//------------------------------//
// Chapter 41: Snap 
// Story: Converted 
// by Shaded Changeling 
//------------------------------//

	As the Sun rose over the Castle, Shining Armor was preparing for another day of useless Interrogations. After Shade had left from his near murderous outburst, the interrogations went mostly the same, none of them wanted to tell them anything, and the same rehearsed answers were starting to make it difficult to tell if they already talked to one Changeling or not.
“Ugh… Today is going to be a long day…” He said to Cadence.
“I’m sure it won’t be that bad.” She replied. “I have to deal with Prince Blueblood today. All you have is some stubborn Changelings.”
“Yeah… You definitely got the short end of the stick on that one.” Shining Armor joked. “Well I better-”
He was cut off by a wisp of smoke appearing in front of him that condensed into a scroll.
“That’s funny.” He said looking at the scroll. “I wasn’t expecting a report from Twilight this early.”
Shining Armor levitated the scroll and unraveled it, it was sloppily written with some kind of light blue ink.
	Shining Armor,
This is Shade; I will be coming to the Castle as quickly as possible. I would like to speak with Sergeant Shifter in the interrogation room when I arrive.
This has become personal to me, and I will not wait to speak with him. Make sure he is there Captain.
Shining Armor looked over the letter, surprised at first to see Shade’s name on it, but he didn’t dwell on it too long, instead he began thinking about how the matter became personal.
“What is it Shiny?” Cadence asked.
“It’s a letter from Shade… He says something happened that made the problem personal to him.”
“Maybe he found some way to get information from them?” Cadence suggested.
“Maybe but that-” Shining Armor was cut off by another Guard coming into the room.
“Captain Armor!” The guard said with a salute. “We have a Changeling sighting inside of Canterlot.”



Out in the city of Canterlot, Shade walked down the streets, not bothering to disguise himself or caring about the scared looks from the ponies. The saddlebag on his side was bulging strangely, and his usually black carapace was spattered with blue and green blood, hardened overnight.
He had only one goal in mind, get to the castle, after that, he had a Changeling to talk to. He was well aware of the few ponies getting out their various tools to try and chase him off, ranging from pitch forks to candle sticks.
By the time he got to the castle, he was leading probably a fourth of the city behind him. The two Royal Guards in front of the castle closed ranks.
“Move!” Shade ordered.
“Are you Shade?” One of the Guards asked.
“Yes.” Shade replied. “Now move! I have a prisoner to interrogate.”
The two stallions moved out of the way of Shade, who quickly walked into the castle and then started to head towards the Interrogation room. As he got closer, his mind began to fill with pure hatred and anger. By the time he got to the room, he kicked the door open with enough force to shake the room.
“Where the hell are they?” He shouted at the Changeling in the room.
“Ah Nymph how are you doing today?” Shifter asked, innocently.
“Where the fuck are they you little insect shit!” Shade shouted, slamming the door closed.
“You are going to need to be more specific than that.” Shifter replied.
“Where. Is. Echo!” Shade asked.
“Echo… Echo… Sorry not ringing any bells.”
“Then let me ask you in a different way.” Shade said the anger in his voice still present. “Where is Ceymi?”
“Oh… Nymph. Nymph. Nymph.” Shifter said mockingly, as Shade began to open the saddle bag. “You know that I can’t just.”
Shade slammed the contents of the bag on the table; inside there was a skull, a shattered horn, and a blue backplate.
“Holy Chrysalis!”
“I’ll ask again.” Shade said, pushing the objects toward Shifter. “These are what happened to Spine’s little murderer buddy, after I was done with him.” Shade slammed his hoof on the table. “Where is SPINE?”
Shifter looked startled at first, but quickly retained his calm look. “Really? You think just because you get a Changeling’s Skull and Backplate I’m going to tell you everything. You are going to need to do a lot more than that.”
Shade smirked. “I figured you would say that.”
Shifter looked at him curiously. “Then why did you-?”
“Tell me… What do you know about history?” Shade asked. “Specifically over one thousand years ago.”
Shifter looked confused. “Um… I don’t.”
“Let me be more specific.” Shade replied. “Ever heard of a place called the Crystal Empire?”
Shifter shook his head.
“Understandable…” Shade replied. “Most think that it is just a story, even the Elders knowledge of it is limited, and they’ve lived for well over one thousand years. It goes something like this.”
“Over one thousand years ago there was this city, big as Canterlot I’d say, that was made entirely out of crystals, the streets shone bright, the castle was a brilliant diamond, and even the ponies themselves were crystal. Now it is believed that inside this Empire, there was an artifact, some kind of…gem thing. It could use the power of the crystal ponies to spread happiness and light all across Equestria.”
“However… there was a dark side to the magic. While it ran on love and good will, the artifact could be corrupted. Reaching a dark magical art, spells fueled by Anger, Hatred, Sadness, Fear, all that good stuff. Now of course the place has never been found, vanished clean off the map, almost like it never existed at all. However the books of these spells remained.”
Shade got up and walked around the table, circling it, never taking his eyes off the Changeling. “Now… Most of these tomes were lost in the Discord Wars, but a few remained, safe in the Burning Fiords’ libraries. Now… These spells were very finicky, they only worked for ponies.”
“Now why is that? You may be asking yourself; well it is all rather simple really. You see, the dragons rely on a pool of their own natural energy, and cast spells by pulling from the pool at any time they wish. The spells are all related directly to the Dragon culture, and use an ancient text that allows for use of this pool. However ponies, even Changelings, their magic works just a tiny bit different.”
"While Unicorns and Changelings do rely on an energy pool, it can be negated through constant study and training. However the spells aren't only reliant on training and knowledge. See this horn, protruding from atop my head? Well, it links directly to the mental pathway, so the emotions we feel directly influences the spells we cast. If we are angrier, the spell becomes more dangerous and less focused, if we are sad, the spell becomes weaker, if we are too energetic, the spell could backfire.”
“Now knowing this,” Shade sat back down opposite the Changeling. “What do you think would happen if a Dragon from the Fiords read up on this ancient magical type? They couldn’t cast the spells; the magic just doesn’t work for them, because the two magic types don’t coincide.” Shade paused. “But…What would happen if that Dragon was transformed into a pony? They would know how to use the spells, they would understand the theory and how to cast them, but there is one thing they are missing, the emotion.”
“Now… I just witnessed the death of someone I hold up as a friend. That made me pretty fucking mad; she bled out in my hooves and asked not to be alone. I mean… I’m just so angry at that. And now, the same Changeling who kidnapped someone I trust, and that I promised to get home safely, has just kidnapped someone who I consider to be my own Daughter. And you! You know where they are, so I wonder how much I’d have to make you squirm before you told the truth.” A wicked smile formed on his face.
Shifter was shocked, and visibly frightened. “You can’t do that… Equestrian Law forbids the use of torture on-”
Shade chuckled and shook his head. “Oh… Sergeant, Sergeant, Sergeant. That might be true. But you forgot one…VERY important fact.”
“What was that?”
“I’m not from Equestria.”
Shade lowered his horn, which began bubbling with green and purple magic, like before, the purple aura formed around his horn, but as Shade aimed down at Shifter’s leg, the purple aura shattered and a black beam fired, hitting Shifter in his leg. From where the beam hit, Shifter’s leg began to transform into a solid crystal.
“DO YOU THINK I’M JOKING NOW?” Shade shouted flipping the steel table to the side. Shifter was screaming at the sight of the gray crystals sprouting up over his leg, preventing him from moving. “TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE!”
“GUARDS!” Shifter shouted.
Shade turned aiming his horn at the door, another black beam fired from it, as he traced along the door frame, gray crystals sprouted up, sealing the door. “THEY CAN’T FUCKING SAVE YOU!”
“I will never betray my hive!”
“Oh… You will.” Shade replied, very sure of that fact. “I don’t care what I have to do, or how long it takes. Neither one of us is leaving this room until I get some answers!” Shade was fully willing to wait as long as it took, even if he had to slowly pull every one of Shifter’s teeth out himself, he would.
“I will never betray Queen Ceymi!”
“You think she CARES for you? You think she will honestly care if I kill every last one of you? NO! She won’t! Now tell me where the fuck she is!”
“NEVER!”
Shade aimed his horn at Shifter’s wing, and the membrane changed to a near glass like quartz. “Just tell me and I can end this!”
“NEVER! You might as well kill me now! Because Spine will have already killed the little- URK!” Shade had rammed into Shifter, holding him up against a wall, his hoof pressed tightly on Shifter’s Windpipe. His eye's beginning to turn red.
“You have ten seconds to tell me everything I want to know, or I start ripping off body parts.”
“NE…VER!” Shifter said with difficulty.
Shade glared at him for a few seconds, listening as he struggled for breath. His eyes slowly changed back to their natural colors before he let out a breath and moved his hoof, making Shifter collapse to the ground.
“You know what… I just figured something out.” Shade said. “I found out why my Dragon Fear ability hasn’t been working as it should.” Shade landed on the ground his back turned to Shifter. “You see, every creature I’ve tried it on so far, be it a bird, rabbit, fish, bear, all of them have some ingrained fear already. They are prey, meant to run from predators. But the Dragon Fear implants a primal fear into you, but since Rabbits and the like already have that fear it is less effective. But on a sapient creature, that fear was stored away. So the Dragon Fear pries it out of you.”
Shifter stared at Shade gasping for breath and visibly frightened by this changeling standing over him.
“So… This is going to be a learning experience for both of us.” Shade turned around, a wicked smile playing across his face. His right eye snapped to a slit, and Shifter fell to the floor, cowering.

Behind the one way mirror, Shining Armor, Darkstar, Celestia, and Luna were watching the scene unfold.
“We should stop this. He’s going to kill him!” Shining Armor said.
“Captain Armor, wait. I want to see where this is going.” Celestia replied.
Shade’s eye had just snapped to a slit, and Shifter had begun to cower.
“Luna,” Celestia said to her sister. “Can you tell me what is going on in there?”
“Of course dear Sister.” Luna replied her eyes shot open, glowing white as she entered Shifter’s dream scape.



Shifter was in the middle of a dark room, nothing around him, Shade had vanished, and all that remained in the void was him.
“He-Hello?” He said, rising to his hooves. “Is…Anypony there?”
“TRAITOR!”
Shifter whipped around at the voice of his monarch. “Chry- Chry- Chrysalis…”
The Tall Changeling barred down on him, her eyes blazing. “You pathetic Larva! How dare you challenge my authority!” 
“No! No! Ceymi said it... You... She said... You-You-you were dead!”
“Do you honestly think a pathetic blast of love could kill me that easily? I’ve been hit by flyswatters more dangerous than that!” Chrysalis replied. “Yet you abandoned me. Left me to die. With your knife in my back!”
Shifter’s eyes shot open. “My Queen. I would never-”
“SILENCE!” The power of her voice made Shifter freeze. “You will fall like the rest of your revolutionaries. I have led the Swarm for over Seven hundred years, and I am not about to let myself be killed by two love birds!”
“May I suggest something Your Majesty?”
Shifter looked at the source of the voice, Shade was standing there. “I suggest we end this insignificant Gnats life, slowly and painfully. He has already given up on divulging any secrets.”
“No! My Queen! I would never!”
“Then prove it to me worm!” Shifter was picked up in Chrysalis’ magic. “Tell me where my Daughter is, so that I may crush this pathetic Revolution she is building once and for all!”
“I-I can’t they!”
“Tell me…Do you fear Death?”
Shifter’s eyes widened even further, when the form of Chrysalis morphed, giving way to the skeletal structure underneath, the stench that hit his nose was a mixture of rotting flesh and decay. He heard a bone-chilling screech as the Skeletal Chrysalis opened its mouth.
“No! No! Please! I’ll tell you whatever you want! Keep It Away!”
The skeletal Chrysalis screeched, and an army of undead changelings rose from the darkness, each one with eyes as red as blood, their mouth nothing but rows of sharp teeth, their wings sharpened, and their legs all morphed into claws.
“NO NO! PLEASE NO!”
The Skeletal Chrysalis spoke. “Then Tell Me Where They Are.”
“PONYVILLE!” He shouted. “THEY’RE ATTACKING PONYVILLE!”
The Skeletal Chrysalis smiled, and hissed at him, all at once, the Changelings pounced on him.
“NO!”



Shade’s pitch black eyes changed back into their normal look, as Shifter was pulled out of the nightmare.
“I thank you for your cooperation.” Shade replied. “Your reward is you get to live.” He walked over to where the door was still attached to crystals and kicked it open, launching it off its hinges.
“Wait! What about my leg?” Shifter shouted back.
“What about it?” Shade asked walking out of the room. “I already got what I want. And I’m not in a good enough mood to fix it. Maybe if I find Meadow and Echo unharmed, I’ll think about it.” Shade walked down the hall, only stopping when he was far enough away for sound not to reach the now broken room, before he went up to a nearby wall and puked.
He had been holding it in for as long as he could, since he watched Mirror die in his arms, since he eviscerated the Changeling, the worst was what he just did. He was too inexperienced with the Dragon Fear, and now… He couldn’t keep it in.
I over exerted myself there. Any longer and I wouldn’t have been able to keep that up.
He felt drained, emotionally, physically and mentally. He had used far too much of his energy killing the Changeling from before, even with all the ambient energy from the park, he used far too much. He had buried Mirror’s body in a small cave behind the waterfall, hoping it would go unnoticed until he returned, planning to give her a proper burial.
He reached into the other side of the saddlebags, pulling out a curved black horn, he let out a sigh. “I’m so sorry Mirror… I… I couldn’t protect you…” He said, a tear coming to his eye. “I’ll make sure that Echo is safe… I promise you that…”



“Come on BB! Don’t you dare give up yet.” The Guard said
“I…I’m trying…It hurts…” An Earth Pony mare replied, draped across the Guard’s back
“The city is just over the tree line. Stay awake for just a few more minutes.”
“I…I’m…Trying…”
“What are you doing up there bird Brain!”
“The city is just up there!” The Pegasus pointed in the direction they were running. “You sure this is a good idea?”
“It’s the only thing we have!”
“Honey…I’m… I’m just gonna…shut my eyes… for a minute…”
“BB don’t you dare close your eyes!” The Guard said. “Just another minute.”
“I…I’m so tired… I…”
“Keep talking to me. Don’t you dare close your eyes! Think of the foals.”
“You’re right…I need…to…Stay…awake…”
The three of them broke through the Tree line, looking at the main gates of the white and gold city. “We made it BB. Just another moment.”
The Guard began to rush down the small hill. “GET THOSE GATES OPEN!” He shouted while running towards it. The city guards raised their weapons.
“Who are you?”
“Honey…I…I’m sorry…”
“What are you talking about BB? You’re doing great.”
“Honey…I…Can’t…” She fell off the Guards back, in a burst of pink flame was replaced with a Changeling.
“BB!” The Guard picked her up. “Come on! Wake up! Haze! Don’t you dare die on me!”
The two guards looked at the Changeling, and moved their spears towards it. “Stand back.”
“DON’T YOU DARE HURT HER!” The Guard stepped in front of her. “That is my wife!”
“Your wife is a Changeling!” One of the guards shouted.
The Unicorn of the group raised his horn over the guard and the Pegasus. The Guard burst into pink flame, his armor still fitting on him due to his lack of wings and a curved horn. The Pegasus was surrounded by yellow flame and instantly moved behind the guard.
“Wait! Don’t shoot!” The Yellow Changeling said. “We’re here to warn you about an attack!”
The Changeling Guard grabbed his wife in his hooves, checking her vitals before letting out a sigh. “She’s alive… Thank Acari… She’s alive…” He turned to the other two guards. “We’re not here to cause trouble, but if my wife doesn’t get medical attention, she’s going to die.” He leaned in to the Unicorn Guard. “And if she dies, I’ll let that city burn.”
“What is going on out here?” Crimson Lance walked out of the gate. “Lockup? What the Hive are-?” She looked at the Unconscious Changeling. “What in Tartarus happened?”
“Chrysalis happened!” Lockup replied. “We need to tell Celestia! The Hive is gone!”
“Gone?” Crimson repeated, her eyes shot open. “CODE RED! GET CYTES ON THE LINE RIGHT NOW!” She shouted back at one of the Pegasi. “Get in here you three. You have a lot of explaining to do.”



Lyra was busily taking care of a few documents Acari sent her to do when she felt a pang in her mental connection, one that meant…
“HAZE!” She shouted and began to run down the streets, running towards the main gates. Please be okay…Please be okay… She thought to herself as she ran down the streets, pushing her way through anyone stupid enough to stand in her way.
“Why couldn’t I be a Pegasus?” Lyra said to herself. Oh… Forget it… She ran down an alleyway, in a wisp of pink flame she took to the sky. Flying as quick as possible towards the gate, Hopefully nopony recognizes me like this…
When she got to where she wanted to be, she recognized the ponies, and she dove down to the ground. “Is she okay?” She asked the red Unicorn. “Tell me she’s fine!”
Crimson Lance looked at the Pegasus. “Um… Who are you?”
“Blackout! I’m her sister!” Blackout replied.
Haze was strapped to a gurney and was fully unconscious, Lockup was looking down at her and Tornado Dust…
“Darkblaze?”
Tornado Dust shook his head. “No…I’m the… uh… Other one…”
“Well… this will be confusing for me. Take this form… I don’t want it.”
The Changeling looked happy about that, before the two of them changed appearance, So Lyra and the White and yellow Pinkie were looking at the strapped in Changeling. “Now…Is she going to be okay?”
“She’s alive…” Lockup replied. “I…I was so worried… I thought she was dead…”
“What happened?” Lyra asked. “Why are you three here?”
“The Hive was lost…” Lockup replied. “Ceymi and her Changelings took the Hive… We didn’t expect it… We just barely managed to get the Bearers out…”
“They’re here?” Lyra asked.
Lockup shook his head. “They’re back in a cave, we had to get Haze to the city, she got out of the Hive in time to warn us, but not before she was almost killed.”
A blue unicorn ran up to them. “Pupa… I got your signal. What is…” She looked at Haze. “Oh… This is bad.” She said looking over Haze. “We need to get her back to the Hive right now.”
“Cytes… What’s wrong with her?”
“Blunt force trauma… Fractures… Possible concussion…” Sapphire replied. “You’re lucky she got here now, we have enough Supplicants to have her back up in a day or two.” Sapphire charged up her horn. “I recommend that you three handle the rest of this, perhaps tell Shade and Darkblaze, I’m sure they’ll help.” Her, Crimson, and Haze vanished in a blue flash.
Lyra turned and grabbed the Earth pony Guard. “Two things. One, you wiped the guards memories right?”
Lockup nodded.
“Second, where the hell are the Bearers, I’m going to get them.”
“No Blackout, you need to tell Acari, we’ll find Shade and Darkblaze, I can get into the castle, He can find Darkblaze.”
Lyra looked at them. “Meet up in the Castle Gardens in one hour. Got it?”
The Yellow Pinkie Pie nodded and took to the sky.
“If she dies… I call dibs on Ceymi’s left foreleg.”
“I got her Ribs.” Lockup replied.
“Deal.” Lyra said, her horn charging up. “See you in an hour Exile.” She vanished in a yellow flash.
Lockup smiled at the name, before running back towards the Castle.



Deep inside Acari’s Hive, the interior has changed completely, instead of the normal pink crystal design, everything was covered with green and black, and all of the normal residents are either trapped in cocoons, or enslaved by the conquerors.
“Your Excellency Queen Ceymi…” Biome said, flying into her ‘new’ Queen’s chamber. The normal elegant purple crystals replaced with what looked like tar stretched along the walls and throne. It made Biome sick to see Ceymi disgracing Acari this way.
“What do you want Slave?” Ceymi demanded.
“General Spine has returned from Canterlot.”
“And?” Ceymi demanded, twirling one of the many memory crystals in her hoof, threatening to damage the fragile memories inside.
“They brought a prisoner…” Biome replied. “A young Nymph.”
“Put her alongside the other. I think she could use some company.”
“As you wish…My Queen…” Biome said with disgust.
As Biome left, Ceymi looked into the crystal. “Forty Years of planning, coming together perfectly.”



Deeper in the Hive, away from the other prisoners and slaves, a single green pod lays, inside of it, a small brown filly lay suspended. She had been there for three weeks, not that she could tell, she had been woken up, fed on, betrayed, and then put back to sleep so many times she gave up on keeping track.
Ever since she was placed inside this strange new cave, where everything was pink, she had been allowed to stay awake. She had seen more of those pink Changelings, but most of them looked sad to her. Especially when they brought another green chrysalis down.
“And don’t even think about damaging the pod!” The mean Changeling shouted at the other two. “If I find even a bruise on that Chrysalis, you’ll be thrown right back in your cocoons.”
The two pink Changelings had their ears dropped down against their heads. “We’re so sorry for this Young one…”
“If it were up to us… We would break both these pods open and strangle him with these stupid chains.”
“Forgive us…”
Meadow looked at them. “I don’t blame you. You were good changelings.”
One of them smiled at her, before placing the pod on the wall. Meadow leaned forward to look into the pod.
Inside was another filly, which looked a lot like Sunstreak, but her eyes were fine and her hair looked like Sweetie Belle.
“Queen Ceymi wants you two to socialize a bit.” The pink Changeling said. “She thinks you two have something in common.”
“NO SOCIALIZING!” The mean Changeling said.
“Go to Tartarus!” The Changeling shouted back. “She’ll be up in a few hours.” The Two Changelings turned around. “WE’RE COMING YOU CRAZY NYMPH! KEEP YOUR CARAPACE ON!”
The two Changelings flew out of the room, leaving Meadow and the other small filly alone.
“Bye.” Meadow said. Looking over at the small filly. “I guess I have some time by myself… Again…”



Shade was looking through maps of Ponyville, he had been doing it ever since he found out where Ceymi was, and it was not helping his brain, Energy, or his focus… His head was pounding, but he needed to get a strategy down. While he trusted the ponies, this was too important to him to not have some kind of backup.
However after a while, he had to admit, writing anything down was akin to trying to fly while both your wings were strapped to your body while a ten ton block was tied to your chest.
“Ugh…” He rubbed his head. “I need some aspirin…” Shade tried to focus on his work, but a combination of headaches, blurry vision, and sleep deprivation made it rather difficult, however, he did hear some commotion from outside.
“Hey Lockup. Shouldn’t you be in Ponyville?”
“No… There was an issue, I’m supposed to get the Changeling.”
“Wait. What happened in Ponyville?”
“It’s classified. You said he was in here?”
“Yeah… He hasn’t left that I’ve seen.”
“Thanks Bolt.”
The door opened to the circular room and an Earth pony guard that Shade recognized from Ponyville walked in.
“If you aren’t here from Celestia, or have information about Ponyville, I don’t care.”
“Actually I brought you something.” The Guard pulled out a small crystal that glowed like a beacon to Shade. He tossed it towards Shade, who caught it with his magic and threw it in his mouth. He felt the warm love instantly flow through him, it wasn’t a lot, but it did help, at least he could see now.
“So who are you?” Shade asked. “I mean, clearly you knew what that was.”
“Lockup. I came from Acari’s hive.” He said. “I came here to get you.”
“Why?” Shade asked. “Also…What happened in Ponyville?”
Lockup sighed. “Ceymi took over Acari’s hive.”
Shade’s eyes widened, and more hatred flowed through him. “That’s where that Cunt is!” He said slamming his hoof on the ground.
“Don’t even think about it.” Lockup said. “The entire Hive is under her control, I only got out because I’m an Exile.” He transformed, and Shade saw he had no horn or wings. “Only a Queen can heal it… And since Acari used magic… She’s the only one. Anyway… the only free Changelings from our Hive are those who weren’t in the Hive or Ponyville. So none of our Soldiers.”
“What about Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity?” Shade asked.
“I managed to get them out, right before Ceymi attacked. They are out in the forest, inside a sealed cave.”
Shade grabbed Lockup. “Then why the fuck didn’t you bring them with you?” He hissed.
“I had to care for Haze! She was badly injured and she would have died if we waited any longer.” Lockup replied pushing Shade off of him. “Applejack and Fluttershy can handle whatever comes near them. And I thought you should at least be told. Cytes said we should tell you and Darkblaze. We need to meet up with Blackout and this Yellow Changeling…”
“Yellow Changeling?” Shade repeated. “What the hell did I miss?”
“If there’s time I’ll try to explain. Granted I’m not exactly connected to the Hive anymore.” That made him think back to Acari. “I wonder how Blackout is doing…”



“THAT LOVE SUCKING CUR!” Acari shouted slamming her hoof down on her wooden desk creating a rather large crack straight through it. “SHE DARES TO ATTACK MY HIVE!”
Blackout had shed her disguise and was staying as far away from her Queen as possible.
“SHE WILL PAY FOR THIS!” Acari said angrily. “SHE WILL NEVER BE SAFE AS LONG AS SHE IS WITHIN EQUESTRIAN SOIL!”
Blackout was making herself as small as possible, just in case her Queen’s anger caused any spells to fire off.
“TO ATTACK A PEACEFUL HIVE IS PROHIBITED!” Acari’s anger caused the very room to shake. “I WILL NEVER LET HER HAVE A CHANCE TO LEAVE THE HIVE!”
“Acari… What has gotten you so wound up?” Celestia asked, walking into the room.
Acari’s flaming mane settled. “Ceymi has just attacked and Enslaved my Hive! She has broken one of the longest running laws in Changeling culture!”
“Perhaps it is part of her plan?” Celestia replied. “Causing you to act irrationally, and I see you shattered the desk I had made for you since the last one.”
Acari let out an aggravated sigh. “You’re right… I cannot let myself succumb to anger. The last thing we want is Ceymi having more soldiers under her control. It is better my Changelings work as servants than soldiers…”
Celestia looked down at Blackout. “I think you paralyzed your own Scout.”
Acari looked at Blackout. “I do not lose my temper often… So when I do… They are rightfully fearful.”
Blackout eased up. “My Queen… How many do we have out of the Hive?”
Acari sighed. “Not enough…  a hundred at the most, compared to the thousand Ceymi has, we would be crushed in an instant…”
Blackout walked up to her. “What if… We weren’t to use conventional strategies?”
“What are you implying Blackout?” Acari asked a curious look on her face.
“Well… Ceymi knows about Pony battle strategies, and Changeling strategies, I think that we need a new strategist?”
Celestia thought about it. “I think I know exactly the pony for the job.”