Minty Image

by mintgreenconspiracy

Chapter 7-3: To the badlands!

"Minty, darling!" Rainbow said, gently applying a hoof to her friend's chest. When the pony didn't immediately respond, she opened her mouth, and tried again. "Oh Minty!" She said, slightly louder, to the green earth pony that was her great niece/friend, shaking lightly. The green earth pony still didn't respond. Rainbow gave a soft sigh, and tried again. "Wakeup Minty, darling!" She said, her voice growing to regular speaking levels.

"Five more minutes..." The pony replied, drearily, batting at the cyan earth pony's hoof with her own. And once it was out of the way, proceeded to roll onto her side.

Rainbow gave a bemused smile, stifled a giggle, and returned her hoof to Minty's wither. "Minty darling," Rainbow repeated, shaking lightly. "I need you to get up, darling!" She said, softly, a motherly expression appearing on 'Mama Pie's' face.

The mint pony slowly opened her eyes, slightly. Her expression looking especially distant. Though Rainbow guessed it was to be expected at that time of night. And it was probably in poor taste to do, but she suspected that neither she, nor Pinkie wouldn't get any sleep unless they talked it out.

Rainbow frowned, sadly, and opened her mouth again. "I'm sorry, Minty, darling, but I think you should be awake for this, " she said, to the mint pony who simply closed her eyes again, and rolled over.

Pinkie gave a pained frown, turning to her friend mother, a question bubbling to the surface. "Are you sure we have to leave already, mama pie?" She asked, again, sounding distant. "I mean, I know Ponyville is kind of a mess, but even so -- "

"I know, Pinkie, darling," Rainbow said, putting her hoof on Pinkie's whether, her hoof warping to allow it to wrap around the pink pony's wither, slightly. "I know..."

Pinkie gave a sad expression, but didn't open her mouth, opting instead to peer off into the inky blackness, as if staring at the remains of their once cheerful home.

"I'm sorry Pinkie, "Rainbow replied, an empathetic expression on her face, as she considered the deplorable state of her home, her fashion shop, and her tiny kite shop. "But I want to leave, bright and early, tomorrow morning, darling, " Rainbow said, quietly. "I have some important business to attend to, alone, darling!" She said, her face growing stern as she thought of the monster of a niece that had, undoubtedly, already hurt her friend Skywishes! "And I thought it important to let you, and Minty, in on my plans before I go about doing anything brash, darling!"

"What's --?" Pinkie asked, wondering what Rainbow could be considering, after all, the Rainbow pony was one of the most level headed and reasonable of her friends, and the most skeptical, as her reaction to Skywishes' original announcement had been less then believing, when she had said: 'ponies that fly? Really, darling!' However, she wasn't wondering long before her thoughts were interrupted by her green friend, who awoke, suddenly, with a start.

"Oh no!" Minty said, quickly rising to her hooves, in a fraction of a second, and flailing her front arms wildly, as her body practically popped into it's anthro position.. "The purple star!" She exclaimed, getting right up into Rainbow's face, and puffing the cyan earth pony's cheeks with her hooves. "We're out of time! We have to get under the crystal dome now!" She exclaimed, flailing an invisible wand, with her front right hoof. "Unicorn speed!" She shouted, hyperactively tapping her rear left hoof against the ground impatiently. "Where is it?" She shouted, in concern. "It should be here already!"

Pinkie and Rainbow looked at each other, curiously. "UNICORN SPEED!?!?!?!?" They shouted, in unison, their voices sounding like they'd just heard the green earth pony speaking martian, followed by a stunned silence. Once again the green pony had recalled something that never happened, or rather something that had happened yet, and yet not... That Dipscord, and his magic cycles really confused things for them...

After a few moments of indecision, they finally shrugged their withers... Now was probably not the time to ask about that. Let alone to ask why Minty suddenly thought she was Rarity... That was the right pony, right? Rainbow wasn't crazy, right?

Pinkie was the first to open her muzzle. "So, um Minty..." Pinkie said, her face giving an embarrassed blush, feeling particularly sorry for her friend. But it was, probably ok, Minty was, apparently, after all, being Minty again. "Rainbow, and I have been discussing some stuff, but I think we should discuss it in your presence, " she said, as Rainbow nodded, in confirmation.

"What's that?" The Ponyville's green machine asked, cluelessly.

Rainbow opened her mouth to explain, but was quickly interrupted by an exuberant outburst from her green friend. "And what does it have to do with Christmas!"

Pinkie gave a bemused smile. "Minty..." she said, putting a hoof on her friend's wither. "I don't think this has much to do with Christmas, " she said softly, giving a knowing nod to her already sobbing friend. Pinkie motioned towards the cyan earth pony. "But I think if you're patient, Rainbow will explain, and you'll feel sooooo much better!" She said, with a smile, and a nod. "Ok, Minty?" She asked the green pony, who's wither her hoof was still wrapped around.

Minty gave a silent nod, as Rainbow hesitantly opened her mouth, a sweat drop dripping down her well combed mane. "Well, darlings," Rainbow said, gulping slightly. "You see -- " she started to say, getting off only four words, before.

"It's Christmas?" Minty asked, eagerly rubbing her hooves against each other. "Oh goodie!" She exclaimed with glee. "It really came!" She said, speaking more quickly. "They did it all in one night!... But of course they can! They're spirits -- "

Rainbow gave a to faint sigh, and continued. "Not really, darling..." Rainbow replied, unshaken. "I'm terribly sorry to inform you, but it's not Christmas!"

"Ahh..." The green pony, replied sadly, sinking her head in sorrow. "I really wanted it to be Christmas!"

"Oh!" Pinkie said, empathetically, giving her friend a comforting hug. "But I think you should listen to Rainbow, on this one, ok?" She said, with a smile. "And tell you what, " she said, looking around to see if noone was listening. "If you're really good, we can play a game of chocolate checkers in the morning, ok?" Pinkie said, dragging a custom made checkerboard, and bag of chocolates that she had somehow managed to smuggle past Flash Sentry, and the other guards.

Rainbow gave her an inquisitive expression.

"I'll explain later, " Pinkie said, turning to her mother friend. Of course it would probably be hard to explain that the chocolate checkers pieces had been shoved in her hooves by her eager pink counterpart, who 'know she needed them when she got a stuffy nose, knocky knee, leaky --'... Well Pinkie didn't want to think about that last one. She turned again to Minty, and opened her mouth. "Yeah, so you know about our town?" Pinkie said, continuing for her friend. "We--"

Rainbow politely raised her hoof in front of her friend's face, politely interrupting her. "No, darling," Rainbow said, vehemently. "Let me explain this, myself..." she said, resolutely.

Pinkie nodded sadly. It really sucked to see Rainbow forced to do so much talking as she had the last couple of weeks. The cyan pony usually prefered to sit to the side, and let her fashions speak for themselves... Well... Except then she taught painting, fashion, or had one of her rare competitive moments. And, for that matter, if Flash was being honest, that this conversation wasn't going to be easy...

"So basically, darlings..." Rainbow continued, hesitantly. "I think Mama Minty, who, apparently, is my niece," she said, raising her right front hoof up, it's fetlock bending slightly. "Is, apparently, responsible for the misfortune that befell our happy little town," Rainbow continued, her face slowly contorting, in anger. "And... well... I think that -- "

"Yeah..." Pinkie said, with a frown, interrupting the cyan earth pony with the well groomed rainbow mane. "And, basically, she has Skywishes, to boot, " Pinkie continued, the concern showing on her face. "And I think we need to try to get her back!" She said, defiantly, all the while wondering why Minty's mom would want to hurt Skywishes.

"Skywishes?" Minty asked, her face growing pale, the realization coming to her that something bad had befallen her friend. Skywishes was one of her fellow dancers from Twinkle Twirl's dance class, not to mention Twinkle Twirl's closest friend, and one of her best instructors. She couldn't let anything happen to the pink earth pony! Who would teach her something about dancing, so she would be more coordinated! And how would she express herself, if she couldn't dance!? "But what would Mama Minty want with Skywishes?" She asked, Rainbow, her mouth hanging wide open.

Rainbow's face turned pale, as she began to contemplate the possibilities. "I'd rather not think about it, Minty, darling..." She said, trying to avoid thinking about the possibilities that were now coming to mind, as her true nature slowly revealed itself. "I'd rather not think about it..." she repeated, shaking subtlely.

"So basically, Minty, " Pinkie continued, interrupting her friend. "Rainbow worries that Spike, and the Breezies might be there too, since they are still missing, too!" she said, trotting over to an increasingly sensitive looking Rainbow Dash. "And Rainbow wants to go talk to Mama Minty, and ask her what's got her so angry," Pinkie said, with a frown, giving the cyan earth pony a reassuring hug. "And I think I need to go with her, too, " she said cheerfully. " You know, for a real Ponyville adventure!" She exclaimed. Her voice quivering, as she waving her arm, and knee, her lack of confidence betraying herself.

"Ok! Great!" Minty exclaimed eagerly. "That sounds like fun!" Minty said, eagerly, galloping over. "So we're leaving now?" She exclaimed, inserting herself, between the other two ponies, in their heartfelt hug.

Rainbow shook her head, removing the green pony's arms with her hooves. "But I think it would be safer to leave you in Ponyville, darling," Rainbow said, plainly. "Mama Minty is not thinking straight, darling, and I don't want you to see her like this, darling, " Rainbow said sternly, making good and sure to maintain eye contact as she told her green friend that she was absolutely not permitted to join them.

"But mama Pie!" Minty protested, with a goofy giggle. "Wow! That's fun! 'Mama Pie'! 'Mama Pie'! 'Mama Pie'!" She said, eagerly, taking another good giggle. "How will I meet Mama Minty, if I don't come along," she asked, already imagining the candy-cane maned, green pony that she imagined as her mother.

"Well, she is right, Rainbow!" Pinkie replied, turning to rainbow. "And this is her adventure too, after all, " Pinkie said, looking Rainbow in the eyes. "After all, she is Mama Minty!"

Rainbow shook her head. "That's just the point, darlings!" She said, taking a few steps back, her voice growing ever more stern. "Mama Minty is a dangerous meanie right now, darlings!" Rainbow exclaimed, furiously. "And I can't have Minty being hurt, darlings!" She exclaimed, stamping her hoof. "Heavens! I'm not even sure you should be showing up Pinkie!"

"But Rainbow!" Pinkie protested, loudly, a tear trickling down her cheek.

"No, Pinkie, darling!" Rainbow interrupted, sternly. "My mind's made up, darlings, and there is nothing that either of you can say that will change it!" She exclaimed, turning to Pinkie. "And if you continue to protest then you won't be coming either, darling!" She exclaimed, her mind made up, and her decision set in stone.

... Solid, unmovable, stone, that was never, ever going to change, ever ...

**********

"Is it just me, or is it hot out here? It feels hotter, than a dessert! --" Minty exclaimed, panting dramatically, fanning herself with one of her two front hooves.

"Um... desert!" Pinkie corrected, seemingly unheard by her green friend.

"Ohhh... Right..." Minty replied, with a nervous chuckle. "Pinkie you're a genius!" She exclaimed enthusiastically. "That makes a-lot more sense..." She exclaimed, getting a whiff of something foul, in the air. "And it smells like that time I left the eggs in the cupboard too long..." The green pony continued, holding her nose with her free front hoof

A vulture, peered down as it made circles overhead...

Pinkie looked up, quizzically, shielding her eyes with her front left leg, and hoof. Why was that odd looking birdie staring at them?

... And promptly exploded into flames, and with a final pained squawk...

Pinkie sucked on her lip, that looked painful.

... promptly crashed into a cactus...

She quivered slightly, the waves of nausea pulsing through her body.

... which then proceeded to explode into flames...

Pinkie gave a disgusted expression, her face puckering like she'd just sucked on a lemon, as she watched the billowing smoke rising from where the cactus once stood. Maybe she should have followed Rainbow's advice and stayed in that other Ponyville with that hyperactive Pinkie Pie, after all.

Rainbow turned back to the other two ponies, her face graced with a quizzical expression, a thought occurring to her. "Wait a minute, Minty, darling, " she said, pointing her hoof at her green friend. "For some reason, I thought we agreed to leave you back at that other Ponyville, darling?" she asked, with dismay, tilting her head. "Didn't I say this was too dangerous, darling?"

"Duh!" Minty agreed, nodding vigorously. "You did! You did!" She exclaimed, with an eager chuckle.

"But then why am I bringing you along, darling?" Rainbow asked, her face growing increasingly stupefied. "That is, I mean to say -- "

"Well actually," Pinkie said, turning her head to face her friend, as she quietly joined in. "You originally didn't plan to, and you sounded pretty sure," she said, taking a long breath. " But -- "

"But then I argued with you," Minty interrupted hastily "and then the conversation went on for hours, and then we got back to that other Ponyville, " Minty said, giving another chuckle. "And then you were still saying 'no'," she said, speaking non-stop, a habit Rainbow was sure the goofy pony had learned from that alternate Pinkie (and a habit Rainbow hoped she could knock out of her green friend.) "And then that hyperactive Pinkie joined in, and she started bugging you, and then we finally convinced you," she giggled, looking around, for a moment. "Right?"

Pinkie silently gave a confident nod. "That pretty much explains it, Rainbow!" She said, with a smile.

"Oh..." Rainbow said, her ears drooping, her faith in her own abilities silently sagging. This all seemed like very poor decision making on her end. And, for that matter, she still didn't recall how or even why she allowed the green pony, and her hyperactive new friend, to convince her to let her come along... She guessed it was one of the pink pony's special abilities, along with that ... 'Pinkie Sense'... of hers...

She sighed, and she was normally pretty firm when she made a decision... She guessed that maybe she was also still off from that whole nasty bug pony thing... And the worst was yet to come... Chrysi was probably not going to be happy to see her.

She turned to her friends, again, seeing something vaguely suspicious in the distance. "Could you darlings do me a favor, and stay behind me?" She asked, trotting ahead of her two friends, and turning around to plead to them, her two front hooves together in a pleading motion.

"Why's that, Mama... Rainbow dash?" Pinkie said, catching herself trying to say 'Mama Pie', for a second, a phrase that simultaneously felt both oh so very weird, and yet so entirely natural. "I mean, they look weird, but I'm sure they are nice, enough people!" Pinkie replied, trotting forward.

Rainbow stopped her by putting a leg in front of her friend, silently shaking her head. "If I recall correctly, darlings, these folks can become a little... fresh..." She said, with dismay, turning to her friends, especially her pink friend. "So, please darlings, " she pleaded, earnestly. "Let me speak with them, darlings!"

"Ok!" the green pony exclaimed, eagerly, a goofy grin on her face. "But, Rainbow Dash, how 'fresh' could they be? After all, aren't they moldy monster vampire ghost ponies?" She asked, with enthusiasm, the situation completely lost on her.

Rainbow opened her mouth to speak but instead was greeted by an ugly, black, chitinous creature, slowly trotting up to meet them. "Why hello there," the monster exclaimed, giving them a smile better suited to a used car salesman, or a b-grade villain in a saturday morning television special than a normal everyday pony. "What are three... beautiful..." He said, retching slightly, as he struggled to keep his 'heartwarming smile'. "Ladies doing out here in the wastes?" He asked, sizing all three ponies up, for some deity-forsaken reason.

"Ladies?" Minty said, looking around, curiously, taking a peek over Rainbow's shoulder, and in between the hairs on Pinkie's tail. "Where?" She asked, turning to look between the bug pony's legs. "Wow!" She exclaimed, in surprise. "You're a stallion too!" She exclaimed as both bug ponies turned to each other.

A rumor passed around, in the hive, that among the 'normal' ponies that there were many more mares than stallions, but this strange green mare acted like she'd only seen a stallion once or twice before! The bugs turned back, their hooves pointing at the green pony, and her friends.

"Us?" Minty asked, chuckling at the funny concept. "Oh no! No! No!" She exclaimed, shaking her two front hooves. "We're not 'ladies'!" She exclaimed, giving another chuckle. "I wish we were!" She said, hanging her head. "But we're only thirteen!"

The changelings turned to each other, their lips mouthing only one word 'thirteen'. Were these mares mad? They hardly looked like mares to begin with, but thirteen was ludicrous! They were as big as a full grown mares. What would possess them to think that they were only thirteen?

Oh well! Food was food! The changelings simultaneously returned toothy smiles, as they approached slowly. "Are you lost?" The second one asked, 'sympathetically', as he trotted up to Rainbow, the mare's emotions looking especially appetizing. "Do you need us to help you find your way home?" He asked, a suspicious smile growing on his face. "I mean, after all -- " he lied. "We're here to help!"

Rainbow shook her head. "No, darlings, " she replied, nonchalantly. "I only need to -- "

"Yeah, maybe we can help connect you with those you love?" The first one said, being replaced, an adult male pinkie, who looked more like that hyperactive Pinkie, complete with small muzzle, and brighter pink mane.

Rainbow drew back, an uncomfortable expression on her face.

"It's me, Bubble Berry!" 'Bubble Berry' said, lovingly. "Don't you recognize me!?"

Rainbow remained speechless, her face beginning to grow red.

"Now give me a kiss, darling," the male Pinkie exclaimed, with a smile, reaching over, his lips puckering.

Rainbow's face grew to more of a blood red, as she finally opened her mouth. "You're being quite fresh aren't you, darling..." She replied, angrily, her lips dripping with disdain.

"Don't you love me anymore?" Male Pinkie asked, his face appearing to grow quite sad, as a tear leaked down his cheek.

"More than words can say," she said, softly, her face softening. She looked away, as it softened from an expression of utter frustration, to an expression of loss and sorrow. "And that is why I don't wish to cheat on you with a ridiculous imposter!" She exclaimed, pulling a purse from her saddle bag.

"What's wrong, dear?" 'Bubble Berry', continued. "Can't we just be together like old times?"

Rainbow's face grew beet red as she smacked 'Bubble Berry', with her purse, sending the stallion skidding back twenty or thirty feet.

Once again, a changeling sat where 'Bubble Berry' had fallen to the ground on his flank, a dazed expression on his face.

But before the monster could respond, Rainbow had already galloped up, and hit him on the other side, with her purse, flattening the purse, and TKOing the dazed changeling.

"How dare you!" Snorted, the other large changeling stallion, as he angrily charged forward, a bloodthirsty expression quickly growing on his face, no longer interested in feeding, but rather, filled with a desire to put this quarrelsome mare, who humiliated his friend, back in her place.

Rainbow quickly reared onto her two back hooves, her body bent one hundred at a one hundred and eighty degree angle to her legs, her front hooves showing her best marquis de queensberry style, as she proceeded to give the changeling a good punch buck to the head, flooring him as well.

The first changeling guard slowly began to stir, still looking disoriented as the cyan earth pony cupped his neck in his hoof, which distorted around it. "NOW... TAKE ME... TO.... MY NIECE!!!!" She demanded angrily, for all to hear, the vitriol dripping from every pore. "I demand to see the queen!" She shouted to the two guards, who now cowered helplessly, the pheromone signature beginning to assert itself from the angry, sweaty, mare.

**********

Chrysalis shrieked into one of her elbows, how did her mother possibly put up with this for so long? Everypony wanted a piece if her today. And then there was the matter of all the scheming and backstabbing, something that seemed awfully untowards for a tribe composed of one hive mind. And that was even before that wedding catastrophe... Thing were a hundred times worse now, and growing worse by the moment since she had failed the hive in that whole comet fiasco...

She curled up into a ball, her eyes 'sweating' due to the 'increased humidity in the room', she needed to get some drones in here to fix the environmental conditions here before she laid the next batch of changeling peasants. And, unfortunately, it all just left her to wonder, how could so much go so wrong so quickly? How could all of her perfectly calculated plans fail so horribly? Did that fool Celestia find a way to sabotage her like she did back when Chrysalis was a filly? And then there was the matter of --

A rapping could be heard on the large steel door she had set up to permit herself some peace and quiet, and the voice that reminded her how much her guards were a bunch of whiny foals. "My queen, " the voice mumbled, through the thick iron. Yup, it was definitely the voice of one of her larger guards, that was pestering her behind her 'privacy door'... His energy signal definately matched.

"What do you want?" She snorted, losing her cool for a second. "This had better be important!" She said, with murder in her voice. "Did I not command that my thoughts were to be, currently, left to myself?" She stated, belligerently, her voice becoming icy, as she slowly opened the large steel doors.

"I apologize, my liege, " he said, apologetically, as the queen slowly laid her arm against his neck, and over his wither. "But -- "

"And didn't I ask not to be disturbed?" She cooed, in his ear, already opening contemplating a trip to the dungeon for this interloper, making sure to, full well, loudly announcing 'the careless thought' to the rest of the hive. Well, making her feelings well known about being interrupted with trivialities.

She shoved the foal to the ground, and slammed the large steel door behind her, and sighed victoriously. That should keep those imbeciles silenced, at least for a while, so she could get back to work on ...

She only got as far as her desk before the pounding resumed, as the same needy foal proceeded to pound on her door again.

"DOES SOMEPONY NEED A VISIT TO THE DUNGEON?!" She howled, throwing her lamp against the door, which proceeded to light the wall coverings on fire. Oh well, nothing a little magic couldn't fix, as she proceeded to put out the quarrelsome blaze, which was only half as hot as her current temper.

And just like that, the foal was at it again, beating on her door, his voice sounding more concerned than ever. "I'm terribly sorry to trouble you, my liege, but..."

"What do you want?" She shrieked, her composure faltering, as she slammed open the door again. Why did these fools insist on bugging her? It was giving her a migraine!

"I apologize for the intrusion," she stallion stated, timidly, only barely registering that his queen's eyes had gone an odd shade of green, as her temper, once again, flared. "But we have visitors, my queen!" The worthless stallion stated, apologetically.

"And I care because?" She asked, sternly, putting an arm around his neck, and wither again.

"Well, " he said, nervously. "I understand, my queen, that this is below you -- "

"And?" She asked, motioning with her hoof.

"And that the hive doesn't get many visitors -- " he continued, with a nervous chuckle.

"Get on with it!" She shouted, angrily, once again losing her patience.

"But we felt that you might want to have audience with these ponies, in person..." he announced, timidly.

'Visitors?' The queen thought to herself, quirking her eyebrow. What manner of visitor could be so important as to warrant such interruptions? Her mind began to contemplate the possibilities. Was it possible that that fool Celestia had finally realized the error of her ways, and had sent her ambassadors to negotiate her surrender? She gasped, or had another batch of worthless ponies come to embrace perfection as the hive's other little worker bees had? Or had? --

The guard squeaked nervously, and only two words squeaked through his mouth. "The... Lady..." He stammered, his tone losing all formality, as it began to be eclipsed by the sound of panic.

The queen burst into riotous laughter. "Say again?" She retorted gasping for air between breaths. He'd have better not have been 'the lady', as in that old bat, who was, thankfully, long gone... That foal had better be referring to some other lady for his sake.

"The Lady..." He stammered again, scraping the ground with his hoof.

The queen broke into riotous laughter again. Such utter absurdity. And then there was the matter that this foal was incapable of putting two bucking words together. "Spit it out, you oaf!" She hissed, angrily, tossing the nearest object out the door at him. "You're wasting my precious time!" She bellowed, showing her fangs. "And I don't like my time being wasted!"

He took a swallow, and dropped to a bow. "I apologize, majesty, " the stallion announced, fighting to regain his formality. "'The Lady', refers to 'The Lady', your au -- "

The queen retorted with a healthy cackle. "Are you really endeavoring to 'inform me' that my aunt has returned?" She purred, through the door. "Because I'm tired of laughing, Woodworm!"

"Yes, my queen, " he replied, again, as if automatically. "The Lady has..."

"Shut up!" She howled, angrily, pushing him over, and following with a volley of objects from her room. "That is utterly absurd! She's dead!!!" She snarled, showing her teeth. "My brother has already verified it for me!" She shouted, violently, bearing her fangs. "And my mother's best mare sacrificed her life, for the good of the hive, to ensure that my worthless aunt, and her mutant half-breed monstrosity are no longer in my way!" She shouted, proudly.

Dulcamara may have been a disloyal, treacherous, lout, but there was a no better teacher of changeling and unicorn magic this side of Star Swirl... well... except maybe the daughter that Celestia stole from her, and for whose blood the 'mighty alicorn princess' would later pay. And after her falling out with her friends and her mother, Dulcamara, the hive's 'best mage', had taken Chrysalis under her hoof, teaching her all the changeling magic she could learn, and much more.

As she stood there to ruminate, the whiny lout of a 'stallion', interrupted her again. "But she is alive!..." The stallion, protested. "Honest, my queen, she's -- ," the stallion repeated, as the queen waved her hoof ostentatiously.

"But she is..." The queen responded, sarcastically, her voice doing a butchered mimicry of her guard. "My treacherous aunt disappeared, in the frozen north, along with her abomination of a 'daughter', the same night that my first daughter passed on!" She said, crying a tear. " Probably eaten by mother ursas, or something, " she said, with a prolonged groan.

The stallion took a few steps back. "But, my liege, I regret to report that, " he said, swallowing heavily. "She's already here, in the hive, my queen, " he said, continued.

The queen shook her head, half in pity, and half in outrage. "You're speaking nonsense drone..." She commented, to her guard, growing tired of the nonsense that was leaking from his mouth.

"It's the truth, my liege, " he continued, insistently. "Not just did she show up, but she did so, right at the very gates of our hive!" He announced, sounding equally afraid of both the queen, and her aunt. "And, she enlisted her otherworldly powers!" He exclaimed, waving his hooves, dramatically, like he was telling a ghost story. "Powers, that she used to KO two of our best guards with only her front right hoof!" He announced, exaggerating only slightly.

The queen facehooved. What could this worthless foal possibly be going on about! Maybe she would have to put her work on hold... yet longer... to find out what this foal was going on about... She shook her hoof, giving a pained sigh... What had gotten into her forces these days? She meant, the muscle heads that the hive used for its wars were never the smartest ponies on the farm, but today, her personal guards were acting stupider, than the drones...

She shook her head, taking a moment to relax, as her migraine slowly subsided. "Show the imposter in, " she snorted to the guard whom, she just now noticed, was shaking like a leaf. "I want a look at this, with my very own eyes," she announced, preparing the orders to have this 'guard' shown her 'visiters' to the audience chambers. She guessed the only way to end this hysteria was to see this so called 'Lady' herself...

**********

"Are these... " Pinkie paused for a second, desperately searching for the right words to say ... "... ... ... " She said, or maybe rather didn't say, as her mouth hung open, with no discernable words coming out. After spending some more precious moments searching for the words to say, she finally stuck her hoof on the bottom of her muzzle, in contemplation, as she continued to search for the words. Finally, she tilted her head, the word coming to mind. "... 'ponies', " she said, slowly, having found the perfect euphemism. "Normally this distant?" She asked, turning to her mother friend.

Rainbow shrugged. "I have no idea, darling..." she replied, nonchalantly. "I wish I could tell you more, darling, but my memories are still returning," she said, hanging her head, sadly. "But part of me thinks that they are..." She said, her head darting around to all sides as she glancing around the room, the memories returning.

A rainbow maned changeling trotted down the halls, skipping merrily. "Is mama available?" She asked the large guards.

Pinkie frowned, and opened her mouth, interrupting Rainbow's thoughts. "It's kind of sad, actually..." She said, a mournful tone in her voice. "Maybe if they were kinder, then they wouldn't have to live in such an icky, stinky place." She said, giving Rainbow a sorrowful expression, her face practically begging Mama Pie to make everything nice again.

Rainbow nodded, sadly. She hated to say it, but this was the way of the hive.

"Mama! Look what I brought you!" The rainbow maned changeling said, pulling a flower out of her mane, and holding it in her mouth. "I went all the way north to Equestria to get it for you!" She exclaimed, growing closer. "I hope you like it!"

Her mother scowled at her, peering at the flower with a contemptuous expression.

"You don't like it?" The foal asked, crying slightly. "What's -- "

Her mother ripped the offensive object from her muzzle, with her magic, wilting it, and promptly smashed it to powder beneath her hooves.

"Never... Bring... That cursed thing within my presence ever again, do you hear me!?"

"It kind of goes part and parcel with the fact that they are predators, darling," Rainbow replied, looking away, sadly. "Though I suspect that neither one of us is well loved around here, to begin with, darling, " she said, motioning towards a couple of changeling commoners, who were, up until that point, intently speaking about something, suddenly become very quiet. "And part of me says that Chrysi... Urr. Chrysalis... " She said, quickly correcting herself. "Kind of told them not to like me, " she said, with a frown. If it was her, she could live with it, she'd never been a hero of the hive, apparently, but her daughter was another matter. Heck... Crysalis was treating her own daughter with contempt.. Whether she knew it or not, and it just made her blood boil...

"Does mommy not love me anymore?" The foal asked, turning to prime minister Wormwood.

The stallion looked away giving her snooty expression. "If she knew what was good for her, she would do what's --"

"Why would she do something like that?" Pinkie asked with a concerned frown. "Isn't she your niece, and Minty's mother?" She asked, not comprehending what she heard. Mothers never failed to love their children, even her own 'darling' mother...

Rainbow shrugged her withers. "Hard to say, darling, " she replied, with a frown. "Sometimes ponies can be kind of mean..." She said, the tears already flowing.

"What do you mean that my services are no longer needed?"

Behind the two of them, the green pony continued to play with some of the fabric that they had been given by that adult white Rarity, from her shop, during their last stop in Ponyville. "Yeah!" She exclaimed, with an enthusiastic smile. "But I'm going to fix everything with this makeup Christmas!" She said, fashioning a very crude Santa hat out of some of the fabric, and showing it off to a nearby drone, who remained unresponsive. She frowned sadly.

"Are you still plotting that, darling?" Rainbow asked, curiously, breaking her friend's concentration. "You know Christmas was weeks ago, right, darling?" She asked, looking down, in a sense of sympathy for her misguided friend.

"Cha!" Minty remarked, undeterred, in her quest for christmas mirth. "... I had to!" She announced, definitely. "Well... Because I kind of messed up the last one," she said, with a frown. "Sorry about that, Rainbow..."

"I know, darling..." Rainbow said, giving her friend full eye contact as she let her know that all had been forgiven. "I suppose," she said, supportively.

"It's time I left here, I can tell I'm not wanted!" The rainbow headed mare complained to herself, having heard of the third thwarted assassination attempt this week. "Is this anyway to treat a war hero!?" She asked herself, looking down at the drones down below, repairing the hole she kind of left in her floor...

"And you know what!" The green pony said, with enthusiasm, interrupting her great aunt's friend's thoughts. "Let's ask that lady!" She said, once again, walking over to one of the nearby drones. "So! Ma'am? " She asked, drawing the drone's attention. The drone remained unresponsive, but it didn't deter the mint pony any. "I was wondering if -- "

"Don't get too eager, darling," Rainbow remarked, interrupting her green friend. "That's a drone, darling. You shan't find them terribly talkative!" She replied, matter of a factly.

"Why?" Minty asked, curiously. She knew ponies, like Wysteria, could be shy, but she'd never met one who was unresponsive before -- whatever that meant...

"Well you see -- " Rainbow said, starting to explain. She didn't finish before, in the corner of her eye, she could see the green pony turning back towards the drone, her concentration, again, breaking.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, proceeding to try to get the drone's attention again. "Which one of these would be a better gift for the queen? The green moldy one, or the brown woody one?" She asked, pulling out third sock. "Or maybe the plain white sock?" She asked, pulling out another sock.

The drone turned their head, to face the mint green earth pony.

'That's queer...' Rainbow replied, tilting her head. 'That's not something that normally happens.'

The drone shook their head. "I can't comply with this request, princess," the drone replied, robotically. "There is not enough parameters to complete this request..." She said, in a dingy monoton, turning back to face her original destination.

"Oh come on..." The green pony begged grabbing her by the leg with one of her two front legs, and pulling another dozen horrific looking choices of sock, with her other front hoof. "Pretty please!" She said, giving a dopy smile. "I really want to give Mama Minty a nice surprise, and who better to ask then one of her friends?" She begged, drawing close to the drone, her eyes getting teary (a poorly emulated version of that other Ponyville's Rarity.)

The drone replied. "I cannot comply..." She said, more quickly, an almost angry tone creeping into her voice, as she shook free from the green pony's hoof.

"Pretty please! Your friend, the queen will love it!" Minty begged, grabbing the drone's hoof again.

"The queen and I are not friends," the drone replied, robotically. "Leave us... ME... alone!" She shouted, angrily. "You daughter of a ... Runtime error..." She shouted, her voice coming to a dead halt, as she just stood there, motionless.

"Say again?" Rainbow asked, quirking her eyebrow. Did a drone just insult a princess? And did it just refer to itself in the singular?

The drone didn't speak, instead resuming its normal activities.

... Wait ....

Did a drone just speak back to a changeling princess!? Heck.. much more disturbing... Did they just show personality?

Something odd was definitely going on... Maybe it was good she was on her way to have a word with Chrysi...