The Harmony Initiative

by Madame Hellspawn

Chapter 17: The Battle of The Hive (Part 1)

Loki peered around the corner, looking back and forth. Content that nothing was there, he trotted forward, legs buckling under the weight of Needles. She did the heavy breathing for him, breaths uneven and harsh.

“How’re we doing?” Needles asked.

“Nothing yet.” Loki huffed, stepping forward. So far there was a total of three close calls with whatever it was roaming the Hatchery. Since then, screams of panic and terror sounded above, following explosions and vicious growls and other noises among the chaos. It was all the confirmation Loki needed to believe the aliens had arrived in The Hive.

He lurched forward, stopping short of an opening which may have led to a way out. He hoped it was towards King Thorax’s Court. He knew he and Needles would at least be safe there. Guards should be corralling a vast majority of the population there in the event of an emergency. Which probably meant that the aliens would have an easier time killing everyone if they broke in.

Enough of that. Loki told himself. He peeped his head forward, staring down the emerald glow of the halls. Something was putting out the torches as it scampered down the corridor and into another opening at the end. Ahead of the small being was...something. Loki could not quite make it out, but it was big. Slender and towering over the smaller figure touching the eggs along the walls.

“What’s going on?” Needles asked. “Are we good?”

Loki stayed silent, shushing the changeling on his back and continuing to watch the dark figures. He felt his heart drop as one of the eggs dropped and splashed to the floor with a sickening pop, the hatchling starting to scream and cry out. Immediately, the tall slender creature reared up, roaring and sending slime and thick spit all over the smaller creature and the hatchling before it dropped and the hatchling grew quiet.

He threw a hoof up to his mouth to prevent himself from shouting in anger. He threw himself back against the wall and stomped a hoof on the ground.

“Hey!” Needles whispered. “Keep it down! They’re gonna hear us.”

Savages! Loki cursed them in his mind. He dropped his hooves and tried to clear his mind. “Sorry.”

Once he was sure they were a good distance away, Loki crept through the hall, trying his best to ignore the colorful puddle forming at the end of the hall. He crept through an opening along the hall’s wall and repeated the tactic of stopping behind fallen rubble and poking his head out to be sure the area was clear. It seemed to be a stroke of supernatural luck that they had remained hidden for so long from the intruders. Several moments nearly gave the two changelings heart attacks and may have even gotten them killed were they not disciplined enough.

Loki had heard the rumors of the little grey ones, although he never thought he would ever catch a glimpse of them. The metal brace around their arms made them slouch, as though the weight of the machinery rivalled their own body. Their strange bulbous eyes and lack of facial features was unsettling, but not so far off from the smooth, almost featureless, carapace of the warrior castes which sparsely dotted areas within The Hive.

He had not, however, heard of anything outside of that. Sitting in an alcove in the hatcheries tended to keep him out of the loop, outside of his own studies when he was not needed or whenever the various wet nurses dismissed him or declined his requests to help. He thought it better not to worry about what kind of aliens there were terrorizing the surface world, seeing as they would have no need to attack a changeling hive. But as fate recently proved, he was wrong and he felt that he would be paying for it now. One mistake could cost him and Needles their lives.

“All clear?” Loki asked. Needles nodded and he rose as tall as the increased weight on his body would allow. The two approached an alcove and a steepness starting to creep in on the ground. Needles gripped on slightly tighter to his body.

“A way out!” Needles pointed upwards. Light! The two allowed themselves a moment of reprieve as Loki slowly and silently approached. As relieved as he was, Loki hung his head low and his eyes grew weary. He should not be leaving all those eggs unattended. He should be trying to rid the hatchery of the intruders! But he knew he could not deal with them by himself and Needles was injured far too badly for her to be any effective help.

Loki’s ear twitched. Scampering. Loud thuds. A stark, harsh screech confirmed its presence, as well as Needles’ gut-wrenching screams. “Run!”

He never looked back. Green bolts flying past him assured him it was a terrible idea, as did the heavy footfalls against the rocky ground increasing in speed. Loki’s heart thumped harder and harder against his chest and his legs felt as though they would give out at any moment. He desperately hoped for a contingent of guards to be waiting for him outside of the cave entrance, waiting to kill the first alien that came out. Hopefully, he would not be confused for one of them.

“Run faster!” Needles shouted.

“I’m trying!” So close! Come on! Fire burned his hooves, which galloped with such intensity, almost seized by the creature gaining speed behind him. The constant thumps of its spider-like legs hitting the ground and what Loki hoped to be its slobber spitting against Needles’ and his back was all the more reason to keep hope. He swore there were shadows moving about at the cave entrance. Just a little more!

Had there not been aliens shooting at him, nor an unknown beast chasing him, Loki would have felt a little relieved upon seeing the open chambers of the hive. He had not a single clue where to go! He turned left, avoiding a fallen pillar and several stone slabs. Something else moved in the rubble ahead of him, more noise reaching his ears, like voices indecipherable and muffled from the panic, but he was too focused on the grand arching doorway further head. Loki turned back, quickly catching a glimpse of the creature which still gave chase. It’s hollow, glowing golden eyes stared intently at its prey, four legs digging deep into the ground as it reached for Loki’s leg.

“No!” Needles shot magic at the beast, causing it only to stumble slightly. “Dammit, get away!”

“Cherry! Waste that thing!”

“Got it!”

BANG! BANG!

Loki sheltered his head with a hoof, hanging low and shuddering from the vile shriek behind him. Softer steps approached ahead of him. Multiples.

“Nice shootin’ Cherry!” A mare said. Loki lowered his hoof, turned, and peered at the figures standing before him. Ponies and griffons. Other changelings had gathered with them too.

“Yeah, well—” A tan stallion stepped aside with a chuckle, two arms protruding from a band around his torso holding onto...something. Loki could not make heads or tails of it. Or any of the other soldiers for that matter. They must have been something akin to griffon weaponry, except magically powered. Those that weren’t were boxy, simple and all the same tan color. “—I’ve got my moments.”

“Your moments almost got those two killed.” A broad steely gray mare chastised. “Should check to make sure they aren’t full of holes.”

“Hey, changelings aren’t made like that anymore!” Needles shouted, defensive and bitter. Loki scowled back at her, but she hardly seemed to care.

The mare stared, taken back by her fierceness. “M-meant no offense.”

“I’m Captain Aegis Solaire,” The white stallion introduced, extending a hoof and helping Loki stand, legs still buckling under the weight of Needles. “We’re here to help. We’ve got a few others with us and we’re trying to find a safe place for them. You two need to come with us.”

“How can we trust you?” Needles asked.

“I wasn’t asking. Stick close and don’t go running off somewhere.” He said. “Got something on your leg by the way.”

Loki looked down and around, flicking off the bits of meat dangling off his hind leg while trying not to gag.

“This one’s still alive!” the tan stallion called. Loki hoped to see Broadshell surrounded by the soldiers, but instead, he was met with a black shelled, scrawny one. She sputtered blood, a luminescent blue coating her hooves and belly and the armor of the soldiers. Loki barely recognized her. Her name was lost on him, but she was one of the wet nurses who worked his wing of the hatchery. She had to have cropped up there no more than two weeks ago.

A blue unicorn knelt beside her, horn glowing and a gently hoof on her side. The wounds on the changeling mare healed, although the cuts were still visible by their glowing blue leaks of blood. The cuts must have run deep, possibly by one of those purple things that roamed the hatchery now. “That should ease the pain. Can you walk?”

The changeling shook her head weakly.

“How is she?” the white stallion asked. Loki kept his distance from the soldiers, as did the others who were alive and well, save for one. The blue unicorn looked up at him, displeasure in her eyes and slightly shook her head. “Damn. How much longer?”

“Probably another minute before she passes. She’s losing blood fast. I can—”

“There’s nothing we can do.” He cut off. “I’m sorry. Supplies are limited.”

“Wait!” A beige mare ran up and knelt down beside the wounded. “You work the hatchery?”

She nodded.

“Emergency exits anywhere? Are they still around?”

“Just...one.” She answered. “Others...blocked. Aliens...looking.”

“Thank you. Find peace in the next world for me, will ya? You deserve that much.” The mare planted a kiss on the dying changeling’s forehead. “Rest easy.”

Needles grunted, creeping closer to Loki’s ear. “We should leave these guys. Who knows what they’re up to?”

“We don’t have any other choice. Where would we go?” Loki asked. “Good or evil, these ponies and griffons might be the only thing keeping us alive.”

***
Twenty Minutes ago

“Oh Luna.”

The map’s sea of blue was tainted by crimson, alien hostiles marked accordingly, surrounding the whole entire hive network that was one of the largest discovered in the world. Several of the alien vessels had surrounded the spire of rock and craggy surface.

“That’s a little close to home.” Shining remarked.

Twilight nodded silently.

“How the hay are we gonna get our soldiers in there?” Rainbow Dash asked. “It’s surrounded all over! We don’t have enough Pegasi loaded with interceptor suits to put a dent in the alien’s line!”

“You’re a fast flyer aren’t you?” Shining Armor spoke sternly. “I’m sure you can dodge whatever the aliens throw at you.”

Rainbow’s brow wrinkled, coming closer together. “Damn right I’m a fast flyer. But one mistake, just one, and this whole operation is over. No amount of support from the Banshees nor The Wonderbolts could see me in and out of there.”

Every second, every tick of the clock, a changeling was dying, no doubt about it. Twilight scanned the alien lines, watching as the ships shot bolt after bolt against the craggy surface of The Hive. She could not risk the lives of her transports, nor the interceptors for a mission as dangerous as that. Like Rainbow said, one wrong move and it was over for everyone. But perhaps, there was another way to get the ponies inside the hive.

“Get me Starlight,” Twilight ordered a passing comms pony. “I need her here within the next ten minutes.” She turned to Shining Armor. “Notify Fireteam Valor and Topaz immediately. How many of the new arcane weapons have been produced?”

"We have six so far."

“Twilight,” Shining shook his head. “You can’t honestly believe we can fight the whole alien force there. We’d need the whole base on standby to deal with an attack of this magnitude.”

“We’ll save who we can.” Twilight voiced sternly. “Starlight and I will use our combined magic to teleport the troops there. Even if Rainbow were able to get a fireteam into The Hive, they’d track her and be able to track her back here, I’ve no doubt about that. We might be far away enough from the hive to get them there in two hours, tops, but we don’t have that time.”

Rainbow snorted. “Teleport them there? If they’re smart enough to have ships fly by themselves and use weapons that can burn through almost anything we have in Equestria, won’t they find out about your magic? What about getting them back?”

Rapid hoofbeats sounded from the hall behind Twilight. She turned, watching a mare trotting past security and officers trying to keep her out. Her swiftness countered the heavy, lurching movements of the guards. Her auburn mane was slightly frazzled, as though she had just awoken and had undergone a bout of morning hysteria. “Commander!”

“Let her through!” Twilight called out to the guards. They nodded, taking breaths and casting sideways glares at the mare who managed to outmaneuver them all. Like a child outrunning playground bullies, the mare turned and stuck her tongue out, teasingly and confidently before returning to her relaxed and scandalous strut. As she approached, Twilight’s mind continued running like clockwork. She thought back to a night of tireless reading; files of ponies eligible of joining The Initiative.“Private Marmalade?”

Memories of her file came to mind. An explorer. Adventurer, but more importantly, a thief. The Changeling Hive was home to one of the most complex system of caves and labyrinths in the world and was fairly secure, boasting a rather strict military system. Yet somehow, the mare standing before Twilight had managed to go in and out with the help of a few friends, one of which was probably giving the younger griffons quite the history lesson.

“Whole base is talkin’ about an alien attack. Say it’s Thorax’s Hive.” Marmalade cast a quick glance to the glowing presence of red on the glowing map.

“It is.” Twilight answered. “Your file said you’ve been there before, stole something from a young princess.”

“I won’t be arrested if I confess will I?” Marmalade asked with a sly smile. Twilight felt a festering wound tingle in the back of her mind, but ignored the comment. “Yeah, Keller ‘nd I did a job a few years ago there. We’ve been pretty hush hush about the details, but I guess it’s about to come spilling out.”

She approached the table, keeping her eyes trained on the massive stoney spire being bombarded by alien ships hovering above. She placed a hoof at the base of The Hive and traced out a rough path.

“There’s a tunnel spanning underneath the entire hive,” Sour Marmalade informed. “I used it to…help relieve the Changelings of any unwanted properties. It spans miles, but I don’t think King Thorax uses most of it. As far as I know there’s only one entrance in The Hive and that’s through a secluded section of the hatchery.”

Shining Armor leaned forward, as did Rainbow Dash. Marmalade proceeded. “It’s a long stretch of underground caverns, but we camped in at least twice before we made it in. Given the lack of patrols in those tunnels and how some of them were even deliberately cut off and secluded, I suspect Thorax would use them for emergencies only. The Hatchery itself spans the whole underbelly of the hive, making up the entire lowest layer. There’re more than a hundred ways into it, but only one way leading out to the surface. Keller and I found several sections of cave ins replaced with whole walls of eggs and changeling female goop.”

“Umm,” Rainbow shifted uncomfortably. “Well, how far exactly is the entrance to these tunnels?”

Marmalade shook her head. “Dunno. That was awhile ago. I’d wager it’s around here—” She gestured far north of the spire. “—only problem is urgency. If we could find the entrance and go in through there, I don’t think we’d get to The Hive before everyone inside is dead or worse. It took me two days just to reach the place. Imagine trying to get a small group in and getting a whole population out.”

“But it’s our only real option.” Twilight said. “Don’t worry about going into The Hive. It’s getting out we should worry about. Marmalade, get this Keller and report to the barracks. The fireteams should have navigators who have been in The Hive. That should speed things up.”

“Wha..!? I.. Y-yes ma’am!” Sour Marmalade turned and broke into a gallop down the halls.

Shining Armor glared at Twilight. She could feel his lack of approval boring into her. “Are we really doing this?”

Twilight looked back to the glowing map. “If we can get as many of the changelings as possible to that spot—”

“—We can lead them out through the tunnels.” Shining Armor finished, shaking his head. “I get that. It’s too risky. We can’t risk losing two of our fireteams out in the field.”

“Would you be so ready as to let the changelings burn to the aliens?” Twilight furrowed her brow. “Our first directive is to ensure the safety of all of our allies! That is exactly what we are going to do.”

“We should cut our losses and leave!” Shining shouted. “It’s dangerous enough trying to figure out a way in, but getting out? That’d be near impossible! I know Thorax is a friend to Equestria, but as it stands, any hope of helping the changelings is lost.”

“Careful. I may be your sister, but I’m still the commanding officer of our troops here. I have the utmost faith in our soldiers and their abilities. Starlight and I will create the portal and they’ll take over from there. We keep track of everything here and do what we can to save The Hive.”

“I know! We just can’t—”

“There are more than a hundred thousand changelings in that hive. By the end of the day, there will be nothing left. I will not—can not—allow that to happen. Our fireteams will go in there and get those changelings out and that is final.”

Twilight stood tall over her brother. She looked down at his glaring face, wavering and almost uncertain. Twilight dared not to look away, but she could feel the eyes of everypony in the control room on her. She understood the value of her soldiers’ lives, but the lives of civilians always comes first.

Shining looked down to the blue of the map on the table, silent and nodding. Twilight allowed her muscles to relax as Shining did. “Fine. We do it your way.”

***

“Who’re you?” Rime asked.

“Base security fraulein,” Steel answered, saluting and pushing out his chest. Solemn got a good look at the strip of walnut that stretched down from his chin to the top of his chest before disappearing underneath his armor, matching his gray feathers. His beak is small, but the hooked end made Solemn uncomfortable, like his bites would be as deadly as his razor-like talons. “I was held in reserves. Steel Longtalon. It shall be a pleasure working with you all.”

Rime scanned him, making Solemn shift uncomfortably between the two. When Twilight said she would be granting Solemn a personal escort and Steel was introduced into the fireteam, Solemn felt her stomach tighten up. The thought of having someone watch her through the base was fine; she understood the sentiment, but the idea of having someone personally escort her and keep watch during a mission made her rather uncomfortable. It was understandable, but ultimately unnecessary.

Thankfully, Twilight had assured her that another officer would be overlooking her in the base. She figured that eight and more soldiers around her at all times was enough for a mission. It did not make her feel any better about being sent on what may end up becoming a suicide mission.

It was something that everyone else in the barracks agreed with, save for Aegis, who always managed to have a sternly positive outlook on any situation. Although he was silent, Solemn tried to gauge where he was in terms of fear or frustration or...anything. He was blank, like most of the Royal Guards seen populating Canterlot and depicted in almost every little fillies’ book Solemn ever read. Swift Step constantly flexed her wings and took the occasional bite on the edge of her hoof, but there was not much besides her own mannerisms that Solemn could see that bothered her.

“Worst. Idea. Ever.” Sour Marmalade muttered under her breath when the combined fireteams entered the barracks. They wasted no time strapping straps, adjusting armor and loading machine guns, snipers and shotguns. “I don’t blame any of you guys if you shoot me on ‘accident’ for this one.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’d have wanted to.” Cherry remarked in his corner of the barracks, keeping a watchful eye on Solemn, or rather, Rime Runner, slipping on her armor beside Solemn, unaware of his cautious glances. He looked back to Sour Marmalade once he noticed Solemn cock her head. “Whatever plan you came up with must have been good if The Commander was willing to go through with it.”

“Technically, she already had her own plan,” Marmalade explained. “I just finished it up for her. After all, what other mare in the base can say they stole Princess Ambrosia’s stuffed giraffe and practically made a living off it?”

Ethan’s head perked up. “That was you? Gilda and I read that in the papers! Everyone was talking about that!”

“Yup! It’s where I got the money to start up my bar. Before joining this bunch. The last big job. Most ponies like me would rather their last jobs be some kind of crazy, cursed skull from the goddess or something, but I’m a simple mare, and money is money, no matter the trophy I’m stealin’.”

He sighed and shook his head with a smile. “If I knew a noble’s—a changeling one, at that—stuffed animal was worth as much as it was, I’d have turned to a life of crime and tried to steal and sell every noble’s bedside doll in Griffonstone.”

“I could give you a few pointers when we get back!” Marmalade hopped in place and flexed her hooves once she was finished.

“If we get back.” Solemn muttered, turning back to her locker and using her R.A.A.G.S. to finish loading the last magazine for her rifle. Rime put a gentle hoof on her back.

“None of that.” She said lowly and gentle. “I promised your mom I’d look after you out on the field. We’ve got pretty good chances, you and I.”

Solemn grimaced. “Good chances or no, we’re outnumbered by...a lot. Can we really hold our own against an invasion force? We’ve only dealt with scouts and they gave us a hard time.”

Rime paused, retracting her hoof and furrowing her brow. “We have changeling guards to help us, even if it is just a little. We have at least two navigators to help us track our way around the place and we’ve got big fucking guns. Hell, you and Marmalade are even outfitted with the most advanced armor I’ve ever seen. You might not have the rifle, but we’ve got some serious heat. We just play it as careful as we can.”

Her words, although mostly true and slightly reassuring, did not make Solemn feel any better in the long run. She admired what the ponies were able to do with the alien tech that comprised most of her current armor and even the new arcane laser rifles, but superior equipment did not mean a pony was invincible. Solemn picked up her rifle and leaned her back against her locker while waiting for everyone else.

“Is it even a good idea to bring a sniper?” Ethan asked. He held his own carefully, as though it were a bomb ready to go off at any minute. “I mean, it is close quarters.”

“Aye,” Keller answered. “But there are open enough areas. Long range’ll come in handy.”

“You’ll be fine. Just gotta play it smart.” Marmalade responded. She adjusted the rectangular spaulder of her armor, the identifying light on it having gone out. Solemn admitted that the armor did look nice on her. Despite the bulky armored top, it really did accentuate Marmalade’s curves and...What would they look like on Rime?

Whoa. Solemn gave her head a hard shake. She looked to Rime who was too busy cleaning the barrel of her machine gun. She silently thanked Celestia Rime did not notice. Across from Solemn, Gilda stood and walked over to Ethan.

Solemn had never seen the griffon variant of the new armor. Whoever crafted it must have really wanted their skill to be known. An arched chestplate and spaulders with razor-like edges, the soft lavender glow of The Initiative’s insignia on the small block of armor below the beak and the black under armour which seemed as thick as Solemn’s vest. Gilda and Ethan bore the armor which hugged their bodies snugly while still leaving room for their wings to flex and stretch.

“Damn right my kid’ll play it smart.” Gilda said, matter-of-factly. She turned to Ethan, sitting on his haunches and checking the receiver of his rifle. “Play your cards right and I’ll see about pulling some favors to let you back in the lounge after this mission.”

Ethan smirked and bobbed his head. “Won’t let you down ma’am.”

The barrack doors slid open with a soft hiss. Each soldier stood at attention, saluting and standing rigid and still as Commander Sparkle trotted in alongside Starlight Glimmer.

“At ease,” Twilight sighed. “Is everypony and griffon ready?”

“Ready as we’ll ever be.” Aegis answered. “Will we be granted support for the landing?”

“Actually, neither Rainbow nor Night Glider will be taking you there.”

“We’re not taking the carriage?” Rime asked. “How’re we getting there?”

“I’ll be teleporting you all with Starlight’s help.” Twilight answered. “Unfortunately, where that teleportation spell will take you is...unknown. But that’s why you have Sour Marmalade and Keller with you. They’ll be your navigators through this mission.”

“Specific objectives ma’am?” Aegis stepped forward.

“Sour Marmalade says there is a tunnel deep underneath the main structure of the hive.” Twilight informed. “Your priority is to extract any civilians you can. Thorax’s Court should be well defended against the alien invasion. If he’s still alive and if you are able, any civilians should be sent there. I don’t know how well communications are going to be with us here, nor do I know if they’ll be able to trace any of the calls. Regardless, I trust each of you to work closely with those beside you.

“The safety of the changelings is paramount, but do not take any unnecessary risks. I understand some of you will want to save everyone. You can’t. That’s the hard truth, but take solace and comfort in the lives you do save. Is everypony ready?”

Each member of the fireteam stood at attention and saluted. “Yes ma’am.”

“Then let’s begin.” Twilight and Starlight faced each other, both taking deep breaths and putting some distance from each other. Solemn had not expected them to make the portal in the barracks. There did not seem to be much space for them to do so and the task itself would probably have been tremendous. Their horns glowed, sparks of magic trailing and coming together between the two ponies. Surges of magic followed the trail, leaving behind smoke as more and more arcane power was delivered into the small violet orb forming between Twilight and Starlight.

The magical orb expanded more and more until, like a tear in reality itself to an endless void of black, the only traces left of it were along the rim of a dark hole. Truth be told,the sight of it was unsettling to Solemn. She’d have to step through that to get to the hive? She would rather take the sky carriage, even with all the...aliens attacking…

Oh Luna, I just can’t win, can I?

“This is it!” Twilight shouted, straining to keep the portal open, even with her intense alicorn magic. Each soldier lined up, waiting for the one in front of them to walk through before they took the leap of faith.“Remember: civilian extraction is your top priority.”

“Alright. Move out!” Aegis leapt through the portal, followed by Swift Step and Gilda. Solemn took a deep breath. Rime pressed a hoof to Solemn’s flank, eliciting a yelp and was subsequently pushed.

When her hooves left the ground and the portal touched her muzzle, she swore she could feel her heart stop and all hope crack away. A moment later she was no longer in the barracks of Harmony Headquarters, but surrounded by drab, grey rocks and pillars. Pebbles and gravel crunched underneath her hooves with each step she took forward. Aegis knelt down and scanned the hall. It was big. Solemn had no idea how far the hall stretched, but its immense size probably covered a few hoofball fields, easily.

Colorful liquids mixed together on the floor, like a rainbow being painted by a foal. It all pooled together under her hooves, lightly splashing upward with each step. Solemn glanced at where the pool’s trail led.

Bodies. Not a lot, but enough. She looked down at her hooves, soiled in a mixture of luminescent blood and quickly finding the driest spot on the cave floor. Shells of changelings were cracked, others were completely squished underneath the fallen chunks of stone from the high ceiling. Burn marks scorched the walls and changeling blood decorated it in a sadisticly beautiful way. Solemn’s blood boiled at the sight. Defenseless civilians slaughtered and all for what?

The portal let out a groan before Rime stepped through and Solemn shot her a glare.

“What?”

“That your way of trying to tell me something?” Solemn said with a smirk. Rime’s face went from grey to red in an instant.

“W-well—”

“Save it for the trip back home, you two,” Swift Step laughed, walking past Solemn and taking position across the hall from Aegis. A shriek echoed off the walls, making Solemn’s skin crawl and her hairs stand at attention. “Solemn, behind me, Rime with Aegis.”

The two sprang into action silently, Solemn kneeling down behind Swift Step and keeping her gun trained the opposite direction down the stretch of empty hallway. There were small arched doorways dotting the walls, some with shut doors and others with rubble sealing whoever was left inside. Those that were open were just barely illuminated by the light creeping in from the outside. She thought she could see the end of the hall, but Solemn was unsure; the grand archways could have led to an even bigger stretch of hall. She heard stories of how decrepit and evil the hive was when Queen Chrysalis was in power. Her drones would tend to the halls and would forage the local land, draining love wherever they could until she planned a revolution in Canterlot that made the changelings’ presence known to everyone. They were not the myth many ponies believed them to be.

But whenever Thorax came into power, he must have focused efforts on the complete restoration of the hive’s structure. Save for all the tattered banners swaying gently in the soft breeze, rubble and blood spatters on the walls, Solemn could imagine the whole place as being someone’s home.

Once everyone was through the portal, it closed. It was hard to grasp the magic and physics that would have gone into the process, but Solemn pushed the mind boggling thoughts to the back of her mind.

Aegis raised a hoof to his ear. “Commander? Come in, Commander. Central? Anypony?”

No response.

“Well, I guess we are alone on this one.” Aegis sighed. The fireteam was split down the hall, taking cover behind various pieces of rubble. Ethan propped himself up on a fallen pillar, taking aim at the archway opposite of where the main group was facing, collecting their things and possibly trying to recover from the effects of travelling the portal.

“Got nothing down there.”

“Run! Dammit, run!”

“What?” Ethan turned, eyes growing wide and ducking low behind Gilda. Aegis, Rime, Swift, and Steel rose their weapons, Solemn following suit. Somepony was running, fast. Solemn initially thought them to be heavily deformed, before she realized she was looking at several changelings scurrying past one another, running away from what must have been the aliens’ newest project.

A four legged creature chased, hunched over with legs as sharp as blades digging into the cave floor, the sound of heavy steps and crunching, cracking rock underneath its weight. The lavender shell glistened with blood, as did one of its legs and its hollow glowing eyes bore intently at the three changelings. It lunged at one of them, pinning her to the ground with one of its legs and an arm. It raised it’s head.

“Help us!” one of the changelings pleaded when they caught sight of the fireteam.

Bbvvvvnnnnn…
Chooown!

Bbvvvvnnnnn…
Chooown!

Both Aegis and Gilda’s rifles spat out a solid beam of violent violet concentrated magic, the beams coming together for one unstable bolt that tore a hole straight through the creature’s torso, bringing it down on the screaming girl. Aegis moved out of cover, signalling for Swift to follow beside him. The two standing changelings rushed back to their friend, picking her up and asking questions at breakneck speeds.

“Is she okay?” Swift asked. “We have two medics with us if she needs them. Our unicorn can cast something to mend that wound.”

“I’ll be fine. Elytra can mend the wound once we get someplace safe and even then, I can still walk.” The golden color of her shell morphed into a sickly green color where the monstrosity had stepped on her, cracking the shell slightly, much to Solemn’s disbelief. She would have expected the whole hoof to have been broken just from the weight of the beast alone.

Solemn stepped out of cover, past the changelings and stopped before the creature. Spines ended in an orange bioluminescent glow on it’s plated form and the legs were much sharper up close, making her head spin even faster on the thought of how that golden changeling’s hoof was not shattered..

“What can you make of it?” Lone Shadow asked, prodding it with the barrel of his rifle. The hole made from the arcane laser still steamed, a rancid stench. Both Solemn and Lone wrinkled their muzzles.

“Gods!” Ethan chirped. He covered his beak with a talon, waving his over in the air around him. “And I thought the restrooms back at base smelled bad!”

Solemn poked at it with her hoof and used one of the hands of her R.A.A.G.S. to cover her nostrils. “Well, it’s...an arthropod. That’s probably as far as I can get with it. Starlight can probably bring it to Sky Lance back at base to do a better job telling us what this is.”

“Those things were swarming the whole section!” One of the changelings warned. “They might be coming this way! We have to get somewhere safe!”

“Noted.” Aegis said. “Marmalade. Any of this look familiar?”

“Not at all.” She answered simply. “Drop me off at Thorax’s court and maybe I’ll have an idea, but Tw...The Commander dropped us off in the middle of this big ass hall. If anything, one direction will lead us to The Court. If I remember correctly, halls like this were one of the main corridors connecting everything.”

“Right. You guys. We’re gonna take you someplace safe. There’s about twelve of us right now. The odds of the enemy attacking us and winning are awfully low, given our gear and weapons. Stick close and don’t stray far. Keep your heads down and do what you’re told.”

Another shriek sounded through the walls, reverberating down the hall and making Solemn’s mane and skin crawl again. She pressed herself against the wall, behind a boulder fallen from above and aimed down the sights of her rifle. She could see them now; two changelings—one running and the other on the runner’s back, injured and bleeding—chased by another one of the insectoid alien. The one on the runner’s back shouted and cried for help, both running past Solemn and the others in her fireteam.

“Cherry! Waste that thing!” Aegis ordered.

“Got it!”

***
Present

“Why is changeling blood all those different colors?” The tan stallion asked. Loki was unsure whether or not to feel angry. Maybe under different circumstances, the question would not have bothered him as much.

“Well…” Elytra paused.

“Wow.” Marmalade whistled, shook her head and looked past Loki back at the stallion with a furrowed brow. “Dick much?”

“J-just curious!”

“It’s nothing, really.” Elytra replied. “We never really learned why. Before Thorax, changelings had this dark green stuff, but afterwards, when our bodies were restored, we just kinda accepted it. The bioluminescence is an even bigger mystery to us.”

Loki followed the soldiers alongside his fellow changelings, one blue shelled bug offering to take Needles and prep her for medical examination the moment they found a safe spot. There were five of them in total. As much as he wanted to deny it, the chances of Broadshell being alive seemed minimal at best. If anything, he would have to have found a damn good hiding spot.

Besides Needles, the medic, and himself, a golden shelled changeling followed behind a turquoise one, both of whom watching the military unit march them carefully down the cavernous tunnels that made up their home. The medic at least had the good grace of introducing himself as Elytra and was obviously grateful to the soldiers for his life. Whatever he had seen while Needles and Loki squabbled and hid from the aliens in the hatchery, it was clear these ponies and griffons granted him a new clarity on life itself.

The ponies and griffons guiding them did not seem to keen on giving their names when Loki asked. The leader seemed to be the white stallion taking point beside a grizzled old griffon. Despite their whispers, Loki caught the name Aegis. The female griffon was Gilda, one of the ponies in the back was Cherry, a younger griffon was Ethan and somepony else was named Solemn. As far as names went, that was all Loki had gotten out of them, and even then, they were merely whispers amongst each other and not directly told to him nor the other changelings beside him.

The professional manner in which the unit moved, checking corners and swiftly shuffling down the rocky corridors, was not lost on him. These ponies and griffons were something else. An entirely different combat unit than the Royal Guard or Griffon Army. Loki was unsure if they could truly be trusted. They may have saved lives so far, but they could easily take them with their level of technology. While they shot arcane beams and boasted scatterguns beyond that of a griffon blunderbuss, changeling seclusion may as well have left the entire hive with sticks and stones; still resorting to spears and blades while the rest of the world around them advanced. The soldiers escorting Loki and the others were just a testament to that.

They walked through the halls in silence, the changelings shuddering at every shake and every shot fired in the far off distance. The ceiling of the caverns stretched higher and higher, pillars coming down to support the massive structure.

“Are you the ones that have been fighting the aliens?” Needles’ voice slipped out in the form of a pathetic croak. The leader turned his head a fraction of an inch, eyes still trained down the sights of his gun. “We’ve all heard the reports. Never thought you guys were real.”

“We are.” He said simply. He looked over to the one named Sour Marmalade. She trotted with the energy of a simple mare taking a leisure stroll through a park, seemingly without a care in the world. “Where are we?”

“Judging from the tapestry hangin’ above us,” She spoke, looking up. The indigo gradient to sky blue adorning rough fabrics hung motionless even as another rumble shook The Hive. “We’re approaching Thorax’s court. If there’s a defensive position set up by the changelings it’d be there. If not, we’ll have to get these guys to the hatchery by ourselves. Shouldn’t be too hard, but defending them while searching for the rest of the changelings would be a pain in the—”

“No!” Needles shouted. “I’m not going back down there! You have no idea—”

“We are the most advanced and well armed ponies and griffons you are ever going to see in your entire life,” Sour said confidently. “Whatever’s down there, I’m sure we can handle. You saw Cherry over there smash that bug back there. No offense.”

“I am not going back down there. There has to be another way out.”

“You shut off all the others, your buddy said so himself before he kicked the bucket.”

“Loki.” He turned and looked to her pleading eyes. “We can’t go back. Not after all of that. Do we even know if that emergency tunnel is real?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Aegis said. “Like it or not, that leads to our only safe way out. Thorax never told you?”

The Changelings were silent. Looking at the others, Loki could tell he was not the only one unaware of a tunnel network below the already existing one. Was it supposed to be a secret? Why would King Thorax keep that kind of information to himself? Perhaps he never anticipated the war coming to them in such force. Even then, the idea did not sit right with him.

“I’ll take that as a no.” Cherry snickered earning a stern glare from an armor clad mare, covered with blast padding and pouches along her waist. Her tall, bulky frame lurched heavily with each step, the metal plating of her armor shifting and sliding with such grace, it would have made the very best blacksmiths in The Hive jealous.

“Every minute we waste, changelings are losing their lives.” She voiced, harsh and annoyed. “There’s nothing funny about that.”

“Y-yes ma’am. Sorry.” Cherry resumed keeping watch of the rear line alongside Gilda.

Loki’s ears twitched. He heard buzzing. Not faint like a fly’s, but loud, increasing in volume until the ground shook. Before the grand entrance to Thorax’s court, four heavily armed guards blocked the way, obsidian spears pointed towards Sour Marmalade and her old griffon friend. The black armor each guard donned contrasted from their mostly colorful hides and chitin, granting a faux threatening appearance over their gentle and friendly shells. The leader boasted a helmet which covered his whole head, even managing to hide his horn underneath a black sheath, pointed and painted white at the tip. His blue eyes were barely visible through the tiny slits of the helm from which he growled underneath.

“Halt intruders!” He shouted. The sentinels marched forward, looking at each other before steadying their polearms. “Release our civilians and we may allow you to leave with your lives.”

“Shit move for a bunch o’ bugs wit’ nothing but sticks pointed at probably the most well armed military force from the planet.” The old griffon scoffed, throwing his rifle on his back and lowering himself on all fours. The other griffons followed in his motions and the robotic arms the ponies had equipped lowered their weapons on their own. “But if it means we can come through and be granted an audience with the King himself, I’ll play.”

The guards did not waver, keeping their spears steady while exchanging glances. Darkness and fear wore heavy on the faces of the guards Loki could see. The old griffon’s beak shifted to something resembling a winning smirk. “Well, we’ve complied. Will you let us through? The King will be wanting to meet the soldiers trying to save his people.”

The guards turned to their armor clad captain with uncertainty. His steely cold glare through the visor of his helm was enough to keep them from tucking their tails and running. At least, that is what Loki thought. The brave changeling continued to stare at the soldiers, scanning each of them for what felt like hours.

“You there.” The leader asked, pointing at Loki. Of course it had to be me. “Is it true? Are they here to help us?”

“They’re…” Loki scanned each soldier, from the meek blue unicorn to the grizzled old griffon, unsure of what to make of it. “Well, they did kill a whole lot of the aliens trying to kill us. That’s enough for me to trust them.”

“Very well.” He gestured for the other guards to relax, which they did in an instant. “Any acts of aggression—”

“Will be met with death, blah, blah, blah,” Sour Marmalade trotted between the guards and onto the silk smooth carpet, creased and wrinkled from recent abuse and dusty with grime which descended from the ceiling high above with every rumble. “Heard that last time I got caught here.”

The court was bustling full of panic. Everywhere he looked, changelings huddled together, some bleeding more than others while soldiers and medical staff ran back and forth between all the clusters of civilians. Groans and cries met Loki’s ears instead of cheerful laughs and demands for quiet.

“Was expecting a little worse,” The grizzled griffon commented. Loki felt his blood boil. Was there anything worse than this? Families huddled up together, medical personnel flying high above the crowds, all sitting and writhing in their own pain. Loki forced himself to look away from it all and focus his sights towards the stone, cold floors and the hooves and paws of the military unit guiding him. He was safe now, yet he and the other changelings escorted by the group found themselves still following the military unit. He wanted to hear at least one of them say it. Assure him that they would be safe. Maybe that was why he still followed them. “All the damage we heard on our way here and only this to show for it.”

“There’s probably more wounded outside of the court,” Aegis said. “Unaccounted for and waiting for help.”

“Loki.” Needles said. The changelings were departing, stopped by soldiers waiting to take Needles off to get treated. “Tell the king about the hatchery. We need to save the children. Please.”

“I will.” Loki said. He turned, hoping to find the military group waiting for him. Instead, they were still walking, making their way to Thorax’s throne. Loki shot Needles a worried glance. “Be safe.”

The throne King Thorax fashioned for himself was modest and simple, on equal level with everything else in the massive chamber. His modesty was arguably unmatched by any other ruler the changelings had known and it was everyone’s hope that Princess Ambrosia would share the same qualities as her father when she came of age to become Queen. The throne itself was stone engraved with symbols that had lost meaning to most generations ago that only the king and his family was able to understand. Despite the clutter of changelings, guards and medical drones in the court, several paths divided the clusters, leading to the throne where the king stood before a small band of his elite guard.

The unit spread out in front of Loki, presenting themselves to the king, who still had his back turned to them. Beside him, smaller and more timid, Princess Ambrosia stood, glancing around and worriedly looking to her subjects with her amber eyes. Her cascading green and gold shell shone underneath the light of the central chamber's rocky chandeliers. She lacked the antlers of her father, but she did have a single horn, like most other changelings.

Surrounding the King and Princess were their guards, adorned with black armor, sharp and jagged plates above their colorful shells. They braced themselves, but kept their weapons steady. "My King!" One of them alerted.

“King Thorax,” Aegis bowed, as did the rest of his soldiers, save for Cherry. The grey mare’s hoof met the back of his head and brought him down with a rough shove.

“What?” The King turned with a raised brow and gesturing for his guards before stopping them from readying their blades. “Who are you? How did you get here?”

“We’re with...We’re here to help, your grace.” Aegis raised himself, as did his subordinates. “We saved this small group and was hoping two of them could be given medical attention.”

“Just you? No offense, but I was hoping for an army or...or something...bigger.”

“It’s just us. Apologies, but Equestria can’t find a way past the alien blockade. We’ll work as fast as we can to ensure the safety of as many of the changelings here as possible.”

Thorax narrowed his eyes. “How do you expect us to get out? We’re surrounded on all sides.”

“There’s at least one emergency tunnel leading to the outside somewhere in the hatchery.” Sour Marmalade answered. “Last time I recall, it’s the only one left of the hundreds that used to be there.”

Thorax looked at her crossly. “How do you know that? You know what? Nevermind. You say you’re here to help and, well...Half the guards are here, making sure the entrances are secure, hoping that more will flock here. The plan was exactly like yours. Lead everyone to safety through the emergency tunnels once we’ve gotten enough people back here. The problem is I’m constantly losing contact with the guards I’ve sent out. We were never prepared to handle the invaders, Princess Celestia assured me we would be under no threat, but, I guess you can see where simple assurance gets us.”

“Where to?” Aegis asked.

“We haven’t been able to get anyone out of the western section!” One changeling cried.

“Those bugs are everywhere!” Cried another. “The higher levels are doomed!

“We can reach those evacuation tunnels,” Thorax said. “But we’d need to clear out the hatchery first. Not a single wet nurse or guard has come out of there so I can only assume the worst. The guards we sent down there never came back.”

“I did, Your Majesty,” Loki raised his hoof. “L-Loki. The eggs are...intact. I think they’re trying to take them.”

“Take them!” Princess Ambrosia roared. “Father, we cannot allow this!”

King Thorax nodded in agreement.

“Understood.” Aegis turned to Gilda, lowering his voice. The two discussed what Loki assumed to be plans of attack. Gilda looked back at the others and back to Aegis, nodding with obvious disdain. Aegis returned his sights to Thorax. “We’ll send in a small group of three into the hatchery. They’ll clear out as much as they can.”

“Thank you. I shall send a small contingent of guards with them.”

“No need. We can handle ourselves. Another thing, though; we need a navigator.” He looked towards Loki, whose heart was thumping so hard, it felt like it could burst through his chest at any moment. “Someone who knows their way around the hatchery. One of ours has been down there before, but we need to be sure.”

"Truly?" Ambrosia cocked her head. "If I may ask, which one?"

Marmalade bit her lip, but raised a hoof. "It's...been a while."

"A thief among your ranks? Here to atone for what you've done?"

"C'mon, it was just a stuffed animal. I'm here to help now, honest!"

"Leave it alone," Thorax told his daughter. "You will have your navigator."

Thorax’s royal gaze fell upon Loki first. Of course they did. Lady Luck did not seem to favor him tonight. “I don’t suppose you’re willing to go back down there are you?”

“Do I really have a choice?” Loki asked before he could catch himself. He felt his heart drop as he looked up at Thorax, whose face was relatively unchanged. “Meaning no disrespect. I want to help, I really do, but...”

“You do have a choice. I won’t have any of my people tasked with something they are unwilling to do themselves.”

“I...I’m not too sure I can go back down there.” Loki stared down at his hooves. The dark cramped spaces and the fear of being slaughtered by one of those purple bugs made his stomach twist in on itself. And if any of the soldiers missed, that would have been an unbearable sight to behold. Loki would not be able to bear watching the younglings die around him. He would much rather see the aftermath of the troop’s battles than witness the fight firsthand.

“Of course,” Thorax lowered his head. “In any event, I shall grant you one of my elite to act as navigator. Stinger!”

The onyx plated guard to his left stepped forward, armor plating coating the guard in sinister plating kept from Chrysalis’s rule. The jagged and sharp edges contrasted to his colorful shell underneath, much like most of the other guards in the hive. Unlike the other guards surrounding him, this one had no horn, nor did he have any wings. He held a hoof up to his chest. “Yes, your majesty.”

“Show these soldiers to the emergency tunnel entrance. Clear out any enemies you find along the way. Once you have ensured that we still have an exit, do a full sweep of the hatchery and report back to me when it is all clear. I want to start sending the first batch of groups down once I know the whole hatchery is free of enemy terror. We must begin collecting the eggs.”

“Of course.”

“Ethan, Marmalade, Thunderlane.” Gilda ordered. Subsequently, a young, lean griffon, the navigator mare and a charcoal black pony stood at attention. “You guys think you can handle clearing out the hatchery? The bugs think it’s a small scout force down there, so it should be a quick cleanup. Once you’re done, give the word to the captain overlooking the entrance and help them do a thorough sweep.”

“Um…” Ethan raised a talon. “No offense, but...A sniper in the tunnels? Not exactly the best idea don’t you think?”

“Keep that pistol handy.” Aegis said simply. “Inaccuracy is not tolerable down there and as it stands, you, Marmalade, and Thunderlane carry the most accurate weapons. As for Marmalade, she’s been down there before, so she’ll know the lay of the land for the most part. With Stinger’s help, they should be in and out of the hatchery in no time.” He looked to Loki. “We’ve kept you safe so far, we can keep doing it. Plan is to split our team up to cover the most ground and we could use somepony who’s been through the hive. I’m under the assumption that you still would like to help.”

Loki felt his stomach twist tighter. Did Loki really need to help these ponies and griffons? If they wanted to kill everyone like Needles thought, this would have been the perfect moment to turn on everyone and open fire.

But what if they could not keep him safe? There was so much danger outside of the court’s walls and not even the most well equipped soldiers could successfully fight off against the alien invasion force, could they? But these ponies had to be the ones that the news spoke of. They held off an attack from pirates and even whatever destroyed part of Vanhoover. That had to count for something, did it not?

“Dammit.” Loki sighed. “Alright. I’ll go with you.”

***

“That looks…” Ethan tried to think of a word for it, but there was none that could describe the deep dread of the cavern’s entrance. Stinger had already walked down, just to make sure the entrance was safe, taking two guards with him, presumably to order them to stand in their new posts. “You keep your young down there? With only a small clawful of guards and nurses?”

“It’s not as bad for us. Besides, we never anticipated the invaders to come here. We lived in peace for almost twenty years.” A captain said. His face was that of worry, almost hidden underneath the armor of his helmet, which Ethan was certain was the same material as their natural chitin plates. “Are you sure you guys won’t miss?”

“He’s the best damn sniper we’ve got,” Brisk Bolt said, taking Ethan by surprise. A compliment? Now that meant they were making progress. As if reading his mind, Brisk looked at Ethan and said, “Don’t let that get to your head.”

Ethan suppressed a smile.

“I know you can’t promise us much,” The captain said, disdainfully. “But please...no explosives. No stray gunfire. Families will be mortified if their hatchlings are discovered to be killed. We don’t expect you to know when the aliens will shoot, but…”

“Believe us,” Thunderlane cut in. “Those eggs are our top priority. We’ll do our damnedest to ensure their safety.”

“Thank you.”

The entrance was still as uninviting as the first and fifth time Ethan looked at it. The utter darkness, barely illuminated by the natural lights of Thorax’s Court which only shone through a fraction of the way down the caverns.

“Wait!” The captain blocked the entrance with his hoof and Ethan stifled a sigh of moderate relief. “You should know that a small contingent of guards were sent in to assess the situation before your arrival. We don’t think they survived, but if you can find them, they should prove invaluable for aiding your efforts.”

“Thanks for the heads up.” Sour Marmalade said. She faced the entrance, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. Haggard, uneasy, and admittedly terrified, Ethan followed after Marmalade walked in, R.A.A.G.S. keeping a steady grip on her arcane rifle. As the walls of the cave closed in around them, the realization that there was no chance he could adequately use his sniper dawned on Ethan. Even when the slope ended and they activated the flashlights on their weapons, Ethan could only focus on what would ultimately be his own ineffectiveness.

But it was an Initiative tech gun. It had to be good, right? Every step taken made Ethan resent Aegis’s orders and Gilda’s agreement to them. Sure accuracy was great and all, but Ethan preferred the distance between his enemies to be a little more vast than room’s-length.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Stinger spoke, taking Ethan by surprise. He sounded younger than he would have imagined. “You guys aren’t Equestrian Royal Guard are you? That’s some serious gear you’re packing.”

Marmalade snorted. “If we were Royal Guard we’d be dead before we got in here. What happened to all the signs down here?”

“Hatchery drones know the sections by heart. We saw no need to keep them and the wet nurses thought them an eyesore.

The group turned past a corner, Ethan’s eyes growing wide at the sight of emerald. Not emerald—eggs lining the walls and glowing in such disorganized symmetry on the walls and even some spots of the ceiling. Breaks in the line of pods were given for sconces and torches which had remained unlit, or put out by unwanted guests. To think that the changelings built a whole tower on top of all these eggs and that the network lined the whole underbelly of the spire made Ethan want to sit and give up. There was no possible way that they could find aliens in this whole network before the aliens slaughtered everyone above them.

Halls twisted and turned, making way for chambers, each lined with eggs from top to bottom and supported by a single central pillar. Stinger spoke of those who had worked the hatchery with the greatest respect, as though they were honored just as much as veterans who had seen the worst Equestria and the Griffon Empire had to offer each other. It was incredible to think that there was a magical network or natural adaptation that allowed the workers to keep in touch with each and every single one of the eggs to know when certain ones would hatch. If Abeni’s research back in Harmony Headquarters could see the light of day, Ethan would very much like to be able to feel whatever it is that any magic user did. The possibilities seemed endless. It was no surprise that the magically proficient were capable of ruling whole lands and vast empires.

The Griffons and Zebras seemed to be emerging powers in comparison to Equestria and The Crystal Empire. While the griffons controlled more land than Equestria, it was nothing more than a kingdom of squabbling lords who thought they should be the king of Griffonstone. The last time the empire was truly united was during the invasion of hippogriff lands and several city-states with no ties to any of the other world superpowers.

“We should be coming up on the central hub of the hatchery.” Stinger announced quietly. The soft footfalls from each soldier kept them on their toes. At any moment, the enemy could sneak up on them and they would have to fend off against more of those purple bugs. The armor around Stinger’s hooves shifted, blades reaching forward at the base of his hooves like claws on a cat. “From there we could judge where the lost patrol has gone and possibly where the invaders are roaming.”

“How’s that work?” Ethan asked. “Wait, don’t tell me: Magic, right?”

“Magic helps.” Stinger admitted. “But changelings evolved with a sense of...community. We are a hive, and in a sense we are one. It takes a lot of concentration, but we all can find out where we are. Down here, with all the little ones, it will take me time to find my friends.”

“How will you find the aliens then? If changelings work like some sort of hive mind, I’d assume anything outside of it, you can’t exactly sense.”

“They may not be out of their pods yet, but the young ones can sense danger just as well as any of us.” Stinger slowed himself, signalling for Ethan, Thunderlane and Marmalade to do the same. When he was certain there was no movement anywhere nearby, Stinger continued forward, slower and more cautious. “I can feel their discomfort, their fear. The highest concentration of it should be wherever our invader friends are. As I said before though, I would need to focus for a moment, which is why we must go to the central chamber. There, we have easy access to all the major paths in the hatchery. Wherever enemies remain, we shall find them and dispatch them with haste.”

Ethan still tried to wrap his head around the concept. To be able to communicate with everyone. Surely Abeni has thought of such things with her research. “It’d be just like the old movies.”

“What was that?” Stinger asked.

“Nothing.” Marmalade answered with a slight chuckle. “Gilda said you were a bit dork sometimes.”

“What? She called me a...No, she wouldn’t do that.”

“Right.” Thunderlane giggled. “She could have her whole gang play a prank on you several mornings on end, but calling you a dork? She’d never do that.”

Ethan frowned. “At least I don’t sound like I’m drowning in glue whenever I sleep.”

“Ooh, he’s going straight for the jugular there.” Marmalade said with a smile.

“How would you know what I sound like when I sleep?” Thunderlane asked with a hint of annoyance.

“When I patrol some nights, I can hear you right outside the B-Quarters door. I figured it was you. All the athletic ones do that. Except for Cherry. He’s about as athletic as a snail.” She sighed, as though lost in her own thoughts. “Stallion could work wonders if you catch my meaning.”

“Umm.” Ethan closed his beak. He probably did not want to know what she meant. Stinger looked back at the group with an arched brow. “It’s uh...classified.”

“You know they separate mares and stallions for a reason, right?” Thunderlane said.

“Pssh, with a door without a passcode?” Marmalade gave herself a little wiggle as she laughed. Ethan looked away, the air starting to feel a tiny bit hotter. “I mean, it’s not like I’m sleeping with him… But I'd like to see what else that mouth can do besides a smooch here and a kiss there. Mare has needs after all and so far, nopony else—”

“We’re here!” Stinger said, cutting off the stuffed animal thief. “We’re here.”

The central chamber was everything Ethan expected it to be. A central pillar, thankfully devoid of any eggs. Webbing lined the floors, silky, but sticky, cascading all around until they met the pods on the walls, stacked on top of each other. Besides being generally larger than the other chambers, the layout had remained the same. Every step was met with a ear-tingling sloshing sound that made Ethan shudder uncomfortably. Blocks of rubble, fallen from the ceiling miraculously managed to avoid hitting the walls and only one sconce on the wall provided illumination in the far side of the room.

Stinger approached the central pillar and pressed his head against it, eyes closed and kneeling down.

“What’re you doing?” Ethan asked.

“Searching. Please, I need quiet to focus.”

Stinger continued to kneel quietly, speaking words like a mantra, or maybe Ethan was just imagining his lips moving. It was dark and damp. He hated every moment of being in the hatchery. He glanced at the walls, the eggs sitting without so much as a twitch of movement. Most of them anyway. Those that did move were more transparent than others, giving Ethan a view of the small larvae growing inside.

“Always wondered how changelings grew up.” Ethan admitted. Thunderlane walked beside him. “Kinda cool, but a little bit depressing, given the circumstances.”

“There was a lot more eggs than I thought there would be,” Thunderlane said. “Kinda scary to think that the king wants to take all of these out.”

“Thorax will find a way,” Marmalade chimed in. “He almost always does.”

“Found something!” Stinger announced.

Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!

“Shit!” Marmalade knelt down, her belly just barely scraping against the floor. “Get down!”

Stinger dropped down and crouched beside the central pillar.

Light footfalls sounded from across the chamber, behind the pillar, but something else made it’s presence known. Something loud, like the constant roar of a manticore. Marmalade looked back at Ethan, and to something at his side. “Ethan. Got a nice spot for you over there. Not much cover down here, but we’ll manage. First chance you get, I want you to waste ‘em.”

Ethan glanced over. An alcove just large enough for him to fit in, or at least he hoped. Slinging his rifle on his back, Ethan reached out and started crouching his way over to the alcove while Marmalade and Thunderlane took cover behind whatever wall did not have any eggs lining them and started to take aim. Ethan climbed into the hole, a little roomier than he initially thought and pulled out his sniper. He sighed in frustration. He only had the view of a part of the doorway and if he wiggle himself, he could cover the left and right entrances.

Ethan aimed at a crack between the central pillar and the opening archway directly behind it, holding his breath and waiting for what seemed like forever. The roaring grew louder and Ethan thought he saw shadows dance in the crack of vision. The first figure glided past the archway, unaware of the presence of the sniper and his squad. Another one passed by slowly. They were definitely flying. It stopped right in Ethan’s sights, looking around. Ethan cast a quick glance to Sour Marmalade, Thunderlane, and Stinger. They seemed ready, Marmalade and Thunderlane staying low and raising their rifles. Ethan glared down the scope. He caught a glimpse of the fleshy bald head and two golden orbs staring back at him.

Boooom!

“Engaging!” Ethan chirped, pulling back the bolt of his rifle. He was unsure of what to call them. They floated above the ground, thunderous roars from the holes in their backs which seemed to be the only way they kept flight. Their erratic movements did little to ease Ethan’s worry about his sniper. Their glowing eyes seemed to scan the surroundings. Ethan aimed at the fleshy bald head, seemingly about to be corrupted by the mechanical parts all over it’s small body. The scampering sounds of sectoids’ feet slapping against the almost wet webbing of the cave

Bbvvvvnnnnn…
Chooown!

Sour Marmalade’s arcane rifle roared through the caverns, like a demon. From Ethan’s perspective, she shot at no direct target, instead focusing on keeping enemies in their cover, for fear of receiving a hole in the brain or chest. The dying chirps of a sectoid confirmed she had hit her target. A second shot roared out from Thunderlane’s rifle, the violet beam slamming against the skull of a sectoid flanking to the left. Ethan checked the two doorways to his left and right. They were relatively clear for the moment. No movement so far on those—

“Sectoid moving to the left!” Marmalade shouted. “Damn thing's heating up!”

Or not. Ethan spotted it, trying to swivel in the alcove. The barrel of the rifle butted against the walls.

“Do it!” Thunderlane ordered. “I’ll cover you!”

Bbvvvvnnnnn…
Chooown!

The violet beam zoomed across the room, Thunderlane’s shots connected with the sectoid’s head, splattering blood all over the glowing emerald pods. Another sectoid rushed out immediately, bracing it’s arm-cannon. Ethan took aim, holding his breath.

Can’t risk missing. Ethan cursed, putting down his rifle and reaching down his left arm for his pistol.

Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!

Thunderlane whooped, ducking low and looking behind him, panic in his eyes. The bolts came dangerously close to a gathering of pods, just barely disturbing the babies inside. They stirred, but did not pop open like Ethan expected. It was amazing to watch the mobility and maneuverability of his teammates. They dodged and rolled over before taking carefully placed shots. Ethan wished he could do the same thing.

Another sectoid cropped up at the small crack of visibility. Ethan took aim down the sights.

POP! POP! POP!

“Quit giving them warning shots and hit them already!” Marmalade shouted.

“I’m trying to!” Ethan shouted back. It was a mistake for him to be down in such confined spaces. The aliens Thorax and Loki warned about came in a small force. Granted all the shouting and gunfire, Ethan was surprised there were no more aliens coming his way. Chances were, they had only encountered a small scouting force trying to get a lay of the land, or find the alternate entrance to Thorax’s Court.

Ethan hoped it would just be this scouting force and no more of the floating aliens. Or the big bugs.

Stinger rose from behind the pillar, the claws on his hooves extended, releasing a war cry of staggering proportions. For a moment, the aliens ceased fire, glancing over at the charging changeling coming their way. He leapt upwards and disappeared behind the pillar blocking Ethan’s vision. He looked to Marmalade and Thunderlane, both with guns raised, but struggling to find a proper target.

A sectoid ran out from the left doorway, flanking Thunderlane and Marmalade. Ethan raised his pistol out of pure instinct and pulled the trigger.

POP! POP!

It went down with a pained chirp, getting the two ponies’ attention. Thunderlane looked up and gave Ethan a nod of approval.

Even from the small alcove, Ethan could hear the rips and tears of metal blades against flesh and the increased volume of the flier’s twin back jets growing louder.

“Watch it!” Marmalade jumped out of the way, a severed metal arm flung in her direction and causing her to yelp and stare at it with wide eyes. “Crikey!”

Ethan leapt down from the alcove, pistol trained on the archways as he moved toward the central pillar. He peeked over towards the two ponies, both cringing and wincing at every sloppy and nauseating sound of flesh torn. He dared not look to see what became of either Stinger or the aliens. Slow and heavy steps sounded from beyond the pillar, followed by heavy breaths. Ethan almost pumped Stinger full of lead when he rounded and met the group.

He was covered in sickly green gunk, his hooves taking the brunt of the damage, blades now jagged and crooked. From head to hooves he was a mix of onyx black and pungent green, dripping slowly and sloshing in clumps against the floor.

“You could have gotten killed.” Thunderlane chided. “Is that just the base tactic for all guards?”

“Only the ones that don’t use magic.” Stinger huffed. “Good news is, the little ones only sensed that group. We should find that emergency tunnel now. Once we do, sweep the hatchery for good measure. Surprising that none of the eggs were harmed in that short fight. I must thank you for your accuracy.”

“No need to do that. It’s kinda our job.”

A thunderous roar boomed through the chamber, echoing off the cave walls.

“Crap!” Thunderlane turned, raising his gun to the right archway. “We lost one. Must have been one of the flying ones.”

“We get the rest? Definitely?” Ethan asked. Thunderlane and Sour Marmalade strafed, keeping their guns trained on doorways and any other openings they could find. It was all quiet. Ethan stood from beside Stinger, looking to Thunderlane for confirmation. The stallion’s eyes met Ethan’s and he stomped a hoof twice with a stern nod.

“Don’t know what you saw from that little alcove, but Stinger is...Well, he’s a good fighter. Definitely good material for us, I’d say.”

Stinger waved a hoof, flinging blood onto Thunderlane’s charcoal cheek. The stallion did his best to mask his disgust with a sheepish smile. “You flatter me. But please, we must find the last of the invaders. Keep your eyes and ears open. Follow me, the little ones shall be our guides.” He started towards the archway on the left side, behind from Ethan, but the ponies and the griffon waited for him to put some distance between them before following behind.

“How can he stand the stench of that shit?” Marmalade asked, wrinkling her muzzle.

“Trust me,” Stinger said, turning his head slightly. “Be grateful you don’t have this junk on you. It’s worse than you can imagine.”

He stopped. There was a three way intersection, breaking off into the left and right. Smoke trailed above a torch on the wall and the left hall was painted in a whole assortment of colors. Thick liquids melded together creating a rainbow along the walls of cracked shells and small bodies. Amidst the blood smeared walls, black and grey empty forms twitched on the ground, some gasping for air before they ceased moving entirely. Ethan’s stomach churned at the sight of it all. The short-lived cries of the few still alive resonated deeply within the griffon’s mind, making him shudder and Stinger release a failed breath, dying in the musty and daft air.

Ethan closed his eyes and looked away. He tried in vain not to picture the aliens lifting the eggs, only to smash them and kill the life being carried inside. The savage nature of the aliens seemed to hold no bounds. When he opened his eyes, he hoped to have the stunning visage taken away from him, just a part of his own hyperactive imagination. But no. The blood of babies and their broken bodies lay on the ground, spread out and motionless, never to experience the world or feel the love of their parents.

“T-those are…” Stinger stammered. He stepped forward, soiling the cascade of thick changeling blood with the alien gunk on the bottom of his hooves. “Wh-what were t-they doing down here?!”

“Y’know,” Ethan said, trying to take his mind away from all of it. “For an alien with a jetpack and burners, this one is pretty quiet.”

Marmalade sucked her teeth and slapped Ethan on the arm. “Shut it.”

The group stepped forward, cautious of the blood they stepped on. Stinger stared at the bodies of the young with disbelief. Granted there were not as much as Ethan originally believed, but the copious amounts of blood staining the walls may not have been blood. Ethan thought it to be the fluids from within the pods that added to the blood. He hoped it was.

“This is vile.” Marmalade muttered. She pointed to removed fleshy sockets in the walls “Some of the eggs aren’t even smashed. Just missing.”

Ethan looked to the walls. Of course, she was right. What could aliens hope to gain from taking the eggs? Ethan tried to think of something—anything—that could rationalize it.

The jets returned, louder this time. The group turned and floating in the center of the hall was the amalgam of machine and flesh. Clutched in its hand was a glowing canister, the pin pulled already as one of its jets started to give out, causing it to lean on the wall. It laughed, a deep throaty laugh before flinging the grenade in their direction.

It bounced off the walls, slapping against the pods undisturbed until that moment. Stinger shouted, as did Marmalade and Thunderlane, but Ethan locked up, watching the grenade bounce until it was down at his claws and it was then that he started to move, not of his own volition. Stinger grabbed him and flung him back, and kicking the grenade forward.

BOOOOM!

A pulse of green shook the caverns and the ceiling began to crumble, dust and pebbles falling on the heads of the squad. Ethan’s vision was blurry and his whole body erupted in pain as the first waves of the ceiling fell, sending smaller rocks flying and forcing Thunderland and Sour Marmalade low to the ground. They started galloping the moment they saw and heard the grenade hit the ground and yet as far away as they were from it, they still felt the dizzying effects of the blast. Marmalade sheltered her head with her hooves and even used her R.A.A.G.S. to provide a little more support.

“Holy shit!” Marmalade shouted. “Damn! It’s like the whole hive is coming down!”

The rocks fell less and less, one hitting her in the flank, forcing a scream from her lungs. Once they were sure the chaos subsided, Marmalade removed her hooves from her head and picked up her rifle. She manuevered on her haunches and rubbed her cutie mark gently with tears in her eyes. The rock didn’t puncture through, but it came damned close. She did not know which one in particular to blame, so she kicked all of them in her general vicinity like a school-filly throwing a tantrum.

“Cut that out.” Thunderlane snapped, rising from the rubble on his hind leg. He gave it a firm shake and tested it to make sure he could still walk on all fours. Marmalade, despite lack of any real damage, other than the hurt in her flank, did the same and looked around. Darkness surrounded them, unfortunately only able to see thanks to the blood of changeling hatchlings. Marmalade did not want to imagine what that must have been like for the parents of those hatchlings.

“That’s not good. We gotta find another way back to the court and get someone else to guide us.” Thunderlane said, clicking on the flashlight on the side of his rifle. “Ethan? You okay?”

“Lane…” Marmalade whispered. She pointed at the ground closest to the blockage.

Blood was pooling fast underneath the griffon, staining his feathers and fur. Marmalade wanted to believe it was neither Ethan’s, nor Stinger’s. It lacked the distinct luminescence and multicolor hue. She ruled out Stinger in an instant.

“We gotta get help!” Sour Marmalade said. Thunderlane rushed to the griffon’s side, breathing heavily and dancing over rocks.

“P-please don’t go.” Ethan begged weakly. Thunderlane knelt down beside him. The blood was not rushing out as much, but his arm and leg were definitely caught underneath the boulders.

“I won’t.” He tapped his ear quickly and tried to compose himself. “Aegis? Solemn? Anyone! Oh thank Celestia, Solemn, we need you here now! Ethan’s...He’s...Dammit, kid!”

Ethan’s breathing was decreasing and his eyes demanded to be closed. He clawed at Thunderlane’s chest gasping for air. Thunderlane gave Ethan his hoof, placing it gently down beside Ethan, who clutched it, gripping him hard.

“Stay with me, Ethan,” Thunderlane pleaded. “Solemn, I need you here now, he’s fading quick. The whole ceiling came down on his arm and leg. Pieces are too heavy for us to lift them off.”

“Wait!” Marmalade rummaged in her saddle packs. “I’ve got a medical kit. I can...I can try something! Anything, I won’t let him go on my watch. Solemn trained me herself at base before she was taken. I don’t have magic, but I should be able to keep him alive for now.”

There was silence as Marmalade set up and knelt beside Ethan. She placed her rifle at an angle, lighting the scene to see what she had to work with. Her heart stopped, instantly and eyes grew wide with panic. Ethan’s eyes closed, but he remained awake, still breathing and as well as a griffon could be with more than a hundred pounds of rock pressed against his arm and leg, pinning him to the floor indefinitely. Blood pooled up slowly underneath him and onto Sour Marmalade’s hooves. He lost so much already and was losing more. “Shit, this is bad.”

“ You really think you can keep him with us?”

“Keep Solemn on the line. Tell her to patch in to me. I might need her to kinda walk me through this.”

***

“It’s getting worse.” Swift Step said watching the latest group of civilians being corralled into the courtroom. Shrapnel pierced their colorful shells and equally multicolored liquids poured out from their wounds, each color corresponding to the shells of the changeling.

Steel grunted in agreement. “I hope the best for your friends, fraulein. Even more for these people.”

Since Aegis left with Loki to clear out the eastern sections, more and more refugees stumbled in, each one worse than the last. Steel relished the opportunity to help these people, but he longed for the medical skill that would be required to properly help the wounded and dying. A griffon with a gun who knows only how to kill to defend the people could only do so much.

But Steel would not allow that to deter his noble efforts of helping these changelings. He would kill all the aliens attacking if he could, if it meant these people could stay in their hive and go back to their peaceful lives. But the realities of war were not lost on Steel. These bugs would be routed from their homes and quite possibly could become one of the largest wandering vagabond groups in the world. Steel hoped that one day, whenever the aliens were defeated, the changelings would be able to return home and repair what was lost. In the coming hours, Steel tried to imagine what could possibly be lost if the whole craggy spire was not reduced to nothing more than a pile of ash.

“We’re in over our heads here.” Swift said. “No contact with home base and we’re stuck having to escort almost a thousand changelings through dark depths that only two of our fireteam members have actually been in. A cave network that only the leader truly knows about.”

“Have hope!” Steel beamed, stiffening his back and flexing his wings. “We are not alone in this fight.”

“You seriously work base security?” Swift asked. “Should totally request a spot in a fireteam.”

“I am content with my current position.” Steel replied with a smile. “After all, someone must keep ze peace at home!”

“True enough, I guess.” Swift said. “You don’t seemed bothered by all of this. No offense or anything, but it’s almost like you don’t even realize what’s happening.”

“But I do.” Steel said lowly. “It’s true griffons and changelings have not gotten along very well in recent years, but they still have a right to live and enjoy life. I simply am trying to find the most silver lining in our situation. What is the Equestrian expression? Am dunkelsten ist es vor der Dämmerung? Darkest before dawn, ja?”

Swift Step nodded. “Of course. Wish I could see it that way. Been nothing but trouble since we’ve got here.”

“North gate!” Guards cried. “North gate!”

Steel rose from his post, locking eyes with Swift Step. Both took to the air and darted towards the largest forming congregation of guards. Changelings screamed and shouted, children cried and guards shouted orders at one another, filing themselves through the grand doors leading to the western sections of the hive.

“Oh Celestia.” Swift Step raised her rifle at the insectoids scampering down the hall, shooting only when she was sure there was no stray changeling in her sights.

Steel did the same thing, although struggling to take into account the spread his machine gun was likely to produce. The front line of changeling guards raised magical shields and planted the feet of their spears into the ground while the second line prepared their horns for magical strikes against the oncoming enemy.

“Hurry behind the shield wall!” Steel ordered, his roaring voice gaining the attention of the panicking civilians.He raised his gun and prepared himself mentally. He waited until the last changeling was at least ten feet before the shield wall produced by the guards before his talon pulled the trigger.

Dakka! Dakka! Dakka!

The bullets tore into the hard violet flesh of the leading arachnoid, spilling its thick, puke-colored blood from each new bullet delivered from Steel’s rapid firing. Civilians ducked their heads low and slowed to a scrambling crawl towards the wall of guards as the volley of bullets and magic stalled the enemy creatures.

In all his years, Steel had never faced an enemy with such ferocity as this. Griffons were vicious, but knew when they were outnumbered and when to pull out of the offensive. These things kept charging, screeching and snapping their claws before being struck down. One leapt into the air, legs and claws outstretched in hopes of gaining a kill before its death. Instead it was impaled by the crooked and jagged tip of a spear, its sheer weight causing the guard to falter. It screamed, thrashing wildly before it grasped the pole and pulled the spear deeper.

“Back!” Steel shouted, hovering over soldiers and blasting the creature until it ceased. Bullet casings rained down on the guards below Steel, but no one objected or raised their annoyance.

“They just keep coming!” Swift called out.

Bratatatatat! Bratatatatatatatatatat! Click!

“Shit!”

Dakka! Dakka! Dakka! Dakka! Dakka! Dakka!

“Stand strong!” Steel ordered. Magic bolts fizzed and soared in the air as more and more of the arachnids came scrambling about. The changeling’s spear-wall remained steadfast, the guards themselves standing with more confidence and fervor, the sentries standing between each spear-bearer shooting their spells with rapid intensity. “Keep the innocents safe!”

The guards roared and braced themselves for the incoming wave of enemies. Sectoids began to appear at the end of the hall. Immediately after Steel spotted them, bolts of green soared opposite of the magic blasts and hail of bullets. The insectoids collided with spears and halberds, pushing the defensive line back. The shields of the sentries were wavering from the rigorous attacks of the creatures. Swift moved closer, as though to completely be certain that she would dig each bullet right into their heads.

“Agh! Fucking die already!” She shouted.

The pressure on the wall eased up as the insects’ senseless onslaught began to waver. More and more died, relying on the little grey ones further down the hall. The guards were shouting, panicking and desperately trying to keep their arcane shields up.

“Just a little longer!” The captain shouted, horn glowing and firing off some bolts. “We’re thinning them out.”

Steel glided over to him, taking a moment to mow down one of the large insects starting to claw its way through the magic barrier, caught between bodies of its own dead and narrowly dodging spear thrusts. He grabbed the captain and swung him around. “Your men are wavering! Pull them back soon!”

“Not letting those damned bugs through! We kill the last ones and we pull back.”

“Agreed. Shut the door and my friend and I shall deal with the rest.”

“Not your call!” Swift Step shouted above the noise. A volley of green pelted the magic barriers and each shieldbearer cried in pain, receding back into the central court. The spearwall threw off the bodies of dead bugs, before slowly backing away as well. “Crap! Alright, but we need some guards out here with us!”

***

Loki climbed up the pile of rubble, Solemn flanking his left and Rime on his right. Voices spoke in hushed tones down the wide open hall. The group wanted to believe it was more civilians, but Loki thought it may have been a trick. It had to have been, right? There was no way someone could speak so calm in a dire situation such as this.

“Quiet!”

Loki looked at the ponies crawling with him, each of them frozen solid. He looked behind him to Cherry. “Was that you?”

He sighed. “Of course. No it wasn’t me. Came from over the pile.”

Aegis, Gilda, Keller and Brisk Bolt stood down at the base of the fallen cinders. The ponies and changeling climbing clung to the shadows of the expanse of the hall, the moonlight peering in and an amazingly clear sky, despite the attack on the hive. The explosions in other parts were loud and clear as day, however.

Solemn jumped, making Loki stifle a squeal and Cherry and Rime having to suppress laughter.

“Yeah, reading you pretty clear.” She spoke with a hoof against the ear. “Well...Well, what’s wrong with him? I might be able to—”

She fell silent and Loki stared at her as though she were the craziest thing he had seen all day. She looked back at Aegis and started descending off the rubble.

“That was Thunderlane,” Solemn trotted away from Loki and over to her leader. Loki looked back at the grimacing Aegis “Something’s wrong with Ethan. A tunnel collapse I think. The signal was weak, but I got that much Marmalade wants me to walk her through the procedure.”

Loki peered over the fallen pillar, keeping an eye out for any of the insectoids. Cherry and Rime lay beside him, guns at the ready and ears perked up, stiffly. Lone Shadow crawled up beside them. “Think we’ll lose him?”

“Hope not.” Rime admitted. “Met him last week for the first time. Good kid. Out of place from the others in Gilda’s group. Don’t know if you ever saw him shoot. He’s a damn good shot. Probably the best. Don’t want to lose that.”

“So,” Loki cut in. “Who are you guys? Really?”

Rime shifted uncomfortably, as did Lone and Cherry.

“A little hard to explain.” Rime said. “Hell, I don’t even think we’re at liberty to say who we are. Might end up getting kicked out of The In—uh, the group.”

“Is it really that secretive?”

“Not as much as we’d like. Been around for a while without much attention apparently. Vanhoover really killed that for us. Don’t know how much Luna told the press on the issue, but the bottom line is, we’re trying to keep things safe.”

“As safe as we can with all the aliens killing people and whatnot.” Cherry remarked.

Loki focused back down the expanse of the hall. To think there was a whole organization prepared to fight the alien threat was odd. Were they just waiting for years hoping their skills would be put to proper use? Loki would not consider it a waste, but rather a test of patience. His ear flicked, hearing Gilda huff in frustration.

“Shit.” Aegis cursed. “Shit, shit shit. Dammit, alright.”

“Those are my kids,” Gilda said, defensive. “Dammit, I knew I should have gone with them. I’ll take Solemn to them, wherever they are.”

“I’ll go with—” Rime started.

“Negative,” Aegis cut off. “We’ve got to work fast. Steel and Swift Step are still holding the fort with Thorax. Celestia knows how well that’s going. We need to move faster. Loki, you said there was a section where the young ones are—not the hatchlings, but the schools and carehouses...where?”

“Down the hall there.” Loki pointed a hoof over the edge of the rubble pile.

“Okay. Cherry, Rime, go with Loki. Keller, with me.” Aegis ordered. He turned to Gilda and Solemn. “When you’re done, I want you both to do a sweep of the higher levels of the hive. Radio in if you can. Group up with Keller and I in...Is there a place we can meet up in there?”

Aegis looked to the shadows where Loki rested. “Should be another central chamber right above Thorax’s court. I don’t know how bad it is, but I assume it’ll get worse the further up the hive you go.”

“Great. Whatever the case, Solemn, Gilda, meet us up there, we’ll try to assess the situation from there.”

“Gotcha.” Gilda acknowledged.

“Maybe we don’t have to go down there,” Solemn suggested.

“Are y’crazy?” Gilda tensed up. “That is my kid down there bleeding out.”

“I can direct Marmalade while we work up here. So long as she gives me all the details, I can...I can…”

“Time is running out,” Aegis cut in. “I get that. We need to get civilians out of here as quick as possible, but we need our own soldiers just as much. At the very least, you can have medical staff make their way down there and help out.”

“I wanna see the damage for myself.” Gilda asserted. “We help him and then we get—”

“Solemn and Marmalade should work on Ethan. Let some of the guards protect them. You and Thunderlane can take to the upper levels. I know Ethan is a member of your cast, but we need as many guns as we can get to—”

BOOM!

“Hit the dirt!” Aegis ordered. The ceiling crumbled and dust fell, but thankfully Loki was sure that all the damage that could have been done in this hall had already been done. He looked up into the cracked and open ceiling. An alien ship floated past, slowly, the circular metallic shape glistening from the moonlight that broke through the pillars of smoke burning other sections of the hive. Voices sounded further down the hall. Each of the soldiers stiffened and grew silent.

“See? Ma’am, I don’t want to disrespect, but this whole situation is fucked! I say we go home, we can’t deal with this!”

“You doubtin’ the Dominoes kid? It’ll take more than a few scrawny shits and their magic blasters to drop one of us! Besides, the changelings are gonna want to help us. After all, we’re comin’ in and saving them, right? And Thorax is king, so surely, we’ll have some pay to collect by the end of this thing.”

Cherry pulled down on the under barrel of his gun, raising it and aiming straight for the ridge of the rubble.

“Wait,” Aegis said. “Stand down. Not aliens.”

Pebbles and rocks crumbled and crunched under the steps of the unknown party. Loki lowered himself as silently as he could, leaving Rime, Cherry and Lone at the front line. As the voices came closer, Loki shuffled slower backwards.

“Look guys,” A feminine voice spoke. “We just help ‘em out and get our money and we’re done! Sound good?”

The first thing Loki saw was a single feather. Ocean blue cascading into a silvery white base. Golden eyes peered over the curve of rubble and soon after a whole body, wrapped up in rough leathers and spare scrap metals on the important bits of the body. Her mismatched, golden and cerulean eyes gaped wide, staring at the soldiers before her. Rime and Cherry readied their guns, probably a second away from giving her the same treatment they did with the aliens. Behind her several more figures appeared, each donning the same armor and all readying their guns towards Rime and Cherry. Not that it persuaded them to lower their weapons.

“Whoa!” The leader stopped herself and her group, each holding crude weapons of brass, iron and wood, rusted from what Loki could have guessed as years of use. “Now hold your horses fellas! We got some other...high tech mercenaries on the scene.”

“Not mercenaries,” Cherry clarified, raising his gun. “Want me to waste ‘em?”

“Now hang on!” The leading griffon slung her weapon on her back and threw her talons into the air. She gestured towards her band of griffons and they lowered their guns, eyes still set to kill at the slight chance that the soldiers would make a move against them. “I’ve heard of you guys. The radio talks about you guys every now and then, and Luna, I’m pretty sure, said something about you guys. High tech weapons and no shortage of heroics.”

“Sounds about right,” Aegis answered, rifle still pointed at the band of griffons. “Question is, who are you? Griffon Empire doesn’t care enough about the changelings to send a unit in.”

“Really?” The leader stepped forward, pushing Aegis’s rifle towards the ground. She held out a talon and smiled smugly. “Oh, I’m hurt! Domino’s Dominos at your service. I, of course, am Domino herself—Killer of Bandits, Raider of Raiders, Scourge of The Jilliad Plains. These guys with me are, obviously, my little pieces that occasionally help me. Looks to us that you bunch could use some help.”

Loki read her face. Her beak was shifted to a small smile, and golden eyes held no sign of betrayal or malice. Just want of coin. Loki could see that all too well.

“We can.”

“What?” Loki stepped between them, eyes glaring at Aegis. “I’m all for help but—”

“I’d give it about another hour before everyone else in here is turned to ashes and burnt to a crispy crisp, or eaten by your bigger, badder, cousins.” Domino interjected coolly. “Changelings, these guys, us. We’re all fair game to the aliens in case you haven’t been paying attention and those big bugs seem pretty hungry if you ask me.”

“My orders, my priority is the safety of your people.” Aegis said, turning to Loki. “Even with as many changelings we have in that court, we need to get all we can. Every changeling needs to be on their way to the court within one hour or two. Two would really be stretching it.”

“You can’t make that call.” Loki growled. “We don’t even know these people!”

“I get that it’s hard!” Aegis shouted. “It doesn’t matter what we do, the aliens are winning. The next hour is going to be bloody. We either get your people into those emergency tunnels, or we die. Loki, there is no other way out of this.”

***

Corporal Ethan >> Wounded (Fatal)

Corporal Solemn >> Active

Corporal Rime >> Active

Private Longtalon >> Active

Corporal Shadow >> Active

Private Sour Marmalade >> Active

Private Keller >> Active

Corporal Thunderlane >> Active

Corporal Brisk Bolt >> Active

Sergeant Swift Step >> Active

Captain Aegis Solaire >> Active

Sergeant Gilda >> Active

Corporal Cherry Pop >> Active

Comments

[Ze1a7in]

Corporal Ethan >> Wounded (Fatal)

please no.

[Solemn Vigil]

“Alright. Move out!” Aegis leapt through the portal, followed by Swift Step and Gilda. Solemn took a deep breath. Rime pressed a hoof to Solem’s flank, eliciting a yelp and was subsequently pushed.

Or not. Ethan spotted it, trying to swivel in the alcove. The barrel of the rifle butted against ???

Blood was pooling fast underneath the griffon, staining his feathers and fur. Marmalade wanted to believe it was neither Ethan’s, nor Stinger’s. It lacked the distinct luminescence and multicolor hue. She ruled out stinger in an instant.

Stinger's*

Loki climbed up the pile of rubble, Solemn flanking his left and Rime on his right. Voices spoke in hushed tones down the wide open hall. The group wanted to believe it was more civilians, but Loki thought it may have been a trick. I had to have been, right? There was no way someone could speak so calm in a dire situation such as this.

It*

She feel silent and Loki stared at her as though she were the craziest thing he had seen all day. She looked back a Aegis and started descending off the rubble.

fell*
at*

[Solemn Vigil]

The terror attacks finally come...

One soldier is in dire straights....

And a new unknown party appears...

Interesting times indeed.

8324854
Ow.. that's rough.

[Madame Hellspawn]

8325076
All these errors ! Ah, well, I guess it was bound to happen. Thanks for spotting them.

[Solemn Vigil]

8325139

“None of that.” She said lowly and gentle. “I promised your mom I’d look after you out on the field. We’ve got pretty good chances, you and I”

Needs a period.

Rime paused, retracting her hoof and furrowing her brow. “We have changeling guards to help us, even if it is just a little. We have at least two navigators to help us track our way around the place and we’ve got big fucking guns. Hell, you and Marmalade are even outfitted with the most advanced armor I’ve ever seen.You might not have the rifle, but we’ve got some serious heat. We just play it as careful as we can.”

The magical orb expanded more and more until, like a tear in reality itself to an endless void of black, the only traces left of it were along the rim of a dark hole. Truth be told,the sight of it was unsettling to Solemn. She’d have to step through that to get to the hive? She would rather take the sky carriage, even with all the...aliens attacking…

[Ze1a7in]

Can I say that the portal Twilight and Starlight opened gave off a finale-mission X-com 2 vibe to me? Did anyone else think about that while reading?

[Solemn Vigil]

Sour Marmalade’s arcane rifle roared through the caverns--

“Sectoid moving to the left!” Marmalade shouted. “Gonna have to reload soon!”

The last database chapter said the laser rifles don't need to reload. Maybe they build up heat after each shot and have to vent or cool down after prolonged firing in lieu of reloading?

[Madame Hellspawn]

8327560
Whoa oops! Yeah, thought I changed that already

[Damien Martino]

Live Ethan LIVE! I hope he doesn't die and instead forces twilight to built the cyber lab.

[Marauder15]

8328283
That would be an interesting turn.

[Evocator]

I love it. The chapter, the introduction of Steele. All of it was great. You're a pretty great writer, and you've got a great story going here. Keep up the good work!
Your Steele was spot on, by the way!

[Solemn Vigil]

I just noticed this but Gilda is missing from the combat roster at the end.

[SmugKitsune]

One question: Where's Discord?

[Madame Hellspawn]

8424521
I touch up on him only slightly in this story so far. I'll go into more detail later on in the story about him.

[SmugKitsune]

8424698
Alright, and thanks for the reply.

[Seawolf]

8443967
Okay, still wonder when are we going to see the Harmony Initiative's variant of the XFS-105 Raven Interceptor or the variant of the SR-77H Skyranger?

I got the name for the Skyranger because it's clearly visible on the tail while the designation of the Interceptor is visible in a poster inside the Anthill.

[Ze1a7in]

8443992
Pretty sure that the Interceptors were replaced by ponies in specialized armor. Check the chapter Air Strike, I believe they're called Banshees.

As for the Skyranger, Rainbow Dash has been doing a pretty good job of flying that specialized troop carriage to the mission sites, and picking up the team afterwards.

[Seawolf]

8499797
I know that, but what about the armor name? We don't know what it's called.

As for the Skyranger, well we got Rainbow Dash and Night Glider, but in my opinion no XCOM: Enemy Within fic is complete without Big Sky.

[Ze1a7in]

8499878
For all we know, Big Sky could be the designation of the carriage. It hasn't exactly been referred to by a proper name yet.

[Damien Martino]

Well stories dead

[crimson velvet]

Well this has been killed by a muton on a murder spree

[The Happy Man]

Man, I really miss this story. It was so GOOD!