“279 check here, 392 here, 189 you’re with me.” Darkblaze told Acari’s scouts while pointing at locations on a map. They hadn’t come anywhere close to finding the wounded Changeling yet, and time was running out.
Two of the three Changelings saluted and transformed into their Pegasus disguises before flying out of the building. Leaving Darkblaze and one of the Changelings.
“What are you planning, Infiltrator?” Scout 189 asked.
“We’ve checked nearly everywhere in this city.” Darkblaze placed his hoof on the market place. “This is the last place to check. We will attempt a three way search.”
Darkblaze placed his hoof to the north of the market. “279 will enter from here,” he pointed to the south, “392 will enter from here.” He pointed to the west. “We will enter from here.”
“But why do you need me?” 189 asked. “Shouldn’t I enter from the east?”
“No I need you with me so that the others don’t mistake me for the Caretaker. If she is alone, I may be able to connect using the Hive mind, but I’ll need to be close to make the connection.”
189 looked at Darkblaze. “What will you do after the connection is made?”
Darkblaze turned to look at the Drone. “I’ll track her down and we’ll have our line back to Chrysalis.”
189 contemplated his offer, as though unsure whether to believe him or not. He eventually nodded in agreement. “Very well, Infiltrator. I will follow you.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Darkblaze said while a wisp of green fire surrounded him and Tornado Dust was standing where he was. “Let’s get moving.”
Usually Caretakers were a cool color, blues and purples, simply for the purpose of quick disguises and easy recognition. They rarely left the Hive, and even when they did, it was to handle a problem with Nymphs or egg thefts. Never for gathering, unless it was foals…but that was always seen as a last resort when the Love supplies were low.
“Tornado, 279 has found something.” Crimson said.
“Color scheme.” Tornado replied.
“Light blue, curled pink mane.” Crimson replied.
Tornado Dust paused for a moment, light blue with a pink mane…that could be it. “Mark?”
Crimson paused for a moment. “A purple child rattler.”
Tornado opened his wings. “Tell him to keep an eye on her.”
Crimson opened his own wings. “He’s following her.”
The two of them took off and headed south towards 279, Crimson led them, as he knew where the changeling was. They eventually found the orange Pegasus standing on top of a building made of clouds.
“There she is.” 279 said pointing towards a light blue Pegasus with a rather bad limp.
Tornado Dust looked towards the Pegasus in question. She was exactly how Crimson described her, and Tornado Dust recognized her. “That’s her.”
“You sure about that?” Crimson asked.
“That pony has been locked in a containment chrysalis for nearly ten years, and she’s supposed to be a unicorn.”
“Have anything to back that claim up?” Crimson replied, still doubting Darkblaze’s intentions.
“I was the one that caught her.” Darkblaze replied. “I think I would know better than you.” Darkblaze kept his eye on the Pegasus. “Get 392 over here now. We have work to do.”
Once the purple Pegasus landed alongside the others, the four of them moved so they wouldn’t be seen before transforming into Royal Guards, armor included. Crimson turned into a Unicorn, he was lifted off the ground until he cast a special spell to allow him to walk on the clouds.
Once they were ready, the four of them walked out into the street.
Crimson began looking around the crowd. Drawing stares from the Pegasi, it wasn’t normal for a Unicorn to be in Cloudsdale, coupled with the Royal Guard made the crowd slightly nervous.
“Alright, citizens,” Crimson projected over the crowd. “We’ve gotten a report of Changeling activity in the area. Celestia sent us to sniff ‘em out.”
At this the other three disguised Changelings took to the air, Darkblaze kept an eye on the Caretaker. “Any attempt to leave the street before you are checked will be seen as a confession.”
Rumored whispers began to float through the crowd, as Pegasi began to wonder who the Changeling could be. Some of them looked worried, eyeing their friends or those closest to them in fear.
“It’s a relatively simple spell.” Crimson began to explain, “It detects illusion spells, and most of you should be fine.” With that, Crimson’s horn began to glow blue, he then began walking through the crowd, looking towards every pony in the crowd. Tornado Dust could hear the relieved sighs coming from small crowds as Crimson walked away.
Tornado kept his eye on the Caretaker, he had to admit, her resolve was something to be admired she kept a steely expression the whole time. Up until Crimson came closer and his horn began to deviate from its blue color.
When Crimson came close, the Caretaker turned and ran as best she could. “Got you.” Tornado said under his breath. He motioned to the other two Changelings disguised as Pegasi and they went after her.
“She’s a fast one isn’t she?” 392 replied as they managed to catch up to her as she dashed into an alley.
“Box her in.” Tornado Dust ordered, flying towards the center of the alley, 279 went to the far end of the alley, while 392 landed and stopped her from doubling back.
Tornado Dust watched from above as the Caretaker skidded to a halt upon seeing 279, she quickly tried to turn back but noticed that 392 had blocked her escape.
She growled and took up a defensive pose, she had beaten them before, and she would do it again, until Tornado Dust flew down on top of her. He quickly spun her around and slammed her into the alley walls, before throwing her to the ground.
Quickly she recovered, turning in time to see Tornado Dust buck her in her chest before standing over the top of her.
Tornado smiled. “Thought you’d get away didn’t you.”
The Pegasus beneath him began trying to squirm out of the hold. Trying anything that would work.
“The Princess has a few questions to ask you. So will you handle this peacefully, or do we need to drag you there?”
The Pegasus grew two long fangs and hissed at Tornado.
“Dragging it is then.” Tornado raised his hoof, before aiming where he would do the least physical damage, and bringing it down on the Caretaker. Knocking her out.
Tornado Dust sighed. “Take her back to the base. I think I know how to get some info out of her.”
Antenna began to regain consciousness; she was in some kind of holding cell, made of stone. There was no light piercing through anywhere, and she knew she was doomed.
Her leg was seriously injured, and that Pegasus gave her a nasty stinging feeling. As she came to, her vision was blurry and she couldn’t find anything of any use to her. She tried to lift herself up, but her leg refused to listen to her.
I’m going to die. Antenna thought. They are going to kill me.
“So you’re finally awake.” Antenna heard the voice, she knew it from somewhere, but she couldn’t put her hoof on where. “About time, I was starting to worry those Guards caved in your head plate.”
Antenna tried again to stand up, but finding it difficult, she instead opted to sitting. “Who are you?”
The source of the voice walked up to the cell bars. “An ally,” Antenna looked to see a member of her hive looking back at her. “Infiltrator 75, Darkblaze.”
“Caretaker 4, Antenna.”
“A Queen Caretaker?” Darkblaze replied surprised. “What is a Caretaker doing this far away from the Hive?”
“I was sent alongside the invasion force to look after the Queen.” Antenna replied. “I was launched alongside the Queen.”
“So she is safe?” Darkblaze asked.
“You mean you didn’t feel it?” Antenna asked, looking up towards her Hive mate’s eyes. He was confused.
“Feel what?” Darkblaze asked. “Antenna, what happened?”
“The Queen…She’s…” Antenna couldn’t finish the sentence; it was too difficult for her.
Antenna heard the cell door open as Darkblaze walked into it. “Caretaker, what happened?”
Antenna looked up at the Infiltrator. “The...The Hive mind has dispersed.” Antenna said, holding back her sadness.
“Dispersed?” Darkblaze replied. “How do you know?”
Antenna was chocking up a little. “I…I can’t feel her…” She said.
“But… That means that…” Darkblaze replied his eyes widening.
“She’s dead!” Antenna shouted grabbing onto the nearby Infiltrator. She couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, she wept into the stunned Infiltrator. “The Queen… I-I found her…” She began to say through the sobs. “She…she was bro-bro-ken…I-I-I couldn’t…”
Darkblaze was still processing the information. “Queen…Chrysalis…” Darkblaze couldn’t believe it, his Queen. “Antenna,” Darkblaze replied looking down at the Caretaker. “What happened?”
The Pink explosion launched the Changelings out of the city, hurling them all across Equestria. Antenna was hurtled with her Queen, spinning as they were thrown towards the badlands. The Queen tried to stop her subjects from leaving the beautiful land, shot them back so they wouldn’t starve.
Antenna managed to correct herself just as the two of them were over a forest, she managed to land without too much damage, but she knew something was wrong.
The Hive, her brothers and sisters, were silent. The back of her mind where the familiar chatter of Changelings was, left a silent void, the only thoughts her own. “My Queen!” She shouted, hoping to get a response. “Chrysalis are you near!”
She worried, Caretakers had a direct connection with their Queen, they needed to know when the Queen required them, and a lack of that connection made Antennae worry.
“My Queen!” She shouted out again, taking off from the ground and flying towards where she believed her queen had landed. “Are you injured?”
As she flew over the canopy, looking for any sign of an impact, her mind began to race, trying to link back up to the Hive mind while searching.
After a few minutes of frantic searching, the Caretaker found a skid mark along the ground, crashing through trees; she followed the trail into a small dark cave. “My Queen!” She shouted into the cave, hearing only the echo, she began to search the inside of the cave, using her horn as a light source.
“My Queen, are you safe?” She shouted through the cave. “Where are you?”
Antenna began to search further into the cave, her fears being drowned out by determination. The light glow from her horn reflected back to her from a shiny black surface. “Chrysalis!”
Antenna quickly went to work, moving pieces of rock off of her monarch. She moved boulders that were far too large for her normally, but her determination prompted her to keep trying.
After about ten minutes of shifting rocks, Antenna could see her Queen, and she had to fight the urge to scream.
Her Queen, she wasn’t moving, no sign of any movement or even any life in her. Antenna tried everything she could, giving her Queen love, shocking her, but nothing helped.
“Chrysalis… Please…” Antenna was tearing up. “Say something…please… Don’t leave me…” Antenna wrapped her hooves around her Queen’s chest and cried. There was no breathing, nothing to feel, her Queen was just cold. Her wings were cracked, bent in unnatural ways, her Chitin was cracked in multiple places, and her horn…her horn was broken in half.
“My Queen…” Antenna said through the stream of tears. “Please…don’t go…”
Antenna could hear a growling from behind her, she quickly turned to see a Manticore, a Lion with a scorpion tail and bat wings glaring down at the two of them, hunger in its eyes.
Antenna laid her Queen down before turning to face the creature. “You will not!” Antenna’s horn began to glow violently, “You will never. HURT MY QUEEN!” She channeled all of her emotions into a single magical attack, a large beam of pure sadness and anger, quickly overpowering the large beast, launching it out of the cave, where it lay, motionless.
Antenna turned back to look at her Queen, the emotions she felt welling back up inside her. She laid down next to the motionless body; she didn’t want to leave her.
“Go…” Came a voice through Antenna’s mental link, sounding exactly like…
“My Queen!” Antenna replied, highly surprised by her Queen’s voice.
“Go…Do not…Die for me…” Her queen said to her. “Go…Survive…”
Antenna was tearing up again, mostly because she was given an order to abandon her Queen.
“I’ll go get help!” Antenna replied, looking towards her Monarch.
“It’s too late for that I’m afraid…” Antenna didn’t believe that her Queen was giving up. “I’ll be dead and gone in a few hours… There is nothing you can do.”
Antenna wiped away her tears, “My Queen…”
“Go… Live…” Antenna couldn’t grasp what her Queen was telling her. “Do not return to the Hive… Return to Equestria… try to live…”
“My Queen…” Antenna replied. “I-I can’t leave you.”
“Antenna…you were always loyal.” Antenna smiled. “Prove to me you are still loyal, my dying wish…is for you to survive.”
“Chry-.”
“Please…do this for me. Go…live.”
Antenna was crying again. She didn’t want to leave her Queen, but she must respect her Queen’s wishes. So she got up, and walked towards the entrance to the cave.
“I-I-I won’t give up…” Antenna said. She flew around grabbing sticks and any other flammable object she could find. She built a small fire, and lit it with her horn, causing the smoke to rise into the sky, a giant black cloud. Meant to get attention instead of create warmth. When she was satisfied with the large smoke trail, she gave one last look back at the mouth of the cave, shedding a single tear; she lifted herself off the ground with her wings.
She stayed hovering above the cave for a few minutes, before she turned back towards Equestria, and began to plan out her new life.
When Antenna had finished her story, she was still crying into Darkblaze. The Infiltrator was processing the story, mostly his Queen’s behavior. Usually she concerned herself over her subjects; she would kill a single changeling if they even attempted to reveal themselves. So why had she been adamant about Antenna living?
“She-She gave me a chance,” Antenna replied. “A-and I wasn’t going to try anything… I ju-just wanted to m-make her proud.”
The Caretaker looked up at Darkblaze. “B-but I r-ran out of en-energy. And then, the Enforcers found me.” She was sobbing again. “I-I got injured…and I-I…”
“Shh…” Darkblaze replied, comforting the Caretaker. “It’s alright… you’re safe now.”
“The-The Roya-al guard are after me…and I-I Don’t know what to do!” She sobbed back into Darkblaze. “I-I-I’ve failed her…”
Darkblaze lifted her head up. “No don’t say that.” He said, comforting her. “You’ve done a great job. I’m sure she would be proud of you.”
Darkblaze looked back out into the hall. “Listen…I’ve got to go and speak with my informant, you just rest here.”
Darkblaze managed to get out of Antenna’s grip, and walked out of the cell. When he was far enough away not to be heard by Antenna, He dropped onto his haunches. “If Chrysalis didn’t allow for Spine’s little expedition, then who did?”
Shade learned a downside to his rapid healing, he couldn’t figure out how to use his hind legs for quite a while, though given it was only the first day, that wasn’t a surprise to him. Through the entire nearly three hour therapy session, he had managed to keep himself on his hind legs for a total of three hundredths of a second before falling back down.
On the plus side, his wings were listening to him. So he could keep himself airborne for a few minutes, though his right wing was still healing preventing him from staying too long.
He was even given a bit of time to mess around with his transformations, most of which he spent as Sunstreak, but he also fidgeted around with his Changeling form, mostly trying to make himself less threatening, which really just involved him making his fangs disappear, which while small, Shade thought it made him almost infinitely more approachable.
When he was brought back to the hospital room, he was surprised to find Sapphire inside the room; she was looking over Carrie’s mother.
“Oh, Sapphire,” Rose said surprised to find her boss in the room. “What are you doing here?”
“I am looking over a patient…” Sapphire explained. “I moved Clean Bill to handle Lieutenant Sunglider. He woke up only a little while ago.” She said all of this while shining a light into the black Unicorn’s eyes, trying to get a response.
“That’s great news.” Rose replied. “Right?”
Sapphire looked away from the Black Unicorn. “It would be,” She said writing on a clipboard, “If he could remember anything.”
Shade flattened his ears against his head. He felt responsible for what happened, and just hoped there was some way to help.
“He appears to be suffering from some form of Retrograde Amnesia,” Sapphire explained. “He can remember who he is, but nothing else. He has no memory of his family, his job, or even his home.” Shade felt worse and worse with everything she said. Even if he didn’t cause it, he had a hand in it.
“That’s terrible.” Rose replied. “Is there anything that may have set it off?”
Sapphire shook her head. “Not that we know of… The most we could come up with was he slammed into the ground.”
Rose sighed. “Every time I think he is getting better…” She trailed off. “Anyway, any progress with our mystery Mare?”
“Very little…” Sapphire replied. “A brief moment of consciousness but aside from that nothing substantial.” Sapphire sighed. “What about you, Shade? Any progress to walking?”
“I may want to work on standing up first…” Shade said slightly embarrassed as he hovered into the bed. “After all being strapped into this thing for a while doesn’t help much with muscle memory.”
“I can guess.” Sapphire replied. “Now…I have to go check on Clean Bill’s progress with Sunglider. Rose if you could inform the kitchen staff that we will need to prepare a meal for Shade, then that would be a great help.”
“Of course, I would be happy to help.” Rose replied.
“Wonderful. Now if you’ll excuse me.” Sapphire walked out of the room and headed down the hall.
“Hearing about Sunglider must have been a weight off your mind.” Rose said to Shade.
“A small weight but yes, I’ve still got plenty of other things troubling me though.” Shade replied. “But…nothing I can do about it now.”
“Bit for your thoughts.” Rose replied.
Shade sighed. “I’m worried about multiple things, Meadow Song, my own freedom, Chrysalis, Sunglider, all of that is just weighing down my thoughts. I keep trying to go over every possible way to find Meadow, but nothing works…I just… don’t know enough about this city.” Shade rubbed his temples. “Then there’s all the risks my friends are taking, they are making a huge risk in taking me in, I’m sure that a lot of these ponies want me dead.”
Rose looked at Shade, concerned for how he looked like he was giving up. “So what are your plans?” Rose asked.
“So far, my plan is to find some way to help Sunglider, then…try and get out and find where those Changelings are hiding.” Shade replied. “And after that…either warn Celestia or go in by myself.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Rose asked.
Shade shook his head. “If Celestia doesn’t help, then I have to do it myself. I won’t let Meadow stay there any longer than she needs to be.”
Rose nodded in understanding. “I’ll keep it from the Guards for you…”
Shade smiled back at her as she left the room. He then reached over to the side table before deciding to read the rest of the first Daring Do books he still needed to read.
Night fell quickly over the Hospital, the lights had all been lowered, and the only still awake creatures were Sapphire and her Changeling night watch. The hospital had been checked every night since the Changeling snuck in before, an attempt to keep Shade alive as well as hide the rest of them.
Shade had finished the Daring Do book before he slept, he was busy thinking about the story he had read…but that didn’t last long.
The world exploded in green fire. Shade quickly whipped around to find the source, but he found nothing but blackness around him.
“Attention all Changelings of the Swarm!” A voice pierced through his head. Coming from everywhere at once. “It saddens me to say this. But my mother, Queen Chrysalis, has died.”
‘Chrysalis is dead?’ That one thought was repeated through his mind over a thousand times, from each Changeling in the Hive, he was connected to them…he could feel their thoughts.
“Calm, my subjects, this matter wounds us all deeply, however there is nothing we can do. If she were alive, she would not want us to mourn.”
‘Lies…’ A voice pierced through, it sounded familiar, but it seemed as though only he could hear it.
“While I know that many of you do not think I am an adequate successor to Chrysalis, the leader of our hive for almost eight hundred years, I assure you my subjects, I will follow the example my mother has set for us! We will be brought into a new age for the Swarm! An age where we need not worry if we will survive the month, an age where we are once again, the dominant hive!”
Shade felt a wave of excitement, not from him, but from the Hive. Almost every one of them believed what their new Queen was saying. Blindly following her, all except a few. Shade focused on these few, it was a small portion of the Hive, probably only a hundred or so, but they clearly were not thrilled with this change of Leadership.
‘Fool…’ the Voice pierced through him again, ‘She doesn’t know what that will mean.’
“I have also become aware of a traitor in our hive. One who sought the end of our Queen.” At this the Changelings all felt a surge of anger. “But this threat will be eliminated, I assure you. We will track this traitor down and then we will destroy our enemies!”
The Changelings all shouted proudly through Shade’s mind. “Queen Ceymi! Long Live Queen Ceymi!”
‘Enough!’ the voice pierced through his mind, and through Shade’s closed eyes, he saw two flaming green cat-like eyes of his new Queen staring back at him.
Shade was jolted awake by the image of the green burning eyes, his heart rate had gone up and he was taking in deep breaths. “What…Did I… Just see?”
If that dream or Hive mind thing or whatever it was, was to be believed. Then Queen Chrysalis was dead. That also meant that a new Queen was just implemented, and from the sound of it, she was actually less peaceful than Chrysalis.
He reached up and rubbed his head, the headache that always followed a mental link was much worse than it should be. Now I know it wasn’t a dream…
He could feel a small tingle near the base of his skull, the mental connection must still be going… He thought about that. Why was I pulled from the connection… almost like someone had severed it?
Shade began running the words and what he knew through his head, trying to find some reason for it. He thought about it for nearly two hours before he eventually succumbed to a dreamless sleep.
Darkblaze continued to pace the old warehouse, he had not heard back from Acari since he sent for her with information, and he was beginning to worry.
Come on, Acari…Where the Hive are you?
“Bit for your thoughts, Infiltrator.” Soldier 189 was watching him from on top of a pile of boxes.
“I’m worried.” Darkblaze replied.
“For what reason?” 189 asked. “We have your Hive mate, she should lead us directly to your Queen.”
Darkblaze shook his head. “She isn’t connected… Our Hive mind dispersed.”
“Meaning?” 189 asked.
Darkblaze sighed. “Queen Chrysalis is-”
At that moment a Drone flew down besides Darkblaze. “Acari would like to speak with you.”
Darkblaze turned to the Drone. “About time. 189 keep a watch on the prisoner.”
The changeling gave a small salute as Darkblaze turned to follow the Drone through the warehouse. Night had fallen fast in Cloudsdale, allowing them to walk up near the front of the warehouse without disguising, but there was always that small itch that you were being watched…
“Queen Acari.” Darkblaze said, bowing as he came close to the dusty pink Pegasus. “I wish I had better news to share with you.”
Acari looked at him suspiciously. “You summoned me here because what you had to say was important.” She leaned into Darkblaze. “I hope you did not waste my time.”
Darkblaze looked up at her. “We did manage to capture the Caretaker, she is one of the Queen’s personal caretakers.”
Acari looked surprised. “I thought you said the Queen was not here.”
Darkblaze shook his head. “She is not…and she will never be again.” Darkblaze lowered his head to look at the floor; he still couldn’t believe what he was about to say.
Acari noticed his sadness and disbelief, so she raised a hoof to tilt his head up. “What is it, Darkblaze?” She said in a light motherly tone.
Darkblaze let out a deep sigh. “Queen Chrysalis…she’s dead.”
The astonishment that went through not only the Queen, but her other three Changelings was palpable. The room went silent, and all of the changelings held their jaws open.
“You’re certain…” Acari asked, eyes still wide. “I… little Chrysi…”
The other three changelings began whispering amongst themselves.
“What happened?” Acari asked worried. “How did she die?”
Darkblaze began to tell the story Antenna had told him, with every detail that she had, he could tell that Acari was shocked when he described Chrysalis’ condition. Especially the horn, when he mentioned it was split in half, all of the Changelings looked at each other. When he finished with Antenna’s story, he looked up the see Acari had shed her disguise.
“I wish to speak with the Caretaker.” Acari said, looking down at him angrily.
Darkblaze sighed. I figured it would come to this… “Alright… Just… Let me talk to her first.”
“I will allow it.” Acari replied. “Now lead the way.”
Darkblaze walked down the warehouse, heading to the far edge where the makeshift cages were. Darkblaze didn’t like the look on Acari’s face, she seemed angry about something, almost like she was willing to execute Antenna on the spot.
“Acari…” Darkblaze asked, looking back at the Monarch. “Can I ask…what are you going to do?”
Acari looked down at him, her posture reminded him of Chrysalis when a Changeling was almost caught, straight and predatory. “I plan to question her. Then… I’m not sure.”
“I just need you to tell me one thing…that’s all.” Darkblaze replied. “Will she still be alive after this?” Darkblaze stopped staring directly at Acari.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Acari sighed. “If what you told me about her not attempting to harm a single pony in her time here is true, then she will be fine. However, if I find a single memory of her attempting to harm one of these ponies, I will bring her before Celestia.”
Darkblaze sighed. “Alright… She is just in here… give me a minute alone with her.”
Acari nodded. “You will have a minute. After that I will enter regardless.”
“Of course, your Majesty.” Darkblaze bowed before walking into the room. He quickly walked over to Antenna’s cell.
“Antenna! I-” He noticed that she wasn’t moving. “No. No. No. No!” Darkblaze said rapidly. He ran into the cell and began to shake the Changeling, looking into her blank eyes.
“Antenna! Can you hear me?” Darkblaze was shouting now. “Wake up! Antenna! I can’t lose you too!” Darkblaze shook the Changeling.
Darkblaze sighed. “I’m sorry about this…” He touched their horns together and linked himself to her mind.
“Long Live Queen Ceymi!” The familiar voice of his kin in his head.
“Silence!”
‘Princess!’ Darkblaze knew her voice.
“The Traitor we seek is being cared for by the enemy! I believe him responsible for the death of the Queen! An informant has told me of his location! I will need a brave Soldier to handle this situation. Any volunteers?”
‘Traitor? Queen’s Death! What is this crazy Princess on about?’ Darkblaze kept his thoughts separate from the Hive, ensuring he would go unnoticed.
He could hear a large number of Changelings send out signals of acceptance, so many blindly willing to die.
Darkblaze could feel Ceymi’s joy. “There is one problem my subjects, you must already be in Canterlot. The security has blocked us out, you must be quick, and you must be deadly. Leave. No. Witnesses.”
“I will do it, My Queen!”
‘That can’t be!’ Darkblaze focused on the voice. His fears were realized. Bloodpool, Chrysalis’ personal assassin, never caught, never seen, and known for his massacres.
“I will always serve the Hive. No matter what I must do.”
“Wonderful. And I have a way for you to get close to him, after that. You merely need to kill every guard that stands in your way.”
“I live for that kind of problem, never enough bloodshed.”
‘oh…Chrysalis…no…’ Darkblaze thought he knew what was going on.
“Now then… Your target-”
Darkblaze forcefully cut both him and Antenna from the connection, it was difficult and left him with a pounding headache, but he managed it.
“What happened?” Antenna said quickly recovering. “Where did the Hive go?”
“I’m… Sorry…Antenna…” Darkblaze was panting from the exertion of severing two minds from the Hive. “I needed…to sever…us from…the Hive…”
“What?” Antenna looked shocked and angry. “Why would you do that? My job requires it!”
“Antenna! Didn’t you hear what the Princess was saying? Doesn’t that go against what the Hive believes in? He is going to slaughter everypony in a Hospital!”
Antenna looked angrily at Darkblaze. “He killed our Que-“
“NO HE DIDN’T!” Darkblaze was shouting at her. “HE CAN’T HAVE!”
“And how do you know that?” Antenna asked suspiciously. “Unless you were a part of his plan.”
“Antenna… You know that I would never harm our Queen.” Darkblaze replied, “I’m just as loyal as you.”
“Then why don’t you tell me why you are defending this traitor?” Antenna asked, her forelegs shape shifting into blades. “Unless you are to blame.”
“You know that you wouldn’t win this fight… Not with that leg of yours.” Darkblaze replied. “And I know because he was with me since the Invasion failed, in Ponyville.”
Antenna looked surprised. “Ponyville?” She repeated. Her forelegs returning to normal. “What were you doing in Ponyville?”
Darkblaze sighed. “I was leaving the Hive…” He mumbled. “I couldn’t take it anymore… My sister…I just…”
The door opened. And Acari walked in. “Not interrupting am I?”
Antenna backed away from the Queen. “A-A-Ac-c-cari…” She began to huddle in the farthest corner from the cell doors.
“Acari.” Darkblaze said trying to get her attention. “I need to tell you something. It’s important.”
“It can wait, Darkblaze.” Acari was determined to get into Antenna’s head. “I want answers. Chrysalis could provide those answers…even if she is dead.”
“Acari! Chrysalis is dead! Her body would have burned by now! Listen to me!”
“Darkblaze… We agreed on this. One minute, then I get to decide what happens to her.”
Darkblaze couldn’t do anything about it, he was a lone Infiltrator and she was a Queen, she could just will it and he could explode or something. “Please Acari…just let me tell you this one thing.”
Acari looked between the two Changelings in front of her one cowering like a hatchling, and the other determined to get her attention. She sighed. “Very well what is it?”
Darkblaze had so much he wanted to tell her but Shade’s safety was of his major concern. “A deadly assassin is after Snake Eye.”
Acari looked at Darkblaze. “What kind of assassin?”
“One that doesn’t leave witnesses, and he is being released on Shade and that entire Hospital.”
Acari’s eyes widened. “That could set back Equestrian relations hundreds of years. Why would a hive send…”
“Princess Ceymi is using Chrysalis’ death to rile up the Hive.” Darkblaze explained. “And she is pinning the death on Snake Eye.”
Acari sighed. “Intelligent youngster… Needed a Scapegoat, so pick a useless Drone and pin it on them. Gives her credit… and gets rid of slack.”
Acari turned to look at Antenna. “I will still need to search your memory.” Acari replied moving closer to Antenna. “If you have not harmed a pony since you have been here, you have nothing to fear.” She leaned in to look directly into Antenna’s eyes. “However if you have deceived me or my ally, I will turn you into the Equestrian authorities as is my side of a deal made with Celestia. Is that understood?”
Antenna nodded quickly.
“Good. Now do not fight it and this will be quick.” Acari lowered her horn to touch between Antenna’s eyes. There was a brief pink flash, and Antenna was lying on the ground, not moving.
Darkblaze stared at Antenna, holding in a breath of anticipation.
“She will be fine, Darkblaze.” Acari said looking at Darkblaze’s expression. “She is merely unconscious.” She stood up, looking towards Darkblaze. “Now tell me about this assassin.”
When Shade woke up in the morning, his mind went to work picking through the Hive’s communication he heard last night.
Alright, so Chrysalis was murdered by another Changeling… But if I understand them correctly, the Queen is the most powerful in a Hive, even if she was injured by the blast, she must still be able to fight… His mind worked in overdrive, thinking about everything he knew, his plans he had made to track down Chrysalis were gone now.
What do I tell the ponies? If he said that Chrysalis was dead, it would be difficult to explain how he knew, and then there was the problem of them thinking of him as a spy if he didn’t.
“Ugh…” Shade groaned. “Why must my life be so damn complicated?” He rubbed the side of his head, trying to clear his mind. He didn’t want to think about the complications, he wanted to focus on the problem at hand…or hoof. Stupid terminology… I still don’t have this crap down.
He was spared any more pain when he saw Rose walk into the room. “Good morning, Shade.”
“Morning, Rose…” Shade replied looking up from the ground. “Sorry if I’m a little distant… weird dreams…”
“I’m sure it was nothing.” Rose said dismissively. “It’s normal to have strange dreams from time to time.”
Shade noticed that there was a strange silence from outside the room, usually the Guards were there, but there was nothing he could feel from them.
“What happened to the guards?” Shade asked, looking out of the room with his left eye.
“Oh they just left…something about more important duties that required their attention.” Rose’s magic surrounded the door, and Shade heard a faint clicking sound of a lock.
“Umm…What are you…?” Shade asked as Rose turned to look at him, her normally light red eyes had turned a venomous green.
“Something wrong?” Rose asked a wicked smile curling across her face. “I’m making sure we won’t be interrupted.”
Carrie walked down the hall, thinking through Shade’s answers for the third time that morning, she was still wary about the Love sucker, but he seemed genuine. Maybe he wouldn’t be a threat to the Queen…
She was absentmindedly walking to the room where Ovi was being held, but when she reached the room, she was surprised that it didn’t open.
“Guards…what is…” She stared at the two Royal Guards, to everyone else, the Guards may have still been stoically standing there, but to her, their eyes were glowing with a light green color, the staple of a Brainwash.
She panicked, trying to get into the room anyway she could. She rammed into the door, but every time she tried, she was repulsed from it by some unseen force. She fired a magical beam at the door, but the same unseen force absorbed the spell.
She ran up to the covered windows of the room, she quickly used her magic to pull the curtains aside to see into the room. When she did, her eyes widened.
Inside the room, Dr. Rose was looking over Shade maliciously, her eyes were glowing green and her forelegs had morphed into black blades. Shade was trying to get away from the Unicorn, but he couldn’t manage to stand up.
She needed to help…some way to distract them, even for a second. So she did the only thing she could think of. She took a deep breath and yelled down the halls. “Guards! Come Quickly! There’s a Changeling trying to kill somepony!”
It wasn’t much, but it did get the Changeling to pause from attacking Shade to look towards Carrie. The Changeling looked surprised to see her, but then turned to look at the disguised form of Queen Ovi.
“Don’t you dare!” Carrie shouted as she slammed her front hooved into the window, not even causing the glass to bend.
The Changeling looked back at her and laughed.
“Guards! Hurry!” Carried shouted. She was beginning to worry.
As the Changeling laughed, Shade looked over to Carrie, to see the unicorn trying in vain to break into the room.
“This is too good.” The Changeling replied, its forelegs returning to normal. “Not only do I get to kill a traitor, but I get to end the life of a Queen.” It reared its head back in laughter. “And to make it even better, she won’t even fight back!”
Shade was confused. “Queen? The hell are you talking about?” Shade looked between the Unicorn and the Changeling in front of him. It was still creepy because it spoke with Rose’s voice.
“Oh come now…” The fake Rose replied. “I know that you’re insane for trying to kill our Queen, but you must recognize a Queen when you see one.”
Shade was still confused. There was another Queen? Here of all places?
“It doesn’t matter what you think, Nymph.” The Changeling replied walking over towards Ovi. “I’m here to kill you and kill any possible witnesses. That includes Queens.”
“GUARDS!” Carrie kept shouting down the halls trying to get the attention of someone. “Anypony! Help!”
At that time, a small group of four guards rushed down the hall, Carrie could pick out three Pegasi and one Unicorn. They stopped in front of Carrie.
“What’s going on?” One of the Pegasi asked.
“A changeling!” Carrie replied. “It’s trying to kill them!”
“Stand back citizen,” a large gray pegasi replied, who began slamming into the door. Upon seeing it having no effect he turned to the unicorn. “Silver! Get your magical ass up here.”
The unicorn walked up to the door as his horn began to glow a deep red color. He focused his attention on the door as he drew a circular rune in the air. Once it was completed, the rune sunk into the door. He nodded at the gray Pegasus lifted his hind legs and bucked in the door.
“Surrender now, Changeling!” The Gray Pegasus shouted towards the false Rose.
“Not a chance, prey.” The fake Rose replied, her horn glowed bright green and shot the three pegasi back into the wall. “I’ll deal with you three when I’m done here.”
Carrie rushed into the room and flung herself at the Changeling. “Leave my Mother alone!” She was willing to bear her fangs and bite into the Changeling’s neck, but she wasn’t given enough time before she found a bladed foreleg jammed into her stomach.
“Pathetic Caretaker.” The Changeling hissed as it threw Carrie into a wall.
“Carrie!” Shade shouted, buzzing his wings quickly to fly over to where the black unicorn was slowly bleeding out. He tried to get Carrie to look at him. “Carrie, Stay with me!”
“It’s no use, traitor.” The fake Rose said, wiping the slight orange blood off of its foreleg. “She’ll bleed out before long.”
“Not before I crush you underneath my hoof.” Silver replied, his horn violently glowing.
The Changeling laughed. “You don’t even know who I am.”
“Nor do I care.” Silver replied. “You’re still just a worthless insect.”
“Coming from you?” The Changeling replied. “That’s a laugh.”
Shade was busy trying to keep Carrie alive, but he could have sworn that he saw the Fake Rose crack a smile.
“What are you talking about?” Silver asked, not letting himself be distracted.
The Fake Rose laughed. “Oh…oh this is great! You don’t even know!” Her horn glowed bright and Silver was knocked into the wall and held there.
“You call me an insect.” The fake Rose replied, walking forward. “And you don’t even know what you are.” She leaned in to be close to Silver. “Allow me to show you.”
There was a bright green light and Shade turned to look over to the source. What he saw astonished him.
Where the strong white Unicorn was held, there was now a Changeling. Its eyes were a bright red color, much like the color of his magic before. His backplate and wings were a similar red color. His golden Armor was still where it should be on his body, but now the false-Unicorn looked at himself in shock.
“I-I-I-” Silver stuttered. He had no idea what to say, he was a monster.
The Fake Rose just smiled at him. “Now you know the truth.” The Changeling released its magical grip on Silver, who fell to the ground unsure of how to process this new information.
“Now I suppose this is a good thing.” The Fake Rose replied, walking back over to where Ovi was. “Now I can get out. And you will be blamed for this entire thing.”
“My…Queen…” Carrie whimpered, trying to lift herself up, but getting pushed back down by Shade.
“Don’t…you’ll just make it worse.” Shade said to Carrie.
“I…Have to…Protect…” Carrie replied, Losing her strength.
“Well then you’ve failed.” The Fake Rose replied, her sharpened forelegs ready to stab into both of them. “And you will die just like your Queen.”
Shade laid Carrie down and stood up, turning to look at the Fake Rose. “One too many…” He said under his breath.
“What was that?”
“You harmed one too many innocent bystanders.” Shade replied.
“And exactly what are you going to do about that?” The Fake Rose asked staring directly at Shade.
“Me? Nothing.” Shade replied, pointing his hoof behind the Fake Rose. “But I think she has something to say.”
The Fake Rose glanced behind her before both of her eyes widened in fear.
Quickly the Changeling was grabbed in an orange aura and whipped around to stare into the angry face of a Changeling Queen. She growled at him before throwing the Fake Unicorn into the wall, holding him there.
“Queen Ovi!” The Fake Rose said surprised, before being slammed back into the wall.
“Silence, or I will personally end your life you miserable gnat!” Ovi replied, voice dripping with anger. “You were a fool if you believed you could end my life and survive to the next moon. My Drones would hunt you down and tear apart every piece of you until there is nothing left but bones!” She slammed the Fake Rose into the wall again.
“You pathetic Pupa!” Ovi shouted. “You dare to attack your own kind. Let alone my daughter!” Ovi slammed the Changeling into the wall again, with a very noticeable cracking sound. “You will be brought before Acari and she will determine your fate.” Ovi hissed at the Changeling. “And if my daughter dies, I will not give you a chance at redemption!”
With every slam, the Changeling’s carapace cracked more and more, the disguise etching away to reveal the black shell underneath. “Now tell me who sent you, and I promise my swarm will leave you be.”
The Changeling slowly lifted its head; Shade thought it was less from lack of energy and more from the sheer number of cracks his carapace had retained at this point. “Queen Ceymi…”
“There is no such Queen!” Ovi replied. “Now tell me!”
The Changeling smiled. “Queen Ceymi, daughter of Chrysalis. She will take her rightful place as High Queen!”
Ovi pulled the Changeling off the wall, preparing to crush its spine into the wall. But Shade flew up between them.
“Wait!” Shade exclaimed, turning to look at his Assassin. “Where are they?”