he sleepily looked over his shoulder to her. He blinked at her, before his eyes widened, and he rolled over to look at her with an energetic smile.

“Well met, Princess!” Dud let out, before his eyes went to her forehead. “Healing resin?” he mumbled in confusion, “But you looked fine after that mess,” he added before shaking his head, “Did you have more questions for me?” he asked, getting a short nod from Chrys.

“About earlier, you ... do know we're going to fight Equestria, and capture the Moon Princess, right?”

“Uh, yep!” he replied enthusiastically, making Chrys shake her head in wonder as she sat down.

“Then why did you save me?” she asked as she pointed at him, then herself. “You're a pony, and I'm a changeling. Doesn't that make us enemies?”

“No. That makes me a pony, and you a changeling,” he said with a flat look as he tilted his head.

“You wouldn't say that if you were a dud,” Chrys replied with an unamused look.

“I suppose there'd be a lot of things I wouldn't be saying if I wasn't,” he said matter-of-factly, “What with being in a cocoon and all,” he added, getting a slightly exasperated look from the princess.

“You haven't told me why you saved me.”

“I didn't? Well, sorry about that. Let's see, I guess there's lots of reasons, which do you want to hear?” he asked, and Chrys' brow furrowed in thought before letting out a small sigh.

“All.”

“Oh, alright!” he replied as he took a moment to think, “Okay, you're a princess. You're a changeling.  Like I said last time, there's only one of you in the world. You're young.”

“I'm not a hatchling,” Chrys replied almost on reflex.

“That you're not,” he replied, before blinking in confusion, “Where was I … oh! That brute woke me up from a nice dream. He damaged Lores' room. He had a look that rubbed me the wrong way. And, of course, because I wanted to,” he said as he gave her a stern nod, “If somepony in front of me is in trouble like you were, I'd want to help. That's why I saved you.”

“So, you didn't want something in return?”

“What, you mean since I helped, you owe me?” he asked, looking a little surprised, “I hadn't considered that!” He then shook his head, "I didn't want anything in return." His eyes then widened, "And don't get me wrong, I'm not some sort of hero-pony, but a rare-species-expert-pony," he reaffirmed with a nod.

“So you never thought of being let out? You didn't even once think about Equestria?” she asked, finding his lack of loyalty baffling.

“Should I?”

“Yes!” she said, frowning as she stomped the ground, “How can you not care about your home!?”

“I didn't say I don't care,” he quickly replied, getting a confused look from her.

“Huh?”

“I care.”  

“Then why did you help me? I'm not good for Equestria,” she asked, her head starting to throb from talking to him. He looked to her, his brow furrowing slightly as he considered her words.

“I think I can see what you mean. But, I'm not really worried,” he said, making her raise an eyebrow towards him.

“Was that an insult? Are you saying we'll lose?”

“Not really,” he answered bashfully, “I don't think you'll win, but I don't think you'll lose, either,” he said, making her shake her head in annoyance.

“And what about Equestria?”

“Equestria will win,” he replied, his confidence leaving her speechless for a moment.

“But, if that's true, then we lose,” she insisted as she motioned to her surroundings, getting a confused look from him.

“Equestria protects its own. Changelings want to prosper. Equestria will win by protecting its own, but I'm not sure about changelings. I want them to prosper, but as they are right now, I have doubts.”

“So, you helped me because you think Equestria will win anyway?” she asked, making him frown, as if she'd missed an important detail.

“No. I told you why I helped. Equestria had nothing to do with it.”

He helped her because he wanted to. He cared about home, but he didn't want to protect it from her. He's a pony, so of course Equestria was involved, just as much as she was involved in the hive for being a changeling. And trying to make sense of the way this pony thought was making her head ache all the more, bringing her hooves to her head in frustration.

“Ooh! Why am I wasting my time with you? Momo's in danger and here I am talking myself in circles with a pony that doesn't make sense!” she let out, getting some curious looks from the drones as Dud gave her a surprised look.

“What's that about Momo?” he asked as he edged closer to Chrys, a hint of concern in his voice that caught her off guard.

“Mantis, the hive's general, is holding her hostage so I'll do what he wants.”

“The fellow that was here earlier?” he asked, frowning, getting a nod from Chrys. His expression then became more neutral, to her surprise. “Oh, alright then.”

“What do you mean 'alright then'?”

“Nothing. Momo will be fine,” he stated confidently, making Chrys almost sway and topple over in confusion.

“How do you know?”

“Because she's Momo,” he said as if that cleared up everything, “I don't see her sitting quietly as a hostage.”

“You know her?” she asked, prompting Dud to point at Lores. “So, you're not worried about Momo either?” she asked, and he appraised her for a moment, before his eyes widened in realization.

“I like Momo, so I do worry, but, I know she'll be fine. Just like I know Equestria will be fine.”

“How?”

“Faith.”

“Faith...?” she asked, getting a nod in turn as he raised his two front hooves, flats up.

“Equestria's been going strong for a little over five hundred years now, thanks to Princess Luna and us ponies,” he said as he bobbed one of his hooves, as if it was carrying Equestria in it. “I have faith it'll keep going,” he said as he looked to the other hoof, “Momo comes across as very loyal, stubborn, and dependable. I can see her finding a way out of her problem without anypony's help.”

“But what if she doesn't? What if she needs help?”

“She may need help, but what can I do?” he asked as he pointed to his cage, “If I could, I'd try and help her,” he said, making Chrys realize she was in a similar position as he was, only her cage was made of fear and threats.

“So, you'd help her, but not Equestria?” she asked, feeling as if she was starting to understand something about this oddity before her.

“There are plenty of ponies to help Equestria, but how many ponies are there to help Momo?” he asked with a serious expression, a small fire in his eyes that she took note of.

“...You're an odd pony, Dud.”

“I'm well aware,” he said, getting a small nod from Chrys as his words rolled in her head.

“Thanks Dud. For helping me, again.”

“Think nothing of it, Princess,” he said with a smile, before she turned back to Darrin and Bulwark.

She could easily see Momo trying to free herself from Mantis' grasp. But, she could also see Mantis tightening the reins on her. Her eyes then widened in realization as she looked to Darrin.

He had faith in Mantis. Was it because they were both soldiers?

Chrys had faith in Momo, but she feared Mantis more. In a way, she had more faith in Mantis than Momo, a realization that made Chrys' brow furrow for a minute, her anger aimed at herself more than anything.

Mantis was controlling her, making her stride to his beat, in more ways than she realized. Dud was right, Momo wouldn't want to be held as a hostage. She'd try to break free, and she was stubborn enough to pull it off.

Though this realization didn't dispel her worry, it did lessen it, giving her hope as she looked back to Dud. She then eyed Darrin and Bulwark, the threads of a plan coming together as she returned to their side.

The first thing she'd need to do, is talk to her mother...


~~~~~~~~~~


Mantis let out a sigh as he left the Queen's presence. Informing her of the fight went about as well as he expected, being that he left with his head still attached.

As he left the Royal Halls, a soldier from his private unit saluted him. Mantis could tell by the nervous look the soldier was giving him, that he didn't have good news to report.

"Let me guess, we couldn't track her down?" Mantis asked, shaking his head in wonder as the soldier nodded.

"She turned into a pegasus during our pursuit, and we lost her in the clouds. We've been searching the area and haven't seen a trace of her. We can assuredly say she's nowhere near the hive right now."

"She went pony..." Mantis said as his mind raced, "We only have the main tunnel and auxiliary tunnel open right now, correct?"

"Yes, Mantis."

"Then inspect all that come in. She may try to impersonate a soldier."

"You think she'll come back?"

"I can't say. I thought I had her pegged down, but her escape has proven otherwise," he said in annoyance as he turned to the soldier, "Either way, she escaped as a pony, that kind of effort makes a changeling hungry, and the only nectar around for miles, is here."

"I understand sir, I'll pass on the orders," the soldier said with a salute, before leaving. Alone again, Mantis shook his head, feeling a light migraine coming on.

"Curse you, Momo. I should have known better!” he let out as he glared at nothing in particular, “Maybe she'll have the good sense to take my warning seriously, and stay as far away from here as she can."