Gone Mustang

by BurningBright

Chapter Thirteen: Resistance

Time in the hive had been strange for Dawn, but she had adjusted, everything ran perfectly coordinated and timed. It had taken her quite a while but she had figured out the routines, learned the schedules. That had made life far easier, she just had to avoid the areas the bigger Hardshells were in at the time.
If she woke with the sun rising she could grab a bite to eat, then make it through the long tunnel to the water pool and slake her thirst before the larger Hardshells were up and about, then slip down the short twisty tunnel that led outside.

The bigger ones never went outside except the pair stood at the main entrance, and they never seemed to move from their position. So she could play for a while and get some exercise. As time passed she fell into the routine, one day pretty much the same as any other. It got to the point where she followed the same pattern day in day out.

Then one day she started to notice something strange, she saw the same Hardshell she had helped back in the desert (the trick to telling the difference between them was every one had a different pattern to the holes in their legs.) But she was not set to be here today, or ever, the little ones never came down as far as the bubble rooms, it wasn't forbidden or anything, just not scheduled. The little ones never broke their patterns before, curious she ducked behind the wall and watched.

Then the odd Hardshell wasn't alone any more, she was joined in her hiding place by 5 others. They all acted differently, Dawn's ears swivelled as she watched and listened carefully. Then they all broke away and started working on assorted tasks. They carefully ignored the bigger Hardshells who guarded the big pods she had so far been unable to get near.

She knew they had a little while before those guards were replaced, and apparently so did the group she had decided must be friends. She watched nervously as they approached the big bubbles, then they did something even stranger than anything they had done so far. They reached out and opened some of the bubbles, not all of them, just one or two, just like she did for food. Then they carefully nudged the scared ponies off down a tunnel after dropping random objects that looked roughly the same shape as them into the pods, and sealing them back up. She would have to remember that trick for future reference. It could make her task easier in future.

Then she realised the hoof steps in the passage were getting quieter while she sat here and daydreamed. If she wanted to learn what was going on she needed to catch up. This tunnel was almost always abandoned, Dawn had used it herself on occasion, it led eventually to the big water chamber, the one only the alpha Hardshell was allowed to use, and right now she was busy at the far end of the hive.

Aberration and the others lead the former captives upwards through the long winding tunnel, they couldn't risk using the main bathing chambers of course, they were always far too busy to be able to help them there, but the queen being busy elsewhere was working to their advantage. They could easily slip them in there then out via the old service tunnels and to the surface. From there of course they were on their own, but it was better than nothing, and right now it was the only plan they had.

More than once she during the trip could have sworn she heard hoof steps behind her, she pretended not to notice for a while then turned suddenly. There she was, that odd filly from before, a moment of recognition took place between the pair, then in an instant the spell broke and the little filly turned tail and fled back into the hive. She wanted to tell the little one it was okay but didn't know how. Drones only really spoke Changish, and even then conversation was usually restricted almost exclusively to the hive mind.

Dawn ran for her life, that little one was dangerous, it was clever like the bigger ones, which meant it could tell their alpha where to find her. She had to get to safety now. It would have to that's how they worked. She had to get back to her den now, they didn't know about her den within the hive and she had over time patiently dug several escape routes from that den. With those she could pop up almost anywhere within the hive. If they were going to capture her she was going to make sure they had to work bucking hard to do so. She was not going into a bubble, no way no how. Thinking of the bubbles just made her mind buzz with more questions, why had those Hardshells taken the ponies out of them. If they had wanted to eat them surely they could have done that right there and then. Given the fact that tunnel only cut out in two places, their alphas pool and a vent that led up to the surface it looked to her almost like they were freeing them. But that didn't answer her questions , it just left her with even more than before.

She didn't have time to think more now though, she had to be ready to bolt again if needed. She held her little knife trembling in her mouth and waited for them to come for her. She was as ready as she was going to get for them when they did.

Back at the Cocoons the new guards had arrived and taken up position, they saw vaguely equine shapes still suspended in the foggy green fluid, and took up their position, for now not even realising they had been robbed.

Aberration and the others carefully guided the still wobbly ponies to the pool, they drank eagerly regaining something of themselves in the process then washing the green slime from their bodies, the two mares and young colt looked at them halfway between fear and thankfulness. These were the creatures that had snatched them from their home, right now it was largely their weariness and uncertainty that kept them following. They looked around nervously as the changelings guided them up the narrow vent and once more into the light of day.