//------------------------------// // The Fall of the Hives // Story: A Frozen Heart // by Shocks //------------------------------// It was cold. Very cold. Though, there was not much that could be done about that. They hurried on, speeding through the multiple layers of snow as fast as they could. Their wings, which they may have once used to fly away from the threat that hunted them, were now iced over and useless, the delicate membranes damaged. They simply flopped against their sides with each step, the wind continually adding new snowflakes to the already limp appendages every second. Exhaustion was beginning to plague the small group as the sprint through the thick snowfall only drained their energy with an increasing pace. The weather, once again against them, was a wild blizzard that stung at their eye covers while additionally forcing them to rub their eyes to clear gathering snowfall. The leader of the small trio could barely see ahead of them, only determining a path when a snow-covered, leaf-less tree came into view, showing that they were still heading out of the frozen forest. The only shining light that could be pulled from his situation-not the sun of course, as they had not seen it in hours-was that their thick chitin appeared to be holding up remarkably well against the weather, only suffering slight ice patches. For now anyways. The leader, desperately trying to keep a keen eye through the raging snowstorm had barely anytime to let out a shrill warning as directly in their path a spike of perfectly cut ice suddenly emerged diagonally from the ground, as if simply willed into existence. It was nearly the body length of themselves and with prayers to the high monarchs of old, its razor sharp edge was thankfully pointed away from them. Still, they could not avoid the new obstacle in time, the leader forced to exasperate his already taxed muscles by leaping at the protruding shard, gaining enough momentary traction to leap off the ice, its landing into the snow more of a tumble as its companions dodged around the icicle. They slowed their pace just enough to allow for the leader to scramble to their hooves, shaking off the snow he had rolled in for just a moment, as a second longer could spell doom. The group continued on at even a more frantic pace now, as the implications of the icicles appearance was a sign of the encroaching hunters. Although none could or would voice their opinions, both in part due to their exhaustion and fear, they knew what fate awaited them. Such was life for the changelings of the frozen north. There could be no alternative. The old hives-led by the high queens and kings of age’s past- that had once sought claim to the relic of power that existed in the icy wastes, even as the empire that held it expanded in strength and power, now paid for their transgressions. The relic, only spoken of in whispers by those who only needed to know it must be acquired, was said to be capable of feeding all the united hives, a bottomless supply of emotional energy, to which all lings could grow and live under, forever removed from the fear of hunger. They had thought themselves invincible, galvanized by a sense of purpose. With the tiny sliver of hope planted from the lowliest drone to the high monarchs themselves, the hives, for a word, swarmed across the borders of the empire that stood between them and prosperity, untied under a banner of common interests. The empire’s citizenry had been terrified at the beginning, the ponies fleeing in blind terror of their mighty swarms, the sky blackened by the unending waves of drones sent at the enemy villages. Resistance was pitiful at first, only small bands of soldiers rising to defend their homes, buying time for the others to flee deeper into the empire’s borders. These ‘heroes’ did well to keep the changelings wits sharp, and their fangs, even sharper. In the early months, they had pushed rapidly into the massive territory that the empire ruled over, cutting a swath through the recently acquired lands of the expanding pony dominion. For the kings and queens of the invading hives, the thought of being able to hold the relic within their hooves, to feel the power course through them, only spurred on their ambitions, the drones charging ever faster into the ponies at their lieges command. Then, things began to change. It was to be expected. They had to push deep into the heart of the empire, where its capital lay, if they wanted to have any true chance of acquiring the object of power. As such, they would have to trade the lush green forests and fertile grasslands that most of the attacked villages dwelled by, for the bitter, biting cold of the frozen north. Its endless mountains were the first obstacle, insurmountable walls of ice and earth that forced the hives rapid advance to a slow crawl, only the trails and roads carved and beaten out of the ground by the ponies before preventing a dead stop. At this point, many of the old broods had advised that tunneling into the mountains to build new settlements would be an unquestionable move, as the wind and sleet pounded against the changeling invaders without pause. For a time, they did. Weeks passed, and the foundations of new hives were being constructed inside the icy fortresses. However, this stall only antagonized the young blood, the fresh hatchlings of some old monarchs; now taking their predecessor’s throne. They had already had a taste for the victories of before and only saw aging old fools in the kings and queens that surpassed them in all but youth. Infighting suddenly became a very real threat, and to changelings, a hive that threatened itself was the death toll for all. Against the old ones wishes, the young blood advanced their swarms further into the pony territory, and only after reluctantly holding out, did the old blood commit their changelings to the march as well. It would be a regrettable decision. The march through the frozen wastes that made up the majority of the north was not a quiet affair. Unmolested by ponies, but battered by the very environment of unending winter, the changelings expelled more and more energy braving the wilderness. Not only that, but the beasts and creatures that dwelled in these expansive lands now saw the swarms not as something to be feared, but something to be consumed. To be hunted. For they knew one critical thing, something that the invaders had yet to fully grasp. They believed winter was already here? No, it had not yet arrived, which is why the animals that called this place still roamed. No, winter was coming. As such, the animals here were desperate for any type of nourishment to last them until the thaw of spring. They needed to hunt. The changelings were unprepared for the assault by the beasts. While the animals had learned to fear the ponies that conquered these lands, the black carapaced equines were something new. Bold predators ran attacks, snatching changelings here and there before retreating into the wilds, the swarms unable to give chase without opening themselves up to more strikes. They were acceptable losses to some, but to others, it was a dire sign. The pony soldiers began their own assaults soon after. Blending into the wilderness, using the land to their advantage, the professional soldiers of the empire used their tactics and weaponry to strike at the swarms that up till now had marched seemingly unopposed through their very country. Armored from head to hoof, the crystal ponies battered the already beleaguered army with subsequent hit and run attacks, striking with all their might before fleeing back into the wilderness. The regular drones of the hives were no match for the professional soldiers of the empire, the lack of training and armament having a devastating effect on the fight between the two. With armor that was capable of both shielding them against the weather of the north, in addition to taking a brutal amount of punishment from the changelings hooves and magic, a single solider was comparable to over half a dozen drones. This was not to say the hives were completely defenseless against the armored troops of the empire, as they too had their own proud legions of knights to fight for their cause. However, these equipped soldiers were often more commonplace in the hives of the old blood, the young finding their need only to really be in protecting the monarchs themselves. It was for this reason that production of knights and soldiers had slowed within the new hives, leaving their ranks to swell with lowly common drones. As such, the only true match to the pony combatants was well behind the main spearhead of the invasion, still held within the ranks of leaders that simply saw fit to let the ambitious young broods squirm under their repeated losses. Division amongst other mounting problems only added to the changeling’s march spiraling from a rapid conquest to a bogged down siege. And all this before they even began the first assault on the mighty domed cities of the empire, the massive shields that protected the bustling city states from the brutal weather not exactly hard to find. With the pure streams of vibrant multihued energy that coursed through the air toward the towers that projected the domes, the cities were not ones for subtly. It was at one of these cities that the changeling march would receive its most devastating blow yet. Situated at the opening of a large river that still managed to flow despite the weather, with its back nestled against a small mountain, the city was already a difficult position to assault in the beginning. Adding to the defense of the crystal town was the vast amount of troops that lay nestled under its protective dome, brought in while the changelings had continued their push inward. Unbeknown to the hives only after their infiltrators went to work, the crystal ponies had not been idle in the defense of their kingdom. Plans had been drawn, information relayed, troops mobilized, and preparations were made well since the beginning of the initial invasion. It was only in thanks to these various infiltrators that had managed to assimilate themselves into the fleeing ‘refugees’ did the hives learn of the massive bulwark of troops now stationed at the city they were poised to attack. And with more on the way. This only caused more tension between the leaders of the now crumbling alliance. Many believed the attack must be launched to gather food for the fighting force and give them adequate time to rest and renew the march, as the hive’s emotional stores of energy had been continuously diminished without any recent additions. Others claimed that wasting time attacking the city would doom the invasion and allow the ponies more time to retaliate, forcing them into an even more dire situation. They believed that pushing forward to the capital was the only goal, and bypassing this city would be fruitful. It still didn’t answer the calls that it left them open to attack. Whatever was actually decided, as many a ling could say they did not know, it would end in the collapse of the entire changeling species, and doom them to hiding in the wastes for a meager survival. The city was attacked, yet several hives of the army was absent during the assault, seemingly disappearing into the icy north. Additionally, the day had finally arrived that many of the ponies had been waiting for. The first day of winter. As the hives had prepared to launch the assault, a massive blizzard swept across the plains that bordered the city, battering the attack force and dropping visibility to near zero, as a ling could barely see the drone next to them. This had been the plan of the ponies all along. By slowing the invasion with constant hit and run attacks, they delayed the march just enough to have winter arrive just as the changelings would reach their first shielded city. The attack on the city had suffered its first major drawback within hours of its launch; the massive forces of drones now robbed of their most valuable resource, their wings, the membranes terribly situated for the frozen weather. They were forced to move along the ground, facing attacks from the groups of entrenched, armed ponies that had stationed themselves outside the city. Despite their resistance, these guards could not handle the overwhelming numbers of the changelings, and were either captured or pushed back into the pulsing dome of the city, its pale- white blue shield making it impossible to see what lurked inside. It was then when the first divisions of the changelings entered the dome did they truly face the might of the empire they had so carelessly attacked. Crystal walls lined the perimeter of the city, the walls bulging with solider after solider, only separated by towers that jutted toward the sky, a large levitating gem rotating slowly at their tops. The supposedly lush interior of the dome had now fallen to ruin outside the walls, dry grass and dying trees leaving little life between the dome and the city. In the distance, the large spire that lay at the city’s heart continued to give off a pulsing light, the energy that was collected in the truly massive violet crystal just above its tip releasing the light. It would spell their doom in the coming hours. With little else to do, the forces of the hives attacked, rushing forward with their overwhelming numbers to swarm the enemy. While the drones hammered the wall’s defenders, the infiltrators sabotaged the ranks from within, before the legions of knights took to the battle. Though the battle did not go anywhere as smoothly as planned. Traps set by the crystal ponies caused casualties even before any ling managed to reach the walls, and a barrage of fire arrows launched into the dry brush set much of the battlefield on fire, only adding to the changeling losses. For some time, both sides clashed, the crystal warriors battling the insectoid equines for control of the walls, while each dealt with the various surprises they had in store for one another. Then, a surprise would come when many of the changeling army recovered the use of their wings, the warmer weather of the dome melting the gathered frost. This allowed them to swarm at the soldiers with renewed vigor. Only a surprise appearance by the pegasi divisions of the crystal empire saved the wall defenders from being overrun. However, as more and more changeling forces entered through the barrier, it was quickly becoming clear to the crystal ponies that victory would not be theirs, the numbers simply not with them. Once again though, the dynamic of the battle would change instantly. The unicorn mages that guarded the large hovering crystals atop the wall’s towers sensed the change first. During that battle, the gemstones themselves had begun to increase their rotating pace, subtly at first, before becoming a rapid crescendo. It was only a glance at the city’s spire that revealed what was occurring. The precious stone that was responsible for gathering the energy the relic sent them was a blur, spinning at a rate that many could not actually make out the gem itself. Its glow was beginning to spread across the city, startling many of the civilians that had not been evacuated before the battle started. It was then the shield dropped, dissipating and receding back into the gem that projected it. It was an unclear sign. To the changelings, it was a validation they were winning, their forces pressing the attack. To the citizenry, it was a startling and horrifying prospect, many never even hearing of a shield failing. But to the guard, it meant one thing. No longer did the energy that was stored within the gem go to raising the shield. Now, that energy would be put to more…direct uses. The first beam that lanced out of the rotating gem startled many, as it impacted one of its smaller brethren on the wall. The smaller gem was charged near instantaneously, pulsing with untold power. The unicorn mages did not waste time in redirecting it. Beams of energy erupted from the smaller crystal, slamming into the ranks of changelings with devastating effect, dozens upon dozens of drones obliterated at once. In seconds, more lances of light powered the other crystals along the wall, sending more and more arcs of magical might into the unsuspecting hordes. The army of changelings was unprepared for this development, as its thick ranks of drones were ripped apart by the powerful beams of archaic energy. Everything quickly delved into madness shortly afterward. With the raging blizzard outside now free to sweep over the city, the biting cold and harsh winds rushed over the battlefield. The deep hums and pulses of the gems provided a disquieting backdrop to the sounds of battle. The hives, now in a mad rush to stop the gem structures now pummeled the towers with everything they had, leaving themselves open to attack by the other ponies. As the battle progressed more and more to the ponies favor, ranks of changelings suddenly cut and run, fleeing the battle as quickly as their hooves could carry them. As it turned out, young bloods and old broods were relaying retreat orders through the network of hive minds, causing entire hives to flee the battlefield. Those that remained did not have much of a hive for long. The battle turned quickly into a route by the rallied crystal ponies, the ponies rapidly encircling what foolish hives that were still pressing the attack. From what few lings managed to escape the ensnarement, the attack force had all but been destroyed. As the remaining hives fled into the wilderness, the shining dome once again raised over the city, a mocking testament to the failure of the day. Whatever plans the changelings had after the attack, they quickly fell into disarray. This is the time that would become known as the collapse, a period that only offered the changelings that attacked the empire of the north blow after punishing blow. Defeated and in rapid retreat, the allied hives separated into their own divisions, loyal to only themselves and their monarchs. As the ponies began to seek out the various hiding places of the broods, little help was given to the swarms that were attacked. And things had only grown more desperate for the changelings with the arrival of the pale one. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere within the crystal ponies ranks, the pale one, a tall creature that walked on two legs, that wore strange drapes, with skin an off white had begun the hunt for the retreating changelings in earnest, pressing the advantage of the disorganized lings to rapidly attack and capture dozens of small droves. Well, many had hoped they were captured. In truth, there had only been few to escape the pale one during the collapse. It was only during the first attacks on the broken hives did the pale one fail to acquire all its targets, allowing information on its appearance to slip to the others. Though, it seemed to quickly realize its mistakes and soon when a group did not return, the pale one was suspected to have claimed more. There was distinct ‘signs’ that followed the pale one. Snowfall increases around scavenging drones, ice appearing across leafless trees, and the far most telling sign, ice suddenly encasing anyling where they stood. Now, for the trio that was what remained of a dozen strong group, they had bore witness to these signs firsthand. The pale one was hunting them; it was close, that much was evidently clear. They had yet to see any of the pony soldiers that it used in its hunts, but they could only assume the armored equines were nearby. Another spike suddenly shot out in front of them, its form rising between two trees to block their immediate path, forcing the leader to make a rapid decision to make a turn to the right. He was met by another rising ice wall. In seconds, rising thick walls of frost rose to block off all available paths in front of them, easily tall enough to be unable to climb and smooth enough that it would award no grip even if they tried. An angry hiss from behind him caused the leader to notice his two companions were leveling their horns in a seemingly random direction; their bodies tensed low to the ground. For a moment, the leader planned to rebuke the lowly drones, when one’s horn suddenly glowed the cobalt color of their hive, firing off a magic bolt into the haze of the blizzard. It disappeared into the sleet and snow, lost to the blinding snowstorm. Anger once again welled up in the leader, ready to deliver a lashing against the drone that had so callously betrayed their position when the bolt that had been fired suddenly appeared out of the blizzard that it had disappeared into, striking the changeling that had fired it, sending the unsuspecting drone hurtling into the ice wall behind it, a loud crack signaling it was now well on its way to unconsciousness. A silhouette appeared out of the haze, rapidly forming into that of an armored equine, their silver armor still managing to gleam even in the harsh weather. Its horned head was encased in form fitting metal that allowed its ears free reign of movement while still covering all the way to connect to a tight muzzle guard. Its barrel and back was simultaneously encased in what looked like thick armor plates, smoothing out the farther it went. Metal horseshoes and fetlock guards protected its legs, allowing only a small space of exposed fur to escape through the coverage. A noticeable feature was a crimson scarf wrapped around its neck that whipped and flurried with the wind. Hovering just adjacent to him, if the large bulk was anything to go by, raised in a glow of soft violet was a sword that appeared to be entirely out of crystal. Though it was by far the shield that hovered on his opposite side that garnered the most attention. Seemingly made with the impossible design of a snowflake with a large center and branching ‘roots’ on all sides, the intricately designed shield once again appeared to be made entirely out of crystal, the exact how all but lost to the changeling. The remaining drone, acting on more instinct than on orders did not hesitate to fire off another overcharged bolt of energy at the pony soldier. He appeared to expect this however, as he raised his shield just as the bolt connected. It struck dead center; impacting the shield and forcing the pony back into the snow, nearly throwing him off his hooves as well as lose control over the shield. However, the pony recovered and shockingly, the shield was humming with the power that the drone had struck it with. The ball of blue energy that seemed to pulse underneath the crystal surface split and rushed up each branch of crystal, before reaching each tip and returning to the center just as quickly. Then, in near identical precision to the very bolt fired from the changeling’s horn, the shield’s center unleashed a beam of energy that struck the drone dead center, causing the drone to tumble back into a nearby snow bank, clearly out of the fight. This had all occurred within several seconds, and the leader realized that he was now alone, cut off, and likely not escaping his fate. Still, that did not mean he would go quietly. He hissed out a warning as he dropped into a battle stance, the pony only twirling his sword in anticipation. Both stood there for a moment, silently analyzing each other’s positions, looking for a twitch or tell that would betray their next move. That pause was all she needed to launch the ice shard to impact the last changeling’s horn, causing the equine like creature to tumble to the snow, before it began to thrash at the ice that now covered its body, encasing everything but its head in unbreakable frost. She walked out of the woods nearby, each step careful and purposeful, and her long strides taking her quickly to the downed enemy. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Sight was moving toward the changeling as well. He too, glanced over to her, and for a moment their eyes connected. Her attention was brought back to the insectoid equine just as quickly. It was still thrashing with its head despite losing full mobility of the rest of its body, and she was once again surprised by how it increased with each step she took. From what they had learned from the ones that talked, she was seen as something of a boogeyman. Well, with a name like Esdeath, it’s not exactly very approachable is it? Smiling in spite of herself, she reached the downed drone, Sight moving to check the other changelings to assess their threats. Kneeling down into the snow, her armored leg clanking softly as it contacted the hard earth beneath the snowfall, she lifted up the faceplate of her silver helmet, allowing the enemy to see her face. She put on her most disarming smile and spoke. “Hello.” The changeling’s thrashing doubled. She chuckled at that. Something about her smile and the ‘look’ she could give some ponies was frankly frightening at times. She couldn’t understand it for the life of her. Ah Well… She leaned closer to the ling, allowing her extremely long blue hair that seemed to match the ice she created flow across her armored shoulders. “I take it you don’t like being pinned down?” A very angry hiss was her reply. “You must be tired. You should rest. There’s no use putting up a fight.” The thrashing surprisingly doubled again. She shook her head. It was the same almost every time. “You know, if you hadn’t done that right now, I might have believed you didn’t understand me, though frankly, I know you can.” If she could have seen the bug’s actual eyes, she would have assumed they would have widened in alarm. As such, the resistance it showed suddenly coming to an abrupt stop was all she needed. She smiled. Gotcha. “If you speak to me, tell me what you were doing out here, I promise you, you will be shown mercy. You have nothing to lose at this point,” she paused for a moment, “I don’t think you can keep going like this either.” The crunch of snow and the clank of armor told her that Sight was approaching her, but her eyes never left the changelings. It no longer moved, and she could swear she saw the faintest of twitches along its eye covers. Then it began to mouth words, but did not speak. She leaned toward it, slightly confused. Had it somehow lost its voice? Inch by inch she moved closer toward the creature, careful to watch its movements. Esdeath could hear words against the wind, but they were still faint, and unable to be understood. It was trying to communicate though, that much was clear. She jumped at the chance to try and have a somewhat civil conversation. Perhaps she was too eager. In a second, it happened. As she had moved just slightly closer to try and catch what the changeling was saying, it lunged with its open maw, hoping to sink its fang like teeth into the joints that protected her neck. Faster than a trained eye could track, she jumped back from the attack. Surprisingly delivering an armored fist crashing into its muzzle that sent its head slamming into the ground, green ichors splattering against the white snow, staining it. She hadn’t even thought, merely reacting. Esdeath didn’t feel the ichor dripping from her cheek till Sight spoke up. “Elie, it would be wise to wipe that off your skin. We still do not understand these bugs; it would be dangerous to take any chances," he said, approaching the pinned changeling with a glare that could shatter stone. She blinked several times, looking down at the armored pony that stood off to her side; back to the unmoving changeling in the snow, and the green stain directly next to it. She tried to ignore the sudden crunch as Sight's sword ended the drone. Her gauntlet rapidly moved across her cheek, it’s increasing pace only smearing the ichor. “It happened again didn’t it? It happened again.” She spoke quietly, yet her arm only moved at a quicker pace to wipe off the blood. “You simply reacted; don’t blame yourself for trying to stay alive.” She couldn’t help but look away as the lie was once again brought up, but had to once more push that thought aside. The woman knelt into the snow, now looking at her armored hand that was covered with the drone’s blood. “You still have some along your cheek,” Sight spoke up matter-of-factly, but just as she moved her hand to try and wipe what remained she felt the hot breath of the stallion rush across her skin before a strange feeling darted across her cheek. Sight had just licked her. She whirled on him, shock and anger on her face. “What are you doing?!” She intoned angrily. Welcome Sight, for his part, withstood the truly frightening glare of the taller biped, seemingly unfazed as he once again brought his head closer to hers before running his tongue quickly across the stained smooth skin. “We need to remove this. I am expendable, you are not. The heart can only know what the Queen would do if you…fell.” She glowered at the fact that Amore was brought up in this. That was completely unnecessary and Sight knew this. And speaking of necessary… Esdeath grabbed Sight’s head with one hand and pulled it close to her own, her piercing eyes gazing into his soft ones. “Do not, ever, claim to be expendable to me again Welcome. I, will, not, hear, it.” She increased her glare. “Am I understood?” He nodded quickly. “I did not mean it like that Esdeath. But you know it’s true. I am but a solider, a farmer before that. I cannot be considered much else next to you.” Her grip slackened at his words, and tentatively, he moved his head closer to hers. Mindful of his horn, he moved his muzzle closer, his eyes meeting hers, asking for permission. She allowed it. Another lick. A weary sigh escaped her. “What about the other changelings?” She asked, somewhat curious. “They won’t be getting up anytime soon.” Another lick. “Where are the others?” “They are nearby, they should approach any moment.” A somewhat longer lick, his warm breath washing across her cheek. She felt that familiar bloom of heat in her chest. “There cannot be that much blood, really?” She started to joke, though a pang of fear welled inside at the thought of there being so much. Another lick. “No, but I want to be sure. The rumors and fears of these creatures are running rampant. I will not have them reach you.” The bloom grew. Faster than he could anticipate, her lips locked with his own, his eyes sparking with surprise. With her kneeled position, she was easily able to meet him in a passionate embrace. She moved her hand quickly to his neck, bringing the stallion closer to herself, pushing even harder into the kiss. She relented just as she felt he would pull away, leaving a ramrod stiff Welcome Sight to gaze at her with his muzzle partly agape. Esdeath smiled at his familiar flustered glare. “That defeated the whole purpose of my gesture.” She smiled at him, running a hand along his jaw. “Then we both get sick yes? I don’t have any complaints about that.” He glared. “That could be the least of my worries.” She cocked a single eyebrow. “Don’t you mean our worries?” The stallion gazed for a good time into the woman’s playful eyes before finally relenting, shaking his head at the antics. “I don’t…I…” The clank of armor and the crunch of snow brought the two out of their reprieve as multiple forms began to emerge out of the haze around them, the blizzard having calmed down enough for them to be spotted somewhat. More pony soldiers equipped similarly to Welcome Sight gathered around the duo, many even toting several captured changelings in metal shackles. One raised its voice at the two. “Captain, private! To the camp, the general is ordering all patrols back!” The stallion's thick gruff voice commanded. Esdeath stood up, looking down at Sight as she brought her hand to her helmet. “We will finish this later,” she whispered, offering a quick wink before closing her faceplate. He did not like that wink.