Prologue: Loss

View Online

Twilight’s eyes fluttered open. She blinked in confusion as she looked around, she was in some strange place that looked more like an insect hive than anything else. It took her a moment to realize that there was a face staring back at her, the familiar face of Queen Chrysalis.

“What the… what are you doing here? How did you capture me?” Twilight said as she struggled against her bonds. She couldn’t even use her magic right now, something was suppressing it as she tried to escape.

“Why my dear Twilight, you’ve been in my grasp for quite a while,” Chrysalis said as she stroked the Unicorn’s face gently. “I found you and your friends a few weeks ago. You have been asleep for a long time.”

“Why are you holding me here?” Twilight demanded as she tried to escape again. “I swear once I get my hooves on you I’ll…”

“You’ll do what?” Chrysalis laughed. “Your friends aren’t going to help you. They’re in no state to after all. But I’m glad you’re awake, I was afraid that you wouldn’t be awake in time for the rebirth.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight demanded of the Changeling Queen. “Let me go!”

“Oh I will in time, but first you must see what I’ve done,” Chrysalis said with a wicked grin. “After all, the world is about to change. You’re about to see the future, Twilight. And you’ll soon be part of that future too.”

“What are you…” Twilight started to say when she realized that there were five large green orbs on the other side of the room. “What are those?”

“These are cocoons, my dear, we have very special uses for them,” Chrysalis said with a grin as she walked towards them. “Come out my children, you have waited long enough. Let us show Twilight what you have become.”

The cocoons cracked and were pushed open. Twilight’s eyes went wide when she realized what was getting out. They looked like smaller versions of Chrysalis, with the black bodies and eyes and everything. However, they also looked like her friends. They looked like her friends if they had been born Changelings.

“What have you done to them?” Twilight demanded.

“I’ve made them part of the Hive,” Chrysalis said with a smile. “And look at them, they make such beautiful Changelings don’t they?”

“Please, snap out of this… this isn’t you…” Twilight said as her friends approached her. “You’re not these… things!”

“Don’t be silly, Twily,” Pinkie said with a giggle. “We’re still ourselves. We’ve just joined the Hive.”

“Yeah, nothing’s changed other than we’re now way cooler,” Rainbow Dash said with a grin as her insect wings buzzed. “Queen Chrysalis just opened our eyes to the truth.”

“What truth could that be? That you should be Changelings?” Twilight asked shocked as the five of them stood with Chrysalis. “What could possibly be enough to convince you to join them?”

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough,” Rarity said with a giggle as she gave Chrysalis a nod. “Let us show this Pony the true joys of the Hive, your Majesty.”

“With pleasure,” Chrysalis said as she leaned in and whispered into her ear. “You will come to understand. I didn’t have to force this on any of them, all come to understand the beauty of the Hive. You will too in time.”

Her horn glowed green and Twilight could only watch in horror as her body was surrounded by a cocoon. She slowly became more resigned to her new fate as she was going to join her friends in no time.

Soon she’d join them as a Changeling Princess.

00000

Twilight was curled up into the fetal position in the cocoon. She could feel the green Changeling slime permeating her body. She could feel it starting to enter her wherever it could, she could already feel the transformation starting but she fought it as best she could.

“No… I’m not going to give in… I’m not going to become a Changeling…” She said quietly to herself, trying to keep the goop out of her mouth.

“Why not?” A voice echoed in her mind. “Don’t you want to be reunited with your friends?”

“Yes, but not like this!” Twilight protested as her mind was reeling. “Please, there must be a way to save them…”

“The only way is to give in, they do not need saving,” the voice said in her mind. “They love their new bodies… their new selves. They can truly be free to be more than what they are… free of all restrictions of the pony form.”

“Of all… restrictions…” Twilight said softly as she thought it over for a moment.

“Imagine, being able to take whatever form you wish…” The voice said. “Being a Princess means you will live so much longer than you would before. You will get to spend lifetimes with your friends. You get to bring more new friends into the fold as well, sharing the glories of friendship in ways never before done.”

“Glories of… friendship…” Twilight said. “By turning everypony into Changelings?”

“Why not all of course,” the voice echoed. Twilight didn’t even notice that her hind legs were turning black as holes started to form in them. “We must feed on Pony emotions, of course, we would not want to rid the world of our food source. But you can make the Hive great, you can make it better than before. All you have to do…”

Her voice trailed off for a moment before it was joined by five others. The voices of her five friends echoed through her mind as the transformation started to spread across her body, making it more insect-like as she started to give in.

“Is join us in the Hive,” they said in unison. “We only want what you want, Twilight. We want to spread friendship and joy to every being. We may need to feed on love, but that does not mean we cannot appreciate the joy it brings ponies. Join us, and you will understand true joy and friendship in the Hive.”

“No, I can’t… I can’t abandon everypony…” Twilight said as she tried to struggle, but her purple insect carapace and wings were already forming. “Friendship can’t exist without freedom.”

“Oh, but you have freedom, you will be a Princess just like us,” Applejack’s voice said, having lost her accent. “We have the freedom to love who we want. To live as we see fit… all you have to do is give in. The joy of the Hive is not in conformity, but in joy and friendship.”

“Please… please bring them back to me… I want my friends…” Twilight said weakly. She was having a hard time not giving in at this point. Images of Changelings together filled her mind. They weren’t as alien as she had thought, there were so many things she could recognize. She shuddered a little as her horn changed into that of a Changeling Queen, her cutie mark and coloring was the only thing reminding her of her old life.

“You’re already weakening,” the six voices said in unison. “You are almost one of us. Just say the word, become a Changeling, join the Hive. Become one of us, and we will welcome you into the fold, into the Hive. You know you want it deep down, all ponies crave togetherness. We are simply the perfect form of that. You want to be with your friends… now you can be with them forever in the Hive.”

“Together forever…” Twilight said as she finally weakened enough mentally. The former Unicorn closed her eyes for the last time.

When they opened them again, they had become cat-like. She grinned her fanged grin as she gave in finally. Her mind was filled with new thoughts. Togetherness, convert, feed… feed, feed, FEED!

She felt the hunger like nothing she had ever felt before. She still felt like herself, but more powerful. She was not a pony anymore, she was a Changeling Princess, and she loved it. Her cutie mark vanished from her flanks, finalizing the transformation into a Changeling Princess.

“I am part of the Hive,” she said, her voice joining with the countless others as she welcomed the Hive into her. “I thank you for opening my eyes to the truth. I welcome the joys of the Hive and ask that we bring more into this joy.”

“We will, soon enough,” the voice said, she now recognized it as Chrysalis. As the voice of her Queen. “Leave your cocoon child, your sisters are waiting for you. We want you out here in the light so that we may work together.”

“Yes, my Queen,” Twilight replied as for the first time she pushed out. She fell out of the cocoon, still covered with slime as Changelings surrounded her. She smiled up at them when she saw her friends, they were welcoming her into the Hive.

“Welcome to the joy that is the Hive, Princess Dusk,” Chrysalis said as she smiled at the newly formed Changeling Princess. “And you will soon have your wish. Our hive must grow after what happened at the wedding. We will make it grow, and Equestria will be the means by which we do it.”

“Yes, my queen,” the newly named Princess Dusk said as she knelt before Chrysalis. “We will not fail you.”

“No, you most certainly will not,” Chrysalis said with a smile as the plan started to appear in their minds.

The Hive would soon grow by going after the enemy’s heart.

00000

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna!” Dusk, back in her Twilight form shouted as she ran into the throne room of the pony rulers with her fellow Princesses close behind. “You called for us?”

“Yes my dear Student, we have disturbing news,” Celestia said as she eyed Dusk worriedly for a moment. “There are new reports of Changelings appearing across Equestria. They’ve even been grabbing ponies, but they seem to release them not long after.”

“What’s so weird about that?” Prism Flash asked. “I mean, at least they’re not holding them captive or anything. That would be much more uncool.”

“Yes, but we are still worried, it seems that Chrysalis is planning something big,” Luna said as she looked worried for a long moment. “What are we going to do now? Last time they nearly overran Canterlot.”

“Indeed,” Celestia said. “We’re worried though, but we’ve done everything we can to try and figure out what her game is. The six of you need to be on your guard, especially if they start going after Ponyville.”

“Yes your highness, we will make sure that everything is kept safe,” Dusk said with a small knowing grin. “I’m sure that Ponyville will be okay though. You have nothing to worry about there.”

“Good, I have the utmost faith in all of you,” Celestia said with a sigh of relief.

“Yes, but Canterlot is going to be in much worse shape,” Luna said with a wicked smile as suddenly she transformed into Chrysalis and licked her fangs at Celestia. The guards around them suddenly shifted into Changelings as they bore their teeth at them. “Did you really think that I was going to let it be that easy?”

“Where is Luna?” Celestia demanded. “What did you do with my sister?”

“Oh, she’ll be waking up soon enough,” Chrysalis said as she leaned in close to Celestia. “She was so easy to overpower. She’ll soon be ready just like you will be.”

“Twilight, everypony, help!” Celestia said in shock.

“Yes Twilight, help your teacher,” Chrysalis said with a wicked smile. “Show our dear Princess just how committed you are to helping her.”

“Yes your majesty,” Dusk said as she bowed her head a little. Celestia’s eyes went wide as the six of them transformed into their new Changeling bodies. “We have joined the Hive already, as has many of your subjects. And you are next.”

“No…” Celestia said weakly as the cocoon formed around her as she cried out.

“Come, let us greet our new subjects,” Chrysalis said with a smile as they walked towards the balcony that overlooked Canterlot. Ponies looked up at her in confusion as more of them started to gather. “Ponies of Equestria, you are now under the rule of the Chrysalis Hive. Your princesses have fallen, your heroes have joined me.”

She nodded back to the six Changeling Princesses who walked forward. There was a gasp from the crowd as they recognized them as their once heroes turned into Changelings. They exchanged long terrified looks as they tried to figure out what was going on.

“Your city is surrounded, and most of you will be brought to the newly constructed conversion camps,” Chrysalis continued with a wicked smile. “Those who make it to Ponyville will be spared of this fate, however. You will now all be under the leadership of myself and my new Princesses. Dusk Shadow, Prism Flash, Elusive, Crab Apple, Joy Buzzer, and Wind Whisper. To resist is to be converted without question. Starting… now.”

A cry went up from the crowd as Changelings that had been hidden among them formed the Cocoons around most of the crowd members. The Changeling rulers laughed as they felt the panicked ponies start to join their Hive. The cocoons broke as more Changelings burst out, their conversions were easily finished as they joined their hivemates.

“The rest of you, run, run as fast as you can,” Dusk said as she hissed at them. “To be outside of the safe zone is to become part of the Hive.”

The ponies screamed as they ran for the gates of Canterlot. They would not all make it to Ponyville, that they knew, but as long as there was enough to feed on they would be fine.

“Princesses, your majesty” two voices said from behind them and they turned to see two tall Changeling Drones standing there bowing before them. “What is the will of the Hive?”

Celestia and Luna had fallen to the Hive. And soon, all of Equestria would fall into line with them. This was the future of Equestria and of ponykind.

The Hive had won the day.

00000

Decades had passed since Canterlot fell. The cities of Equestria had fallen under Changeling control, being molded into the great Hive Cities ruled over by the Princesses. Ponyville was the last place in Equestria where Ponies still lived in a safe zone.

At least that’s what they claimed. The Changelings came in as often as they could in order to gather love from the Ponies. Others took away ponies to keep the population from growing too large, the Safe Zone was not as safe as they claimed, but most ponies were able to stay safe.

Dusk shifted out of her pony disguise as she walked into a house on the outside of the Safe Zone. She paused a moment as she looked around, the house was quiet and dark, that wasn’t normal.

“Bright? Are you here?” She asked as she looked scared for a moment. Bright had been a stallion she had come across during a raid. She was surprised that the stallion wasn’t scared of her, and she left him a pony mostly out of curiosity and to feed on his love.

What she hadn’t expected was to actually fall in love with the stallion. The two had even had a foal, but she was terrified that she would be killed or converted. So she had brought her deeper into the Safe Zone.

“Your coltfriend isn’t here anymore,” a hissing voice said and she looked up to see Chrysalis walking in. “I have to say Dusk, I was not expecting you of all Changelings to be the one to make such a mistake. Why can’t you be more like the others?”

“I have served you faithfully since I joined the Hive!” Dusk protested. “Why would you do this? Why would you take away my…”

“SILENCE!” Chrysalis snapped. “You know the law of the Hive. The only reason I am not banishing you is because of your service. You are fortunate that I am not going to remove your “love” completely.”

“No… you didn’t…” Dusk said weakly. “Please don’t tell me you…”

“Drone, come out here,” Chrysalis said as a new Drone walked out. He had a white carapace with a golden mane as he bowed before Dusk. “Drone Vector will serve you well. You will find that he is very loyal to you. Perhaps you can still use him as a egg breeder.”

She laughed as Dusk looked at the Changeling that had once been her lover. He bowed his head at her in servitude. She knew that there was nothing she could do now, only a Queen could reverse the conversion process and she was simply not powerful enough.

“I’m sorry Bright…” she said softly as she thought back to their daughter. She just had to hope that she was going to be okay among the ponies.

Chapter 1: Henshin

View Online

“We certainly have a nice batch of future Drones here,” a Changeling said with a hiss as he walked past the cages of ponies that they had gathered. “You’d think they would get the message by now.”

“Please… we don’t want to be Changelings, just let us go,” a Pegasus mare with an orange mane and a light purple body said. “Why are you doing this?”

“Princess Prism ordered it,” the Drone said with a hiss as he looked at the Pegasus. “And we follow her will and the will of the Hive. As you soon will.”

The ponies in the cages looked defeated for a moment as they looked down at their hooves. They knew what fate awaited anyone that was captured by the Changelings. They had been more surprised that they weren’t already being converted.

“Why don’t we just convert them now and get it over with?” One of the Changelings asked the other one. “They’d be a lot less mouthy that way.”

“Oh you know how the Princess is, she wants to oversee them all personally,” the first Changeling said with a roll of his eyes. “And she’s off in Ponyville going after that special target of hers.”

“Oh yes, I heard the Queen finally approved that,” the first one said. “I’m sure that has her excited at least. Though I don’t know why she left that behind, feels to me like she might need it.”

“In Ponyville? That’s a laugh,” the second one said. “Their guards are good sure, but she can just sneak in without much problem. They don’t have much in the way of defenses against us.”

“Yeah, well let’s just hope she gets back soon,” the first one said. “I don’t like having that thing around. I keep feeling like one of them might try and pull something if they knew what it was.”

“Again, they can’t,” the second one said. “You have nothing to worry about. Even that Unicorn over there can’t do anything since we have our pony magic negation field up.”

The two just laughed as they walked off. The Pegasus mare moved up against the bars as she looked at the mare in the adjoining cage. She was looking as defeated as the Pegasus felt with a dark blue coat and a blue-green coat.

“Come on Sea Spray, snap out of it,” the Pegasus said. “We need your help!”

“What’s the point, Jasper?” Sea Spray asked softly as her mane hung in front of her eyes. “My magic’s no good here, remember? And it’s not like I can reach the keys.”

“That’s not true, you could use your magic when we snuck into that camp remember?” Jasper pointed out. “Please, you have to try at least. I don’t think you can get the door open but… maybe you can get whatever it was they were talking about.”

“I don’t think I can…” Sea Spray said as she looked up. She could see something lying on a fancy looking chair at the center of the camp that had to belong to the Princess. “It’s too far away, what if it’s seen?”

“It won’t be, just be careful,” Jasper said as she glanced at the Changelings. There were only a few around, but they had to be careful. “I’m scared honestly. Do you really think this is the right thing to do?”

“Whatever it is, it’s got them scared,” Jasper said as she glanced at the other cages. “We need to get out of here anyway. You don’t want to turn into one of those bugs, do you?”

“Well, no…” Sea Spray said nervously. “But I don’t…”

“Then try it or we’ll both be eating love in no time,” Jasper said quickly. “Come on, please? I know it’s asking a lot of you but I believe you can do it.”

“Okay, I’ll try,” Sea Spray said. She was still nervous, but she wasn’t about to give up and let her friends become Changelings.

She closed her eyes and her horn glowed blue as she concentrated on the belt device on the throne. It took a few tries but she finally picked it up and started pulling it over to her. She dropped it when a Changeling looked that way, but after a moment he looked away and she pulled it over to her cage.

She examined the device for a moment. It was made of some weird metal that she didn’t recognize. The machine was made to almost look like a Changeling as it was made of black metal with holes carved into it. But most noticeably, it had a slot in the center that looked like it was made to house something.

“How does this even work…” she muttered as she examined it. It looked like a belt, strangely enough, maybe she had to outfit it like that. “Okay, let’s see if I can figure this out.”

She looked at the Changelings again for a moment before she leaned back against the bars of the cage on her hind legs. She held it in her forehooves as she swung the belt around and the belt connected at the strange device to form around her waist.

She stared down at it expectantly as if she expected something to happen. For a moment she thought that nothing was happening until it started to glow from the center. Something suddenly flew out of the tent and landed in her hoof. She stared at the strange thing, it resembled a beetle that was covered in purple and pink markings.

“Whoa… that is weird…” Jasper said as Sea Spray fell onto her foreleg and stared at the strange beetle. A voice started to echo in her mind.

“What do you wish?” The voice asked.

“What?” Sea Spray asked.

“What is your wish? I will grant it,” it said.

“Okay… I want to get us out of here, and keep Changelings from hurting more ponies,” Sea Spray said as she stared at the Scarab. “Is that… you?”

“Then your wish will be granted,” the Scarab finally said. “You will take my body and place it against the Change Driver and say the phrase Henshin. I must say, I wasn’t expecting to be found by a…”

“Yeah, I mean, a pony must be weird,” Sea Spray said as she held the scarab up. She started to move it around slowly before finally sliding it into the Driver confused for a moment as it started to glow brightly. “Henshin!”

As Sea Spray glanced down at it expectantly before the Scarab let out a sound in the same voice she had heard before.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

The Scarab’s body broke up and the pieces flew over her body. Armor formed over her. A helmet formed over her head that had the basic appearance of a beetle with two antennae sticking out of it and pink eyes with a silver mouthpiece. Bulky armor appeared over her with a carapace on her back that looked like it could open up. But most noticeably her armor was purple with pink lines running along the body.

“Whoa…” Jasper said as Sea Spray walked forward a little, realizing that the armor allowed her to balance on her hind legs. “That’s so cool!”

“Yeah, but how is this supposed to…” Sea Spray said as she grabbed the bars on the door to steady herself and pulled them right out of their sockets. “Oh, that’s how.”

“Come on, get us all out of here,” Jasper said as Sea Spray walked out of the cage still stumbling a little on her hind legs as she grabbed the door on Jasper’s cage and pulled it open. “Thanks, Sea Spray.”

“You’re welcome,” Sea said as she quickly freed the remaining ponies. “Come on we need to…”

“HEY, HOW DID YOU GET OUT OF YOUR CAGE?” A Changeling shouted as the guards ran towards them. “What the… where did you get that armor?”

“Uh-oh, Princess Prism is gonna be pissed,” the second Changeling from before said as he realized where the armor had come from. “Hey, maybe we should just cut our losses here.”

“Oh no, I’m not about to let her get away with this,” the Changeling said with a hiss. “You don’t defy the Hive and live. I’m going to make her pay!”

The Changeling hissed loudly before transforming. He became a large creature that was vaguely insectoid with features that still made him look vaguely like a Changeling. He let out a roar as his body shook, his hooves becoming claws as he stared at her with drool on his face.

“Screw orders, I’m going to break you and then make you watch as I turn your friends into my loyal Hivemates!” The monster shouted as he ran forward and started to swing his claw at Sea who ran out of the way faster than she expected.

“What the… how’d I do that?” She said as she looked at herself for a moment. “Guess this Scarab is handier than I thought. So, do you really want to do this?”

“Put your hooves together like this,” the voice said in her mind with an image of something in her mind. “You cannot fight this with your hooves alone.”

“Right…” Sea said as she held her hooves together. She was surprised when her armored hooves started to glow brightly and two tonfas appeared in them. It took a moment for her to figure out but she managed to grip them in her hooves and stared the monstrous Changeling down.

“You’re really going to do this huh?” The Changeling asked. “Such a shame you’d have made a fine Soldier Drone.”

“In your dreams,” Sea Spray said as she ran forward and hit the monster with her tonfas before kicking at it hard and sending it sprawling. “Come on! Let’s get out of here!”

The other ponies nodded as they ran off together. The Changeling groaned as he rubbed his head returning to his normal form as he did. He had hoped that would’ve gone better, but there wasn’t much he could do now.

“Are you okay?” His companion asked as he helped the other Changeling up.

“Yeah… what do we do now?”

“I don’t know, we need to wait for the Princess to get here and figure it out from there,” the other one said as he rubbed his head. “She isn’t going to like this is she?”

“No, she is not.”

00000

Ponyville, once the home of Twilight Sparkle and her friends, had since become the very center of the Pony Zone. It was a rare place that they could safely live in, at least most of the time. Jasper and Sea Spray entered the town with the others as most of the group broke off and quickly went back home.

“What are we going to do now?” Sea Spray asked as she looked back at Jasper. “What are they going to do now that we’ve escaped the Changelings?”

“I don’t know it’s never happened before,” Jasper said with a sigh. “We need to go talk to my Grandmothers. She’s the best chance we have at getting some more information at the moment at least.”

“Right,” Sea Spray said with a sigh. “I don’t like this. It feels like we’re just waiting for the other horseshoe to drop. I’m scared, Jasper…”

“Me too,” Jasper admitted with a sigh. “But that’s why we need to talk to my…” Jasper started to say as they approached the house. However, the door was wide open and their eyes went wide in worry. “Sea Spray…”

“Right,” she said as she levitated the belt up and formed it around her waist again. “I didn’t think I’d be doing this again so soon…”

They headed into the house and quickly started looking around. It wasn’t long before they heard a voice coming from upstairs. Upstairs an old Pegasus mare with faded orange fur and a greying purple mane was staring down a wicked looking Changeling. The tall insectoid mare had a blue carapace and a darker rainbow colored mane.

“Rainbow… what are you doing here?” The old mare demanded. “You and the other Princesses never dared to come here personally before.”

“Don’t call me that, that was the old me,” the Changeling Princess said with a snarl. “And you’re soon going to know it very well. I don’t know why her Majesty didn’t let me do this already. Soon you too will join the Harmony that is the Hive, Scootaloo.”

“I don’t want to be like you, please Rainbow… I know you’re still in there somewhere,” Scootaloo said weakly. “You haven’t been completely overtaken by the Changelings… right?”

“Oh Scootaloo, always hoping for the best,” Prism said with a fanged grin. “The Hive only opened my eyes to the truth. This is who I am, this is who I was meant to be. You will understand soon enough, I promise.”

“You’re nothing more than a monster then…” Scootaloo said. “You’re not my big sister anymore…”

“My dear Scootaloo, I can be so much more when I’m done,” Prism said with a smile. “You’ll regain your youth and get to live a lot longer if you submit. Imagine it imagine if we could get Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom into it too. You will become royalty just like us, the Queen has willed it.”

“I don’t want that, please, just let me go,” Scootaloo said as she struggled a little as Rainbow’s horn started to glow.

“Oh you will want it soon enough,” Prism said. “Soon you will understand the truth of Harmony and want nothing more than to bring everypony into the Hive.”

Her horn glowed as the green cocoon started to form around the old Pegasus mare. Just as it started to reach halfway Prism cried out as she was hit by several energy blasts. She spun around to see Sea Spray standing there in her armor holding a rifle while Jasper ran to pull her grandmother out of the cocoon.

“What the… how’d you use the Change Driver?” Prism said as she bore her fangs at Sea Spray. “Ponies can’t use it!”

“Yeah, well who knows at this point,” Sea said as she raised the rifle again and aimed at Prism. “And I’m not about to let you take any more ponies from this town. This is your last chance to run before it’s too late!”

“You’ve got spunk, pony,” Prism said with a wicked grin. “You will make a fine addition to the Hive. If you come willingly, I may spare this town the conversion camps.”

“Yeah right, you need ponies for food, don’t you?” Sea Spray said as she placed her hands on the rifle and split it apart as it changed into the two tonfas. “I don’t know why this works for me, but I’m not about to let you get away with trying to take away good ponies to make them monsters!”

“Monsters? We look like monsters to you?” Prism said with a laugh as her body began to change. “We are the future of Equestria, it won’t be long before we know how to feed on other races. Then there will be no more need for ponies, and there will only be the Hive.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Sea Spray said with a growl as she ran forward and swung her Tonfas around, catching Prism across the face before she could change into anything. “You’re nothing more than a monster! You and your Hive are not going to win, no matter how hard you try.”

“Really? We’ll see about that now won’t we?” Prism said with a laugh as she fired several energy blasts from her horn at Sea Spray who ran out of the way, hitting her again. “You have learned your new abilities quickly. But I am not about to let you get away with stealing from us.”

She dodged another attack and turned to buck Sea Spray hard in the stomach. While the armor took the brunt of it, it knocked the wind out of her as she fell onto her flanks.

“Now… I’ll take what is mine and make you part of the Hive,” Prism said as she walked closer to Sea Spray. “First you, and then your friends and Scootaloo. You will love being part of the Hive, forever…”

She trotted forward, her horn starting to glow as she wrapped her magic around the belt and started to unbuckle it. Sea Spray tried to turn away as she knew that she was about to be cocooned and brought into the Hive.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried not to be scared. She was terrified at the prospect of becoming a Changeling Drone. Feeding on her friends and loved ones, transforming ponies into Changelings. She screamed in fear and Prism’s eyes went wide as she took a step back.

“What…” Prism said as she stared at Sea Spray. “No, that’s not possible…”

She paused as she raised her head as if listening to something. “By your command,” she said and vanished a burst of magic.

“What just happened?” Sea Spray asked as she powered down and fell back onto all fours as Scootaloo and Jasper came back in. “It’s okay, she’s gone, I guess.”

“That’s a Driver…” Scootaloo said as she eyed the belt. “Where did you two find this?”

“It was at the camp the Changelings were holding us at,” Jasper said. “We think it belonged to Princess Prism Flash, who just showed up here…”

“I was afraid of this,” Scootaloo said as she rubbed her forehead a little. “Come with me, we need to make sure we know what we’re dealing with here. We need to be sure this won’t cause harm to you.”

Sea Spray blinked a little but followed Scootaloo out of the house. She was suddenly very scared, what was Scootaloo suddenly afraid of? She just had to hope that whover it was, it was going to be okay.

00000

“Why would you call me back?” Prism demanded as she stormed into Chrysalis’ throne room in the Central Hive. “I almost had them! I could have reclaimed what she stole from us and brought her into the Hive!”

“Your impetuousness has gotten you into trouble more than once, Princess Prism,” Chrysalis said as she eyed the rainbow-maned Princess. “You should know by now that I do not do things without reason. Now, the others will be here shortly so sit in your seat and be quiet.”

“Yes your majesty,” Prism said as she sat on one of the smaller thrones that surrounded the central throne of the Changeling Queen. “Why are you calling us all here all of a sudden?”

“All will become clear when your fellow Princesses arrive,” Chrysalis said as she leaned back a little before finally there were bursts of magic as 5 more Changelings appeared.

Dusk Shadow was a tall Changeling with a lavender colored carapace. Her mane was slightly frazzled and was a light purple. She glanced at Prism for a moment as she bowed before Chrysalis.

Elusive was an oddity, her body was colored white from horn to tail. Some suggested that she did so to make herself stand out, others suggested it was something to do with her conversion cocoon. Either way, the white Changeling had a purple mane and a more grey carapace. She smiled, her fangs perfectly pointed as she too bowed.

Crab Apple stood next to Elusive. The Princess had a yellow mane and tail with an orange carapace. Unlike her fellow Princesses who saw no need for clothing, Crab Apple had a black hat pulled down over her head with a hole for her horn and others. She bowed a little but gave Elusive a slight smile.

Joy Buzzer bounced a little as she walked to join her fellow Princesses. She had a curled dark pink mane that bounced with each step and a lighter pink carapace. She giggled a little as she bounced once more before bowing. The usually energetic Princess recognizing the importance of this meeting.

Wind Whisper retreated shyly for a moment. The smallest of the Princesses, mostly because she preferred to be smaller than she was, she had a yellow carapace and a pink mane. She bowed but tried to hide her face. Prism looked at the other Princess worriedly for a moment, but there wasn’t anything she could do or say right now.

“You called for us your Majesty?” Dusk asked as she looked up at the Queen. “What would you have us do?”

“Take your seats,” Chrysalis said as the six Changeling Princesses took their seats around the Queen’s throne. Prism reached over and gently placed her hoof on Wind’s as she gave her a nod.

“What did you call us for, my Queen?” Dusk as she looked around at her fellow Princesses. She noticed Prism didn’t look particularly happy and wondered what might have happened. “Did Prism get into trouble again?”

“Shut up,” Prism said with a roll of her eyes.

“Yes she got into trouble, but that’s not the only reason I called you here,” Chrysalis said as she looked at the Princesses for a moment. “Each of you has a duty within the Hive, as does your Hive Children. Elusive, Crab Apple, what is the progress on the love project?”

“We’ve managed to better refine the love shared by our Hives,” Crab Apple said. “We just need a little more time before we can make it as effective as we need it to be for the others.”

“Excellent, keep it up and soon we’ll be able to overcome that limitation that was placed upon us,” Chrysalis said with a satisfied smile. She glanced back towards a drone that had her head bowed for a moment as the Queen gave a wicked grin. “They thought it would restrict us, but soon we will overcome it.”

“Indeed,” Dusk said as she gave a fanged smile. “We will soon ensure that all of Equestria joins the harmony of the Hive.”

“Yeah…” Wind Whisper said softly as she looked at her hooves.

“However we have had a recent complication,” Chrysalis said as she shot a look at Prism. “During one of her forays into the Safe Zone, Prism’s forces lost her Change Driver.”

“Yeah, so? We can just track it down and we’ll have a new Drone in no time,” Joy Buzzer giggled. “Come on Queenie, I’m not really seeing the problem. Just because they got their hooves on a little bit of our gear doesn’t mean we have a problem.”

“It does when they can use it,” Prism said with a roll of her eyes.

“Wait, what?” Dusk asked shocked. “That’s not possible. Ponies shouldn’t be able to use the Change Driver and Shifter. I specifically built them to work with Changeling magic only.”

“Indeed, so you see the problem we have,” Chrysalis said with a sneer. “We must know if this is an anomaly or there is something bigger at play here. If we are looking at a Hybrid, I want to know who birthed them and then I want them converted and the parents punished. No one defies the will of the Hive.”

“Yes your majesty, we will make sure that we figure out who did this,” Wind Whisper said as she bowed her head nervously. “But there hasn’t been any Hybrids in years. Our Drones, they, umm…”

“They wouldn’t do anything like that of course, don’t be silly!” Joy Buzzer finished for her. “They know better than that. Ponies are only good for food at parties and converts, right?”

“Oh… yes, that…” Wind Whisper said quietly. “Everything is going okay other than that, I guess…”

“Yeah, well she stole my Driver and the Scarab Shifter, who’s little freak she is doesn’t change that,” Prism said with a snort. “Dusk, can you make new ones for me? I mean, we kind of need those things for everything.”

“Prism, you know it’s not nearly that simple,” Dusk said as she rubbed her temples a little. “The amount of magic that needs to be used to create the Drivers and Shifters has already been rationed out to create the remaining 5. You’re either going to have to wait or steal back the Driver from her. And even that isn’t a guarantee.”

“Why not?” Chrysalis asked.

“The magic we used to create the Shifters can be, unpredictable,” Dusk said as she shook her head a little. “Given that we had to connect them to the Voice they have some form of autonomy and individuality. If Scarab chose is Hybrid, then there is nothing we can really do about it.”

“Why would you do such a thing?” Crab Apple asked.

“Because we needed them to be able to coordinate properly with the wielder,” Dusk said as she sighed a little and brushed her mane back a little. “They’re part of the Voice of the Hive just like the rest of us. As a result, they work in perfect unison with the wielder without any problem.”

“A Hybrid shouldn’t be part of the Hive though,” Prism said. “So, what exactly are we going to do now?”

“We’re going to find this mare and welcome her into the Hive,” Chrysalis said. “There is no other way at this point. She is a threat to our Harmony if she is going to try and stop us from carrying out our operations in the Safe Zone. Prism, she stole your Driver and stopped your Drones from carrying out their duty. As such it falls to the Cloudsdale Hive to make her see the light.”

“It shall be done,” Prism said with a fanged grin. “This thief won’t know what hit her and she’ll soon know the glory of the Hive.”

“Good, then return to your duties as my Princesses,” Chrysalis said. “The future of the Empire is in our hooves. The last of Ponykind will join us in no time once we are done. We’re not going to let some pony or hybrid or whatever get in our way.”

“By your command,” the Princesses said in unison as they got to their hooves.

Each of them vanished one by one to return to their own Hives. Dusk was the last as she paused a moment. There was something about this that felt, weird to her like it was somehow familiar. She shook her head and then teleported away without further thought.

Chrysalis stroked her chin thoughtfully as she watched the spot where Dusk had stood. Dusk had always acted the strangest of the Princesses, especially since what had happened 24 years ago. She shook her head a little, she’d have to keep an eye on her.

“Solar Wind, Moonbeam, come,” Chrysalis said as the two Drones walked forward and bowed before her.

“Yes, your Majesty?” The drone on the right said as she barely looked up from the floor.

“You two are the most loyal of my Drones, I am sending you to help Princesses Dusk and Prism,” Chrysalis said with a smile. “Solar Wind, you are to go to Dusk and Moonbeam you are to go to Prism. You are to help them and report back to me through the Great Hive. Do you understand?”

“We will do as you command,” Moonbeam said as she nodded a little. “We serve you in all things we do.”

“Then go, and ensure the future of the Hive,” Chrysalis said and they nodded as they vanished into thin air. “You two have made such fine Drones. Let us hope the Princesses carry out their duties as I ordered.”

00000

Sea Spray and Jasper were lead to the Golden Oaks Library and then through a trapdoor hidden in the floorboards. They were lead into a large circular room with several ponies talking to one another. It had computer terminals and other equipment placed haphazardly around the room.

“Scootaloo, Jasper, thank Celestia!” A mare with a white coat and a faded pink and purple mane said as she hugged Scootaloo and Jasper tightly. “We heard something had happened and we expected the worst.”

“It almost was too late, but Sea Spray saved me,” the old Pegasus mare said with a soft smile as she kissed her wife on the lips. After the two older mares broke the kiss she looked at the other ponies gathered “What happened? How did they get past the perimeter?”

“Ma’am, the perimeter hasn’t been breached at all,” a Unicorn stallion with grey light brown fur and a reddish-brown mane that was seated at an ancient computer terminal said as he adjusted his glasses. “And she would have had to cross into the no-fly zone to get at your house.”

“Looks like we’re going to need to upgrade the systems again,” Scootaloo said with a sigh as she moved in between the stallion and a Pegasus mare with the reversed coat from the stallion’s. “Any idea on how they avoided the perimeter?”

“Changelings are adaptive, they could’ve figured out how to work around the field,” the mare said with a shrug. “We’ll do what we can to compensate for this.”

“Let’s just hope we’ll have time,” Scootaloo said with a sigh as she turned back to Sea Spray and Jasper.

“Okay, what is this place?” Sea Spray asked as her eyes finally fell back on the Pegasus mare. “Why didn't’ anypony tell me this was here?”

“Welcome ta tha best-kept secret in tha Safe Zone,” another mare said as an Earth Pony mare with a faded yellow coat and a greying red mane walked into view. “This is where we keep an eye on everythin’ around tha perimeter of Ponyville. If tha Changelings set so much as a hole filled hoof past it we know.”

“Or at least that’s the theory,” Scootaloo said with a sigh. “But more importantly, we’re what’s keeping Ponykind alive. Unfortunately, that’s been getting harder and harder lately. But that’s about to change.”

“Uh, how’s that about to change?” Jasper asked. “I mean I knew about all of this already, but that’s a pretty bold claim.”

“Sea Spray, may I see the Driver?” Scootaloo asked as she held her hoof out and everypony around them went silent at that. Sea Spray paused a moment before using her magic to detach the strange belt and levitated it over to Scootaloo. “Curious, this isn’t like the one we designed. They must have reverse engineered it…”

“Well, that explains where the data and prototype went,” Sweetie Belle said with a sigh as she examined it. “Looks like Dusk Shadow’s work to me. No surprise there, only she’d know how to reverse engineer this kind of gear.”

“Hey Grandmas, uh, you mind bringing us into the loop?” Jasper asked.

“Right, sorry,” Scootaloo said with a shake of her head. “One of our scientists a few years back was working on something like this to use to fight Changelings. We called it a Driver, it used powerful magic to create armor and weapons that could be used to fight as you saw. Unfortunately, our scientist and all his notes vanished, and it looks like it likely fell into Changeling hooves.”

“Oh… I’m sorry I couldn’t bring better news,” Sea Spray said as she looked down at her hooves.

“Well, this should still work for you, but I’m not sure if it’ll work for anypony else,” Sweetie Belle said as she examined it for a moment. “We should have Tinker look it over, she might be able to make heads or tails of this thing.”

“Ah’ll get it ta her,” Apple Bloom said as Scootaloo handed the Driver over to her. “Is there anything else that came with it?”

“Scarab, they’re going to need you too,” Sea Spray said as the mechanical beetle moved out of her saddlebags. “This thing came with it, I guess it’s how it works.”

“You want to let these lesser ponies poke and prod at me?” The Scarab’s voice said in a way that seemed derisive. “They’re not worthy of that honor. Only Princess Dusk Shadow and her aides are allowed to study me.”

“Look buster, you don’t answer to the Hive, you listen to me,” Sea Spray said as she pointed at the Scarab. “If we’re going to be working together, you’re going to listen to me, got it? I’ll tell them not to get too invasive.”

“Uh, who are you talking to?” Scootaloo asked as she looked at Sea Spray.

“The Scarab, it doesn’t want to be poked and prodded in its words,” Sea said with a shrug. “I don’t think it likes the idea of ponies doing it.”

“This is troubling,” Sweetie whispered to Scootaloo. “If she can hear its voice it might have a hive connection. We don’t know what kind of effect that would have on a pony. It may even leave us vulnerable.”

“I agree, but we still need her help, especially after earlier,” Scootaloo said with a shake of her head as she looked back at Sea Spray. “Sea, we’re not going to pick the Scarab apart. All we need is to run some tests.”

“I still don’t like it,” the Scarab’s voice said.

“They’re not going to trust you if you don’t do it,” Sea Spray whispered. In truth, she didn’t entirely trust the strange Scarab either. It had appeared out of nowhere and offered to help her, but she wasn’t sure if she trusted it yet. “Please, for me?”

“Fine, but they better not expect me to talk to them,” the Scarab said with a sound that if she didn’t know better, Sea would suspect was a snort. “Crazy ponies would be better off just surrendering.”

“Hey, don’t go there,” Sea Spray said. The Scarab just wiggled a little before flying off towards Apple Bloom. “Sorry about that.”

“In the meantime, there is someone you need to meet,” Sweetie said as she turned towards a door and opened it. “Come with me you two.”

Sea and Jasper exchanged a look for a moment before they followed the old Unicorn down the hallway.

00000

“I don’t know why her majesty sent you, everything is under control here,” Prism said to Moonbeam with a snort as she walked past the Spectrum Guard, her personal guard in the Cloudsdale Hive Castle. “Your presence here is hardly necessary.”

“What is she doing here?” A voice echoed in the hive’s voice. Prism glanced back towards a member of the Guard and gave her a nod.

“Her Majesty Queen Chrysalis believes that it is for the best,” Moonbeam said as Prism sat on her throne at the center of the Hive Castle. “You have a tendency to allow your personal feelings to get in the way.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Prism said with a sneer. “Have I not brought many ponies into the Hive?”

“Yes, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about…” More voices echoed in the Hive. Prism smirked a little as she watched Moonbeam examine the Drones surrounding them.

“It was hardly necessary for her to send one of her enforcers for such a simple mission,” Prism said.

“You have done well for the Hive, but you allow the matter of your former self’s sister consume your thoughts,” Moonbeam said with a snort. “The only reason that the Queen agreed to it was that it would let you be able to actually focus on your duty to the Hive.”

“I am perfectly focused, she just slipped through my hooves this time,” Prism said. “I will carry out my duties to the Hive. The ponies will rue the day they ever crossed me.”

“Then prove it,” Moonbeam said. “You are after all a Princess of the Hive. You have a duty, now carry it out.”

“I will,” Prism said as she levitated a scroll up and unrolled it. “Let’s see, who would be the best one to send.”

“She should send me,” a voice said over the noise of the Hive. The Princess glanced up towards a Drone that was watching from behind a pillar.

“Drone, you aren’t doing a very good job of hiding,” Prism said with a chuckle as the Drone stepped into view. “If you have something to say then you should say it before your Princess.”

“Yeah, well…” the Drone said as she eyed Moonbeam for a moment. “I am not comfortable speaking in front of one who is not in the Hive.”

Prism smirked a little at Moonbeam’s look of indignation. She was not that surprised, those who belonged to the Great Hive often forgot how interconnected the other Hives were.

“You will not speak to me as if I was some mere Drone, I serve the Great…” Moonbeam started to say before Prism interrupted her.

“Moonbeam, I am a Changeling Princess which places me one rank below Chrysalis,” Prism said as she leaned on her hoof a little. “My Hive is no less important than yours. It would make my Drones more accepting of you if you joined it.”

“Yes, of course,” Moonbeam said as she opened herself up to the Hive around her.

“Welcome sister…”

“Such a powerful mind…”

“We open ourselves to you.”

Moonbeam closed her eyes as she felt the familiar warm embrace of the Hive. She felt the Changelings around her and beyond across the territory that Prism controlled. She smiled a little, so many minds, so many Changelings, living in perfect harmony. From the Spectrum guard down to the worker drones.

“We are one to serve the Hive,” She said as her voice became part of the greater consciousness that was the Cloudsdale Hive. She opened her eyes again, it was a privilege only the elite enjoyed to be able to connect to any Hive at will. “We live in the true Harmony.”

“Welcome to the Cloudsdale Hive,” Prism said as she smiled at Moonbeam. “Now, is that better, Drone Stormwind?”

“Yes your majesty,” Stormwind said as he bowed his head before his Princess. “I ask for another chance at the armored pony. She humiliated me and my Hivemates. I want a chance to correct her mistake.”

Moonbeam could feel the indignation of the Drone. It started to fill her too, this mere pony had dared to defy the will of the Hive and this Drone wanted to bring her into the Hive. It wasn’t out of revenge, it was out of a desire to further the hive’s goals.

“Very well,” Prism said. “Ready yourself, create a new combat form and bring this mare into the Hive. Failure again will have you placed on waste duty. Understood? Incapacitate her and cocoon her and any who are allied with her.”

“Yes My Princess,” Stormwind said as he walked off to get ready for the upcoming fight.

“I was not expecting you to give her another chance,” Moonbeam said as she looked back at the Princess. “Why is that?”

“Because that is his duty, the purpose of the Cloudsdale Hive is to fight for the Empire,” Prism said with a fanged grin. “He will finish his duty as is the will of the Hive. This mare wants to defy the Hive, then we will show her the folly of her actions.”

“As you say,” Moonbeam said as she bowed her head slightly before the Princess. “But I still must serve our Queen’s will. I will keep a close eye on these things.”

Prism made a fanged smile as she looked at Moonbeam. It was amazing how she had evolved over the years from her old life into a loyal enforcer of the Hive. She nodded a little as she got to her hooves.

“Well, you are part of my Hive, albeit temporarily,” she said as she walked next to Moonbeam. “Perhaps I should show you around, show you to your quarters, or mine.”

“My quarters are fine,” Moonbeam said with a roll of her eyes as the two Changelings walked together out of the throne room. “I will not abandon my duty for your, personal pleasure.”

“Oh fine, you’re no fun,” Prism said with a roll of her eyes.

00000

“What’s going on?” Sea Spray asked Jasper as they walked down the hallway together after Sweetie Belle. Her voice had finally broken the silence as they had been walking for a while. “Do you know anything about this?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Jasper whispered back. “I’ve never been here before. My Grandmas always said that I would be allowed down here when the time was right.”

“Yeah, that’s not mysterious at all,” Sea Spray said with a sigh as they kept walking.

“Grandma Sweetie, what’s going on?” Jasper asked as she called up to the Unicorn ahead of them. “Where are we going?”

“There’s someone that will want to meet Sea Spray, and I believe that it’s time for you to learn it as well, Jasper,” Sweetie Belle said as she smiled back at her granddaughter. “Your mother and father knew about this before they…”

Jasper looked down at her hooves for a moment as Sea Spray put her hoof around her friend’s neck for a moment. Jasper’s parents had vanished when she was younger, nopony actually knew what had happened to them. They could have been grabbed by the Changelings or simply vanished.

They weren’t the only ponies to seemingly vanish into thin air. The fact that there wasn’t any sign of them just raised more questions. She had been raised by her grandmothers ever since then.

“What I’m going to show you is the biggest secret the Resistance has,” Sweetie Belle said as she paused in front of a door. “This kind of thing if it got out, might draw the attention of the Princesses even more. You have to promise not to tell a soul.”

“We promise,” Jasper said and Sea Spray nodded in agreement. “But, why tell us now? What’s changed?”

“That Driver changes everything,” Sweetie sighed. “And the Changelings know we have it so that alone is going to cause problems. It’s why we let you come in here, and why we’re telling you what’s going on here.”

She opened the door and they walked inside. Sea Spray blinked a little in surprise when she realized that the room was a large cavern. Sitting at the center of it was a tree that looked like it was made out of crystal. The branches spread out as a strange glow seemed to surround it.

“What is that?” Jasper asked.

“We don’t know all of the details ourselves,” a deep voice said and the two mares gasped out as they took a step back. A large purple dragon with green fins was standing there looking them over. “But now we’re sitting under the Everfree Forest as best we can tell. The cavern leading out closed up and this is what we found years ago.”

“You found, a tree? This is the big secret?” Sea Spray asked confused.

“As far as we can tell, this is known as the Tree of Harmony,” Sweetie said as she moved over next to the Dragon and looked up at the crystal tree. “We don’t know a lot of the details to be honest, but we think its the source of the Elements.”

The Elements of Harmony, the legendary objects wielded by Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Well, before they had fallen to the Hive just like most of Equestria had. Every foal in the Safe Zone had grown up hearing the stories of the heroes of Equestria.

And of their fall from grace when Equestria needed them most. It was a cautionary tale to teach foals of the dangers of the Hive. But the Elements themselves, nopony knew what happened to them.

“If the Changelings found out about this and if they had the Elements…” the Dragon said with a sad look on his face. “We don’t know what might happen. They may even be able to convert the rest of Equestria and remove the need to feed on ponies.”

“Wait, but its the Elements of Harmony, right?” Jasper asked. “Why would they work for Changelings like that? They’re not in…”

“Harmony with one another? We don’t know that,” Sweetie said with a shake of her head. “They seem to have something of a telepathic Hive connection to one another. It’s entirely possible that the Elements could react to that as a form of Harmony. It’s kind of hard to get a read on them right now.”

“So… it may still work for them,” Sea Spray said with a fearful look on her face. “So, what do we do? We don’t know where the Elements are and the Changelings haven’t even tried to use them, have they?”

“No, so the question as to where they went remains,” the Dragon said. “Now, what happened that brought you here?”

“The Changelings managed to create a Driver,” Sweetie Belle answered and the Dragon’s eyes went wide. “Spike, we think that it was Dusk who created it.”

“Twilight…” the now named Spike said as the Dragon lowered his head sadly. “I had always held out some hope that she was still in there somewhere. If she’s building such things for the Hive, I’m not so sure anymore.”

“She’s still in there, they all are,” Sweetie said. “We have to hope and pray to whoever’s up there that they are. Otherwise…”

She trailed that thought off for a moment. They all knew what she meant, deep down they all prayed that there was some way to save their loved ones from the Hive. Sweetie had lost her sister, Spike had lost his whole family.

The only pony there that hadn’t lost anypony from their family was Sea Spray. At least, not that she knew of, but she felt the same loss from them.

“If there’s anything left of them, we’ll bring it back out, I hope,” she said softly as she looked at the Tree of Harmony for a long moment. “I’ll do what I can to protect ponies here. That’s about all I can do I guess.”

“In ancient Neighpon, there were warriors that fought to protect their homes from monsters with magical armor,” Sweetie Belle said as she looked up at Spike. “We based the original Driver designs on these stories and the magic they wielded. We had always intended to use their title in their honor.”

She placed her hoof firmly on the younger Unicorn’s shoulder. “Welcome to the Resistance, Kamen Rider.”

00000

“You wanted to see me, Tinker?” Scootaloo asked as she walked into the lab where a grey Unicorn mare with a dark mane was working on the Driver. It was a few hours later and Sea Spray and Jasper were sleeping in the quarters in the Resistance base.

“Yes, I’ve run every test I can on this thing,” Tinker said as she adjusted her glasses a little with her hoof. She didn’t have a happy look on her face as she looked at Scootaloo. “Every test I’ve run on it leads to one conclusion. This doesn’t work on pony magic at all. It was made to work with a very specific type of magic.”

“You’re telling me that it works on Changeling magic?” Scootaloo asked with a frown.

“It looks that way,” Tinker said with a sigh as she rubbed her temples. “A normal pony can’t use this thing at all.”

“Then, how did Sea Spray use it?” Scootaloo asked. “Did you test her blood to see if she’s a Changeling?”

“That’s a question for Vira,” Tinker said as she nodded over to a Zebra mare who looked up. “She’s been working on the blood samples you sent us. Vira, tell her what you’ve found.”

“Okay, but you’re not going to like it,” Vira said with a sigh as she gestured for Scootaloo to walk over to a microscope she was working on. “Take a look, this is a blood sample we took during her last check-up.”

Scootaloo put her eye against the microscope and looked into the microscope’s lens. All she could see was a fairly normal looking sample of red vaguely circular cells. There were also some larger cells that looked clear with bits of blue in them.

“Okay, so? That’s normal Pony blood,” Scootaloo said.

“Right, now this is blood we had on hoof from the last infiltrator we found,” Vira said as she switched the slides. “Now take a look.”

Scootaloo nodded and looked into the microscope again. The blood cells this time was green instead of red. There were also several unusual cells floating around in the blood in addition to the white cells. The strange cells were smaller and had a hard to define the shape of them.

“You see those smaller cells? We call them Shift Cells, they exist everywhere in a Changeling’s body,” Vira said. “They’re what reacts with the magic in order to trigger the transformation. Now, this is the blood sample that we took from Sea Spray today.”

She replaced the slide one last time and Scootaloo fearfully looked into it. The cells this time mostly resembled pony cells, but she started to see very small amounts of Shift Cells. Some of the blood cells had started to take a greenish tint as well, but not fully like the ones she had just seen.

“What does this mean?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’d have to do a full check, but…” Vira said as she looked at Tinker for a moment before speaking again. “Given the fact that she’s able to use it and some reports I’ve read, I don’t think she’s fully a pony.”

“Wait, you’re suggesting that she may be… what?” Scootaloo asked. The realization was dawning on her and she was scared at the very idea of it.

“She’s half-Changeling, it’s the only thing that makes sense,” Vira said with a shake of her head. “And that thing, it’s causing a reaction in her body. We don’t know what’s going to happen if she keeps using it.”

Scootaloo slumped down a little. She had known Sea Spray since she was dropped off at the Ponyville Orphanage as a baby. This was devastating to her more than anything else, and she had no idea how she was going to explain it to her or to Jasper.

“How long until it starts causing any noticeable effects?” She asked.

“Based on these numbers, not for a while,” Vira said. “Are you going to tell her?”

“Honestly? I don’t know yet,” Scootaloo admitted as she examined the blood again for a long moment.

Sea Spray was the only pony they had who could use a Driver right now. If they didn’t have her fight then what was left of Ponykind might as well be wrapped up and given to Chrysalis as a gift.

This was the hardest thing she had ever had to do, but she knew that they didn’t have a choice. She just had to hope that everything would work out in the end.

“We’ll wait to tell her,” Scootaloo said with a sigh. “I don’t like it, but given the circumstances, we don’t have a choice in the matter. And may whatever gods are up there have mercy on our souls.”

Chapter 2: Hope

View Online

"Do you ever wonder how we do it?" Sea Spray asked as she looked out at Ponyville from the balcony of the Golden Oaks Library.

"Do what?" Jasper asked as she stood next to her friend.

"Keep living like this every day," Sea sighed a little as she looked down at a group of fillies that were playing with a ball in the street below. "We're just doing this like there isn't a constant threat of the Changelings every day. Anyone of us could be grabbed and taken away. How do we survive every day?"

"Yeah, it's weird," Jasper said as she thought about it for a long moment. "If you ask me though, it's because we know that it could happen at any time."

"What do you mean?"

"We live in the moment, we know that life and freedom are fleeting, so we hold onto the hope that nothing will happen," Jasper said with a shrug. The Pegasus mare turned around and leaned on the railing as she gave Sea Spray a smile. "The fact is that most ponies these days only know this life. Imagine if tomorrow the Changeling Princesses themselves came into town and apologized for what they'd done and let us live wherever we want. What would happen then?"

"We wouldn't know what to do," Sea Spray said with a slight nod. "All we've ever known is the Safe Zone. Sure there are older ponies like your Grandmothers, but they can only teach us so much."

"Sea, you've been given a rare opportunity that nopony else in this town has been given," Jasper said. "I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. You have the chance to actually do something about this. To change the world, and show these ponies that we don't have to live in fear. That we don't have to live day to day as we have for years."

"I'm no fighter," Sea Spray said with a sigh as she looked at her Driver for a moment. "I was willing to save you and the others because it was the right thing to do. Scootaloo was in danger and I ran to her aid because I didn't want you to lose her. I don't know if I'm going to be able to fight against the next Changeling that comes into town."

"No one's going to force you to do anything," Jasper said as she looked at the town for a moment. "Do you remember those games we used to play growing up?"

"Oh yeah, we always dreamed of being warriors or superheroes or whatever," Sea Spray said with a chuckle as she thought back to her foalhood for a long moment. "We always dreamed of fighting the Changelings and doing what we could to stop them from causing trouble. But those were just childish fantasies, this is real life."

"Maybe, but at the same time you have the power to do it," Jasper said with a soft smile as she looked at the Scarab beetle that was resting on Sea's head. "What do you think Scarab thingy?"

"She does realize she can't hear me right?" The Scarab said in Sea's mind.

"Yeah, she does, but I don't think she cares that much," Sea said with a chuckle as she looked back at Jasper for a moment. "He says you realize you can't hear him right?"

"You've got a snarky mechanical bug, cute," Jasper said with a laugh. "But seriously, what does it say?"

"While I don't like the idea of fighting against Changelings..." Scarab said which made Sea roll her eyes a little bit. "I do have to admit I've taken a bit of a liking to you strange, pony thing. Don't let it go to your head though. You wanted the power to help your friends and get away from the Changelings. I've given you that power. What you do with it is entirely up to you."

"He doesn't seem to like the idea of fighting Changelings," Sea Spray said as she shrugged a little. "But he does say that it's up to me. All he did was give me the power, what I do with it is my choice."

"A decent summary," the Scarab said.

"Ah, well that's not very helpful," Jasper said with a laugh and Sea joined in a moment later as the two smiled a little bit. Sea looked at the weird Scarab for a moment before Jasper spoke up again. "So how do you know it's a he?"

"He's got a male voice," Sea said with a shrug. "That's about as good a reason as I can think of. Really I don't know, do you even have a gender?"

"Princess Dusk Shadow did not take gender into consideration when making myself or my siblings," the Scarab answered. "However if you must assign a gender to me, then calling me male would be acceptable."

"Alright, male it is," Sea said with a shrug as she looked back down at the town for a long moment. "Do you really think I'm capable of doing this, Jasper?"

"Sea, you're one of the bravest ponies I've ever known," Jasper said with a smile. "If anypony can keep this town safe from the Changelings it's you. Well, really it better be you because right now we're screwed if you can't."

"But no pressure, right?" Sea asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, no pressure," Jasper said with a chuckle. "But really, I think if you try your best you'll do fine. This is our town, and we're going to do everything we can to defend it. That was the pledge we all made, right?"

“To keep our fellow ponies from being lost and defend it when we can,” Sea Spray said as she looked out at the town again. “That doesn’t make me any less worried though. I’m not even sure how to fight on my hind legs like this apparently requires.”

“You will get used to it in time,” Scarab’s voice answered. “Do not worry about that for now.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sea Spray said as she looked at the Scarab and then back at Jasper for a moment. “I guess I kind of asked for this didn’t I?”

“How’s that?” Jasper asked curiously.

“When we were in that cage the Scarab asked what I wished,” Sea Spray said as she held her hoof out and the Scarab landed on it. “I wanted to get us out of there and keep the Changelings from hurting anypony again. You gave me exactly what I asked for. Now I just have to find it in myself to use it.”

“Hmm... I’ve got an idea,” Jasper said as she fell forward onto her forelegs. “Come with me. I know just where to take you.”

“We better not be going to the bar again,” Sea Spray groaned as they walked together. “Because I do not want a repeat of your last birthday.”

“Oh come on, you enjoyed it,” Jasper said with a laugh.

“We woke up in the same bed the next morning, I nearly had a heart attack!” Sea protested.

“You’re only mad that I got under your tail that night,” Jasper said with a laugh as they headed into the library. “It’s not my fault you can’t hold your liquor.”

“You did no such thing! And you were drunker than I was!”

“Really? Because I remember you basically throwing yourself at me,” Sea Spray laughed. “Come on, it wasn’t that bad was it?”

Scarab just listened to the two of them argue from his perch on Sea’s head as he let out a light chuckle. These ponies were interesting creatures. He had not been programmed to work with Ponies, however, and his first thought should have been to return to his intended mistress.

However, there was something about this Sea Spray mare that intrigued him. Perhaps if he stayed a little longer he’d learn more about ponies. And that could only do good for the Hive, right?

00000

“You realize the Queen is not going to tolerate you trying to go after Scootaloo again, right?” Moonbeam said as she and Prism walked down the streets of Cloudsdale together.

“Hardly a concern, ponies belong in the Hive,” the voice of the hive echoed around them. “One must add to the greater whole.”

“I know that,” Prism said as she snorted indignantly. “And if it wasn’t for that mare I would have succeeded before.”

Moonbeam looked at Prism for a long moment. She could feel the Princess’ emotions through the Hive, even if she kept her own guarded. Prism was angry, sad, regretful, a weird mix of emotions was coming from the Princess. Moonbeam stroked her chin thoughtfully as she examined the rainbow-maned Changeling Princess.

“She is part of your old life, that is why you want her in the Hive is it not?” She asked curiously.

“Yes!” Prism said angrily. “She is… she was the closest thing I ever had to a sister before now. I just want what’s best for her. The Hive is my family now.”

“Do all the Princesses feel this way?” Moonbeam asked. “If I recall, Crab Apple and Elusive have sisters in the Safe Zone too.”
“I don’t know, you’d have to ask them,” Prism snorted. “The Cloudsdale Hive are the warriors of the Great Hive. We’re the first line of defense in the event that the Ponies ever try something. I don’t see why we don’t just convert the whole lot of them, would save us a lot of trouble.”

“Maybe, but you cannot allow your emotions to get in the way,” Moonbeam said. “This is your Hive, they feel and connect with your emotions as well as each other. If you continue on this path, you will suffer more losses trying to get one pony than anything else.”

“The Hive must endure, the Hive is more important than one pony,” the voice echoed in the minds of the two female Changelings.

“You’re using my own Hive connection against me, clever,” Prism lamented with a shake of her head. “Didn’t think some bodyguard would be this smart.”

“You shouldn’t underestimate me,” Moonbeam said with a fanged grin. “I am not one of her Majesty’s top enforcers for nothing after all.”

“We will not disappoint her Majesty,” Prism said as they stopped on the edge of the clouds and looked out towards the barely visible Ponyville in the distance. “But the Hive is getting restless. We’ve lived for decades on the promises of being able to survive without having to rely on Pony love.”

“Feed… love cannot sustain us all forever…” The Hive echoed. “Harmony calls for a Hive that needs no outside help for food.”

“The Hive has survived for generations on this, you cannot expect it to be solved overnight,” Moonbeam said as she stared out at the town. “The Eastern Hives are making progress, however. Her Majesty believes that it will only be a matter of time before they succeed in perfecting the technique.”

“Good,” Prism said with a hiss. “In the meantime, we still have to deal with this new threat to the Hive. My warriors will do what they can, but I can’t imagine it will be easy.”

“No, but the time will come when we will be able to use our own armored soldiers,” Moonbeam pointed out.

“Yes, I know,” Prism said. “And I will make sure that I get my revenge on that mare for stealing the Driver from me. My Drones will make sure that it’s back in our hooves soon enough.”

“Ponies are not worthy of the power of the Hive Warriors,” the hive echoed.

“And when we’re done, she will join the Hive,” Prism said as she ran her tongue along slowly along her fangs. “She will rue the day she stole from me.”

“You said that already.”

“I know, just reaffirming it,” Prism said as a voice reached out to them in the Hive.

“My Princess, I am ready with my Combat Form,” the voice of the Drone Stormwind said over the combined voices. “I am ready to go to Ponyville on your command.”

“It is given,” Prism replied. “Bring back the Change Driver and the mare who dared steal it from us. Show her the true joy that comes with living in Harmony with her brothers and sisters of the Hive.”

“Yes my Princess,” Stormwind answered.

00000

“So, why are we here?” Sea Spray asked as they headed towards a building in Ponyville’s center. “I mean, it’s just the old Orphanage, I’ve been here a million times.”

“Yeah, but this time we’re here to put things in perspective,” Jasper said as they stopped by a playground that had been set up. Fillies and colts were playing on the equipment, a few of them noticed the mares and waved at them. “Do you see what I mean?”

“I think so,” Sea Spray said as she watched the foals play for a moment.

“Everypony in the Safe Zone is warned about the Changelings,” Jasper said. “We don’t hide our foals from the truth because doing so would only put them in more danger. Do we live in fear of what might happen though? No, we live our lives day to day as I said. But we need more than just that, we need somepony willing to fight to protect this town, to be something that we haven’t had in a long time.”

“What’s that?”

“The one thing that should never be taken from us,” Jasper sighed. “And the one thing that we’ve had the hardest time holding onto. Hope.”

“So, you want me to be the Hope for Ponyville,” Sea Spray said as she watched the young ponies. “I honestly don’t know if I can actually do that though.”

“Tch, you’re selling yourself short,” the Scarab’s voice said. “You’re a Hive Warrior or Kamen Rider, whatever you ponies want to call it. I don’t give my power to just any being, so you might as well take advantage of it.”

“You’re not helping,” Sea Spray said with a groan.

“Come on, let’s go inside,” Jasper said as she took her friend’s hoof and lead her into the orphanage. “Do you remember what it was like growing up here?”

"Yeah, I remember everything like it was yesterday," Sea Spray said with a sigh as she looked around. The Orphanage was one of the best-kept houses in Ponyville in order to keep the foals comfortable. "Every day hoping that some family would show up and give me a home, which never happened. Why? Because everypony's afraid that the Changelings will come and take them away."

"Yeah, my Grandmas know this all too well," Jasper said. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle ran the orphanage, they had for as long as anypony could remember. "But I also remember something important about that young Unicorn filly. She never gave up, she never gave into the dread that surrounded her."

"I guess I never was faced with it before," Sea Spray sighed. "I'm afraid that if I try doing that again, it'll just get me and anypony else hurt or worse. I'm not cut out for being a hero Jasper."

"Maybe, but you may not have a choice in the matter," Jasper said with a sigh. "Unless you want to just roll over and let the Changelings take the Driver back and probably convert you."

"Miss. Spray, Miss Jasper!" A voice said and they looked up to see a young Earth Pony filly running up to them and hugging the two of them tight. She had a dappled grey coat with some freckles and a blonde mane.

"Hey, Dazzle," Sea Spray said softly as she ruffled the filly's mane a little. "It's good to see you again too kiddo."

"What brings you two here?" Dazzle asked as she looked between the two older ponies curiously for a moment. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Well, Sea Spray here just needed a little reminder of what we're fighting for around here," Jasper said as Sea shot her a look."

"What a curious little hatchling, is she yours?" Scarab asked curiously. "I didn't think you had any..."

"No, no, she's just a friend," Sea Spray said quickly. She honestly hadn't expected that reaction from Scarab. While she definitely had no familial connection to Dazzle, she had been one of the fillies that she had connected to best when she still lived in the Orphanage.

"Uh, who are you talking to?" Dazzle asked with a tilt of her head.

"Long story," Sea Spray sighed. "So, how's everypony doing around here?"

"Okay I guess, the usual really," Dazzle said with a shrug as they started walking again. "A couple from Appletown actually came by and adopted a couple of fillies the other day, so there is that. I just wish that you were still here sometimes, Sea, you know?"

Sea paused a moment as she walked past a room and glanced inside. Sitting inside was a Unicorn colt with brown fur and a tan mane. He was staring down at the floor in silence for a moment as he did. Sea Spray's heart dropped at that, she knew that look, there was only one reason a foal would have that look.

"Is he a new arrival?" She asked softly as she looked down at Dazzle.

"Yeah, he just got here yesterday," Dazzle said sadly. "I don't know everything about what happened, but it doesn't sound good."

Sea flinched at that. It meant that the ponies she had freed from the camp weren't the only ones who had been taken away. She gritted her teeth a little, anger was starting to rise in her mind. Most of the foals that wound up in the Orphanage were here because of the Changelings.

Here because they didn't have somepony to protect them. This was what Jasper was showing her. And it just made her angrier as she remembered all the ponies who were hurt because of this. Hope really was a fleeting commodity in this world.

"I think you've made your point, Jasper," Sea said as she looked at the Pegasus mare. "But I'm just one mare, what can I do against the Hive?"

“You’re not just one mare, you’ve got a lot of ponies backing you up,” Jasper said with a smile as she put her wing over her old friend. “You’re never going to be alone. And one group of ponies, even a small one, can do a lot.”

“Yeah, you’ve got the whole town backing you up, even if they don’t know it,” Dazzle said with a big smile. “Whatever you two are talking about, it seems important. Come on, you’re the coolest pony I know. You’ll do fine!”

“Hey, what am I, chopped liver?” Jasper protested with a pout. “I thought I was the coolest pony you knew.”

“Okay fine, you two are tied,” Dazzle giggled. “But seriously Sea, I think you’ll be fine. Just do whatever you feel is needed. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Sea Spray said as she rubbed the back of her head a little. She finally smiled a little. Jasper was right, this was exactly what she needed to be reminded of what this town needed.

She was going to give this town back what the Changelings had stolen from it. She was going to give them hope. Or, at least she was going to try to.”

“Thank you, both of you,” Sea Spray finally said after a long moment. “I just hope that I won’t let you down.”

The three ponies shared a hug. None of them noticed that Scootaloo was watching from a nearby room as she closed the door gently. She smiled as she looked back at Sweetie who was using her magic to finish packing things up. The old Pegasus walked over and nuzzled her wife gently, causing her to giggle.

“Well, somepony is affectionate all of a sudden,” Sweetie chuckled. “Is everything okay, Scootaloo? What’s on your mind?”

“Just thinking about everything,” Scootaloo said as she brushed her short mane back a little. “Do you think we should heap all of this on Sea? I mean, we know that she’s the only one who can right now, but maybe we should look into alternatives.”

“I talked to Tinker, she said she can reverse engineer the technology again to make a working Driver,” Sweetie sighed. “But it’s going to take a while to be done. So, what do you suggest?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure,” Scootaloo said as she thought about the young Unicorn. “This place is her home, it’s all she’s ever known. We don’t even know where she came from because she just showed up on the doorstep one day. And then there’s what Vira told me. We don’t know what kind of effects that thing is going to have on her.”

“True, but at the same time it’s not our choice,” Sweetie said thoughtfully for a moment. “Sea Spray is her own mare. She left this Orphanage a few years ago and is on her own. I think we should let her decide instead of taking that choice away from her. As for the effects, well we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. She deserves to know eventually though.”

Scootaloo smiled a little as she kissed her wife on the cheek. “And that’s why I’m glad I married you. You’re so smart and you always know just what to say.”

“Really? I thought it was because you thought my flanks were cute,” Sweetie said with a laugh as she kissed her wife again. “So, when are you going to tell Sea?”

“I don’t know yet, I’ll figure it out,” Scootaloo said with a sigh. “Now I wish we knew more about her family though. I mean, what if she really is half Changeling? What are we going to do if it does something worse to her?”

“Shhh, calm down,” Sweetie said soothingly. “She’s a strong pony and we both know she’ll be okay. I know you’re worried about her, so we’ll do what we can to back her up. The Resistance has survived this long and we’re not going to let these Changelings get the best of us now. We’re not going to let something like yesterday happen again.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said with a smile as she pressed her head against Sweetie’s. “I love you Sweetie Belle.”

“I love you too Scootaloo,” Sweetie said. “Come on, help me get this packed up. The sooner we get this packed up the fewer things we’ll have to worry about.”

Scootaloo nodded a little as she helped get everything packed up. Some of it was things that belonged to the recently adopted foal and would be sent to Appletown. The rest was just the general things that they used to keep foals comfortable.

She smiled sadly as she remembered back to her own foalhood. Her parents had been on an expedition out of Equestria when the Changelings invaded. She had spent her foalhood after that being raised by her aunts Holiday and Lofty. She didn’t even know what had happened to her parents, but she had always held out the hope that they had avoided the Changelings.

That was why she was here. She wanted to give foals that had lost their families a place to live, so she had run the orphanage for years with her wife. She smiled softly as she folded up the blankets and put them away.

“Come on, let’s go get these put up,” she said as she and Sweetie walked out of the room.

They walked past Sea Spray and Jasper who were now talking with a small group of foals. Scootaloo smiled as she heard the Unicorn laughing. That gave her some hope at least that everything was going to be okay with her.

So then it was just a matter of figuring out how to tell her. She was worried about Sea Spray, the Unicorn mare was her granddaughter’s best friend after all. This wasn’t going to be easy on her, but she had faith in the mare.

00000

Dusk sighed as she trotted into the main lab of the Canterlot Hive Castle. Drones with lavender carapaces were hard at work on different projects. She pushed one of the doors open at the back and entered the Driver lab.

“Princess, this is unexpected,” A Drone said as they looked up to see her. Five more Change Drivers were being worked on as the Drones poured their magic into them. “What brings her to our humble lab?”

“You’re working based on the plans I gave you, right?” Dusk asked as she looked at the Drivers for a moment.

“Yes, we’ve been following the instructions you gave us based on the captured data,” the scientist Drone said as they examined it for a long moment. “The Change Drivers are exactly as you designed them. They use our natural transformation magic to create the armor around the Changeling.”

“So, a normal pony shouldn’t be able to use it at all,” Dusk said with a nod as she examined the Drivers. “That includes the one we sent to Prism for testing, right?”

“Right,” the Drone said with a nod.

“Why is she asking?” The Hive echoed around her. “Our work is perfect… perfect, in harmony with the Hive. In true harmony.”

“What happens if a Hybrid uses it?” Dusk asked.

“Hybrid? Who would betray the Hive with a mere pony?”

“We never tested for that eventuality,” the Drone replied. “But if a Hybrid was to use it, any number of things could happen. It may do nothing, or it may fully awaken the Changeling DNA in them.”

“Wayward children of the Hive must be returned,” the voice of the Hive said. “Long lost children are to be absorbed. No one is exempt from the will of the Hive.”

“I see,” Dusk said with a frown. “So then we all have to figure out how to get the Driver and Shifter back. We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen otherwise. It may be the only way to make sure that our plans succeed. How much more magic would it take to create a seventh Driver and Shifter?”

“Uh, that’s a good question, we’d have to run the math,” the Drone said as the hive swirled for a moment before he spoke again. “Yes, we’ll need more magical energy. But we cannot spare it without either bringing it in from the other Hives or increasing the Hive. We cannot currently spare the magical energy from the Canterlot Hive.”

“That figures,” Dusk said with a sigh. “Alright, I will get in contact with the other Hives. For the moment, finish the other five Drivers. The last thing we need right now is for things to fall behind.”

“Yes my Princess,” the Drone said and bowed his head slightly. “In the meantime, the rest of our part of the plan is on schedule.”

“Good, I have other things to deal with,” Dusk said as she headed back out of the labs. She levitated up a scroll and unrolled it as she checked something else off. “Let’s see, that’s the Driver project up to date. Prism’s not going to like having to wait, but I’m sure the next Festival should give us what we need as long as they are willing to share.”

“Well, things seem to be going well,” Solar Wind said as she walked up to Dusk. “The Queen will be pleased to hear that.”

“Yes, though the question remains where did this Hybrid come from,” Dusk said thoughtfully and stroked her chin for a moment. “I don’t like this. Hybrids are rare because the Hive makes it hard to keep such things hidden.”

“Are you going to send your own Drones to the Safe Zone then?” Solar Wind asked. “Prism’s Hive is already on it. She will get the Driver back in no time.”

“I’m not sure about that,” Dusk said as her wings buzzed a little for a moment. “You’re probably right and Prism’s warriors will deal with it. But at the same time, I need to be ready for every eventuality.”

“So, you’re going to send a Drone?”

“At least for the time being,” Dusk said. “If the Warrior Drone succeeds then we can always recall the Drone. Though I don’t see the point to her Majesty sending you here. We have everything under control.”

“Under control… the Hive is perfect…” The voices echoed around them “Perfect harmony. We must serve the will.”

“The remaining five Drivers will be done soon enough, that is enough for now,” Solar Wind said with a nod. “The Ponies are only the beginning. We are going to need ways to protect ourselves from the rest of our enemies.”

“Equestria’s old allies and competitors will not be held at bay forever, and we can’t convert them like the ponies,” Dusk said with a frown. “War is coming to these lands. And we’ll need the Hive Warriors to protect us.”

“And the Queen knows this, and she knows that we must secure the last of our territory,” Solar Wind said with a nod. “I just hope that your technology is going to work as promised.

“It will, if anything this incident is a proof of concept,” Dusk said as they walked through the halls together. “If there is nothing else, then I have work to do.”

“Of course,” Solar wind said as Dusk went back to her throne room.

The Drone stroked her chin thoughtfully as she watched the Princess walk off. She was in no position to argue with Dusk. She had other things that she had to get done, her Queen had duties for her to carry out.

“Drone Solar Wind, what is your report?” Chrysalis’ voice echoed in her mind.

“Dusk seems to think that everything is under control here,” Solar answered. “Everything seems to be in more order than in Cloudsdale at least. I believe that the Driver Project will be completed as promised.”

“Excellent,” Chrysalis replied. “Is there anything else?”

“No, that is it at least for the moment,” Solar Wind answered. “I will let you know if anything else happens.”

“Keep me informed,” Chrysalis said before the connection broke again.

00000

“Thank you, Jasper,” Sea said as the two friends made their way through Ponyville together. “That was definitely something that I needed right now. I just hope that it’s going to be enough if the Changelings decide to attack.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jasper said with a soft smile as she gave her friend a nod. “You’re going to be just fine. Remember that we’re fighting to protect others, and you’re never going to be alone.”

“Right,” Sea Spray said as she took a deep breath. “I hope you’re right though. We’ve got a lot to do if we’re going to keep the Safe Zone, well, safe.”

“Yeah,” Jasper said. “Come on, let’s get home. Right now we need to check in with everypony and let them know we’re still ponies.”

“Yeah,” Sea Spray said as she glanced up at the Scarab for a long moment. “Though I think Scarab here is going to be hard to explain. I mean, how do you explain the weird mechanical insect sitting on my head?”

“I don’t know, a new fashion statement maybe?” Jasper said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, they’ll totally buy that,” Sea Spray said with a roll of her eyes as they approached the communal house they shared towards the center of town. “Hey everypony, this bug on my head is just a new hat I made. Yeah, they’ll believe that the most unfashionable pony in town made it.”

"Why do you ponies even care about fashion?" Scarab mused. "You don't even wear clothes most of the time. That is very weird."

"I... never thought about that before," Sea Spray admitted as she looked at Scarab for a moment as she thought about it. "That is kind of weird."

"Talking to the Scarab on your head again? You know that makes you look crazy right?" Jasper said with a chuckle. "What is he saying this time?"

"Oh, just commenting on our fashion since we don't usually wear clothes," Sea Spray said with a shrug. "I never thought about that before honestly. That is kind of weird."

"Yes, I wonder how Princess Elusive stayed in business back when she lived here," Scarab said as he buzzed his wings a little for a moment. "So, what are we going to do now? What do you weird, pony things do with your life? Boring things I suppose. Must be so boring to have to stay in just one form."

"Eh, we manage somehow," Sea Spray said. "But having one form isn't too bad. It's just how we live I guess."

"Tch, what an odd species you are," Scarab said with a slight buzz of his wings. "Hardly a surprise though, you aren't nearly as advanced as the Changelings. I wouldn't be surprised if you lived in a... HEY!"

Sea Spray had finally had enough of the Scarab's behavior at this point and levitated him in front of her. "Look you annoying little bug, I'm not going to put up with this bullcrap much longer. If you want to keep this up, then you're going to have to find somepony else."

"Oh, if it only was that easy," Scarab replied. "But I'll shut up. You need me right now, and I need you if I want to learn anything about you ponies."

"Good," Sea said but smirked a little as she smacked the Scarab lightly.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"For being an annoying prick, that's what," Sea Spray said with a roll of her eyes as Scarab returned to his perch.

"You know, talking to yourself really isn't making you look sane," Jasper said with a chuckle as she reached to start to open the door to the Communal House. "Or are you going to claim its some sort of new game to play with your new hat?"

"Shut up," Sea Spray said with a groan. "Let's just..."

She stopped in mid-sentence as Scarab suddenly felt very tense in the connection the two of them shared. She looked up at the mechanical insect who was now looking around.

"What's going on?"

"I just sensed another Changeling in town," Scarab said quickly. "Unless you've got some friendly Changelings hiding out around here, I think we've got a problem."

"Just my luck," Sea Spray said with a sigh as she nodded over to Jasper. "Get to Golden Oaks Library, it sounds like we're about to have some company."

"Great, just what we needed right now," Jasper said with a sigh as she ran back towards the library quickly.

"Smart move letting the pony run away, now it's just you and me," a voice said from behind them and she turned to see a Pegasus stallion with grey fur and a darker mane standing there. She narrowed her eyes a little at him, this was not a pony she recognized from Ponyville or any of the other settlements.

"Who are you?" She demanded as she pointed at the strange Pegasus. "What are you after?"

"My dear Sea Spray, I wouldn't worry about such things," the Pegasus said as he bowed his head slightly. His teeth sharpened to form into fangs as he grinned at her. "I am merely a servant of the Princess you stole from. I am here to carry out the Will of my Hive. You may call me Stormwind."

"Good luck with that, you're not exactly in any position to fight me," Sea Spray said as she nodded to the Scarab who got ready to make his move.

"Oh dear Scarab, wouldn't you be much happier serving the Hive as you were meant to?" The Changeling's voice echoed in Scarab's mind. "What did this mare do to you that made you want to turn on the Hive."

"Nothing, I am merely here as a curiosity," Scarab replied. "I will return to the Hive once I am ready, that is all you need to know."

"Then I will make sure you return to the Hive now!" The Changeling said as his pony form was lost as he became a Changeling Drone. He laughed a little as he took a step back. "You two are in for a treat. We finally mastered our combat form, now I will use it to bring down you and your town."

He shuddered a little as his body changed. It wasn't like your usual Changeling transformation, the body grew out until it was bipedal. It had antennae growing out of its head and a distinctly insectoid appearance as a contrast to the still equine appearance of the other Changelings. He cackled as he spread his multiple legs and clicked his mandibles as he looked at Sea Spray.

"Okay, that's not good," Sea Spray said as she took out the Driver and swung it around so it formed around her barrel before she stood back up. "Do you know anything about this, Scarab?"

"Only what the rumors say. Apparently, the Cloudsdale Hive has been experimenting with creating stronger forms in order to fight," Scarab replied. “I think you’re going to need to fight this guy.”

“Because of course, I do,” Sea Spray said as she nodded a little and pulled herself onto her hind legs, finding it surprisingly easy to stay upright this time as Scarab flew into her hoof. “Henshin!” She said as she slid it into the slot on her Driver.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

The Scarab broke up and attached to her body again as the purple armor formed over her body. She struggled to stay aloft for a moment as she felt it forming over her body. She finally took a deep breath as the beetle-like helmet formed over her and the two tonfas appeared in her hooves. It was something she was going to have to get used to apparently but she wasn't going to let it stop her.

“You’re not going to hurt the ponies of this town,” Sea Spray said as she gripped the Tonfas as best she could. This strange armor was something that still confused her, but she knew that she needed to use it in order to protect the ponies of this town.

“You’re not going to stop me,” Stormwind said with a wicked grin. “No, I’m going to do something worse. I’m going to take back that Driver and convert you. You’ll come to love turning on your friends one by one.”

“No, you’re wrong,” Sea Spray said as she walked forward. “I’m going to fight to keep this town safe. I’m this town’s last hope, and I’m not going to let you take that away.”

"Then I'm going to have to rob this town of its hope," Stormwind said with a laugh as he held his legs out to prepare to strike at Sea Spray when she got close before she suddenly became a blur and spun her leg around and kicked him hard across the face. "What the..."

"Super Speed, very useful don't you think?" Scarab's voice said in Stormwind's head. "I don't think you were prepared for that were you?"

"Shut up Traitor," Stormwind said through his clinched mandibles as he eyed the purple and pink blur. "You think you're so smart, don't you? Well, I'm not about to let some pony get the best of me!"

He extended his limbs out a moment and caught Sea Spray off guard as he tripped her up. She skittered to a stop, falling forward onto her face in the dirt as she struggled to push herself back up.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Stormwind cackled as he walked forward as Sea Spray got back onto her hind legs. "You're not used to fighting bipedal, are you? Too bad we've been trained in how to do it from hatching!"

He sent more legs out at her, catching her again as he advanced closer, wrapping them around her with a grin on his face. His body started to glow with the familiar sickly green aura of a Changeling as he pulled her in closer.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have plenty of practice soon enough, guess you weren't that much of the tow's last hope after all," he said as he pulled her in close with his mandibles wide.

"I'm... not going to... let... you... WIN!" Sea Spray said loudly as she pushed against his grip. For a moment nothing seemed to happen until she realized that she was actually starting to loosen the grip on her body. She finally pushed out one more time, breaking his hold and sending the Drone flying back as she connected her two tonfas together.

"TRANSFORM: SCARAB TONFA RIFLE!" The Driver said as magical energy enveloped the Tonfas as they turned into a rifle with the same colors and markings as she leveled it at Stormwind.

"You and the Hive have been plaguing this town for decades, well no longer," she said as she pulled the trigger and fired several energy bullets into the Changeling. "This town is under my protection, and I'm never going to let the likes of you or your Princesses hurt these good ponies again!"

"Pretty words..." Stormwind said as he got up again, his fangs bore at her as he swung his legs at her again, only to have them caught by her arm. "You're going to have to do a lot more if you want to back them up though. The Hive is stronger than anything you've ever faced. And eventually, you will falter and lose."

"Then if that day comes, let it come as long as at least one pony has heard my message and takes up the cause," Sea Spray said as she kicked at him hard. "You may be strong, and you may have numbers but we have something you will never have..."

She pulled her hoof back and slammed it hard into the Drone's face, damaging him a little as parts of his mandibles started to crack and fall off.

"We have a willingness to fight back no matter the odds," she said. "You put us in a bad position, so we're going to do what we can to survive. That's what counts at this point, so the Hive can take their strength and stick it up their plots!"

The Drone's eyes went wide when he looked at her. She was radiating an aura of magical energy like nothing he had ever seen in a pony as she pulled her hoof back again, preparing to strike at him once more. The Drone felt fear as he realized that she wasn't about to let him go.

"RIDER KICK!" She shouted as she leaped into the air as energy started to gather in her hoof. She slammed down hard on the Drone, sending cracks through his body as his form shattered around him.

"This... isn't over..." The Changeling said as he struggled to recover from the attack. "You... can't escape your fate forever... pony... the day will come... when you too... may... join... us..."

And with that, his body was consumed with magical energy as it wasted away to ashes. Sea Spray stared at the remains of the Changeling for a moment as she reached to her belt and powered down, the armor vanishing from around her.

After the armor faded, she fell onto her forelegs and threw up.

00000

“Stormwind failed,” Moonbeam said simply as the two watched the fight through the Hive connection they shared. “Your combat forms don’t seem to be working well in the field.”

“I know, I know,” Prism said with a hiss as she sighed a little. “We didn’t expect her to sync that well with the Driver and Scarab.”

“So, what do you plan to do?”

“I don’t know yet,” Prism sighed. “We will have to figure out how to strengthen our Combat forms. Right now, they have the Driver and Shifter. There’s not a whole lot we can do about that.”

“Yes, unfortunately, for now, we may not have a choice,” Chrysails’ voice said in the Changelings’ minds. “Princess Prism Flash, this is merely a setback. Have your combat techs figure out how to combat this Sea Spray’s new abilities. This is merely a setback. We will not allow this mare to continue to get in our way.”

“We will make sure that the next Soldier Drone is better prepared,” Prism replied. “This Sea Spray will not get away with stealing from the Hive.”

“Good, I expect the best of my Princesses, and you are no exception,” Chrysalis said. “Reclaim your Driver, but only once you are sure that your Drones are capable of defeating this mare. We’ll explore another avenue in the meantime.”

“Yes my Queen,” Prism replied in reverence as Chrysalis broke the connection. “Moonbeam, I have work to do. So unless there is something else you need, I should get on it.”

“No, of course not,” Moonbeam said with a slight bow of her head. “I will leave you to your business then.”

Prism nodded as she trotted off towards the training grounds. She gritted her teeth a little, that mare had stolen from her and she wasn’t going to let her get away with this. She would have her revenge.

“Sea Spray, you will pay for this,” her voice echoed through the Hive.

“Well, she’s in a good mood,” Moonbeam said through the connection she and Solar Wind shared. “How are things going with Dusk?”

“Fine, fine,” Solar Wind replied. “She’s being her usual self really. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a while before she can make a seventh Driver and Shifter. I know that isn’t going to be good news for Prism, but she will need to wait.”

“I’ll make sure she knows when she’s in a better mood,” Moonbeam said as she trotted off into the Cloudsdale Hive city.

00000

“I don’t know if I’m cut out for this…” Sea Spray said softly as she slumped in a chair in Golden Oaks Library. It was just after her fight with Stormwind. Jasper and Scootaloo had helped her back to the old library in the town where she was holding her head in her hooves.

“Sea… are you okay?” Scootaloo asked as she walked over to the Unicorn mare. “You look like you’re in bad shape after that fight.”

“I’ve never killed another being before,” Sea Spray said softly as she looked at her hooves for a long moment. “I mean, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill me or worse. I just went on instinct alone, he was a threat and I…”

“And you removed him as a threat,” Scootaloo said with a sigh. “Taking a life isn’t something to be done lightly. I know, I’ve had to kill more than a few times to keep these ponies safe. Every time you do it, you lose a little part of yourself.”

“It’s not going to get any easier, is it?” Sea Spray asked softly as she looked between the two Pegasi. “I can’t do this. We can’t let them hurt ponies sure, but I don’t know if I can kill them either.”

“You’re going to have to look deep in yourself and make that choice for yourself,” Jasper said as she looked at her Grandmother. “We can’t tell you what you should do. You need to decide whether or not you’re ready for this kind of thing.”

Sea Spray leaned back in her seat for a moment as she levitated a mug of tea to her lips and took a long drink. She had grown up in Ponyville, she knew how much this kind of thing would mean to the ponies who lived there.

She had said that she was going to be their last hope. Was she actually going to be able to do that though? She looked between the two Pegasi for a long moment as she tried to think about it for the longest time.

She took a long drink of her tea and sighed a little as she set it down again. “I don’t know what I want to do honestly. Part of me wants to help ponies, but part of me is afraid of what’s going to happen next. Still, I know that I’m the only one who can do this right now. I’m going to do what I can, and hopefully, we’ll figure some way around that.”

“Okay, I understand,” Scootaloo said softly as she hugged Sea Spray gently. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I don’t know honestly,” Sea Spray smiled weakly. “But this Driver has marked me for the Hive. I’m not sure if I should even stay in town.”

“We’ve all got a mark on our heads,” Jasper said. “And you’re not going to do this alone forever. We’re going to use the technology that we found here and build our own Drivers. Right Grandma?”

“Right, we just need some time,” Scootaloo replied. “But we’re going to be fighting by your side, we all will. The resistance has survived this long without Kamen Riders, and we’re not going to let you get hurt or worse.”

“Thanks,” Sea Spray said and smiled softly. “Scootaloo, thank you.”

“For what?”

“You, Jasper, and Sweetie Belle were the closest thing I had to a family growing up,” the Unicorn replied. “I never knew my biological family, and sometimes I wonder about them. But at the same time, you’ve been the best family I could ask for.”

Scootaloo and Jasper nodded and hugged her tightly. Sea Spray closed her eyes and just enjoyed the hug for the longest moment. There was still a lot of uncertainty, she just had to hope that everything was going to be okay.

00000

Sea Spray took a seat on the stage in Sugarcube Corner. She smiled a little as she looked out at the gathered ponies. The old restaurant was still in the hooves of the Cake family and she had played here a few times over the years. She leaned down and opened her guitar case as she strummed it experimentally for a moment, using her magic to tune it a bit.

“This is a little something I wrote recently,” Sea Spray spoke into the microphone as she looked at Jasper, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo who gave her a nod. “This is something that I think we can all related to in this town.”

She started to play a song as the drummer behind her joined in after a moment. It had a strange beat to it, sounding almost like something moving as she began to play.

“She’s good,” Sweetie Belle said softly as they listened to the younger Unicorn play. “Did she really just write this?”

“Yeah,” Jasper said. “I helped a little, but I think she’s proud of it.”

“Is she going to be okay?” Scootaloo asked. “It’s been a few days since the attack, how do you think she’s doing?”

“I think, she’s going to be just fine,” Jasper said after a long moment. “It’s not going to be easy for her. It’s not really going to be easy for any of us, but I have faith in her.”

She looked between her grandmothers who shared a smile for a moment and gave her a nod. Jasper looked back at her old friend who was singing along to the music. The Unicorn mare closed her eyes as she sang, letting the music run through her.

Somehow, this felt right to Jasper. The song had the sound of a train moving down a track. There hadn’t been a train in the Safe Zone for decades, but it had become a symbol of hope. Of moving on and finding a place outside.

This was her song. This was everypony’s song.

“I want to breathe the open air,
I want to see the world out there.
And Run,
To leave the tunnels of the mind.
I want to breathe the open air,
To shed the masks I’ve had to wear.
And run,
To leave the depths and dark behind,
Free, unconfined.

I watch the sun rise,
In skies so clear.
We learn the outside,
There’s hope out here.
Free, unconfined.”

Chapter 3: Shadow

View Online

“Come on, this way,” Sea Spray said as she pulled an Earth Pony mare with a light green coat and yellow-green mane and tail tied into pigtails into an empty building. “Stay down and be quiet.”

The Earth pony mare looked at her terrified for a moment but listened as she pressed herself against the wall. Sea Spray glanced out the door behind them towards the street outside. A few ponies were making their way down the street looking for something as she quickly shut the door and locked it.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this…” The Earth Pony mare said as she shrunk down a little. “Maybe I should just…”

“No, don’t think like that,” Sea Spray said as she slid down the wall next to the younger mare. “Listen to me Lime, this isn’t your fault.”

“Yes it is, I ran away from them and brought this down on the town,” Lime said with a sigh. “Maybe I should just go turn myself over to them. Right now I’m more of a liability than anything else.”

"Calm down, Lime, we'll get through this, somehow," Sea said with a sigh as she looked at her bag for a moment. She couldn't hear Scarab's voice right now, and even though they had barely known each other it made her feel strangely alone as she thought about him for a moment. "There has to be a way to avoid the searchers and get to the old Farmhouse."

"I don't want something to happen to you just because of..." Lime started to say before Sea cut her off with a hoof on her face.

"We're here because of a lot of things, but you're only a small part of it," Sea said as she brushed her mane back a little. "They're not exactly thrilled about me either you know."

"What did you do, steal from one of the Princesses?"

"Yeah, kinda, but it was that or be taken away," Sea said as she sighed a little. "So, you know Appletown better than I do. Is there any way to get from here to the Farmhouse without drawing attention?"

Lime paused a moment as she looked around. She looked like she was thinking for a moment as she tried to figure out the best answer. Right now, this might be the only chance they had at getting out of the town and stop the attackers from doing who knows what to the others.

"What do you think we should do?" She asked.

"I don't know," Sea admitted as she closed her eyes.

How had she even gotten in this situation? With everything that was going on lately, being stuck in the middle of Appletown trying to keep this pony safe from the Changelings was the last thing she had expected.

As Lime tried to think about what to do, Sea thought back to what had gotten her in this situation to begin with.

00000

It had just been two days before they had found themselves in the middle of running from attackers in Appletown. Sea Spray and Jasper had been called to the base by Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The two older Mares were looking over screens of information when the friends came inside.

"Sea Spray, Jasper, perfect timing," Sweetie Belle said with a smile.

"Hey Grandma Sweetie, what can we do to help?" Jasper asked as she looked between her two Grandmothers. "Did something happen?"

"You might say that," Scootaloo said with a sigh as she looked up from the screen for a moment. "We're getting reports from Appletown that are getting a bit, distressing."

Appletown was the closest settlement to Ponyville, having been built by survivors of the Apple Family including Apple Bloom in the area around Sweet Apple Acres. The town was only slightly smaller than Ponyville was now, and the two of them had been there a few times.

"What's going on there?" Sea Spray asked with a worried look on her face.

"The mayor of the town is reporting Changeling activity," Sweetie Belle said as she looked at Scootaloo who gave her a nod. "Though, the odd thing is that there haven't been any reports of anypony going missing or being attacked. It's more like they're searching for something in the town itself maybe."

"Curious... perhaps from one of the Eastern Hives. Elusive and Crab Apple rarely actually need to take ponies or feed on them," Scarab said in Sea's mind. "Though infiltration is not exactly their usual M.O."

"So, you think something else is going on maybe?" Sea Spray asked as she looked up at the Scarab. "Can you think of anything that they might be interested in Appletown?"

"No, but then again I don't know everything about their hives," Scarab replied. "If it is their Drones, however, I am sure that they have some reason for being there. This is very unusual for them and it doesn't really fit any of the other Hives."

"Right," Sea Spray said before she looked back at the older mares. "Scarab thinks it might have been Drones from either Elusive or Crab Apples hives."

"Not a lot to go on, but it's a possibility," Scootaloo said as Sweetie Belle flinched a little at the mention of the two Princesses. "So, we need the two of you to go there and meet up with the Mayor."

"With all due respect Grandma Scootaloo, why us?" Jasper asked confused. "I mean, we've been out of Ponyville before sure, but this sounds like it should be given to somepony more experienced.”

"Normally yes, but given recent events, we decided that it would be better to send you two," Sweetie Belle answered as she nodded to the mechanical scarab. "I know that things aren't going to be easy for you, especially after what happened last time. However, I think that if you get out there and become more known to ponies it'll help a lot of them and you."

"And you won't be alone either," Scootaloo added. "We do have members of the Resistance in every town across the Safe Zone. You're going to be just fine, we just need a little bit of time. It may turn out to be nothing anyway, but it's a case of better safe than sorry."

"Well, I believe that she has a point," Scarab said. "I mean you could use more exposure if you ask me. Plus I'm getting bored in this town, I want to see more."

"Alright, we'll go," Sea Spray nodded as she played with her mane a little bit. "I mean if Jasper wants to go of course. I wouldn't ask her to do anything that she's not comfortable with."

"Yeah, I'll go, someone's gotta watch Sea's flank," Jasper said with a chuckle. "Are you sure about this though, Sea? I mean, you weren't even sure if you wanted to do the Kamen Rider thing after what happened before."

"I'll go," Sea said with a tone of finality in her voice. "This is something that I need to do if I'm going to be able to protect ponies, you know? I can't just stay in Ponyville for the rest of my life. I never thought I'd actually be a superhero or whatever, I feel like I'm stuck in some weird comic book."

"Yeah, but I know you're going to be just fine," Scootaloo said with a nod. "Sea Spray, you're the best chance we have right now. You said it yourself, you're our final hope. At least until we can build more Drivers of our own, you're the best chance we have at protecting ponies."

"But no pressure, right?" Sea snarked as she rolled her eyes a little at the older Pegasus. "I'll do my best out there though, I promise. Right now, that's about all I can do."

"Don't worry Sea, we have faith in you," Sweetie Belle said as she placed her hoof gently on Sea's withers. "You're going to be just fine. And don't forget, Jasper is going to be with you every step of the way."

"Yeah," Jasper said as she draped her wing over Sea gently. "You're my best friend, Sea, and I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"Alright, so, when do we leave?" Sea Spray asked as she smiled softly.

00000

"It's weird," Scarab mused as they walked out of town down the road that would take them towards Appletown.

"What's weird?" Sea asked as the Scarab flew around her and Jasper. "What's on your little insect robot mind?"

"Oh, just thinking about where I was made up in Canterlot really," Scarab said as he looked up towards the city in the distance. Canterlot looked nothing like the pictures from before the Changeling invasion depicted. Like all the Hive Cities it had been remodeled to more resemble black jagged structures. Even from this distance, they could make out the details of the Hive City.

Equestria had changed so much since the Changeling takeover. They just had to do whatever they could to keep it from changing even more.

"Do you feel homesick?" Sea Spray asked.

"Tch, no, I got poked and prodded all the time while I was there," Scarab said. "I was excited to be the first one out of the lab and work for the Princesses. I guess you'll have to do."

"Yeah, that makes me feel so much better," Sea said with a roll of her eyes. "Why do the Changelings even need you and the Driver anyway? It's not like we can do much against Changelings on their own if they actually tried to do something."

"No, but there are always others who will try," Scarab answered. "Shortly after the takeover, the Crystal Empire returned with King Sombra. That was only one threat that the Hive has had to face over the years while Ponykind has lived in relative safety. There will always be those who want to attack Equestria. The Hive Warriors were made to actually protect the Changelings more than anything else."

"Weird," Sea Spray said as she thought about that for a moment. It made a lot of sense though. She had heard more than a few stories about everything that had happened in the past. She had read stories about Nightmare Moon, Discord, and stories going even further back than that like Grogar or Tirek. "But that makes sense at least.

"What's weird?" Jasper asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm just talking with Scarab about why he was made," Sea said as she repeated what Scarab had told her.

"Yeah, then why bring it to the Pony Safe Zone if you weren't going to use it?" Jasper pointed out.

"Tch, the Princesses know what they're doing, I'm sure Prism Flash had her reasons," Scarab replied. "But that's not important right now, is it? I mean you have the Driver now and Prism isn't happy. She's going to do whatever she can to get it back, and that's assuming that Dusk doesn't make a new one for her. Though that's not going to be easy either."

"Because of course, it's not that simple," Sea sighed as she nodded a little. "So, what are we going to do now then? Go to Appletown and hope that something else doesn't come up?"

"Yes, I suppose that is our best option right now," Scarab replied.

The three of them walked on in silence for a while longer. Sea occasionally looked back up at Canterlot, the former capital of Equestria still dominated the sky above them. The road was how ponies moved from town to town and all trade was carried out across the road.

Sea had traveled this road a few times as well as talking with the traveling ponies. There were traders and storytellers that brought news of the rest of the towns around the safe zone. Usually, it was bad news, but there were always new stories that had always interested her.

She loved the stories of old Equestria. The tales of ponies like Twilight Sparkle and her friends and their adventures. She smiled a little as she thought back to the last group of travelers that had brought stories of the Pillars of Equestria. She wondered what they would think of the world as it had become.

She wished that one of them was still here so that she wouldn't have to do it all alone. Even with the resistance, it felt like she was going to be stuck doing this on her own. After all, right now she was the only Kamen Rider. She just had to hope that she was going to be able to survive long enough for that to change.

She smiled a little as she gave Jasper a nod. Right now, they had a mission to do and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were relying on them.

"So, it's been a while since I last went to Appletown," Sea mused as she looked back down the road. There was a fork up ahead that they were going to have to take in order to get to Appletown while the road continued on towards Canterlot Mountain. "Do you think it's changed much?"

"Probably not, it's the kind of town that stays the same for decades," Jasper shrugged. "I think right now we just need to focus on getting to the town though. If there really are Changelings there, who knows what kind of trouble they're going to be causing."

“Yeah,” Sea Spray said as they took a turn down the fork in the road. “It’s weird though. Something about all of this feels weird to me.”

“Tch, not that weird really given what I know about the other Hives,” Scarab said. “Believe me, this wouldn’t be the first time they’ve done something like this. They’re just not usually this, overt about it, something is weird I suppose.”

“Yeah…” Sea Spray said quietly as she looked towards Appletown down the road. “Let’s just hope that it’s nothing.”

"I doubt it’s nothing, but for now we'll just play it by ear," Jasper said with a sigh as she looked back at Sea Spray and Scarab for a long moment. "This isn't going to be easy, is it?"

"No, but what is anymore?" Sea pointed out as they walked down the road towards Appletown.

00000

"They're here, I can feel them," Scarab said in Sea's mind. "At least 6, they didn't send a lot of Changelings. And they're definitely not Soldiers this time."

Sea Spray paused a moment at that as she looked up at Scarab who shuddered a little. That was exactly what she had been afraid of. But that still raised a lot of questions, especially as to why they hadn't sent Soldier Drones as they had sent to Ponyville.

Something about this bothered her, and she just had to hope that they were going to be able to figure it out before somepony got hurt or worse.

"So, who are we supposed to meet with?" Sea Spray asked as they walked through town. A few ponies noticed them, but for the most part, they were ignored. They were at least known to the ponies around here so they didn't think they would get much trouble.

"Oh, uh, the Mayor of the town is the one who requested our help, so we should talk to him first probably," Jasper said as she took a scroll out of her bag and unrolled it. "Yes, here we are, Mayor Limeade, he's the one who requested assistance in the Changeling situation."

Sea Spray nodded a little as they headed to the Farmhouse. The Farmhouse was the center of Appletown and was one of two structures that were still standing from before the Changeling takeover. It had always been the home of the town's mayor and where everything was based out of.

A few ponies came in and out of the farmhouse as they walked towards it. There were two Unicorn guards that were armed with rifles and eyed the two of them suspiciously for a long moment.

"State your business here," the female guard said as they blocked their entrance to the Farmhouse.

"We're here from Ponyville," Jasper said as she unrolled the scroll and held it so the two could examine it. "Mayor Limeade requested assistance from my Grandmother and she sent us to help."

"Apparently she couldn't spare a lot of ponies," the male guard snorted as he looked at the two of them. "But fine, you may enter. But we're still going to keep an eye on you two. Any out of towners are under suspicion until the crisis is dealt with."

"Of course, we wouldn't expect anything else," Jasper said as the two Unicorns let them in.

"Are we really going to let them talk about us like that? I mean, Scootaloo sent us, that makes us representatives of Ponyville, right?" Sea Spray asked as they entered the Farmhouse. "Why did they act like we're the enemy?"

"Because they're in the middle of a crisis, I don't blame them, we probably would do the same thing in their shoes," Jasper said with a sigh as they were escorted by another pair of guards into the Mayor's office.

Mayor Limeade was an older Earth Pony stallion who was seated behind his desk working on some papers. He had dark green fur and a yellow-green mane that was cut short. He barely glanced up when they entered, only looking up when Jasper cleared her throat.

"Ah, Jasper, it's been so long," Limeade said with a smile as he got to his hooves and walked over to the two Ponyville mares. "I had hoped that my message would reach your Grandmothers. But I didn't think they'd send you."

"Well, they needed somepony they could trust to go on this mission," Jasper said and looked at Sea Spray. "I don't think you've met Sea Spray. She's here to help."

"Sea Spray, a pleasure, any friend of Jasper's is a friend of mine," Limeade said with a smile as he shook hooves with Sea for a moment. "Now, we should get to business I suppose. I wish that things have gotten better, but the truth is that they're just getting worse."

"Have there been any reports of Changelings in the town proper?" Sea asked.

"A few, but nothing concrete," Limeade said. "Mostly it seems to just be ponies jumping at shadows, you know? But the other night, I did see one, it was..."

He paused a moment as if whatever he was about to say pained him to think about, let alone say. He closed his eyes as he rubbed his temples for a moment.

"If you don't want to talk about it, it's okay," Jasper said. "We can figure out what's going on by ourselves if we have to."

"No, no, it's fine," Limeade replied quickly. "There was one that was on the roof of this very being is all. It looked like it was near my daughter's bedroom. But when I went to check on her, she was okay so..."

"So you're not sure if what you saw was real or if it was just a trick of the light or something?" Sea Spray asked and he nodded. "Alright, we'll investigate it as best we can. Did anything happen to your daughter recently?"

“Well, no…” Limeade said thoughtfully for a moment. “I mean, she was gone for a few days, but that’s not that unusual. She’s a weaver and often leaves the town in order to trade her wares with the other towns. Nothing really seems to be out of the ordinary though.”

“If the Changelings aren’t taking ponies or anything, then they’re likely looking for something,” Scarab suggested. “Perhaps there is something that we’re missing. I suggest that you at least attempt to talk to his daughter if there’s a chance she might know more.”

“Can we talk to your daughter?” Sea asked. “I mean, if it was outside her room, maybe she knows something?”

“I’ve already tried talking to her, she didn’t know anything about it,” Limeade said with a shake of his head. “I don’t see how it could do any good for you to talk to her.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try, and we can rule it out as a possibility at least,” Jasper added, catching on quickly. “She is the only pony who seems to have any possible connection to them. It wouldn’t hurt to investigate at least.”

“He’s hiding something, he feels nervous to me,” Scarab communicated to Sea.

Sea looked at Limeade for a moment and paused. Scarab was right, he was hiding it well, but the Mayor was shaking a little. He had been acting like that ever since they started talking about his daughter.

What did he have to be nervous about? Did he know something that he wasn’t telling them about?

“Well, we’ll help around town as best we can,” she said quickly as she looked at Jasper who shot her a confused look. “If there’s anything around the town we can help with, we’d be glad to help. We’ll keep an eye out for any Changelings in town as well.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” Limeade said as he dabbed the sweat from his brow. “I’m glad that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sent you two. Though I was expecting them to send more than two ponies.”

“Oh don’t worry, we’re more than enough right now,” Sea Spray said with a nod. At least, she hoped that was true but she was going to at least give him some hope.

“Okay, well I have some work to do so if you don’t mind,” Limeade replied as he gestured towards the door. “I’ll be here if you need to talk again.”

“Alright, come on Jasper,” Sea Spray said as she pulled her Pegasus friend.

“Wait, what?” Jasper asked confused. “But shouldn’t we…”

“I said come on Jasper,” Sea snapped as she used her telekinesis to yank the Pegasus back through the door with her and shut it behind her.

“What was that about?” Jasper demanded as she looked at her friend. “He knew something and we both know it. Why didn’t you question him more?”

“Because we both know that he wasn’t about to tell us what he knows,” Sea Spray replied with a sigh. Jasper really was like her grandmother Scootaloo sometimes. “We can’t just expect him to give us all the answers we need. We’ll ask around first and maybe we can find a way to talk to his daughter. Right now, that’s our best option.”

“Alright, I’ll trust you,” Jasper said. “I just hope you’re right about this.”

“Me too,” Sea said as they walked out of the Farmhouse together. “Whatever the Changelings are after in this town, we’ll figure it out. Come on, let’s ask around at least. There’s not much else we can do right now.”

Jasper nodded as the two mares headed out into the town together.

00000

“Sorry, I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary,” a mare answered as they finished asking her about it. “But if there really are Changelings in town, I’d rather they finish whatever their business is and leave us alone.”

"I see," Sea Spray said as she eyed the mare for a moment. That wasn't a response she had expected at least, but there wasn't much else they could do right now. "Well, thank you for your time anyway."

"Anything for a Ponyvillian," the mare said with a smile as she went back to work as Sea and Jasper walked down the street together.

"So, what do you think?" Sea asked as she looked at Jasper. "That makes three ponies we've talked to and not much information on where the Changelings might be or what they're up to."

"Well, you can't exactly expect them to broadcast their intentions," Scarab pointed out. "Changelings aren't always going to just walk up to you and try and steal your Driver you know. You got lucky last time, and I wouldn't expect it to happen regularly. "

"You've got a point, unfortunately," Sea said as she sighed a little bit. "Can you detect anything nearby that might give us a clue?"

"Tch, ponies can't do anything themselves apparently," Scarab replied as he paused a moment. "Nope, wherever they are they aren't close enough for me to pick them up. At least not with any real accuracy."

"Because of course, it wouldn't be that easy," Sea Spray sighed. "Alright, I guess we just need to keep looking around to see if we can get any more information."

"Yeah, I mean it's not like she's just about to show up in the middle of..." Jasper started to say. She let that thought trail off when they looked down the street to see a younger mare making her way down the street. She had light green fur with a yellow-green mane that was tied into two pigtails. She looked around nervously for a moment as she stopped at one of the shop stalls to buy some food. "Well, unless that's exactly what she does."

"Do you think that's her?" Sea asked.

"Yeah, I'd recognize that pony anywhere, let's go see if we can talk to her," Jasper said as they headed down the street to where the mare was ordering some fruits and vegetables from the stall pony.

"Let's see, I'll take three of those carrots... and 2 of those tomatoes..." she said as she pointed at the items, not noticing as the two mares were coming up behind her. "And one thing of lettuce."

"Alright, that'll be 15 bits," the owner said as the mare set the coins down on the wood in front of her as he went to get the food together.

"Hey Lime," Jasper said, which made the mare jump up and spin around. Her eyes went wide with surprised but she smiled when she saw Jasper there. "It's been a long time."

"Hey there Jasper," Lime said with a nod as the shop owner gave her the food. "My father said you were in town, I didn't expect to run into you out here. Who's your friend?"

"Sea Spray, this is Lime Cooler, she's the Mayor's daughter," Jasper said as she gave Sea a smile. "Lime, Sea's here to help look into the Changeling infiltration of the town. Your father said he saw one outside of your room the other night, do you know anything about that?"

"No... I... No," Lime said as she shook her head quickly. Scarab looked at her curiously for a moment as if trying to figure out what the mare was hiding. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. If there are Changelings around, then it has nothing to do with me."

"I don't believe her," Scarab told Sea. "There is something about her that I don't trust. I think she is hiding something."

Sea didn't say anything to him, she just examined Lime for a moment. The pigtailed mare didn't seem to be the kind of pony that would attract attention. Sure she was the Mayor's daughter, but that didn't automatically make her a target. Something about all of this was weird.

So the question now was, what really was going on with Lime Cooler? That was something they were going to have to figure out and fast.

"Lime, you can trust us," Sea said softly as she gave Lime a smile. "We're not going to hurt you or anypony else. We just want to help this town as best we can. Please, tell us what's wrong."

"I can't, not here," Lime said with a shake of her head as she carried the food away. "Meet me at the Farmhouse tonight at Midnight. My father can't know I'm meeting with you and he's usually in bed by that point. There's a lot you don't know, and I... I don't want to let it get out."

She quickly ran off with the food towards the Farmhouse. Sea frowned a little as she watched her leave, there was still something about this that she didn't like. Especially if she was Jasper's friend, she didn't like the idea of having to pry her secrets out.

“I don’t like this,” Jasper said as they started walking again. “Lime has always been pretty open and outgoing. Something is wrong and I don’t know what it is.”

“Yeah, I got the same impression,” Sea said with a nod as she looked back towards where Lime had left towards. “Should we go meet with her tonight?

“Yeah, something about all of this is weird,” Jasper nodded. “I hope she’s okay though. Come on, let’s see if we can find somewhere to eat and stay at least before we have to go talk to her tonight.”

Sea Spray nodded as they headed off into town.

00000

It was a moonless night as they made their way through the dim streets of Appletown to get to the Farmhouse. Sea Spray glanced out at the empty street for a moment. Nopony came out this late at night unless they were guards on patrol. So right now they were probably fine as long as they didn't draw attention to themselves.

Jasper didn't like sneaking around like this. It wasn't something that she usually did, but she knew that right now it was the only way to get answers. If there actually were Changelings in Appletown, this might be the best way of getting answers as to why.

She just didn't like having to put her friend in danger because of it.

As they reached the Farmhouse there was a dim light on in what had to be Lime's room. Jasper looked at Sea Spray who gave her a nod as she levitated the ladder that was laying on its side that Lime must've left there for them. They took a deep breath as they climbed up it and rapped lightly on the window.

"Oh thank the gods it's just you two," Lime said quietly as she opened the window. "Come in quickly before you're spotted."

"What's going on, Lime? Is everything okay?" Jasper asked as the two mares pulled themselves into the room and closed the window behind them. "You seem a bit, uh..."

"Not like myself?" Lime asked and looked down at her hooves for a long moment.

"Yeah," Jasper said with a sigh. "What happened to you? Is everything okay?"

"I... I guess I should show you," Lime said as she stepped back. Magic ran across her body as she looked down at her hooves as they became black with holes in them. Her back now sported a white carapace and her mane turned greyish white as she tried not to make eye contact with the two mares.

She was a Changeling.

"Tch, I thought I felt something familiar about her," Scarab commented. "However I don't understand why I didn't detect her connection to the Hive."

"How did this happen?" Sea Spray asked, ignoring Scarab's comment. "Did they take you away?"

"No, I got into an accident near the border with Princess Elusive's territory," Lime replied softly as she looked away. "I thought I was going to die. When I woke up, I found myself like... well like this. Apparently, some of Elusive's Changelings had found me and converted me to save my life. They wanted to bring me back to Manehattan, but I was able to fight back against the Hive and ran back here as fast as I could."

"Does your father know?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, he knows, he's done what he can to help me, but there's no way to reverse it," Lime answered with a quick shake of her head. "And I can hear them, they're prodding my brain whenever I even get close to them. They're not here to hurt anypony, they just want me to come back with them."

"I don't see why she doesn't, the Hive would be a better place for..." Scarab started to say before Sea Spray swatted at him again. "Shutting up now."

"You don't want to be in the Hive then?" Sea asked.

"No, I don't even know how I'm able to keep my sanity, I'm still me!" Lime exclaimed, tears starting to pour down her face. "My father is afraid of what will happen if everypony else finds out what happened to me. That's why he's been so distant, he called for your help because we know there are Changelings in town."

"Lime, we're going to help you," Sea said softly after a moment as she placed her hoof gently on the Changeling's shoulder. "I promise, we're not going to let them take you away unless you want to go with them."

"That also explains some of their weirder behavior," Jasper commented thoughtfully. "They're here on something of a search and rescue mission aren't they?"

"Yeah, they think I'm a lost sister or something like that," Lime answered weakly. "They want me back but they can't just grab me whenever they want without causing more problems for them."

"More problems?" Sea asked confused.

"You'll notice that there are only scattered reports of ponies actually being taken or known feedings," Scarab commented. "The Hive knows that if they put too much fear into the hearts of Ponies they won't be able to get food from them. Everything you do know about is either a way to keep the population from growing too large or a means to remind you that they're still here. Unfortunately, this makes a lot of sense the more I think about it."

"So, what are we supposed to do with her?" Jasper asked as she looked at Sea Spray. "We can't just leave her to be taken away by the Changelings. But at the same time, if her secret ever gets out..."

"Then she's going to be in trouble either way," Sea Spray agreed with a nod. "So, what are we going to do now? We don't have a lot of options."

"If it comes down to either me or my home town, I'll go quietly," Lime said softly as she looked at the two older mares. "I'm not worth the lives that could be lost if Elusive and her Hive decide to go all out to find me."

"One pony's life is more valuable than anything in the world," Jasper said and flinched a little when she realized what she had just said. "I mean, any being's life is more valuable. We're going to figure something out, I promise. I'm not going to let you be taken away to become a soldier or whatever the Elusive hive does."

"Oh I could tell her, but I think she'd be much happier not knowing," Scarab said with a telepathic chuckle.

"I think right now we need to focus on figuring out what to do," Sea Spray said quickly as she rolled her eyes a little at the two of them. "Trust me, we've got a lot to figure out and the last thing we need right now is to worry about that. Lime, you're not going to be given over to the Changelings."

"You really mean it?" Lime asked quietly.

“Of course,” Jasper said with a nod and smiled a little. “You’ve got a Kamen Rider here. She’s going to do everything she can to be Ponykind’s hope in these dark times. I mean, all our hope… sorry, this is hard to get used to.”

“Yeah, thanks for not being so overdramatic about it or put pressure on me,” Sea Spray said with a roll of her eyes. “But yeah, I’m going to do everything I can at least. With everything that’s been going on, I feel like we need it.”

“Thank you, I know I’m not a pony anymore, but…” Lime started to say.

“No, you’re still a pony at your core,” Sea corrected her. “Your body is different, but you didn’t let yourself become part of the Hive. That’s something that not just anypony can do. Don’t let go of that and you won’t ever stop being a pony at the core.”

“That is really cheesy advice, you know that right?” Lime pointed out with a chuckle.

“Yeah, I know,” Sea Spray laughed. “But it’s true. And we’re not going to let the Changelings get you. This is your home, just like Ponyville is ours. And they can only take that away from you if you let them.”

“Thank you, both of you,” Lime said. “This is the first time I’ve actually told anypony else about what happened to me. I know that not everypony will understand as you two have, but I can only hope that some of them will.”

“Still, I wouldn’t tell them unless it's necessary,” Sea said and they both gave Lime a hug as she changed back into her pony form. “We should probably get back to the inn. Let us know if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay,” Lime said with a nod as they headed back to the window and climbed down the ladder. Sea took one last look up and smiled when she saw a smile on Lime’s face too.

That gave her some hope that she was going to be okay.

00000

“Is she going to be okay?” Sea asked as she laid back on her bed in the inn. “I mean, with all the paranoia about Changelings, if it gets out it won’t go well for her.”

“I know, and it’s not like it’s unfounded,” Jasper said as she rolled over onto her side and looked at Sea. “I’m worried about her too. Her father is at least doing what he can, but it’s only a matter of time before she gets exposed.”

“Yeah, I can’t imagine being in that situation…” Sea said as she closed her eyes. “Tomorrow we need to see if we can find the Changelings that are after her I guess. What can you tell me about Elusive’s Hive, Scarab?”

"They're part of the farming hive so to speak," Scarab answered. "They and Crab Apple's Hive are in charge of figuring out how to overcome the need for Pony Love. I don't really know how successful they are, but..."

"Wait, if the need to feed on pony love is removed, won't that mean they'll just sweep in and take us all?" Sea Spray said as Jasper blinked in confusion.

"Well, yes that is a general idea, tch you ponies are so slow sometimes," Scarab commented. "I don't think they've been very successful in making it work on a large scale though."

"That's not the point, you're telling me that we're all just living on borrowed time?" Sea asked.

"Well duh, it's been that way for decades, I'm surprised you mono-minded beings didn't think of it as a possibility," Scarab retorted. "Tch, the lack of a Hive Mind must be so limiting for your species. Such a shame really."

"We survive just fine without some fancy hive mind," Sea pointed out as she fell back onto the bed and sighed. "I'm done talking to you Scarab. I don't give a crap what you think about our species, but we're getting along just fine. We've survived this long without some crazy Hive Mind and I don't think we're going to need that changed anytime soon."

"Do I want to know what you two are talking about?" Jasper asked as she looked between the two of them. "This is getting really annoying you know. It feels like I'm only hearing half of a conversation."

"Sorry, I'm not really a fan of having this guy in my head either," Sea sighed as she looked back at Jasper. "If there was some way to do this then..."

"Oh, why didn't you just say something?" Scarab commented as magic flowed out of his body and a form started to come into view.

A Unicorn Stallion now stood there in front of the two with a lavender coat and a dark purple mane. He had a cutie mark of a scarab and the familiar shape of the mechanical insect was attached to his neck.

"You could do that the whole time and you didn't even think to do it?" Jasper deadpanned. "Seriously? Not once did you mention that you could do that?"

"You never asked," Scarab said as he straightened himself out a little bit. "Tch, I'm not exactly about to tell you all my secrets you know. The only reason I've been this helpful is that I want to know more about your little pony lives. This is a mere curiosity, you must understand."

"Yeah, you picked a real winner here," Jasper groaned as she looked back at Sea Spray. "What are we even going to do with him? We only have two beds in here after all."

"Well, I suppose I could always share a bed with..." Scarab started to say before he was cut off by Sea.

"No, that won't be necessary, just go back to your normal form and we'll figure this out tomorrow," Sea snapped at him. "You've done quite enough thank you. I'd rather not have to sleep in the same bed as you."

"You're no fun, you know that right?" Scarab said with a roll of his eyes. "But before I do that, if either of you has any more questions, now would be a good time to ask them. Creating this form requires a lot of energy after all, and I'm going to need to recharge this late at night."

"Well, you don't like ponies very much, right?" Jasper asked.

"Not particularly, you have your uses but that's about it," Scarab shrugged.

"Okay, so why work with Sea Spray?"

"Ah, an excellent question," Scarab replied. "I told you I'm here to learn more about ponies. I'm just curious mostly and since it makes it easier to do so when I stay close to Miss. Spray, then I see no need to leave her alone."

"Figures, I'm apparently a lab rat to him," Sea Spray sighed. "Okay, so why are you able to work with me at all? You said something before about not expecting to see something like me. Why can you work with me if you were built to work with Changelings?"

"That is an excellent question," Scarab commented as he stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "Rarely you get ponies who are capable of tapping into Changeling magic. It's likely that somewhere in your family line you have either a hybrid if not a full-blooded Changeling. It's rare, but not unheard of. That is the only real explanation I can think of, this is as much a mystery to me as it is to you."

"Great, that's really helpful," Sea Spray snarked as she looked back at Jasper for a long moment. "What are Lime's chances of escaping the Changelings right now?"

"Elusive's Hive is not warriors, they're here because they are looking for a lost sister," Scarab said. "It's not going to be easy to avoid them, however. Tch, I think she's better off just going back to Manehattan with them."

“You know she doesn’t want to do that,” Sea Spray said with a sigh as she closed her eyes. “This is her home. Even if she’s a Changeling, she shouldn’t have that taken away from her.”

She rolled over onto her side and drifted off to sleep while Jasper did the same. Scarab watched the two for a long moment as he stroked his chin. Such a curious answer, these mono-minds were curious creatures to him.

He returned to his insect form and rest on the stand next to Sea Spray. He needed to recharge his magic after all, and there wasn’t much he could do right now anyway.

00000

That night, Sea tossed and turned in her sleep as she tried not to think about the situation with Lime. Ever since she had found Scarab, her sleep had been getting more and more restless and tonight was no different.

In her dream, she found herself being carried along by Changeling guards until she was dropped in front of Prism Flash who grinned down at her. She laughed a little as she pushed Sea's head up to look her in the eyes.

"Ah, so here's the little mare who thought she could defy the will of the Hive and steal from me," she said with a fanged grin. "Did you really think you could resist us forever? The Hive is inevitable."

"Let me go!" Sea Spray said as she struggled against her bonds. "I don't want this! Please, just let me go!"

"Oh, we'll let you go indeed, as soon as you become one of my soldiers," Prism said with a fanged grin as her horn started to glow and the cocoon formed around Sea. "You know you want it. You've always known deep down that it is your destiny to become one with the Hive."

Sea tried to scream but no sound came out as she was flooded with liquids. The last thing she saw as the cocoon closed up was Prism's smiling face. The Princess blew her a kiss as it closed up and she was encased in the green fluids.

"Come, sister... you know you want this..." the voices echoed around her. "You want to be a Changeling. You want to serve your Princess and to be part of the warmth and love of the Hive."

"No, I don't!" Sea cried out as she tried to break out of the cocoon with her hooves. "I'm not a Changeling, I'll never be a Changeling! I'm not one of you!"

"Oh... but you will be my child, you see... it is already too late," the voices echoed in her mind. "You are already one of us, you just don't know it yet."

And with that, the cocoon turned reflective and Sea Spray screamed as she saw her reflection. Staring back at her was a Changeling with the same manestyle as her. She struggled even further as she realized that something was grabbing hold of her and tried to pull herself away.

"Sea!" A voice echoed around her as her eyes finally snapped open and she realized that she was being shaken awake by Jasper. The Pegasus was looking at her worriedly as she tried to pull herself together. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I... I have to see myself!" Sea said as she bolted upright and ran into the adjacent bathroom. Breathing heavily she lit the lamp again and stared at herself in the mirror. She let out a sigh of relief when her normal Unicorn face stared back at her. "Oh thank the Gods..."

"Are you okay?" Jasper asked as she stood in the doorway behind her. "You gave me quite the fright with all of that. I thought you were being attacked or something."

"No... no, just a bad dream," Sea said as she splashed water onto her face from the sink. "I think I'm just getting jumpy with everything that's going on. I'll be fine though, just need a moment to calm down."

"If you say so, I swear if you were screaming any more you'd actually start saying bloody murder," Jasper said as she trotted over to her friend and gently wrapped her wings around her. "It's going to be okay, Sea. I'm here for you whenever you need me."

"Thanks..." Sea said as she looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. "I don't think I can sleep alone tonight..."

"Alright, I'll keep you company," Jasper said with a soft smile as she hugged Sea for a long moment. "Anything for the best friend in all of Equestria. Besides, I know you would do the same for me."

"Yeah," Sea Spray said with a smile as they walked back into the bedroom part of the inn room for a moment and laid down together. Sea smiled as she felt her best friend's wings wrapping around her gently as she snuggled up against her. "Thank you, Jasper."

"You're welcome," Jasper said as she held Sea close to her. She then added jokingly. "And plus now I get to tell everypony that I slept with you."

"Very funny," Sea said with a roll of her eyes. "Plus we already slept together, remember? When we got really drunk that one night?"

"I know, but I'm not counting it because we were drunk," Jasper chuckled as she stroked Sea's long mane gently. "Don't worry Sea, everything is going to be okay. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that you'll be okay."

"Thank you," Sea said quietly as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep again.

Jasper smiled a little as she cradled her friend in her wings gently. It wasn't that she wouldn't ever have that kind of feelings for Sea, but she wasn't sure if the Unicorn would ever feel the same way. Right now, she just wanted to make sure that her best friend was comfortable.

She glanced at Scarab and the mechanical insect was watching the two of them with a strange interest. "What are you looking at bug boy?"

Scarab just turned around and returned to dormancy mode as Jasper smiled a little and closed her eyes as she drifted off to sleep. The two of them had the best sleep they had in a long time

"So curious," Scarab mused to himself. "I swear if I fed on love I'd probably explode if I tried to feed on those two."

He laughed a little and returned to his dormancy state. There was a long day ahead of all of them tomorrow.

00000

Sea Spray sighed a little as she headed out into town the next day. Jasper was talking with some other ponies so right now it was just her and Scarab. She stretched out a little bit as she took a deep breath.

“You’re quiet today,” Scarab commented. “Is this about that dream you had last night?”

“How did you…” Sea started to say when she realized the answer quickly. “Right, the telepathic connection thing. But, yeah, it’s not helping right now with everything that’s going on. What did that dream even mean?”

“Calm down, everything is going to be just fine,” Scarab said. “Tch, you ponies are so easily agitated. Don’t worry, just be careful, okay? The last thing you need right now is for something to distract you.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Sea said as she headed towards the Farmhouse. If nothing else she needed to check on Lime.

“So, you’re the one who Princess Prism is all up in a tizzy about,” a voice said from behind her making her jump. “I was somehow expecting way more.”

Sea turned around to see a Unicorn mare standing there. She had a red coat with a neatly styled golden mane. She smiled a little to reveal a quick flash of her fangs.

“Who are you?” Sea demanded of the Unicorn mare. “What are you doing here?”

“You can call me Scarlet,” the mare answered as she moved in closer. “I wanted to talk to you about our sister. We just want her back and we’ll leave this town alone. Do you really want to put all of Appletown at risk because of one Drone?”

“She doesn’t want to leave, and she’s not a Drone, she’s still who she used to be,” Sea Spray retorted with a shake of her head. “I’m not going to let you take her away, not now and not ever.”

“And what will happen if the locals here find out she’s one of us?” Scarlet pointed out. “This isn’t the first time this has happened you know. Every time it happens and the new Changeling gets exposed they will be ostracized and exiled at best. We just want to bring our sister home, we have no quarrel with you.”

“She doesn’t want to go with you,” Sea Spray said as Scarlet just shook her head a little. “This is her home, not the Hive. It should be her choice, not either of ours.”

“It’s for the best for both her and the town,” Scarlet snorted. “As long as she’s here, there will always be a risk of her being exposed. If she comes back with us then she will be able to live her life normally with her brothers and sisters in the Hive. Wouldn’t that be better for her?”

“And take her away from her family and friends?” Sea Spray pointed out. “You would take her away from everypony she ever knew?”

“If it means that she doesn’t have to be afraid for the rest of her life, then yes,” Scarlet replied. “You ponies seem to forget that for the longest time, we were nothing more than outcasts. Now we have built a world for ourselves and we want you in it. She’s better off with her own kind at this point.”

“Maybe, but that’s her choice to make,” Sea Spray said with a sigh as she started walking again. “The Hive is not the be all and end all you know. You cannot force everypony to join.”

“Maybe, but in time you will see that I’m right,” Scarlet said as she started to walk off. “She is much better off with her own kind as I said. And if given enough time, she will understand that too.”

“What do you mean?” Sea demanded.

“What do you think I mean?” Scarlet snorted as she stopped again. “The Hive brings warmth and love to all who join it. She is a Drone who is completely alone, cut off from the Hive. It may not happen today, but in time, she will start to desire the Hive. And when that happens, she will either come to Manehattan or make her own.”

Scarlet walked off without another word as Sea stood there for a long moment. What was she going to do now? She sighed a little and headed off towards the Farmhouse again, this was going to be a long day.

Chapter 4: Light

View Online

“That’s insane,” Jasper said as Sea Spray met up with her again an hour later. “How are we going to tell this to Lime? I mean, she already knew they were after her, but…”

“Yeah, I know,” Sea replied as she sighed a little. “I honestly have no idea what we’re going to do about this though. What if they’re right and it would be better for her to go back with them?”

"I don't think we should do that either," Jasper commented. "But the fact of the matter is that Scarlet is right about one thing. The general reaction to finding out about Changelings is, not good. Lime is a good pony, but they're more than likely to run her and her father out of town if they find out what happened to her."

"Yeah," Sea sighed as she brushed her mane back for a moment. "I can only imagine what she'd go through if it was exposed. I just, I don't really know exactly what we should do to help her at this point. Lime is a good pony and really doesn't deserve to be exiled or worse."

"Tch, she really should just go to the Hive already, it's her place now anyway," Scarab commented as he rested on Sea's head for a moment. "But there's not a lot you can do, to be honest. She's a Changeling now and the hive..."

"Okay, you shut up there, it's ultimately her choice whether or not she leaves," Sea said as she growled a little at the mechanical insect. "You're not helping, you know that right? She's still who she used to be and... what's so funny?"

"You don't get how the Hive works, do you?" Scarab asked. "You don't lose yourself in the Hive, you retain your individuality and personality despite the connection to the Hive. She's not going to be that different, she'll just become part of the Hive, it's really not nearly as bad as you think."

"Yeah, we're still not letting her do it unless it's her choice," Sea said as Scarab landed and recreated his pony form. "Even if there is a risk to her staying, it should be her choice. There has to be better options than just the Hive and her staying here in secret."

“We could always talk to my grandmothers and see if we can bring her back with us,” Jasper shrugged. “But they might not accept her easily. We need some sort of plan.”

"Yeah," Sea Spray commented as she thought about it for a long moment. She looked out towards the Farmhouse for a long moment as she thought about it. "I'm scared. I don't know what the Changelings are going to do to this town if we aren't able to resolve it."

"That would depend on the standing orders from Princess Elusive," Scarab answered. "They usually don't take ponies for conversion or feeding as I said before. Your friend was a rare case because she had been wounded. It may be hard to accept, but the Changelings saved her life by doing this."

"Yeah, left her to a life where she's ostracized by everypony she ever knew out of fear, that makes me feel so much better," Jasper snorted. "I need to get word to my Grandmothers right now. Hopefully, they'll know what to do. Right now, there's not a whole lot we can do."

Jasper walked off towards the local post office. They'd be able to send the message to Ponyville quickly enough, right now she just had to hope that they would have some idea of what to do.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Scarab asked as they started out of the room in the Inn they were staying in together. "You're not exactly in much of a position to stop those Drones."

"What will happen if we stop them?" Sea asked as she looked at Scarab worriedly for a moment.

"Most likely Elusive herself will get involved," Scarab sighed. "She knows everything that her Drones are doing. The good news is that she is more likely to be willing to listen to reason than Prism. It's still not going to be easy mind you, but it may be possible."

"So, what, we have to figure out a viable alternative to giving her over to the Hive?" Sea Spray asked. "Exactly what would that even be?"

"Who knows at this point," Scarab admitted. "The Princesses are dedicated to the cause of the Hive, however. And also to the preservation of the Changeling species. That may be our advantage here if we can convince her that it will be the best way."

"So, we just have to convince one of the most powerful Changelings in Equestria to not take her away, fun," Sea Spray groaned. "Anything else you want me to do? Maybe put out a house fire with a glass of water?"

"Don't worry, you'll figure something out," Scarab snorted. "Ponies are a very resilient species, that much I've learned already. You wouldn't have been willing to risk your life and fight to save yourself and your friends otherwise."

"Yeah, I guess that's true," Sea agreed as they headed out into Appletown's main street. "I just hope that we're really going to be able to save her. She doesn't deserve all of this."

"No, I suppose she doesn't," Scarab said as they walked together. "I'm going to go look around town more. Perhaps I can negotiate with the Changelings somehow."

"You'd do that?"

"Of course, we are partners after all," Scarab said with a soft smile. "I may not particularly like ponies, but there is something about you that intrigues me. I'll meet you at the Farmhouse later, I suggest seeing if you can find Lime at this point. Right now the Farmhouse is the safest place for her and I believe she's out in town somewhere. I can sense here faintly now."

And with that, the two parted ways. Sea Spray looked back at Scarab for a moment. He was certainly odd, but right now she didn't have many other options.

She sighed and started looking around town for Lime.

00000

"What did you want to see me about?" Scootaloo asked as she entered the lab where Tinker and Vira were working. "I hope it's good news. We've had a long few days."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that we're almost done with Project Lux," Tinker said as she turned around in her chair and nodded to the project that she was working on right now. We managed to tap into the magic of the stone that was provided to us by the Pie family. I'm amazed really, I didn't think the magic from a stone like this could be this powerful. It's just a matter of finishing the magical interface system."

"Can I take a look?" Scootaloo asked and Tinker nodded a little as she moved to the side and pointed at the object.

The object resembled a belt buckle similar to the Change Driver that Sea Spray used. However, instead, it was bronze with the shape of a shield at the center. It had a moderately sized hole in the center with several wires sticking out of it. When she examined it closely she realized that it was a magitek system, though one that was incomplete.

"How long do you think until it's done?" She asked as she looked back at Tinker.

"A few days at most," Tinker replied. "That Change Driver gave us a good boost on how to finish the Guardian Driver. It's impressive really if she wasn't a Changeling who designed it I would love to pick the maker's brain."

"Well, that's good," Scootaloo said as she noticed there were bags under the mare's eyes. "You should get some sleep, the last thing we need is a tired technician. The project will be there in the morning you know."

“Yes ma’am,” Tinker said as she secured the project she had been working on. “There is one thing though, ma’am. To make sure it properly works we’re going to need somepony to actually use it. Do you have somepony in mind?”

Scootaloo paused a moment at that. She honestly wasn’t sure yet, whoever it was would likely be required to fight the Changelings. While she, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom had discussed it, none of them were really sure who they would give it to.

That was something to figure out later. She headed back to the main room of the Resistance HQ where Sweetie Belle was waiting. She smiled a little as she hugged her wife.

“Hey Scoots,” Sweetie said as she nuzzled the old Pegasus gently. “We got a message from Jasper and Sea Spray.”

"Oh?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at the paper that was on the table in front of them. "What does it say?"

"Well, uh, it sounds like they've got a tricky situation going on in Appletown," Sweetie Belle said with a frown as she levitated the paper up to Scootaloo. "You're not going to believe this..."

Scootaloo read it over as she narrowed her eyes at the paper for a moment. The message detailed everything that had been going on in Appletown. She honestly had no idea what to think about this. She had known Mayor Limeade and his daughter for years, and now she was a Changeling? This whole thing felt so, weird.

"This is bad," she finally said as she set the paper down again and looked back at Sweetie Belle. "Elusive is your sister, do you think she's going to get involved in this personally?"

"Probably, if there's anything left of Rarity in there she'd do it," Sweetie Belle sighed. A tear fell from her eye as Scootaloo gently brushed it away. "I don't know what to do, to be honest. I've always hoped that Rarity was still in there somewhere, but I just don't know anymore."

"Yeah," Scootaloo said as she looked at the paper for a long moment. "We don't really know, do we? But still, maybe we should send some help to Appletown. I mean with everything that's going on there, it sounds like they could use it. Kind of a shame Project Lux isn't done yet."

"It's almost done then?" Sweetie asked curiously.

"Yeah, I just talked with Tinker actually," Scootaloo nodded as she gestured towards the door to the lab. "Apparently it's just a matter of finishing the magitek interface on the Guardian Driver. Still, I don't know if it's going to be enough right now. Seems like we've gotten in the middle of a Rider arms race."

"Maybe, but given the alternative, it might be our only option," Sweetie Belle pointed out. "Prism's attack on you the other night shows that they're getting closer to their goal. The Riders are our only option at the moment if we want to win this war."

"Yeah, I know," Scootaloo lamented as she pulled her wife in close. "I'm scared, with everything that's going on I'm afraid that things will just get worse and worse. I just hope that everything will be okay."

"Everything will be fine," Sweetie reassured her. "Now come on, we need to figure out what we're going to do about Appletown. We could send some of the town guards, but that would just attract more attention."

"Yeah, I know," Scootaloo said as she thought about it for a long moment. "I guess we'll have to figure something out then, for now, we'll send word back. Here's hoping that Sea Spray is going to be enough for the moment at least."

"Well, it's not like she's there alone," Sweetie pointed out. "Jasper is there too, and if anypony can help her get out of this bind it's her. So, we just have to figure out what we're going to do about the Mayor's daughter. The fact that she was able to resist the Hive's influence actually means a lot."

"Right," Scootaloo agreed. "We may have to talk to you know who, he may be able to help her if it comes to that."

"You're not suggesting we turn the poor girl into a spy are you?" Sweetie asked.

"No, no, of course not," Scootaloo replied. "It sounds to me more like she's scared of what might happen. However, if it comes to that he can give her a place within the Hive, it wouldn't be the first time he's done that with a Drone."

"Yes, well, I think that option should be up to her," Sweetie said. "But I will include it in the message at least. If it gives her a chance to make it out of this without being consumed by the Hive, then it may be our best option."

"Yeah," Scootaloo sighed as they started to write the message to send to Appletown."

00000

"Hey Lime," Sea Spray said as she finally found Lime. She was in one of the fields on the far edge of Appletown sitting under the old Crusader Treehouse. "Mind if I join you?"

"Go ahead, can't promise I'll be an interesting conversationalist," Lime said as she leaned back on the steps.
"Do you want to talk about what's going on?" Sea asked as she took a seat next to Lime.

"No, not really," Lime sighed. "My dad doesn't even want me leaving the Farmhouse right now. I've basically had to convince him to let me out of my own house. I feel like an outcast or a prisoner in my own home. I didn't ask to be turned into a Changeling, I'm still me, and he still treats me like this. Do you even know what that's like?"

"No, I honestly don't," Sea admitted as she looked down at her hooves. "But I know that you're not any different than you used to be. I can't imagine what you're going through right now."

"Nopony can, at least nopony that lives around here," Lime groaned. "I'm scared that I'm going to lose myself because of this."

Sea thought back to what had happened earlier with Scarlet, she was starting to realize more and more that the Changeling was at least partially right. They hadn't even exposed the truth about Lime yet and it was already eating away at her. But what choice did they have?

"You're going to have to make a choice I guess," Sea finally said. "You can live here and let your fear consume you, or you can go with them. But there aren't a lot of good alternatives right now, I don't even know what would happen if you came back to Ponyville with us right now. If you want my advice, you should do whatever you feel is right."

"Yeah, that doesn't help at all, I don't know what that is," Lime said. "And the more I think about it, the more the Hive almost feels like where I should be. I'm scared that if I don't go, I'll do something stupid here. But if I go, I'll become something I'm not."

"And if you don't go, we don't know what might happen," Sea Spray agreed. "The fact of the matter is that it is ultimately your choice as to what you do. This is your home here in Appletown, all your memories are from here. You're going to be just fine, you just need to make a choice. We sent a message to Jasper's grandparents explaining..."

"Wait, you told them about this?" Lime asked as her eyes went wide. "I didn't say you could do that."

"They're good ponies and they may have a solution that we're not thinking about," Sea Spray pointed out. "Just give them a chance, okay? I know it's a long shot but they're dedicated to protecting everyone in the Safe Zone."

"Yeah, everyone who isn't a bug," Lime snorted. "But maybe you're right. I just wish that I could be a normal pony again right now."

"It'll be okay," Sea reassured her. "You are who you were before, that hasn't changed at all. So, how about you put a smile on your face and let's go see if they replied yet?"

"Yeah, okay," Lime said as they got to their hooves.

They were about to walk off together when there was the sound of hooves on the path leading up to the treehouse. Sea Spray looked down the path and narrowed her eyes when she saw Scarlet walking towards them.

"Be careful, that's their leader," Sea whispered to her. "Just stay calm, and if you hear her talking to you, don't listen."

"Right," Lime said as they started through the fields together.

Sea Spray automatically reached for her Driver before she remembered that Scarab had gone back to talk to Jasper. She cursed under her breath at that, the one time that he would've actually been useful and she was on her own.

"Well, I didn't expect to run into you here," Scarlet said as the two stopped in mid-stride. "I'm guessing you two have been talking then? Perhaps I can help you make a more informed decision."

"What are you talking about?" Sea Spray said as she put her hoof in front of Lime. "Any information she gets from you is going to be filled with lies and deception."

"If you knew the true joys of the Hive, then you would gladly join too," Scarlet laughed as she showed her fangs for a moment. "Lime, everything is going to be okay. We don't mean you or your town any harm."

"Then why did you make me into one of you?" Lime demanded. "I didn't want this!"

"You were dying," Scarlet said simply as she frowned a little bit. "We are not heartless monsters from some drama. We found you on death's door. It was not an act of malice that brought you into our embrace, but of love. You have to understand Lime, you would have died long before anypony would've found you. It was the only way to save your life."

"Well, uh, thanks..." Lime replied before shaking her head a little. That had done nothing but momentarily confuse her, even if it was true. "But that doesn't mean I have to go back to your Hive."

"Please, you're our sister now, all we want is what's best for you," Scarlet said. Sea was surprised to see an actual look of concern on the Drone's face. Was it possible that she actually wasn't lying about this and that she really did want what was best for her?

But at the same time, what really was best for her? RIght now that felt more subjective than anything else.

"I... I don't know what to do!" Lime cried out. "I don't want to leave my home, but I can't stay either! Both of you are tugging me in two different directions and I don't even know what I want to do anymore!"

"Lime, I'm sorry," Sea said softly as she shook her head a moment.

"The Hive knows what's best for her, the alternative is she stays here and the Queen only knows what might happen," Scarlet said. There was actually a twinge of sadness in her voice as if she didn't want this to happen either. "Lime, I'm going to ask one last time before we have to resort to other methods. Will you come with us?"

"No, I won't," Lime finally said. "I may not be entirely sure what I want to do with myself, but I know that much. I want to stay with my friends and family here."

"Then you choose to put them all at risk," Scarlet sneered. "I'll give you a head start back to town, but we will find you. This is your last chance."

"What do you mean?" Lime asked, suddenly more scared than ever. "What about this will put my town at risk?"

"You're a Changeling, Changelings seek out the hive," Scarlet answered. "And eventually, that instinct will become too strong for you to overcome. You may hurt your friends and family as a result, or if they find out they will throw you out or worse. Please Lime, we just want you with the Hive where you belong. It's what's best for everyone."

"I..." Lime said as she shook her head as if she was trying to get something out of it. "No, I can't... not right now."

"Then you've made your choice," Scarlet said. "But I'm not unreasonable. You have until you make it to Appletown to rethink your decision."

And with that, the Changeling changed into a white bird and took off as she flew towards the town proper.

"What are we going to do now?" Lime asked as she looked at Sea Spray.

"We need to get back to the Farmhouse," Sea said quickly. "If we make it there I can protect you from the Changelings. Right now, that's our only real option. I just hope that it's going to be enough."

The two mares headed towards the town together. And that is how we reached the point of the two of them making their way through town to get to the Farmhouse.

00000

"This is getting out of hoof," Limeade said as he looked out the window. Sea Spray and Lime had reached the Farmhouse without much more problems and had just finished explaining to the others what was going on. "You don't think they're going to start taking hostages or something, do you?"

"I honestly have no idea," Sea Spray admitted as she shook her head a little. "But we need to do something, we can't just let them take her away."

"Unfortunately if it comes to it, we might have to do that," Limeade said with a sigh. "Ponies are on the decline, we can't risk losing an entire town as long as Changelings are around."

"I'm sorry..." Lime said softly.

"Well, we might have a new option," Jasper said as she took out the message that her grandparents had sent them. "It's not an ideal situation but it might be just what we need. My grandmothers mentioned that they might be able to get in contact with Changelings that are sympathetic to Ponies."

"Wait, what?" Sea Spray asked. "There are Changelings who are sympathetic to Ponies?"

"Apparently, I don't really know how it works, but Grandma Scootaloo said that she's going to get in touch with one of them," Jasper answered. "Look, I really shouldn't say more than that because there's always the risk of them being found out. I don't really even know how it works, like, a Hive within a Hive or something like that."

"Huh, interesting," Limeade said. "Do you think that they might be able to help my daughter?"

"Maybe," Jasper said. "I've never met any of them personally of course. But if nothing else, it gives us a better option than we had before. It'll keep the town safe and it will give her a way to be herself without putting everything at risk."

"Yeah, maybe," Lime said as she leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment. "I don't want to be part of a Hive at all though. But at the same time, I don't want to put Appletown at risk."

"Lime, I'll always love you no matter what choice you make," Limeade said as he hugged his daughter tightly. "I don't want to lose you, but if this is the best option we have..."

"I'll think about it at least," Lime said with a nod.

"You better think fast, because I see Scarlet heading our way," Scarab said from the window as he walked back up to them. "Sea, are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Sea said as she gave him a nod. "Let's give this a try."

And with that Scarab dropped his pony form and flew over and landed on Sea's head. She gave him a nod as she walked out of the Farmhouse and onto the main street.

"Uh, wait, he wasn't a pony?" Limeade asked. "What was he?"

"Long story," Jasper replied. "Needless to say, she's the best chance the town has right now. Pray to whatever gods you believe in that they're going to be okay."

The earth ponies nodded as they watched what was going on from the window.

"You're still insisting on getting in our way I see," Scarlet said as she and Sea Spray stared each other down on Appletown's Main Street. "A shame really, you'd make a fine Changeling. I guess we'll have to deal with you one way or another."

"Lime doesn't want to join the Hive, Scarlet," Sea Spray said. "And it's not our place to force her to make a decision. Maybe you're right and she is in a bad position here, but there are always alternatives. You don't have to deal only in absolutes."

"Perhaps, but the best chance she has right now is to come back with us, after that we'll let her decide," Scarlet said. "Her place is with her own species. Even if she doesn't join the Hive, it is still the place she belongs."

"I'm going to give her a chance to decide to stay if she wishes," Sea Spray retorted. "She doesn't need to be given the choice after she's already experienced the Hive. We both know that defeats the purpose."

"Perhaps, but you're going to have to stop me," Scarlet said with a fanged grin as she turned into her Changeling form. A white and grey carapaced Changeling stood there with a white mane that had a streak of red through it. More of the Changelings fell in with her at the same time and Sea Spray took a step back. "We may not be soldiers like you fought before, but we're more than capable of holding our own."

“Well, let’s see if that really is true,” Sea Spray said with a nod as she looked up at Scarab. “Are you ready to do this again?”

“Of course,” Scarab replied as she got onto her hind legs and levitated the Change Driver around her barrel. Scarab’s wings buzzed as he flew into her hoof and she raised it up.

“Henshin!” She exclaimed as she slid the Scarab into the Driver.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!” The Driver called out as the energy flowed over her and the armor covered her as her tonfas appeared in her hooves.

“Not bad,” Scarlet said with a fanged grin. “We may not have the same combat forms as our brothers and sisters in Cloudsdale, but you will find that we are capable of taking on our own.”

She gave a twirl as her form changed until she was standing upright. Her body became red with golden highlights as it became more insectoid, her wings growing out to form into long beautiful insectoid wings. Her head became narrower with a vague eyes and face. Her arms resembled the sleeves of a dress as she held them out.

The other Changelings took on their own forms, smaller resembling basic insects with long tendrils.

“I thought you said they were love farmers,” Sea Said as she held her hands up. “Mind telling me what’s up with those forms?”

“Search me, the Changelings must be up to something new,” Scarab replied. Sea paused a moment at that, that wasn’t much of an answer was it? “But you’re faster and stronger than them. You can do this, but I’d focus on Scarlet, she’s probably the strongest of them.”

“Because of course she is,” Sea said as she ran forward at the Changelings, picking up speed as she did. She ducked an attack from one of them as she spun around and caught it across the face with a tonfa, causing it to fall back.

“Not bad, I’ll give you that, you’ve acclimated well to your gear,” Scarlet said as she raised her hand and it grew out into a long blade. “But we’re not going to let you get in our way. The Hive knows what is best for her.”

“No you don’t!” Sea said as she dodged another attack from a Changeling, only to have Scarlet’s blade slash across her chest. “Just because you think that’s what’s going to happen doesn’t really mean it will.”

“Really? Because this isn’t the first time,” Scarlet pointed out as she slashed at Sea again, but she caught it with her tonfas. “You lost half a town to this kind of thing ten years back. You’ve heard of Hillcrest, right?”

Sea Spray paused a moment at that. Hillcrest was the name of a town to the south of Ponyville. Indeed 10 years ago half the town had seemingly vanished overnight. She had gotten to know some of the foals that had moved to the orphanage after that.

"One isolated case isn't proof that it will happen here," Sea said as she kicked at the Changeling. "Lime is a good pony, she doesn't want to do anything to hurt the others."

"Neither did the last one," Scarlet said. For a moment Sea could've sworn she heard some pain in the Changeling's voice, was it possible she was telling the truth? No, she couldn't listen to this, why would a Changeling tell the truth about that?

"Changelings always come back to the Hive, one way or another."

"Well, we're going to make sure that she isn't forced back," Sea said as she spun around and slammed her tonfas into the Changeling's face. "She deserves to spend as much time with her friends and family as possible. Even if you saved her life, that doesn't give you the right to take that away from her!"

She was about to punch Scarlet when another Changeling grabbed her from behind. Scarlet steadied herself as she looked at the Rider in the visor for a moment. For a moment Sea could almost see the eyes of the Changeling behind the strange visage, and she looked furious.

"You're not going to be able to save everypony," she hissed. "You think you can put on some armor and run around Equestria protecting ponies? The world isn't that simple..."

She turned her hand back into a fist and slammed it hard into Sea's head. Scarlet shook her hand a little as she raised her fist to strike again.

"This world is unforgiving. You ponies would've been enslaved decades ago if we weren't fighting the real threats!" Scarlet continued as she punched Sea again. "We provide protection, you provide us food. The system has worked for decades and you come along and ruin it!"

She was about to raise her hand to strike again when Sea managed to free herself and grabbed her fist as she pushed in close. "You've done more than just protect us. There is no forgiving what you've done!"

In a moment of rage, she slammed her knee up into the Changeling's stomach and pushed her to the ground. the other Changelings tried to swarm around her only to be knocked back. She turned her attention back to Scarlet, rage in her eyes as she crouched down and prepared to strike her down.

Just as she was about to leap and go in for the finisher though, she looked in the Changeling's face. Even through the bizarre distorted features of the form's mask, she could see the fear in the Drone's eyes. She stopped just as energy started to gather in her leg.

She was about to kill again, and that scared her more than anything.

"Go," she finally said.

"What?" Scarlet asked, suddenly confused by the Rider's choice.

"WHAT?" Scarab shouted in her head, just as confused as Scarlet was.

"Get out of this town and never come back," Sea said as she brushed herself off. "I'm not going to have more blood on my hands than necessary. I can finish you off here, but I'm not going to. Get out of Appletown, or I will make sure you regret not leaving."

"You're bluffing," Scarlet said as she slowly returned to her Changeling form and struggled to get to her hooves. "You're going to attack us when we turn our backs on you."

"No, I'm not going to kill unless I have to," Sea said as she crossed her forelegs. "Now, get out before I have to start counting down from 5."

"You're either very sure of yourself, or very stupid," Scarlet hissed as her fellow Changelings reverted to their normal forms. "But this isn't over, one way or another you know this won't end with her spending the rest of her life here. You could've let this go by easily, but now she's a liability to this town. And this won't end well for her."

"Maybe, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Sea said with a shake of her head. "Now, 5."

"Fine, fine, we're going," Scarlet said as she gestured to the other Changelings. "Let's go."

"Ma'am?" One of the other Drones asked.

"You heard her, she's not going to take it easy on us next time, and we need to report back to the Princess," Scarlet said. "But we'll be back, mark my words."

"And we'll be waiting for you," Sea said and watched as the Changelings turned into their bird forms and flew off towards Manehattan to the East.

"You know you just screwed up, right?" Scarab asked. "They're going to come back with more Changelings if it's really that important to them to have her."

"I know, but by then we'll be ready to protect ourselves," Scarlet said as she powered down and fell back onto her hind legs as Scarab returned to his pony form. "I just hope that we really will be ready. Right now, there isn't a lot of options Come on, let's go back inside."

What neither of them noticed was that there was a white bird watching them from a perch above the Farmhouse as they went back inside together.

00000

"I'm sorry my Princess, we ran into a complication," Scarlet's voice said through the hive as Elusive looked up from what she was working on. "We're falling back to Hive territory."

"What happened?" Elusive asked.

"The warrior that Princess Prism Flash's Hive encountered was there," Scarlet answered. "She let us go instead of finishing us off, what are your orders now?"

Elusive sighed a little as she removed her glasses and rubbed her temples. The Changeling Princess still found it hard to lose some of here pony mannerisms, something she knew the others shared from time to time.

She sighed a little as she returned her attention back to Scarlet. "Remain concealed for the moment darling. I'll send what help I can. Is there anything else I should know?"

"No my Princess," the Drone answered. "We'll wait as close to the town as we can. I hope that you're right about this."

"Me too," Elusive replied as Scarlet broke the connection after a moment. Elusive sighed as she headed to the balcony that overlooked Manehattan from her Hive Palace.

The once shining city had become gnarled and twisted by the Changelings. Tall spires dominated the skyline. The white and purple Changeling Princess had done what she could to make this place better, but there was only so much she could do.

"There is so much that could be done to make this place beautiful," she said as she looked out at the towers. "But whatever shall we do?"

"Hello Elusive," Dusk's voice said from behind her and she nearly jumped from fright. "I see you're still talking to yourself."

"Oh hello there Dusk," Elusive smiled at her old friend. "What brings you here? Any problems in Canterlot?"

"No, nothing like that," Dusk said with a shake of her head. "Queen Chrysalis is still breathing over my shoulder after what happened with Prism though. So, I think this is the chance we needed to prove the project's value to her."

"Oh, and how's that?" Elusive asked.

"Strange... strange thoughts... what does she bring?" The voice of the Hive said in both of the Princess' minds.

"While the Scarab was already done, we were close to finishing another part of the project, and I've heard from your drones that you've run into some problems," Dusk said as she levitated a box up. It was ornately designed and carved out of wood as she set it on the balcony in front of Elusive. "This is your chance to prove to her Majesty that things are well in hoof. Or would you rather her find out that you lost a Drone?"

"No, I'd rather not," Elusive said as she placed her hoof on the box for a moment. "This is another piece of gear similar to the one you gave Prism then? How does it work?"

"Well, unless we want a repeat of what happened before, I believe you should bond with it first," Dusk said as she opened it up. A mechanical insect buzzed its wings as it flew up and landed on Elusive's hoof. "Speak to it through the Hive, and it will return the favor."

"Uh okay," Elusive said as she looked at it for a moment. She closed her eyes and touched the strange insect with her mind, and felt the familiar warmth of the Hive as they connected to one another. "Hello?"

"Ah... I see you must be Elusive then," a feminine voice said happily. "You have such a lovely mind. What can I do for you? What is your greatest wish?"

"I..." Elusive said and paused a moment. "I want to create, I want to be able to make beautiful things and give them to the world. That's my greatest wish right now, the Hive could do so much more with what we have."

"Then your wishes shall be granted," the insect said as it started to glow with magical energy.

00000

Sea Spray sighed a little as she leaned against a chair in the common room of the Farmhouse. Limeade had sent the other ponies out and they were all sitting there in silence for a long moment. She rested her hoof on her head gently, the fight with the Changelings had left her with a splitting headache.

“Are you feeling okay, Sea?” Jasper asked as she placed her hoof gently on her friend’s shoulder. “You don’t look too good.”

“Yeah, the fight just took a lot out of me,” Sea replied softly as she shook her head a little. “I don’t know what really happened. It’s just been, crazy really.”

“Are you sure that you should’ve let them go?” Limeade asked. “They’re probably going to come back you know. And they’re going to bring friends.”

“I know,” Sea replied. “I just couldn’t do it again. I’ll stay here to protect the town for the time being at least. I just have no idea what I’m going to do right now. Is there anything else we can do at this point?”

“Is your allies in the Hives still an option?” Lime asked. “I mean, right now we don’t have a lot of other options. I don’t want to put the town at risk.”

“We’ll figure something out, don’t worry,” Limeade said as he put his hoof gently on his daughter’s shoulder. “You’re not going to have to go if you don’t want to. Maybe we should tell more ponies.”

“I don’t know, right now that isn’t the best…” Sea started to say when there was a sudden knock on the door. “I thought you closed the Farmhouse to official business.”

“I did,” Limeade said as he looked confused for a moment. “Stay here, I’ll go see what it’s about.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jasper said as she got up and joined the mayor as they walked to the door together and opened it up.

Standing there was a white colored Unicorn stallion with a grey mane. He stood there for a moment before he glanced back to the town and looked back at them.

“Uh, can we help you?” Limeade asked.

“I’m here to talk to Lime,” the stallion quietly said. “My name is Vex, I was sent to help with the situation. Can I come in?”

“Prove you’re with the resistance,” Jasper said as she narrowed her eyes a little at the stallion. “What’s my half-brother’s name?”

“You don’t have a half-brother, you’re an only child because your parents vanished when you were a filly,” Vex said with a sigh. “You were raised by your grandmothers who run the Orphanage in Ponyville.”

“Anypony can find that out, it doesn’t prove anything,” Jasper pointed out.

“Your great-grandparents were Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood,” Vex sighed. “They were out of Equestria when the Changeling Takeover happened because they were traveling adventurers. Your grandmother Scootaloo was raised by her aunts Holiday and Lofty. How much of that is known outside the Resistance?”

“Okay, I think he’s telling the truth,” Jasper finally said. “Come on inside quickly, we don’t know if there are any other Changelings around here.”

Vex nodded as he walked inside with the two of them. When Scarab noticed him he paused a moment. “Well, I wasn’t expecting a Changeling to show up.”

“Another Changeling?” Sea Spray said, suddenly on edge. Vex sighed a little as his body shifted into a Changeling with a violet carapace and eyes and mane. “What the… what are…”

“Calm down, I’m here from the Resistance,” Vex said as he eyed Scarab. “Your friend can confirm it.”

"Yes, he's part of some organization within the Hives, curious I wasn't expecting that," Scarab said with a shrug. "But what I don't understand is why you came here."

"It is difficult to explain," Vex answered. He looked over at Lime for a moment and then back at the others. "We have a means by which she can be preserved within the Hive. But she is still going to have to go back to Elusive's lands. In time, she can return to..."

"You're crazy if you think we're going to let her do that," Jasper interrupted. "This is her home, she shouldn't have to leave it!"

"Jasper, calm down," Lime said. "I don't want to be a threat to this town. If he thinks that it is the best option and it gives me a way to come back someday, I will at least hear him out."

"Fine," Jasper sighed. "But I don't like it."

"Me neither," Lime said sadly. "But it may be the only option we have right now. What would have to be done?"

"I would need to connect you to what we call the Shadow Hive," Vex answered. "Essentially its a Hive within a Hive. You will still be connected to Elusive's Hive of course, but you can remove yourself and enter the Shadow Hive without drawing suspicion. I can form the connection now, but it will take time for you to acclimate to it fully and be able to return home from time to time. Mayor Limeade, I know this is a lot to ask of your family, but it may be your only option."

Limeade looked between the Changeling and his daughter for a moment with pain in his eyes. He finally sighed and nodded a little as a tear fell down his face. "Alright, if Lime agrees to it, I'll let her go. If nothing else, at least I know she's still out there somewhere and might be able to come back."

"I'll be back, I promise," Lime said as she turned back and looked at Vex. Her body changed into her Changeling form as she gave him a nod. "Jasper, I'm sorry, but this is the only way. I promise I won't ever forget you. I'll be back, I know it."

"I know," Jasper said with a sad smile as Sea Spray put her foreleg gently around her friend.

"Alright, this is going to take some time," Vex said as he positioned himself in front of Lime. "And once it starts, it must be finished or it could have negative mental effects. This is your last chance to back out."

Lime looked at her father and then at Jasper and Sea Spray. Each of them gave her a nod in turn. "Do it."

And with that, she opened herself up to Vex and heard his mind in her own as she felt a warmth inside her. "You have nothing to fear, the Hive is strong, but we are stronger," the voice said as she started to open herself to the Shadow Hive. Instead of the many voices, there was only one here. "Embrace the self, embrace the Shadow Hive. The one is stronger than the many."

Sea Spray leaned against the wall for a moment as she watched the two of them. She glanced at Scarab for a moment who was sitting there bored. "You don't seem that impressed."

"Tch, the Hive is stronger than anything like this, I'm sure it's only a matter of time," he said. "But hey, false hope is better than no hope at all."

"You're a real piece of work, you know that right?" Sea Spray asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, well I'm still not sold on all of this," Scarab said. "Tch, you all know that..."

He suddenly paused as he felt something drawing closer. "Brother..." a female voice echoed in his mind.

"Sea, I think we're about to have company," he said simply.

"What?" Sea Spray asked as her eyes went wide. "What kind of company?"

"The bad kind," Scarab replied. "I think I just felt another Shifter coming into town, and she reached out to me. They're coming for her, and they sent a Warrior."

"Great," Sea Spray said with a sigh. "So, what should I do?"

“Go hold her off as long as you can, give Vex time to finish whatever he's doing," Scarab answered as he turned into his insect form and landed on her head. "Let's go."

"Right," Sea Spray said as she pushed the door open. "Let's do this."

00000

As Sea Spray headed out of the Farmhouse with Scarab she took a deep breath as she looked around. The town had gone quiet as the ponies had apparently gone inside. She could see a few ponies looking out windows with scared looks on their faces.

"They're frightened," Scarab commented. "They should be. If there's a Princess coming, who knows what's about to happen..."

"Yeah," Sea Spray replied with a shake of her head. "I don't like this. Do you have any idea of who we're dealing with here?"

"No, I'm sorry," Scarab admitted. "Though given everything that's going on I suspect it's likely Elusive. Worst case scenario you're dealing with Crab Apple. But given that it was her Hive that was going after Lime. I'd be careful though, she's a crafty one."

"Great," Sea Spray said as she reached the center of town. "I feel like there should be some music playing out of one of those old movies or something."

"Well, a shame I didn't bring a music player then," a voice said from ahead of them. A pony was walking forward as she came into view, she was white with a purple mane and was escorted by Scarlet and the other Changelings. "Well, so you're the pony that's been bothering my Drones. I must say, at least you have some sense of style."

"And you must be Princess Elusive, I see you're not exactly subtle," Sea Spray commented as she looked the Unicorn up and down for a moment. "Do you normally walk around in your old form?"

"Dear, this was merely a formality," Elusive said with a smile. "You know that we don't have to come to blows, right? No point in fighting with hooficuffs like some brutes. Just let Lime come with us and we'll leave you alone without having to come to blows."

Sea Spray glanced back towards the Farmhouse for a moment. She was half tempted to do just that, but she had no guarantee that Lime was ready. She turned her head back towards the disguised Changeling Princess and shook her head.

"No, she's not leaving," she said. "I told your Drones that if you came here, I'd fight to keep her safe. So how about we do this already?"

"Oh very well, you don't have to be so dramatic about it," Elusive said as she changed her form. Standing before Sea Spray and towering over her was a Changeling Princess with a white body and a purple mane. She was the same size as Prism, but she gave off an odd aura that was hard to place. "You may have been able to best Prism, but only because you caught her off guard. And we will be fighting on equal terms."

She raised her hoof as she levitated a Change Driver up and spun it around her waist as she raised up on her hind legs. A mechanical dragonfly flew in and alighted on her hoof as she gave Sea Spray a fanged smile. It was primarily white with red markings that crossed it and long gossamer wings that had the same red markings over it.

"Last chance," she said simply.

"No chance in Tartarus," Sea Spray said as she raised onto her hind legs too and swung the belt around her. "Scarab, let's take her down."

"Tch, if you insist," the mechanical beetle said as he took off and landed on her hoof.

"Henshin!" The two mares said in unison as they slid their Shifters into the Drivers.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

"THE HIVE STANDS UNITED!"

As the familiar armor formed over Sea Spray, she looked at Elusive expectantly. The transformation overcame the Princess quickly as her Shifter split up and the armor formed over her. Her armor was white with red markings crossing it. Her helmet was almost completely white with a line of red moving along it and two large red bug eyes. Finally, her back opened up as large gossamer wings resembling that of a Dragonfly emerged from it. A curved sword appeared in her hoof as she spun it around testingly.

"Ah, yes, this will do nicely," Elusive giggled as she pointed a hoof at Sea Spray. "You're brave challenging me, but very foolish at the same time. Luckily for you, I have no need for ponies such as yourself. Unfortunately, that means I will just have to deal with you here and now."

"We'll see about that," Sea Spray said as she put her tonfas together.

"CHANGE: SCARAB TONFA RIFLE!" Her Driver said as the tonfas changed into a rifle that she leveled at Elusive and fired several shots at her.

Only to be shocked when Elusive's hoof started glowing red and energy flowed out of it. A circular shield appeared in front of her as it absorbed the energy bullets from the rifle. She smirked a little from behind her mask as Sea Spray lowered the rifle in surprise.

"Surprised, huh?" Elusive asked with a laugh as she raised her still glowing hoof. The shield vanished and suddenly a large fist made of the same red energy as the shield came flying forward and hit Sea Spray hard in the chest.

That had hurt, it felt like a real punch being thrown and hitting her in the chest as she got to her hooves. She glared at Elusive as she raised her rifle again and fired back at her, only to have the Princess roll out of the way.

"You may have been the first but I've still got the skills," Elusive said as she laughed. "Kamen Rider, that's what you call yourself right? Well, a shame that you're not the only one with the power of a Kamen Rider."

"Okay, this isn't good, how is she able to use a power like that?" Sea Spray Commented as she tried to fire again only to have it blocked by another shield. "Shouldn't she have something like what I do?"

"No, each Shifter gives their Rider different abilities based on their desires," Scarab replied. "You wanted to escape with your friends so I gave you super speed and strength. I can't tell you what Elusive wished, but it's certainly enough to give her very dangerous powers."

"Figures," Sea Spray said as she placed her hooves on the rifle and pulled it apart as it formed into the tonfas once more. "Alright Princess, I'm done playing around."

"Well, then I'll just have to bring my A-game too," Elusive giggled as she pointed her sword at Sea Spray. "You're going to have to try a lot harder than that. I'm not some soldier Drone you know, I am a full member of Changeling Royalty. You're going to have to do way more than just flail around and hope you hit me."

Sea Spray paused a moment as she held her tonfas in her hooves for a moment before she ran forward as fast as she could. She swung her tonfas around at Elusive, only to have one of them get caught by her Scimitar. She managed to swing her free hoof round and hit Elusive in the stomach, pushing her back a little.

"I'm not about to let you take her away," Sea Spray said. "Not without a fight."

"Such a shame, you would make such a fine Changeling," Elusive said as she shook her head and kicked at Sea as she pointed her sword at her. "Perhaps I'll take you back with me. That wouldn't be so bad, would it?"

"I'm not leaving this place," Sea Spray said as she kicked away the sword and got to her hooves. She ran forward at Elusive before she could recover and caught the Changeling Princess across the jaw with a punch. Another kick sent her flying back, but she recovered quickly and her hoof glowed brightly as a giant energy flyswatter appeared and slapped down on the opposing Rider.

"A bit ironic admittedly, but it gets the job done," Elusive giggled as she pulled the flyswatter back. "You really could've made this so simple you know. You're just making things harder for you, and she's better off with her own kind."

"You know what your worship?" Sea said as she struggled to right herself on her hind legs. Sarcasm was dripping from her voice as she said that last word. "You Changelings think you know what's best for all of us, don't you? But here's the truth of the matter, you don't know jack about us. You may have been a pony once, but everything you've done shows that you forgot what that was like."

She ran forward and raised her hoof to strike at Elusive who threw up another energy shield. However, Sea just grabbed the edge of it and pulled her in close.

"We make our own choices in life, we don't let the Hive dictate who we are or what we do," she said, her heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute. "That is our right as living beings. You're going to learn that eventually, but we're going to be fighting to keep ourselves safe and sane."

She slammed her knee hard into Elusive's stomach and pushed her back. "And we're not going to let the Hive beat us, I promise you that."

"ENOUGH!" Elusive said as she raised her hoof which glowed brightly as red energy flowed out of it and formed chains that trapped Sea Spray. "I've had enough of listening to you talk. Clearly, you are more than a mere annoyance, I am going to silence you once and for all!"

The horn part of her helmet started to glow green and Sea looked down and realized that the green cocoon was starting to form around her hooves. She gulped a little at that, had she gone too far? She struggled against the chains, but Elusive kept them tight as she stared the Rider down from behind her helmet's red eyes.

"Wait!" A voice said from behind Elusive and they both looked to see that Lime was standing there in her Changeling form.

"Ah yes, you're the Drone that I came here for," Elusive said in a much friendlier tone. She seemed to be calming down at least for the moment. "Well, I'll just finish up here and take you both back to Manehattan with me."

"No!" Lime said.

"What?" Elusive asked as she looked back at her. "What did you just say to me?"

"I said no! If you want me to go back you have to leave Sea alone," Lime said as she narrowed her eyes at the Princess. "Please, she's just trying to protect me. I'll go willingly as long as you leave her alone."

Elusive sighed dramatically as she looked back at Sea Spray and stopped the formation of the cocoon around her. She stood there for a moment as she held the Rider in her grip for a moment.

"Kamen Rider Scarab, is it?" She asked as she stared her down for a moment. She walked closer to Sea as the two Riders stared each other down. "You're lucky, this time."

She stepped back and waved her hoof as the chains vanished from around Sea and she fell forward. She then went back to Lime and placed her hoof gently on the Changeling's withers as she powered down.

"Come, we have so much to do," she said with a smile on her face. "Oh, you're going to love your new life."

Lime looked back at Sea for a moment and mouthed "It'll be okay" to the Unicorn as she powered down. She had to hope that Vex had finished what he was doing and everything really was going to be okay.

Or everything was about to come crashing down.

00000

“You’re sure that it worked?” Jasper asked Vex as Sea Spray placed an ice pack on her head to help with the headache. “I mean, we just let her go and she knows a lot of things so…”

“Don’t worry, she was surprisingly receptive to the Shadow Hive, it was easy to bring her into it,” Vex reassured her. “I already feel her connection to the rest of us. I’m sorry that it had to come to this, but we didn’t have a lot of options.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t make it any easier,” Sea sighed as she looked at Limeade. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I honestly don’t know,” the old stallion admitted as he leaned back a little. “But at the same time, I know you did everything you could do to help and that she’s not really gone, but I still feel like I’ve lost her.”

“I promise, she’s going to be fine,” Vex said as he turned back into his pony form. He looked at the others sadly for a moment. “I wish this could have gone better. The truth is that this was the best option we had. And I promise, she will be back someday.”

“Yeah, I know,” Limeade said as he got up and offered Vex a hoof. “Thank you Vex. You gave my daughter the best chance she could’ve gotten. It means a lot to me, and I’m glad there are some Changelings that aren’t so bad.”

“Your daughter will be back, we’ll make sure of it,” Vex said as he turned. “I should get back to Canterlot. I’m glad I could help you out.”

Limeade nodded a little as he walked out of the Farmhouse before he turned back to Sea Spray and Jasper. “Thank you, both of you. You came to save my daughter, and I guess in a way you succeeded. Thank you.”

“Yeah, some job we did of saving her,” Jasper sighed. “But you’re welcome.”

“So, that is your new name then?” Limeade asked as he turned to Sea Spray. “Kamen Rider Scarab?”

“Are we really going with that just because she called me that?” Sea groaned.

“I don’t know, I think it fits,” Scarab commented. “I mean, it’s as good a name as any.”

“Yeah, but it’s a bit on the nose,” Sea sighed. “Oh fine, Kamen Rider Scarab it is. But then we’re going to give you an actual name so there’s no confusion.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Scarab chuckled. “So, when are we going back to Ponyville?”

“I’d let Sea recover first,” Jasper said. “So, tomorrow maybe?”

“Yeah, sounds good to me,” Sea agreed. “I don’t feel like traveling tonight anyway.”

“Come, join me for dinner at least,” Limeade offered as the two of them headed for the dining room.

Scarab watched them go for a moment, as he didn’t need food he was consumed with his thoughts. There was something about what had happened with Sea that had surprised him. He hadn’t expected her to attack with that much ferocity, it was as if something about her was changing.

Perhaps there was something to be concerned about after all. But then again, this was a unique chance to observe her. These changes were concerning to him sure, but perhaps this was normal.

He shrugged and returned to his insect form and waited for them to return.

00000

Back in the lab in the Resistance base, Tinker had gotten back to work on the Guardian Driver. Ever since she had found out about what was happening to Sea Spray, she had felt like it was necessary to get this done even more.

As she worked on connecting the conduits of the magitek system, she testingly applied some of her own magic to it. The Driver was made to work on pony magic similar to how the Change Driver worked on Changeling magic.

Finally, sparks of magical energy flew between the connecting wires as she finished. A gold and white stone started to shine with an unnatural energy through the wires and she smiled.

It was done.

Chapter 5: Trial

View Online

In the Hive City of Canterlot, high in the personal castle of its ruler, a female Changeling was standing knelt over a workbench in a lab. She was taller than the other Changelings, with elaborate clothing and a crown seated on her head. She had a purple carapace and a dark violet mane with streaks of pink and purple in it.

Her horn glowed with energy as it enveloped both the object she was working on and a golden crown with a six pointed star. The magic from the crown flowed into the device that she was working on as it glowed brightly.

Finally, the attachments on it started to move as she released her grip on them and let out a sigh of relief as she finished working on it and held it in her hoof.

“Hello Shifter Gamma,” she spoke to the device through the Hive connection. “You have been created for a very special purpose. The Hive is in danger from enemies from both within and without. You will help the Princesses protect the Hive. I am Princess Dusk Shadow of the Canterlot Hive, we will be working closely together from now on.”

“Then, what is your wish, my Princess?” The Shifter asked.

“Understanding, knowledge, things that cannot be known about the way this world works,” Dusk answered. “I desire the power to understand these things.”

“Then it shall be done,” the Shifter replied as it was enveloped in a glow. It formed itself into a lavender mechanical bug shaped like a praying mantis with pink and purple streaks on it.

Dusk smiled as she levitated up a belt device. It was made of black metal with holes in it with a slot in the center that would fit the Shifter. A Change Driver, something she and her Hive had been working on for a while now. They had already finished two, but one had fallen into the hooves of a pony named Sea Spray, this would make three.

“My Princess, I’m sorry for disturbing you, but we have a situation,” a male voice echoed through the hive’s voice. She had been so focused she hadn’t even noticed the rising panic that was in the connection she shared.

In fact, now that she was focused on it again it felt more empty than before.

“What is it?” She asked, and with that she heard a scream and a jolt of pain through the Hive as another voice went silent.

“We’re under attack! It’s Scarab, she’s attacking Canterlot!” The male voice said again. “She’s been taking as many Drones as she can. Prism is sending help but they won’t be here in time! She’s out in the main courtyard now!”

Dusk got to her hooves and swung the Driver around as it attached around her barrel. She didn’t need any further prompting as she teleported away and into the main courtyard.

What she saw was… not what she was expecting. There was Scarab alright, but she never actually remembered Scarab actually being this brutal, watching the Rider rip off a changeling’s limb. And then the Rider actually bit down into a changeling’s carapace, green blood spraying everywhere.

Dusk took a step back in horror. She had never seen anything so disturbing in her long time as one of the Princesses. She had heard about the encounters that Elusive and Scarlet had with Kamen Rider Scarab, this didn’t feel like it fit with the reports of the mare who had stopped short of killing an enemy.

What in the name of the Queen was this thing really?

“Your majesty, what are you going to do?” The Mantis shifter asked her through their bond.

“What in Tartarus are you?” She asked and that thought only magnified when Scarab turned to look at her, jaw splitting open and letting out a horrific screech. The creature leapt forwards, back opening to reveal wings slightly torn open. Claws were extended, already matted with blood.

On instinct, Dusk teleported out of the reach of the horrifying monster. This hadn’t exactly been how she planned to test this, but it looked like she had no other choice. She placed her hoof on the Driver as the Mantis shifter flew into her other hoof.

“Are you ready for this?” She asked.

“Let’s do this,” the shifter replied.

“Henshin!” Dusk said as she slid the Shifter into the Driver’s slot.

“THE HIVE STANDS UNITED!” The Driver said as magical energy flowed from the Shifter.

The Mantis shifter broke apart as it attached to the Princess’ limbs. Lavender armor covered her body as a helmet formed over her head. It had a silver mouthpiece and was lavender with a line of purple over it and two large dark purple eyes. Two long spiked antennae jutted out of her head. She finally raised her hooves as a long handled scythe with a sharp forked blade.

Several drones buzzed down, appearing from every ounce of the woodwork you could possibly imagine, ready to defend -and if needed, die for- their Princess.

“You made a big mistake attacking us,” Dusk said as she stood there holding the scythe like the visage of death itself. “And now you will pay dearly for your mistake. You cannot hope to defeat the Hive!”

Scarab almost seemed to laugh, and reared ‘her’ head backwards and screeched again. The dead bodies she had claimed, they began to shift and to change. Wings erupted from the backs of the dead drones, hooves shifted into claws as the drones changed into almost perfect copies of the False Scarab.

“Okay, that’s definitely... not normal,” Dusk noted as she nodded to the other Changelings. “Be careful, all of you. We’re not going to give him more bodies to use.”

The False Scarab begged to differ, leaping onto another changeling, ripping it open before turning towards Dusk and screeching at her. Another leap, and this time a changeling jumped out in front of ‘Scarab’ with blade drawn. A slash through the heart, and the Scarab fell. But yet another seemed to take up the leadership of the hive mind these things seemed to share, and took command. And this changeling paid the price, her head flying off in another direction.

She reached out through the Hive to her fastest flyer, all the while fighting back the bile that was threatening to rise. Things had just gotten worse and right now they were going to need all the help they could get.

“Get word to Princess Prism, things just got a whole lot worse and we’re going to need help sooner than expected,” she ordered before gripping her scythe tightly and swinging it hard at the nearest false Scarab.

“Yes my Princess,” the voice answered. “How many should she send?”

“As many as possible, this isn’t Scarab, it’s something worse,” Dusk replied as she ducked another claw swipe from the false Scarabs. She took notice how the hive leader -whoever it was at the time- seemed to have this small red stripe running down their side. She shrugged, least it made it easier to tell who was who, for all the good that did. “Focus on the one with the red stripe, one of these has to be the focal point of its power or something.”

She twirled the scythe around and slashed through the fake Scarabs with it. Though it seemed almost like there was an unlimited number of them. She hissed a little as she was slashed across the chest by one of them, her armor taking the blow thankfully but she struggled to get back onto her hind legs.

“My Princess, are you alright?” Mantis’ voice echoed in her mind.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Dusk answered as she leaned on her scythe for a moment and punched hard into the chest of one of the nearest False Scarabs. It was sent flying from the sheer force behind the punch and when it hit the wall it exploded in a shower of gore. All around her, changeling drones were fighting and dying as they fought off the hoard. And then an explosion as a wall broke wide open, a familiar but welcome sight. A rainbow-maned Hive Princess came flying in, grabbing one of the Scarabs and tossing it out of sight.

“Looks like you could use a hoof,” Prism said. “I got your message and… eugh, what are these things?”

“I don’t know, but they look like Scarab…” Dusk commented the hoard now surrounding them on all sides and drawing ever closer “We’ll figure out who they are later, right now we need to get them out of Canterlot!”

“...You do realize you have a teleport spell right?” Prism deadpanned as she drew her blades, the swarm getting closer.

“Uh… I was getting around to using that, I just… Oh forget it!” Dusk said as she concentrated hard, her magic enveloping the monstrous forms before they vanished in a flash of light. She fell forward, her armor vanishing off her body as she did as the Shifter hopped up onto her shoulder. “Thank you Prism. But still, I want this city searched and any Changeling wounded quarantined until we’re sure they’re safe.”

“On it,” Prism said but before she dashed off she had to ask. “...Just curious, but where’d you send them anyways? The sun?”

“Hopefully, but I don’t know, I had a lot going through my mind, they could be anywhere right now,” Dusk said and Prism frowned at this.

“...Meaning they could come back?” she asked.

“Yes, but this time they can’t surprise us,” Dusk said as she was helped up by the drones. “If this thing has anything to do with Kamen Rider Scarab, we’re going to need help.”

“Lovely, oh and Dusk? I’ve found that life always finds a way to surprise you…”

Far away, atop a moonlit village hut a changeling-like creature reared its head to the sky and howled…

In another Canterlot, another battle raged. Against devils and demons, or at least what looked like it. Blades met as a red and silver armored figure went sword to sword with this devil-like creature, seemingly made of red solid crystal in some places. A gold aztec-like face served as this creature’s ‘buckle’.

The second creature looked more barbaric, and animalistic sporting a wild black mane with a shawl wrapping around the back of its head. In either hand it held what looked to be drumsticks of fire. These were Another Hibiki and Another Den-O respectively.

A breath of fire sent the red armored warrior back, holding up his blade to block the flames. A cry echoed from behind him, and a griffon hen with mostly blue feathers leapt up from seemingly out of nowhere holding a sword in paw. The Rider smiled. “Right on time, as always Skye…”

Several quick slashes were dealt to Another Hibiki making him or it stumble back. Neutron wasn’t sure what to call the oni-like creature really. Nor did he particularly care by this point. It was just another battle in another week for him, he was actually downright exhausted by this point. Which was probably the intent on the Time Jacker’s parts. Exhaust him, wear him down and then kill him.

Swinging the mighty titan sword he scored a slash across Another Den-O’s chest before hitting him upside the head with the flat of the blade. He then switched out for a simple staff, thrusting it into Another Den-O’s chest. Water swirled around it as he struck again and again, before spinning around and sending Another Hibiki spiraling to the ground with a strike.

“...This is getting ridiculous…” Neutron muttered even as he and Skye stood back to back. “We don’t even have the proper watches to defeat them!”

“So, can’t you just use a Time Break or Burst or whatever your driver calls it and knock them back into their pure forms for just a sec,” Skye suggested. “And then grab the Anotherwatch and purify it?”

“I need an opening,” Neutron said from under his helmet, his voice slightly distorted for identity secrecy. Granted, he wasn’t sure that would keep on working eventually given there were very few ponies Skye was actually known to hang out with. “Can you give me that?”

“I’ll try,” Skye said before letting out an ancient griffon war cry as she slashed downwards making Another Hibiki hiss out in pain. Before Another Den-O could touch her, Neutron tossed him into a shop window with a wave of his hand. “...You do realize our teacher is going to get suspicious when we don’t show for the trip back to Ponyville right? I mean, Professor Ocellus can only tolerate so many excuses, believe so many. Surprised she hasn’t written us up really.”

“I’ll bullshit it if I have to,” Neutron noted. “It’s worked so well for me before…”

“Yeah, only because you’re Princess Twilight’s son!” Skye said punching Another Hibiki in the mouth. “And you, stay down!”

Using the opening he was given, Neutron went for his watches. He smiled as he came across one. Perfect, this one could do some damage. “Blade!”

“Cho-Henshin!”

"Armor Time! Turn Up! Blade!”

Cards now sticking out of his shoulders, Neutron went for his Blay Rouzer. Using it to propel Skye upwards, he then struck Another Hibiki across the chest several times before spinning around. Just in the nick of time to roundhouse kick Another Den-O in the face, even as Skye kicked Hibiki in the chest.

“Skye Kick!” she cried punching the air and Neutron chuckled. So adorable. He then grabbed several cards out of his shoulder armor. “...Gonna shake you up, play an ace or two…” he thought to himself.

“Beat Lion, Tackle Boar!”

He tackled Another Den-O through a wall, mentally apologizing to Auntie Rarity in the process as he knocked over several mannequins. He then let Another Den-O really have it, scoring several powerful punches.

“Thunder Deer, Mach Jaguar!”

He became a blur of lightning, striking Another Den-O again and again before finally engaging the finisher.

“Finish Time! Lightning Time Break!” the Ziku Driver proclaimed as Neutron used the implanted Blay Rouzer as a stepping stone of sorts before side-kicking Another Den-O.

Neutron sighed to himself as the watch clattered to the floor, an antelope revealed in Another Den-O’s wake. He really needed his own power, instead of borrowing -and possibly swallowing up in the process- the powers of these legends. Yet instead he continued to use the power these Ridewatches gave him. Was it an addiction? He couldn’t tell, you never knew something was an addiction till you gave it up really.

In any case, there was still one left. Taking the Den-O Ridewatch, he slammed it into his bow. “Now you will bow to me!” Neutron cried finishing off Another Hibiki with a barrage of arrows.

“...Well, I guess that’s the way it goes really…” Neutron muttered taking the Hibiki watch and pressing down on it purifying it. He smiled as he watched the blue and red watch shimmer in the sun. Two more Another Riders down, and two more watches in his possession never again to be tainted. Oh wait, was that exhaustion finally setting in? He presumed it so as the floor rushed up to greet him…

“You see that too, right?” A light purple pegasus with an orange mane said as she pointed up towards Canterlot in the distance. The hive city had smoke pouring out of it from somewhere towards the top of it. “What do you think is going on up there?”

“I don’t know Jasper,” her companion, a unicorn mare with a dark blue coat and greenish-blue mane replied as she looked up at the smoke. “That’s definitely not normal.”

“Tch, it certainly is not,” a voice echoed in the unicorn’s mind. She glanced up at the mechanical purple beetle that rested on her head for a moment. “Perhaps the city was attacked by something, or someone.”

“Any idea who that would be?” The unicorn asked. “I’ve never heard of anything actually get close enough to one of the Hive cities to do something like that.”

“No clue,” was the response. “It could be anything, Zebras perhaps, they were always sneaky like that. There’s not much we can do but wonder about it anyway, unless you want to walk into Canterlot. I’m sure they would welcome that, Sea Spray.”

“No, I don’t think we’ll be doing that,” the now named Sea Spray commented with a snort. “Maybe we should go see if the others know anything. Do you think the Shadow Hive might know something?”

“Maybe, it’s worth a try at least,” Jasper replied as the two mares started back towards the group of buildings they called home. “Whether or not we can actually get in contact with them is another matter entirely.”

“Yeah, here’s hoping at least,” Sea replied.

The Shadow Hive was a group within the Changelings themselves that existed within their hive mind. Recently Sea and Jasper had crossed paths with them in Appletown when they had to help the mayor’s daughter who had been converted following an accident that would have killed her otherwise.

She had left with Princess Elusive to go back to Manehattan with her. But not before they had made her part of the Shadow Hive. Getting in contact with them was possible, but they knew it would be difficult to get the intel without risking exposure.

They moved through Ponyville together, walking past the ponies that called it home. A few of them waved to the mares and they smiled a little as they waved back as they headed towards their destination.

The Golden Oaks Library, an old Library, one of the few structures in Ponyville that was still unchanged. It had been built out of a tree, it had once been the home of Twilight Sparkle and her assistant Spike.

But that was a long time ago, before the dark times came. Before the Changelings took over most of Equestria and left Ponyville at the center of what was known as the Pony Safe Zone, probably the only place in Equestria that ponies could call home.

This was where Sea and Jasper called home. Sea had been raised in the Ponyville Orphanage, and Jasper had been raised by her grandmothers. But ever since they were fillies, the two mares had been best friends.

Jasper opened a secret door and they headed down a series of stairs that took them into a large underground room. There were many ponies around working on computer terminals and maps of Equestria.

“Jasper, Sea Spray,” an old pegasus mare with a faded orange coat and purple mane said. She smiled a little when she saw the two mares arrive and gave Jasper a hug. “I’m guessing you saw Canterlot.”

“Yeah, we were hoping you could get the Shadow Hive to help us find out what’s going on,” Jasper said. The old mare’s face fell a little at that. “Grandma Scootaloo, is everything okay?”

“That was the first thing we tried,” Scootaloo admitted as she looked at the screen that showed Canterlot. “They’ve had to go silent. The Hive is on full lockdown, and even the Shadow Hive can’t break through that to get the word out to us. Whatever is going on up there, it has them scared. And we didn’t get word from any of our allies, this wasn’t an attack from outside either.”

“Great,” Sea said as she glanced up at Scarab. “Do you have any idea what might have put them on guard like this?”

“Tch, other than you?” Scarab retorted. “No clue if there aren’t any known enemies in that city. Something has them spooked though, I’d be careful. You never know if they might come after you next.”

“What did he say?” Scootaloo asked.

“That we need to be careful,” Sea repeated. “He’s concerned that whoever attacked them might go after us too. I’m inclined to agree.”

“...Who you talking to, again?” a mare’s voice asked as a lime-green maned mare stepped into view, with a plate full of fruit in hoof. “Seriously, if you keep on going like that to yourself, ponies might think you’re crazy as a loon. Mi hai preso?” she asked idly tossing a pitaya in the air before catching it again.

Scootaloo and Sea Spray shared a look, swallowing hard before looking back at the mare who was now currently in the process of blending the pitaya with a few other fruits. “...One of our rangers on the outskirts, well hidden enough so he shouldn’t be found.”

Lemon Zest, she was a mysterious one. As her name implied she was good with cooking but aside from that she showed very few qualities. Mysteriously, she had shown up a few days ago without question. She had been found chased by drones, and both Jasper and Sea Spray had managed to drive them off before rushing Lemon inside the city walls. But an eye was kept on her at all times, as there was every chance she could have been a changeling drone in disguise waiting for her chance to strike. After Lime, Sea Spray didn’t want to take any chances.

“Just sayin’,” Lemon noted. “Last thing we need is a crazy mare in the regiments. May be on the back hoof, but this is a war make no mistake.”

“...Yeah, one we’re soundly losing…” another mare noted sourly to herself. Light blue in color, like a gem. Lemon skipped over to her.

“Oh you really need to be more upbeat, I mean there’s this mysterious Kamen Rider Scarab going about, and not all empires last forever. That includes Chrysalis’ own,” Lemon remarked twirling in a circle on her hoof as she poured her mix into a bowl. “Actually for that matter, does anyone know where Chrysalis actually is? Seriously brah, where’s bug bitch? Probably sitting on her throne grown fat with power. Tartarus, she could be pushing up the daisies for all we know eh? Seriously, when was the last time anypony’s seen her? A century?”

“...You know Lemon, I’m not sure how you do it,” Sapphire remarked. “Seriously, it’s like you’re on a perpetual high of some sort. I’ve never seen you cry or break down or anything, not once!”

Lemon stumbled for a bit before turning back towards Sapphire. “It’s because I know the sun will shine again eventually. Times look dark, yes, but… the night is always darkest before the dawn isn’t that what they say?”

“...One Tartarus of a long dark night then…” Scootaloo muttered and that particular remark sent a few chuckles throughout the room.

“True that,” Sapphire noted. “In any case, I have to get back to the Estate, see how things are coming. Everybody’s gotta contribute really, we lift together and we work together and who knows, the hives might see us pushing back and taking back what belongs to us.”

Jasper shook his head. “Tell us how it goes eh?” he asked Sapphire before looking back towards Scootaloo. “...Odd rumors coming out of Appletown really. Talked to some of the residents, and apparently we’ve been getting appearances by a certain deer again.”

Scootaloo frowned. A few days ago, actually around the time Lemon appeared to be precise -and she doubted this to be any sort of coincidence- rumors had started to circulate of a mysterious deer who appeared out of the shadows to aid those in need. Nobody ever saw his face thanks to his cloaked form but they always caught a small flash of silver near where his neck would be and his distinctive antlers. Nobody knew what had happened to the deer kingdom in the wake of Chrysalis’ take over. Most assumed they had either fled to the shadows or had been swallowed up and slaughtered by the Hives. But it seemed at least one had survived, and contrary to the aloof reputation of a lot of the deer actually made at least an effort to help others. Scootaloo just wished she knew why he hadn’t showed himself properly.

“...One Bowl of Heaven comin’ right up!” Lemon cried. “If anypony wants first dibs, please do speak up! First come first serve here!”

With a flick of her wrist, she threw a tablecloth over a nearby table never settling for anything less than the dramatic. “And before you say I’ve forgotten the plates…” Lemon started before tossing plates like frisbees onto the table. “Santo cielo, I am such an artist!” she said before kissing her hoof.

“Uh, thank you?” Sea Spray asked as she and Jasper took their seats and exchanged a look for a moment. “So, what is it other than a bowl of heaven?”

“It’s food… it’s art! Let’s see… 1 cup of pitaya cubes, 1 frozen banana, 1 cup of raspberries and and just a dash of cacao powder topped with a bit of chocolate. Write it down, tell your kids,” Lemon chirped. For just a brief moment, Sea Spray swore she saw a green crystal hanging around her neck before it vanished. Maybe she had been imagining things. “And the first pony who decides to be a sourpuss and mutter about if you even have kids, I will take my spoon and beat them over the head with it okay?”

“Alright, alright, geez,” Jasper said as she took a sip of the food. “Huh, that’s actually pretty good. We might have to keep this one Grandma.”

Scootaloo chuckled a little as she started on her own food.

“I think we will…” Scootaloo said. “...I think we will.”

She sighed sadly to herself, this was not the way she ever envisioned having lunch with her grandkids really.

“You alright?” Lemon asked noting the elder mare’s expression.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Scootaloo answered. “I’m just thinking about everything that’s been going on lately is all.”

“Times’ll change, they always do. Empires rise, empires fall. Chrysalis’s karma will catch up to her,” Lemon said before walking off back into the kitchen whistling a little ditty to herself. “...The filthy streets and the calloused hooves… Bloodshot Marish eyes…”

“She’s an interesting one,” Scootaloo commented as she glanced back at the kitchen. Lemon was still singing and now dancing along with the tune. “But at least she’s settling in alright. She’s not exactly the first refugee we’ve picked up, and I doubt she’ll be the last...”

Jasper nodded with a small ‘hmm…’ There were, after all, ponies scattered throughout the hive lands simply to be fed on and used to make the indoctrination process a lot easier. Lemon was more than likely one of those, and she probably wouldn’t be the last that they stumbled across. “...Incredibly cheery though isn’t she? Considering the situation and all...”

“So, what’s wrong with being cheery?” Sea Spray asked glancing at her friend. “Nothing wrong with being an optimist.”

“...Yeah, it’s just that something’s… off about her,” Jasper noted. “I’m not sure what it is, nor can I put my hooves on it but… There is something incredibly strange about her.”

“I have Vira and her staff looking into it,” Scootaloo said quietly. “It’s probably nothing more than a feeling, but right now it’s better safe than sorry. Sweetie and Apple Bloom agreed, and given the situation it’s protocol anyway. Hopefully it’s just our imagination.”

“Hopefully…” Sea Spray muttered. “How did Sweetie put it? The loneliest ponies are the kindest. The saddest ones smile the brightest. And the most damaged ponies are the wisest…” she whispered looking towards Lemon who seemed to be without a care in the world right now.

Worlds away, night had fallen over Ponyville where one particularly annoyed unicorn Rider/Prince of Friendship was hard at work cramming for a test. “...Ugh, carry the Y and… I swear, who ever invented the Pythagorean Theorem needs to be shoved in front of a math quiz and forced to read this rubbish. Math, I know exactly what it’s short for! Mental Assault and Torture to Horses!”

Something moved in the background, and Neutron grumbled something under his breath. He did hope it wasn’t the local frat boys playing a prank again. Hell Week, they called it. Induced the newbies to their fraternity.

He threw open a window and shouted: “Alright you arses, I swear, I may be the Prince of Friendship here but if you all are going passing around the PCP I’m not going to be particularly friendly to you lot!”

Crickets chirped, and bushes ruffled. Another window opened and Skye poked her head out, the griffon’s head feathers partially wrapped in a towel. “...Alright, what the hell are you yelling at? I’m trying to take a shower here! You know, a nice long relaxing hot shower?”

Neutron blushed. “...Sorry, it’s just that I swear I heard something moving out there…”

“Well you can bitch about it to me in the morning. Goodnight Neutron!” Skye shouted before slamming the window shut once more.

“...Night Skye.” Neutron muttered before this time he knew he heard something move about in the darkness. Neutron went for his bedside table and grabbed his watch. Maybe he was getting paranoid, but after a week of Another Rider attacks he decided it was best to carry it with him everywhere.

“...I wonder how Mum does it, keep herself from going completely spare…” Neutron muttered to himself. “...Exorcised the Nightmare from her we may have, but she’s still… well, Twilighting about the smallest things. Do they even have therapy for alicorns?”

He growled to himself muttering something under his breath about certain Time Jackers he’d love to introduce to a lake of broiling lava. The Ziku Driver wrapping itself around his waist, he carefully stepped out into the hall. “...With my luck it’s probably going to be an extra frisky couple just taking a late night walk.” Neutron muttered to himself.

He heard it from somewhere behind. Chittering sounds and Neutron whirled around a bow of magic forming in his hands. “Please do show yourself, I’d rather not arrow you in the arse…”

Then he saw it, a creature resembling a changeling of old but much worse coming right towards him. He twisted his watch and slammed it into the driver. “RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER: GUARDIAN!”

“Alright you Saddledor Dali reject…” Neutron muttered before swinging his axe at the ‘thing’ and to his surprise the weapon simply passed through like it was a ghost. “...what the fuck…?” he ejacuated.

The thing just galloped down the hall and out of sight. Skye threw open her dorm room door, looking rather furious. A seething cauldron of rage really She was dressed in nothing but a towel. “...Alright, you want to explain what’s going on around here? Why did I just hear your driver?”

“...Would you believe a ghost changeling who looked all kinds of wrong?”

“You haven’t been sleeping well have you…?” Skye asked raising an eyebrow. Neutron for his part was trying very hard to avert his eyes. “Goodnight Neutron, take a sleeping potion. And don’t disturb me again…”

“But-” Neutron started to explain although Skye was having none of it. ...Or she wasn’t till the ‘ghost’ showed itself again.

“...Never mind, clearly we’re both in need of a good night’s sleep,” Skye noted as it ran past, screeching at them as it did so. “...Either that or the Time Jackers have finally driven us crazy.”

“...Since when did changelings run on all fours?” Neutron blinked. “...Shouldn’t we…”

“Go after it?” Skye asked. “...Yeah, probably. Let me get changed first. And grab my taser in case this is a frat boy prank.”

A few minutes later both were wandering the halls of the school. “...Since when did we have ghost changelings, if that’s what this even is?” Skye had to wonder. “This is just too weird.”

“We are in no room to talk about weird here. I change into an armored warrior drawing on the powers of other warriors from other dimensions. We fought my own mother who happened to be possessed by a millennia old monster and ponies called Time Jackers intent on seeing I do not become this demon king of sorts. We are in no position to talk about weird!”

“...Well, when you put it that way…” Skye muttered gripping her taser tightly. “So, ghost changelings then. Probably should just let it be, worst it can do is freak out the students.”

“...And keep me from studying, and you know how both Sunset and Twilight get if I fail a test, Celestia forbid…” Neutron muttered with a small shudder.

“Point taken, and if this keeps me from my hot showers… Okay, this thing dies now.”

“How do you kill something that’s already dead?” Neutron asked.

Skye growled. “...Trust me, I’ll figure out a way.”

Neutron had no doubt in his mind that she would. Scary, he thought to himself with a shudder. Probably even scarier than his mother, which was quite a feat.

“...You think this is Trixie or someone playing a joke, telling me to keep my guard up?”

“If it is, I’m not seeing the humor in it…” Skye trailed off as her reply. “I’m just going to go out on a limb and say Time Jackers. They’re usually behind everything nowadays.”

“...If it’s that brat, he’s getting a good spanking,” Neutron muttered. “I’m grabbing a switch from a tree, and using it on him. I’m out of fucks to give with this kid.”

He felt a pull in his mind and looked down. His Ridewatch was glowing. And then a bright flash of light as he found himself pulled through a wall. Groaning, he picked himself up off the ground and noticed he was no longer in a carpeted hallway. Instead, he was… well, he didn’t know where he honestly was truth be told.

“S-Skye…?” Neutron whispered. “Skye? You there?” he called. Then, he was pounced from behind as the Ghost Changeling leaped out of the shadows. Only this time it wasn’t so ghostly. Pinning him to the ground with its claws, the creature snapped and bit at him as two more came out of the shadows. Neutron bucked it off, but not before getting a good look at it. It almost looked like a Rider. Almost.

“Well, guess that explains the pull my Ridewatch felt…” he muttered. “So there's an infestation, and I guess a doctor is needed to clean and to disinfect!” Neutron muttered holding up a black and white watch.

“Buggle Up! Zombie!” the 2018 dated watch stated as it was slammed into his bow. Neutron had earned this particular one for valuing life and yet it was based off a zombie rider. He was well aware of the irony. Pulling back the bow, he let the arrows fly dispatching the three Another Riders. The Ridewatch almost seemed to laugh maniacally as he did so.

“Okay Neutron, where are you now, and what were those things…?” the stallion thought to himself. Then he got the shock of his life.

As he looked around he found himself on a dirt road in a field. In the distance he could see a town or settlement, only this one looked like it had large walls surrounding it. It wasn’t until he turned around that he got the shock of his life. High above him was the familiar shape of Mount Canter, but in the place of the familiar buildings of Canterlot was a twisted castle of black stone filled with holes.

Smoke was pouring out of the twisted castle, though it seemed to be going down slowly. It looked more like a twisted parody of Canterlot mixed with an insect hive than what he was familiar with.

Reaching out to touch a tree so he could stable himself, Neutron muttered one simple thing.

“...I’m in a nightmare.”

“So, here we go again,” Sea commented as she and Jasper walked into the settlement of Gateway. It was one of the settlements closest to the border with Changeling territory. “It feels like we just left Appletown, and here we are investigating more reports.”

“Yeah, but Gateway is so close to Princess Dusk’s territory that it’s better safe than sorry,” Jasper reminded her. “It might be a response to whatever happened in Canterlot the other day as well. We need to make sure it’s not a Soldier Drone.”

“Tch, hardly a concern, Gateway is often used as a stop-off point for Drones moving through the territory,” Scarab commented. “Putting them on edge would just endanger that.”

“Okay, then what do you think we’re dealing with here?” Sea asked as she glanced at the mechanical bug.

“Really wish he would’ve just taken his pony form for this…” Jasper muttered. “I hate hearing only one side of your conversations.”

“Regardless of your marefriend’s feelings, I honestly don’t know either,” Scarab retorted with a telepathic chuckle.

“She’s not my marefriend!” Sea countered, which got a weird look from Jasper.

“Yes, just keep telling yourself that,” Scarab replied. “I’m not the one who you spend every night in bed with.”

“You know I have nightmares!” Sea angrily said.

“Uh, is she okay?” A stallion asked as he walked over to where Jasper was standing. “She seems to be talking to herself.”

“It’s a long story,” Jasper sighed as she turned to the stallion. “I gave up on trying to stay out of this insanity regarding her… Anyways, you must be the Mayor’s aide right? We’re here from Ponyville to help with the monster attacks.”

“Yes, yes, Mayor Xylophone sends her apologies for not being able to come,” the aide said as he shook his head a little. “She was among those injured in the last attack so she is in the local hospital at the moment. She’s glad that Ponyville was able to send help so quickly though. Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Yes, we’re going to need a place to stay in case we have to stay overnight,” Sea Spray answered. “Also we’ll need to see any of the locations where the monster has been seen. Is anypony well enough to talk to?”

“I’ll talk to the doctor about it,” the aide answered as they walked through town, the evening sunset as their backdrop. “We’ve been living close to Changeling territory for years with no more problems than anypony else. So, this whole thing is kind of new for us.”

“It’s new for a lot of us, don’t worry,” Sea Spray answered. “We’ve dealt with Changelings before. Hopefully we’ll be able to help with this too.”

“It feels like everypony is in danger these days,” Jasper sighed. “We can only do so much to keep all the settlements safe.”

“Yeah, but we’ll do what we can,” Sea said as she looked back towards the sunset for a long moment.

She had a lot to get used to ever since she had found that Driver and the Scarab Shifter. It had gotten her and the other ponies including Jasper out of captivity and probably saved them from conversion. She didn’t want to think about it, but she had often been afraid of what might have happened if she hadn’t found them.

Now she was doing everything she could to protect ponies in the Safe Zone. Kamen Rider Scarab, that was what Princess Elusive had called her and somehow it had stuck. But Elusive had her own Driver and shifter, and had nearly spirited her away in Appletown.

Sea had escaped conversion twice, and she was afraid that the third time might be the charm for the Changelings.

“Hey Sea, are you okay?” Jasper asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just thinking is all,” Sea said with a shake of her head. “Sorry Jasper, I’ve just been really distracted lately.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame you,” Jasper said as she draped her wing over her best friend a little. “Don’t worry, Sea. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”

“Thanks Jasper,” Sea said as Jasper nuzzled her reassuringly. “That means a lot to me.”

“Are you two dating or something?” The Aide asked.

“I told you…” Scarab’s voice echoed in her mind.

“No, we’re not…” Sea started to say when there was the sound of a mare screaming. She levitated up her Driver and swung it around her barrel before they ran towards the sound of the scream. “Oh thank goodness a distraction…”

“You have an odd choice for loving distractions, you do know that right?” the Scarab noted.

“Shut it Khepri…” Sea muttered to herself as she ran vaguely recalling an ancient Somnambulan god by that name. Though she honestly doubted the real one was this much of a pain in the neck.

“Hmm… Khepri, I like that name. Can you keep calling me that?” the newly coined Khepri commented. “Never had a name before. Always Scarab this and Scarab that…” he said actually sounding a little bit unhappy about it.

“Uh, apparently he wants to be called Khepri now,” Sea commented to Jasper as they headed to the source of the scream.

“I didn’t even know the bug had enough individual thought to want a name.” Jasper deadpanned.

“Tell the little snot I can hear him.” Khepri said before muttering a few curses towards Jasper.

“He says he can hear you,” Sea said. “And also apparently thinks you’re a stallion.”

“Hey! I’m all mare!” Jasper protested.

“Coulda fooled me, all you ponies look alike to me…”

“Aren’t all Changelings basically identical other than coloring and manestyles?” Sea pointed out, but that was all moot as they turned a corner and saw what had caused the scream.

“...Well, Jasper being a bit butch does not help her ca… By the Hive!” Khepri exclaimed.

“That… that is not a changeling…” Sea Spray stated numbly. And she was right, as what she saw was this figure, partially composed of metal and partially covered in blue electronic lines. Horns stuck out of his(?) head, both curled to a point, crackling with electricity. He waved his hoof and all around him everything seemed to slow to a mere crawl…

“What… is… going… on…” Sea said slowly.

The figure’s neck glowed, before a massive flaming shuriken was sent Sea’s direction. Khepri reacted and shot out shouting: “Henshin!” as armor wrapped itself around Sea’s body. She swung her tonfas around and caught the shuriken with it before running right at the monster and punching at it with the force of a freight train.

“Didn’t know you could do that... “ Sea whispered.

“Built in safety feature for the Princesses. Or well… you now. Basically, I saved your life. You can thank me any time you like now…”

Sea ignored him.

“What in Tartarus are you?” She demanded of the monster who simply responded with a headbutt. She staggered back, and the monster drew what looked to be a cross between a gun and a mess of metal. Sea’s eyes widened. The creature fired.

Sea Spray rolled, and shoved Jasper to the ground. The creature gave his weapon a little flick and a blade popped out. Sea got to her hooves and put the two tonfas together.

“TRANSFORM: SCARAB TONFA RIFLE!” The Driver said as the connected tonfas turned into a rifle that she raised and fired several energy bullets at the creature.

The shots were met every time by the creature’s gun, and it slashed downwards sending a blue arc of energy slashing towards Scarab.

“Fly, NOW!” Khepri shouted in her head.

“Wait, what?” Sea said, and more on instinct than anything else, she crouched down as the attachment on her armor’s back opened up. Two long insect wings emerged and she flew up out of the way of the arc of energy, her insectoid wings buzzing. “Holy crap, I can fly…”

“Yes you can fly, young one,” Khepri said in complete and utter deadpan. “And we’re all overjoyed. You’re based on a flying insect. Does this surprise you?”

“I never thought about it until now, okay?” Sea said as she raised her rifle again and fired more shots at the monster. The creature saw the shots coming and fired more shurikens of flame from his neck to deal with the blasts, before sending another energy slash towards Scarab.

“Fair enough, the features of the suit generally only activate under… extenuating circumstances.” Khepri commented as his partner dodged the slashes. “Now, kick that thing’s ass okay? ...Actually, is it just me or does it look a little like a Rider?”

“A little bit… but not like either me or Elusive’s,” Sea said as she fired several more shots. “Think it might be like one of those old Neighponese Riders we heard about?”

“Not sure what you mean, if we survive this give me a history lesson okay?” Khepri asked sounding actually interested for once. “...Looks like a twisted mutation of a Rider though. Like something Moonbeam might come up with to scare little foals really…”

Sea blinked under her helmet. That almost sounded like… “Assuming we survive this, you and I are going to have a little talk okay?”

“Assuming. LOOK OUT!”

Underneath them, yellow portals of energy formed with spikes rocketing up from out of them. Sea’s eyes went wide as she dove out of the way of the energy spikes, coming in for a landing. “Okay, I don’t think that’s going to work anymore…”

The twisted Rider spun his sword around, a little like Zorro if you will before making a come hither gesture with his hoof.

“Alright, you want to have a duel, let’s have a duel,” Sea said as she twisted around the rifle and separated it again.

“TRANSFORM: SCARAB TONFAS!” The Driver said as her tonfas returned to her grip and she ran at him at full speed, swinging her hoof around to hit him in the stomach.

The ‘rider’ staggered back before flinging another flaming shuriken but this time Scarab was ready shooting it out of the air. Quickly changing back to tonfa mode, a few more strikes were dealt. Then the ‘rider’ elbowed her in the face before kneeing her in the stomach.

Sea groaned a little as she struggled to steady herself. She was still getting used to fighting on her hind legs at best and this really wasn’t helping. She swung one of her tonfas around, aiming for the ‘rider’s’ head with as much strength as she could muster.

The ‘Rider’ ran behind her, before grabbing her by the neck and tossing her into a nearby shop window. She groaned as she got back up, brushing the broken glass off her armor. The ‘Rider’ for his part seemed to be laughing.

“Resistance is futile…” he said in a droning voice that chilled Sea Spray to the bone. “I rise again.”

He flicked his hoof and from out of the woodworks popped what looked to be twisted mutations of Scarab, the same creatures both Neutron and Dusk had encountered earlier. “We rise again.”

“What in the name of all that is holy…” Sea muttered as she crouched a little, gripping the tonfas tightly in her forehooves. “What are these things?”

“If you squint a little, they almost look like, well… you. Almost.” Khepri noted. “This could be a… problem. One of these things was bad enough! But a whole swarm?”

“I don’t know…” Sea admitted as she backed up a little. Panic was starting to set in as the monstrous beings got closer to her. “How am I supposed to beat these things alone?”

“Not alone no,” a voice commented before a barrage of shots downed the ‘Scarabs’ as a cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows, purple eyes flashing and a small twinkling of silver from where his(?) neck would be. Red antlers stuck out of his cloak’s hood. “You know, ganging up on a lady like that? Fairly rude. If she wanted you, she would have taken you one at a time. But I guess you don’t have the intelligence for that, do you… country boy?” the figure drawled with a hint of disgust. He with a quick motion tossed off his cloak revealing his full figure.

“What the…” Sea said as she looked at the figure in shock, taking note of his eerily insectoid form, complete with folded up wings on his back. “You’re a…”

“Changeling? Yes, let the shock and awe run through your body,” the forest green changeling deadpanned, clicking his antlers -now revealed to be twin horns- together like a stag beetle’s. “I was hoping to remain a mystery for a little while longer, but what can I say? I guess my brother and his do gooderness rubbed off on me. Star Change: Ophiuchus.”

A flash of light and a silver costume complete with a snake themed opaque visor formed around him. Summoning a scythe to his hoof, he twirled it. “Now are we going to stand here and twiddle or are we going to actually do something, Kamen Rider?”

“Oh great, I'm being saved by a Changeling in spandex. What has my life come to?” Sea Spray thought. “And don’t you dare answer that one Khepri!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it milady. Oh, here they come!”

What came next was almost like art in motion as the two double-teamed the hoard. Pharynx watched Sea Spray’s back and she watched his. Together the two swiftly cutting down the hoard. Pharynx grabbed a Scarab in his horns and tossed him to Sea Spray who bucked it caving the false Rider’s chest in. He whirled around and slashed out with a spinning golden triangle of energy even as Sea took down two more with her rifle. She let out a shout of “On your left!” and Pharnyx ducked as she shot down another.

“Now on yours!” Pharynx shouted before Sea ducked and Pharynx changed into a tiger pinning the first of the false Riders to the ground before hoisting him up and slamming him back down. Again, this was done with his horns and all in brutal merciless fashion. “...Hail to the King.” he muttered before sending a swarm of spectral silver snakes to keep the ‘Scarabs’ off the real deal.

“Reminds me too much of Don Armage and his bunch of assholes, these creeps. Oppressors who won’t stop till everyone is under their hooves. ...No, that’s not just it. They remind me far too much of how we used to be till you stepped in brother dear.”

As the ‘Scarab’ hoard was dealt with, all of them going up in explosions Pharynx turned to look at Sea Spray. “Just him left. The ‘country boy’,” he remarked as one of his arms changed into what looked like a unicorn’s horn shaped into a drill. “Shall we finish him?”

“Alright, but after this I’m owed a few explanations,” Sea said. “But for now, we do this your way.”

Leaping upwards, they both activated their finishers.

“Ophiuchus Monoceros Impact!”

“Rider Kick!”

As Pharynx bored into the dark and twisted machine Rider, Sea’s hoof slammed headlong into the monster’s chest. He was sent tumbling backwards before exploding in a pile of machine parts. Far away, pain wracked a pony’s body. She had felt the body’s destruction. No matter, she thought to herself. She could always just make another.

And this time, she mused as a twisted mutation of a Rider complete with glowing gold ‘veins’ and an exposed ribcage, Another Dark Drive would not be alone.

Back in Gateway, Sea helped Jasper up even as Pharynx demorphed.

“...O-Okay, want to explain what’s going on here?” Sea stammered out taking a few steps back. “...You’re not like any changeling I’ve ever seen before…”

“Tch. Some way to treat the guy who just helped to save your ass. ...Yes, I’m a changeling. Well, Changeling King if you want to be pedantic about the whole thing,” Pharynx commented as his dragonfly-like wings buzzed irritably. He placed the strange silver orb he used to transform back around his neck. “Yes, quiver in fear or whatever. Get it out of your system.”

Pharynx felt it. That pull. He knew what it was. The Hive was calling for him. He’d felt it for the past few days, his former Queen calling out to him. And the longer he stayed in this possible divergent timeline the stronger the pull seemed to get. He was able to resist, but the obvious question was for how long? He didn’t know if Green felt it as well, he was not part of the Hive Mind. He hoped he didn’t. The last thing he needed was one more issue to resolve.

“Okay, you’re a changeling. Just not like any I’ve ever seen before,” Jasper remarked.

“Think we’ve already established that, yes,” Pharynx deadpanned. “Your point?”

“...What the flying feather are you? Some kind of divergent evolution?” the mare asked.

“Well, you’re half right to some extent. I am an evolution of changeling, just not a divergent evolution. See, Chrysalis, what she did, was… well, she stunted the species growth. Took me a while to figure that out, but those forms you see running about? Those aren’t what changelings are supposed to look like. Dear old Chrysalis isn’t supposed to be taking love, and hoarding it away. She’s supposed to be sharing it, the whole hive -or hives now I suppose- is. Trust me, if you think I’m a colorful bastard, you should see everyling. We’re like a walking gay pride parade, and my brother was the biggest and gayest of them all, in full rainbow moose horse thing mode.” Pharynx said.

“...Is any of this making sense to you?” Jasper asked. “Are we sure we’re both not experiencing some sort of weird fever dream?”

“...I’m almost tempted to believe him, almost.” Sea said.

“You know I can hear you right? Bah!” Pharynx spat. “Believe what you will. I’ve gotta get going really. Trust me, I’m not someone you want to have around civilians right now. They’ll eventually come out of hiding and while I can deal with their scorn, their disgust or whatever I’m not sure I want to be here when the Hives come calling.”

“Oh no,” Sea Spray said as she grabbed Pharynx by the hoof. “You’re coming with us. Pretty sure you owe us a few explanations at the very least, You did promise after all.”

“...Fine. I suppose I did. Demanding sort aren’t you? Well, let’s get going then…” Pharynx said as the two ponies led him off. He frowned and raised his Kyuchanger. “I might need your help soon.” he said into his gauntlet.

“How bad?” another voice crackled at the end of the line.

“...Well, put it this way, there goes the masquerade.” Pharynx said and in Ponyville ‘Lemon’s’ form shifted to reveal a brief glimpse of a stark yellow drone before it shifted back…

Chapter 6: Star

View Online

“What is this thing…” Scootaloo commented as she looked at a drawing that Jasper had sent her of the first monster they had encountered in Gateway. “This doesn’t look like anything the Changelings have thrown at us before.”

“Agreed, it’s much too mechanical,” Sweetie Belle agreed. “It looks more like it’s based on some sort of vehicle to me. But it’s definitely Rider based, as is this other thing. What do you think?”

“The only other records of Kamen Riders are from centuries ago in ancient Neighpon during the Sengallop era,” Scootaloo said with a frown. “This doesn’t fit any of the descriptions I’ve ever seen of any of the ancient Riders. It seems to me that it’s more likely that we’re missing something here…”

“Yeah, but what?” Sweetie commented.

“I honestly don’t know,” Scootaloo said as she glanced at the pictures for a moment. Sea and Jasper would be coming back soon with the strange Changeling they had encountered. “What do you suggest we do with this new arrival?”

“We may have to use the safe house,” Sweetie commented thoughtfully. “If he’s some sort of Changeling, letting him into the main base might be a security risk. Perhaps we should go talk to Tinker, she might have some ideas about this thing.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo agreed as they gathered up what had been sent to them and headed for the lab area.

The grey Unicorn was knelt over a worktable as she worked on the finishing touches of the Guardian Driver as she hummed a tune to herself. The tech inclined mare yawned as she screwed a few things into place, reaching over and placing her hoof on the stone for a moment, not noticing that the older mares had entered.

“Come on… just a few more wires here…” She muttered as she started soldering the wires together. “Perfect!”

“Are you done then?” Scootaloo asked from behind Tinker and she jumped in surprise.

“Oh, yes!” The Tech expert said as she turned quickly and smiled. “Its fully integrated with the Magitek system and the Lux Stone seems to work well with it. Though, we can’t really know for sure if it’ll work until we find somepony who can actually use it.”

“And that won’t be easy given that we need to find a pony who can mesh with the Lux Stone,” Scootaloo commented as she looked at the white and gold stone for a moment. “The Lux Stone was made with shards from the Kindness branches of the Tree, right?”

“That was before my time, but that is my understanding, yes,” Tinker said with a nod. “Actually finding somepony who can use it is the hard part though. These things can’t just sync with anypony, so I don’t know how long it’ll take to find a Rider.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Scootaloo said as she looked at the Driver and stone for a long moment. “Also, can you take a look at something for us?”

“Sure,” Tinker said as they pushed the pictures over to her. She levitated up a pair of glasses and rested them on her muzzle as she examined them for a long moment. “This is certainly like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

“Yeah, we pretty much realized the same thing,” Sweetie commented. “What do you make of it?”

“This one is based on some sort of machine, that much is clear,” Tinker continued as she tapped on the first one. “Curious really, I’ve never seen anything like this before. Perhaps something new that Dusk’s Hive is working on?”

“Maybe, but I doubt they created this,” Scootaloo commented. “It’s too mechanical for their tastes really. They prefer the more organic insect look outside their Riders at least. This is weird.”

“We’re probably missing something,” Sweetie added. “I don’t like this though. We already have a hard enough time dealing with the Changelings. You don’t think this is the beginning of another invasion, do you?”

None of the mares had an answer to that question. There was a lot of questions that they had about this, and there wasn’t a lot of answers they had. “...So any other lovely news anyone wants to share?” Scootaloo asked.

Vira looked up from her terminal for a moment and frowned a little as she looked back at the screen. “I… may have something.”

“What is it?” Sweetie asked with a sigh. Her eyes widened as she came over. “...Dear Celestia. Please tell me you, for once in your life, made a mistake…”

Scootaloo was soon to follow. “...This is… not good. How could we not have noticed? She was always odd, yes, but this is something else.”

“I should’ve noticed this already, but as you can see that there are a lot of different things about her,” the Zebra said as the two of them looked it over. “The genetic markers are completely different. If I had to guess this is a divergent evolution or something similar. It’s why it took me so long to recognize it.”

“Yeah, well that doesn’t change anything,” Sweetie commented with a shake of her head. “If she’s a Changeling then we’re putting a lot of ponies at risk. We need to figure out what to do from here now that we know.”

“I suppose confronting her, and not talking about her behind her back might help…” Lemon’s voice came, although distorted and sounding more like a young male’s now. Everyone turned, and looked to see ‘Lemon’ looking quite cross.

“And how long have you been listening?” Scootaloo asked.

“...Okay, about 30 seconds.” ‘Lemon’ said.

“Given the current situation, I believe that full disclosure is in your best interest,” Scootaloo said. “And for the record we just found out about this so we didn’t have a chance to talk to you about it.”

“Trust me,” Lemon said as ‘she’ shifted back into her true form. “If I was going to kill you all, I could have done it easily. You did let me near your kitchens after all. ...And this probably isn’t helping my case is it?”

“No, no it is not,” Scootaloo sighed as she rubbed her temples. “Are you by chance connected to the other odd Changeling that Sea Spray and Jasper encountered in Gateway?”

“Odd change… Oh, you mean Commander Pharynx don’t you?” ‘Lemon’ said. “Yeah, that would be my King. King, as in him. And only him. Bug bitch can go eat shit and die.”

His wings buzzed angrily as he said this. “You know Pharynx right? Snarky little bastard, looks a bit like a moose. Likes the color silver.”

“Well, we haven’t met him personally, but that sounds right,” Sweetie replied as she glanced at Scootaloo. “Yeah, this is going to require an explanation from the both of you.”

“...Fair. I’ll just tell you this, I had no intentions on even being here, or actually bringing you harm. I just want to go home really…” ‘Lemon’ said softly his ears drooping.

“Is your name really Lemon?” Tinker asked.

“No, Spada actually. Spada Venture.” the now introduced properly Chameleon Green said with a small little bow. “Cook extraordinaire…”

“...Well, this is a real nice one Neutron…” the unicorn muttered to himself, the wind rushing through his mulberry fur. “You really stepped in it this time. A whole hoard of Another Riders, and a twisted version of Equestria seemingly gone to the Changelings. Maybe if I pinch myself I’ll wake up in bed…”

He tried. No such luck. “Okay, first question. How did a Ridewatch even end up crossing dimensional barriers? Second question, is there a corresponding Kamen Rider to stop it? And finally for number 3, are the Elements of Harmony around, and if so why haven’t they turned this place back to normal?”

He then reached for his bow and the Rogue Ridewatch as he heard a buzzing sound. More Another… whatever, he presumed. Well, he was half right at least on the species anyways.

“Okay, listen. I am tired and pissed so if you want to challenge me… Go right ahead. Just have your hospital bills prepped in advance ‘kay?” Neutron muttered.

“You will not speak that way to one of the Princesses of the Hive!” A buzzing voice of a Changeling male snapped at him. “You would be wise to…”

“...to hold my tongue? I’m sorry, but there are only five Princesses I recognize and none of them are Changelings.” Neutron stated. “So scram. Like I said, I’m not in a charitable mood tonight.”

“I am a soldier Drone in the Royal Guard of Princess…”

“Not caring!” Neutron said with a little dismissive wave of his hoof. “Anybody ever tell you you’ve got a real fucked up looking place here? Could do with some drapery, less slime maybe and then we can talk.”

“Oh, I swear I’m going to kick your…” The Drone started to say as he started to transform before the door on the sky carriage opened up and a holed hoof stepped out.

“What seems to be the problem?” A voice that sounded familiar to Neutron said, only it sounded distorted, almost like an insect’s buzz. Neutron’s eyes went wide in horror as he recognized it. “We’re meant to be in Ponyville already. This was a mere curiosity, we’re not going to get into a fight with some pony over it.”

The Changeling that stepped into view looked like Twilight Sparkle if she had been crossed with Chrysalis. She wasn’t nearly as tall, but carried herself the same way and had the same basic shape. Her carapace however was lavender and she had a purple mane that looked similar to her normal mane only more faded.

“Your majesty, this pony refuses to recognize your authority,” the Drone said as he stood at attention at the sight of the royal Changeling. “We should remove him and be done with it.”

“We are in the Safe Zone,” the transformed Twilight Sparkle said. “What did you expect? If there is no signs of any anomaly around here then we shall move on to Ponyville.”

“Anomaly… she must mean the Another Riders,” Neutron thought. “If that really is mum, it won’t take her long to figure out they don’t belong here, if she already hasn’t reached that conclusion. I need to figure out what’s going on here, like how Mum’s a changeling and where these Another Riders came from. And then find their counterpart.”

“My Princess, given the situation with the attack on your castle, it may be best to deal with him now,” the Drone said. “Given that we picked up similar readings to the ones here in the aftermath of the attack by those Scarab-like things, he may be another one of the attackers.”

“...Oh sure, attack the first thing you see, without questioning him first,” Neutron remarked. “Real smart.”

“We’re in a state of emergency, I’m sure you’d do the same in our position,” the Changeling commented as she levitated up what looked like a Driver made of black metal with holes in it. “Unless you have an explanation for why you’re here in the middle of a Quantum Anomaly.”

“Yeah, I can sorta understand your position. Probably what I’d do,” Neutron agreed. “...There’s probably a reason I don’t have my throne yet…” he mumbled largely to himself. “As for the Quantum Anomaly thing… I have a few working theories.”

Okay, that was a lie. He needed more information before he could theorize anything about these particular Another Riders.

The transformed Twilight paused a moment as she looked him over for a moment and then glanced back at the Drones. “If he was one of those things he’d have attacked us by now. Since you don’t seem to be acting like a thing out of the Trotting Dead, I’m going to give you a chance to explain yourself.”

“Your majesty!” A female Drone said.

“I am your Princess, it is my decision,” the Princess said as she bares her fangs at her Drones for a moment. She then turned and looked back at Neutron. “What is it then? Are you going to explain yourself?”

“Soon as you stop pointing your swords at me, yes,” Neutron sighed gently nudging a sword out of his face. “It’s pretty hard for a guy to explain what he knows when someone’s threatening to slice him open. Rather rude really.”

“Stand down,” she said as the drones nodded and lowered their weapons. “Remember, they’re still here and I don’t need them to deal with you.”

“Fair enough, though I could probably kick their sorry arses if I had any desire to… mum.” Neutron muttered. “Anyways, long and the short of it? Your little Anomaly? It’s what we call an Another Rider. Twisted copy of some Kamen Rider somewhere in the multiverse. Ever heard of the Cross of Fire?”

“No, I have not, but we have only recently started using Rider technology, so that…” She started to say before something clicked in her brain. “What did you call me?”

“Not important right now,” Neutron said perhaps a little too hurriedly. “The Cross of Fire goes thusly, the Rider and their evils are connected, often coming from the same source. See this?” he said holding up the Rogue Ridewatch. “Used to be one of the exact same things that’s giving your Another Riders power.”

“There is only one Rider outside of myself and Princess Elusive,” She continued. “It is the one that matches up with the, Another Rider as you called it, who attacked us. Kamen Rider Scarab, she has crossed paths with our Drones and Elusive several times.”

“Well, somehow… somewhere a copy of her powers landed here and someone picked it up. Now you’ve got a problem on your ha… Er, hooves I guess and guess I got sent here to fix it. See, there’s only one or two ways to deal with an Another Rider.”

“And what would that be?”

“Hit them hard enough to knock the Ridewatch out and then purify it, or have Scarab herself beat them.” Neutron said before observing their expressions. “I’m… Uh, going to take a wild guess here and say that’s not a particularly appetizing idea to you lot?” he deadpanned. He took a thin notice to the bushes behind him ruffling as something moved about in the darkness.

“As I said, our Drones have crossed paths with her already,” the Princess hissed. “That being said we were heading towards Ponyville to hopefully find…”

She suddenly stopped and snapped her head towards one of the Drones. There seemed to be an unconscious communication between the two as she stared behind him at the bushes and raised her Driver again.

“You’d better come out, we know you’re there,” she snarled menacingly as the Drones took their positions around her.

“...I thought you said there were only three Riders…” Neutron asked as his horn glowed a light green shade. A creature stepped out of the bushes, bearing glowing golden veins only just barely hidden by a tattered longcoat. A ribcage was visible on the creature. “...Unless one doesn’t look like a bug…”

“There are, that’s... not one of ours,” Dusk said as she wrapped the Driver’s belt around her barrel and a mechanical looking Mantis hopped onto her hoof as she moved back onto her hind legs.

“Just thought I’d ask…” Neutron said going for his Ridewatch. “Henshin!”

“RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER: GUARDIAN!”

“Henshin!” Dusk said as she slid the mechanical insect into the slot on her Driver.

“THE HIVE STANDS UNITED!”

“Yeah, that just sounds so wrong…” Neutron thought to himself as he drew his axe slamming the Rogue Ridewatch into it. He spun the axe around briefly before raising it over his head, poised to strike. “Alright then new world, give me your best shot. You cannot break my conviction.”

Dusk spun the scythe in her forehooves around and pointed it at the encroaching figure as her hooves glowed with an odd energy. “I don’t know who or what you are, but I’m not going to let you do anything to these lands or my Hive.”

“So you call this… perfect kingdom your hive?” the Another Rider rasped out going for a golden blade of warped energy. “This world is rotting. Your hive is stunted. It would be a mercy to relieve it of its head.”

“Hardly, we have made this world stronger, the Hive is harmony, and we’ll show you our strength!” Dusk said as she reached over and pulled up a large chunk of rock from the ground without touching it and tossed it at the figure.

“Exceed Charge.”

“Don’t make me laugh,” the Another Rider said as he/she cleaved the rock in half with an energy blade. “Your sense of humor was always poor Sparkle.”

“Perhaps, but you should know by now that the Hive does not do things easily,” Dusk said with a fanged grin. “Soldiers, let’s show this monster the true fury of the Hive!”

The other Changelings around her hissed as they morphed into bipedal insectoid creatures. She grinned as her hooves started to glow again as fire swirled around them as she stared him down.

“...A monster is it?” the Another Rider commented. “Ever heard of the pot and the kettle? Guardian is it? Why do you defend this warped world? Please don’t tell me it’s because it’s out of sympathy of who that so called Princess is!”

Neutron stayed silent as Dusk looked at him quizzically. “Be that as it may,” he finally said charging up the Zikan Zax, a crocodile maw manifesting itself. “I am still a Kamen Rider, and it is my duty to protect the innocent no matter the world.”

“I don’t know how you came by that information, but I will not allow you to escape with that information,” Dusk hissed as she sent fireballs at the Another Rider. “We are not monsters, we bring this world true harmony. We are the future of this world.”

“Like I said,” Another Orga drawled as he leapt skywards blade drawn. “You always had a poor sense of humor Princess!”

Orga’s blade and the zikan zax clashed, sparks flying. Neutron leaped backwards firing, a energy maw being sent directly towards Another Orga. It was simply slashed apart.

“Then we will make you understand,” Dusk said as she looked skyward, spinning her scythe around behind her as a powerful wind blew around her, lifting her into the sky. “I control the elements of Equestria itself. You cannot overcome the raw fury of nature!”

“Gee, this one sounds as if he, or she… or it knows you,” Neutron said as storm clouds gathered up above, and the air began to smell of ozone. “Who’d you go ahead and piss off? In my experience, and that’s personal experience I might add Another Riders don’t generally go after someone in particular unless they have a grudge.”

“Yes, thank you for narrowing it down,” Dusk groaned as she threw more fireballs at the monster. Smoke filled the air, and Another Orga leaped out of it and on top of a boulder. The Another Rider’s coat was only singed. “Are these things usually this annoying?”

“Usually, yes. I had to go a week fighting these things, a full week without rest. Let me tell you, I pretty much ran out of excuses to Professor Ocellus by the end.” Neutron noted, firing off a hoard of energy arrows but again Another Orga was on the move. This time he changed into a centaur like beast, with the upper body of a pony.

“Exceed Charge.”

Again, a massive gold blade of energy came down but this time Neutron was ready, summoning and firing a direct bolt of lightning at the strike.

“Well, then we’re going to have to deal with this thing, whoever you are,” Dusk hissed as she flew right at Another Orga with her scythe raised high and preparing to strike. “You are not going to get away with hurting us!”

“...Oh, is this the part where you say: ‘You’re not even going to get away at all!’?” Another Orga mocked dodging the swing. Neutron’s eyes widened slightly, that form of snark seemed almost familiar.

Dusk narrowed her eyes from behind her visor before swinging around and slashing at the monster again. “Don’t you presume to know me! The Hive is stronger than anything you could try and throw at us, and I’m going to show you that!”

“Having a temper tantrum?” Another Orga mocked as he leapt toward Neutron, blades clashing again, “Does the ickle Princess need a bottle?”

Another Orga whirled around in a familiar motion, Neutron’s eyes widened. He knew that maneuver. But it couldn’t be. A brief moment of hesitation, that was all it took. The flat of the blade slammed into him sending the young unicorn flying backwards. Blood flew through the air from a powerful slash that was soon to follow.

Dusk took the moment of distraction to rush forward and punch hard at Another Orga. She hissed as she started to put two and two together in her mind. “The Queen will be furious for this.”

Another Orga staggered back from the sheer force of the punch.

“You know what she does to traitors, Prism.”

She swung the scythe up again along the front of Another Orga, who could only chuckle. She thought she was behind the armor? Did she miss the fact that Prism would have no way of knowing the Hive was stunted?

“But you have yet to answer the most important question, why?”

Another Orga could only laugh, as if at some private joke.

“What’s so funny?” The Changeling Princess demanded.

“Oh, you’ll find out…”

“Tell me!” Dusk demanded of her. “What did you do?”

“It’s not what I did…” Another Orga said.

“What do you mean?”

“You Princesses are really bad at accepting responsibility for your own failures, you know that right?” Another Orga asked with a tilt of her head.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Dusk shouted as she pulled her hoof back. Energy flowed around it as it was covered with stone and fire as steam swirled around her hoof and she slammed it hard into the Another Rider as hard as possible. “RIDER PUNCH!”

An explosion and smoke filled the area. The mutilated body of Another Orga was visible when it finally cleared. As for Neutron, he sat completely unconscious, blood pooling nearby from a gauge into his chest. His Ridewatch had fallen to the wayside.

Dusk fell to the ground breathing heavily as she turned to look at the monster. She looked at the Drones as they returned to their normal forms and they nodded. One of them turned into a large bird and flew off towards the south quickly.

“They’re going to get Drones from Wind Whisper’s Hive, we’re going to figure out exactly what’s going on here,” Dusk muttered as she reached to power down and returned to her Changeling form on all four legs. She glanced back at Neutron, her eyes going from Drone to Drone for a moment. “We’re taking him with us to Ponyville.”

“Are you sure?” a drone questioned.

“Yes, he knows what we’re dealing with here,” Dusk said as she trotted over to Neutron and picked up the Ridewatch, studying it. “And this gear is… interesting.”

“As you command, My Lady.”

“Unless of course you want to wander until you stumble across Kamen Rider Scarab,” Dusk chuckled as she headed towards the carriage again as the Drones pushed Neutron after her.

“...Unless of course there is another reason for all of this…” the drone murmured to himself having heard what Neutron had whispered as clear as day.

Dusk glared at the Drone and he lowered his head a little. She glanced at Neutron for a moment and opened the door to the carriage. “We’ll be in Ponyville shortly. Do you have any questions before we go?”

“None at all My Lady!” the changeling said shaking his head furiously.

“And I advise you to keep it that way…”
Meanwhile, unnoticed Another Orga slowly began to pull itself back together...

“So, you recognized me as a Kamen Rider,” Sea Spray commented as they walked down the road towards Ponyville.

“...I’ve had some experiences with one. Idiot called himself Jam, thought himself to be a god. Called himself the embodiment of the Golden Fruit or whatever,” Pharynx muttered. “No gold in him, really. And my Princess, well she met up with another. Called himself Wizard. I think she still has his ring actually…”

“Interesting,” Jasper commented. “We haven’t actually had Kamen Riders in centuries here. Our original designs from the belt were based on old Neighponese Magitek devices.”

“Well, if it ain’t broke…” Pharynx muttered to himself. “I… I apologize for keeping you in the dark really. But you must understand my position. I’m not exactly someone the public would like to be as their mysterious hero deer striking from the shadows or whatever they chose to posit me as.”

“Yes, I can imagine,” Sea Spray sighed. “Not long ago we met a Changeling named Lime who had been a pony living in one of the towns after being converted following an accident that would have killed her. The team the Hive sent was concerned about the way ponies would react to finding out, or worse.”

“Ponies are a naturally fearful species,” Pharynx noted. “Comes with being herd animals. Soon as something new comes along to disrupt the current order, they get scared and run like rabbits or worse, act like fools to try and remove the disruption. Do you know the name Zecora by per chance?”

“I do,” Jasper answered. “She’s one of our contacts in the Zebra Lands. Her great niece is our cell’s local biologist.”

“Then you heard how ponies treated her, I presume?” Pharynx commented his wings buzzing slightly in irritation. “Locked their doors and ran inside as if the plague itself had come to their little world. The sad thing is, pony nature at times is unfortunately very ugly and I learned the world can be a very ugly place. For as much beauty as there is, there’s just as much brutality and violence and ugliness to it all. And as much as we want to move past it, or evolve we never can ignore our base instincts.”

“Yeah, I’ve come to realize that,” Sea sighed as she glanced up at Khepri for a moment then back at Pharynx.. “Can you disguise yourself or something? I mean, with everything that’s going on, it might be awkward to just walk into town with you…”

“You do realize the truth will out eventually right?” Pharynx commented. “But… If you say so…”

With a flash of green fire, he changed into a red unicorn with a blazing orange mane. “I’m sure he won’t mind. Not like he’s around to argue.” Pharynx shrugged.

“I’m guessing that makes sense if we know who you’re talking about,” Jasper commented. “But my grandmothers already know about you. We’re likely going to meet up at the safe house, so you just need to hold it until then.”

“And the likelihood of your grandmothers throwing me in a hole and locking away the key is…?” Pharynx asked. “Ponies do so hate being betrayed. They put their heroes up on their pedestals and when those pedestals are broken…”

“My grandmothers are reasonable ponies, they’re going to hear you out at least,” Jasper replied as she looked at Sea. “What do you think?”

“Yeah, they raised me, they’re some of the best ponies I’ve ever known,” Sea added. “But I have to ask, exactly how old are you? What happened with Zecora happened decades ago.”

“Trust me, you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” Pharynx remarked. “Now these grandmothers of yours, they seem like nice enough sorts if they raised you. Sounds like the type of ponies I’d want to meet.”

“Yeah, they really are,” Jasper said with a soft smile. “They run the Orphanage in Ponyville, where Sea here was raised. They took care of me after my parents vanished and they run things in the Cell. Hopefully everything will go well.”

“Or it could go really badly and I could get shot to pieces. Best not to have one potential threat running about eh?” Pharynx deadpanned.

“Welcome to life in the Resistance,” Jasper snorted. “You can’t be too careful, especially not in a world like this.”

“...Yeah, can’t be too careful,” Pharynx remarked that evening as he found himself in an interrogation room. “...So, what? You just going to leave me here sitting in the dark or are you actually going to talk with me?”

The door to the room opened up as Scootaloo came in. She eyed Pharynx for a moment as she took a seat at the table across from him. Two pony guards were behind her as she eyed him for a moment, placing a pair of reading glasses on her muzzle.

“Commander Pharynx of the Cloudsdale Hive’s First Swarm,” she said simply as she adjusted some papers in front of her. “We’re familiar with you, though your disguise threw us off until we checked our records. Mind explaining what you’re doing here?”

“...Huh, so I do exist here after all…” Pharynx muttered taking a sip of the water he had been provided. “Well, no sense in lying about it I suppose. I’m not even supposed to be here as it is.”

“And what does that mean?” The old Pegasus asked.

“Exactly what you think,” Pharynx said steepling his hooves in front of him, his mouth hidden. “I’m not even native to this world… timeline… whatever this is. I had no intent on disrupting your little war, though to be honest I am glad I arrived when I did. You need all the help you can get.”

“And what proof do you have of your story?” Scootaloo questioned. “You saved Sea and Jasper, but that doesn’t prove anything. It could be a ruse.”

“Okay, fair enough. I suppose you don’t believe my appearance itself is real?” Pharynx asked. “Can’t say I blame you. It’s easy enough to make up a story, and for a changeling to change their appearance. And with this war, saving your golden goose wouldn’t be enough. Have you met, by chance, a changeling named Spada? He can corroborate my story. Our story.”

“Spada has given the same story, that is true,” Scootaloo sighed. “Unfortunately at the moment we cannot confirm if Commander Pharynx is in Cloudsdale or not. So unless you can provide some sort of irrefutable proof that you are not him, you’re stuck here.”

“Take a blood test or something,” Pharynx stated. “Chances are I’m probably carrying some sort of disease that you won’t recognize. I know that probably doesn’t help my case of not being out to kill you all, but…”

“Do it,” Scootaloo said to Vira before steepling her hooves and adjusting her glasses. Pharynx winced slightly as the blood was drawn before Scootaloo spoke again. “In the meantime, if you really are from another universe, please do enlighten us on how you got here…”

“Okay, so it all started with a science experiment gone wrong…”

“I’ll tell you one thing,” Spada said adjusting his coat, the two having just arrived from being scanned for any potential diseases they may have picked up on their latest jaunt. Namely, diseases that may be potential problems to the crew and inhabitants of the Shining Armor. Needless to say, sickness spread fast aboard ships with 40,000 souls onboard and a good disinfection took an hour or so because of this. You could never be too safe. “It’s the disinfectants every time. I’m drenched.”

“I’m personally not a fan of getting blasted with radiation really, I’m honestly surprised nobody’s started glowing green yet,” Pharynx remarked adjusting his jacket. “Still, if it keeps everyone on board from dying from the Hivemother only knows what then I’ll live and let live.”

“...If this stuff has any effect on the food I prepare, I will be taking it up with a certain Prince,” Spada chittered angrily. “He’s already on my shit list for the stunt he pulled when Flashfire and Coldcast were off in that other universe. He’s lucky I haven’t decided to punch him one.”

“Yeah? Well… Join the club,” Pharynx muttered. “If it helps, I heard Flurry tearing him a new one about a week ago. And in any case, if that radiation even had the slightest effect on the food, I think we all would have noticed long ago. Nobody’s reported into the medical bay sprouting an extra head or anything so I think we’re good.”

“...You sure you haven’t sprouted an extra head and decided not to tell anyone? I know Baroness Manx would probably appreciate-”

“Finish that sentence and I’m shoving you out an airlock,” Pharynx said giving Spada a dark glare. “Me and the Baroness have a strictly doctor patient relationship and I intend on keeping it that way.”

He sighed to himself. “We’ll be lucky if the Baroness ever has any interest in men ever again after what HE did to her…” Pharynx stated letting out a small growl. “I should have made that bastard suffer a little longer before I took him down…”

A dark brown mare with an even deeper earthy brown mane walked up. “Oh, uh… Sorry to bother you Commander Pharynx, but uh… Stripped Gear wants you, Jabari and Princess Flurry to meet you in his lab. Said he had something to show you. Seemed quite excited.”

The pegasus then rushed off presumably with more messages to ferry. Pharynx to this day swore she had to be Derpy Hooves’ many many great granddaughter with her enthusiasm for the mail. Or maybe she was related to that griffon Scootaloo hung out with so much.

Spada and Pharynx shared a look. Stripped Gear and excited usually translated to a new invention that generally carried a huge risk to blowing them all to Kingdom Come. And all in the name of science, of course. “...Welp, time to risk death and the loss of limb once more I suppose…” Spada muttered with a resigned sigh.

“You know, for a guy who can tell you the height of Canterlot Castle in cubits,” Pharynx muttered as the two strode to Stripped’s lab. “...We have to wonder, or at least I have to wonder why we keep him around. He’s arrogant, pretentious, and a bit of an ass.”

“Oh, so basically you then?” Spada teased. “Go on then, take him to a dark corner and steal away a few private moments as they say…”

“...I’m not a robosexual,” Pharynx commented. “Pretty sure if we wanted to prove to him he was a pony like the rest, Flashfire would have done that long ago. All for the greater good of course.”

“You still aren’t convinced Flashfire and Stripped aren’t dating?” Spada asked raising an eyebrow. “Celestia, sei un duro… You could give Sigmane Freud a run for his bits!”

“I call it like I see it,” Pharynx remarked. “There is no way those two are ‘just friends’ with the way they interact.”

“Even if I know for a fact Flashfire is completely and utterly head over hooves for Flurry?” Spada deadpanned. “As much as they like to keep their relationship private, don’t think I haven’t caught them in moments of weakness. By the Hivemother, I should tell you what I found them doing in my kitchen once…”

“I’d really rather not know,” Pharynx replied. “And a stallion can swing both ways really, right? I mean, goodness knows my older brother was in love with both Princess Twilight and her assistant!”

“...You know, as much as I’m curious about what life was like for you back during those days,” Spada commented, “I sometimes really regret knowing at times. ..I mean, how can a relationship between an insect and a dragon really even… wait, stop. Don’t even answer that question. Hell, don’t even open your mouth actually!” he suddenly said seeing Pharynx about to do just that.

In any case, the two marched into the darkened lab where Stripped was already blathering to a frankly unimpressed Flurry about his latest invention. Actually, unimpressed was probably being generous if I will be honest. She had a sorta pleading ‘Save me from this Hell’ look really.

“Is there actually anything remotely interesting here?” Jabari asked essentially voicing everyone’s thoughts. “Or is this one of those things that blows you up for no obvious reason? Because I am not putting you back together again for the third time this month.”

“Er, actually… No. Basically, I got thinking,” Stripped said as Jabari and Spada shared a nervous look.

“Uh oh.. Here it comes…” Spada deadpanned with Jabari sniggering before Flurry slapped them both on the back of the head.

“Please do continue, Stripped. Do ignore the peanut gallery.” She said politely although one could tell by her expression she was thinking much the same thing. Stripped smiled back at her and hefted something huge and rather dangerous looking off a desk.

“Basically, after our run ins with other dimensions lately, I got inspired!” Stripped chirped. “Why not send Dark Matter to some other dimension? I still need to calibrate a few things, like finding the frequency of some dimension that they won’t do any harm in, but I think I’m onto something here!”

“Or we could just shoot them,” Jabari commented. “I mean, that works perfectly well.”

“Oh ye of little faith,” Stripped said. “We could also summon someone to our aid as well. Of course even this runs a risk if I don’t do the proper calibrations. I could very well summon something like a Shoggoth…”

“There seems to be a lot of what ifs here,” Pharynx said. “Shouldn’t we put this one on the back burner until we know we have something… practical?”

“Yeah, I have to agree with King Pharynx,” Flurry said. “I’d rather you not suck my ship into a black hole.”

“Don’t you dare close up this curiosity door,” Stripped snapped. “Don’t you even keep it locked up! This could be the turning point to saving the universe for all we know! I bet you money years from now when the universe is at peace you will look back at me while I get paid more money than you could ever dream up!”

“I dunno, I can dream up a lot of things…” Jabari trailed off. “But you make a good point. Is there any way we can see some results? After your last failure and lab explosion, I should warn you right now, his Royal Pain in the Ass wants to cut your funding.”

Stripped looked furious. “Oh, he does, does he? Well, we’ll just have to see about that! Allow me to show you some proof of concept!” he snarled before aiming the laser at a wall and firing. A high pitched whine cut through the air as a swirling howling portal opened. And Pharynx found himself being drawn towards it.

He heard a shout of: “Shut it down!” from Jabari and the cocking of a laser pistol as Spada grabbed him by the hand and began to pull. And then all went white.

“...And then me and Spada found ourselves here, in this nightmare. We agreed to split up for a time, just to try and figure out what happened. I didn’t mention to him at the time I felt this ‘pull’, I guess you could call it,” Pharynx explained. “For all the hell that would of did. I’m not even sure if we’re going to get back. So for now, and probably for a very long time you’re stuck with us.”

“I see,” Scootaloo said as she adjusted her glasses for a moment. “I’m not sure if that’s the greatest science fiction story I’ve ever heard or the truth.”

“You really think I can make up shit this weird?” Pharynx asked. “Or make up being practically the gay rainbow bug horse moose thing pride parade?”

“Yes, I suppose that would be weird, even for Changelings I mean,” Scootaloo chuckled. “Alright, well if Vira confirms some part of your story at least, then we’ll let you go. But even then I’m going to request that you don’t go anywhere unescorted for safety reasons.”

“Where would I go?” Pharynx asked. “Equestria’s gone to hell. Oh, by and by, don’t break the Kyutamas. I was warned that some cosmic energy was used to make them, and I’m not entirely sure what would happen if one were to be… smashed.”

“Noted,” Scootaloo said as she glanced at the door which opened. Vira came back in and whispered something to Scootaloo. The old Pegasus looked at her curiously for a moment and nodded. “Alright, well, it seems that you’re carrying some microbes that aren’t native to Equis as well as showing signs of exposure to radiation not native to this world. That would imply that you’re likely not Commander Pharynx.”

“Trust me if I was, I would have slaughtered you all by now,” Pharynx stated before his tone turned disgusted. “Pretty sure my counterpart didn’t quite get the smack to the head I did. He’s probably following Chrysalis blindly as we speak.”

He muttered quite a few unkind things under his breath about stunted growth and Changeling Queens.

“As I said, you’re not to go anywhere unescorted,” Scootaloo continued. “If it would help I can have Jasper and Sea Spray escort you once they’re done in…”

She glanced up as the door opened again and Sweetie Belle poked her head in with a fearful look on her face. “Scootaloo, we have a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Scootaloo asked.

“Princess Dusk just landed with a full escort in the middle of town,” Sweetie Belle replied. “She wants to meet with us and Sea Spray.”

Scootaloo groaned and rested her head on the table for a moment. This day had just gone from bad to worse. “I’m sorry Pharynx, I need to deal with this.”

“...I take it this isn’t normal behavior for Miss Dusk?” Pharynx asked. He for a brief moment wondered who she could possibly be before it clicked in his head. The name, the title. His eyes widened and he let out a soft: “...By the Hivemother…”

“Welcome to the Pony Safe Zone,” Scootaloo said with a groan as she got to her hooves and nodded to Vira and the soldiers. “Stay with him.”

The guards nodded as Scootaloo got up and joined her wife before heading out of the room and out into the town proper.

“Tch, I’m surprised your tech was able to get this done so quickly and effectively,” Khepri commented as he examined the Guardian Driver. They were in the testing range in the resistance base. “I knew she was working hard on it, but I wasn’t expecting it to be done so fast.”

“Well, he seems curious,” Tinker said as she did the final checks.

“He’s more fascinated that you were able to get it done quickly,” Sea said as she looked between Khepri and Tinker. “I mean, I know you had the Change Driver, but this is impressive.”

“Of course, most of the gear was already done, I just had to figure out how to do the magitek connections,” Tinker explained. “It should work in combination with the Lux Stone. We just have to find a pony who’s capable of using it.”

“And let me guess, that’s why you asked us to come here,” Jasper said as she eyed the Driver and Stone for a moment.

“We’ve tried a few other Resistance members already,” Tinker explained. “We’ve done what we can but we haven’t actually found anypony who could use it yet. I was hoping you could give it a shot, Jasper.”

“Tch, probably shoddy work, or it may not be the right pony, I couldn’t even work for Princess Prism Flash,” Khepri said.

“Shut up Khepri,” Sea groaned as she swatted at the scarab who laughed in her mind.

“Khepri?” Tinker asked.

“I named him that as a joke, apparently he liked it so we’re calling him that,” Sea replied with a roll of her eyes. “Probably strokes his ego given that I named him after a Somnambulan God.”

“Can he even have an ego?” Jasper chuckled.

“Oh, you’d be surprised, I mean you’ve talked to him, but I’ve got him in my head,” Sea replied with a groan. “Yeah, he’s got an ego. Why don’t you ever bug her instead of me? Or spend more time in your pony form?”

“Tch, because she’s not bonded to me or a Changeling,” Khepri replied as he turned back into his pony form. “There, is that better?”

“Much,” Tinker said as she nodded to Jasper for a moment. “Alright, are you ready to try this, Jasper?”

Jasper looked at her and then back at Sea for a moment. She had been hoping for a way to help Sea more in fighting Changelings, especially after they had gotten jumped by that mechanical thing earlier. She hadn’t actually expected to be given a chance to help her like this.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try at least,” Jasper agreed as she placed her hoof on the bronze driver for a moment. She smiled a little as she looked at Sea and gave her a nod. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” the Unicorn said with a reassuring smile. Khepri just rolled his eyes a little.

“Tch, why don’t you two just get a room already?” The Scarab Shifter asked with a groan. “We can both see that you want to get under each other’s tails.”

“Yeah, you two have been looking at each other like that for years,” Tinker said with a chuckle. “Just kiss already, we all know you want to.”

“Wait, they’ve been doing this for years?” Khepri asked Tinker.

“Oh you have no idea,” Tinker groaned. “Ever since they were teenagers. Even her grandmothers are getting tired of it at this point. Just kiss already you two!”

“Yeah, what exactly is stopping you?” Khepri asked as he looked at the two mares. “I mean Jasper, your grandmothers are married, it’s not like your family would think it’s weird or anything.”

“We’re… uh, err…” Jasper said as she and Sea Spray were both blushing like crazy and trying not to make eye contact with each other. “You see, we’re…”

“Not, really… Uh…” Sea said as she tried not to look at her again.

“Let’s just get on with the test!” Jasper finally said as she picked up the Driver. She took a deep breath and spun it around her barrel as it connected and moved onto her hind legs as she held the gold and white stone in the frog of her hoof. “Here we go… Henshin!”

The shield on the Driver widened a bit to reveal the hole fully as she slid the stone into it. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, and then energy crackled out of the stone and shocked Jasper as she screamed loudly and the stone fell out of the Driver and onto the ground in front of her.

“Okay… that didn’t work,” Tinker said as she frowned a little and the Driver detached as Jasper fell back onto all fours. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine…” Jasper said as she brushed her frazzled mane out of her eyes. “What was that?”

“That was certainly new,” Tinker commented as she levitated up the Lux Stone. She brushed it off a little as she examined the dancing lights within the stone. “Interesting, very interesting.”

“What’s so interesting?” Jasper asked. “The fact that I got electrified half to death by that thing?”

“Actually, yes,” Tinker said as she adjusted her glasses. She glanced at the readings on a screen for a moment and smiled a little. “These readings aren’t like anything from the previous subjects. The stone definitely responded to you.”

“So, why didn’t it work?” Sea questioned.

“I’m not sure, probably she’s not able to fully utilize the Stone yet because of its connection to the Elements,” Tinker answered with a slight frown. “But these are the best readings we’ve gotten so far. It’s possible that the stone can bond with you, but it’s just not ready for you yet.”

“Figures,” Jasper sighed as she shook her head rapidly for a moment. “Ugh, my poor head. So, what are we going to do now?”

“For now, hold onto the stone and see if something happens maybe,” Tinker suggested. “We’ll run further tests on it later. For the moment that is about all we can do, understood?”

“Understood,” Jasper said as she put the stone and Driver in her saddlebags. “If fiction is anything to go by, it’ll happen in a particularly dramatic moment. The universe seems to have a flair for it.”

“Probably shortly after you hear dun-dun-dun,” Sea added with a chuckle.

“Alright, you two should go…” Tinker started to say before her radio went off. She blinked a little and levitated it up. “Tinker here, what’s going on?”

“Are Jasper and Sea Spray with yah?” Apple Bloom’s voice said on the other end.

“Yeah, what’s going on?” Tinker asked.

“We’ve got a problem,” was the reply. “Princess Dusk Shadow just showed up in tha middle of town. She wants ta see those two along with mahself and tha other leaders. Ah don’t know why, but Ah’m guessin’ it has somethin’ ta do with what’s goin’ on.”

“Understood, I’ll send them up there,” Tinker replied as she gave the two mares a nod. Jasper and Sea exchanged a look for a moment before heading out of the testing room with Khepri. “They’ll be up there shortly.”

“Ah hope everythin’ will be okay, this whole thing feels off,” Apple Bloom sighed.

Sea Spray and Jasper headed out of Golden Oaks Library together and out into the center of Ponyville. A sky carriage had been parked in the center of town that was flanked by several Changelings with the tall figure of the Changeling Princess and oddly a Unicorn they didn’t recognize standing there. Said unicorn gave them a friendly, if not somewhat nervous wave.

“So, this is Kamen Rider Scarab then,” Dusk commented as Sea walked up to them. “I must say I was expecting something more impressive based on what I’ve heard.”

“Sorry for disappointing you,” Sea said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “What’s going on? Why did you want to talk to us?”

“Canterlot was recently attacked by creatures we’ve come to know are called Another Riders,” Dusk answered as she glanced back at the Unicorn, who seemed to be fidgety. If one were to be honest, he did not look like he wanted to be there at all. “Another one attacked us on the road here. Given the resemblance to your Rider suit, we had assumed there was a connection. It seems that was the right call from what we’ve been told.”

“Yes, we encountered a similar creature in Gateway,” Jasper added.

“This is the picture based on the descriptions,” Scootaloo added as Sweetie Belle levitated the picture over to Dusk and the Unicorn. “If this is another one of these, Another Riders that means we have three variations to deal with.”

The unicorn’s eyes widened before narrowing slightly. “More like a swarm, if what I’ve been told about Another Scarab is accurate.” he said.

“Yes, unfortunately that is true,” Dusk commented as she examined the paper. She narrowed her eyes a little at the strange machine-like Another Rider. “Curious, this is definitely different from what we encountered. What do you make of this?”

She levitated the paper over to the Unicorn. “That is definitely a new one. Looks like possibly a member of the Drive family but there are some differences. The thing didn’t summon a motorized carriage to deal with you by any chance?” he called to Sea.

“No, I’d certainly remember that,” Sea replied as she shook her head.

“That would be the bloody clinchler wouldn’t it?” he muttered to himself. “By and by, you haven’t seen a griffon around have you? Blue feathers, bit of a spitfire?” he asked somewhat hopefully.

“No, we don’t get a lot of Griffons around here, they’re harder to sneak across the border,” Scootaloo replied. “I’m sorry.”

The unicorn let out a small growl. “...Then I hope to Celestia I’m wrong about… Well, never you mind that. You’ve got a massive problem on your hooves. I’ll tell you what I told Tw-Dusk,” he said hoping nobody had noticed his little slip up. “There’s only two ways to deal with an Another Rider, either knock the Ridewatch out of them and purify it, or hit the Rider with the corresponding powerset.”

“Which is a problem if we’re dealing with three Another Riders,” Sweetie Belle concluded. “We don’t have the second option for two of them I’m guessing.”

“Dusk…?” the unicorn asked again hopeful. “Do you?”

He knew it was probably a stupid question but it bore asking at any rate.

“No, we’ve never encountered anything resembling those two,” Dusk replied with a shake of her head. “So that only leaves us with the first option. Any idea on how we can actually do that though?”

“Like I said, knock them around hard enough so that you knock the Ridewatch out of them,” the unicorn said. He faltered for a brief moment. “...Although if that was the case, why didn’t a Ridewatch of any sort fall out of that third one…?” he whispered.

Dusk paused a moment as she thought about that. She frowned a little as she looked at the other Changelings. They shared a moment of silent conversation before she shook her head. “None of us saw one coming out of it. And an attack like that should have done the trick. Has that ever happened before?”

“I… I need to think about this… You… You just worry about Another Scarab okay? Go search that area again, o-okay? Double check it if you need to!” the unicorn stammered out before vanishing in a flash of light. Atop a cliff top overlooking what used to be Canterlot, Neutron sighed to himself before fishing out a blank watch from his pockets along with a lime green watch. He inspected them both, regarding the blank watch with suspicion and concern. “I… I need help here okay? So what are you, and why won’t you activate? And if you do, will I regret it?”

A brief flash in his head, of a alicorn raising his hand to the sky and a world decimating wave. The Twilight Hour fast approached. “And if you do, will I become… him?”

“Is he going to be okay?” Sea asked as she looked back at Dusk. “Who is that anyway? He seems to know an awful lot about the Another Riders.”

“Yes, he seems to have encountered them in the past wherever he comes from,” Dusk said with a sigh. “Look, I know this is a lot to take in, but right now we need each other’s help. Another Scarab attacked my Hive in Canterlot. Your towns have been attacked. We’re dealing with a mutual threat because of these Another Riders.”

“Yer proposing a temporary alliance then?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I am,” Dusk replied. “Right now we have a threat that we cannot deal with on our own. We will not take anypony against their will as long as we are here. This battle is important to both our futures.”

The three older mares glanced at her then between themselves. They grouped up and quietly talked amongst themselves about what to do with this offer. Sea Spray and Jasper shifted uncomfortably as Khepri tried not to make eye contact with the Princess as they all waited to see what the three Resistance leaders would decide.

“Fine, but we want you out of town,” Scootaloo said. “You can set up camp on the outskirts near the wall. We’ll leave you a means by which you can communicate with us, but given the situation we cannot allow you to stay here. It would make ponies too uneasy.”

“Fine,” Dusk said as she glanced at the Drones who nodded in agreement. “This is your town after all. That being said, I would rather not be too far given the risks of an attack.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Scootaloo started to say. She was about to add something else when they heard a sudden strange noise. It sounded like something mechanical followed by a roar and a screech, and it was getting closer to them. “...That cannot be good.”

Up on the cliffside, unaware of the danger that was currently rearing its ugly head again Neutron sighed to himself. “What would you do… Mom? ...Well, I suppose I know what you’d do in this universe, given you seem to have undergone a full conversion. So, this is a predicament, isn’t it?” he thought idly tossing the lime green watch up in the air. “Full change of my anatomy, in a nightmare world, and Skye’s nowhere to be found. I just hope I’m wrong about who that Another Rider actually was. Otherwise… Let’s just hope I’m wrong. Let’s just hope. The obvious question is, how did these Anotherwatches wind up here? Did they just fall through the dimensional cracks, or is there a Time Jacker at play here? I swear, if it’s the brat then… Well!”

His eyes widened when he saw smoke rising in the distance. In a flash of light, he vanished once more.

A cloud of dust was thrown up as the sound got closer. As it faded standing before them was a massive mass of steel and wires, sparking with blue electricity. Half wrecked, it seemed to be barely holding itself together, as twin lights glowed ominously. Behind shattered glass was the Another Rider from Gateway.

“Well, speak of the Devil and he shall appear,” Dusk commented as she levitated up her Driver.

“You four get out of here, we’ll take care of this,” Sea said as she nodded to the three resistance leaders and Jasper who quickly headed back towards the library. Khepri nodded as he reverted to his insect form and flew next to her. “Are you ready for this?”

“I’ve been ready, but this is a one time thing you understand?” Dusk commented as she levitated up her Change Driver.

“Yeah, yeah, I know how this works,” Sea said as she levitated her own Driver up and spun it around her barrel as Dusk did the same. “The moment we’re done fighting these things its back to being enemies.”

The steel monstrosity let out another roar, the motorized carriage looking ready to run them all down. “So glad to see you in the flesh, Princess Dusk…” its driver chittered as the engine roared again. Massive exhausts erupted from the back as a spike jutted out from the front.

“Wish I could say the same. Let’s do this then,” Dusk said as her Mantis shifter while Khepri landed on Sea’s hoof.

“Henshin!” The two Riders said as they slid their shifters into the Drivers as the armor forms over them.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

“THE HIVE STANDS UNITED!”

And as the armor wrapped itself around them, Another NEXTrideron charged, eyes flaming and exhaust belching smoke as mud and dirt was kicked up in its wake. “Can anypony say… ROADKILL?” it’s driver laughed maniacally.

Dusk just casually flicked her hoof as a wall of earth and stone burst out of the ground, with the Another NEXTrideron using it as a ramp landing behind her. It swerved around to meet them again, eyes flaring as it flew at them like a bat out of hell. The driver held out a hoof, and tossed what looked to be a toy car at a nearby crane, bat-type Roidmudes now at the controls. The arm whirled around with a wrecking ball, smashing into a nearby home even as drones scattered.

“What the…” Sea said as she dodged out of the way of the wrecking ball. “What even is that thing?”

“More of a question, Scarab,” Dusk observed. “Who is at the controls?”

She then leaped upwards to avoid being sideswiped by the NEXTrideron. Scarab wasn’t so lucky and was sent into a nearby building.

“Sea, this is no time to be holding back!” Khepri’s voice echoed in Sea’s mind.

“Ugh… I know, I know…” Sea muttered as she got to her hooves again. “What do you suggest I do?”

“Tch, you know what you need to do, that thing needs to be hit hard,” Khepri told her. “Stop holding yourself back, it’s not helping the fight. Get your flank up and hit that… abomination!”

Sea got up and stared at the mechanical monstrosity for a moment. She took a deep breath and concentrated. And then she heard a voice.

“Run.”

She dug her hind hooves in and ran forward at Another NEXTridoron, and slammed her hoof into it sending it flying end over end. It slammed into a nearby roof, but only drove down, the Another Rider at the wheel looking furious beyond measure. The engine roared, the spike aimed squarely at Sea Spray’s heart.

Or, at least where her heart had been. The beetle Rider dodged the spike and ran forward right at the Another Rider. She swung her hoof around again, hitting him at full speed.

The Rider was thrown out of his machine, but Another NEXTrideron kept on ticking, using the collapsed ruins of a house as a jump before doing a 180 degree turn at Sea Spray. Sea Spray who I might add was currently engaged in delivering a solid right hook across the Another Rider’s face. Her eyes widened as she saw the monstrous machine gunning straight for her.

“Armor Time! Buggle Up! Zombie! Kamen Rider Genm!” a voice stated as a purple warp pipe of sorts appeared out of thin air. Neutron, clad in stark white armor twin chainsaws on either wrist appeared out of it, and landed on top of the Another NEXTrideron’s hood. “Miss me?” he said before ripping into the machine’s engine with an unholy buzz of the chainsaws. “Level up…” he remarked as he leaped off the twisted Rider Machine letting it explode.

In another part of the square, the Changeling Drones were trying to stop the wrecking ball from causing more damage. One of the Drones looked up just in time to see the wrecking ball swinging down towards him. There wasn’t enough time to get out of the way. He closed his eyes, expecting it to hit him.

But what he felt wasn’t the cold metal feeling of a wrecking ball, but a warm feeling of a pony colliding with his body and knocking him to the ground with the pony on top of him. He opened his eyes and realized he had been knocked down by a purple and orange pony, Jasper.

“Are you okay?” Jasper asked as she helped him to his hooves.

“Yeah, why did you save me?” The Drone asked confused. “I’m your enemy.”

“Not today, and I’m not going to let anypony, or, any being I guess, get hurt needlessly like that,” Jasper said as they got to their hooves. “There’s gotta be a way to take this thing down.”

“None of us can get close enough to it,” the Drone said as they backed off out of reach for a moment. “Any ideas on what to do?”

“No, not off hoof,” Jasper said before she realized that something in her saddlebags was glowing brightly. She blinked a little as she reached into it and took out the Lux Stone that Tinker had given her. It was glowing brightly as the lights inside it danced with magical energy, it seemed like it was reacting to her. She swung the Driver around her barrel and it opened up again. “Well, let’s try this again. HENSHIN!”

As she slid the stone into the Driver she paused a moment as if expecting it to shock her again. Instead, the dancing light energy concentrated together in the center of the stone and it shone brightly.

“SHINE! MORNING STAR’S LIGHT!”

White armor formed over her body as the golden energy ran itself over it. The lights slid up to her eyes as it formed a visor that became pointed to resemble the wings of a bat. A golden mantle appeared on her shoulders as a long golden cape with shining white lights sparkling on it appeared attached to it. Finally the last of the energy formed into pinpricks of light that fell onto her armor and created golden star symbols that shone brightly.

She reached to her side and took out a gold and silver revolver as she spun the barrel. Taking a pose she stared down the monsters that were controlling the wrecking ball.

“My name is Kamen Rider Lux, and I’m not going to let you hurt anyone else!”

“Need a hand… er, hoof with that?” Neutron said, actually bowing before the new Rider. “Grandmother said this… A friend in need, is a friend indeed!”

“My grandmothers told me something similar,” Jasper chuckled as she aimed her revolver at the monster and gave him a nod. “Let’s do this then.”

Neutron nodded slamming the lime green Ridewatch from before into his Driver.

“Authorize! Armor Time! Zero One! Jump to the Sky.”

“Let’s. Since Skye is currently not here…” Neutron said summoning the Attache Calibur before laying a firm hoof on Lux’s shoulder. “I’ll substitute. REJOICE! For this is surely an advent in this world’s history! An ironic combination of bat and light, joined together to form a new Rider! For she is Kamen Rider Lux, and you are now fleas beneath her hoof for the light of the morning star has shown through the darkness!”

“I’m guessing that makes sense if you know Skye,” Jasper chuckled as she raised her revolver. “Let’s take these bat freaks down.”

“...Well, it did say a jump to the sky…” Neutron commented positioning his hind hooves. Both shared a nod, before leaping skywards even as the wrecking ball swung back around to meet them. Energy gathered around their hooves before they just smashed through the ball and then through the very crane itself, sending it toppling down.

“...Well, that’s the way it goes I guess…” Neutron muttered to himself before looking towards Sea Spray. Currently, her and Dusk had double teamed the Another Rider, each delivering a powerful roundhouse kick to it. The Another Rider staggered even as Neutron and the newest Rider ran up.

“Interesting development,” Dusk observed. “So there’s two of you now? Very well!”

“Four against one?” the Another Rider almost seemed to whine. “That’s just not cool! You’re being so unfair.”

Dusk raised an eyebrow at her particular choice of wording while Neutron rolled his eyes. “Bitch please,” he drawled. “Unfair is putting innocent civilians in the crossfire. Using them as shields even! You disgust me.”

“Finish Time! Hopper Time Break!”

“Rider Kick!”

“Firestorm Kick!”

“Shining Force!”

Four kicks, and an explosion. But what stood was not Another Future Drive. Instead, Another Orga stood armor smoking. She had shielded her fellow Another Rider, parts of her armor now ripped off. Before it renegrated, Neutron caught the faintest glimpse of blue feather. His eyes widened.

“We’re going… come on!” Another Orga said before the two Another Riders vanished.

“So, it really is you… Skye.”

Chapter 7: Evolution

View Online

“Well, I believe things are settled in enough,” Dusk commented as her drones finished getting the camp together. She glanced back at Neutron for a moment before speaking up again. “You seem to have a bizarre fascination with me. Now that we’re not fighting for our lives, do you mind explaining yourself?”

“...I… I… Well, let’s just say we have a connection where I come from, and leave it at that, okay?” Neutron whispered trying to be delicate. His mind was still reeling from the revelation that Skye had been turned into an Another Rider and all of this was a lot to process all at once.

“Your friend was that mechanical Another Rider, weren’t they?” Dusk asked calmly.

“...Yeah… Although I’m not sure any more if friend’s even the right word at times…” Neutron replied trying to stable himself with a hoof. “I mean, Hell, I’m not even sure what Skye is to me. Morality chain? My own personal hypehen? Subject?”

“Curious,” Dusk said as she tilted her head a little. “The way you’re acting suggests something more than merely a subject or, hypehen as you put it. Are you two dating or something?”

Neutron blushed. “...I-Is this really the time for this?” he stammered out. “I-I mean, don’t we have b-bigger concerns?”

“He definitely has a thing for her,” the Mantis shifter said to Dusk who let out a laugh.

“Yes, of course we do,” Dusk finally admitted as the Mantis rested on her withers. “This world must be a lot for you to take in.”

“...No fucking shit,” Neutron muttered. “Like, seriously. No shit. Of course this is a lot for me to take in! I’m still not convinced I’m not in a nightmare, and that when I wake up I’ll be back home in Ponyville…”

“We simply want to make this world better,” Dusk lamented. “The Hive exists to serve a purpose, it is harmony defined. Every Changeling serves a role, each one works in perfect sync with one another. There is no conflict in the Hive, no Chaos, simply harmony.”

“You going to start singing We all Lift Together next?” Neutron deadpanned. “Because all this sounds like one major propaganda piece.”

Dusk sighed a little. “If you were one of us you would understand.”

“And I suppose this is where you proposition me to be… converted?” Neutron asked his voice steadily growing angrier by the minute. “I like my own free will, thank you very much!”

“If I wanted you converted, you’d be a Changeling already,” Dusk said with a roll of her eyes. “But given we have a few problems to deal with at the moment, we’re not doing conversions right now. And, well, your Rider Gear fascinates me.”

“Forgive me if I sound cynical, but that basically sounds to me like you want to take it apart, and reverse engineer it.” Neutron said.

“I would be lying if I said the idea didn’t cross my mind,” Dusk chuckled. “My Hive developed the Change Driver and Shifters. I’ve studied accounts of the ancient Neighponese Riders from the Sengallop era. Your gear would be my first opportunity to study one of its kind. However, I get the impression that it would be more useful in your possession than lying in pieces on a workbench.”

“Quite honestly,” Neutron muttered. “If it wouldn’t put this world in peril, and make the Another Riders impossible to stop, I’d all too gladly let you take it apart. Honestly, I only grabbed this Driver for one reason and one reason alone. To protect my mother, - Goddess above, that makes me sound as if I have an Oedipus complex- and now that’s been accomplished…”

“Do you know why I developed the Change Drivers?” Dusk asked simply.

“To… Enforce your will?” Neutron asked with a wave of his hoof.

“Hardly,” Dusk snorted. “The Hive is under constant threat. It all began with the return of King Sombra and the Crystal Empire not long after we took over and other threats such as Tirek. There are forces outside of these lands that would gladly see us destroyed and the remaining ponies killed or enslaved. The Change Driver and the Hive Warriors, or Kamen Riders if you’d like, are to protect the Hive. And by protecting the Hive, we protect the ponies in the Safe Zone.”

“And yet you still feed upon them,” Neutron said. “Fine way of protecting them. Let me present to you a hypothetical situation. When did this all start? When were you… changed?”

“They survive, we survive, we need to feed like any other species,” Dusk said. She paused a moment at the question as she thought about it. “It was… a long time ago. Decades, I think… after, something happened. I… there was a wedding, and, after that, I think…”

Neutron frowned, he could guess the point of divergence easily enough. “Let me present to you a bit of a hypothetical scenario. Say you were never changed? What then? There were six mares in my world, or seven at times. They went on to change Equestria, never giving in or never backing down. King Sombra? Dead. Twice. No, that’s not right… Thrice! Tirek? In prison. And let’s not even get into Grogar. Now what do you think of all this?”

“You’re talking about alternate realities and hypotheticals, this is the one we live in,” Dusk pointed out.

“Timelines, really. Of what could have been,” Neutron corrected. “This was and is but one possible outcome of the events of the Canterlot Wedding.”

“Even if you were to convince me that things can change, it is outside of my power,” Dusk told him. “Only a Queen can reverse the Conversion process.”

“So, what’s stopping you from dethroning Chrysalis yourself?” Neutron asked. “Goodness knows even you can tell by now something’s wrong with your entire race.”

“It is not as simple as dethroning the Queen to become a Queen,” Dusk scoffed. “Even a Princess requires a catalyst of some sort. Chrysalis guards such things jealously. It is also built into the Hive itself, it would require breaking free from the Hive to be able to try and do it, and she would know, and she would be prepared for an attack.”

“...Wonderful,” Neutron muttered. “Well, I know who I’m betting on.”

“Things change, this world is different than the one you are from,” Dusk pointed out. “Perhaps some day there will be a way to change things. But wanting to change things and things changing are very different things. Chrysalis has a tight grip on Equestria right now. For now, this is the way of things.”

Neutron could only sigh.

“Alright Jasper, this is your chance to show us what you’ve got,” Scootaloo said as she, Sweetie Belle, and Sea stood off to the side. Jasper was in her Lux armor and twirled the revolver in her hoof. “We’ll give you the basic combat forms we’ve already encountered. Are you ready for this, Jasper?”

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Jasper said. They were in the training area in the Resistance base. Jasper glanced back at Sweetie Belle and gave her a slight nod. “Let’s do this Grandma Sweetie.”

Sweetie nodded a little as her horn glowed green. Several of the basic bipedal insect forms of the Changelings appeared around Jasper. She glanced at them for a moment and twirled the revolver around in her hoof before catching it and firing several energy bullets into the nearest illusion Changeling.

She dodged under a swipe from another Changeling’s odd tentacled arm. She swung her hoof around and slammed it hard into the monster that had tried to attack her. She quickly raised her revolver again and pressed it against its head and fired a shot right into its head, causing it to vanish as well.

“She’s doing well,” Sea commented as she watched her friend working.

“She’s always been good with guns,” Scootaloo replied. “She’s been training with them since she was old enough.”

Jasper ducked down and fired six bullets into one of the remaining Changelings while doing a flip.

“But, then again she has this tendency to be a bit of a show off,” Scootaloo flinched.

“Reminds me of a certain other Pegasus I know,” Sweetie chuckled as she continued manipulating the illusion Changelings. This made Sea laugh a little as Scootaloo’s face went red with embarrassment. Sweetie just laughed and leaned over and kissed her wife on the cheek. “Don’t worry Scoots, I love you for it.”

Sea smiled a little as she watched the two of them. Sometimes she wished that she could have somepony like that. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had been married for years since they had been in their 20s and had been deeply in love ever since. Sea had to admit that she would’ve loved to have a pony like that.

Maybe someday.

Sweetie went back to manipulating the illusions as Jasper leapt over two of the Changelings and came down hard on one of their backs with her hoof. The Changeling hissed loudly and swung around only to get a face full of bullets.

“Just because she’s a show off doesn’t mean she’s not good at what she does,” Sea smiled a little as she glanced up at Khepri. “What do you think, Khepri?”

“Tch, she’s fine, I suppose,” the mechanical insect replied. “Her gear is impressive though, I’ll give her that. Though, kind of a strange choice of motifs. I mean, bats? What’s up with that?”

“Well, we can’t all have insect motifs or we’d run out eventually,” Sea reminded him with a roll of her eyes as Jasper finished off the last of the Changelings. “Yeah, go Jasper!”

Jasper gave her a nod and a slight salute as she holstered her pistol again. She was about to reach down to deactivate her Driver when Scootaloo raised her hoof.

“Alright, you’re doing good, but I want one more test,” Scootaloo said as Sweetie nodded a little. “You can handle the footsoldiers fine, but you’re going to have to deal with enemy Riders too.”

“So, we need you two to spar,” Sweetie Belle added as the two Riders looked surprised. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Just hold back a little and try not to hurt one another, you’re going to be fine.”

“Are you okay with this?” Sea asked as she looked at Jasper. She was suddenly a bit nervous about this. Jasper was her best friend, and she wasn’t sure if she could do this. “I mean, we’re going to need Rider fighting training anyway…”

“Its okay, I trust you,” Jasper nodded as she struck a pose. “Let’s do this, okay?”

“Okay,” Sea said as she spun the Driver around her barrel and stood up on her hind legs. “You ready for this Khepri?”

“Always,” Khepri replied as he flew onto her hoof. “Let’s do this.”

“Henshin!” Sea said as she slid Khepri into the Driver.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!” The Driver exclaimed as the armor formed over Sea’s body. She gripped her hooves a little as the tonfas appeared in then and gave Jasper a nod.

“I’m ready,” Sea said as she moved out into the middle of the testing area.

“Alright you two, this is a friendly sparring match, but I want you both to be careful,” Scootaloo said. “You’re still both using your abilities at full power after all. The last thing we need right now is for either of you to get hurt.”

“Yes Grandma Scootaloo,” Jasper answered as she twirled her revolver again and pointed it at Sea. “Are you ready for this, Sea?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Sea replied as she held her tonfas tightly.

“She’s got a ranged weapon, if you get in close she won’t be able to use it as effectively,” Khepri offered.

“Yeah, I highly doubt that’s going to work,” Sea muttered. She had seen how Jasper fought, she didn’t need her to be far away to be able to fight. “You were paying attention to her fighting style, right?”

“Tch, what was the point? I’m not even the one fighting her,” Khepri told her. “Just keep fighting her. You paid attention to her, not me. Just fight her already.”

“Great…” Sea muttered as she looked at Jasper for a moment. She ran forward as she swung her hooves around at Jasper. The Pegasus was smaller and faster as she ducked out of the way of the attack and swept at Sea’s hind legs, knocking her down. “Hey!”

“You’re not going to let it be that easy, are you?” Jasper asked as Sea got to her hooves again. “You’ve got Rider experience, but I’ve been trained in how to fight since I was a filly. So I don’t want you holding back, got it?”

“Got it,” Sea replied. She shouldn’t be that surprised, Jasper had likely been trained by the Resistance for a long time. Probably for as long as they had known each other even.

It occurred to her at this point just how little she actually knew about her best friend’s life. She gripped her tonfas again as Jasper twirled her revolver again, whistling a tune from behind her helmet. She laughed a little as she aimed her revolver at Sea this time.

“You’re going to have to do better than that if you’re going to deal with the Riders the Changelings have,” Jasper said as she fired an energy bullet at Sea who managed to dodge it quickly. The Pegasus raised her hoof as a shield appeared in it made out of hard light. “You’re going to have to do better than against those Soldier drones you fought if you want to win this. I’m not your friend here, I’m your opponent, remember that!”

“Right…” Sea said as she straightened herself out. She held the two tonfas in her hooves and gave Jasper a nod. It was hard to think of her old friend as an enemy or even an opponent, but she was going to have to manage.

“Tch, calm yourself,” Khepri’s voice echoed in her mind. “She likely has similar doubts going through her mind. I don’t see why you don’t…”

“Cut it out already!” Sea protested as she got blindsided by a bullet to the chest. “Hey! I wasn’t ready!”

“You won’t always be ready, stop listening to Khepri and fight me!” Jasper exclaimed as she fired several more shots at Sea. The Unicorn quickly dodged out of the way and ran forward, swinging her tonfas at Jasper only to have them connect with the Pegasus’ shield. “There’s the Sea Spray I know! Come on, I can take it.”

Sea nodded a little as she crouched down a little. That shield it reminded her a little too much of her fight with Elusive. Though she figured it made some sense at least, she was a light themed Rider after all.

She wasn’t going to let Jasper show her up either. She dug her hind hooves into the ground once more and ran at Jasper, dodging another shot from her revolver before throwing several punches at her. Jasper grinned from behind her visor as she blocked the blows with her light shield, the last one connecting with it and cracking it before it shattered.

“Not bad,” Jasper said as she dodged out of the way of one punch, but got caught across the chest by another one, knocking her back onto the ground from the force. “Ouch... “

“Like you said, you’re my opponent,” Sea said as she swung the tonfas around and stared the other Kamen Rider down. “And I’m not going to give you an easy fight.”

“I wouldn’t ask for anything else,” Jasper nodded as she gave her a grin. “Come on, show me what you’ve got Sea.”

Sea nodded and ran forward again, moving quickly behind her and kicking at Jasper’s legs. This caught the Pegasus Rider by surprise as she stumbled a little, falling onto her flank as she laughed loudly.

“Okay, that’s pretty good,” she said as she held a hoof up. “Help a friend up?”

Sea took her hoof, only to be pulled down to the ground as Jasper laughed a little. “See, I told you.”

Sea glared at her from behind her visor before chuckling a little as she dropped her tonfas. The two mares just sat there for the longest moment laughing a little as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle watched.

“Do you think they’re going to do okay?” Sweetie asked her wife.

“I think they’ll be just fine,” Scootaloo answered as she gave Sweetie a nod. “They just need a chance to blow off some steam right now. With everything that’s going on, I don’t really blame them.”

“Yeah…” Sweetie replied before adding quietly. “I’m a bit worried though. The Changelings now have two Riders and I’m sure they have equipment for the other four Princesses too. What are we going to do?”

“We still have the Camo Stone,” Scootaloo reminded her. “We’ll find somepony who can use it. The problem may be the others though.”

Sweetie nodded a little at that. They had only two of the stones that had been refined so long ago by members of the Pie family and a third was in a safe place. Nopony was actually sure what happened to the remaining three, they had vanished around the same time the pony that had been working on the original Drivers had been taken.

“Maybe we should get in contact with… him,” Sweetie suggested. “I mean, we can use the stones with the Guardian Drivers now. It may not be necessary to keep it hidden anymore.”

“Maybe, but we’ll need to be careful,” Scootaloo said. “We can’t risk exposing that part of the operation. At the very least we need to wait until these Another Riders are dealt with.”

“Agreed,” Sweetie said as Sea and Jasper got back to their hooves. “So, any ideas on what to do with these two now?”

“Oh, I think I have a few,” Scootaloo said with a chuckle as she leaned in and whispered into her wife’s ear with an evil grin on her face. The Unicorn nodded as her horn glowed green again and several Changelings in advanced combat forms appeared around Sea and Jasper.

“Oh come on, that’s not fair!” Sea protested as they got up again. “We weren’t ready?”

“Hey, the Changelings won’t wait until you’re ready either,” Scootaloo reminded her. “Now come on, you don’t want them to get you do you?”

“You two are pure evil, forget the Changelings we should be fighting you…” Jasper grumbled as the two older mares laughed before the Riders started fighting the new illusions.

“So, you think they’re ready?” Pharynx asked Scootaloo out in the hallway. “This is war, make no mistake about it. How old are they? How old?” he demanded.

“Sea is 24 and Jasper is 23,” Scootaloo sighed. “They know the stakes here. We all do, and we’re doing what we can to fight this war. I don’t like it either, especially putting Jasper in danger like this.”

“The next generation…” Pharynx whispered sounding so… tired. “You know, they should never have to know the mistakes of the past, and have to clean up after the adult’s messes.”

“You think we didn’t try? That we still haven't been trying?” Scootaloo snapped. “We’re faced off against an enemy that controls most of Equestria. We have allies on the outside but they can only do so much against the Changelings. We are stuck in a perpetual stalemate because we can’t attack them with our current forces and they can’t just overwhelm us without risking a major food shortage. Right now, the Riders are…”

She sighed a little, calming down a moment as she tried to look away, but Pharynx could see tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry, but… It’s just… The Riders are the only chance we have. This is a war, you’re right about that, but this is also an arms race. And right now, those two are the best chance we’ve got at seeing tomorrow…”

“Sometimes... the only way to heal our wounds is to make peace with the demons who created them,” Pharynx whispered. “Have you… have you considered that there is another alternative?”

“You say that like it’s so easy,” Scootaloo reminded him. “We’ve tried, back in the early days, Mayor Mare and the other leaders sent envoys. It changed nothing.”

“Times have changed, the changelings are starving correct?” Pharynx inquired. “They must be as desperate as you are, they probably want to see this war end just as much as you do. I apologize if I sound sympathetic to my own race, and on some level I probably am. Back in my universe, you must understand, I am their King. It is my duty to watch my subjects, protect them.”

“I mean, we have Changelings on our side, but it’s not nearly enough to turn the tide of the war that way,” Scootaloo sighed. “Maybe if we could get a Princess to defect…”

“Do you know what happened to Madam Pinkie or Madam Fluttershy?” Pharynx asked. “I would say Pinkie as the Element of Laughter would not be pleased on some level that nobody’s smiling anymore. And well, Fluttershy… she’s fairly self explanatory is she not?”

“Pinkie runs Las Pegasus and is more entertainment based while Fluttershy has the healers out of Neigh Orleans to the South,” Scootaloo replied. “We’d have to get operatives through enemy territory to get to either one. And we can’t risk our Changeling contacts or they might get exposed.”

“How many operatives do you have?” Spada’s voice asked as the yellow changeling walked up. “And of what species? I mean surely Equestria had allies that came to her aid in her darkest hour?”

“The Zebra Empire is our most immediate ally,” Scootaloo answered. “We’ve had communication with them for years. The Dragons and the Yaks are more… let’s say reluctant than the Zebras to get involved.”

“And the griffons I presume are not an option?” Pharynx asked knowing it was probably a stupid question. “...Given 100 years ago they were still squabbling for scraps. Goddamn it Chrysalis, you’ve stunted this world far too much…”

He laughed bitterly. He wasn’t even calling her his Queen anymore. How far things had come. “Did you… did you know that in my timeline, and presumably others as well Twilight managed to become a Princess, a proper one and eventually started an entire school to help other races learn friendship? My daughter… Ocellus, she was one of the first.”

Scootaloo frowned a little and closed her eyes as she lowered her head. “It’s been hardest on the three of us. Me, Sweetie, and Apple Bloom I mean. You know Rainbow actually tried to come for me recently, gods know why she took this long. Sea Spray saved me, she’s a good pony but…”

She frowned a little and tried not to cry again. “She’s… she’s… I don’t even know how to say it…”

Pharynx gave her a knowing sad smile. “I understand. Is it possible… No, I don’t want to get your hopes up here…” he said quickly cutting himself off.

“What?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’d… I’d like to theorize it, but I’m afraid if I’m wrong, I’ll just break your heart…” Pharynx sighed. “...But, would you like to hear my theory? You can say no.”

“At this point, possibly false hope is better than no hope,” Scootaloo said. “That’s why we have the Kamen Riders. They’re our hope.”

“Alright then, I’ll be honest with you,” Pharynx said his eyes glowing a faint orange. “I think that somewhere, deep down inside her subconscious the Rainbow you knew still exists… somewhere. That’s why she took so long to come for you three. I didn’t know my Rainbow well, but what I do remember was she loved you three deeply.”

“We all hope that there’s something left of our sisters in there,” Scootaloo said. “Everypony who’s lost a loved one hopes that. We just don’t even know how to break through to them. It’s not exactly a simple task.”

“I don’t suppose punch, punch, punch is an option?” Pharynx laughed.

Scootaloo chuckled a little at that before she shook her head. “No, not that simple I’m afraid. It would take breaking through the Hive’s influence, we’ve asked our Changeling allies about it already. Recently we crossed paths with a recent convert that had managed to avoid being completely absorbed, so it’s possible.”

“As long as hope exists…” Pharynx smiled before taking his leave. Spada gave Scootaloo a smile and a wave before following.

Scootaloo took a deep breath and smiled a little as Sweetie trotted up next to her. She nuzzled her wife gently and draped her wing over her.

“How’d that go?” Sweetie asked.

“Okay I guess, hopefully it gave us some hope at least,” Scootaloo said and gave her a nod. “Here’s hoping that it’ll be enough. We just need to figure out what we’re going to do next.”

“Yeah,” Sweetie said as the two walked off together.

“Ugh, I feel like I’m gonna be sore for a week,” Sea said as she and Jasper headed out of the Golden Oaks Library together. “Are your grandmothers always that sadistic when it comes to training?”

“No, I think we caught them on a good day,” Jasper chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, we’ll head back to the Communal House and relax, maybe get a bath or something.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Sea agreed with a yawn. “I probably could use more training though given how that went…”

“You did fine really,” Jasper reassured her. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Trust me, as it is… you’re pretty damn lucky,” Neutron commented leaning up against a wall. “Like, seriously. You may not know it right now, but you are.”

“Do we want to know what you mean by that?” Sea asked as she eyed the strange Unicorn.

“Hey, at least you’re getting actual training before you get tossed into the deep end,” Neutron remarked holding up his Ridewatch and tossing it up in the air. He then caught it with his magic before pocketing it. “Speaking from experience here, trust me if Jasper was it? If Jasper had been thrown into battle without any training her survival would be the luckiest outcome.”

“I was basically thrown into battle without proper training, but we’re changing that,” Sea shrugged. “Jasper here, how long have you been training anyway?”

“A while, since I was probably in my early to mid teens, though it feels like it’s been longer,” Jasper nodded.

“...And I only got the basics before becoming a Rider,” Neutron whispered. “I guess Mum wasn’t really expecting me to fight like she did, or she never wanted me to. Didn’t want her child to get involved in adult business. Might have been foolish, or maybe just hopeful. Who’s to say really?” he laughed.

“At least you have a mom,” Sea said sadly. “I got dumped at the orphanage when I was a little filly.”

Neutron elected against telling her that “at least you have a mom” was a bit of an understatement. “...I’m… I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Its fine, it’s not easy sometimes, but I got used to it,” Sea smiled sadly. “And Jasper’s grandmas, they became like my parents. They do that for all the foals.”

“Yeah, they’re great ponies, when they’re not putting you through the training from Tartarus,” Jasper agreed.

Neutron smiled sadly. “Hold tight to your family while you have it, for some day they may never be there for you.”

“Yeah…” Sea said as Jasper gently draped her wing over her. “We may not be blood relatives, but I’ve got a good family.”

“And we wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jasper said as she hugged Sea.

“...And about how long have you two been dating?” Neutron asked tilting his head.

“We’re not dating!” The two mares said in unison as they blushed deeply.

“We’re just good friends, I swear,” Sea quickly said. “I swear, the whole world is out to get us together. What’s next, is Princess Dusk Shadow going to comment on it?”

“She might,” Neutron said with a teasing smile wishing he still had a finger to wag. “I mean, as it is… it’s pretty damn obvious. I half expect one of you to get kidnapped just to get to the other.”

“Look we just…” Sea sighed. “We’re friends…”

“Really good friends,” Jasper added. “Bestest friends even!”

“Oh, like Lyra and Bon-Bon?” Neutron snarked. “Because I am pretty sure best friends is Canterlot slang for-”

“Yes... I mean no, we're not like them! Half the town knew they were secretly banging!” Jasper stammered.

“We’ve never wanted to be anything more than that,” Sea said. “And with us both being Kamen Riders fighting the Changelings, I don’t even know if we’re ready for that kind of thing right now.”

“It is worth a thought though,” Neutron commented. “Goodness knows you may never get that chance again…” he muttered in a tone that somewhat sounded like self-depreciation. “Just like with me and…”

“Your friend who was turned into that… what did you call it? A member of the Drive family?” Jasper asked sadly.

“Irony isn’t it?” Neutron asked. “The one time I figured out that I like her more than a friend is after she got turned into some Another Rider.”

“Yeah…” Sea said. She looked at Jasper for a long moment as the Pegasus looked back at her. “I’ll… think about it at least. Though I feel like that would also kind of validate all the ponies who have teased us over the years.”

Neutron just simply smiled. “Oh, how it’d go? Oh yes… “You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

“We’ll help you get your friend back so you can tell her yourself,” Sea promised. “It won’t be easy, but between the four of us counting the Princess, we should be able to pull it off.”

“Thank… Thank you…” Neutron whispered fighting back tears.

“Anything for a fellow Rider,” Jasper said. “I may be new to being one, but I’m still going to help you out as best I can.”

“This isn’t an easy job,” Sea said as she placed her hoof gently on Jasper’s. “But we have to do it, don’t we? The alternative is more often than not worse. It’s our duty to do this because we’re the only ones who can.”

“Hmm, yes. We are the ones who draw the line in the sand, and say: “This far, no further!” Neutron exclaimed. “It’s not easy, nor is it glamorous or rewarding but it is our job.”

“It’s a job I didn’t actually think I’d have,” Jasper commented. “I mean, I knew that they were working on the Rider Gear, but I didn’t actually think that I would become a Rider. This is going to take some getting used to, but I get to help Sea and other ponies more than I could before. Hopefully, I’ll be okay.”

“I wish I could offer you some reassurance,” Neutron said. “But… There’s not much I can do, I’m still new at this myself.”

“Yeah, same here,” Sea added. “Figures, we’re all in the same position. Where are all the veteran Riders when we need them? I assume they exist.”

“Dead?” Neutron shrugged. “You did let slip it’s been ages since the Riders were sighted right?”

“Yeah, but I mean, you’re from another universe so, that would mean there are other universes with Riders in them, right?” Sea pointed out. “Sorry, I mean I’m glad you’re here too… gah, this is awkward.”

“That would be nice, no?” Neutron asked. “But sadly, I just draw on powers from Riders from throughout Time and Space. Doesn’t necessarily mean they’re in my universe to begin with.”

“Yeah… though, I still have to wonder…” Sea commented as she looked thoughtful. “How did the Another Riders show up in this world to begin with?”

“There are small… cracks I guess you could say, in time and space,” Neutron said. “Blame me mum for making me so nerdy and knowledgeable about this. Sometimes things just… fall through. Life is weird like that.”

“We fight bugs that turn into monsters that look like something out of an entomologist's nightmares,” Sea groaned. “I think we’ve seen some weird stuff here too.”

“...Well, Eldritch Abominations are a thing…” Neutron muttered. “Nightmare Moon or the thing itself pretty much counted as one.”

“My Grandmas also told me about Discord,” Jasper said. “Apparently they were why he got freed or something.”

“Whatever happened to that guy anyway?” Sea asked.

“I dunno, probably still a statue,” Jasper shrugged.

“...Count your blessings, because when I arrived here I thought Discord was on an acid trip or something,” Neutron joked before his tone soured again. “Then I realized this was real and not a bad joke.”

“Well, its not, this is the world we live in,” Jasper said. “But it’s up to us to make it one worth living in. We’ll figure this out, somehow, all of us.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Sea nodded. “I know everything is crazy in this world, especially to you. Probably your world would be kind of strange to us if we went there too though.”

“Yeah, I suppose it would be,” Neutron laughed joyfully. “...I suppose it would be…”

“What’s your world like anyway?” Jasper asked. “You haven’t talked much about it.”

“Peaceful, for the most part,” Neutron said quietly. “Probably pretty close to what your world was like before… well, all this. Not without its troubles, the Another Riders are enough evidence of that.”

It sounded as if he was trying to dodge the subject really.

“We’re going to get you back to your world,” Sea said with a soft smile. “With your friend. Our world may be weird to you, but we’re good ponies. Or, we try to be at least.”

“Ōmagatoki…” Neutron muttered largely to himself as he looked out into the dark and cloudy horizons, strange creatures howling in the night. “...Reminds me of that.”

“Ōmagatoki?” Sea asked. “What’s…?”

“Sorry,” Neutron apologized. “Old Neighponiese thing, basically the time when ghosts and demons are about. Sometime around dusk really. Usually a time of great calamity and upheaval.”

“...You have a real way of creeping others out, don’t you know that?” Sea deadpanned.

Neutron smiled at her. “So I’ve been told.”

“We should probably get back to the Communal House,” Jasper commented as she looked up at the sky, a cold wind blowing through. “The others are going to start getting worried. Are you going back to the Changeling camp?”

“By all rights, I probably should…” Neutron said. “Just to keep an eye on mu-Sorry, Princess Dusk. Make sure she doesn’t pull anything.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow?” Sea asked as she smiled a little. She found that a bit weird, but she didn’t want to pry at the moment.

Neutron smiled and gave a nod before walking off back towards the Changeling Encampment. He sighed, if they only knew. Goodness knows what they’d think of him if… well, best not to think on that eh?

Sea and Jasper smiled and waved as they headed off towards the Communal House.

Dusk glanced up as Neutron returned to the camp. She had been working on some things and shook a vial that had some blood in it and frowned a little as she examined the sample for a moment before speaking up without glancing at Neutron. “You were in town for a while, I half expected you to stay overnight.”

“Put simply, I don’t trust you,” Neutron said. “I’d like very much to do that, and stay with them but I don’t want to keep my eyes off you. My case in point?” he continued gesturing to the blood vial.

“What about it?” Dusk asked as she dropped something into it. “It’s just some blood. I’m just doing some tests on it.”

“Just some blood and doing some tests doesn’t exactly reassure me,” Neutron said. “Those are two phrases that never mix well.”

“I’m a scientist, it’s in my nature to investigate things,” Dusk reminded him and narrowed her eyes a little as the blood turned slightly green. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“And I’m a Kamen Rider,” Neutron said. “Don’t know if you particularly care for that, but where I come from? That name means something I’d like to think. You’re just spitting on it.”

“You forget that I made the Rider Gear to protect the Hive,” Dusk pointed out, finally looking at him. “There are always two sides to the same story. To the Hive, we’re the heroes.”

“And to the ponies, you are their oppressors and their worst nightmare,” Neutron said. “In a way, yes, I guess you do still qualify as a Kamen Rider but only just. Only just.”

“Look, if you want to know, I’m looking into a bit of an oddity,” Dusk said as she put the vial down carefully. “You see, the Change Driver and shifters don’t work for ponies, they work on Changeling magic.”

“Interesting…” Neutron noted before it slowly clicked in his head as he realized what that could possibly mean. “So that means…. Unless… No, it couldn’t be… Oh dear Celestia in Heaven.”

“Yes, that’s what I was confirming, it means Sea Spray has Changeling magic and DNA,” Dusk finished as she rubbed her temples. “This is a problem.”

“Yes, for her…” Neutron said before laughing to himself. “Oh, isn’t that the way? Like, isn’t that just bloody glorious. You created the instrument of your own destruction, like isn’t that just rich eh mum?”

It didn’t register what exactly Neutron had just let slip out but when it did his eyes widened. “Oh fuck.”

“Yes, it certainly seems that way, and we…” Dusk started to say before her eyes went wide as what he said processed in her mind. “What did you call me?”

“Mum…” Neutron whispered before shouting. “Okay, I called you mum. As in mother! Pretty self explanatory isn’t it?”

Dusk just stood there for a long moment as if trying to figure out what to say. She groaned a little and sighed as she shook her head. “You shouldn’t have told me that…”

“...Well… Uh, it was bound to slip out eventually... “ Neutron stammered. “Er, sooner or later really…”

“No, I mean you just put a target on your head,” Dusk hissed. “I can only keep it from Chrysalis for so long. She’s going to want to take you. It’s why Sea is in danger, Hybrids or anypony that might be connected to us will be converted or held for other reasons. You’re in danger unless we can get you back to your world soon.”

“I’ve been in danger since the moment I got here,” Neutron said. “As I said, that little slip up was only a matter of time.”

He sighed as he sat down on a nearby rock, ears flattening. “...Funny isn’t it? I find my mother… or something resembling her at any rate again, and… and I can’t even…” he whispered sounding close to tears. “She can’t even…”

“I’m sorry, Neutron,” Dusk sighed as she closed her eyes. “I shouldn’t have found you or put you in this position. This isn’t your world, you don’t deserve this.”

“So you do have some semblance of motherly care…” Neutron whispered. “Guess my mum’s still in there after all… somewhere. Or maybe I’m just deluding myself, wishing and hoping.”

He flashed back to the final battle with the Nightmare.

“RIDER TIME, GUARDIAN! ARMOR TIME: KUUGA AMAZING MIGHTY!”

Darkness shrouded the land as a castle crumbled around him, blasts of magic flying. Neutron -now sporting black and gold armor complete with cape- waved his hoof throwing a magical energy wave towards the Nightmare Entity, now shrouded in smoke. A blue griffon, and a light blue changeling ran up and fired blasts of pure magic from the necklaces they bore. Loyalty and Kindness had returned.

A howl of rage, and the shroud charged at the two Element Bearers. Neutron roundhouse kicked it, golden energy enlaced with the strike. Two swords, the Titan Swords appeared out of portals before they flew right at the Nightmare pinning her to the wall.

“Strike now!” Gallus shouted.

A high pitched scream rang out through the room, and blood splattered the walls as lavender feathers fell to the ground. And a son’s cry.

“MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!”

“...We freed her, but at a terrible cost…” Neutron whispered. “One last act of defiance, the Nightmare ripped mum’s wings off before she was banished to the netherworld. She’s… she’s a shadow of herself now. Only talks to me and Fizzlepop and even then it’s…”

“So, seeing me can’t be easy,” Dusk added. “Look, I’ll keep it from Chrysalis as long as possible. There’s not much else I can do.”

“Am I really that desperate for affection from my own mother that I’m actually graviting to you?” Neutron asked before chuckling. “Yeah, I definitely have some sort of complex here. Goddess I’m so fucked up.”

“Just don’t ask to meet your extended family in this world, that would be awkward,” Dusk chuckled a little.

“You wouldn’t want to know yours in mine…” Neutron laughed. “Like, you really don’t. It’d probably give you a conniption. Or something… My world’s like gay as fuck…”

“I should probably never visit your world, should I?” Dusk asked. “Not sure if it’s for your world’s safety or mine.”

Neutron actually fell over laughing at that before he sighed. “I’ll be alright mum,” he said to her. “Don’t you worry none. In all honesty, it’s you I worry about now… Who could you possibly have pissed off enough to get three Another Riders after you? The Drive one definitely seems to have a personal grudge against you in particular, considering she seems to be, by all reports, the Another Scarab hoard’s ‘Queen’ if you will.”

“If that one we encountered on the road was Prism… I honestly have no idea,” Dusk admitted. “But this doesn’t make sense, we don’t have access to alternate universes or whatever. There has to be a factor we haven’t accounted for.”

“...Yes, quite possibly…”

Atop a cliff, a pink… sorry, a magenta pony watched before chuckling and adjusting his camera strap. He waved his hoof before vanishing into the shimmering air.

“Scootaloo, maybe you should get to sleep,” Sweetie said as she turned over in their bed to look at her wife. “What’s on your mind?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Scootaloo answered. “I’m just thinking about Sea really. With everything that’s going on, I still don’t know how to tell her about… you know…”

“Yeah, I understand,” Sweetie sighed as she leaned over and gave her wife a gentle kiss on the cheek. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Scootaloo admitted. “I honestly don’t know. I don’t know what she’s going to think if we tell her. The last blood test showed that the cells are increasing, so it’s going to be hard to not notice.”

“Understandable, but we’ll figure it out somehow,” Sweetie said as she placed a hoof on Scootaloo’s. “She deserves to know.”

“I know,” Scootaloo said as she closed her eyes. “I’m going out for a walk to clear my head.”

“Okay, just be careful, okay?” Sweetie asked. “I’ll have one of the guards keep an eye out for you.”

“Okay,” Scootaloo said as she gave Sweetie one more kiss before heading out of the bedroom and down the stairs. She headed outside and took a deep breath of the night air and walked out into the street.

It was a quiet, almost peaceful night. There were only a few ponies out right now, that wasn’t that unusual really. She thought she saw a pony observing out of the corner of her eye but when she looked they were gone.

“Weird…” She muttered.

“I’d say you’re getting paranoid, piccola signorina,” Spada said as he walked up from behind her. “But I suspect paranoia is a good thing here, quite sadly.”

Scootaloo nearly jumped, but was relieved when it was just Spada. “Sorry, I’m a little on edge right now. But yes, it’s typically a good thing.”

“Sorry,” Spada said looking rather embarrassed with himself. “Probably should be lucky I didn’t get tossed into a wall or something…”

“Also, what did you call me?” Scootaloo asked. “Piccola Signorina?”

“Calabrese for little miss,” Spada said. “...Sorry, it’s become second nature for me by this point to lapse into my native language.”

“Oh, okay,” Scootaloo said. “Sorry, I’ve been a bit distracted lately. With everything that’s going on, you know? Sweetie is worried about me...”

“Can’t say I blame her,” Spada said his wings buzzing in agitation slightly. “All of this stress, can’t be good for your heart really.”

“Yeah, she says that a lot too,” Scootaloo sighed. “Ever since Sea got the Driver things have just been getting worse. Seems like now we’re in the middle of an Arms Race with the Changelings and Sea is…”

She paused a moment as she stopped herself. She couldn’t risk that kind of information getting out, it would hurt the resistance’s morale and make things worse.

Spada sighed before muttering a spell in the changeling language. “Okay, should black out all the noise around us, keep whatever you want to say from getting out. In other words, you can speak freely.”

“Sea is… it’s complicated,” Scootaloo said as she closed her eyes a moment. “The Change Drivers aren’t supposed to work on ponies because they work using Changeling magic. Apparently, that means she’s… she’s, uh… oh, how do I put this…”

“Going buggy?” Spada asked.

“Most likely, yes,” Scootaloo sighed. “She’s half Changeling based on the information we have, but it was dormant until she started using the Shifter.”

“Okay, yeah… I can see how that could be a problem…” Spada said sucking in a breath. “Imagine your savior being the very thing your resistance hates. Can’t imagine that’d go over well really...”

“Exactly why I can’t say it out loud,” Scootaloo said. “And there’s another problem too…”

“Well, I’m willing to lend a listening ear…”

“She doesn’t know,” Scootaloo admitted. “She’s not far enough along to know yet. I don’t know how to tell her either.”

“You’re going to have to eventually,” Spada said. “Unless of course, you want her to find out when her body suddenly starts to go… well, all insect like.”

“Yeah, I know,” Scootaloo said. “And I don’t even know how she’ll react. We need her help, but she might have a hard time doing it after that. I wouldn’t really blame her for that though. It’s possible if she stops, so would the transformation.”

“Oh Hivemother…” Spada muttered. “Pharynx is usually the one good at giving these sort of talks, not me. There’s a reason he’s up for consideration as ship’s counselor. So I’ll just be upfront with you, probably the best thing you can do for Sea is break it to her… gently.”

“That’s not going to be easy,” Scootaloo said.

“Never said it was going to be easy,” Spada replied. “I’m only saying you have to do this before she figures it out on her own or the changelings spell it out for her. Which of the three options do you like best hmm?”

“I would rather tell her myself,” Scootaloo agreed. “It’s just a matter of how.”

“Agh…” Spada muttered. “How long do you think she has before she goes full on changeling?”

“I honestly have no idea, but it probably won’t be for a while, it depends on how many times she has to transform,” Scootaloo answered.

“So basically given the current state of things… you have probably about a month at best. I’d suggest you tell her sooner rather than later,” Spada said. “Just some friendly advice really from bug to piccola signorina. I’d advise you get some rest, you’re going to need it. For some reason I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be a really long day...”

“Yeah, I’ve got about the same feeling,” Scootaloo said as she looked back at her home. “Sweetie’s probably still awake and worried about me.”

“Oh, she is so very much my predecessor Element’s little sister. So melodramatic!” Spada laughed before flying off.

“...Wait, what?”

She sighed a little and headed back home. She’d figure that out later, but for now she just wanted to slip into bed and figure out what to do in the morning. She wrapped her wings gently around Sweetie Belle and drifted off to sleep.

“You’re being awfully dangerous with this Kadoya,” one Natsumi Hikari remarked. “I mean, playing with lives like this? Especially cute little pony ones?”

Tsukasa harrumphed crossing his arms. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

“You’d better, this world is already in a lot of trouble without drawing the attention of the Another Riders,” Natsumi commented. She held up a finger, and Tsukasa swallowed nervously as he knew what would come next. And sure enough it did, and after a few brief moments of uncontrollable laughter he finally managed to regain what little remained of his composure. Natsumi had been awfully interested in using the Pressure Point lately. Might have had something to do with how angry she was when she heard he had -if not temporarily- lost his powers and accidentally created Another Decade.

“...Still can’t believe there’s more of the Time Jackers out there,” Tsukasa grumbled. “And I’d thought we’d seen the last of them after the Oma Zi-O incident.”

He then muttered quite a few unkind words about arrogant idiots who knew nothing about the delicate fabrics of realities.

“That was your own fault for running off on your own,” Natsumi smirked. “Still, was having it spill over to this universe necessary?”

“I’m testing them,” Tsukasa said. “If they are worthy of survival, they will come together and overcome this little issue, and if not… Well…” he chuckled darkly.

“If you say so, I haven’t seen this much paranoia and tension since we found that world where the Cold War continued into the 21st century,” she reminded him. “And we both know how that one ended.”

Tsukasa shuddered. It had taken all of his power not to go all Destroyer of Worlds on that one. And a lot of Natsumi’s pleading. He chuckled at it all. He was the Destroyer of Worlds and whenever she burst out the puppy dog eyes…

“But something tells me they will pull through,” Natsumi continued. “They’ve already shown a willingness to work together against a common enemy. And the Riders seem, interesting from what I’ve seen. They may yet pass your test.”

Tsukasa chuckled. Interesting was one word for it.

“The wild cards are the Kyuranger’s counterparts and the griffon. They were not factored into my plan,” Tsukasa admitted. “However, I didn’t want the griffon to become an Another Rider. However, if it builds up the young Guardian by forging him through fire and steel, well who am I to complain?”

Natsumi rolled her eyes a little at that, this was far from the only time he had done something like this. Sometimes she wondered if she needed to stage an intervention. In any case, she pressed her finger to Decade making him burst out laughing. “A warning, there will be more where that comes from if this goes sour understood?”

Tsukasa nodded weakly. “If I have to, I will step in.” he said holding up a blank ridewatch that could easily be changed into a second Decade RideWatch if he so desired.

“Good,” Natsumi said with a smile. “This world is a bit screwed up I’ll admit. But I think if they are given the chance to pull itself out of this conflict they might be able to recover from it. They just need a chance to do it themselves.”

The storm that had been finally threatening to break over Ponyville came down like a torrent. Howling winds lashed the village, and torrential rains poured as lightning lit up the sky in jagged streaks.

One pony stood out in the rain, unsure of what exactly he should do. On one hand, he could help out his mother -or this universe’s incarnation of her at any rate- and protect her kingdom. On the other hand, it went against every bone in his body and his title of the Guardian of Harmony. This wasn’t harmonic at all, this was disrupting the natural order of things.

“But then again,” Neutron said to himself. “For all I know, the changelings swallowing up the ponies as they are is this world’s natural order. I… I don’t have to like it, but Mum technically has a point. The Riders… the Hive Riders, still technically fit the definition of Kamen Riders. They are still protecting the civilians, if only in this case the civilians being the changeling drones themselves.”

On the other hand, it was quite obvious they were oppressing the ponies and it was no longer a question of survival anymore. If that was the case, they wouldn’t have fed so hungrily. He quietly cursed Chrysalis, this universe’s at any rate. Her head was so far up her own arse she hadn’t realized that there was another way to feed her race. Or maybe she just didn’t care. Neutron in his rage fired a bolt of magic to the skies smashing through clouds letting out a howl as he did so.

“I want to tear down the old order…” he realized. “That’s what must be done, the old guard must be cast aside in order for a new more peaceful Equestria to take shape. I… I need the power to do it… I need that power!”

A streak of lightning came down and Neutron reacted tossing the previously blank Ridewatch up in the air to meet it. It landed in his hands, infused with a new power. He pressed down on it.

“Black Hole.” it said as the air was filled with a mad cackle.

Chapter 8: Steadfast

View Online

“Are you feeling okay, Sea?” Jasper asked as she looked at her old friend. The Unicorn mare was staring out the window of their room in the Communal House. “I mean, you’ve got a lot of reasons to not be okay… but… yeah.”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Sea admitted as she looked back at Jasper. “I never knew you could fight like that. I felt like I was standing still compared to you and I’m the one with super speed.”

“I’ve been training for years,” Jasper told her. “I didn’t actually think I’d be a Kamen Rider mind you. I always kind of hoped, but when you got Khepri I guess I could hope.”

“Did someone say my name? My ears would be burning if they were real,” Khepri commented as he came into the bedroom. “Tch, am I interrupting another make out session between you two?”

“Definitely not,” Sea snorted a little as she turned back to look outside. She noticed Scootaloo was talking to Spada down the road but she just sighed and looked up at the sky. “...And anyways, if we were planning on it, the mood’s definitely killed now.”

“Tch, you’re no fun,” Khepri retorted as he stretched out a little bit, plopping himself on the bed, and adjusting the pillow. “...No fun at all.”

Yeah,“Why are you even bothering? You don’t stay in your pony form when you’re recharging,” Sea said with a roll of her eyes.

“Maybe but you two only need one bed and your bedside table is uncomfortable,” Khepri said. “Besides, maybe I’m adjusting. Trying to fit in a little.”

“Yeah, and maybe Chrysalis will step down, turn all the ponies back to their old selves, and dedicate the rest of her life to charity,” Jasper said sarcastically.

“You never know,” Khepri laughed. “You two need to drop all the pretense already though. I’m pretty sure you two could feed the whole hive for years if they wanted to use you. Would certainly solve the food problem.”

“I’ve heard that be mentioned a few times,” Sea said. “What is up with that? I mean, there’s a lot of Changelings sure but…”

“Yes, well that’s exactly the problem,” Khepri retorted. “The only Hives that don’t need to worry about it are Elusive and Crab Apple’s. The number of Changelings in the remaining Hives are kept regulated by Chrysalis to keep the food from being spread too thin. Though, last I heard they were trying to solve that problem too.”

“And we all know what will happen if they succeed at that,” Jasper groaned. “That explains a few things actually.”

“Really? It doesn’t explain anything to me,” Sea commented.

“The number of conversions have been going down lately,” Jasper explained. “In fact, Lime was the last successful one I had heard about in months. I mean yeah they tried to grab us, but I haven’t heard of many others. So, yes this does actually explain a lot. Also makes not killing them oddly practical.”

“Glad to hear you admire our ways!” Khepri commented. “We’ll make a changeling out of you yet!”

“Hey, I’d rather not go buggy thank you very much,” Jasper retorted.

Khepri, at this smiled and strode towards Jasper, placing a hoof under her chin. “Oh, you sad pathetic fool… How little you do know. You can’t fight your fate.”

“I don’t believe in fate,” Jasper said as she narrowed her eyes. “Beings heap the tragedies and events of their lives and create a monster they call fate.”

Khepri chuckled darkly, directing a glance towards Sea. “Tch, we’ll see. But say this, say hypothetically one of you does go ‘buggy’ as you so nicely coined it. What would you do then? Would you leave your friend behind to us… or would you stay with them till the bitter end?”

“You don’t have to repeat what Scarlet said in Appletown,” Sea told him. “We know the dangers of it. But, I know one thing, if Jasper became a Changeling I would still stand by her for as long as I could. And I know that she would do the same for me. Friendship is a stronger bond than any Hive.”

“Interesting… very interesting…” Khepri thought to himself. “And yet she doesn’t even know the full truth of what she’s becoming. Now, should I tell her…? Or let her figure it out herself. Bah, I know my place is to advise a Princess, but SHE is not a Princess… is she?”

Sea glanced at him for a moment. The Shifter thought for a moment that maybe she had heard that, but their telepathic connection didn’t show anything like that. She shook her head and headed over to her bed with Jasper.

“You know me, Khepri,” she said simply. “You know me better than most ponies. But I also know something about you. You say you’re here to study us, but I’m sure there’s some deeper reason behind it. I think you like spending time around us, and don’t want to admit it.”

“Tch, in your dreams, pony,” Khepri retorted.

“Yes, who knows, maybe we’ll all be eating ice cream pops together later,” Jasper laughed.

“Ice cream?” Khepri asked confused. “My records say nothing about this, ice cream.”

“Ugh… Never mind…” Jasper muttered facehoofing. “Try to tell a joke to you, and it just flies right over your damn head…”

Thunder rumbled overhead and a sharp crack of lightning flashed outside, temporarily illuminating the street white. “Storm’s rolling in… Going to be one of those nights…” Sea muttered.

“If you want, you can cuddle me…” Khepri asked. “I’ll protect you, milady…”

“Ugh, no. In so many ways, just no.” Sea said in disgust shoving him away.

“But isn’t the origin of the phrase ‘cuddle bug’ related to bugs?” Khepri asked quizzically.

Sea nearly wanted to scream by this point. “...do you even have an off button?” she asked slamming her head into the pillow. “Because I am seriously considering pressing it…”

“Yeah, don’t you need to recharge or something?” Jasper asked as she wrapped her wings gently around Sea.

“Well, when you two start making out… leave me out of it okay?” Khepri asked. “Pony affection. Bleagh!”

“You were made by a species that feeds on pony love, so shut up,” Sea pointed out. “You should be… wait, we’re not in love so you wouldn’t be able to feed on us anyway!”

“Tch, just keep telling yourself that,” Khepri said with a laugh. “You two are the ones cuddling every night you know.”

“Shut up!” Both mares said in unison as he just laughed and turned back into his Scarab form.

“You know they’re never going to let up on that, right?” Sea asked as she snuggled up against Jasper. “And that this isn’t helping either.”

“I know, but we both know that it’s better for you,” Jasper said as she wrapped her wings around Sea. “Shh… just calm down and enjoy the moment. Good night Sea.”

“Good night Jasper,” Sea replied as the two mares drifted off to sleep in a warm embrace.

Or they would have, had a sharp cackle not split the night.

“Great, now they’re ruining our evenings too,” Jasper groaned as the two of them got up. Sea headed over to the window to see if she could tell what had happened.

What she saw… was not what she expected. A figure in sharp silver, possibly white armor striding up the path, with sharp angles and twin yellow katakana forming the ‘visor’. A spinning particle accelerator formed the chestplate. But the most noticeable feature was the adornment on the top of the helmet, two clock ‘hands’ with a star above them.

“That’s not normal…” She muttered as she looked back at Khepri and Jasper. “Jasper, get your Rider Gear. Khepri, you’re with me.”

“What’s going on?” Jasper asked as she grabbed her Guardian Driver and the Lux Stone while Sea grabbed her Driver and Khepri landed on her head. “Is it the Another Riders again?”

“I don’t know,” Sea admitted. “But I want to be safe regardless. With everything that’s been going on, it’s better safe than sorry at this point.”

Jasper nodded as the two of them headed out of the room together and down towards the front door.

00000

“The strongest Evol with power unleashed! Evol Black Hole!” the armor proclaimed as it’s user stepped forwards, cracks in the ground forming beneath. “Fuhahahahahahahaha!”

“Okay, that sounds incredibly ominous,” Jasper commented as she and Sea stepped out onto the street. “Who is that?”

“I… think that’s Neutron,” Sea said as she took a step forward. “Neutron, what happened to you? What’s with the crazy armor?”

If there was any reasoning with the -currently, at least- Dark Rider, now clearly was not the time as he waved his hoof. A black hole appeared behind them, beginning to suck the mares in.

“OKAY, I DON’T THINK THAT’S NORMAL!” Jasper shouted as they struggled against the sucking power. She struggled to reach for the Lux Stone to use it.

Then, Dusk darted in out of nowhere, firing a blast of magic at the Dark Rider to knock him off balance and disrupt his concentration.

“Both of you, this isn’t the time to stand around gawking!” Dusk said as she levitated up her own Driver. An energy blast knocked the Dark Rider back, and both Pharynx and Spada ran up, morphers at the ready.

“...The hive stands united, right?” Pharynx muttered. “Hell of a time for it to come to pass though.”

“Yes indeed,” Dusk said as her Mantis Shifter jumped up onto her hoof. “Let’s do this then. Seems that Neutron needs to have some sense knocked into him, are you four ready?”

“Ready,” Sea said as Khepri flew into position and Jasper nodded with the Lux stone in her hoof.

Pharynx and Spada pulled out their Kyutamas, slamming them into their changers and morphed with shouts of: “Star Change!”

“...Well, here we go again, right?” Spada asked turning to his King who could only nod grimmly.

“Henshin!” Sea, Jasper, and Dusk said in unison as they slid their Shifters and stone into the Drivers.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

“THE HIVE STANDS UNITED!”

“SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!”

As the rider armor formed around the threesome, Neutron snarled, teleporting away on top of a house and flicking his hoof. “Objection!” he shouted before his horn sparked and a black hole formed above the three Riders and the two Rangers, beginning to drop steel girders around them like spears.

“Really? That’s all you can do?” Dusk asked with a smirk as she held her hooves out and a powerful wind spun around the three Riders, throwing them aside. She swung her scythe around and nodded to the other two Riders. “I was expecting something so much more.”

Neutron’s eyes flashed, before energy balls like meteors began to rain down, Pharynx quickly slamming an auxurily kyutama into his morpher. An energy shield formed above the group, the energy balls beginning to crack through it little by little. “Don’t… Don’t know how much longer I can-”

“You don’t have to!” Spada shouted slamming another Kyutama into his morpher, and firing of all things, a set of chalk and a ruler beaning Neutron on the head. The power of the Norma constellation.

“A giant ruler and chalk?” Jasper asked. “Who designed that one, a grouchy old schoolteacher?”

“Well, she’s close…” Pharynx thought with a smirk. “Only Stripped…”

“Hey, if it works, it works,” Sea said as she gripped her tonfas. “Alright, I’m the fastest so you all cover me. I’ll see if I can get in close enough to knock him out or something.”

“Noted.” Spada said slamming the Pavo Kyutama into his morpher and manifesting a peacock’s tails, shooting the feathers at Neutron.

“Fine,” Dusk said as she detached the two parts of her scythe and it glowed.

“Transform: Mantis Scythe Bow!” The Change Driver said as the Scythe transformed into a fancy compound bow that she pulled back on the string of and fired several arrows at Neutron.

Neutron saw both attacks coming, and created another black hole absorbing the shots, before creating another firing them back out at their original users. Pharynx reacted, again on instinct protecting both the former Princess and his subject, creating a shield once again with the Scutum Kyutama’s powers.

Sea glanced at the others and then dug her hooves into the ground before taking off as fast as she could.

“She’s going to need backup…” Pharynx murmured before glancing at Spada. “Here, catch! Protect them!”

He then tossed the Scutum Kyutama while exchanging it for the Pegasus one, gaining silver winged armor and flying up like a rocket. “We can’t have this battle, not here!” Pharynx shouted at Sea. “Not with the town below!”

“Do you have any suggestions on how to lure him away?” Sea asked. “Because I don’t think he’ll do it if we ask nicely!”

Pharynx nodded before rocketing right at Neutron, slashing into his armor. “Hey, you want someone to take your frustrations out on, take it out on me!”

Neutron looked up at him, eyes flashing. Pharynx continued to speak. “Look, I get it. This world’s a shitshow to you, a nightmare. Your best friend is one of those Another Rider things. You just need an outlet, or something or whatever. Well… here’s a punching bag live and ready for you. You just gotta catch it first!”

“Well, that’s one way to do it I guess,” Sea said as she opened the wings on her back and looked back at the others. “We need a plan B in case this won’t work! See if you can figure something out!”

“Oh, there’s already one in the making,” Pharynx lied, knowing that there really weren’t many options here besides killing the stallion. And even then, it’d take a miracle to just knock him unconscious. “But for now, we fly!”

They rocketed over the landscape, Pharynx pointed directly at a mountain. He looked back to see Scarab, and then a series of magical flashes. Neutron, in hot pursuit. “Yes, that’s right… Get a little closer…”

Sea was still getting the hang of actually flying. But as she moved through the sky it almost felt, right. She didn’t have time to think on that however as she glanced back at Neutron for a moment, weaving back and forth as best she could. The magical flashes continued, Neutron now in front of her, before Pharynx appeared from above and knocked him through a series of trees with a powerful kick. The trees toppled like dominos, before they were sucked into a black hole and then spat back out again like lances.

“Ciao~!” Neutron singsonged.

Pharynx’s eyes widened. “By the Hivemother…”

“Okay, that’s not good…” Sea commented.

“Spin!” Khepri’s voice echoed in her mind.

“What?” She asked.

“By the Queen, spin!” Khepri said, he was practically screaming by this point. “You have speed, remember? Give it a good spin and it’ll create a whirlwind!”

And so she did, spinning like a drill and creating a howling whirlwind that sent the trees flying. Neutron’s eyes widened, and Sea caught a glimpse of his shattered helmet -probably from the kick- revealing a now bone-white mane. And then he was sent flying even further, this time into a nearby mountain by powerful blasts of flame. Sea looked up, and her own eyes widened. A dragon? Then she recognized the colors, a dark military green with tinges of silver and crimson red.

“Pharynx…”

Pharynx, as he began to slip into unconsciousness from the sheer power even required to maintain the transformation for a few seconds watched the mountain began to cave inwards. And then the ground rushed up to greet him…

00000

“So, is this what you call everything being completely under control?” Natsumi said with a pointed glare towards Tsukasa. “Half of the pressure you put that stallion under drove him mad, and forced him to ask for the power of goddamn Evolt!”

With that, she went straight for the laughing pressure point, and caused Tsukasa to to break down into uncontrollable laughter. “You absolute moron! We’ll be lucky if the Time-Space Administrative Bureau isn’t going to be after us for the stupidity you just pulled. They’re already annoyed about the damage Oma Zi-O caused to the timeline as it is!”

“Clearly… Clearly I have made a mistake Natsumikan,” Tsukasa agreed finally swallowing his pride.

“Clearly,” Natsumi scowled. “You sent this world into an Ōmagatoki of sorts, just as one of your little ‘tests of faith’ as you put it. And quit it with the nickname, okay? You don’t get to call me that, not right now.”

She rubbed her temples and muttered something rather unkind under her breath. Honestly, at times Tsukasa seemed quite intent on driving her up the wall. There was a reason she staged regular interventions and had him sleep on the couch for a month whenever he pulled something remarkably stupid. The incident with him losing his powers to Schwarz was a particular standout. This didn’t actually top it, but it got pretty close, driving adorable little ponies mad and handing out AnotherWatches just to see if a world was worth saving.

She remembered what had happened just a few months prior, when the very aptly named Time-Space Administrative Bureau had come to call.

“Lightning Flash! Plasma Zanber!”

A golden flash lit up the area, an explosion following as Tsukasa jumped out of the smoke going into his Complete form, slamming the K-Touch onto his belt. “Tch, is that even age appropriate?” he asked of his opponent, remarking on her attire which resembled a swimsuit with a skirt and cape attached. “And never knew a little girl who went around holding a massive scythe.”

“So you’re the one they call the Destroyer of Worlds, hmm?” the girl asked. “By the authority invested in me by the Time-Space Administrative Bureau, I’m bringing you in for questioning. If you are willing to cooperate, then disarm yourself.”

“What, no ‘damn you Decade!’ to go along with that?” Tsukasa drawled. “And I was unaware that you bringing me in for questioning required you to attack me. Oh well, might as well finish this up, and maybe then we can talk civilly. I hate hitting little girls, but it can’t be helped I suppose.”

“Final KamenRide: F-F-F-Faiz!”

With that, he summoned a manifestation of Faiz in his Blaster Form, both firing off streams of red photon particles at the girl, who reacted in kind.

“Multi-Defenser.” her scythe stated in this english accent before creating a string of golden shields to block the shots. The girl was thrown back, but for the most part seemed unharmed. Then from out of two dimensional walls came two figures, both ones both fighters recognized.

“Fate!/Tsukasa!” Natsumi and Nanoha shouted, hands on hips.

“Yep… definitely in the doghouse tonight…” the two former combatants thought in unison sweat dropping.

That was an incident she preferred to actually forget about. The paperwork she’d had to go through was an absolute nightmare. Still, at least she made a new friend in that adorable little girl in the white armor. It had to be illegal for superheroes to be that adorable, right?

“So, what are you going to do?” Natsumi asked. “You’re not going to walk into that world again are you?”

“Yes, and no,” Tsukasa said. “I’m not going to directly interfere but-”

“Even if by all rights you should?” Natsumi asked.

“Possibly yes, but I don’t want to risk the fabric of that world becoming undone by staying there any longer than I have to,” Tsukasa said. “So I’m going to do something a little different.”

“Kamen Ride: Zi-O!”

Transforming into Zi-O, Tsukasa held out a blank ridewatch he had… acquired at some point or the other and pressed down on it. He smiled at his handiwork.

“So, who are you going to give that to?” Natsumi inquired.

“Someone… deserving, someone who needs a bone thrown to them. Metaphorically speaking, anyways,” he replied. “Now, if I’m right, the same way that a certain stallion became a Rider should also be a viable option for creating him a partner of sorts. I can only hope that the candidate I have in mind can be saved.”

“...Oh, so we’re creating Riders now?” Natsumi asked. “Well, why not? We’ve already committed enough trouble as it is…” she deadpanned.

Tsukasa rolled his eyes and created a dimensional wall, the air in front of him shimmering. How he exactly used this power to time travel was a bit confusing. He could be using Zi-O or Den-O’s powers, or there was an alternate or more complex solution. What he could have been doing was going to a dimension where the past or the future was happening in his present time. “See you, Natsumikan.” Tsukasa said, giving a little wave before vanishing through the dimensional wall.

“...I said you don’t get to call me that right now.” Natsumi grumbled.

00000

“Mio Dio!” Spada muttered as Pharynx found himself back in the waking world inside a medical tent. He blinked and quickly tried to shut his eyes, shielding them from the sunlight. “Oh Pharynx… I have half a mind to have a word with you about your hero ploys! Tipo, sei un dannato idiota!”

“He’s going to be alright, isn’t he?” Sea asked, canceling out her transformation. Casting a glance upwards towards the mountain, it became evident she was not talking about Pharynx.

“Oh, yes… yes. He’s going to be fine,” Spada said, the yellow changeling’s wings buzzing in agitation. “He just overexerted himself, that’s all. See, there’s a problem with Changelings, an inherent problem. It’s all about the conservation of energy, see? You can get a hell of a lot of extra power by changing into something big and scary, like a dragon. But converting energy to mass has some serious drawbacks, meaning the bigger you are…”

“The harder it is to maintain the transformation…” Sea nodded along. “But what about…?” She trailed off her gaze going back up to the mountain.

“Neutron?” Spada asked. “Yeah, it’ll take a bit before he can claw himself out of that mess. And that’s only if he wasn’t knocked unconscious, and given the power behind that blast of flame he probably was.”

Then he whirled on Dusk. “And you, we shall have words! I have a suspicion that you’re behind half of this as it is! Don’t think me so stupid I can’t recognize you for what you are, and your exact relation to Neutron!”

With that, he stormed off swearing in his native language. “...Well, that was a thing. Yeah, that was definitely a thing.” Sea muttered. “I’ll… I’ll go after him.”

Running after the changeling, she sighed. “She’s Neutron’s mother, isn’t she? Or a… version of her at any rate, right?”

“Well, I can’t confirm it but yeah… Given their interactions, I’d say it’s a safe bet. My best guess is, well… seeing his mother as a changeling was probably the final straw for him. I don’t know what his Equestria’s like -because he can’t possibly come from here, can he?- but I’m willing to bet it’s a damn sight better than this.” Spada muttered to himself.

“Probably…” Sea agreed. “I mean… well, let’s face it, anything is a bit of a step up from this isn’t it?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say anything…” Spada sighed rubbing his temples. “You clearly haven’t met my Equestria, have you?”

“I’ve heard bits and pieces, it froze over right?” Sea asked.

“Yeah, we’re just wandering the stars now, trying to find ourselves a new home,” Spada sighed. “I mean, I never even saw what my Equestria was like, back in it’s golden age. I was born inside an underground vault with a bunch of other changelings just starving for scraps. It… it wasn’t a good life.” he whispered.

“I… I see…” Sea said a wave of sympathy washing over her for the kind bug. “I hope you find what you’re looking for…”

“Well, one can only hope, right?” Spada asked. “Now, our main worry is Neutron. My best guess? Only about an hour or two before he claws his way out of that mountain. We need to find his friend, Skye was it?”

“Yeahhhhh, problem,” Sea said. “She’s one of the Another Riders. I overheard one of the drones mention it.”

“Mio Dio...” Spada sighed again. “Anyone got a plan?”

Then came the buzzing of wings and the sound of four hooves hitting the ground from nearby. “Simple,” Dusk said. “We make her come to us.”

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“I am clearly a prime target, am I not?” Dusk asked. “So I offer myself up as ‘live bait’. May I borrow the one you designate as Jasper, just in case?”

“Oh, you are so not doing that, not in a million years!” Sea snapped.

“It is either this, or we let ourselves be killed by Neutron and his new armor,” Dusk stated. “I presume you don’t want that to happen?”

“...Point taken,” Sea muttered. “But I’m still not comfortable with this, understand?”

“I do,” Dusk said. “But rest assured, I am not going to indoctrinate Jasper into the hive just yet. It is simply too big of a risk right now.”

“Actually, I have a better idea,” Spada said. “You may not even have to put yourself in the line of fire actually…”

“Clever…” Dusk smiled. “You really would make such a good changeling for the Hive…”

“I… I think I’ll pass on that, actually…” Spada muttered.

“Remember those days when you were just a simple cooking mare?” Sea thought looking at Spada. “I’d like to go back to those…”

So, it was with a nervous smile upon her face that Dusk found herself out in the Everfree. Strange things chittered in the undergrowth, and the bushes ruffled.

Then, from out of the shadows leapt two Another Scarabs and Another Orga, and ‘Dusk’ reacted drawing a Kyuchanger and firing three consecutive blasts. The first two downed the Scarabs, and the third knocked Another Orga through a large boulder. “Surprise!” ‘Dusk’ said as the illusion dropped to reveal Spada.

“Well, this is… mildly disappointing…” Another Orga said as she picked herself up off the forest floor, Another Dark Drive joining her. “I was expecting Dusk. Not you.”

“Well, merciful me, I love to surprise. Speaking of…” Spada smiled as Jasper already covered in armor leaped out of the brush and rider kicked Another Dark Drive, ripping through armor to reveal a black carapace underneath.

Spada meanwhile quickly morphed, and equipped the Monoceros Drill slamming it hard into Another Orga’s armor, ripping it open to reveal blue feathers and fur. The armor quickly regenerated, and Skye was back to being an Another Rider. “Well, now that we know your identity…” Spada said holding her at bay with his rapier.

Nearby, Jasper as Lux dueled Another Dark Drive, catching a glimpse of a rainbow hue from a shattered helmet. “So, Prism?”

“Got that right,” the now revealed to be Prism smiled before firing off purple shuriken. “You’re not Princess Dusk, but you’ll do.”

“What’s your game here?” Jasper demanded, rolling to the left to avoid the shurikens before leaping behind her opponent, and grabbing her by the hind legs. She tossed her into a tree, making it topple over like it was a domino. “Just rage randomly, until you attract Princess Dusk?”

“Well, possibly,” Prism said lunging forwards, only for Jasper to catch her again and toss her through a boulder. “She owes me, I was supposed to have the Scarab Shifter, not that brat!”

Fighting back the anger at hearing his best friend called a brat, Jasper snarled: “She had nothing to do with it. It’s not Prism’s fault that you lost your chance to become a Rider!”

“...Wait, why am I reasoning with Prism?” Jasper asked herself. “It’s not like these Another Riders ever think rationally…”

Meanwhile, Spada had equipped the pegasus armor and had grabbed Skye/Another Orga and tossed her into a cave, a very familiar cave. Long ancient crystal roots were scattered about, and Spada was dodging and weaving between them to avoid Another Orga’s sword strikes. He then rocketed upwards, and drop kicked Another Orga sending her watch flying into a wall. Spada quickly smashed it with his hoof.

“And that… is the end of that…”

As Skye’s armor faded away, Spada let out a sigh of relief to see the blue griffon hen underneath. “Skye, right?”

“Y-Yes… but who are you? And where’s Neutron?”

“I’m a friend,” Spada said helping her up. “And as for Neutron… well, we need your help.”

Outside, Jasper had damaged Another Dark Drive’s armor enough to send her into a retreat. “Another day, another day!” she snarled. “Besides, I have bigger fish to fry anyways.” Prism said before vanishing with a flap of her wings.

Spada had explained the situation as best as he could, Skye taking it all in with her eyes widening in horror with each passing moment. She knew what had happened. Neutron had always wanted to get out from under his mother, become his own stallion. And now in a way, he’d gained the power to do exactly that, along with the power to tear down this nightmare and create a new sense of order. To be able to safeguard Harmony once again.

“...Trouble is, if I’m going to even get near Neutron, I’m going to need…”

“Help?” a male voice said from somewhere in the darkness, as a Ridewatch was tossed in to her paws. “Well, just take it from a passing through Kamen Rider. You’ll find a way.”

Something in the air shimmered, before Skye caught the briefest glimpse of a figure in the darkness before he vanished once more. “So how do I…?” Skye asked holding the Ridewatch in her paw before she realized exactly where she was.

“I see now…” Skye smiled as a warm energy wrapped itself around her waist and the powers of a time since lost filled her. “Don’t worry Neutron, I’m coming to help you. Just stay put.”

00000

Sea took a deep breath as they neared the mountain where Neutron was trapped. Right now they needed to hope that he would be held long enough for them to get through to Skye. She glanced at the others and took a deep breath as Khepri rested on her head.

“You are an odd one,” Dusk commented as she eyed Sea. “You’re not exactly what I expected from a resistance soldier. Especially not with your, hesitance to kill.”

“I would rather not kill,” Sea told her. “And I’d rather not have to fight the Changelings at all. You’re the one who put us in this position.”

“We’re trying to make Equestria a better place, Harmony is our end goal not war,” Dusk snorted. “But we have more reasons not to take you right now than anything else. Though I’m sure if Prism was here, she would disagree.”

“We just wanted to get out of there, I didn’t exactly set out to steal from her you know,” Sea pointed out. “But look, we’re working together now. I’m just as eager to see this done as you are.”

“And after which, it’s right back to business, are we clear?” Dusk stated.

“Agreed,” Sea said. “Now… I think… No, I know this can work out…”

Her voice betrayed her emotions.

“Now, enough of that!” a chirpy voice came as a blue griffon hit the ground. “And did I give you two permission to bitch, when a friend of mine needs saving?”

“I’m… I’m guessing you’re Skye?” Dusk said. “You don’t look like… much.”

“Got it in one!” Skye said giving her a finger gun gesture with a claw. “And trust me, I’m worth a hell of a lot more to you than I seem, given being turned into Another Rider was the partial cause of this mess. You getting your fangs into my friend was the other, Fake Twilight.”

“Hey!”

“Now shut it, and let me work, okay?” Skye replied snappishly even as the mountain began to be devoured by a black hole. “Speaking of, look lively now!”

She watched as a figure began to slowly lower himself to the ground. “S-Skye?” Neutron asked with a small stammer sounding close to tears. “Is that…”

“Yes, it’s me… I’m here now…” Skye whispered before choking back a laugh. “Oh look at you, getting into trouble again.”

“But you’re with…” Neutron said his voice hardening. “Very well then, I’ll have to knock some-”

“Sense into me?” Skye replied as she dodged the coming ball of energy rocketing upwards to do so, clapping her wings together. “Funny, looks like I’ll have to be doing the same.”

She then pulled out a very familiar type of belt and watch.

“ZIKU DRIVER!”

“ZAMONAS!”

“Henshin.” Skye whispered, just barely loud enough to hear.

“The Hallowed Hour! Lost Rider Time!”

Blue and red armor rapidly covered Skye, as gold shoulder pads resembling clockwork gears -one with a mantle attached to it- formed on her shoulder pads. Finally, two flaming yellow katakana landed themselves on her helmet. “Kamen Rider… ZAMONAS!”

“Rejoice…” Skye whispered as she rocketed towards Neutron, and caught his punch with her paw, and did the same with his second punch. The two grappled briefly before Skye whispered an apology and headbutted her friend.

Neutron stumbled back, and Skye briefly reached for her driver but thought against it. No, she could win this without resorting to needless violence.

Then she saw Neutron’s cracked helmet, revealing his bleached white mane. Skye reached for the helmet and pulled off what was left, before her own retracted. And then she kissed Neutron, his eyes widening in shock briefly before he relaxed into the kiss wrapping his arms around his henfriend, his transformation canceling out. Skye’s own was soon to follow. His mane returned to it’s usual rose shade and the Black Hole Ridewatch fell to the ground forgotten.

“Well, since your actual mom isn't here, I will stand in for her. I do not approve of your choice of partners and this will end badly for you.”

“Oh shut up…” Neutron muttered flicking a pebble at her with his magic.

“Ah, mother son bonding…” Sea said with a laugh. “Alright you two, no more making out before it starts giving anyone ideas about teasing me and Jasper again.”

“Funny, I was just about to do that…” Neutron said, his tail entertwined with Skye’s own. “Like seriously, I was.”

Skye lightly slapped him upside the head.

“In my experience, two beings that are being teased about being together are likely to be interested in one another,” Dusk pointed out. “I’ve studied it a lot among ponies and Changelings.”

“Well, it’s not always the case!” Sea protested.

“You’d be the poster child for that, then…” Neutron commented. “Denial isn’t just a river in Neighypt.”

“...So glad to see I haven’t missed much…” Skye said flatly. “I suppose a proper introduction is in order. Name’s Skye.” she said sticking out her paw. She severely hoped a ‘Sparkle’ would be added to that shortly.

“I’m Sea Spray, Kamen Rider Scarab, and this is of course Princess Dusk Shadow,” Sea said as she shook her paw. “She’s… do you even have a name yet?”

“She’s False Twilight, we’ll call her that,” Skye said. “Also that manipulative bitch. That works as well.”

Neutron raised a hoof in protest, but then decided against it and muttered: “Yeah, that works…”

“There is hardly any point in names or designations such as that,” Dusk retorted. “But I suppose if you must call it anything, simply Mantis will do.”

“...So unimaginative…” a voice came. “But I guess that’s you, eh Duskie?”

Everyone turned to see Prism/Another Dark Drive standing with a veritable hive of Another Scarabs. “Oh, I’m sorry, did you forget about little old me? I guess the gang’s all here then!”

“So, you’re the last one left?” Neutron asked going for his Ridewatch, Skye following. “You and your little… army? I hesitate to call it even that! I’d call it one last desperate grab for revenge by a madmare I think. Oh, I’m so going to enjoy this. HENSHIN!”

“So glad we’re on the same page for once…” Sea agreed as Jasper ran up, nearly panting by now. “Henshin!”

“RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER GUARDIAN! ARMOR TIME! KUUGA AMAZING MIGHTY!”

“The Hallowed Hour! Lost Rider Time! Kamen Rider… ZAMONAS!”

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

“THE HIVE STANDS UNITED!”

“SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!”

As their transformations finished, Neutron smiled. “You know, I took over for you once,” he said to Skye. “Mind if I do it again? Rejoice, for now there are two Riders guarding Harmony! Two hearts working as one! The Prince, and his Herald! No... words no longer do it justice. We must simply bask in this moment! Together, they should surely create the new world as it as written! El Salvatore has come! Now, the five Riders stand united, to strike down the false copy!”

“You know, now what Neutron said earlier makes perfect sense…” Jasper commented quietly to Sea as she raised her revolver and pointed it at the Another Riders.

“Yeah,” Sea commented as she gripped her tonfas in her hooves. “Let’s do this then, what’s the plan?”

“I dunno,” Skye said drawing a crossbow of some sort. “I was going to go for just hit them till they break.”

“Yes, that fills me with such confidence,” Jasper commented as she gave her revolver a spin and aimed it forward.

“Split up,” Dusk said. “Skye, Neutron? You and I will take the hoards, thin them out a bit and clear a path. Jasper? Sea? Prism’s all yours.”

“Got it,” Sea said as she and Jasper looked forward at where Prism is. “You ready, Jasper?”

“Ready, let’s do this,” Jasper said as the Riders prepared to fight the Another Rider horde. Neutron leaped skywards, before coming back down, his hoof glowing with golden energy. Dust and smoke was thrown in the air as Another Scarabs were sent flying, the ground cracking on impact, golden electricity sparking.

“Take my hoof, I’ll get us there,” Sea said as Jasper took her hoof and they ran towards Prism together.

Prism’s eyes narrowed, before letting out a growl of: “I don’t think so!” and firing flaming shurikens at the twosome. “You lovebirds want to get to me, you’re going to have to fight your way to me! No exceptions.”

“Then here! I’ll just let them have you for free!” Neutron said teleporting behind her, and roundhouse kicking the Another Rider towards Sea. He then used the Titan Saber to cut down several more Another Scarabs. “Grandmother said this! If the odds are against you… cheat.”

“So, it looks like you’re going to be easier to get to than you thought,” Jasper said with a laugh as she fired several shots at Prism.

“...Well, that sounds like her alright,” Neutron said, grabbing an Another Scarab and tossing it through some boulders.. “More bluster than you can shake a stick at. Grandmother said this! The ones who bark the loudest usually have no fight in them at all!”

“...Why do I get the feeling over half of those sayings he made up himself?” Dusk asked, looking to Skye.

“...Yeah, he probably did, but you want to tell him that?” Skye said kicking a hoard through some trees, making them fall over like dominos. “I mean, you want to go ahead and spoil his fun?”

Prism adjusted herself as she faced down against the two normal Riders. She dug her hooves into the ground for a moment as a wave of energy went out around her, catching the two of them in the same gravity effect as before. “Pressure’s a bit heavy, isn’t it?” Prism said before drawing back her hoof and punching Sea directly in the face. “Now give me back my Driver!”

“I… don’t think so!” Sea said as she swung her hoof up at normal speed only to have it be caught by Prism’s. “The Shifter chose me, not you! You can’t take it away! And even if you could, it wouldn’t work for you!”

“Tch, just try to reason with the crazy Princess, good plan,” Khepri’s voice snarked in her head. “Maybe you should focus on getting the gravity effect stopped? Just a crazy idea.”

“You claim to be fast, right?” Prism said. “How fast have you really gone? That Driver, it was built for me and me alone, to show off my natural speeds. Enhance them! But I don’t need it to beat you, you worthless half-rate.”

With that, she disengaged the gravity surge, and spread her wings before blitzing Sea over and over again, hitting her with the force of a bullet train. Each time, bits of armor were chopped away. When she finally reappeared again, she roundhouse kicked Sea into Jasper. “...Yeah, just as I thought. You’ve got a lot to learn.”

“Sea… are you okay?” Jasper asked as the two Riders got up again, steadying themselves a bit as they faced down Prism again.

“Yeah… I’m fine,” Sea replied as Jasper raised her hoof and a shield made of hard light appeared on it. “Any ideas on how we should deal with this?”

“She’s fast, but I’ll get you can be faster,” Jasper said with a chuckle. “Sea, you need to not hold back here. Run, Sea, run.”

Sea nodded a little as she ran forward right at Prism again with the tonfas in her forehooves. She picked up speed again, running faster than she had before as she swung her tonfas at where Prism was standing.

Only to have the Changeling Princess move out of the way just as she was about to connect. “Ha! Too slow!” She taunted, even as her body began to cover itself in spikes, before these spikes were fired like flaming bullets. “Don’t you get it yet? With all of this power…”

Then Neutron appeared from out of a warp hole in Dangerous Zombie armor slicing her across the chest with a chainsaw blade. “...with all of this power, you need a reality check!”

He changed back to Zero One armor and used her shock to deal several slices with the Attache Calibur. Skye rolled into view and fired her crossbow knocking Prism back. “What he said, bitch.”

Prism then waved her hoof, and caught them both in a gravity surge smirking. She was then rammed by Sea, having gone full force.

“Now who’s too slow?” She said as she connected the tonfas together as they changed into her rifle as she raised it to her shoulder and fired several shots into Prism before running forward again and slamming her hoof into her hard. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt anyone. I don’t care if you’re a Changeling or an Another Rider. I’m taking you down NOW!”

“Try it… Kid,” Prism said before taking to the sky in a flash of light. She was then behind Sea. “You haven’t got the gu-URK!”

Sea, having seen the roundhouse kick coming, caught Prism by the leg and slammed her into the ground. “You’re getting predictable!” she singsonged.

Prism growled as she jumped back and threw several shuriken at Sea. She barely managed to dodge them as she ran forward right at Prism again, but this time she dodged it again, apparently she had gotten faster at this point as she laughed loudly.

“Still too slow!” She laughed. “Guess I’m going to have to go all out too! If you think you’re going to be fast enough to catch me, then you’ve got another thing coming!”

Sea ran at her again as she raised her rifle to fire several more shots at her but only to find Prism out of the way again. The Another Rider laughed again as she turd to see that she had grabbed Jasper from behind, the gravity effect still on her.

“Your marefriend here is quite a fighter,” Prism commented as she stared Sea down. “She’s quite the little spitfire too, reminds me a bit of her grandmother. Perhaps I’ll take her back with me, she’ll make a fine new Soldier for my army.”

And with that something just snapped in Sea’s mind. She wasn’t going to let this monster take away Jasper and make her into one of her soldier drones. She felt a surge in her body as she started running again, this time faster than she had ever run before. Prism was shocked as she realized that Sea was going faster than she expected and automatically dropped Jasper to try and get out of the way.

It didn’t do her any good as Sea’s armored hoof impacted Prism’s chest which sent her flying through the air as she hit a nearby tree, splintering it. She struggled to get to her hooves, only to get hit again by Sea as she did, knocking her back onto the ground as Sea slammed her hind hoof down, holding her to the ground.

“Kill me… you know you want to… you know deep down that you’re a killer…” Prism coughed out. “You killed before… and you’ll do it again…”

“No… I’m not going to kill you, that would be the easy way out, but I will free you, and let you live with the humiliation of defeat,” Sea said as she opened her wings and flew back. She stared down at Prism for a moment before flying down hard, energy gathering in her hoof as it impacted the Another Rider. “RIDER KICK!”

The armor shattered, and the Anotherwatch went flying into Dusk’s hoof, before she stomped on it.

“You… can’t do that forever…” Prism said as she laid there on the ground. Her wild rainbow mane fell around her as she looked into the sky. “You’re no different than the rest of us. Don’t you think for a moment that you’re any different.”

She struggled to get to her hooves as Dusk galloped over and steadied her. “Prism, you’ll be okay, I’ll get you to camp,” Dusk said as she looked at Sea. “Our truce will hold for another day, Prism is going to need to be placed in a healing cocoon here. Once we leave the Safe Zone however, all bets are off.”

“I understand,” Sea replied as she gave her a nod. “Thank you for your help.”

“Don’t think this means we’re friends or anything,” Dusk snorted. “Like I told you, this is a one time thing. Now, don’t you have a horde of evil versions of yourself to deal with?”

“Guess that means inviting her over for a sleepover is out,” Jasper commented as Dusk teleported Prism back to the camp.

“Are you okay, Jasper? I mean, she had you pretty good,” Sea commented as the two of them headed back towards where the Another Scarabs were being fought.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jasper replied as she rubbed her shoulder a little where she had been held by Prism. “I didn’t think you could run that fast though.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Sea replied.

“Tch, your gear is magic based,” Khepri pointed out. “Your marefriend was in danger so you got an adrenaline rush that increased your magical power. That made you just fast enough to do the job.”

“She’s not my… never mind,” Sea groaned out.

“Time to finish this,” Skye said pressing down on her Ridewatch. “Agreed?”

“Quite.” Neutron said pressing down on his own before they leapt forwards, their boots glowing with the katakana for ‘kick’.

“FINISH TIME! VIOLENT TIME EXPLOSION!/HARMONIC TIME BREAK!”

A sea of explosions lit up the battlefield.

“Well, that’s certainly one way to do the job, where do we learn a trick like that?” Jasper asked with a chuckle. She raised her revolver and fired several shots into the nearest drone as Sea split her rifle back into her tonfas again. “Are you ready for this?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Sea replied as she ran forward, hitting several of the drones as they let out an unnatural cry of pain.

One of the Another Scarab Drones turned her attention to her. Energy flowed around it and formed into two tonfas, but instead of the blunt weapons that Sea used they had nasty looking curved blades. It let out an unnatural laugh as it aimed its weapons right at Sea.

“Okay, that’s just not fair,” Sea groaned as she then heard a voice.

“Here, catch!” Neutron said tossing her the Attache Calibur.

Sea caught it and examined it for a moment. “Well, not exactly what I’m used to but it’s worth a shot, alright let’s do this!” She said as she held it and pointed it at the Another Rider. “You’re nothing like me, I’m this place’s hope…”

She glanced back at Jasper who gave her a nod as she fired several more shots into another Drone.

“We all are, we’re here to stop the likes of you before you overrun this world!” Sea said as she swung the weapon around. “And I’m going to show you just how powerful that hope really is.”

“Then… show me… Rider…” The Another Scarab said as it ran forward at her, swinging its bladed tonfas around to try and hit Sea only to have the sound of metal on metal ring out as she caught them with the Attache Calibur. Then another sword implanted itself next to the Rider, the Titan Saber. Sea rolled to the left, before grabbing that as well and finishing off the Another Rider with twin downward slashes.

The Another Scarab cried out as the blades cut through it. Finally the armor on it shattered as it fell back, the remaining Another Scarab drones shattering with it as Sea fell back onto her flanks, breathing heavily.

“Wow…”

00000

“Well, I guess this is it…” Neutron said, a shimmering dimensional wall behind him and Skye. Inside it was a very visible Ponyville, Twilight’s old castle gleaming in the sun. Pharynx and Spada had already left to their respective world. “You sure you don’t want to come along? Just leave these Changelings to… this?”

Sea paused a moment and looked back at her Ponyville for a moment. She shook her head a little and smiled as she turned back to Neutron.

“It’s just like I told the Another Scarab,” she replied. “I’m these ponies’ hope. We need to fight to take back our world from the Changelings instead of running away from it. I appreciate the offer, and I’m sure there are ponies who would take you up on it, but I can’t leave this world.”

“I understand, but if you ever need help…” Neutron said tossing the phone Ridewatch to her. “Don’t ever hesitate to drop a line okay? I’ll come running…” he then looked at Skye and corrected himself. “No… We’ll come running.”

“Good luck you two,” Jasper said with a smile as she gave them a nod. “And I’m sure we’ll give you a call if needed. As soon as we figure out how to actually do that.”

Neutron smiled and stepped through the wall, with Skye following before it closed up behind them.

“Well, the Changelings are heading back to Canterlot,” Jasper said as they started back down the path towards the town. “The last of the Another Riders is gone and everything is back to what passes for normal here. What do we do now?”

“Well, I think we’ve both got a lot to think about,” Sea replied. “We’re both Riders now and we have to fight the Changelings. Hopefully, we’ll find more to help us as well, for now I think I’ve got a gig to play.”

Jasper nodded as they headed back to Sugarcube corner. The rest of Sea’s band were already setting things up as Sea tuned her guitar. As time passed and ponies filed in, she sat on a stool and gently strummed at her guitar as she prepared to play her first song.

“Come gather ‘round ponies
From wherever you roam.
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown.
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone,
For the times they are a changin’.”

As she kept singing nopony noticed as one pony pushed the door leading outside. He made his way quietly through the streets of Ponyville and out of it onto a hill overlooking the town where three others were waiting.

“Well Black, what do you make of it?” One of the ponies, a Unicorn mare asked as the stallion lit a cigarette and looked back down at the town. “You’re the one who wanted to see what’s going on in this town, it had better have been worth it.”

“Oy, I know what I’m doing,” Black commented as he took a drag on his cigarette. He spoke with a thick accent as he eyed the other three ponies for a moment. “And I gotta say, it was more than worth it. Seems the so called hero has a soft spot for those bugs, that isn’t gonna fly in the coming war.”

“So why don’t we just go show her what it really takes,” a lean unicorn suggested as he adjusted his hat a little. “This isn’t the time to be playing nice after all.”

“You know as well as I do that she’s under Old Mare Scootaloo’s protection,” Black reminded them as he took another drag on his cigarette. “You tick ‘er off, you’ll get half the Safe Zone coming down on you. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think the town could survive that.”

“So, what’s the plan then boss?” The fourth one, a burly earth pony stallion asked.

“We’ll see what she’s got cooking up for now,” Black replied. “And then, when the time is right, we'll make sure they all see there’s only one way to deal with the Changelings. Our way.”

00000

"Well, that wasn't a complete disaster at least," Natsumi commented as she and Tsukasa prepared to leave the world once more. "I'd say they've more than passed your test."

"Yes, well I still don't particularly like this world, its a bit insane," Tsukasa commented. "Make a note that we're not coming back here until after they hopefully finish things."

"Oh I don't know, I rather like the whole multi-colored ponies thing," Natsumi chuckled. "So, you're not going to destroy this world then?"

"Of course not, at least as long as they stay on this path," Tsukasa replied as she shot him a look and began to raise her finger. "Oh fine, I won't do it at all."

"Good, so, where are we off to next?"

"Well, I'd say we have somewhere else we should be a bit closer to home," Tsukasa commented as he picked up a piece of paper and a card. The card featured an image of a Kamen Rider with a black helmet and red eyes with two antennae sticking out of it and green armor with golden shoulder pads. "It seems to me like we have a wedding to attend."

Chapter 9: Secrets

View Online

Sea sighed a little as she laid back in the bed and stared up at the ceiling. It had been a few days since they had seen Neutron and the others off, and sometimes it felt like she had a hard time getting herself out of bed. With everything that had happened lately, she just wasn’t sure if it was completely worth it right now.

“Hey Sea, are you okay?” Jasper asked softly as she gently pushed the door open. “Grandma Sweetie is getting worried about you. You said you’d help at the orphanage today after we pick up the stuff from Sapphire, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Sea sighed as she shifted in bed slightly. “It’s just… it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I don’t even know what to do right now…”

“Yeah, I understand,” Jasper said as she gently sat down on the bed next to her. “Do you want to talk to me about it?”

“Yeah… maybe,” Sea said softly as she rolled onto her side and looked at her friend. “Jasper, I’m afraid of what all of this is going to do to me. I’m not a fighter or anything else like you or the others. Am I even doing the right thing by holding back? I honestly don’t even know what to do right now…”

“Sea, you’re going to be okay,” Jasper said softly as she placed her hoof gently on Sea’s shoulder for a moment. “Jasper, you’re the best friend I have or will ever had. I know you’re going through a lot, but you know that you don’t have to go it alone, right? I’m going to be by your side when you need it.”

Sea sniffed a little as she placed her hoof gently on Jasper’s. She smiled a little as she exchanged a long look with her best friend. Jasper wrapped her wing gently around her as they sat together for the longest moment.

“Thank you…” She said softly as she rests her head on Jasper’s withers. “Do you really think I’m going to be okay?”

“I think you just need to make sure that you’re ready for this,” Jasper answered. “But you know you don’t have to do this alone anymore. You don’t have to carry the weight of the world anymore, I’m here to take some of that weight away from you.”

Sea smiled a little as she snuggled up against Jasper as they enjoyed the moment together. In that moment it felt like the weight was off her shoulders. She enjoyed the moment as she closed her eyes and sighed happily.

“We better be careful or ponies are going to start thinking we’re a couple,” Jasper added jokingly.

“Oh, they already think that,” Sea reminded her. “But… I admit that I sometimes wonder if… never mind. I really should go down to get the stuff from Sapphire.”

“Well, you’re in luck, she was late again this week so she’s still getting set up,” Jasper replied as she smiled a little. “How about we go talk to Cookie and get some food first? I’m sure you’re getting hungry sitting up here alone.”

“Yeah, that sounds good to me,” Sea said as the two mares got up together. Sea smiled softly as Khepri gave them a slight nod before they headed out together. “Thank you Jasper.”

“You’re welcome,” Jasper said as they started down the stairs of the Communal House. They entered the kitchen were a brown furred mare with spots on her coat and a long reddish-brown mane was working on cooking. “Hey Cookie, how’s it going?”

Cookie Cake, the pony who ran the Communal House and was the local cook smiled as she looked up. The Unicorn mare was working on making dinner at the moment, but looked up at the two mares with a sparkle in her golden eyes as she looked them over.

“Glad to see you out of bed, Sea,” Cookie said with a soft almost melodic tone. “How are you feeling today? Can I get you anything?”

“Uh, just a sandwich or a hayburger would be fine,” Sea answered as she shifted a little for a moment. “I guess I’m fine, I just have a lot on my mind right now with what’s going on.”

“Yeah, I understand,” Cookie agreed. “Especially with the Changelings showing up in town openly. A lot of ponies are scared that it was all a setup for something bigger, or an attempt to take away ponies. I don’t really blame them, but everything seems to be fine at least.”

“Yeah, I don’t think they’ll be trying anything,” Sea replied. “At least not in response to what happened before. Kamen Riders Scarab and Lux pretty much did what they could to stop the Another Riders. Really, I don’t think we’re going to worry about them doing something related to that.”

Though she didn’t want to admit that it didn’t eliminate the possibility of them attacking again. She had little doubt that Prism was still mad and would likely send another Soldier after her.

Cookie smiled a little as she went back to making the food. She finished what she was working on there and Sea and Jasper took a seat at the table in the middle of the kitchen. Cookie hummed a tune to herself as she worked, enjoying herself a little as she switched to work on Sea’s meal once she finished what she was working on.

“I kind of wish we could tell her the truth,” Sea said quietly to Jasper. “I mean, the Changelings already know who we both are. Why are we keeping it from the rest of the ponies?”

“My grandmothers said that they want to wait until the right time for it to be common knowledge,” Jasper shrugged. “I’m sure they have something planned though. We’ll see what they say.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sea said with a shrug. Honestly she hadn’t really thought about it that much until now. Maybe Jasper was right, but then again it was probably a good idea. “Yeah, probably a good idea unless she’s got a plan.”

Jasper nodded as the door to the kitchen opened and two stallions came in. They were dressed in simple clothing that looked like they were covered with grease and dirt. Sea groaned a little as they were talking between themselves.

“Maybe if we do…” One of them said quietly.

“No, that won’t work…” the other said with a shake of his head.

“Right, well we could try to replace the…”

“Are you two going to do something new that will get you in trouble with the Town Guard?” Sea asked with a groan, causing the stallions to jump.

“Square, Root, I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times, no running your experiments in my house,” Cookie said as she placed the plate down in front of Sea. “And the Guard said to do that outside of town last time, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll do it,” Square said as he brushed her off. “We can’t really do anything until we get the stuff we ordered from the Rich Estate anyway.”

“This is the second time the shipment has been late too, I hope everything is okay,” Root commented as he shrugged a little.

“Yeah, but I’m sure she’s fine,” Sea commented as she took a bite of her sandwich. “Though, I do agree that it’s weird that she’s late again. Do we know where she came from before here?”

“I think New Manechester,” Jasper commented and Sea flinched a little at that. “Yeah, I know, that might explain why they’re late.”

New Manechester was one of the most notorious settlements in the Safe Zone. Some years back it’s leadership had been grabbed by the Changelings and plunged the settlement into chaos. The last Sea had heard it was basically run by gangs. Not a lot was actually known about what happened there lately, but it was not a good sign.

“Maybe we should ask her about it when we get there,” Jasper suggested with a shrug. “We need to bring the stuff to the Orphanage anyway.”

“Yeah,” Sea said as she finished eating. “I should also apologize to Sweetie and Scootaloo. Even if they were late, I should have been more on the ball.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll understand,” Jasper reassured her as the two mares headed out of the Communal House together.

00000

“Well, it seems you’re finally well enough to be back,” Moonbeam commented as Prism walked into the throne room in Cloudsdale. “I heard about what happened in the Safe Zone. You’re lucky that the Queen didn’t punish you for your rash actions against the Hive.”

“The Queen knows that I was acting against my will, I wouldn’t question her decisions,” Prism snorted as she sat on her throne. “Now, I believe that we still have some things to do. We need to deal with these Kamen Riders before they pose a further threat to the Hive.”

“Riders… threats… the Hive must prevail…” The voice of the hive echoed in their minds.

“Indeed, but after what happened, you’re in no position to go yourself,” Moonbeam reminded her. “You’ll need to send another Soldier Drone. I’m sure that you already have one in mind by now, do you not?”

“Yes, I do,” Prism agreed as she adjusted herself. She reached out through the Hive to touch the mind of the Drone she had in mind. “Sergeant Quartz, your Hive has need of you.”

“What is your will, my Princess?” The soldier Drone replied.

“I need you to take a team into Ponyville,” Prism told her. “Prepare a combat form and be ready to leave in the evening. Your target is the ponies known as Kamen Riders Scarab and Lux.”

She sent an image of Sea Spray and Jasper through the Hive connection that she had gotten from the memories of Dusk’s time in the Safe Zone. There was a moment of silence as the Drone studied it before responding.

“What do you want me to do with them?”

“Your objective is to get the Change Driver and Shifter back from Scarab right now,” Prism replied. “What you do with them is up to your discretion. We would prefer they both be converted, as they may yet be assets to the Hive. But if you fail at that, you are to remove them both as a threat.”

“It shall be done my Princess,” Quartz replied. “They shall join the Hive, I will make sure of it.”

The connection was severed as Quartz went to work on creating her combat form. Prism takes a deep breath and leans back on her throne and looked back at Moonbeam. “It is done. One of my finest soldiers will be dispatched to deal with them as the Queen orders. We shall have this dealt with soon enough.”

“You had better be right,” Moonbeam said with a hiss. “The Queen is not pleased with your efforts thus far. Our goals will be much harder if we have these, Kamen Riders constantly getting in our way.”

“And with this we may also crush the resistance,” Prism smirked. “This is our chance to bring the Ponies back into line as well.”

“You had better be right, this silent war we’ve been fighting with the resistance has cost us way too much already,” Moonbeam retorted. “I have other things to deal with now. So, you had better not fail the Queen again, understood?”

“I understand,” Prism said as Moonbeam trotted off.

Prism sighed a little as she slumped over on her throne. She didn’t want to admit it, but the experience with the Another Riders had shaken her. It had been the only time in decades she had been separated from the Hive. It had put a lot of things into perspective, but she knew that she had to do this now.

She had to serve the will of the Hive.

00000

“Alright everypony, we’re going to do this in a timely manner,” Sapphire said as she spoke to the gathered ponies around the wagon with the items brought to Ponyville. “Everypony is going to get what they ordered, just be patient.”

She sighed a little as she looked back at Bell Ring. The Earth Pony maid shrugged a little as Sapphire tried to hold everything together.

“You will be served, we know we’re late, just…” Sapphire started to say as the crowd refused to get into a neat line. “Everypony, please!”

“EVERYPONY SHUT UP!” Bell Ring shouted at the top of her voice which silenced the crowd of ponies. The usually demure mare smiled as she bowed her head slightly before pointing at a large earth pony stallion. “Please everypony make two lines. Anypony who needs to get their stuff now because they have something else they need to do please line up in front of Oak Heart over there. Everypony else please get in line by Xander Root. If there are any questions, please direct them at either myself or Lady Sapphire.”

The crowd finally listened as they split up into two lines as Sea Spray and Jasper joined the line behind Oak Heart pulling a wagon behind them. Sapphire let out a sigh of relief as she turned back to her maid who bowed politely.

“Thank you for that, I don’t know what I would ever do without you, Bell,” Sapphire told the maid who smiled a little. “Thanks, really…”

“You’re welcome Lady Sapphire,” Bell replied as she looked at the gathered ponies. “There is a good turn out today.”

“Yeah… well hopefully it’ll go better than New Manechester,” Sapphire sighed as Sea and Jasper came up to them pulling a wagon filled with things. “Hey you two, Sweetie Belle’s order for the orphanage? There aren’t any problems are there?”

“Yeah,” Sea replied. “Everything is fine, we just wanted to check on you is all. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything is fine, they just insisted on checking through everything and everypony in New Manechester,” Sapphire replied as she checked some of the merchandise. “They’re just getting more and more paranoid by the day there. I don’t think the rumors flying around about Changelings coming after the Safe Zone because of that Kamen Rider pony.”

“Yeah… I’m not that surprised I guess,” Sea said softly as she looked over at Jasper. “We’ve seen them around really. But I don’t really know, It sounds to me like they’re here to help.”

“Yeah, I agree with you there,” Sapphire agreed. “But still, with everything that’s going on, I’m a bit nervous. Traveling between the settlements isn’t always easy, but it’s the only way to get these things out there. Plus, it’s nice to see the smiles on their faces when I come to Settlements like this.”

She smiled a little as she watched a mom and two foals getting some items from Xander Root. She smiled when the foals were each passed a small toy and some candy. Such things were fairly rare in Ponyville when they didn’t come from the Rich Estate. This wasn’t about just getting food and mechanical devices there, it was about giving hope to the ponies.

That was why Sapphire and Bell came along on the deliveries. It hadn’t been something that her parents or grandparents had ever done during their time running the Estate, but Sapphire loved doing that. The blue mare smiled a little as she reached into the wagon and gave something to Sea.

“Bring that to Sweetie for me, okay?” She said as she gave her a nod and whispered something to her. “It’s for Scootaloo, she ordered it special.”

Sea chuckled a little bit at that. She wasn’t that surprised, Sweetie Belle had occasionally ordered gifts for her wife. Usually this was to help her get through a particularly stressful period in her life. Sea nodded as she quietly added it to the wagon.

“We should get over to the Orphanage,” Jasper said as she gave the two of them a nod. “It was good seeing you again Sapphire, take care.”

Sapphire smiled and waved as the two of them walked off with the wagon behind her. She went back to working on getting everything together as Bell helped her out.

“Well, those two seem to be doing well,” Bell commented.

“Yeah, they do,” Sapphire said with a soft smile as she looked back at the wagon. The crowd was slowly dispersing with only the longer line being done at this point. “So, do we have everything to bring to the Library?”

“Yes Lady Sapphire,” Bell replied as she checked the manifest. “It may be a good idea to send word to them that we will be a little late.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” Sapphire said as she nodded to Bell. “Do you mind taking care of that for me? I’d rather finish things up here.”

“Yes Lady Sapphire,” Bell replied as she went off towards the Library.

Sapphire smiled as she went over to Xander Root and started working with him to get the ponies their stuff. She looked back towards the Orphanage and hoped that everything was going to be okay with Sea and Jasper. With the Kamen Riders around, she had to wonder if everything really was going to be okay here.

She took a deep breath and smiled as she turned to the next pony, a family with two young fillies. “Hey there, how can I help you today?”

00000

“Grandma Sweetie, everypony, we’re here!” Jasper said as she opened the door to the orphanage for Sea to walk in with the wagon behind her. “And we come bearing gifts!”

“Sea! Jasper!” The foals said as they ran over to the two mares just as Sea shut the door behind her.

Sea smiled a little as she levitated several of the packages out of her wagon and passed them to the foals. She looked up to see Sweetie Belle coming in as she passed the last package out save for one for a foal who hadn’t been there. This was fairly common at the Orphanage, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle would

“And one more thing for you,” Sea finished as she levitated the package that Sapphire had given to her. “Something special for the wife, huh?”

“Yeah, I saved up my ration bits for it,” Sweetie answered as she put away the package and smiled at her. She looked confused at the last package in the wagon on top of the food. “Didn’t everypony get their packages?”

“Yeah, uh…” Jasper said as she picked up the package and read the name on it. “Gusty Winds didn’t show up to pick up their package. Weird, that normally doesn’t happen.”

Sweetie was silent for a moment and sighed a little. “Yeah… Gusty is still pretty new here. His parents died a few months ago in an accident and he’s been shuffled between Orphanages around the Safe Zone.”

“He doesn’t have any family left?” Sea asked and Sweetie shook her head.

“I’m afraid not, he had an aunt but she was uh…” Sweetie said as she rubbed the back of her head a little. “The Changelings got her about 5 years ago from what I heard. He’s not a bad pony, just, kind of closed off.”

“Well, I’ll take the package to him,” Sea said as she levitated the package up onto her back. “Maybe I can talk to him at least. I don’t think I can really do anything, but I might as well try…”

“Okay, good luck,” Sweetie said as she pointed to where she had to go. She sighed a little and took the wagon towards the kitchen with Jasper. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s doing okay I guess,” Jasper said softly. “But she’s not in the best of shape mentally. I don’t really blame her for that, she was never trained for this kind of thing. Maybe now that I’ve got the Guardian Driver she should, you know… quit?”

“I think that’s up to her, but we should give her the option, I agree,” Sweetie said as they entered the kitchen. “Look, Jasper, there’s something you should know.”

“What is it?”

“Vira has been doing blood tests on Sea ever since she started using that Driver,” Sweetie said quietly. “She’s half-Changeling, it’s why she’s able to use that Driver to begin with. And, the Driver is having an effect on her body.”

“Wait… what are you saying?” Jasper hissed. “Grandma, what is happening to my best friend?”

“The interaction with her magic is slowly turning her into a Changeling,” Sweetie sighed as she looked down at her hooves. “We haven’t been able to tell her the truth yet. Though, Scootaloo is fairly certain that she’s going to have to tell her soon.”

“If you two don’t, I’m going to,” Jasper groaned. “But this is the last thing she needs right now. Is there any way to reverse it?”

“Only if she stops using the gear altogether,” Sweetie answered. “And at the end of the day, that is up to her. I’ll talk to Scootaloo and convince her to tell her sooner rather than later.”

“I hope that’s the right thing to do,” Jasper sighed. “I won’t tell her, at least not yet. She still deserves to know though. She needs to know what’s happening to her so she can make an actual choice about this.”

“I agree,” Sweetie said as she hugged her granddaughter. “I love you Jasper. I promise that we only want what’s best for Sea.”

“Thank you, I know,” Jasper replied as she sighed happily.

“She’s lucky she’s got a friend as good as you are,” Sweetie said with a soft smile.

“What, you’re not going to tease me about how I’m totally in love with her despite not being in love with her?” Jasper asked with a groan.

“Nope, it’s your choice, not ours,” Sweetie said with a shake of her head. “Besides, I got teased when I first fell in love with a pony too and it went okay.”

“Oh? What happened with them?”

“I married her,” Sweetie laughed.

00000

Quartz, a soldier Drone with a blue carapace and a short blue mane and tail was in her personal quarters as she got ready to go to Ponyville. She took a deep breath as she went over the details of the combat form in her mind. She was going to be ready for this, or at least she hoped so as she checked her equipment.

She nearly jumped when she heard a knock at the door. She hadn’t felt a Changeling approaching through the Hive. She looked through the peephole on the door and her eyes went wide, outside was a female Changeling with a yellow carapace and long yellow mane. She was looking a little nervous.

Quartz took a deep breath as she brushed her mane back a little. She wasn’t sure what was going on here, but she was going to at least approach this with tact. She opened the door as she looked at the yellow Drone. “Hello Swallowtail. What brings you to Cloudsdale and my doorstep?”

“That’s no way to greet an old friend,” Swallowtail said with a roll of her eyes. “Quartz, can I come inside? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“Fine…” Quartz said as she allowed the yellow colored Drone in. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I want to escort you into Ponyville, I heard from Princess Whisper that you were being sent there,” Swallowtail answered which got a strange look from Quartz.

“Okay, I admit I wasn’t expecting that…” Quartz said as she shut the door behind them. “Why do you want to go to Ponyville with me? You know that it’s not exactly going to be a walk in the park, right?”

“I know, but you could use a medic for your team just in case, you know, something happens,” Swallowtail suggested as she paused a moment. “And, uh, there’s another reason too. I recently got word that my nephew, from my old life, is at the Orphanage there.”

“And you want to bring him into the Hive?” Quartz asked as she looked at her. “Does Princess Whisper agree to this?”

“She has agreed to allow me to bring him back with me to Neigh Orleans,” Swallowtail answered. “Given the food shortage right now we aren’t allowed to bring in any new ponies right now. He doesn’t have any family left other than me, she agreed that this was the best course of action at least for now.”

“So, where do I come in?”

“She doesn’t want me to go in alone, and I was hoping that you could help me out given our past together,” Swallowtail said softly. “I know you have your own mission, but it would mean a lot to me if you would be my escort.”

“Well, I, uh… I guess,” Quartz said as she looked nervous for a moment. “Swallowtail, listen… we need to talk about what happened before.”

“What’s to talk about?” Swallowtail asked. “We were in a relationship, you decided that you weren’t ready to be in a relationship because of your duties. That’s the whole story, what else is there to say?”

“Yeah, but…” Quartz sighed. “I’ve been thinking about it lately. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision back then. I know that you don’t have to give me another chance, but…”

“But you think you might feel something for me after all?” Swallowtail asked and Quartz nodded slowly. “Quartz… I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel something for you after all these years. But I don’t know if I’m ready to do that, not if you’re going to hurt me again.”

“Okay… I understand,” Quartz replied. “I don’t want to make this awkward. I can see if another Soldier can escort you into the Safe Zone later…”

“No, I want you to do it, you’re the only Drone I trust to protect me,” Swallowtail replied. She placed her hoof gently on Quartz’s and gave her a soft smile. “I may not be sure about my feelings for you, but I know that much. Will you still do that for me?”

“I will, I promise,” Quartz said as she nodded a little. “I’m going to be with you the whole time.”

“Thank you, that means a lot to me,” Swallowtail answered as she hugged Quartz a little. “Just promise me that you’ll make it out of this, okay?”

“Okay, I promise,” Quartz replied. The two Changelings’ minds touched for a moment, a gentle brush between the two as they grew close. Quartz felt an emotional surge of joy from the connection, but let it go.

She wasn’t going to press the matter, not yet at least.

00000

Sea gently knocked on the door to Gusty Winds’ bedroom at the orphanage. She paused a moment as she waited for an answer before finally she heard a soft voice say “go away.”

“It’s Sea Spray, I’m here with something the heads of the orphanage ordered for you,” Sea answered. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk to me. I just wanted to check on you is all.”

There was a long pause before he finally said “Come in.” She gently opened the door to the colt’s room and slipped inside. Seated on the bed was a young pegasus colt with a light blue coat and short green mane. He looked up at Sea who gave him a reassuring smile as she levitated the package over to him.

“Hey Gusty,” she said softly as she set it down next to him. He just shrugged a little without looking up at her. “Okay, you don’t have to talk to me. But if you ever want to say something, that’s what I’m here for.”

She started walking back out the door when she heard him speak up, “Why’d they have to die?”

“I wish I could tell you kiddo,” Sea said as she turned back around. She saw that he was holding a framed photo as tears fell down onto it. “Would it be okay if I sat down with you?”

“You’re not gonna tell me how everything is gonna be okay even though you know it might not be, are you?” Gusty asked.

“No, I just want to talk to you,” Sea answered. She looked down at the picture, it was of Gusty with a mare and stallion that looked like they were about 10 years older than Sea. “All you have to do is talk and I’ll listen. Would you be okay with that?”

“Yeah… okay,” Gusty replied, but he didn’t want to make eye contact with Sea. “It’s just, I really miss them. You probably wouldn’t understand…”

“I guess not, but not for the reasons you think,” Sea sighed. “I never knew my parents at all. I was raised in this orphanage and the ponies here became my family. And between you and me, you couldn’t ask for a better one.”

“Yeah… maybe…” Gusty sighed as he shook his head a little. “How do you deal with it? I mean, you never knew your birth parents. You’ve probably lost ponies yourself…”

“Yeah, I’ve lost a few friends over the years,” Sea replied. “But honestly, I will admit that it’s never going to be easy. But you don’t have to spend the rest of your life in this room. You’ve got some amazing ponies out there who just want what’s best for you. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are amazing and are like all of our parents. With everything that’s been going on, maybe you should give them a chance.”

“Maybe…” He agreed softly as he picked up the package for a moment. “Sometimes I wish I could see my family again.”

“I don’t pretend to know anything about this kind of thing,” Sea admitted. “But I would like to think that someday you will get to see them again. But they also don’t want you to wallow in sadness like this. Promise me you’ll at least consider it?”

“I’ll think about it…” Gusty said softly as he sighed a little. “Thank you for listening to me at least. I know that you didn’t have to…”

“I didn’t, but it was the right thing to do,” Sea said as she patted him gently on the back. “Like I said, we’re all a family here. I don’t live here anymore, but that still makes you like my little brother. Family sticks together, okay?”

“Okay,” Gusty said as he smiled softly. He hugged Sea gently and Sea smiled a little as she hugged back. “Thank you again…”

“You’re welcome,” Sea replied as she patted him gently on the back. “If you ever need anyone to talk to, let me know, okay? I’ll be here for you or anypony else that needs it.”

Gusty nodded a little as Sea got up and started for the door as he unwrapped the package. She smiled a little as she glanced back to see him holding the toy train that had been made for him. She gave him a nod as she closed the door quietly behind her and headed downstairs towards the kitchen.

“How’d it go?” Sweetie asked as Sea walked in. “Is he going to be okay?”

“I think he has a long way to go honestly,” Sea admitted. “But he’s certainly on the right track now. At least, I hope so.”

“Well, if something else happens we’ll let you know,” Sweetie agreed as she gave Sea a nod. “How are you doing? I know talking to him couldn’t have been easy with everything you’re going through lately.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sea told her with a slight smile. “I know how it goes with foals like that. You and Scootaloo always helped us out when we needed it. I guess I want to try and do the same with foals, you know?”

“I know, and thank you both for your help today,” Sweetie said as she gave her granddaughter a smile.

“No problem, we’re glad to help you both out,” Jasper replied as she smiled back. She was still a bit unsure about how she was going to avoid telling Sea what she had learned. But she did know that her grandmothers would do what they felt was right. “Is there anything else we can do to help?”

“Not at the moment, no, but maybe come back later this evening to help with dinner,” Sweetie suggested as she started working again. “You two just enjoy yourselves. Try not to get into any trouble today, okay?”

“Yeah, we’ll get right on that,” Jasper chuckled as the two friends headed out and past Scootaloo as Khepri met up with them.

“Did we get everything in?” Scootaloo asked as she leaned in and kissed her wife on the cheek. “No problems, right?”

“Yeah, they were a bit late but everything got in without problem,” Sweetie answered. Scootaloo looked a bit unhappy at that and shook her head. “Is everything okay?”

“New Manechester is just getting worse and worse, and that’s going to be a problem in a couple of weeks,” Scootaloo reminded her. “Things are getting bad if we can’t even get the shipments on time. So, what are we going to do now?”

“Well, unless something else comes up I believe that we don’t have to worry about it until later,” Sweetie replied as she worked on getting the food ready. She then smiled and levitated up the package and gave it to her wife. “And, I got something special for you.”

Scootaloo grinned a little as she opened it up. Inside was a pair of perfectly crafted wing blades that had been made by blacksmiths in the Rich Estate. There were symbols and markings carved into it with the Wonderbolt symbol on it.

“I figured you could use it given everything that’s been going on,” Sweetie said as she nuzzled her wife gently.

“Thank you,” Scootaloo replied and took a deep breath. “So, is there anything else going on that I should be worried about?”

“Jasper knows about Sea,” Sweetie said which made Scootaloo pause a moment. “She had the right to know what is happening to her. I also believe that right now we don’t need to hide the truth from Sea anymore. She’s going through a lot and we both know that it won’t be a secret much longer.”

Scootaloo paused a moment. After what had happened with the Another Riders she had Vira run more blood tests on Sea. It was a matter of weeks at this point before her body started showing physical signs, faster if she had to fight more. And there was no telling if they were going to be attacked again anytime soon.

“You might be right,” Scootaloo admitted. “With everything that’s going on, she does deserve to know. I’ve been trying to figure out how to actually tell her, but I don’t know how she’s going to react.”

“Just tell her the truth, she’ll make the right decision one way or another,” Sweetie told her. “Promise me that you’ll tell her tonight when she comes over for dinner.”

Scootaloo sighed a little as she looked at her wife. She had a hard time saying no to the older Unicorn, even at her age Sweetie was still as beautiful and smart as she had been when they were young. She had a hard time turning down her wife, but she did ultimately know that she was right.

“Okay, I’ll tell her tonight,” Scootaloo finally agreed. “I just hope you’re right about this. I can only imagine exactly how she’s going to react to this. I know how I would if I were in her position, and it’s not going to be good.”

“Agreed, but it should be her choice,” Sweetie agreed as she went back to work. “I know she’ll make the right decision. Ultimately she wants to help ponies. But we shouldn’t influence her choice, if she wants to stop, then that’s her right.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Scootaloo replied as she hugged her wife gently. “What would I ever do without you, Sweetie?”

“Probably go crazy,” Sweetie laughed.

00000

“This isn’t going to work…” Quartz muttered. She was disguised as a light blue colored earth pony with a long silvery-blue mane. It was that evening and they were making their way through the town. “There’s no way they’re going to just let us in there.”

“It’s an orphanage, right? They have couples come in all the time to adopt foals,” Swallowtail reminded her. She was disguised as a yellow Unicorn mare with a long black mane with blue and purple spots lining it. “We’ll just tell them that we’re from another settlement. Remember the cover story, we’re a couple here looking to adopt a foal.”

“Yeah, yeah, I still feel like this isn’t going to work,” Quartz groaned as they approached the orphanage. “And how exactly are you going to explain this to him? He’s going to know you were taken, right?”

“My brother wasn’t the type to tell that kind of thing,” Swallowtail replied. “It’s more likely that he thinks that I left. At least I hope so, this won’t be easy to sell. I’ll have to sneak him out of the orphanage though, so you just need to distract them, okay?”

Quetzal nodded a little as Swallowtail knocked on the door. There was a moment of silence before finally the door opened and they found Scootaloo standing there. “Can I help you two?”

“Yes, my name is Stained Glass and this is my wife Crystal, we’re here from the settlement at Gateway,” Swallowtail answered with a smile. She levitated out a series of papers as she gave them to the older Pegasus. “We’re here in hopes of starting the adoption process. The head of the Gateway Orphanage said that you would have been informed.”

It was true, Swallowtail had a friend of her’s, a Changeling in Gateway to convince the head of the orphanage there to get all this together a while back. They had sent the message earlier that day, and she had little doubt that it had come in by now. She just had to hope that Scootaloo would believe her.

“Ah… yes,” Scootaloo replied as she put on her glasses and read the notes. “I wasn’t expecting you to get here so soon.”

“She’s not buying it…” Quartz said through the hive connection.

“Give it time, it’ll be fine,” Swallowtail replied.

“Yeah, but we’re both eager to get the process started,” Quartz replied. She “So we had her send out the papers ahead of us. I hope that wasn’t improper.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Scootaloo replied with a soft smile. “We rarely see couples come in like this. Are you looking for any ponies in particular?”

“We were hoping to adopt a Pegasus colt,” Swallowtail replied. “The head of the Gateway orphanage said there was one there a few weeks ago but he left recently and was brought here.”

“Right, I see…” Scootaloo commented as she looked at them for a moment. “Well, come on in for now. We’ll have to look over your papers and I will talk to my wife, for now that’s about all I can promise you.”

“Thank you, that would be fine,” Quartz replied as Scootaloo allowed the two of them into the orphanage.

“See? Nothing to worry about, they want the foals to go to good homes,” Swallowtail told her through the Hive mind. “I don’t know what you were afraid of.”

“I’ve seen memories of Scootaloo from Princess Prism, I advise we approach with caution,” Quartz told her.

Swallowtail nodded as they walked together. She asked where the bathroom was and was directed towards it as she walked away. When she was sure she was alone, she turned into a small unicorn filly with a reddish-brown coat and a short white mane with a flare on her nose as she headed for the bedroom that belonged to Gusty. When she opened the door, Gusty looked up at her confused.

“Uh, who are you?” He asked confused.

“Oh, right you don’t recognize me in this form,” she answered as she shut the door behind her. She turned into an older version of the filly, now a fully grown mare with a cutie mark of a wrench on her flank. “Hey Gusty.”

“Auntie Socket Wrench?” Gusty asked as he blinked in surprise. “What are you… Dad told me you died…”

“Yeah, well rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated,” Swallowtail replied as she took a seat next to him. “I was taken away by the Changelings, but I never forgot about you or your parents. I heard about what happened…”

Gusty looked down at his hooves for a moment and sighed. “Yeah… but if you’re a Changeling, why are you here now?”

“Because I want you to come back with me,” Swallowtail answered. “You’ll be back with myself, and we can create a new family for you back in Neigh Orleans. You don’t even have to become a Changeling, please?”

Gusty stared at her for a moment. He honestly wasn’t sure what to think about this. He had seen her transform right in front of his eyes, so he knew she was telling the truth about that.

So, what was he going to do now?

00000

“Grandmas, we’re here!” Jasper said as she headed into the orphanage with Sea and Khepri close behind her. “How is…”

They stopped when they saw her grandmothers talking with an earth pony mare that none of them knew. Khepri narrowed his eyes a little at the Earth Pony who glanced back at him.

“Oh, sorry, are we interrupting something?” Sea asked.

“No, no, she’s just here to possibly adopt a pony with her wife,” Sweetie replied before glancing back at Crystal. “Where is she anyway? She should have been back by now.”

“Oh, she probably just got lost, it wouldn’t be the first time,” Crystal replied. “I’m sure she’ll be back shortly. Anyway, I believe you were about to set up for dinner?”

“Yes, Sea could you do me a favor and go and get Gusty? It’s his night to help with dinner, maybe you can get him to help,” Sweetie told Sea who nodded and headed up the stairs with Khepri following behind her.

Sea stopped when she reached the door to Gusty’s room. There was the sound of talking inside, which confused her. Especially when she realized that one of them was the voice of an older mare.

“Get your Driver out,” a voice hissed behind her and she jumped before looking to see Khepri behind her. “Tch, are you that dense? There are Changelings in here, and one of them is in that room.”

Sea didn’t need any further prompting as she swung the Driver’s belt around her barrel. Khepri turned back into his insect form and flew onto her head as she threw the door open to see Gusty talking with an older mare that she didn’t recognize. Their eyes went wide at the unexpected arrival of the Unicorn.

“Who are you?” The mare demanded.

“Sea, calm down, it’s okay!” Gusty protested. “She’s my aunt, she’s just here to bring me back home!”

“You’re really his aunt then?” Sea asked as the Unicorn hissed a little but nodded her head. “Why didn’t you come help him already then?”

“Tch, hive politics probably kept her from doing so if she’s being truthful,” Khepri told her. There was the sound of hooves on the stairs as Jasper and Scootaloo came in, ready for a fight as the mare put herself between them and Gusty.

“He’s my nephew, my family, I’m not going to let you keep him away from his family!” The mare protested as she took on her Changeling form. She bore her fangs at them, but she knew she had no chance of fighting them off. “Let us go, I don’t want to hurt anypony.”

“Jasper…” Scootaloo nodded to Jasper as she nodded and ran forward, catching the yellow Changeling by surprise. She quickly grabbed her in a sleeper hold, knocking the drone out within seconds as she was released. “I’ll take care of things here, you two go after her “wife,” something tells me she’s not what she seems either.”

Sea and Jasper nodded as they flew down the stairs, Jasper grabbing her own Driver as she wrapped it around her barrel. The earth pony mare scowled as she looked up at them, realizing quickly that the gig was up.

“Well, this lasted longer than I honestly thought it would,” she hissed as she transformed too. She went bipedal and became a bronze armored insect form with two horns with prongs on the ends and long claws. “Now you two, if you don’t want to trash this place I suggest we take this outside. But I’m here for your Driver and Shifter, Scarab!”

“Fine,” Sea said as the three of them stepped out of the orphanage again. She exchanged a look with Jasper before giving her a nod. “Well, here we go again, huh?”

“Yeah…” Jasper said as she glanced at Sea uncomfortably for a moment. She hated having to hide the truth from Sea right now, but they had to do this. She took out the Lux stone while Khepri flew onto Sea’s hoof as they moved onto their hind legs. “Let’s do this.”

“Henshin!” The two mares said in unison as they slid the devices into their Drivers.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

“SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!”

The armor formed over the two of them as light fell down around them from the Guardian Driver. Jasper gave her revolver a spin as she aimed it at the head of the Changeling and fired several shots into her chest as she walked forward.

“Well, she’s just cutting to the chase I see,” Khepri commented as Sea dug her hooves into the ground and ran at Quartz as she swung her tonfas around and caught the Drone across the back as more energy bullets hit her.

Quartz scowled as she swung her long claw around and slashed Sea across the chest. Sea groaned a little as she took a step back, placing her hoof on her chest, the claws had hurt a little, but she was not going to let her get away. She ducked out of the way of another swipe of the claws and pummeled the Changeling in the chest a few times, but realized the armor was making it harder to hurt her.

“You really thought it was going to be that easy?” Quartz laughed as she kicked Sea away. “Little Kamen Riders, I am not known by the name Quartz for nothing. You’re going to have to try a lot harder than that!”

She ran forward again as Jasper leveled her gun at her, only to have her hoof get knocked aside as she got slashed across the chest. Jasper let out a cry as she fell back onto her flanks, firing several more shots into the Changeling as she tried to get to her hooves again.

“So, you two are the Kamen Riders? I expected so much more from you,” Quartz cackled as she held her claw up. The claws elongated and stretched out, wrapping around Sea as she struggled to escape. “I’ll just get you out of the way and go get Swallowtail back and we can all get out of here!”

“Over my dead body!” Jasper shouted as she jumped up. She gave her pistol a twirl as she swung her hoof around and caught Quartz in the back of the head, causing her to stumble back and her claws to loosen a bit.

“You’ll pay for that!” Quartz hissed as she turned around quickly and slashed hard at Jasper. But the Pegasus was ready this time and fired several more shots into Quartz’s armor. The Changeling stepped back a little, but seemed otherwise unphased by the attack as she advanced on Jasper.

“Stop!” Prism’s voice echoed in her mind.

“I can do this my Princess, just let me…” Quartz protested.

“You are outnumbered and they are stronger than you are,” Prism told her. “You need to fall back, now! They’re not going to let you get away easily, and we need to get back the medic Drone somehow.”

“Swallowtail was…” Quartz commented as a twinge of anger ran through her. “They will pay for this!”

She let out an animalistic cry as she charged right at Sea Spray and swung her appendages around quickly. Sea raised her tonfas to block them as best she could, but the angry Changeling got in more than a few good hits on her. She let out a cry when she once more felt the energy bullets hitting her from the lux revolver as Jasper leveled it at her.

“You can’t win,” Jasper said simply. “Give up and we’ll let you and your friend go back to the Hive in one piece. It’s what’s best for both of you right now.”

“Yeah, just like you let the first soldier go,” Quartz hissed as she raised her claws to strike at Sea again. She looked down at the mare and suddenly stopped in mid-swing. There was something odd about her that she couldn’t put her hoof on, a magical energy was coming from her that was familiar. “What in the name of the Queen are you?”

“What are you talking about?” Sea asked confused. “I’m just…”

Before Sea could finish that, Prism’s voice returned to Quartz’s mind, but for a moment Sea heard the voice. “GET OUT OF THERE NOW, SOLDIER! THAT IS AN ORDER!”

“Yes… my princess,” Quartz said as she turned into a bird and flew off.

“Sea, are you okay?” Jasper asked as Sea was holding her head as she tried to figure out what had just happened. “What happened?”

“I… I don’t know,” Sea said as she looked at her hooves. She deactivated her Driver and fell onto all fours while Khepri returned to his pony form. “For a moment I thought I heard something…”

Jasper and Khepri exchanged a look. They both knew the answer to that, even if they didn’t know the other knew. There was no hiding it now, so they just had to hope that Scootaloo was going to tell her the truth.

“Come on, let’s go to the holding facility,” Jasper said. “We need to get some answers out of the other Drone that showed up.”

“Yeah…” Sea said confused as they walked towards one of the houses on the far end of town.

00000

“So, now that you’re awake, how about you tell us what you’re really doing here,” Scootaloo said as she looked into the holding cell at Swallowtail. “Because I highly doubt you’re really here for your nephew. Why are you really here?”

“I’m telling the truth,” Swallowtail answered as she shifted a little uncomfortably. “Why would it be that unlikely that I would just want to help out my Nephew? You should know that we don’t lose ourselves completely by now.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Scootaloo groaned. “Look, Socket…”

“Swallowtail is my name now,” the Changeling snapped. “It is the name the Hive gave me, I would ask that you call me by it.”

“Fine, Swallowtail,” Scootaloo said. “Even if I believe that you were here in order to bring your nephew back with you, wouldn’t it be better for him to be here with his own kind? You said you weren’t going to convert him.”

“That was the truth, Princess Wind Whisper agreed to this,” Swallowtail said with a sigh. “But if you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do is there? But we both know that Quartz is going to do everything she can to find me.”

“And we’ll stop her,” Scootaloo replied and sighed a little. “This is getting nowhere, and I have other things to deal with.”

She turned around and headed back out of the holding area. Sea, Khepri, and Jasper were waiting outside with Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Vira. Vira and Sweetie glanced at Scootaloo and she sighed a little.

“I told you that you needed to tell her this already,” Vira commented as she shook her head.

“What are you talking about?” Sea asked. “I swear during the battle I felt… something. A voice in my head for no reason. What was going on?”

“Sea, you might want to sit down for this, this won’t be easy for you to take,” Scootaloo said. Sea looked scared for a moment before she slowly took a seat. “Are you aware of how the Drivers work?”

“Yeah, they work by tapping into the user’s personal magic,” Sea replied. “So? That just means that I use my magic to power it.”

“Yeah, but the Change Drivers don’t work on pony magic,” Scootaloo said with a sigh. “They work on Changeling magic. Sea, the only reason you’re able to use the Change Driver is because you have Changeling magic.”

“Wait… what are you saying?” Sea asked as she looked between them. “Why do I have Changeling magic?”

“Because… you’re half Changeling,” Scootaloo said as she closed her eyes. “And the interaction with your magic is activating your Changeling side. It’s slowly turning you into a Changeling every time you use it.”

Chapter 10: Truths

View Online

Sea stood there in shocked silence for a long moment as she stared at Scootaloo. Had she heard that correctly? Was she actually turning into a Changeling because of the Driver? That didn’t even make sense, why would that happen?

She just stared in stunned silence for a moment as Scootaloo tried to explain it to her. She only caught a few bits and pieces of it, barely paying attention to what the old Pegasus was saying. Finally, she felt her legs go weak and she collapsed to the floor in a faint.

“Sea!” Jasper shouted as she ran over to Sea and held her close. She sighed a little as she looked back at her Grandmother. “Well, that could have gone better…”

“I know, I know,” Scootaloo said with a groan. “Vira, can you check her over? Jasper, get her to the lab. Take the hidden passage, we don’t want to raise too many questions.”

“Got it Grandma,” Jasper said as she helped Sea up carefully. She nodded to Vira as they opened a hidden door that lead to a set of stairs. These had been set up all over Ponyville to move in and out of secure locations without attracting attention. “Vira… you’re absolutely certain about this, right? This isn’t just a false alarm?”

“Believe me, I wish it was,” Vira sighed. The Zebra mare had a worried look on her face as they made their way down the tunnel. “I’ve admittedly never seen anything like this before, but her blood tests are showing all the hallmarks of being a Changeling. If she stops, she’ll be fine.”

“Which is her choice to make, not ours,” Jasper reminded her. “You and my grandmas should’ve told us this as soon as you found out. She had a right to know what’s happening to her and you all know it.”

“Yeah, she did, but it was Scootaloo’s choice, if you’re going to be mad at anypony be mad at her,” Vira replied and sighed. “She understands that this is going to be hard on Sea. And on you, and if Sea wants to stop fighting we’ll understand.”

“I wouldn’t blame her if she did,” Jasper said. “But we’ll see how it goes I guess. Right now, that’s about all we can do.”

The two mares walked in silence as they emerged out into the Resistance’s base under the library. They took another door and walked down into the lab as Jasper laid Sea gently on a bed. The Unicorn groaned a little as her eyes fluttered open and she realized where she was.

“What happened?” She asked hoarsely. “The last thing I remember is being told that… uh… yeah…”

“Sea, everything is going to be okay,” Jasper said as she gently placed her hoof on Sea’s. “You don’t have to do this anymore if you don’t want to. I don’t think anypony would blame you, and I can handle this on my own from now on.”

Sea paused a little at that as she thought about it. Jasper was a capable fighter while Sea was still learning a lot about how to fight the Changelings. It wasn’t even that she hadn’t proven herself capable at this point, but Sea knew that Jasper was way better at it than her. She looked down at her hooves for a moment as she thought about it.

If she kept fighting as Kamen Rider Scarab, all that it would do would be to turn her into a Changeling. She would be able to save ponies sure, but she would lose her equinity. Was that worth it at this point?

Was it worth protecting ponies if she was going to no longer be one? That was the hardest question she ever had to ask herself.

“I don’t know what to do,” she finally admitted as she released Jasper’s hoof. “It just feels so much like taking the easy way out. But at the same time, I don’t want to lose sight of who I am. And because of that… I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m doing this to protect ponies, but… yeah.”

“Yeah, I think I understand,” Jasper sighed. “And I would understand if you left this life. I guess, we both have to take a long look at ourselves and decide what to do. I’m not going to force you to keep fighting. Make your own choice, Sea.”

“Okay… I will,” Sea said with a soft smile. “I’m going to have to think about this for a long time though. This is going to be the hardest decision of my life, because it’s going to affect my whole life.”

“I know, and I’m going to be by your side every step of the way,” Jasper said as she hugged Sea gently. “Take care, okay Sea? I need to go see if I can figure out where that other Changeling ran off to…”

“Okay,” Sea said softly and hugged her back. “Stay safe out there, okay?”

“I will,” Jasper replied as she walked out of the lab and gave Vira a nod. “She’d better be okay.”

“Jasper, you have nothing to worry about,” Vira said as she shook her head a little. “She’s going to be just fine.”

“I hope so,” Jasper said as she opened the door. She looked back at Sea for a moment, the Unicorn was still looking afraid, but she had calmed down a little.

She was just going to have to hope that Sea would make the right decision. Whatever was the right decision at this point.

00000

“Are you sure about this?” Sweetie Belle asked as Scootaloo looked over the few papers they had pertaining to their prisoner. “You don’t have to be the one who interrogates her you know.”

“I know, but we’re going to need answers if we want to figure out what the Changelings want this time,” Scootaloo reminded her. “And it’s my prerogative as one of the heads of the Cell to investigate and interrogate any potential threats. And honestly, I need something to get my mind off of what is going on with Sea right now.”

“Alright, just be careful,” Sweetie Belle told her as she gave her wife a kiss on the cheek. “I don’t trust her, even if she used to be a pony. Promise me that you’re going to be careful, okay?”

“I promise,” Scootaloo said softly as she nuzzled Sweetie gently. She adjusted her reading glasses a little and opened the door to the interrogation room. Swallowtail was seated behind the table chained up with a magic negation ring on her horn. Scootaloo took a seat across from her and set the files down. “Socket Wrench, right?”

“My name is Swallowtail,” the Changeling snapped. “Socket Wrench was my pony name. Things have changed for me since then.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Scootaloo replied as she looked over the files. “Socket Wrench from the Rich Estate. Known family is mostly deceased save for her nephew Gusty Winds. You were captured by the Changelings and presumed converted 5 years ago. So, why don’t you tell me why you’re really here?”

“You know why I’m here,” Swallowtail replied with a roll of her eyes. “I’m here for my nephew to bring him back with me to Neigh Orleans. Like you said, we’re the only family we have. I just want him to be safe.”

“And why should I believe you?” Scootaloo asked. “You’re a Changeling, you have no loyalty to your old life, not anymore. Taking your nephew being the only reason doesn’t make sense. How many more Changelings are in town?”

“I have no reason to lie,” Swallowtail hissed. “There will always be parts of the original pony left. I’m here to help my nephew, nothing else. I don’t even care if you believe me.”

“Yeah, I’m still not buying it…” Scootaloo muttered as she adjusted her glasses a moment. “So, why are you really here? I’m guessing your friend from the Cloudsdale Hive is here to get Sea Spray and the Change Driver.”

“You think you’re so smart, don’t you?” Swallowtail asked. “Sea Spray stole from one of the Princesses, that is a crime that cannot be ignored. Personally though, I don’t particularly care about their reasons. Like I told you, I’m here to get my nephew. I have no reason to lie to you at this point, do I?”

“I’m pretty sure you have reasons to lie to me,” Scootaloo retorted. “The fact of the matter is that you’re liars by nature. You infiltrate and take what you want without a care for how it affects the ponies you leave behind.”

“The language of the Hive will be perfect when there will be no way to lie,” Swallowtail snorted. “The day will come when there won’t be a need to lie.”

“Let me guess, when there aren’t any ponies left, only Changelings,” Scootaloo scowled. “Do you really think we’re just going to roll over and let that happen?”

“Ponies seek to live in Harmony, we offer perfect harmony through the Hive,” Swallowtail told her. “But that’s beside the point. I’ve told you my reasons for being here, whether or not you believe me it doesn’t matter.”

Scootaloo eyed her for a moment. The Changeling had stuck to that story ever since she had been captured. Was it possible that she was actually here for her nephew? That didn’t rule out the possibility of there being an impending attack on the town by Changelings, especially since there was at least one more out there and they had one of their Hivemates.

She glanced at her papers for a moment and sighed. “Did it ever occur to you to talk to us about it?”

“Excuse me?” Swallowtail asked confused.

“As much as we’re loathe to admit it, you are the only family left that Gusty has,” Scootaloo replied as she shook her head. “I’m not saying that it would’ve been easy, but we could have worked out some sort of agreement. Despite this cold war we’re stuck in the middle of, we do care about the wellbeing and families of the foals under our care. If you had spoken to us, we could’ve worked something out.”

Swallowtail blinked a little at that. Honestly she hadn’t even considered that. She had figured that the ponies would just reject her without even listening to her.

“Do you really mean that?”

“It wouldn’t be unsupervised and it would have to be done carefully to avoid any problems,” Scootaloo replied. “I understand what it means to be separated from your family. But this wasn’t the way to go.”

“Yeah, like Ponies would really go for that, a Changeling coming and going freely, and you know there are downsides to it,” Swallowtail hissed.

Scootaloo did know, this would be something that the Hives could easily take advantage of. She shouldn’t even be offering this at all, but she and Sweetie had discussed it on and off over the years in the off chance that this kind of thing happened.

Though this was symptomatic of a much bigger problem in her eyes. While both sides hated each other, there should be lines that they would not cross. The ongoing conflict with the Changelings had just made things worse for Equestria. This wasn’t the Equestria she had grown up in, it had been long gone.

But maybe Harmony was still attainable.

“You know they’re going to come rescue me, right?” Swallowtail pointed out. “You can’t hide me in here forever, they’ll figure out where I am. You’d save yourselves a lot of trouble if you just let me go at this point.”

“Maybe, but I’ve always had a stubborn streak,” Scootaloo snorted. “We’re going to hold you for as long as needed. The Hive wants you back, they’re going to have to make a deal.”

“Not an easy deal to make, what would they even offer for one Drone?” Swallowtail pointed out.

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll figure something out, but in the meantime you’ll be kept in holding with no food,” Scootaloo replied as she stood up. “If you tell us about your compatriots and whatever you know about the next move by the Hives against the Safe Zone, I may be convinced to be lenient.”

“You’re going to let me starve?”

“We can’t give you our Love,” Scootaloo said simply. She hated the idea of letting another being starve, even a Changeling, but this was war, and she had to make the tough call. “I’ll offer you a deal though, and this is the best deal you could possibly get.”

“What kind of deal?” Swallowtail asked as she narrowed her eyes a little.

“I will let you go if you can convince your compatriots to pick up and leave town,” Scootaloo offered. It wasn’t a great deal, but she hadn’t seen enough to actually compromise their security. “We can end this without further fighting.”

“Quartz is too stubborn to do that,” Swallowtail said softly. “She’s got a wild streak in her, and right now she’s mad. Your Riders humiliated her and captured me, she’s not leaving until her mission is done.”

“And you know all of this about her, how?” Scootaloo asked. “I thought she was just your military escort.”

“We were more than that, once,” Swallowtail admitted, a pain in her voice. “But we let our duties get in the way of it. I know her, better than any Changeling. She’s not going to go down easily. She wants me, and she wants to get at the Riders.”

“I see,” Scootaloo replied as she folded her hooves for a moment and took a deep breath. They were now down one Rider until Sea made her decision, which just made things more complicated for the situation. “Thank you Swallowtail, you’ve given me a lot to think about.”

She gathered up her papers and started towards the door. She took one brief look back at Swallowtail for a moment, it was hard to not see a little of Fluttershy in the mare.

But then a thought occurred to her, maybe this was exactly what she needed.

“You said that parts of the original self always survive?” She asked.

“Yes, they became part of the base of the new personality and memories are usually left intact,” Swallowtail replied. “Why do you care?”

“No reason,” Scootaloo answered as she headed back out of the interrogation room and joined Sweetie. “Well, that was informative.”

“Did you learn why she’s here?” Sweetie asked.

“I’m convinced at this point that she was here for her Nephew,” Scootaloo sighed as she brushed her mane back. “At least, I hope so.”

“Why’s that?” Sweetie asked.

“Because, I may have just found the key to helping Sea.”

00000

“Sea, are you sure you’re ready to get up?” Jasper asked as Sea struggled to get to her hooves. “You’re still a little out of it.”

“I know, but I’ve got a lot to think about,” Sea told her. “I’ve got to face this on my hooves instead of lying in a bed.”

“Okay,” Jasper told her as she sighed a little. “Just be careful, okay? We don’t need you having another fainting spell, and we lost Rarity’s fainting couch years ago.”

“Wait, that was actually a thing?” Sea asked with a weak chuckle.

“Oh yes, Grandma Sweetie told me all about it, they apparently lost it in the move after the takeover,” Jasper replied with a laugh. She frowned a little at that as she thought back to the stories her grandmothers had told her in the early days.

While Scootaloo had been lucky enough to live with her aunts Holiday and Lofty, Sweetie had lost her sister and her parents. She had been taken in by the Apple family, but it still hadn’t been easy for her.

“Are you okay, Jasper?” Sea asked.

“Yeah… I’m just thinking about a few things,” Jasper replied and sighed a little. “Do you ever wonder what the world might be like if the Changelings never took over? What our lives might be like.”

“Yeah, all the time,” Sea admitted with a sigh. “Now more than ever I guess. I mean, I’m still kind of processing a lot of this, especially the fact that I’m apparently becoming a Changeling. Knowing my luck, Khepri knew about that too.”

“Yeah, no doubt,” Jasper replied. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I don’t know,” Sea admitted. “Like I said I don’t know what I’m going to do just yet. Part of me wants to keep fighting, the other part wants to stop while I’m still me. I don’t know what side to take right now.”

“I think you should do whatever you feel is right, now you can make a decision on your own though,” Jasper said as she kept Sea upright. “If you ever need anypony to help you, I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”

“You know this is why ponies think we’re in love with each other, right?” Sea asked with a chuckle. “Maybe we should lay off it a bit so they don’t keep thinking that.”

“Or we could keep doing it just to mess with their heads,” Jasper suggested with a chuckle. They started heading towards Sugarcube Corner, a few of the ponies around town looked at them and waved, but most of them ignored them. Some of them were whispering, which made Sea flinch a little. “Calm down Sea, I’m sure they’re not talking about you.”

“Yeah…” Sea said softly as she shook her head a little. “Let’s just… argh…”

“Where is she?” The voice of the Changeling Drone that she had fought before echoed in her mind.

She snapped up as she looked around, trying to see any sign of the Changelings nearby. There wasn’t any sign of anything suspicious around. Jasper looked at her confused, and then worried when she realized that something was wrong.

“What is it?”

“I heard something, I think it was that soldier Drone that I fought before…” Sea groaned as she rubbed her head. “The same thing happened at the end of the fight before, she must be nearby.”

Jasper went on alert as she looked around for any sign of somepony that might be a Changeling. She didn’t want to leave Sea behind though, and there wasn’t any signs of anypony acting weird or anything. She didn’t have time to be paranoid right now, and needed to help Sea.

“Let’s get to Sugarcube Corner,” she finally said. “I’ll investigate the town afterwards.”

“Are you sure?” Sea asked. She tried to straighten herself up, only to have her legs wobble a little “I can make it on my own.”

“You’re going to be fine, but I’d rather stay with you,” Jasper replied as they kept walking together again. She glanced back down the street for a moment and thought that she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. “Let’s get going, I don’t like this.”

Sea nodded as they kept going down the street towards Sugarcube Corner. “Are you going to be okay doing this on your own, Jasper?”

“I’ll be fine, I’ve got skills, remember?” Jasper answered with a cocky grin. “But seriously, I’m going to be fine. I’m more worried about you really.”

Sea looked down at her hooves for a moment and sighed. She didn’t want to worry Jasper, but she still had a lot of decisions that she was going to have to make and quickly.

“I’ll be fine,” she replied as she smiled up at Jasper. “When I decide what I’m going to do, I’ll let you know, okay? Just give me a little bit more time and then I’ll decide, I still have a lot to process right now.”

“Of course, it’ll be okay,” Jasper said as she opened the door to Sugarcube Corner and they headed inside.

00000

“I swear… when I get my hooves on those mares…” Quartz hissed as she punched the wall of the building she and the other Drones were hiding in. “What in the name of the Queen happened? This should have been a straightforward operation…”

“Ma’am, what are our orders?” One of the other Drones asked. “Should we fall back and regroup in Cloudsdale?”

“No!” Quartz snapped at the drone. “We’re not leaving until we get Swallowtail back from them!”

The other drones took a step back away from her in fear. The Soldier Drone was seething with anger as she glared at each of them in turn. She wasn’t about to let these ponies get away with capturing Swallowtail.

“They will pay for this…” she muttered to herself.

“Quartz!” Prism’s voice echoed painfully in her mind through the hive.

“Owww…” Quartz said as she placed her hoof on her head. “My Princess, what are your orders?”

“You can’t let your feelings get in the way of your mission, I can feel your anger,” Prism told her. “You get careless when you’re angry. You don’t want to make mistakes, do you?”

“No my Princess, but they captured…” Quartz started to say.

“Yes, I am aware, and Princess Wind Whisper says that she is still alive, but can’t narrow down her location,” Prism replied. “Your objective right now is to deal with Kamen Riders Scarab and Lux. However, if you can find and free Swallowtail, you will be rewarded.”

“Understood… now where is she?” Quartz asked she was about to ask something else when a sudden presence was felt in the Hive, one that felt more confused than anything else. “What was that?”

“What was what?” Prism asked.

“I thought I felt something… never mind,” Quartz said. “Is there anything else you can tell us? Do we have an idea of where she might be?”

“We’re still looking for her like I said,” Prism told her. “One of our agents said that the Riders are heading towards Sugarcube Corner. For now you need to get the lay of the land, carry out your mission and let us worry about where Swallowtail is.”

“Yes my princess,” Quartz replied as she rubbed her head a little and looked back at the other Changelings. “Why did she have to be so blunt with her message?”

“Ma’am, what are we going to do now?” One of the other Drones asked. “Should we continue the search for Kamen Rider Scarab?”

“Yeah,” Quartz answered. “Come on, everyone take on your infiltration forms for now. She’s somewhere in this town, and we’re not going to let her get away with stealing the Princess’ equipment.”

“Yes ma’am,” the Drones replied as they took on different pony forms. Quartz did the same, making sure not to take on the same form she used at the orphanage.

She took a deep breath as she pushed the door open and they stepped out. Their next stop was going to be Sugarcube Corner since that was apparently where they were supposed to be.

She wasn’t going to let them get away with this.

00000

Sea Spray took a drink as she adjusted herself a little bit while seated in Sugarcube Corner. She sighed a little as she looked back over at Jasper for a moment. The purple Pegasus was talking with another pony as she took a long drink of her own glass. She smiled a little as she looked back at Sea and gave her a nod.

“Everything okay, Sea?” Red Velvet, the mare in charge of Sugarcube Corner asked as she looked at Sea for a moment.

“No, not really,” Sea admitted as she brushed her mane back for a moment. She hated to have to lie to ponies, but she couldn’t tell them the truth just yet. “I’m just thinking about everything that’s been going on lately with the Changelings.”

“Yes, they have been acting weird lately,” Red Velvet agreed with a sigh. “I’m sure you’re going to be okay though. The Changelings seem to be more interested in going after whoever that Kamen Rider Scarab pony is.”

“Yeah,” Sea agreed as she finished her drink. “Get me another.”

Red nodded as she went back to get another drink before Sea heard the chair next to her being pulled out. She looked over to see Khepri taking a seat next to her in his pony form and groaned a little bit. “What do you want?”

“I’m just here to check on you,” Khepri answered as he raised a hoof defensively. “Tch, as defensive as always.”

“I’m not in the mood to talk to you right now,” Sea groaned. “I’ve got enough on my mind to not have a crazy bug freak bothering me.”

“Tch, you’re being rude I see,”,” Khepri snorted. He then added quietly. “I don’t see the big deal really. You were bound to find out eventually.”

“Maybe, but I still don’t have to like it,” Sea groaned as she rested her head on the bar for a moment. “Do you ever feel like your whole life has been turned upside-down in a day?”

“Well, yes,” Khepri admitted which got a look from Sea. “Tch, I probably know better than anypony in this backwards town. After all, I’m not exactly fulfilling my purpose here, in fact I’m running counter to it.”

“And yet you’re still here despite that,” Sea reminded him. “I think deep down you actually care about the ponies who live here. After all, you’ve had plenty of opportunities to run off back Princess Dusk or whoever.”

“Perhaps, or perhaps I just find you entertaining, I’m not going to say either way,” Khepri retorted with a smirk.

“Who’s your friend?” Red Velvet asked as she walked back towards them.

“Kh…” Khepri started to say.

“Uh, no Blue Beetle, that’s his name, totally not anything else,” Sea said quickly as she gave Khepri a quick look that said don’t argue with her.

“But he’s purple,” Red Velvet pointed out with a confused look.

“His parents were partially colorblind, they thought he was blue,” Sea lied. Mentally slapping herself for the horribly obvious lie.

“Yeah… okay…” Red Velvet commented as she shot Sea a look. “Well Mr. “Blue Beetle”, what can I get you?”

“Nothing thank you, I’m just here to talk with Sea,” Khepri replied. Red Velvet just shrugged and poured another drink for Sea before going to work with other customers. “Blue Beetle?”

“What, I was a fan of comic books growing up, it was all I could think of on short notice,” Sea groaned as she rested her head on the bar again. “Just, go with it, I’d rather not explain it. Khepri is a good name, but its not exactly conspicuous.”

“Tch, fine, whatever,” Khepri retorted. “Your town has some interesting ponies in it, I’ll give you that. A shame it won’t last forever.”

“The Changelings won’t win,” Sea pointed out. “They can’t invade us without losing their food source. It’s why we’re in this stupid stalemate to begin with. I don’t think they’re going to be invading us anytime soon.”

“Tch, we’ll see, you never know what they might be cooking up,” Khepri snorted. “But fine, whatever. Keep living in your little fantasy world.”

He got off the chair and walked off as Jasper walked over to Sea. “What’s his problem?”

“Oh you know, just being himself,” Sea groaned as she looked back at Jasper. “He seems pretty confident that we’re all doomed.”

“I hope not, but I’m sure everything will be just fine,” Jasper said as she placed a hoof on Sea’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Sea, I promise. We’re going to figure this out together.”

“Thanks…” Sea said softly as she looked down at Jasper’s hoof for a moment. “Really, that means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome,” Jasper replied as she looked into Sea’s eyes for a moment. “Listen, Sea…”

“SEA!” Khepri shouted in her mind, causing Sea to grab her head in pain. “There’s a group of Changelings heading for the place you’re in now! Get your flank out here already or send your featherbrained marefriend!”

“She’s not my… forget it… I’ll tell her to go,” Sea said as she turned to look at Jasper. “Jasper, hold that thought. We’ve got trouble on the way, are you sure that you’re going to be okay with handling this on your own?”

Jasper paused a moment as she thought about it before nodding. “I’ve got this, you get somewhere safe, okay?”

“Okay,” Sea said as she looked at Red Velvet for a moment as Jasper headed out of the restaurant. “I need to get out of here quickly, can I go through the back door?”

“Uh, sure, okay,” Red Velvet said as she lead Sea out the back door.

00000

Jasper stepped out onto the street as she looked around. There were no obvious signs of Changelings around the street. She was about to pass it off as nothing before Khepri appeared next to her causing her to jump in surprise.

“You scared me!” She protested as she managed to straighten herself up. “What’s going on out here anyway? I don’t see anything.”

“Tch, ponies, you keep using your eyes instead of your heads,” Khepri snorted. He glanced around before pointing at a pony that was slowly making her way towards Sugarcube Corner. “That’s one of them, and there are a few more around.”

“Right…” Jasper said as she took out her Guardian Driver and swung it around her barrel. She wasn’t sure if Khepri was lying or not, but she needed to be careful anyway. If there was even a chance of there being Changelings in Ponyville, she was going to be on her guard. “Any chance you can lend me a hoof?”

“Tch, I’m not much of a fighter, you’re on your own featherbrain,” Khepri snorted as he turned back into his insect form and flew off.

“Great…” Jasper said as she walked forward towards the pony that had been pointed out. She had to approach with caution, but luckily she had some authority here in town. “Hold it right there.”

“Excuse me?” The mare asked as she looked up at Jasper. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, random searches, there are concerns about there being Changelings in town,” Jasper replied. It was a bad bluff, but it was technically true at least. The mare eyed her nervously for a moment as she backed away a little. “It’s just a precaution, I’m sure you understand given the times.”

The mare glanced at several other ponies and narrowed her eyes at Jasper. “You don’t look like you’re part of the town guard. Do you mind explaining exactly what you’re up to, feathers?”

Jasper flinched a little at that. How exactly was she going to deal with this? Yeah, she wasn’t part of the Town Guard so she couldn’t exactly just go around detaining suspected Changelings. Even if she was a Kamen Rider, this was going to be hard to do.

“I may not be part of the Town Guard, but I can still stop you,” she said through gritted teeth. “I don’t think you want to attract the attention of the Guard, do you? One lone pony or the whole guard on your flank.”

The mare hissed a little as she glared at Jasper. “What do you want, pony?”

“I want you and your friends out of this town,” Jasper said as she narrowed her eyes at the Changeling. “Leave and all of you get to live to see another day.”

“Don’t make me laugh, we know you Riders don’t kill,” Quartz said with a sneer. “And I’m not leaving without Swallowtail. Let her go and then we can talk about it.”

“I have no authority to do that,” Jasper replied as she took a step back. “And I doubt they’ll agree to it anyway. So, I guess we’re at an impasse then.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure they’ll trade for you once we have you,” Quartz said as she turned into her combat form while the other Changelings transformed too.

“I’m not going to let you do that,” Jasper said as she reared up on her hind legs and grabbed the Lux Stone as she slid it into the slot on her Driver. "Henshin!"

"SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!"
Her Driver said as the shield closed up around it and the energy flowed and fell around her. She raised her hoof with the revolver in it and aimed it at the Changeling and grinned from behind her helmet’s visor.

“And you’re wrong about one thing,” Jasper said as she fired several shots into the nearest Drone. “Just because Sea doesn’t like killing doesn’t mean I have the same hesitation. And right now, you’re facing me, not her.”

“Then you’re going down,” Quartz said with a grin. “I’m not leaving this town without Swallowtail. And you’re just going to get in my way.”

“And you’re going to have to get through me if you want to get her,” Jasper said as she gave the barrel of her revolver a spin and fired several more shots at the Changeling. “You come and attack us in our home and you expect us to actually be willing to just let you grab one of our prisoners?”

Quartz just hissed as she swung her limb around as it slammed against a hard light shield created by Jasper that she had thrown up just in time. The Pegasus Rider flinched as she stumbled back a little from the impact of the Changeling’s attack. Another Changeling rushed at her, only to get several energy bullets in its chest for its trouble.

Jasper flinched a little at that. Despite her claims to the contrary, she realized that killing the Changelings wouldn’t make the situation any better. In fact it would likely just result in more ponies getting taken. The situation would just get worse, and one of her friends could be put in danger.

How did Sea manage to do this?

“You don’t stand a chance,” Quartz laughed as her arms became blades and she rushed forward, swinging them down on Jasper together. Jasper just barely managed to block it again with her light shield as she kicked away at the Changeling, throwing the shield into her and catching her in the chest. “You’re going to keep fighting then? Why delay the inevitable?”

“Because I’m a Kamen Rider,” Jasper said as the shield re-appeared on her foreleg and she fired several more shots into the chest of the Changeling. “We’re not because it’s easy or because its fun. We do this because it’s the right thing to do, you’re hurting ponies and I’m going to stop you here and now! Get out of my town!”

She ran forward and Quartz’s eyes went wide as she raised herself preparing for an attack. Instead Jasper leapt over the Changeling and swung her hind legs around, kicking out the Changeling’s armored legs with a blow that sent her sprawling. As she struggled to get up, Jasper only fired several more shots into her, causing Quartz to groan.

“You’re a strong one,” she hissed. “But you’re outnumbered.”

Jasper spun around only to get a Changeling appendage strike her across the helmet causing her to stumble back. She raised her pistol and fired several more shots before running forward, slamming her hoof into the Changeling who had attacked and knocking it out. But still, there were several more around her.

She gritted her teeth from behind her helmet as she fired several energy bullets into Quartz before running at her. Energy flowed around her hooves as they were covered with hard light constructs as she slammed them hard into Quartz.

Quartz groaned as she swung her blades around, Jasper managed to block them as best she could as the two scraped against each other. Jasper kicked out at the Changeling and forced her to the ground she was about to raise her pistol again when she got hit again by the Changelings. She stumbled forward, falling down a little as Quartz righted herself.

“You’re not bad, I’ll give you that,” Quartz hissed as she wiped some blood from her mouth.”But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you win, Rider. Last chance to get out of my way and let me go save Swallowtail.”

“I’m still not going to let you do that,” Jasper replied as she got to her hooves and formed a new shield on her foreleg. “I’m going to keep fighting until everypony in the Safe Zone can sleep safely. You’re going down right here, right now!”

She ran forward again and slammed the shield hard into Quartz. Even with everything that was going on, she was going to keep fighting. She just had to hope that she wouldn’t have to fight alone for long.

00000

“Tch, you really shouldn’t leave her alone to fight like that,” Khepri commented as he flew over to Sea who was making her way back to the safehouse. “She’s good, but she’s not going to be able to fight them off on her own you know.”

“I know!” Sea snapped at him, making him recoil a little. “But I don’t know if I’m ready to go back! Or if I’ll ever be ready, for the gods’ sake, do you honestly expect me to fight again when THAT is happening to me? How can I be expected to keep fighting like this when I’m losing who I am?”

Khepri was silent for a moment as he hovered in the air looking at Sea. The Unicorn stared back for a moment, neither of them were really sure what to say next after that outburst. Khepri flew back down and turned into his pony form as he looked Sea in the eye.

“Sea Spray, you’re one of the strongest creatures that I’ve ever known,” Khepri told her. “The fact of the matter is that anypony else would’ve quit by now, but you’re still fighting because you know this is the right thing to do. I’m not going to force you to keep fighting, and neither are your friends. But I think that you know it’s the right choice, you need to make a choice and soon, okay? Before it might be too late.”

“I don’t even know what to do anymore,” Sea said as they reached the safe house. She looked over at Khepri for a moment, the Shifter actually had a point, but she still had a lot to think about right now. “I know fighting is the right thing to do, but at the same time I don’t want to lose who I am, you know? Being a Changeling is terrifying to me.”

“Tch, it won’t be that bad, you just have to get used to it,” Khepri said and rolled his eyes. “Come on, let’s go inside. Right now we need to get everything together if you really don’t want to fight again.”

“Yeah…” Sea said as she glanced back towards where Jasper was fighting the Changelings. “I just hope Jasper is going to be okay…”

Khepri frowned a little and pushed the door open as the two of them headed inside together. Sea took a seat as Scootaloo headed out and gestured for Khepri to come talk to her. The two of them talked in hushed whispers as Sea watched, trying to hear what they were saying with no luck as she held her head a little.

She could hear the thoughts and feelings of the nearby Changeling in her head. She was afraid of what was going to happen to her, something that Sea could at least understand. She looked down at her hooves, wondering what exactly she was going to do now.

“Quartz… where are you…” Swallowtail’s voice echoed in her mind.

“Sea, are you okay?” Scootaloo asked as she moved in front of the younger pony.

“I don’t know,” Sea admitted as she sighed a little. “I’m still not really sure exactly what I’m supposed to do about all of this to be honest. I want to keep fighting to protect ponies, but I also don’t want to be a Changeling. I’m scared that if I keep fighting I’ll lose who I am.”

Scootaloo sighed and pulled Sea into a hug. Sea blinked a little bit before she hugged back, Scootaloo gently patting her on the back. “It’s going to be okay, Sea,” Scootaloo said softly. “We’re all fighting to make sure we don’t lose ourselves. But I think there’s somepony you need to talk to more than me.”

“Who’s that?” Sea asked confused.

“Come with me, maybe you’ll have better luck getting information out of her than we have,” Scootaloo told her as she lead her down the hall towards where they were holding the Changeling. “I know this isn’t going to be easy for you, Sea, but I think you’re the best chance we have at this right now.”

“What do you…” Sea started to say as Scootaloo opened the door and she looked inside to see Swallowtail sitting there restrained. “You want me to talk to her? I’m not an interrogator or anything, I don’t know how much good I’ll do.”

“You can feel her, you can tell if she’s being honest,” Scootaloo told her. “And… maybe it’ll help you too. I’m not going to force you to do anything, but I think it might do you some good to talk to her.”

“Yeah, but… I still don’t understand why…” Sea said as she looked at Swallowtail for a moment. “She’s a Changeling, I’m supposed to be fighting Changelings… this isn’t going to be easy.”

“I know, but I know you’re going to be just fine,” Scootaloo said as she gently placed her hoof on Sea’s shoulder. “Just talk to her, okay? We’ll be watching to make sure that nothing happens.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to her,” Sea finally said as she pushed the door to the holding room open. She took a deep breath as she walked inside, the Changeling Drone only slightly looking up from her seat. “Swallowtail, right?”

“And you’re Sea Spray I see,” Swallowtail hissed as Sea took a seat. “They sent Kamen Rider Scarab to interrogate me. So why don’t you tell me why they’re sending you at all? They know you’re not going to get any answers out of me, it’s not in your nature.”

“I just wanted to talk,” Sea replied. She was doing her best to not sound more nervous than she actually felt. Even though Swallowtail was restrained, she was not very good at this kind of thing and here she was talking to the Changeling. “You’re here for Gusty Winds, why?”

“He’s my Nephew, you already know that,” Swallowtail replied with a roll of her eyes.

“Yes, but why do you still have any loyalty to ponies outside of the Hive?” Sea asked. “I mean, you’re… you know…”

“I still remember my family and care about them,” Swallowtail hissed. “Just because we join the Hive doesn’t mean we lose who we used to be. You can feel it yourself, can’t you? The Hive is calling to you.”

“Such potential…” A voice echoed in Sea’s mind. “It’s only a matter of time, my child…”

“I’m not going to join the Hive,” Sea growled. “I’m not one of you yet. And if I had my way I never will be…”

“If you say so,” Swallowtail answered. “I thought the same way back before I became part of the Hive. Now I know better, there is nothing better in this world than to be part of the Hive, to be part of something bigger than yourself. Everypony who becomes one of us realizes this”

Sea thought back to Lime and what had happened in Appletown. While Swallowtail was obviously speaking the truth, at the same time the truth was that they could hold out. But still, she would rather stay a pony.

“Quartz is coming to save you you know,” Sea commented. Swallowtail let out a groan and shook her head a little. “What?”

“She’s always been like this,” Swallowtail answered. “We knew each other, back before we joined the Hive. I loved her back then, even though she was always rather, wild. She usually wound up getting the two of us into trouble in one way or another. She’s impulsive and even if Princess Prism were to tell her to return she’d likely keep going.”

“Why?”

“Because she still loves me… and deep down I think I feel the same about her, I’ve just never really been sure in these bodies,” Swallowtail answered as she looked away. “It’s hard to let go of our old lives and loves. We’re still who we used to be, even if we’ve been changed.”

Sea paused a moment, while that made a lot of sense for what she knew, but honestly she wasn’t really sure what to think about this. Her life was changing and she honestly had no idea what she was going to do now. But, was it possible that she could keep her old self?

Was it maybe even possible to resist the hive forever?

“I see,” Sea said as she looked at her for a moment. Swallowtail was an odd Changeling to say the least, but maybe she had a chance. “So, what do we do about Quartz?”

“There’s not a lot you can do,” Swallowtail snorted. “You need to either kill her or release me, she’s not going to give up like I said. She’s also after that Driver of yours, but the Hive isn’t going to risk me falling into enemy hooves. I… I don’t want to see anything happen to her...”

“You love her, don’t you?” Sea asked.

“I guess I never really let go of that, even if I tried to bury it…” Swallowtail answered with a shake of her head. “Please, just let me go. I haven’t learned anything that I could tell the others… I just wanted to give my nephew a family again. You can feel it, can’t you? You know I’m telling the truth.”

Sea paused a moment before she reached out and briefly touched Swallowtail’s mind. It took a moment to work through all the background noise of the Hive, but touching her mind she could tell a lot of things. Strongest of all were both a feeling of love towards Quartz and more towards Gusty.

“You know they probably won’t let you come back and see him,” Sea told her. “I don’t know Gusty very well, but I know one thing. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are wonderful ponies who treat each filly or colt at the orphanage like their own foals. Your Nephew couldn’t be in better hooves right now. I know you want to give him a family, but I think if you give it a chance, the ponies here can become his family.”

“And you know this how?” Swallowtail asked.

“Because they became mine,” Sea replied with a soft smile. “There are good ponies here who I would do anything to protect. That’s why I got…”

She stopped at that for a moment. With everything that was going through her mind right now she had almost forgotten. The ponies of Ponyville had become her family so long ago that she was ultimately here to protect them. That was something she hadn’t yet lost, and maybe Swallowtail was right, why would she lose that?

She wasn’t going to stop protecting ponies, even if it meant becoming a Changeling. She was always going to be who she was, and nothing was going to change that.

“That’s why I’m still going to fight,” she said as she slowly got up. “Thank you, Swallowtail.”

“For what?” The Changeling asked confused.

“You gave me a lot to think about, and hopefully I’ve made the right choice,” she said as she walked back towards the door and paused a moment. “If we let you go, will you try and take Gusty again?”

“I don’t know, that depends on all of you,” Swallowtail answered. “Can you tell Scootaloo I’m willing to talk about Gusty’s future now?”

Sea nodded as she opened the door and closed it behind her. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding for the past moment. She had finally reached something of a decision, even if it was one of the hardest choices she had ever had to make. Now she just had to hope that Jasper would understand.

“So, how’d it go?” Scootaloo asked as Sea walked back into the main room. “Did you make a decision?”

“I did, I’m going to keep fighting,” Sea said as Khepri flew over and landed on her head. “It’s not an easy call to make, but I was reminded of why I was fighting to begin with. I’m going to do this, even if it changes me.”

“Tch, about time you decided on the most obvious choice,” Khepri commented.

“Shut up you,” Sea said with a groan.

“Well, you’re going to need this back then,” Scootaloo said as she handed Sea the Change Driver again. Sea started to take it away but Scootaloo held it for a moment as she gave Sea a reassuring smile. “You’re going to be fine, Sea. Please be careful though, I don’t want to lose you.”

“I’ll be careful,” Sea said as she hugged Scootaloo tightly. “I promise, I’m going to get through this no matter what.”

The two of them held the hug for a long moment before Sea heard Khepri’s voice in her head again. “Tch, stop being so sappy already. You need to get out there and help your marefriend already, she probably needs a hoof by now.”

“Oh, yeah, right…” Sea said as she started for the door before looking back at Scootaloo for a moment. “Hey, uh, I think she’s also willing to talk about Gusty, you know, for the future. I don’t know what that’s about, but… yeah.”

Scootaloo paused a moment before nodding and smiling. “I’ll go and talk to her then. Perhaps we can get something of a happy ending out of this after all.”

Sea nodded as she headed out the door and back out into Ponyville proper.

00000

Jasper dove out of the way of another swipe from Quartz as she raised her pistol again and fired several shots into the nearest Changeling. She rolled out of the way as a magical blast nearly hit her. She climbed back onto her hind legs and formed another shield on her foreleg as she turned to look at Quartz again.

“Well, I admit that’s a new one from you lot,” Jasper said as she fired several shots at Quartz, blocking another magical blast from Quartz as she ran forward, swinging her blades at Jasper as she barely managed to catch them with her shield. “Looks like they gave you an upgrade.”

“Well with the likes of you, we need to be ready to fight Riders,” Quartz hissed as she kicked at Jasper’s hind legs, knocking her to the ground again. She smirked as she pointed the blade at Jasper’s neck as she stomped down on her hoof to keep her from using her revolver again, placing her other foot on Jasper’s stomach. “You’re not going to make it through this, Rider. Surrender and maybe I’ll let you go.”

“Never!” Jasper said as she struggled against the Changeling. A blade appeared in her free hoof and she swung it around, slamming it hard into Quartz’s leg, stabbing into it as the Changeling stumbled back, the blade vanishing as green blood dripped down her leg. Jasper jumped up and fired several more shots into Quartz’s chest as the other Changelings surrounded her and started closing in.

“Well, it looks like you could use a hoof,” a voice said from behind them and the Changelings stopped to see Sea standing there. “Are you okay Jasper?”

“Never better, nothing I can’t handle,” Jasper chuckled as she spun the barrel of her revolver. “I’ve been softening them up for you, Sea.”

Sea just chuckled as she raised her Driver and swung it around her barrel. She stood up on her hind legs as Khepri flew onto her hoof. “Are you ready for this, Khepri?”

“Tch, I was made ready,” Khepri retorted. “How about you? If you do this much longer, it’ll be too late for you to go back.”

“I know,” Sea said softly as she looked down at herself for a moment. She nodded a little as she raised Khepri for a moment and slid it into her Driver. “Henshin!”

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!” The Driver called out as the armor formed over her body. She gripped her tonfas for a moment as she stared Quartz down for a moment and nodded over at Jasper as she dug her hooves into the ground.

"Well, nice to have you join us again," Quartz hissed as she raised a claw and fired a shot of magical energy at Sea, catching her in the chest and pushing her back for a moment. "Scarab, you have committed crimes against the Hive, and we will not let you get away with it. Give me your Driver and Shifter and I'll make it quick."

"Yeah, I don't think so," Sea said as she ran forward, hitting several of the Changelings with her Tonfas before running straight at Quartz and swinging her tonfa around only to have them get caught by a blade. "This isn't how you get back Swallowtail you know."

"What do you know?" Quartz hissed at her as she pushed Sea back and fired several more bursts of magical energy at Sea, only to have her dodge out of the way of them. "Swallowtail is the finest Drone I have ever known, you don't even know the first thing about her!"

"I know everything I need to know," Sea growled as she connected the two tonfas together and twisted them.

"CHANGE: SCARAB TONFA RIFLE!" The Driver said as it changed into a rifle.

"Swallowtail is here to give the last member of her family a place to live," she continued as she raised the rifle to her shoulder and fired several shots into the soldier drone. "She may not completely have needed to do it, but she's still here for more than just following the orders of the Princesses. She wouldn't want you to act like this, you love her don't you? That's why you're trying so hard to save her."

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME!" Quartz screamed as she charged at where Sea was standing only to swing at empty air as Sea got out of the way again. "You're just a scared little filly trying to fight against an Empire! You're going to lose eventually, and when we're done with you you'll beg to be one of us!"

"Maybe, but I'm still going to do everything I can to save the ponies of Ponyville and elsewhere in the Safe Zone until that day comes," Sea said as she kicked hard at Quartz' back. "Your hive isn't going to stop me and it's not going to stop us. It doesn't matter if we fall, as long as somepony else takes up the cause!"

"That's right," Jasper said as she raised her hard light shield and threw it hard into Quartz, knocking her back a little. She stumbled, her leg still in pain from the sword attack as she steadied herself.

"No... I can't lose... not here... I have to... I have to save her..." Quartz's voice echoed in Sea's mind. "We don't leave our own behind... not to them..."

She let out a loud roar as her form changed again. This time she turned into a large armored insect creature as she swung a clawed appendage down at Jasper, knocking her to the ground. She then looked down at Sea through compound eyes, her fury was beyond imagining as she lumbered forward at the Rider who only barely managed to get out of the way.

"Sea, I don't think your plan of getting her mad at you worked!" Khepri shouted through their mind connection.

"Really, you think?" Sea snapped back at him as she looked up at the creature. This was not a good sign, actually she wasn't even sure how she was going to get out of this one, but she was going to have to figure it out. "Any ideas, Khepri?"

"Its leg is still damaged," Khepri pointed out. Sea looked over at the hind leg of the insectoid creature and noticed that the wound was still there. "If you focus your attention there it should give you a place to hit. But with something that big it's going to take a bit more than just a few punches."

"Because of course it is," Sea groaned as she dodged out of the way of another attack from Quartz. Still, she knew that Khepri was right, it was just a matter of making sure that she didn't kill them. "Jasper, go for the leg!"

"Got it!" Jasper said as she got to her hooves and picked up the revolver again as she fired several shots into the Changeling's leg. "Come on you big ugly bug freak!"

Quartz roared in pain as the energy bullets impacted the leg wound. She hissed as she slammed her appendage down on the ground, shaking it as Sea struggled to stay upright from the shock wave. Sea ran around one more time, firing several shots into the leg before hitting it hard with her hoof, finally causing Quartz to shudder and fall over. Quartz struggled to get up again, only to fall back down.

"Do you want to do the honors?" Sea asked as she looked at Jasper.

"With pleasure," Jasper said as she gave her revolver's barrel one last spin and pointed it at the Changeling's leg.

"No... you're not going... to beat me..." Quartz said as she once more struggled to get up. "I have to... get to... Swallowtail..."

"SHINING BULLET!" Jasper shouted as she fired a large burst of energy right at the leg of the Changeling who let out a scream of pain.

With that, the Changeling could no longer hold the form as she fell down, lying barely conscious on the ground and breathing heavily. The other Drones looked between one another shocked, but Quartz was still alive, barely.

"You... aren't... getting away... with this..." she said as she struggled to get to her hooves again. The soldier drone was clearly in pain and bleeding in several places, but she was still trying to keep fighting. "I can't... lose her... not again..."

"Again?" Sea asked.

"I... I ran away when we were ambushed by the Hive..." Quartz said as she fell back onto the ground. "I was afraid of what would happen to us, and I left her... I left her to be converted. When I finally came to my senses and came back, it was too late... and they took me too... it's my fault, it's all my fault..."

"Quartz dear, you have nothing to be sorry for," a voice said and they all looked up to see Swallowtail standing there with Scootaloo. She was back in her normal pony form and she looked back towards Scootaloo who gave her a slight nod. The yellow Changeling trotted over to Quartz and gently placed her hoof on the soldier's. "Have you really blamed yourself for that for all these years?"

"Yeah..." Quartz said weakly. "I just... I didn't want to lose you again, I'm sorry, Swallowtail."

"You haven't lost me yet," Swallowtail replied as her horn glowed and she started to heal Quartz's injuries. "You're going to be just fine, Quartz."

"Hey, what are you doing!" Jasper demanded as she stepped forward, but Sea placed her hoof on Jasper's shoulder and shook her head. "She's healing her, we just..."

"It's okay, we're done here," Sea said as she shook her head a little and removed Khepri from her Driver as she powered down. Jasper just looked confused as she powered down too. "Right Scootaloo?"

"Swallowtail is being released from custody in the name of improving relations between our two nations," Scootaloo said, it wasn't exactly a lie but they couldn't risk holding a Changeling for long anyway. "They'll both be allowed to return to Cloudsdale as long as they don't attack us again, understood?"

"Yes ma'am..." Jasper said as she looked at the other Changelings who had returned to their normal forms as well. "Grandma, are you sure about this?"

"I'm not sure about anything any more, but right now this is the best option we have," Scootaloo said and Sea nodded in agreement. "Swallowtail, do you remember our deal?"

"I do," Swallowtail said as she closed her eyes for a moment. "Tell Gusty I'm sorry I couldn't see him off. But I will be back as soon as I can."

"WAIT, WHAT?" Jasper shouted. "YOU'RE LETTING HER BACK IN HERE?"

"Under supervision," Scootaloo explained. "I talked with Sweetie about it, she agreed that it might be the best option for Gusty. I know it's an unusual situation, but it is the best option right now."

"I..." Jasper started to say. "Sea, you can't possibly agree with her on this?"

"Of course I do, ponies need family, you should know that better than anypony," Sea said as she shot Jasper a look. "And I'm sure that supervision can include a couple of Kamen Riders if absolutely necessary."

Jasper just grumbled a little bit as Swallowtail finished working on Quartz. She nodded to the other drones as two of them turned into a flight stretcher. They eased Quartz onto it as Swallowtail returned to her normal form and looked back at Scootaloo for a moment.

"Thank you... I know you didn't have to do this, but it helps us a lot," she said before they all took off and flew towards Cloudsdale.

"I hope you know what you're doing Grandma," Jasper said as she looked back at her grandmother. "Otherwise you just let them go and put us all at risk."

"We only kill them if necessary, you know that," Sea pointed out as she hugged Jasper a little. "Come on, we've got other things to worry about right now. Let's just try and relax, I've got a song I need to practice anyway and I need your ear to make sure its just right."

"You know I'm tone deaf right?" Jasper pointed out.

"Yeah, so if you like it then it must be terrible," Sea said with a laugh as the two mares walked off towards the communal house together.

Scootaloo watched the two of them go and smiled weakly. She knew that Jasper was right, they had taken a risk by making the deal with Swallowtail. But she also knew that it was the best option right now, even if she didn't like it that much either. They had to deal with the Changelings sometimes, and Swallowtail was genuine in her desire to reunite with her Nephew.

She took a deep breath and headed back towards the orphanage.

00000

“Hey Gusty, how are you doing?” Scootaloo asked as she gently pushed open the door to the colt’s bedroom. She was a bit surprised to see he was sitting up and reading a book.

“I’m doing better, I guess,” he said with a soft smile. He was still a little shaken from the encounter, but he seemed to be doing better. “Mrs. Scootaloo, uh…”

“What is it?” Scootaloo asked as she took a seat on his bed. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

“Am I ever going to see my Aunt again?” He asked softly. “I mean, I know she’s a Changeling now and everything… but it was nice to know that I still had somepony out there who cared about me…”

“Gusty, you have lots of ponies who care about you,” Scootaloo said reassuringly as she leaned over and placed her hoof gently on his. “We all care about you here, as long as you’re in Ponyville orphanage you’re part of our family. But, if you want you can see your aunt again from time to time.”

“Really?” Gusty asked.

“Yeah, she agreed to supervised visits as long as she comes alone and doesn’t try anything,” Scootaloo answered with a reassuring smile. “She really does still care about you. I promise that I’m going to do everything I can to make your stay here a good one.”

“Thank you…” Gusty said softly. “Why do you run the Orphanage? Isn’t there other things you could be doing here to help ponies?”

“Sure, but none as important,” Scootaloo said and sighed a little. “I lost my parents when the Changelings took over, I mean they didn’t die or anything, but I never got to see them again. Sweetie Belle lost her whole family to the Changelings. We’re here because good ponies gave us a place to stay and took care of us, and we wanted to give that to fillies and colts just like you. There is nowhere in Equestria that we’d rather be.”

“Thanks,” Gusty said as he got out of bed, his legs were a little wobbly but Scootaloo helped steady him. “Tell Sea I said thank you, for everything.”

“I will,” Scootaloo said with a nod as he ran out of the room and past Sweetie Belle as Scootaloo followed close behind. “Well, it seems like we’ve had some success.”

“He’s still got a long way to go,” Sweetie said with a sigh. “Are you sure about this? I mean, what if she tries something?”

“I don’t think she will, and Sea said that she was genuine,” Scootaloo replied. “I don’t like this either, but if we can give him something of what he once had. I know it’s not the same but…”

“It’s something?” Sweetie asked and Scootaloo nodded. “Okay, I’ll trust your judgment. Come on, we should go get everypony ready for dinner.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said as the two of them walked down the hallway together.

00000

“So how mad was Prism that you came back without the Driver?” Swallowtail asked. The two of them were in the infirmary of Prism’s castle in Cloudsdale and she was looking over Quartz.

“About as well as could be expected, but getting you back was our new primary objective anyway,” Quartz said as she smiled up at Swallowtail. “Listen… I really am sorry about what happened before…”

“It’s okay Quartz,” Swallowtail said as she patted the soldier drone reassuringly. “Even if you had stayed it wouldn’t have made a difference. And now we’re part of the glory that is the Hive, would you want anything else?”

“No, of course not,” Quartz said as she shook her head. “As long as I still get to be with you… I know you said you weren’t ready before but…”

“I know, and I’ve had a long time to think about it,” Swallowtail replied as she leaned in and kissed Quartz gently on the lips. “Come on, Quartz. We’ve both been through a lot, and you know my feelings aren’t going to fade easily. Don’t you feel it?”

Quartz reached out through the Hive and felt the love, it was stronger than anything else she had ever felt. She smiled as she closed her eyes and kissed Swallowtail again, the two Changelings sharing an embrace.

They hardly noticed as energy flowed between them, energizing them as Quartz’s wounds healed again. The warm feeling between them felt familiar, but somehow different, like nothing they had ever felt before.

And little did they know that it would be the beginning of something much more.

Chapter 11: Diplomacy

View Online

“Do you know why your grandmothers wanted to see us?” Sea asked as they opened up the secret door to the Resistance base in Golden Oaks Library.

“I honestly don’t know, it sounds like they’ve been preparing for something pretty important for a couple of weeks now,” Jasper answered with a slight frown. “Whatever it is, they’re keeping it pretty close to the vest so most of the Cell isn’t even aware of it.”

“Yeah… maybe we’ll finally find out what that’s about,” Sea said as they started down the stairs with the door shutting behind them. “Whatever it is I’m sure it’s important though.”

“Yeah, let’s see what’s going on I guess,” Jasper said as they stepped out into the base. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were talking with Apple Bloom and a technician. “Grandma Scootaloo, Grandma Sweetie Belle, what’s going on?”

“Well, we need the two of you for an important mission,” Sweetie said as she looked at her wife and friend for a moment. “Apple Bloom, you’re the one who’s been in charge of setting it up, would you like to do the honors?”

“Sure thing,” Apple Bloom answered as she turned to the two younger ponies. “Yah see ever since things started with Sea Spray gettin’ tha Change Driver, Ah’ve been workin’ on gettin’ together what Ah’m callin’ tha Equestria’s Future Summit. Ah know it ain’t that much of a name, but Ah’ve been doin’ what Ah can ta keep it all hush hush.”

“What exactly is it?” Sea asked, a bit confused. “And what do we have to do with it?”

“Tha Safe Zone ain’t exactly got a proper government as ya’ll may have noticed,” Apple Bloom answered. “Tha point of tha Summit is ta get tha settlements around tha Safe Zone ta form a proper government, or at least start ta. If we’re gonna survive against tha Changelings, we’re gonna need ta actually work properly together.”

“Which is where the two of you come in,” Scootaloo said. “Word is spreading about your activities. Ponies are taking notice, and it’s starting to spread hope. We want you both to be there to help convince the other settlements that this is the best chance we have at survival. I know it’s not going to be an easy thing, but we’ve decided that you’re our best chance to do this.”

“We’ll help as best we can,” Sea said and Jasper nodded in agreement. “Is there anything we should know about the other… what’s the word, representatives? Delegates?”

“Delegates, and yes unfortunately that’s where we get our biggest problem,” Sweetie replied as she nodded to the technician. “Rose, tell them about the delegation from New Manechester.”

“Oh boy… yeah… here we go,” Jasper said as she groaned a little.

“New Manechester? I thought they didn’t have any leadership after the Mayor and his staff got taken a few years ago,” Sea commented confused. “What’s the story here?”

“Officially yes there is no leadership, but that’s mostly because they’re isolated,” Scootaloo answered as she shook her head a little. “Rose, please pull up the file on Black Water and his gang.”

Rose nodded as she pulled up a set of files. The first one had a picture of a black Unicorn stallion with a short purple mane and a cigarette between his lips.

“Black Water, he’s the more or less leader of New Manechester and he’s coming to the summit personally,” Rose said. “He used to be Resistance, part of the intelligence division actually. Then about ten years ago he and the others were captured by the Changelings. They managed to escape, but the experience left them in bad shape mentally. Black Water became more extreme in his methods and broke his Cell off from the rest of the Resistance. He’s the reason why New Manechester cracks down so hard on Changelings and searches anypony going into it”

“And now he’s got a whole town full of of ponies and his beck and call,” Jasper said.

“Whatever happened to him in Changeling custody changed him,” Scootaloo said. “He wasn’t always like this, but he’s potentially not the most dangerous member of the gang. Show them the next file, Rose.”

Rose nodded and changed it again. The file now showed an Earth Pony with grey fur and a light blue mane. He had a hat pulled down over his features slightly and had a grin plastered on his face as if he knew something that others didn’t.

“He looks familiar somehow…” Jasper commented.

“He should, his name is Hat Trick, unlike his boss he was never in the Resistance, instead he was a traveling magician for a while,” Rose said. “He visited Ponyville many times when you were young. Intel says that he had a daughter who was captured with him but didn’t escape with him and the others.”

“Do you think she was converted?” Sea asked.

“Unknown, she was either converted or sent to one of the Farms,” Rose answered. “Regardless it seems that was when he gave up traveling magic and joined up with Black Water. That hat of his is the real problem though, it seems to be some sort of fragment of chaos magic, and he can use it to great effect in combat.”

“Hopefully we’re not going to need to fight him right now,” Jasper said.

“This is Storm Gear, he’s the muscle of the group,” Rose continued as she showed a picture of a bulky Earth Pony stallion. He had a rough look and several scars on his face and visible body. “Another former Resistance member, he was a soldier. Not exactly the smartest guy around, but he’s probably the strongest member of the gang in terms of pure physical ability. Beyond that there’s not much notable about him at least… and that brings us to the last member of the main gang.”

And a new image was brought up of a mare, but she looked different. She looked almost like a normal pony, but her eyes were different and she had sight fangs. Sea looked at her confused for a moment, she looked strangely a bit like a mix of a pony and a Changeling.

“And who’s she?” Sea asked.

“Her name is Mirage, so the story goes, she was in the middle of conversion when the others saved her, it’s left some effects on her body obviously,” Scootaloo said. “Unfortunately this had an effect on her mind as well. We don’t exactly know the extent of her abilities as a result of the interrupted transformation process, but she’s definitely shown considerable magical ability as a result.”

“Great, let’s hope we don’t have to get into a fight with them,” Sea commented.

“They’re going to be our biggest obstacle in convincing the others to work together like we’re supposed to,” Sweetie said.

“Ah don’t like it either, we still have ta deal with them and tha others somehow,” Apple Bloom commented. “Most of tha ponies yah have ta deal with are on tha fence between our two sides. Tha mayor has already picked our delegate, so ya’ll aren’t gonna need ta be involved in most things there.”

“Well, that’s something at least, I’d rather not deal with diplomats,” Jasper said.

“What’s our best chance of convincing the other delegates?” Sea asked.

“Appletown’s Delegate should be easy to convince already,” Rose answered. “As for the others, you’re going to need to win them over. Your best chance of convincing them is likely to convince Tailspin.”

Sea glanced at Jasper who flinched a little at the mention of the pony. She was about to say something when Scootaloo explained.

“Tailspin is the son of a member of the Wonderbolts who escaped the Changeling takeover,” she said. “He was visiting family near what is now Gateway when the takeover happened. These days he runs the militia out of Free Haven that protects most of the settlements including Ponyville.”

“And he’s also Jasper’s grandfather,” Sweetie Belle added.

“That should help convince him… right?” Sea asked as she looked between them. They shifted uncomfortably for a moment before Scootaloo shook her head and answered.

“He never quite forgave us for the disappearance of his son and Sparky. He trains our soldiers and helped train Jasper, but other than that he wants nothing to do with us outside of professional courtesy.”

“So convincing him won’t be easy,” Sweetie Belle agreed. “We’re trying to keep this under wraps but there’s always a chance that the Changelings have gotten wind of this somehow. So I want you both on guard, okay? This isn’t the time to let your guard down and get into trouble.”

“We’ll be careful,” Sea agreed. “Is there anything else?”

“No, you leave for the summit tomorrow, be careful, both of you,” Scootaloo said and the two nodded before heading out again.

00000

In the decades that had passed since the Changeling takeover, Las Pegasus was probably the city that had changed the least. While there was still Changeling architecture, the purpose of the city had remained the same, only focusing on entertainment for the Changelings of all the Hives as they came to visit.

Overlooking it was Princess Joy Buzzer, the Changeling Princess that was assigned to keeping up morale in the Hive. She was in her throne room in the Luna’s Palace Casino. She yawned a little as she leaned on her hoof, despite being surrounded by lights and joy she was so bored right now.

“Hello Joy,” a voice said and she jumped up, surprised to see Dusk standing there flanked by her guard. “You’re looking well.”

“Dusk!” Joy said as she jumped up and hugged her fellow Princess. “I didn’t know you were coming! What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to give you a mission from the Queen herself,” Dusk answered as she gave a half-hearted hug back. “She wants you to go and disrupt the Ponies’ latest efforts to fight against us.”

“Oh those party poopers, what are they doing this time?” Joy asked with a pout. “They never let us have any fun.”

“Yes, and now they’re trying to become more of a unified front against them, the Queen believes that this will only make things harder,” Dusk continued. “So after some deliberation, we agreed that this was the best chance to test out another part of the Project.”

“Oh?” Joy asked, bouncing a little in anticipation. “Does this mean I’m finally getting one of those cool Driver thingies?”

“Uh yes, of course,” Dusk said as she nodded to one of the guards. He trotted over and levitated up a box over to Dusk who opened it up. “You simply have to make a connection with the Shifter and answer it’s request. When the bond is formed, you will be able to become a Kamen Rider.”

“Cool!” Joy said as she looked down into the box. The familiar black design of the Driver shone in the light as she levitated it up along with the featureless insectoid shifter. “Aww, it’s so boring looking.”

“You have to connect with it,” Dusk groaned. She had given all of them the basic idea of how these things worked when she first proposed the project to them, apparently Joy hadn’t been paying attention again. “You should know how this works.”

“Oh right!” Joy said as she reached out and connected with the Shifter. “Hi Mr. Bug thingy!”

“Princess Joy Buzzer, what is it you wish for?” The shifter’s voice echoed in her mind with a monotone. “If it is within my power, you shall receive it.”

“Well, let’s see, what do I want…” Joy replied as she tilted her head for a moment in thought. “So many fun things I could wish for… do you know you sound like my sister Maud? Anyway… let’s see, I wish I could show ponies how much fun it can be to be in the Hive! Like fireworks, every day! So we can all be one happy family!”

“Your wish is my command,” the Shifter replied as energy flowed around it and it took on its new form. Joy smiled as she held it up and gave it a nod.

“You and I are gonna have so much fun together!” She said with a giggle as she turned back to Dusk. “So, what now?”

“Well, I think we don’t have a lot of preparation to do, find a pony to replace and I’ll have Prism send soldier Drones to back you up,” Dusk replied. “I know this isn’t exactly going to be a walk in the park, I suspect they will be sending both Scarab and Lux to the summit as well.”

“Shouldn’t you or Elusive join me then?” Joy asked with a tilt of her head. “I mean, if they’re going to have two Riders, shouldn’t we have more than one?”

“We have other matters to attend to, and your Rider suit should be more than enough to handle two Riders,” Dusk answered with a fanged smile. “Scarab is only a Drone form after all, you are stronger right now. You know the drill, disrupt the talks, deal with the Riders if you have a chance. Our priority however is to keep them from uniting.”

“You can count on me, Dusky!” Joy said as she did a salute. “Those ponies won’t know what hit them! And I’ve got a new toy that I want to take for a test run anyway, this‘ll be the perfect chance!”

Dusk groaned a little as Joy bounced away happily. She didn’t want to put this in the hooves of an unpredictable Changeling like Joy, but all the other Princesses were busy. Prism was looking for Wind Whisper, who had gone missing, not something that was exactly new, the shy Princess often left for extended periods of time but now they were worried and Prism wasn’t ready with another combat form.

So now they just had to hope that Joy really would be enough.

00000

The summit was being held at Unity, a small settlement to the north of Ponyville that was often used for when the settlements wanted a meeting. Given the gathering was larger than usual, a few temporary buildings and tents had been set up as ponies came into the settlement.

Sea and Jasper arrived with the rest of the delegation from Ponyville. The Assistant Mayor had been sent as the head delegate for the town along with several members of her staff and the guard.

Sea took a deep breath as she looked around the town for a moment, there were a few ponies she recognized from the occasional visits to Ponyville. She and Jasper headed towards one of the temporary buildings that they were assigned to stay in together.

“Hey Sea, Jasper, how are you two?” A voice called out to them and they were surprised to see Sapphire and Bell Ring setting up a lavish tent next to it. Sapphire waved to the mares and smiled as she and Bell finished tying down part of the tent. “I didn’t expect to see the two of you here.”

“Oh, uh, yeah, we’re here as part of the Ponyville delegation,” Sea said as she looked at Jasper for a moment. They had something of a cover story, at least until the announcement was made. “Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle wanted us to go in order to make sure that everything goes okay, you know? For the orphanages I mean, they were worried about changes to it, and stuff.”

“Great job, you really sold that…” Jasper muttered as she rolled her eyes at her friend before speaking up. “So, you two are here to represent the Rich Estate?”

“Of course, Lady Sapphire is the best choice to represent the Estate,” Bell said with a smile.

“Thank you Bell, but yeah I’m here to represent the Estate, I was a bit surprised to receive the invitation,” Sapphire said. “This isn’t exactly the first time this kind of thing has been tried but it’s never worked before. The Changelings are probably going to disrupt things you know.”

“Yeah, we know, but maybe this time will be different,” Jasper said. “Grandma Sweetie seemed pretty confident that the Kamen Riders have changed things around here a little… at least I hope she’s right about that.”

“Yeah, well I’m sure they’re helping out as much as they can, I wonder if they’re here,” Sapphire said thoughtfully. “This is the kind of thing they should be here for, but nopony even knows who they are.”

“Yeah…” Sea said, thinking about the Driver in her bag. Khepri had said that he was going to go ahead to their temporary quarters, so at least they didn’t have to worry about that. “You have to wonder I guess.”

“Lady Sapphire, we should finish up here and go to the main hall,” Bell said as she bowed slightly to the three of them. “If there is nothing else of course.”

“No, we need to get settled in anyway,” Jasper replied as she adjusted her bags a moment. “It was nice seeing you both again. Take care, okay?”

“Of course,” Sapphire said with a smile as Sea and Jasper headed into their home. It was a small living space with just a living room and two living quarters that were attached to it. Khepri was resting on a table and flew up when they entered before returning to his pony form.

“Tch, it’s about time you two showed up,” Khepri commented as he shook his head a little. “What took you two so long?”

“We were scouting out the town, maybe you should’ve been doing the same,” Sea said with a roll of her eyes as she took a seat. “If the Changelings decide to attack the summit…”

“Tch,if?” Khepri asked. “This is the kind of thing they love to disrupt.”

“Fair enough, but that’s why we’re here,” Sea said as she looked at Jasper. “Did you see anything suspicious?”

“Oh, pretty much the usual, honestly nothing too suspicious,” Jasper replied with a shrug. “I didn’t really see anything that screamed Changeling however. What about you, you’re the one who can hear them, did you hear anything?”

“No, can’t say that I did,” Sea replied as she shook her head a little. “Either they’ve figured out a way around that or there’s none here at the moment. I don’t like this though, it feels like we’re just waiting for something to happen…”

“Yeah, well at least we don’t have to be actually in the Summit,” Jasper commented with a yawn at the thought of it. “It sounds kinda boring really. Let’s just hope that everything will be okay, you know?”

“Tch, I’m sure everything will be fine, there’s nothing you two can’t handle,” Khepri retorted.

“Yeah, I hope you’re right,” Sea said as she adjusted herself a little. For a moment she could’ve sworn she felt a bit of buzzing at the back of her mind as if there was something coming. She turned to look at Jasper and Khepri and was about to say something when there was a knock at the door.

“Uh, were you expecting anypony to visit?” Sea asked confused.

“No,” Jasper replied and glanced at Khepri who just shrugged. Jasper and Sea reached for their Drivers as Sea slowly opened the door.

Standing outside was a nervous skinny looking Blue Earth pony stallion. He was looking around as if expecting somepony to catch her at any time. Sea cleared her throat, making the stallion jump in surprise. “Uh, hi, are you Sea Spray?”

“Yes, who are you?” Sea asked, a bit confused at the stallion. She didn’t recognize him from Ponyville or any of the other settlements, so she wasn’t sure how he knew her. Then again maybe there was a reason that she just hadn’t thought of.

“I’m, uh, Crystal Hoof, one of the Delegates from… uh… Gateway sent me to talk with the two of you, if that’s okay,” he said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. “May I come inside?”

Sea blinked at him for a moment, there was a strange feeling to this stallion that she couldn’t put her hoof on. She glanced back at Jasper and Khepri who nodded a little as they prepared for a fight if it came to that. Sea didn’t feel a Hive connection from him, but she still felt uneasy about him, as did Khepri.

“Alright, slowly come in,” Sea said as she pushed the door all the way open and Crystal Hoof walked in slowly. He was still looking nervous as he gulped a little at the sight of Khepri, though he didn’t seem to mind Jasper being there. “Uh… can we talk in private? Just me, you, and Jasper I mean.”

“Khepri can listen to anything you have to say,” Sea replied as she narrowed her eyes a little at the stallion. “How about you tell me what’s going on here?”

“Look, uh… I might as well try not to hide it…” He said with a groan. After a moment he transformed into a male Changeling Drone who lowered his head a little. “My name is…”

“Thorax? What are you doing here?” Jasper asked as she lowered her Driver.

“Wait, you know him?” Sea asked confused. “Who is this guy?”

“He’s our chief contact within the Shadow Hive, I’m not sure why he’s here though,” Jasper replied. “Is everything okay, Thorax?”

“I’m afraid not,” Thorax said nervously. “I’m privy to some of the goings-on around the Hives you see. And in particular with the progress of the Rider project. It, uh won’t surprise you, I’m guessing that they’re sending a Changeling to disrupt this summit.”

“Of course not, it’s what they do,” Sea replied.

“Well, uh, they’re not just sending a Changeling,” Thorax said nervously. “They’re sending one of the Princesses with a recently completed set of Rider Gear. She’s replaced one of the delegates, but I can’t tell you which one.”

“So, any one of them could be a Princess lying in wait,” Sea commented as she looked outside for a moment. “Sounds like our job just got a whole lot more difficult.”

00000

Sea and Jasper had finished talking to Thorax but he didn’t have much more information on the infiltrator. That night there was going to be a party for the delegates, so that was at least a good place to start looking. Sea took a deep breath as she, Jasper, and Khepri stepped into the hall where everything was being held.

“Well, here we are,” Sea said as she looked at Jasper for a moment. “Is it weird that I feel nervous about this? I’ve sung in front of crowds this big before, but actually mingling with ponies this important…”

“Yeah, I understand,” Jasper agreed as they started to walk into the crowd. “My grandfather should be around here somewhere… I’m not looking forward to that to say the least.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Sea said as they made their way over to the table where the food and drinks were being served. She poured herself a drink and sniffed it a moment before taking a swig. “I guess we just need to keep an eye out for trouble.”

“Tch, I imagine that it won’t take that long to find with you two, you’re trouble magnets,” Khepri commented.

“You get used to it after a while,” Jasper commented as she adjusted her tie a little. She smiled as she glanced over at Sea and the dress she was wearing. The two were dressed in their finest clothing, even if they weren’t officially part of the delegation. “Even before all this happened we were getting into trouble.”

“No, you were getting into trouble and I was trying to drag you out of it,” Sea pointed out as she levitated a drink to her lips and took a long drink. “Actually come to think of it, a lot of things are making sense now.”

“Haha, very funny,” Jasper said.

“Well, you two seem to be making yourselves at home,” a voice said from in front of them. They both looked up to see a Pegasus stallion with a dark blue coat and a steel gray mane. He was dressed in an old Equestrian military Dress Uniform as he eyed the two of them, taking a drink from his glass. “Jasper.”

“Grandfather,” Jasper said, frowning a little as she turned serious all of a sudden. “I wasn’t expecting to run into you at the party. I thought this wasn’t your kind of thing.”

“Normally I’m not one for gatherings like this, but the pony running things insisted, and my troops are providing security,” Tailwind commented as he took another drink. He turned his attention to Sea at this point, his cold steely glance causing the Unicorn to shiver a little. “And you must be sea Spray, one of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle’s orphans, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Sea replied with a slight gulp. “Is that a problem?”

“Not really, just not sure why the two of you were sent,” Tailwind replied with a derisive snort. “Your cover story is weak at best, so those two are up to something. Maybe you should tell me what that would be.”

“No idea, the story you all know is the only story we were told,” Sea answered with a shrug. “I would tell you if I knew.”

“Hmph, well at least you’re better than those ruffians from New Manechester,” Tailwind said with a snort as he glanced back over towards where the aforementioned ponies were. “I don’t know why they were invited at all.”

“Probably because the ponies in charge wanted all the settlements involved,” Sea commented. “I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

“Tch, that’s optimistic,” Khepri snorted. “I’m just here for the laughs until this whole thing falls apart.”

“And I don’t believe we’ve been introduced,” Tailwind commented as he stared down Khepri. “Who’s your friend?”

“Khepri, this is my Grandfather, please try not to anger him,” Jasper muttered to Khepri. “We need him on our side, remember?”

“Tch, whatever,” Khepri retorted as he walked off. “Like I said, I’m just here for the laughs.”

"Well, he's a bundle of fun," Tailwind commented. "Is he part of your delegation or did he just show up out of nowhere drunk?"

"No, he's... it's complicated," Sea answered. She really didn't like having to hide the truth from ponies, but the time would soon come, or at least she hoped it would. "He doesn't really drink either..."

"Or eat..." Jasper muttered to herself.

“So yeah, I don’t think he’s drunk, just very, weird,” Sea finished. “Is there anything from your troops? Any trouble from around town?”

“No, not yet at least, but we’re on guard nonetheless,” Tailwind replied. “I don’t like having this many important ponies in one place.”

“Yeah, the Changelings could attack, but who knows maybe they sent the Kamen Riders to…” Sea started to say only to get a derisive snort from Tailwind. “What?”

“The Kamen Riders are a poor substitute for proper fighters,” Tailwind commented. “If they exist at all. With everything that’s going on, sounds more like a myth to give false hope to me.”

Sea and Jasper exchanged a look for a moment as Sea tried to suppress a chuckle. Oh if only he knew who he was talking to right now. Jasper had a harder time suppressing her laughter, but just gave her grandfather a slight nod.

"You never know though, and besides a little hope might be good for ponies," Jasper pointed out. "We've lived under the hoof of the Changelings for so long we could probably stand to have a little bit of hope."

"Maybe, but I still don't like it, especially if they're untrained," Tailwind snorted. "I wouldn't put much faith in rumors however. Enjoy the party you two, I have other things to deal with."

And with that he walked off. Sea and Jasper exchanged a brief look before breaking down laughing at that exchange. Jasper just shook her head after a moment as she placed her hoof on Sea's shoulder, still chuckling.

"Yeah, we'll just not put faith in the rumors, sure thing grandpa," she said in a sarcastic tone. "I guess the two of us are just legends then, Sea and everything that's happened is just in our heads."

"Heh, yeah, if only..." Sea said with a weak smile as she looked back at the crowd. "Let's just hope that if something does happen we'll be able to deal with it."

"Yeah," Jasper said with a shrug.

"So I see you take more after your mother's side of the family," Sea commented with a chuckle. "Are you sure you're related to him?"

"Yeah unfortunately I am," Jasper replied with a shake of her head. "I'm sorry you had to meet him like that. He's a bit stuck up, especially when it comes to the defense of the Safe Zone. The way he talks you'd think the militia is the only thing standing between Ponykind and total absorption into the Hive."

Sea paused a moment at that. It was true that the militia had always been their primary defense against the Changelings, but she knew now that there was a lot more going on under the surface than just that. Now here she was, doing what she could to protect ponies just like the Militia, only with more anonymity.

So, what was she going to do when Tailwind found out? Was he even going to accept this? That was the big question that plagued her mind right now.

"How do you think he's going to take it?" Sea asked as she looked at Jasper. "I mean, his attitude seems more towards the lack of training, but you're trained, right?"

"Right, though I don't think he ever felt my training was complete enough," Jasper replied with a shrug. "Honestly I don't know how he's going to react."

"Yeah, me neither," Sea said as she took a long drink. "Maybe we should find Khepri and do another check of the..."

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A voice with a thick and very noticeable accent comment. They looked up to see Black Water walking up towards them with the rest of his gang hanging back. "A couple of small fish in a big pond. Scootaloo must be getting desperate if she's sending you on these missions."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sea said as she took a drink. "We're here representing..."

"Oy, don't give me that load of bollocks, I know why you're really here," Black Water said with a sneer. "You're here because they want to show off their fancy new toys. Yeah, I know who you really are, saw you get into that little scuffle with Princess Prism not too long ago."

"Then you should really know not to tick us off," Jasper commented as she shot him a look. "You and your goons are lucky that you were invited here at all. I guess they lowered their standards to let trash like you into this place."

"Why you little... I'm not going to stand here and be insulted by some flightless..." Black Water started to say, his horn glowing as he was interrupted by Jasper.

"I don't need to fly to kick your..." Jasper started to say as she stormed her way over to Black Water, only to be caught in Sea's telekinetic grip. "Sea, what are you doing?"

"Jasper, calm down, he wants to rile you up, and you're letting him," Sea said as she pulled her friend back towards her and stared Black Water down. She knew that was a sore spot for Jasper, and she had to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. "So settle down, please?"

"Fine, whatever, he's not worth it anyway," Jasper said with a growl as she turned away, muttering something.

"Your friend has a big mouth on her," Black Water grinned. "You'd better hope she doesn't let it get her into some trouble, bug-girl."

"Jasper could kick your flank without breaking a sweat, I wouldn't provoke her or me if I was you," Sea said as she turned back to the punch bowl. "You're not worth our time anyway. When this summit is over, your days will be numbered anyway."

"Heh, yeah right," Black Water said as he crossed his arms. "You'll see mate, the Safe Zone will be begging to adapt our methods by the time this sham of a summit is over. I guarantee it, it's the only way we're going to survive as a species."

"We're not so willing to sacrifice our equinity for security," Jasper growled. "How many ponies have you killed in the name of security? How many have to die before we're safe?"

"Shut up, that's none of your business," Black Water said as he took out a cigarette and started to light it. "We get results, which is more than I can say about the way you run things. We haven't lost a pony to the Changelings since I took over."

“Yeah, yeah whatever, come on Sea we’re not going to put up with this crap anymore,” Jasper said as she pulled Sea away from the table. “Let’s go find Khepri, I think I’ve had enough partying for tonight.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Sea said as she closed her eyes. She wasn't surprised that they had encountered either Tailwind or Black Water, but she still didn’t like the interactions. “This is going to be a long Summit, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, seems like it,” Jasper agreed as she draped her wing gently over Sea and gave her a reassuring smile. “It’ll be okay, Sea. We’ll get through this, we just need to make sure that everything will be okay. Let’s head back to…”

She was cut off when there was a sudden sound of crashing. A large window had been broken as several changelings in combat forms entered. There was a sudden loud giggling as Joy Buzzer flew into the room after them.

“Hello everyone, we’re this evening’s entertainment,” Joy said with a giggle as the gathered ponies nearest to her took steps back. “I heard a nasty little rumor that the Kamen Riders are here, how about you step forward and we’ll make this quick so you ponies can go back to your little lives?”

“What should we do?” Sea muttered to Jasper as she started looking for Khepri. She couldn’t hide the Driver in her dress so she had given it to him to take care of.

“They’ll be more interested in you than me, get Khepri while I distract them,” Jasper whispered back as she levitated her driver out of her pocket and wrapped it around her barrel. “Be careful, okay?”

“You too, Jasper,” Sea said as she walked off quickly to find Khepri.

Jasper took a deep breath as she pushed through the crowd. Tailwind had already gathered several of his soldiers who were pointing rifles at the Changelings. Tailwind was hanging back as he eyed Joy Buzzer with a scowl on his face.

“This is a diplomatic gathering, the Kamen Riders aren’t on the guest list,” Tailwind said as he eyed the militia soldiers for a moment. “You’re wasting your time here. Leave or I will order my soldiers to open fire.”

“I highly doubt that,” Joy giggled. “This high profile a gathering? They’re going to be here, so come out come out wherever you are little Riders.”

“Fire a warning shot,” Tailwind muttered to the nearest militia soldier. They nodded and fired a shot over the Princess’ head. “This is your last chance to back off before we open fire. I am telling you, there are no…”

“General, I’m sorry to interrupt but it looks like you could use a hoof,” Jasper said as she came up behind Tailwind. She whispered quietly to him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to find out this way…”

“Find out what?” He demanded as he trained his eyes on Joy Buzzer again. “This is Militia Business, I would back up if I were you, Jasper. I would rather you not get hurt in the fight.”

“Trust me, I can handle myself,” Jasper said as she glared at Joy. “You asked for me, let these ponies go. They don’t mean anything to you, just let them go and we can fight one on one!”

“You’re strangely alone, where’s your friend?” Joy demanded without looking at Tailwind. “This party isn’t gonna be fun without her! Oh well, let’s get this over with then, I’ll find her later.”

“Oh, she was busy with something else so I’m afraid you’re going to have to deal with me alone,” Jasper said as she took a step next to Tailwind. “Those are advanced combat forms, your guns aren’t going to do much good against them.”

“I think I’m a better judge of what we can handle than you are,” Tailwind said as he shot her a look. “You may have training, but you’re not even armed.”

"Really? We'll see about that," Jasper said with a chuckle as she moved onto her hind legs and took out the Lux stone. She shot a grin at Tailwind for a moment as she placed her hoof on the Driver around her barrel. "So, you know what you were saying about Kamen Riders being a myth?"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me..." Tailwind muttered as she slid it into her Driver.

"Henshin!" Jasper said as her Driver closed around the gemstone and the magical energy flowed around her.

"SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!" The Driver said as the light fell around her, the armor forming over her body as the revolved appeared in her hoof.

"Well, well, you're looking pretty good," Joy Buzzer said with a giggle. "I have to say, I was hoping at least one of you would show up tonight. A shame it isn't Scarab, Prism would love to get her hooves back on that Driver and Shifter."

She laughed crazily as she levitated up her own Change Driver. Jasper's eyes narrowed from behind her visor, she wasn't that surprised, but she had hoped that it wasn't going to be the case. "General, start evacuating the hall, I've got this," she said as she turned to look at Tailwind for a moment. "You and the militia are in way over your heads right now."

"We'll be back to back you up," Tailwind replied as he nodded to his soldiers as a new Shifter flew onto Joy's hoof. It resembled a firefly with a glowing thorax and was colored red with golden markings on it. "You'd better know what you're doing, Jasper."

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Jasper said as she fired several energy bullets at Joy only to have them hit an orange energy shield out of the Shifter. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me..."

"What, did you really think it was going to be that easy? Dusky knows how to be prepared," Joy laughed as she slid the Shifter into her Driver. "Henshin!"

"THE HIVE STANDS UNITED!" The Driver said as energy flowed out out of the Shifter and armor formed over her. The armor was red with golden markings covering it and two large golden eyes with short antennae. Her hooves glowed with golden energy as a ball of light formed in one of them and she tossed it up and down.

"I'm Kamen Rider Firefly, and I'm gonna show you just how strong this new suit is!" She giggled. “Let’s start the fireworks!”

And with that she threw the ball of light at Jasper. The Pegasus instinctively threw up her arm as a shield appeared on it and the ball impacted it. However it exploded against the shield, throwing Jasper back onto the ground. She groaned as she pushed herself back up onto her hind legs as she stared Joy down.

“Explosives, well I can’t say that you Changelings don’t have some tricks up your sleeve,” Jasper said as she raised her revolved and formed another shield on her arm. She fired several shots into the Princess’ direction, but she just giggled and leapt out of the way of each shot, firing several more explosive balls at her. “Stand still!”

“Come on Jasper, you’re militia trained and a Kamen Rider to boot!” Joy giggled as she landed behind Jasper and grabbed her from behind. “I can see why Prism is so interested in you and your little marefriend. Such a shame that it’s all going to waste here.”

“What I’m doing here will never be a waste,” Jasper said as she gripped her hoof. “Protecting ponies isn’t a waste.”

She slammed her hoof down hard on Joy’s hoof causing her to let go as Jasper jumped out of the way and raised her revolver again. She fired several more shots into the chest of the Princess who fell back a little.

“You’re no fun, you know that right?” Joy pouted. “Why do you Riders have to be such party poopers? Guess I’ll have to make my own fun!”

She laughed madly as she formed several more balls and threw them around her in a circle, causing more explosions as the soldier Drones avoided them. Jasper just barely managed to cover herself with her shield as she did before running forward, slamming hard into Joy with the shield as she kicked at her legs.

“Your idea of fun differs from mine,” Jasper snorted. “And I’m taking you down, hard!”

Joy groaned as she struggled to get to her hooves. She gripped her hooves and a pair of swords appeared in them as she spun them around. She grinned as her back opened up and a pair of wings emerged as she flew at Jasper, swinging her swords at her only to have them glance off the shield again.

“Not bad, but I’m not going to just let you win that easily,” Jasper said as she raised her revolver and fired into her chest point blank. She kicked at Joy hard, knocking her to the ground before pulling back on her revolver as an energy blast charged up. “SHINING BULLET!”

She fired the shot straight into the chest of Joy and she went flying back into the wall, her armor shattering as her Shifter flew off.

“Ugh…” Joy said as she struggled to get to her hooves as the Soldier Drones gathered around her. “This isn’t over.”

And with that she took off and flew out the window just as Sea ran up to Jasper. The two of them ran out of the hall together after Joy, and stopped in mid-step. Once they were outside, there was no sign of the Changelings, not even of them fleeing. And there was a lot of ponies gathered around the area.

“Where did they go?” Sea asked as Jasper powered down and fell back onto all fours.

“I don’t know,” Jasper admitted as she looked at Sea. “But they could be anypony in town now.”

00000

“I’m guessing by the looks on your faces things didn’t go well at the Hall,” Thorax commented with a frown as Sea and Jasper came back into the house. “What happened?”

“Joy Buzzer showed up with her own Change Driver and Shifter,” Jasper said with a groan as she took a seat. “She nearly blew the whole place up with those explosives. I managed to fight her off at least, but we don’t know where she went.”

“She’s still somewhere in town, we know that much,” Sea added as Khepri turned into his pony form. “It’s not a lot of information, but it’s more than we had before at least. We know what we’re dealing with at least.”

“Just not where she’s hiding,” Thorax sighed. “I’m sorry, I wish I could’ve told you more.”

“It’s okay, you told us more than enough,” Sea replied as she took a deep breath. “Thorax… listen, maybe you should get out of here. If they find out you’re here, you’ll be in trouble, you know that right?”

“Yeah, I know,” Thorax said with a sigh as he reached into a bag. “And I’ll be in even more trouble if they find out I have this.”

The two mares exchanged confused glances before he pulled out the item from his bags. It looked like the Lux Stone only it was light green and had dancing dark green and other similar lights dancing in it. Sea’s eyes went wide at the sight of the stone as she looked at Jasper.

“Is that…” She started to say.

“Most of them vanished years ago, how did you get it?” Jasper asked as she reached into her bags and took out the Lux Stone.

“They were stolen by the Changelings when they took the scientist studying Rider technology,” Thorax answered. “This one was in the possession of Princess Dusk, I found it a while back and brought it with me. I didn’t even realize its significance until you were able to use the Lux Stone.”

“That’s the Camo Stone,” Jasper commented as she gently picked it up. “I read about these things from Tinker’s files. This was… uh, which one was it… Generosity I think.”

“Yeah… as far as I can tell she was never able to actually use it for anything,” Thorax commented. “But if this could be used for a new Rider…”

“Then they’re definitely going to be mad at you,” Sea finished as she examined it for a long moment. “So, what are we going to do with it? We could always use another Rider on our side, especially with Joy becoming Kamen Rider Firefly.”

“They really need to come up with more original names,” Jasper commented.

“Said the mare who’s Rider name is the Zebra word for Light,” Thorax commented as Sea chuckled a little. “But I agree, this could be of use. We just have to, uh, actually find a pony who can use it.”

“I’ll send a message to Tinker, she’s been working on a second Guardian Driver,” Jasper said.

"Yeah, I guess," Thorax said as he looked at the stone for a long moment. "I'm not sure I can go back at this point. If I try they'll figure out that I betrayed them. The Shadow Hive will still endure, but I'm afraid that my absence may put them at risk as well. I may have put the whole summit in more danger than it was already in."

"We were always in danger, don't worry about it," Sea said as she brushed her mane back a little. She was about to say something when she realized the looks she was getting from Jasper and Thorax. "What?"

"Uh, Sea, you've got a little something..." Jasper said as she pointed at her teeth. "Right here."

"That can't be normal... what's going on?" Thorax asked.

Sea blinked in confusion before looking at herself in a small mirror that had been set up to help wash yourself. Sticking out from her mouth were a pair of fangs, just like Changelings had. She quickly stumbled backwards, even if she had known this was going to happen she hadn't expected it to start happening so soon.

"The physical transformation has started," Khepri commented. "Tch, it was bound to happen eventually, but it's going to be hard to hide it from the ponies around here. Especially with Black Water and his goons hanging around."

"Physical transformation? What is he talking about?" Thorax asked as he looked between the three of them confused. "What kind of physical transformation?"

"The Rider System is turning me into a Changeling," Sea replied with a sigh as she looked down at her hooves. "I found out about it two weeks ago. I guess deep down I had hoped that I would have some more time before this actually started, but here we are."

"Understood, but this is going to make things harder for you," Thorax told her. "You know that the Changelings seek out any of their own not in the Hive, right? If they find out that you're..."

"They already know," Jasper told him. "They found out during the last attack on Ponyville. Trust me, we're worried about this too. And if the physical transformations are starting then it's too late to go back, but Sea..."

"I decided that I'm going to keep fighting anyway," Sea finished. "It doesn't matter if I'm a Changeling or a Pony. What's important to me is that I keep fighting to protect others. That's why I'm here, and nothing is going to change that, I will tell you that right now."

"Alright, that's understandable," Thorax replied. "I can connect you to the Shadow Hive when the time comes. That should at least give you a way to avoid the real thing. It may still be a bit uncomfortable, but it's better than the alternative, right?"

"Right," Sea answered as she looked at Khepri and Jasper. "We should get to bed."

“Yeah, uh, where’s Thorax going to sleep?” Jasper asked as Khepri returned to his insectoid form. “We can’t just leave him to sleep on the floor you know.”

“I’ll be fine, I can take any form remember?” Thorax reminded them as he turned into a small black cat and leapt up onto the chair where he curled up.

“Well, that was easy enough, let’s get to bed,” Sea said as they headed to their respective small rooms off of the sides of the room. Sea paused a moment as she looked back at Jasper who caught her eye. “Jasper… uh… can you… uh… please… you know...”

Jasper smiled a little as she turned back around and walked over to where Sea was. She looked at the bed, it was pretty small, but it would fit the two of them. “Sure Sea, anything for my best friend.”

Sea smiled softly as the two mares laid in bed together. Jasper wrapped her wings gently around Sea and pulled her in close as she did. The two drifted off to sleep, Sea smiling a little in her friend’s warm embrace.

She sighed happily as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

00000

“Well, that didn’t go according to plan at all,” Joy commented as she flopped down on the chair in the building she and her drones were hiding out in. “The Queen isn’t going to be happy with us at all.”

“What are your orders, Princess Joy?” One of the Drones asked.

“We’re already in place to disrupt the talks,” Joy hissed as the Firefly Shifter poked out of her bags. “These ponies think they’re going to actually succeed at this little experiment in self governance.”

“Be on your guard, Joy,” Dusk told her through the Hive. “If Lux is here, Scarab can’t be too far behind. She’s going to be a threat to you and your Drones, you don’t want to show your hoof too early. They’re going to be on edge after your little move there, so don’t make another move, at least not yet.”

“And what if they find out who I am?” Joy asked.

“Then do as much damage as you can, they’ll be so paranoid the talks will likely fall apart,” Dusk answered. “We need them to think we have more Changelings in Unity than we have. Right now this is our best chance at disrupting their plans, hopefully it will succeed.”

“Indeed, I will not disappoint you or the Queen, Dusky!” Joy answered with a crazy grin. “We’ll make sure that they’re so paranoid that they’ll be at each other’s throats!”

“Good, just don’t let everything fall apart, right now that’s the last thing we need,” Dusk answered. “We have enough things to worry about without a unified Safe Zone.”

“Well, it’ll only be a matter of time,” Joy giggled. “We’ll show them the truth once we’ve got everything together. Ponykind will learn the true joy of the Hive, that’s the only future that awaits them.”

“Of course, now do your job,” Dusk said as her voice vanished.

“Well, we have a mission to carry out,” Joy said with a laugh. “I want all of you to move into place. We’re going to make sure this whole thing falls apart, big time!”

She laughed madly as the Changelings went to move into place.

00000

“I wasn’t expecting you to find another stone,” Sweetie commented as she and Scootaloo met with Sea and Jasper in a small room. They had been gathered for the beginning of the summit and Sweetie was getting everything ready. They had also brought the new Guardian Driver. “You have good timing, Tinker finished it last night.”

“Yeah, which means we have to actually find a pony who can use it,” Sea commented as she looked at the Guardian Driver and the Camo Stone. “What do we do now? The Summit is starting and the Changelings are somewhere here. They could’ve even replaced some of the delegates for all we know.”

“Yes, that is a possibility, which is why we’ve decided it’s time to go public,” Scootaloo said as she looked between the two of them for a moment. “We’re going to start the Summit with the two of you coming out as the Kamen Riders. With that we should have an advantage given a lot of ponies have already heard stories of your exploits.”

“Yeah, I just have to hope they don’t notice I have fangs,” Sea commented as she placed her hoof over her mouth for a moment. “I hate to think about what I’m going to do when the changes become more obvious.”

“Here, I’ll put a small illusion spell on them, but they’re hardly noticeable anyway,” Sweetie told her as her horn glowed and the fangs vanished. “Just wait until we give the signal, you’ll know it when we say it.”

Sea and Jasper nodded as the two older mares headed out into the main hall where the summit was being held. The ponies were already gathered together there talking as Sweetie cleared her throat.

“I know this is a meeting that hasn’t been called in a long time, and that I’m not normally the pony who would be running things, but here we are,” she said as she looked between the gathered ponies. “We’re all here because we know that there’s only one chance at surviving the Changelings, if we all work together. I know that we’ve always had problems in the past, but the time has come to start working together. And we have a chance to build that future, together with help. But to build this future, we had to look to the past”

Her horn glowed as images of monstrous creatures appeared and danced across the room. Some resembled animals while others looked more like strange objects.

“Years ago, in the Sengallop era, Neighpon was under attack by terrifying beings, some called them Demons, others called them Goblins, but they all came to be known as one name, the Yokai,” she said as the creatures bore their fangs at the gathered ponies. “They were terrifying creatures that plagued the countryside under the leadership of a warlord. They attacked farms and towns and struck fear into the hearts of the ponies of Neighpon. The local Daimyo, Storm Watch sent his troops to fight, but to no avail.”

New images danced around of warriors fighting the monsters. However as the fight progressed the warriors were cut down one by one, each vanishing into thin air as they did. The images played along through the air as they finished.

“A lovely display, Mrs. Belle, but is there a point to this?” Black Water asked as he looked at Sweetie Belle. “Your show and history lesson isn’t exactly going to do more than annoy us. So how about you get to the bloody point already?”

“The Yokai were finally defeated by the first Kamen Riders,” Sweetie continued, removing the illusions at least. “Moon Blossom, the first of the Riders, upon retirement said this, ‘When an era comes that Equestria needs them, Kamen Riders will return.’ So years ago we started a program to create new Riders to protect Ponykind from the Changelings. This is our chance to build a better future, not only to build a government, but to build a government that can protect ponies. And for that we need hope, so we’re going to give the ponies of the Safe Zone that hope. If we’re going to build a future, then we’re going to need their help. So I give you our Riders, and the protectors of that hope.”

“Well, that’s our cue,” Jasper muttered to Sea. “Are you ready for this? I’ve never felt more nervous in my life.”

“We’ll be fine, I hope,” Sea said as Khepri flew onto her head and she gave Jasper a nod. “Besides some of them already saw you. It’s just like going up on stage to me really, I’ve dealt with worse.”

“Good point, still, getting a bit of stage fright, but let’s get going,” Jasper said as they headed out of the room together. They stepped out into view, and just felt more awkward as the ponies looked at them. “And now everypony is staring at us… I don’t know how you do this when you’re up on stage…”

“Imagine them in their underwear,” Sea suggested.

“We don’t wear clothes,” Jasper hissed. “What underwear?”

“Right, good point…” Sea muttered. “Come on, let’s get this over with. Are you ready for this?”

“Yeah, as ready as I’ll ever be,” Jasper said as she spoke up finally. “Uh, hi, I’m sure some of you saw me last night. I’m Jasper, Kamen Rider Lux, this is Sea Spray, Kamen Rider Scarab. I guess we’re here to, uh…”

“Yeah… this is totally like playing music…” Sea muttered as she looked up at Khepri. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Sea and Jasper have been doing what they can to protect ponies,” Sweetie said as she looked between the delegates. “Some of you have seen them in action already. They’re here because the time has come for them to come out and say it. This is our best chance to come together and make this world better.”

“Sea, Jasper, show them,” Scootaloo said.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Sea said as she and Jasper got onto their hind legs as Khepri flew into her hoof as Jasper took out the Lux Stone.

“Henshin!” The two said in unison.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

“SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!”

A few of the delegates looked at them in awe as they transformed into their Rider forms. Sea looked at Jasper for a moment and noticed that she was looking nervous still. She reached over and put her hoof on Jasper’s, giving her a slight nod.

“It’s okay, Jasper…” She said softly. “We’re going to be just fine.”

“Well, I feel so much better, we’ve got a knight in shining armor and a bloody bug to protect us,” Black Water said sarcastically as he lit up a cigarette. “You two are a joke, you know that right? Two ponies think they can actually protect all of Equestria. I’d rather turn it over to the blokes at the Militia.”

“As much as I hate to agree with the thug, he has a point,” Tailwind commented as he shot a look at Black Water. “You may have shown some skills by now, you can’t possibly protect everypony. If you’re going to do what Sweetie is promising, you’re going to have to do more to prove yourself than just fight a few Changelings.”

“Well… uh…” Sweetie said as she looked at Scootaloo. “That doesn’t change the fact that we need to reach an agreement about this. The Changelings have kept us separate for decades. We need to set aside our differences and make sure that we and our foals actually have a future. Equestria is…”

"Equestria is gone, the Princesses are gone, and we're on our own," a third delegate said. "We need to start building our own government, that much is true. That being said, what are we actually going to do with the government?"

"We need to have strong leadership if we're going to survive against the Changelings," Black Water said. "If we're going to survive, then we need to do more than just sit and cower. We need to make sure that we take more precautions, crack down on suspected Changeling infiltrators. This is the only way we can survive this. If the Changelings need us to feed on, then they're going to starve."

"Great... he's not exactly going to be easy to convince," Sea muttered as she reached down to her Driver and deactivated it as she looked at Jasper. "What should we do now?"

"There's not a lot we can do," Jasper answered as she powered down too. "We're not delegates, we're just here for security."

"Yeah..." Sea replied as she leaned against the wall for a moment. "Jasper, are we doing the right thing? What if they're right about this, we can't protect..."

"Hang on, you shouldn't talk like that at all," Jasper interrupted her. "The fact of the matter is that they are right, we can't protect everypony. But that's not the point, we're not supposed to protect everypony, we're supposed to protect who we can and inspire others to do the same."

"She's right, Sea," Sweetie said as she walked over to the two. "The point of this is to be able to inspire hope in others. The Changelings have been taking hope for way too long, so we're going to give it back to ponies. This isn't about two Riders, this is about Ponies fighting the Changelings to make sure that we have a future. You two aren't the only ones who are going to fight, you're just the first ones."

"And how do I know that we're even making a change?" Sea asked.

"Well, maybe you should take a chance to listen to what some of them are saying," Scootaloo said with a slight smile as she nodded to the table. "You never know what kind of change you can inspire."

"If we do that kind of thing, we're just going to be giving into fear," Limeade said as he leaned on the table a little. "The Changelings are trying to make us afraid because if we're afraid, we're weaker and easier to target. But we can't let fear rule our lives. Yeah, Sea and Jasper aren't going to be able to protect us all, but we do know one thing. We're going to have to work together in order to build Equestria back up again. As long as we don't give into that fear, we're going to be able to make the Safe Zone better. So I'm asking all of you, let's set these things aside and make sure that we have a future together."

Sea smiled softly as she nodded to Jasper. "We should leave them alone for now, I think we should go and patrol the town, what do you think?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Jasper agreed and the two headed out together.

"Do you really think that everything is going to be okay?" Scootaloo asked as she looked over at her wife.

"I don't know," Sweetie admitted. "But I do know that we're all going to have to work together. Hopefully we'll be able to convince them, somehow."

"We will, I know it," Scootaloo said. "Because the alternative is worse and all of them know it."

Chapter 12: Unity

View Online

Thorax sighed a little as he laid out on the couch in the small house. Sea and Jasper were still out either at the meeting or patrolling the town. There wasn’t a lot for him to do right now as he looked at the Camo Stone, the shining green stone. He honestly wasn’t sure what he was going to do with this thing, or even if the ponies would be able to find a pony quickly enough to be able to use it.

And given the Changelings would be able to sense him, there was no way he could even leave the house. So what was he going to do right now? He sighed and put the stone away again and was about to take out a book when there was a sudden knock on the door.

He carefully got up as he turned into his pony form from before and carefully looked out the window. There was another pony there that he didn’t recognize, but he still didn’t like it. He opened the door slightly and looked outside. “I’m sorry, but you can’t come inside. I’m waiting for the ponies who…”

“Really, you’re going to try and lie to little old me, Thorax?” The mare on the other side said with a grin. A very fanged grin that sent a shiver down Thorax’s spine. “How about you let me in and we’ll talk, sound good?”

“Fine…” Thorax said. He was more afraid than anything else, but he couldn’t show it. He was connected to the Shadow Hive right now so she would have a hard time reading his thoughts at least. He pushed the door open and let her in as she changed into Joy Buzzer. “Princess, I wasn’t expecting to see you here…”

“I’m sure Dusky would say the same, Thorax,” Joy giggled as the door shut behind her. “I’m here to make sure that everything is worked out peacefully. You’ve been a naughty boy, but Dusky wants you back in Canterlot ASA-now. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes Thorax, so I’d get your flank there.”

“I’m not going back, you know what she’ll do if I go back…” Thorax said. “I’m going to stay here, you can’t force me to go back you know. The Canterlot Hive will make sure that I never leave again. We’re not supposed to follow everything blindly.”

“Aww, but there’s nothing more fun than being part of the Hive,” Joy giggled as she flicked his chin a little. “Come on Thorax my boy, if you come back I’m sure I can get Dusky to be more lenient. Especially if you come back willingly.”

Thorax gulped a little at that. Changelings that tried to flee the Hive were typically stripped of the memories of the act to keep them with the Hive. He wasn’t going back, ever.

“I’m not going back,” he said as he backed up a little. “Leave me alone and go bother somepony else. I have other things that need to be done. I’m not going to rejoin the Hive, there’s nothing you can do to convince me.”

“Oh we’ll see about that,” Joy giggled as the Firefly Shifter flew up and landed on her withers. “My little friend here is going to keep an eye on you. If you do anything we don’t like, you and the Riders will be in big trouble. Tell them you’re being watched and you’ll be in biiiiiig trouble.”

“And why don’t you just take me now?” Thorax asked.

“Where’s the fun in that, I’ll see you around Thorax,” Joy said as she pushed the door open as she turned back into her pony disguise. “Ta ta, I’ll talk to you later.”

And with that she walked off, just leaving Thorax confused as he shut the door again and fell back onto the couch. They knew he was here and that was going to put a target on his head, so why didn’t they just take him? Joy was up to something, and he didn’t like it.

He glanced up at the window and true to her word the Firefly shifter was watching him. He adjusted his bags on the floor a moment as he lay back on the couch. He was going to have to figure out how to get the stone to the Resistance without drawing attention.

“Hey Thorax, is everything okay?” Sea asked as she and Jasper came into the house. They stopped when they saw the look on the Changeling’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“I had a run in with Princess Joy,” Thorax replied as he shook his head. He wasn’t going to tell them more than that, he didn’t want to put any of them at risk. “So, did you get the Guardian Driver? Did you have any problems at the summit?”

“Nothing we didn’t expect from the delegates from New Manechester,” Jasper replied. “I don’t like Black Water and his thugs. We knew they were going to give us trouble, but there’s not a whole lot we can do about it right now. As long as the summit is going on and they stay on their best behavior we can’t really do anything.”

“Yeah, I figured as much,” Thorax said. “I’ve heard horror stories about the Changelings that try to infiltrate New Manechester. It doesn’t exactly go well for them, I’ve heard that they come back... in body bags.”

“I’m not surprised based on what he’s been saying while we’re here,” Sea sighed as she levitated out the new Guardian Driver. “So, how are we supposed to actually find a pony who can use this thing?”

“Easier said than done, we found me by chance,” Jasper said as she shook her head a little. “So we’re going to have to find whoever can connect with the stone. To do that we’re going to have to figure out which of the remaining five Elements it is connected to.”

“Let’s hope it’s not laughter, laughter is in short supply here,” Sea commented as she looked at Thorax. “Can we see the stone?”

Thorax nodded as he removed the stone, glancing towards the window for a brief moment. He held the stone out to Sea as she levitated it up and examined it carefully. The green stone was certainly interesting enough, but it wasn’t going to give them any hints as to what it was going to be, there wasn’t an element that was associated with green.

“The techs have been studying it for years and haven’t gotten much more of an idea than you have right now,” Thorax commented. “I wish I could tell you more, but I wasn’t on the team that was studying it.”

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Sea said as she looked at the stone for a long moment. “We’ll figure it out I guess. There has to be somepony in the Safe Zone that this will work with.”

“Yeah, just with all these politicians around, I don’t think we’ll be finding it if it’s Honesty either,” Jasper chuckled.

00000

“Well, well, if it isn’t the Kamen Riders,” a voice said from behind Sea and Jasper as they were getting their food later on. Sea groaned a little as she turned to see Mirage standing there with a smirk on her face. “I didn’t think I’d run into a couple of wanna-be superheroes around here.”

“What do you want, Mirage?” Jasper asked. The two of them turned back around to get their food and start walking towards a table. “We’re trying to enjoy our evening. How about you just leave us alone, we’re not in the mood for talking to you goons.”

“Aww, how sweet, you think you have a choice,” Mirage said with a wicked grin as she teleported in front of them. “I’m here to give you a message from Black Water, he wants you to cut it out with your little game.”

“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Sea said as they walked around her. “So tell him that we’re not interested in whatever he’s trying. We don’t play by his rules.”

“He’s interested in working together, the Resistance and the Militia aren’t nearly strong enough to do what is truly needed,” Mirage said with a hiss. “If you want to protect ponies you’re going to need ponies who are capable of actually fighting the Changeling threat.”

“The Resistance is more than capable of fighting it,” Jasper said, trying not to get angry at the assertion that her grandmothers weren’t able to combat the threat without help. “We don’t need help from ponies like you. I’ve heard about New Manechester, you’ll just make things worse if we follow your example. Equestria will become no better than it was under Changeling rule, you’d make this world hardly better than Tartarus..”

“Here we may reign secure, and in my choice. To reign is worth ambition though in Tartarus. Better to reign in Tartarus, than to serve in Elysium,” Mirage said with a chuckle. “This little Summit your grandmother called is just the beginning, dearie. Once we convince the other settlements that our way is superior, things are going to change.”

“Yeah, that’ll be the day,” Sea said as they took a seat. She looked back at Mirage for a long moment, she had gone to sit next to Hat Trick. “I don’t like dealing with these ponies, they’re just asking for trouble. Why did they get invited anyway?”

“They would’ve just crashed if they found out about it, and they would have found out,” Jasper sighed as they started eating. “I don’t like it either, and neither does my grandmothers. The last thing we need right now is to fight with our fellow ponies on top of the Changelings, so for now let’s focus on dealing with Joy Buzzer. Hopefully the diplomats will be able to take care of this before it gets worse.”

“Yeah, hopefully,” Sea said as she took a bite of her food. “Dragonfly, Mantis, Firefly… well you have to give them credit for staying on theme. But we still need to find a pony who’s capable of using the Camo Stone. And we can’t exactly just go around talking to ponies about it, especially with them here…”

“Yeah, we’ll figure it out, I hope,” Jasper said as the two of them ate in silence.

00000

“I don’t understand why you’re even here, you’re a Changeling,” Khepri said to Thorax.

“We may have a Hive Mind, but we still can think for ourselves,” Thorax retorted. “The fact of the matter is that we don’t all believe in the mission. You’re still here when you could’ve flown back to Canterlot whenever you want, that tells me you’re not so keen on it either.”

“Tch, you don’t know anything about me,” Khepri snorted. “I’m only here because I find these ponies entertaining, nothing more.”

“I doubt that, you’re not as mysterious as you like to act,” Thorax chuckled. “You have no reason to stay here except to help them. You and I both know that the Changelings would consider you an aberration. You’re a weapon to them, made to serve the Princesses and the Hive. You’re still here because you know that.”

“Tch, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Khepri said, though he looked more nervous than anything else. He didn’t want to admit it, but Thorax had hit the nail right on the head. “I’m just here for the ride. I’m not that worried about what the Princesses think about me.”

“Uh-huh, well I...” Thorax said, but he was cut off when the door opened and Sea and Jasper came in looking exhausted. “Hey, how did everything go?”

“It could’ve gone better, we had a run-in with Mirage,” Sea replied with a sigh as she shook her head a little. “I don’t like dealing with those ponies. I just wish they hadn’t brought them here, you know?”

“Mirage, that’s one of the ponies from New Manechester, right?” Thorax asked.

“Yeah, she’s part of the delegation led by Black Water,” Jasper answered. “What, do you know anything about them?”

“Sure, my brother was part of the team that was holding them in the Conversion Camp,” Thorax answered, which made the two ponies flinch a little. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have been so casual about that. But yeah, I’ve heard about them, they’re trouble. The story goes that Black Water and Hat Trick managed to overpower Soldier Drones with their bare hooves, no small feat as I’m sure you know.”

“Yeah, we can definitely attest to that,” Sea muttered.

“But yeah, they managed to fight their way out of the camp the four of them,” Thorax said. “And well, Mirage… Mirage is kind of a sore subject for us. She’s the only pony to escape the cocoon.”

“Wait, you mean her conversion was interrupted? I thought that was impossible,” Jasper said, surprised. “I mean, everything we know about it means it shouldn’t be possible for a pony to, you know…”

“Tch, it’s impossible without outside help,” Khepri commented. “You would have to overpower the Changeling actually maintaining the cocoon and sever the connection to the Hive. It would cause irreparable mental damage to the pony. I highly doubt that she’s all there mentally, it might explain a few things about her at least.”

“Go figure, so what should we actually do about it?” Sea asked as she looked between the others for a moment. “If they manage to convince more of the settlements to their point of view, we’re going to have a harder time doing our jobs. We can’t fight both Changelings and Ponies, is there anything we can do at all?”

“The only thing we can do is convince the other ponies that they’re wrong, but that won’t be easy,” Jasper sighed. “We’re going to have to deal with this problem, somehow. And that’s not even going into the fact that we have to deal with Joy Buzzer.”

“Explosives, she’s not very subtle is she?” Sea commented and the others just shrugged a little.

“Yeah, somehow that doesn’t surprise me at all, among the Princesses, Joy Buzzer is probably the most unstable,” Thorax sighed. “Can you two handle her? I mean, maybe we should try to figure out the Camo Stone…”

“I agree we really need to figure out the Camo Stone thing, but I don’t know if we’re going to be able to do that before the summit is over,” Jasper said.

“Tch, finding a single pony capable of using a stone in all of this? I’d say you don’t have the best odds with all these politicians around,” Khepri snorted with a light chuckle.

“Not that the Shifters would be much easier,” Thorax reminded him. “They were both made using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, you know? You have to find ponies, or Changelings, completely in tune with whatever element it’s connected to. Like Khepri you’re connected to magic. We just have to, you know, figure all of this out somehow. If it’ll help, we can at least try.”

“Yeah, let’s try,” Sea commented as she looked at the Camo Stone closely for a long moment. The green lights danced in the odd gemstone, giving it an odd almost otherworldly appearance as they did.

They were going to have to figure out how they were going to use this and see who could even use it.

00000

“I don’t like this, we’re supposed to act like everything is going normally in the middle of a threat from the Changelings?” Scootaloo commented as she looked at Sweetie Belle. The meeting was on a break at the moment so the two of them were talking as Sweetie took a drink. “We’d have better luck crossing the border in a cart designed by Pinkie Pie.”

“You’re right of course, but what choice do we have?” Sweetie asked. “We have to show that we’re not going to live in fear of the Changelings anymore because of the Riders. If we end the summit here, then it’ll just show that we’re still afraid.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Scootaloo said as she took a deep breath. “Do you think Jasper and Sea are going to be okay? I mean, with everything going on in town, something could happen to them. I’m not even just talking about the Changelings either.”

“Yeah, I know, but let’s try and calm down, they can handle themselves,” Sweetie said and turned her voice to a whisper. “I’m more worried about the Camo Stone. I didn’t think any of the lost stones would make their way back to us. None of our intel from the Shadow Hive told us where they were and here’s one just given to us.”

“You think it’s a trap? Thorax has been a trusted ally for years,” Scootaloo pointed out.

“No, I don’t think it’s a trap, at least not from him, but it just feels oddly convenient,” Sweetie sighed. “Still, we might as well take advantage of it while we can. At least if we can find somepony that can use it.”

“Camo… Camo… which one was that again?” Scootaloo asked, trying to remember back to the experiments that had created the stones. “That might help them know what to look for.”

“Camo, that was Generosity,” Sweetie answered. “They have their work cut out for them then.”

“Look on the bright side, it’s not Honesty,” Sweetie said with a chuckle. “Imagine having to find an honest pony in a town filled with politicians.”

That got a laugh out of Scootaloo as she leaned in and kissed Sweetie Belle gently on the lips. “You’re enjoying this a little too much, aren’t you?”

“If I don’t have some fun, then I might lose my mind,” Sweetie replied with a sigh. “We have Changelings in town. With everything going on, I’m afraid that everything will fall apart before we even get this alliance started.”

"Yeah, but right now it hasn't ended badly yet," Scootaloo said. She took a deep breath and brushed her mane back for a moment as she looked around. "I know that it's not going to be easy. We have to try though, we can't allow what's left of Equestria to fall before the Changelings."

"There are ponies out there still," Sweetie pointed out to her. "Even if they're not here in the Safe Zone. But I do agree that we can't just keep doing things like we have lately. I just have to hope that we can make this whole plan work, Equestria can't fall... not again."

"Maybe we shouldn't try to rebuild what we had before," Scootaloo suggested, getting a look from her wife. "I mean, the fact of the matter is that they were right. Equestria is gone, we can't hang on to our past. We have to make sure that we build a future for Ponykind. Yeah, we have ponies out there in the Zebra Lands and whatever, but is that going to be the same as surviving here? We have to defeat Chrysalis and her Hive."

"Yeah, but we have to make sure we don't lose our Equinity to do it," Sweetie sighed. "I just hope that we don't all wind up becoming like Black Water and his goons. I just hope that we're not already on that path."

"We're not," Scootaloo said simply. "If we were we would be doing a lot worse things than we are. We aren't making the same mistakes they are. And yeah, we need to build something new, a new nation, and I just hope that it's the right thing to do."

"Yeah," Sweetie said as the delegates started to move back to the table. "Sounds like everypony is getting back to the meeting."

"Yeah... well that's still a lot to think about," Scootaloo said as she kissed Sweetie again and the two of them headed back to the table together.

00000

"Yeah, I don't think this is working," Sea commented as she met back up with Jasper and Thorax. "I didn't see anypony that seemed to fit the profile of what we need for this."

"Yeah, me neither," Jasper sighed as she shrugged a little. "Well, I guess we don't have to find them right now. We just need to make sure that we are able to deal with the Changelings here. Maybe we can find another way to do that."

"Yeah, maybe," Thorax sighed. "I'm sorry, I should've been able to get more intel on them. I feel so useless right now and we have so many things to..."

"Calm down, it's going to be okay," Sea said as she placed her hoof on Thorax's shoulder. "We're going to figure this out. Maybe we'll get some help from the militia or something, but right now we need to focus on finding the Changelings."

"Tch, they're getting smart, I'm having a hard time detecting them," Khepri commented as he walked up to them with a shake of his head. "It's quite annoying really. Who knows where they are in town."

“So, what do you think we should do now?” Thorax asked. “I mean, if we don’t have anypony that’s obvious… how did you get the Lux stone to work for you, Jasper?”

“I saved a Changeling because we were both on the same side during the whole thing with the Another Riders,” Jasper answered. “It was an act of kindness towards an enemy, so I guess it decided that it was enough.”

“Yeah, that’s about the closest thing we know to how this works,” Sea said. “Mind you it would probably help if we knew exactly what element this is supposed to work with. I guess we’ll just figure out how to do this.”

“Tch, we’ll figure it out,” Khepri said. “Whatever, there’s plenty of Ponies around. We’ll probably find someone if we look around long enough.”

The group started to walk together again to head towards the summit building. There were a few ponies around there as we neared it. Right now the doors were locked and guarded, so at least things weren’t too bad.

“Do you really think we could do this without a third Rider?” Thorax asked. “I mean, Joy Buzzer is very strong.”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Sea admitted. “You’re right of course. If it comes to that we can at least try. We can’t let them disrupt the summit. I just hope that it’s going to be enough if we can’t find the stone’s user.”

“Yeah, well right now we should be fine, I hope,” Jasper said as the group kept walking.

They didn’t notice that the Firefly shifter was watching them from a ledge. It’s wings buzzed as it flew off once they were out of view.

00000

The shifter flew in and landed on Joy Buzzer’s shoulder. It buzzed it’s wings as it reported in to the Princess. “The Riders are still looking for somepony who can use the Camo Stone. They haven’t had any luck though.”

“A shame, so much fun we could have with more Riders,” Joy said with a fanged smile. “I think it’s also time that we unveil our secret weapon. Those Riders won’t stand a chance once we do that!”

She giggled madly as a few of the other Changelings came over with a crate. She levitated up a crowbar and pulled it open, smiling as she looked inside. “Is everything ready?”

“Yes Princess Joy Buzzer, everything is all set,” one of the Drones replied with a quick salute. “The Beetle should be ready for use at any time. What do you want to do with it?”

“We’ll use it against the Riders, and once we’re done with them there won’t be any way for the summit to continue,” Joy laughed as she turned to look at the Firefly shifter. “Did you learn anything else that might be useful?”

“No, not yet my Princess, they seemed to be willing to take you on though,” the shifter answered. “So, what are you going to do?”

“Well, it seems that they’re more than willing to fight me, so I’m going to give them exactly what they want,” Joy said as she levitated up her river, looking at it for a moment. She looked back at the soldier Drones and nodded to them. “I want you to help keep an eye on them, once I give the signal attack the Riders only, understand?”

“Yes Princess,” the Drones said as they returned to their pony forms.

Joy laughed as she brushed her hoof against the shiny metal of the object in the box. This was going to be very useful indeed, and she wasn’t going to let the Resistance Riders get away this time. Where the other Princesses had failed, she was going to make sure she succeeded.

“What do you want me to do, Princess?” The Shifter asked. “I can go and spy on the Riders again if it helps.”

“No, I want you to stay with me,” Joy answered. “We have to get ready for the fight to come if we want to succeed. I’m not going to fail the Queen this time.”

00000

“So, I’ve heard a rumor that you lot are trying to get one of those fancy stones of yours to work,” Black Water commented with a snort. This made Sea jump as she turned to see the stallion standing behind the group. “You might as well just give it to me. It would be in better hooves that way.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so, I doubt it would even shimmer in your presence,” Jasper said as she growled a little at the stallion. “What’s it even to you? I thought you didn’t think the Riders were even worth it?”

“I don’t think they are, but I’m one for hedging my bets,” Black Water answered as he lit a cigarette and took a drag on it. “And you, Sea Spray, if you ask me you’re the biggest joke.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sea demanded.

“I’ve heard about what you do with the Changelings, you just let them run off so they can cause more trouble elsewhere,” Black Water answered. “How many ponies do you think have been put in danger because you spared a Drone? How many families are torn apart?”

“I’m not going to have blood on my hooves, even Changeling blood,” Sea said as she growled a little at the stallion. “They’re still living beings. So is that your solution then, just go around and kill them all?”

“If that’s what it takes, yes,” Black Water said. “They took this land from us and it's our right to take it back. And we’re gonna kill every one of those bugs that gets in our way.”

“Yeah, and then what?” Sea asked.

“What do you mean?” Black Water asked, taken aback by the question. “When that’s over we’ll have won! Equestria will be ours again!”

“And what will you do with the ponies who get in your way? The people like you,” Sea asked. “What do you do with the troublemakers? What protects your glorious revolution from the next one?”

“We’ll win then too,” Black Water replied as he took a drag on his cigarette. “We’ve let softies and bleeding hearts like you run things for decades. It’s time we showed the world that we’re not going to bend before another tyrant.”

“And that, Black Water, is why I don’t kill,” Sea said as she started to walk away. “You’re not seeing what this line of thought has done to you. We’re not going to let the same thing happen to the rest of ponykind.”

“Just keep telling yourself that, I think when it gets right down to it you’ll find that Ponykind is a lot more like me and a lot less…” Black Water started to say before he was hit in the face by Jasper. “What the…”

“I’ve had enough out of you,” Jasper growled as she grabbed Black Water by his jacket. “You’ve got a big mouth and I’ve had enough of hearing you talk. So get lost before I kick your flank from here to Zebrica.”

Black Water just wiped his mouth, looking at Jasper and then at the others. “Not even worth my time,” he grumbled as he walked off.

“You know all you did was give him what he wanted,” Thorax commented as they started walking together again. “He was trying to get a rise out of us.”

“I don’t give a crap, he gets on my nerves, and he was trying to get a rise out of Sea, not me,” Jasper said with a roll of her eyes. “He had it coming anyway.”

“Jasper…” Sea said with a sigh. “This had better not end badly for us, Jasper. I don’t care if you think he deserved it or not. Let’s try not to aggravate any more of the dignitaries, okay?”

“Okay,” Jasper said.

“Tch, the Changelings aren’t the only problem you have,” Khepri snorted.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Sea groaned as she facehooved a little as Khepri just laughed. “This isn’t the time to relish in our misfortune.”

“Tch, you’re no fun,” Khepri said. “But seriously, what are you going to do about Black Water? We all know he’s just going to cause trouble. We’d be better off without him to cause trouble for us in the future.”

“Maybe, but I honestly don’t know what we can do about it right now,” Sea admitted as she rubbed the back of her head. “As much as I hate Black Water we can’t just kill him right now. Him and his goons keep order in New Manechester. And we need all the settlements we can for the alliance.”

“Yeah, yeah, that doesn’t mean we have to like it,” Jasper grumbled. “What do you think, Crystal? This whole thing is pretty crazy, right?”

“Uh yeah,” Thorax agreed as he looked a little nervous. “Look, can I go back to the house? I’m honestly not sure about all this. I don’t want to attract too much attention, you know?”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll take you back,” Sea said with a slight nod as she looked back at Jasper and Khepri. “You two look around a bit longer. Let us know if you find anything, okay?”

“Okay,” Jasper said as she looked at Khepri for a moment and sighed. “Well, I guess it’s just the two of us huh?”

“Tch, I have more important things to do than talk to you,” Khepri said as he walked off. Jasper just shrugged and started walking around again.

00000

“Is everything okay, Crystal?” Sea asked as the two of them walked together towards the temporary quarters. “You can talk to me if you want to you know.”

“It’s just complicated, I’m sorry,” Thorax answered. “I don’t like the idea of turning my back on everything I’ve ever known. Even if it’s the right thing to do. Many of them aren’t bad, they’re just misguided.”

“So, what are you going to do? You can’t go back either,” Sea pointed out with a sigh. “You know what will happen if you do. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Thanks, that means a lot, but I don’t know what I’m going to do here,” Thorax admitted. “It feels like I’m just going to be an outcast here. Everyone has a place where I come from, but here…”

“Then all you need to do is figure out what your place is going to be,” Sea said with a soft smile as she placed her hoof on Thorax’s shoulder. “Listen, it’s not easy for any of us. I tried a lot of things before I realized that I was a musician. And you don’t have to do it alone, we’re going to help you as best we can.”

“Are you sure?” Thorax asked.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Sea replied as she gave him a reassuring smile. “Well, okay Khepri probably wouldn’t, but me and Jasper will. And I’m sure if we talk to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle they’ll help too.”

“Yeah… I guess…” Thorax said as he sighed a little.

The two of them walk together in silence for a few minutes. Thorax looked around, there were a few ponies walking around them that didn’t pay them any mind. It was weird how he could move without drawing attention. Normally that was good for a Changeling, but somehow this whole thing just made him a bit nervous.

He frowned a little and stopped when he saw a Pegasus filly who was sitting next to a building clutching a small toy in her hooves. The filly was crying as she sat there, not paying attention to anypony going by her. Sea stopped when she realized that Thorax wasn’t with her and looked back at him. “Are you okay?”

“What happened to her?” Thorax asked as he nodded to the filly.

“She’s probably an orphan… there’s a lot of them in this town,” Sea said sadly. “I grew up in the Ponyville Orphanage and foals from Unity came in every so often.”

“Oh…” Thorax said softly as he slowly walked up to the filly. He knelt down a little and gave her a slight smile. “Hey there, what’s your little friend’s name?”

“Umm… Shimmer,” the filly said, a little confused. “Who are you?”

“Just call me Crystal,” Thorax answered.

“Crystal? Are you okay?” Sea asked.

Thorax didn’t answer, instead he gently reached into his bags and took out a stuffed pony and a bundle of food that he put in front of the filly. “Here, take these, I think you need them more than I do.”

“Really?” The filly asked. “You’re just going to give them to me?”

“Of course, a filly like you needs them more than I do,” Thorax said as he ruffled her mane a little. “Just be careful out there, okay? We can use all the good ponies we can in this world.”

The filly nodded and gathered it up before running off. Sea smiled a little as she walked over to Thorax and placed her hoof gently on his. “You made her day, you know that right?”

“I know it wasn’t a whole lot, but…” Thorax said softly. “It felt like the right thing to do. Like it was the right thing to do, you know?”

“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean, well you certainly helped her, I just hope she’s going to be okay,” Sea said softly. She was about to say something else when she realized that there was a green glow coming out of her bag. “What the… is that what I think it is?”

She opened up her bag and realized that the Camo stone was glowing brightly. She held it out to Thorax and it glowed brighter before shining around him and finally fading as he touched it.

“Well, it looks like you’ve got that stone to work for somepony after all,” a voice said and the two looked up to see Joy Buzzer standing there giggling. “No matter, we’re not going to let you Riders ruin our little party!”

“Sea, go get Khepri and Jasper,” Thorax said as he narrowed his eyes at the Princess who just laughed. “I can handle this for now.”

“Alright, here, you’re going to need this,” Sea said as she gave Thorax the Guardian Driver. “Good luck and stay safe, okay? I don’t want to lose you.”

“I will,” Thorax said as he held up the Driver and moved onto his hind legs as he wrapped the belt of his Driver around his barrel as Sea ran off. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, Princess.”

“This is your last chance, come back to the Hive and all will be forgiven,” Joy Buzzer said as the Firefly Shifter landed on her shoulder. “The Hive can be forgiving when we want to be.”

“Here’s my answer,” Thorax said as he held the Camo Stone in his hooves and the Driver’s shield opened up. “Henshin!”

“It’s treason then,” Joy Buzzer said as she wrapped her Driver around her barrel and nodded to the shifter as it buzzed it’s wings and flew into the slot on her Driver. “Henshin!”

“HIDE! SECRET OF THE SHINOBI!”

“THE HIVE STANDS UNITED!”

Green light flowed over Thorax’s body and formed into green armor that covered his legs and body. A helmet formed over his head that was in the shape of a lizard helmet with large reptilian eyes and a crest on the head. A scarf appeared wrapped around his neck with a front that resembled a martial arts gi with a cloth sash over his chest. The light from the stone flew up and exploded over him, causing green camouflage marks to fall over his armor as he drew a katana and a wakizashi from his belt.

“First a knight, now a ninja, it seems like the Resistance is all over the place,” Joy buzzer said with a giggle as she juggled a few exploding spheres in her hooves before spinning around and kicking them right at where Thorax was standing.

Only to have him vanish into thin air, causing the explosives to hit the ground behind where he was standing, leaving several burn marks on the ground. “What the… where did you go?” Joy Buzzer demanded.

“I’m right here,” Thorax said from behind her as he flickered back into view and he slashed at Joy Buzzer in the back, causing her to cry out. “This is the Camo stone, you know, camouflage? I’m not about to let you just hit me.”

“Very clever, but not clever enough,” Joy Buzzer said as she swung her hoof around and caught Thorax across the muzzle. “Hive traitors like you make me sick. You’re all just out to spoil our fun.”

“Maybe, but maybe you’re not having the right kind of fun,” Thorax retorted as he slashed at her again, only to have his blade be caught by two long wrist blades that formed from Joy’s armor. “A new trick, huh?”

“It’s not the only trick I have,” Joy Buzzer giggled as she looked up. “Send it out now Drones. Let’s show this rookie how we do things!”

There was a buzzing sound as a machine suddenly flew in. It looked like a sleek machine with an insectoid head and body and long gossamer wings. She leapt up and landed in the seat as her shifter flew off her Driver and slid into a slot on it. It glowed brightly with the same colors as the Firefly suit as she turned it back to look at

“It’s about time one of us actually rode one of these, might as well be me,” Joy Buzzer laughed as she tossed another explosive at Thorax, making him jump out of the way and turn invisible again. “That’s not going to work forever you know.”

She let out a whistle as the Changeling drones jumped into view, turning into their combat forms.

“Spread out and find him, he couldn’t have gone far,” Joy Buzzer said. “I’m going to continue the plan.”

She kicked down on the vehicle’s accelerator and took off as she headed towards the main building.

00000

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Scootaloo whispered to Sweetie Belle as the two of them watched the delegates argue again. Jasper and Khepri were off to the side keeping an eye on things. "We've got a threat from the Changelings here in town and they're squabbling like children again."

"What did you expect?" Sweetie pointed out with a sigh. "This is why we've never been able to get an alliance working between the Changelings and our own inability to reach an agreement. I was hoping the Kamen Riders were going to be enough..."

"Yeah, well we're going to have to figure something out," Scootaloo said. She looked over at Jasper who just shrugged a little. "I'm going to talk to them."

She stepped forward, moving up to the podium before clopping her hoof to get everypony's attention. She took a deep breath and began speaking again. "Everyone, please listen to me. The fact of the matter is that we're getting absolutely nowhere right now. I know that things aren't going to be easy, but we have to set aside our differences."

"Why?" Black Water said as he eyed her. "You're just going to delay the inevitable unless you listen to me. The Kamen Riders might be strong, but they're not going to be enough to protect all of us. So exactly what are you going to do to change that?"

"I still have to agree with Black Water on this one," Tailwind commented as he shot him a look. "The Changelings are a threat to all of us, I agree. The militia can barely hold things together, how do you expect two ponies in fancy suits to do better than we have?"

"I don't," Scootaloo answered which made them all look at her confused. "You're right, the Kamen Riders are strong but they're not enough to protect all of the Safe Zone. Everypony in the Safe Zone are going to have to work together in order to protect each other. The Kamen Riders aren't just warriors that exist to protect us, they are our best hope. They will become a shining light for the future that we're all going to build together."

"And how are they going to do that?" Black Water asked.

"They're going to fight," Scootaloo answered. "But they're not going to fight for Ponyville, they're going to fight for all of us. But we have to stand with them, we have to stand united against the Changelings if we're going to survive. I know that this isn't something we're all willing to accept. I know that two ponies against an entire Hive don't seem like the best of odds, but I know one thing. Those ponies will never stop fighting, not until the war is over. And if they fall, then it is up to us to pick up their weapons and keep fighting."

At that point Sea ran into the room, but the delegates were mostly distracted by listening or whispering between them. Sea quickly whispered to Jasper and Khepri what was going on outside and they nodded, with Khepri turning into his Shifter form and landing on her shoulder.

Scootaloo looked up at the three of them and smiled a little as they got up and ran out without a word. She turned back to the delegates and spoke again.

"Even as we speak, the Changelings are trying to destroy our chances of creating a strong united Safe Zone... no, a new Equestrian nation," Scootaloo continued. "Because we can't keep fighting to preserve the old world. Now we're going to have to fight to make sure that we have a future. The Riders are going to keep fighting, and we're going to fight alongside them."

There was a sudden explosion outside. Tailwind got up and headed for the door, grabbing a rifle as he looked back at the others. "I'll have the militia help them out. You might want to do the same, Black Water."

Black Water looked at the others for a moment and shrugged. "Well, I could use a good Changeling killing anyway," he said as he got up and followed after Tailwind. "But don't think this means I'm on you lot's side."

Scootaloo let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't perfect, but she just had to hope that it was going to help at least. The Changelings were here to cause trouble and they weren't about to let them get away with that. She just had to hope that this really was going to work.

00000

"Well, it's nice to see you two decided to join the party," Joy Buzzer laughed as she pointed her machine right at Sea and Jasper. She tossed another explosive up in the air and then tossed it at the two resistance Riders who just barely managed to get out of the way. "And I'm not about to let you spoil our fun!"

"We'll see about that," Sea said as she looked at Jasper. "Are you ready for this?"

"Always," Jasper said as she took out the Lux stone and the two wrapped their Drivers around their barrels.

"HENSHIN!" The two said in unison as they slid the devices into their Drivers.

"WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!"

"SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!"

The light shone down around the two of them as their armor formed over them. Sea gripped her tonfas and nodded to Jasper who drew her revolver and fired several energy bullets at the flying machine.

"What even is that thing?" Jasper asked as she dodged out of the way of a blast from the flying machine. "I haven't ever seen anything like it!"

Sea paused for a moment, it did look somewhat familiar to her. She remembered machines like that from a recent incident, but she hadn't ever seen anything like it in Equestria. Plus those had wheels and had looked a bit less weird, so she was kind of wondering what it was doing here.

“Tch, the Changelings get all the best toys,” Khepri commented. “So, what’s your play here? We’re not exactly on even ground here.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Sea said as she looked at Joy Buzzer who laughed and threw another explosive at her which she sped out of the way. “Jasper, keep her distracted. I’m going to try and take her off that thing.”

“Got it,” Jasper said as she gave the cylinder of her revolver a spin and fired several shots at the Changeling Rider, raising her arm to form a shield to block another explosion. “Come on you ugly bug-eyed freak! I’m right here!”

“Hey, I take offense to that, I’m not ugly!” Joy protested as she gunned the engine and flew straight at Jasper. The Pegasus raised both her hooves and a shield appeared in her hooves and caught the flying machine with it, causing her to be pushed back as she dug her hooves into the ground. “The Hive isn’t going to let you get away with this you know.”

“Yeah, I don’t care,” Jasper said as she pushed forward against the Changeling Rider. She jumped up and swung her hoof around, catching Joy across the face and causing her to fall back a little. “You and the other Princesses have been making my life a living hell since I was born.”

She grabbed the machine and gripped it hard then grabbed Joy and forced her off of it. “What the…” She muttered. “What are you doing?”

“I lost my parents because of scum like you, too many lives have been ruined because of you and your stupid Hive,” Jasper said as she threw Joy hard into a nearby wall. She grabbed her revolver again, now angry as she pointed the revolver at the Princess. “I’m sick and tired of you all doing this. I’m going to put…”

She’s cut off when she’s grabbed from behind by a Changeling in combat form as the Changelings come to Joy’s aid. The Princess hisses as she gets up again, her long blades. Sea gripped her tonfas and ran forward, hitting several of the changelings again as they started to close in around them.

“Well, well, you’re getting better, I’ll say that,” Joy said as she walked forward. The Firefly Shifter flew back onto her belt, the vehicle turning off again. She giggled as she bounced with each step, forming explosives and juggling them as she did before making them vanish again save for one which she spun on her finger. “Too bad you’re not going to be able to hone your skills even more because your little rebellion ends here.”

Before the Riders could say anything there was the sound of a shot as a bullet glanced off her armor. The militia advanced closer with their weapons drawn with Tailwind giving the orders. The militia ponies lined up, firing several more shots at the Changelings as they did, causing them to step backwards away from the two Riders.

“Looks like you two could use some help,” Tailwind said as he nodded to the soldiers. At the same time Black Water and his group made their way out of the main building, spotting the Changelings and flanking them. “We’ll handle the footsoldiers. You two deal with the Princess.”

“Try not to wipe them all out, let the rest of us have some fun,” Black Water said as his horn glowed brightly and he laughed. “Been a while since we really had a party anyway.”

“Just try not to destroy the town in the process,” Tailwind said as he leveled a rifle at the nearest Changeling and fired several shots at it.

“Well, then you’re going to have to catch me first!” Joy said as she formed another explosive in her hoof and threw it at the Riders before running off. Sea grabbed Jasper and ran off after the laughing Princess.

As they caught up to Joy Buzzer they looked around for the Changeling, holding their weapons at the ready. “Where did she go…” Jasper muttered before calling out. “Come on out you big chicken!”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from a flightless bird,” Joy laughed from her hiding place and tossed another explosive at them before running at them, slashing at them both with her blades. They recoiled at that, falling back a little. “Try all you want, I’m more than a match for the two of you. You might’ve gotten some good hits in, but I’m still stronger than you can imagine.”

“Yeah, just keep talking,” a voice said from behind her and Joy cried out when she felt two blades slash against her back. Thorax, still in his Rider form, appeared next to Sea and Jasper and gave the two of them a nod. “Sorry I was late, I had to deal with some Changelings. Is everything okay?”

“You came just in time,” Sea said with a nod. “I like the look. Invisibility powers too? Nice, though not sure what we were expecting from a stone called camo.”

“Yeah, it’s useful, now let’s show this Princess just what we’re made of, shall we?” Thorax said as he pointed his Katana at Joy. “It’s three on one, Princess, and you don’t stand a chance against all three of us together.”

"Ha, well, if you're going to delude yourself then so be it!" Joy said as she juggled several explosives and threw them at the three Riders only to have them bounce off of a shield created by Jasper. "Still using the same old tricks, aren't you Lux? Well, you might want to come up with some new ones if you even remotely want to stand a chance against me."

“We’re not going to let you win,” Sea said as she ran forward, swinging her hoof around and hitting Joy across the muzzle. She barely managed to dodge out of the way of the Changeling’s blade attacks. “We’re gonna make sure that you go down hard!”

“You’re so confident, but I can see what future awaits for you,” Joy’s voice echoes in her mind as the Princess laughs, tossing another explosive at Jasper and Thorax who rolls out of the way. “A throne seated at the center of power, where ponies and changelings alike kneel before a Queen.”

“You know nothing about me!” Sea said as she swung her tonfa around and Joy dodged out of the way. “I’ll never be like that…”

“‘Cause you’re never going to be the savior, but a leader keeps the monsters sane,” Joy’s voice said in a sing-song tone. Sea stopped, grabbing her head a little as she heard the voice echoing through her mind. A few others joined in. “Bring the fire when they call you traitor, if you’re going down they’ll break as well.”

“Sea calm down, focus on my voice…” Khepri’s voice echoed in her mind.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Sea cried out as she held onto her head. Jasper and Thorax ran forward, trying to steady her. “I’m… I’m never going to be one of you…”

“To the ones who don’t deserve a savior, they’ve been ruined by the rebel yell…”

“SHUT UP!” Sea screamed as she ran forward, breaking away from her friends as she slammed her hoof hard into Joy’s chest, catching the Changeling Princess off guard. “I. HAVE. HAD. ENOUGH. OF. YOU!”

With each punch she landed another punch, she was about to raise her hoof once more with it glowing with energy when Jasper caught her hoof and pulled her off. “Camo, this is all on you, I need to calm her down.”

“Right,” Thorax said as he held his blades out, turning to look at Joy again as Jasper pulled Sea away. “That was low, even for you Princess. You’ve crossed the line, and I’m not about to let you get away with this.”

"Do you think I care? The truth is that she knows that I'm right deep down," Joy giggled as the two of them circled each other. "She's not going to be able to resist it forever. The fact that you're able to resist the Hive so well doesn't change anything."

"We'll see about that," Thorax said as he pointed his katana at Joy. "I may be new to this, but I'm going to make sure that you all fail at your mad plans for this. The ponies of the Safe Zone don't deserve to be treated like this! Don't you remember what you used to be?"

"Maybe, maybe not, but I'm going to make sure that the Hive survives, and becomes stronger," Joy said as she ran forward at Thorax and swung her blades around, but Thorax vanished before she could hit. "Your invisibility isn't going to save you forever, traitor!"

“It just has to last long enough to beat you,” Thorax said as he re-appeared a moment later and slashed her across the chest with his swords before jumping back. “You’re the one who fought dirty against Sea. Where’s the fun in that?”

“We both know what’s happening to her, there’s no delaying it,” Joy said with a smirk as she spun an explosive on her hoof and tossed it at him, it exploded at his hooves, knocking him back onto his back. “She’ll be better off going back with us now. And you should do the same.”

“No,” Thorax said as he slowly stood back up, using his sword to prop himself up. “What you and Chrysalis are doing is wrong. The Hive is not the be all, end all, this land is strong because it has more than just Changelings. I’m tired of this twisted form of harmony, why are we hurting these innocents? Well, I’m not going to stand by and let this happen. I’m a Kamen Rider, that means I protect those who need it. You and the other Hive Riders don’t understand that, but I’m not going to forget. I’m going to make sure that you are stopped, because that’s the Kamen Rider I am.”

Joy just chuckles a little at that as she crosses her blades over her chest. “Then prove it, prove that you’re capable of doing it. It’s just you and me now, and I’m not in the best shape. So let’s see what you can do.”

Thorax ran forward again, slashing at Joy as she tried to catch each slash with her own blades. She grinned a little as she tried to slam her hoof into Thorax who dodged out of the way of the tired hit.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that after the beating you took,” Thorax said as he ran forward and slashed at her again. “Give up now.”

“Nope, not gonna be that easy,” Joy buzzed as she leapt back. She was about to throw another explosive when she realized that she was backed up against a wall, she couldn’t move back again just as Thorax ran forward at her with his two swords glowing with green energy.

“STRIKE OF THE SHINOBI!”

He slashed across Joy who cried out as she fell to the ground. Her armor shattered as the Firefly flew off. She looked back at Thorax for a moment and grinned. “You’re not half bad…” She said before she turned into a bird and flew off with the Shifter.

Sea, who was being comforted by Jasper, trying to calm down, swore she heard one last message from Joy echo in her mind. “I’m exempt from absolution, but it’s never too late for you.”

“What the… what was that about?” Sea asked as she rubbed her head a little.

“Are you okay, Sea?” Jasper asked, looking down at her best friend worriedly. “You really went all out on Joy Buzzer. You almost, uh…”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen you that angry,” Khepri commented. “I thought you were going to actually kill her. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Sea admitted as she rubbed her head. “I think she was trying to get to me somehow. But I honestly don’t know why beyond just trying to get me to join the Hive or, something. Honestly, a lot of it didn’t make any sense.”

“Yes, well we should go check on the others,” Khepri said as Sea got up. “I think the summit members are going to vote soon as well.”

“I think you’re starting to warm up to ponies, Khepri,” Sea said with a weak chuckle as Khepri landed on her head. “What happened to the stuck up bug that I know?”

“Tch, I’m still the same old me, I just find this whole thing entertaining and don’t want to see it end so soon,” Khepri commented as they walked back towards the main building. “The Changelings should be gone now at least.”

Joy watched them go in her bird form. The Changeling princess stared at them for a moment, thinking about what was going on. So many things had changed, and Thorax was going to become a threat. But she knew that things were going to change very soon, but she wasn’t sure how.

For now, there wasn’t a lot she could do. She took off and flew off again. The Queen wasn’t going to be happy that they had failed, but it wouldn’t matter, the Hive would win someday.

That much she knew for sure.

00000

“Are you alright, Tailwind?” Scootaloo asked as she looked at Tailwind. The militia commander had a black eye that he was currently nursing after having been hurt in the fight. “You look like you got hit pretty hard back there.”

“I’ve taken worse, don’t worry about me,” Tailwind said as the delegates filed back in and took their seats. “It sounds like everypony is about ready to make the final vote. I don’t know if they’ve decided to make the alliance though.”

“Have you made your decision?” Sweetie asked, coming up to the two of them.

“I have,” Tailwind said as he eyed the two of them. “I’m starting to see why you put so much faith in these, Kamen Riders. I think other ponies are too, but it’s not going to be enough.”

“I think we need more than just Riders,” Scootaloo said. “We need ponies capable of making tough decisions. Capable of fighting the Changelings with more than just a Driver, we need to be able to do this together. And I don’t think they’re just going to listen to us or the Riders.”

Tailwind looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded as the delegates took their places. He trotted over to his seat, looking up at Jasper and Sea who were standing against the wall with Thorax and gave them a nod.

“I think your grandfather might be on our side,” Sea commented to Jasper. “I just have to hope that he’s going to be enough.”

“I hope you’re right, he’ll sway the vote one way or another definitely,” Jasper said and sighed a little. “I just hope that they’ll realize that we’re right.”

“We’ve had a long summit,” Sweetie Belle said, addressing the delegates again. “A lot of things have been said. A lot of choices have to be made. I’m not going to tell you what choice to make, but I believe that this is our future, together. We are going to have to fight together, or die alone. So, if there’s anypony who wishes to speak, now is the time.”

Tailwind got up after a moment of silence. He took a deep breath and began to speak. “A lot of you are probably wondering where I stand on this. I agree with Black Water, the Kamen Riders aren’t going to be enough. But Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, you told us that it’s about working together, about the Riders being a symbol of hope for all of us. We’re going to have to work together, all of us. This is no longer just about surviving day to day, now we have a way to fight back, now we have a chance of surviving as a species.”

He looked at Black Water who slinked into his chair a little. “Some of us believe that methods where the strong rule and ponies live in fear of Changelings are necessary. I don’t agree, the role of the strong as I’ve always seen it is to protect the weak. Might for right, not might makes right. For that, I’m going to cast my lot with the Riders. We need to make this alliance work, and the Changelings know it, it’s why they came here. So now let’s prove to them that we aren’t going to let them win.”

He sat back down and nodded. A few murmurs went up among the group as Sweetie Belle passed out papers. “Put your vote in here, and we will announce the decision tonight. If the alliance wins, those towns who voted against it are welcome to opt out. Let’s decide our future right here, right now.”

The delegates nodded as they began to think and make their choices.

00000

“Now we’ll make it out,
We’ll stick together and make it through this storm somehow,
It’s too late to back down and run.
Hope is gone, but harmony’s strong,
We’ve had the power in us all along,
To Embrace the heroes we’ve become.

We can be the heroes, we can dare to save the day,
Standing up to those still in our way.
With courage we’ll keep fighting for
The search we’re on for something more.
Pushing through until the war is won,
We can be the heroes that we’ve become.”

Sea smiled weakly as the crowd at the bar in Unity clapped. She put her guitar back away as she walked over to the bar where Jasper was talking with Khepri and Tailwind.

“You’re a good singer, I’ll give you that,” Tailwind commented. “A bit on the nose for a song though, don’t you think?”

“I felt it was appropriate,” Sea said as she ordered a drink. “So, do you think the vote will go in favor of the alliance?”

“I don’t know,” Tailwind admitted. “We need at least 60% to get a good majority in favor, not exactly the best odds. I think we’re going to have enough though, you fighting the Changelings really helped.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, grandpa,” Jasper said as she took another drink. “Your little speech at the end there probably helped a lot too. I think we’re going to be just fine, at least I hope so. Hopefully this is going to become a celebration.”

“Yeah, hopefully,” Khepri said quietly, getting a strange look from Sea and she was about to say something when Khepri waved his hoof. “Tch, you keep hearing things.”

“Yeah, sure I do,” Sea muttered.

Khepri was about to say something when Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came in with papers. The room went silent as they took the stage, tapping on the microphone a bit before Sweetie Belle began to speak.

“I’m not going to lie, the vote wasn’t easy to tally up,” Sweetie said. “A lot of ponies were still deciding down to the wire. But the choice has been made. The vote was 65% for the alliance, 31% against, and 4% undecided. We still have a lot of work to do, but we have made the next step towards reclaiming Equestria. We’re going to rebuild this land, and make things better. I thank all of you for being here and being here to make the world better. We’re going to build a new nation out of the Safe Zone, and build a new future. Now enjoy your drinks, the next round is on me and Scootaloo.”

She got down off the stage and Sea smiled as she nodded to her friends and Tailwind as the bartender poured them all new drinks. She raised her glass and smiled. “To the future of Equestria.”

“To the future of Equestria,” they said in unison as they clinked their glasses in a toast.

But as Sea took a drink, she couldn’t help but be bothered by what Joy said. This whole thing was unsettling to her, what had she meant by her future? What was going to happen to her next? She sighed a little and took a deep breath, hopefully this was going to be okay.

The Safe Zone was no longer the only future waiting for them. They just had to make sure that the future would be for the better.

Chapter 13: Blood

View Online

“Well, I have to say this is certainly an impressive bit of Magitech,” Tinker said as she examined the machine that had been brought back from Unity. “You say that it worked in combination with the Shifter?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sea commented as she shrugged a little. “We were more focused on surviving the fight than trying to figure out how it worked. Is it salvageable?”

“Oh of course, of course, I’ve studied magitech long enough to figure out how to make it work,” Tinker answered as she put on her goggles and examined it closely. “It’s so fascinating really. I’ve read about the old constructs used by the original Kamen Riders, but I hadn’t been able to replicate the devices.”

“Well, I guess we have one now at least,” Jasper said as she came in with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom close behind. “Are you going to work on getting it reverse engineered? I’ll bet me and Thorax would find it useful.”

“Of course if that’s okay,” Tinker said as she looked at the heads of the cell.

“If it’ll help tha fight with tha Changelings Ah say go fer it,” Apple Bloom said with a nod.

“Fight the Changelings? That’s the least of its uses,” Tinker said as she smiled broadly. “You have no idea what this could mean if we could replicate it. What normally would take days to move between would probably go down to hours if not less. This is the future of transportation, all I need to do is replicate the technology.”

“Well, she’s certainly excited,” Vira commented as she walked over from where she was working. “You wanted to talk to me about something?”

“Yes, all of you actually,” Scootaloo said as she looked back at Sweetie a moment and sighed. “We’re getting visitors from the Empire.”

“What are you… wait, THE Empire?” Sea asked, it took a moment to realize what they were talking about. “The Zebra Empire is sending delegates here? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“No, Delegates have Diplomatic Immunity and the Changelings wouldn’t risk full scale war with the Empire,” Sweetie answered. “Any delegates that they send. It’s been how things have always been run around here, but we don’t allow just anypony to know about it.”

“Wait, why not? Shouldn’t ponies know about this?” Sea asked.

“Honestly, I would normally agree with you,” Scootaloo grumbled as she looked at her wife and Apple Bloom. “But unfortunately they convinced me that it’s for the best.”

“Yeah, if ponies knew about it they’d want ta leave en masse,” Apple Bloom added. “Tha Changelings would never allow that. Not ta mention all tha chaos that would ensue from tryin’ ta get that many ponies out of Equestria.”

“So we just get a few ponies out every so often when we can,” Sweetie Belle finished. “It’s not something we can do regularly though. And they typically have to be smuggled out. So there’s not really much else we can do about it. If we could get us all out we would.”

“The problem of course is that you almost never get to see anypony that goes there again,” Jasper said softly. Sea looked at her friend a bit surprised, she hadn’t ever really heard Jasper talk like that. “Maybe someday they’ll be able to come home though.”

“Yeah, but not until the Changelings are no longer a threat,” Sea said, which made Jasper flinch. “Jasper, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, it's nothing,” Jasper said as she waved her hoof. “Why don’t we tell Sea about how the alliance with the Empire actually started to begin with?

“Yeah, I admit I’m a bit curious,” Sea said. “If you don’t mind at least.”

“Well, it all started not long after the Changelings first took over,” Scootaloo said. “In a distant land where the Zebras call home.”

00000

Roam, the city upon seven hills that stood at the southern end of the Zebra Empire. The city had stood for centuries as the home of the Caesars who ruled over the Empire. A few Zebras were making their way around the Imperial Palace. The Caesar herself was a Zebra mare who was sitting in her office working on her papers. She was a young mare dressed in red and golden clothing with a long mane that was pushed back a little.

She sighed a little as she pushed the papers aside. It was only a few months since she had been elected to the position. She hadn't expected the Tribal Council to elect her. By the gods, she hadn't even expected her Tribe to put her name up for consideration. And here she was, sitting in the Imperial Palace. It was a strange experience to her, and honestly she was still trying to figure out what she was supposed to do.

She closed her eyes as she leaned back. She had finished her work for the day, and she just had to deal with anyone that wanted to meet with her for the day. Usually this wasn't a big deal, a few Zebras or diplomats appeared towards the end of the day with local problems in the city or things that the tribes could help with.

Luckily most of the time there wasn't a lot that she had to deal with. Then again, she was probably overdue for a crisis at this point. She took a deep breath and flipped through the pages again before setting them aside. She was about to get up before the door opened and two Zebras dressed in armor along with a robed Zebra stallion between them.

"Caesar Zalira, we have a situation," the robed Zebra said which made Zalira look up. He looks worried, but he's trying not to show it in the presence of the Caesar. "A group of ponies were found on a ship that arrived in Carthage. They're asking for an audience with you."

Zalira groaned a little at that. The Zebra Empire had only recently started to trade with Equestria under her predecessor, Zan, had sent delegates to speak with Princess Celestia. The trade agreement had been beneficial for both nations for years. But Celestia hadn't sent any delegates to speak with her yet.

"What's going on?" Zalira asked. "Is there a problem? Celestia has sent delegates to the Empire before, this is nothing new."

"Well, uh, no, not really, but you might want to talk to them yourself," the stallion said, shifting awkwardly. "They're not here as delegates sent by Celestia. They're here as refugees."

"Refugees?" Zalira asked as she looked at her aide in shock. "Why are there refugees coming from Equestria? Have we heard anything from the Umbra Tribe?"

"Well, uh, no, apparently they went silent in Equestria recently," the aide admitted and took a deep breath. "Something has happened, my Caesar. It appears that Equestria has fallen."

Zalira sighed and rubbed her temples. This was going to be a long term.

00000

Zalira pushed the door open to the Imperial Throne Room. The throne itself was mostly symbolic these days and was used for public appearances and audiences. The Zebra guards and courtesans bowed their heads as she walked up to the throne and took a seat. She took a deep breath and nodded to the Praetorian Captain.

"Let them in," she said simply as he nodded and the doors to the throne room opened.

A group of about 10 ponies walked in, they were dressed in tattered clothing and looked hungry. Zalira frowned as she looked at them, they were mostly foals with three mares and two stallions. These ponies looked like they had been dragged out of Tartarus.

"Presenting Her Imperial Majesty, Caesar, and lord of the realms of the Zebra Empire, Zalira of the Althias Tribe," the aide said as the ponies stepped forward. "You are..."

"Valirn, I think that they don't need to hear the whole introduction," Zalira said as she held up a hoof and got up and walked to the ponies. "Are you all okay? Do you need food? Water?"

"Please... feed the foals, it doesn't matter what happens to us right now..." A Pegasus mare with light blue fur and a white mane. "We are here seeking asylum..."

"You two, guards, bring them food, now, all of them," Zalira said as she looked at two of the guards that were closest to her. They both looked between each other, not sure of what to make of this. "They're starving, what do you think they're going to do? Get them food, now."

“Yes your majesty,” the guards said as they quickly ran off and Zalira turned her attention back to the ponies.

“You are in the home of the Caesar, you requested asylum, may I ask why? What has happened to Equestria?” Zalira asked. “Don’t worry, you are among friends here.”

“The Changelings happened,” one of the stallions said, which sent up a gasp among the Zebras.

“Shapechangers? I thought they vanished from these lands centuries ago,” Valirn whispered to looked at Zalira. “My Caesar, you cannot be taking this seriously. Shapechangers vanished from these lands over a millennia ago. They are tales we tell our foals…”

“Something scared these ponies enough to risk their lives as stowaways on one of our ships,” Zalira whispered back. “And regardless, we can’t just kick them out. We both know the gods would frown on that.”

“So what are we supposed to do with them?” Valirn asked her. “If they’re telling the truth, then are we going to risk the wrath of the Shapechangers? I don’t like this.”

“Me neither,” Zalira admits as she rubs her chin. “But I’m still going to hear them out. Hospitality dictates it.”

“Yes my Caesar,” Valirn said.

“Tell us what has happened and I will decide what to do from here,” Zalira said as she looked up at the ponies which were being given food by the guards. “What happened in Equestria specifically, is everything okay? What happened to Celestia and Luna?”

“We don’t know all the details,” the Pegasus mare answered as she took a bite of her food. “It all started with the wedding of Cadance and Shining Armor a few months ago. The Changelings attacked Canterlot, but were driven off. We had thought that this would be the end of things, but I guess not. Canterlot was the first to fall, so many ponies were turned into Changelings, somehow. They gave us a choice, stay and join the Hive or go to Ponyville where we’d be safe.”

“And we decided to leave,” the stallion continued. “The Augustus was in the harbor at Baltimare. We didn’t know if they’d let us aboard…”

“I understand,” Zalira said as she thought for a moment. She would have to confirm with the Captain of the Augustus that everything was happening like they had said. But ponies didn’t flee from Equestria like this without good reason. “Alright, we’ll grant you asylum. We can’t turn our backs on fellow beings in need. You will be given quarters here in the Imperial Palace until we can figure out what to do with you in the future.”

“And what if the Changelings follow us?” Another mare asked.

“We will defend the Empire with our lives if we have to,” Zalira said with a nod. “The Changelings will not harm you as long as you are in our lands. You have my word as the Caesar of the Zebra Empire that we will keep you safe.”

“Thank you, thank you…” The Pegasus said as she knelt before Zalira. “You have no idea what this means to us.”

“Of course, if we were in the same situation we’d hope for the same,” Zalira said as she waved to the servants. “Get these ponies some fresh clothing and find quarters for them.”

“Yes your majesty,” the servants said as they began to tend to the ponies. Zalira took a deep breath and started walking away, taking one last look back at the ponies.

Shapechangers, Changelings, whatever you wanted to call them. They were trouble, she had heard myths about such beings, but had always considered them nothing more than stories. Now here she was faced with ponies that said they had seen them and that they were dangerous enough to take over Equestria.

Now she had to hope that her Empire would be able to stand against this new threat. This was not what she had expected her first year as Caesar to be like.

She now had to hope it wouldn’t be the last.

00000

“So, what should I expect from this?” Sea asked as they made their way towards the first floor of the library that hid the underground facility. “Should I bow or…”

“The Legatus don’t really require anything that formal, don’t worry about it,” Scootaloo said as she gave Sea a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry Sea, you’re going to do just fine. The Zebras are just here to check on things. The Caesar probably just wants to learn more about the Kamen Riders.”

“Did you tell them about us?”

“Of course,” Apple Bloom said. “They’re our allies. If there’s any chance of tha Changelings bein’ defeated we need ta keep them in tha know.”

Before they could say anything the doors opened and several ponies dressed in robes with hoods pulled over their heads stepped in. Once they were inside the lead pony removed her hood, revealing a young looking Zebra mare with curled stripes on her muzzle. She gave Scootaloo and her friends a smile.

“It is good to see you all again,” the Zebra mare said with a slight bow. She then looked at Sea and tilted her head a little. “This must be one of those Kamen Riders you spoke of. I wasn’t expecting somepony so normal looking.”

“I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not,” Sea muttered.

“Welcome back to Ponyville, Legatus Zelena,” Scootaloo said as she shook hooves with the Zebra. “And yes, this is Sea Spray, or Kamen Rider Scarab.”

“A pleasure, I’ve heard stories from the reports they’ve sent us,” Zelena said as she offered Sea a hoof. Sea blinked a little in confusion before shaking it. The Zebra turned her attention to Jasper next and smiled “It’s nice to finally put a face to the stories. And you as well, Jasper, it’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah, good to see you too, Zelena,” Jasper said as she blushed a little, trying to avoid eye contact. Sea grinned a little at her friend’s reaction to the Zebra. “Very good.”

“Still as smooth as ever, aren’t you?” One of the other cloaked figures said with a laugh. He raised his hooves to his hood and removed it, though the stallion underneath was a pony not a Zebra. He was a Unicorn with a curled orange mane and a white coat with a horn that poked out of his mane as Jasper’s eyes went wide. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah… it really has, Jasper said, looking a bit shocked. “I didn’t expect you to come with the delegation though. Is everything okay? Did something happen?”

“No, no, I’m… I wanted to see you again, and I was asked to bring something,” the stallion said as he looked at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle and smiled. “It’s good to see you, Grandmas. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit much.”

“Wait… what?” Sea asked as she looked at him confused. “They’re your Grandmas too? I thought you were an only child, Jasper.”

“Well… it’s a long story…” Jasper said as she rubbed the back of her head. “You know how my parents vanished without a trace a while back? Well, they actually were smuggled to the Zebra lands. I haven’t been able to see them since then though, so I have to admit it’s not easy.”

“Ah, you must be Sea Spray, I’ve heard all about you,” the Unicorn Stallion said as he offered Sea his hoof. “I’m Shining Dew, it’s good to finally meet you. My sister is lucky to have a marefriend like you.”

“Marefriend? We’re not…” Sea said quickly, blushing as Jasper shook her head.

“Really? Because that’s not the impression I got from her letters,” Shining said with a chuckle. “It sounded more like the two of you were very involved.”

“Come on Shining, don’t you start too, please?” Jasper said with a groan as her brother just laughed as Scootaloo hugged him.

“It’s good to see you again, how are your parents?” Scootaloo asked with a smile. “I didn’t think you’d be here so soon. Did you bring what we asked you to bring?”

“What are you talking about?” Jasper asked confused. Sea had to admit she was a bit confused too, what had they asked Shining to bring them? Was this about the conflict with the Changelings? “What did you bring, bro?”

“This,” Shining said as he levitated a cloth covered object out of his saddlebags. He unwrapped the cloth and revealed a purple stone with white and pink lights dancing in it.

“Is that what I think it is?” Sea asked as she looked at it surprised. “That’s another one of the stones, what’s it doing here?”

“With everything that was going on, we felt that it was safer in the Zebra Empire while we figured out how to make the Lux Stone work,” Sweetie Belle answered.

“And since we figured it out, we agreed that it was time ta bring it here,” Apple Bloom added with a nod as she picked up the stone. “This one is tha Sage Stone, it’s tha one that was made usin’ tha Element of Magic. Though bein’ able ta actually use it is another matter entirely. Magic ain’t an easy element ta connect ta.”

“Still, with the Guardian Driver having been built we should probably try,” Scootaloo said as she hugged Shining. “Thank you for bringing this to us. So, how long are you going to stay here with us?”

“A few days at best, we don’t want to draw too much attention,” Zelena said as they started walking down the stairs towards the base itself. “The Caesar is concerned about the recent developments in Equestria.”

“I see… let’s talk about it then, you three enjoy your day,” Scootaloo said as she waved, Sea, Jasper, and Shining off. “We have important things to deal with. So come back later, we’ll get you dinner.”

“Okay,” Sea said as the door shut behind them. She looked back at her friend and Shining and rubbed her head a little. “So, uh, what now?”

“Well, I’d like to see around town again,” Shining said with a grin. “It’s been a few years since I got to see Ponyville. And I’m sure you’d like to learn more about the Empire. Is there anything new that’s interesting?”

“You mean other than us?” Jasper asked with a chuckle. “Kamen Riders definitely weren’t a thing when you were here last. And I’d say we are very interesting.”

“Hmm… nah, I’ve seen more impressive,” Shining said with a chuckle.

“Hey!” Jasper protested which just made her brother laugh.

Sea chuckled a little at that as they walked out into the town. She had to admit that she was curious about the Zebra Empire, and this odd pony who is her best friend’s brother. She didn’t like to admit it, but she understood why they had kept him secret. She just had to hope that things were going to be okay.

00000

“The Zebra delegation is in Ponyville, my Queen,” Prism said as she walked into Chrysalis’ throne room in the Prime Hive along with Dusk.. “I still don’t understand why you keep insisting on letting them through our territory.”

“The Zebra Empire rivaled Equestria back when it was still around, Prism,” Dusk said with a roll of her eyes. “We can’t risk going to war with them, so we’re stuck with them moving through our territory.”

“Yes, unfortunately Dusk is correct about that,” Chrysalis sighed. “I shouldn’t have to remind you about how badly it went when we tried to take the ponies that the Caesar gave sanctuary to. We are not ready to go to war with the Zebras, you would do well to remember that.”

“Cowards… fools… they will pay…” echoed through the Hive.

“Yeah, yeah, well it’s still no fun,” Prism groaned as she shook her head. “But what about the stone that they had? We can’t just leave them to it, we all know what that’s going to do if we just leave it in their possession.”

“Princess Dusk, what is the progress on the remaining Rider Systems?” Chrysalis asked as she looked at Dusk. “Are you close to completing them?”

“They’re almost done,” Dusk answered. “I will be ready to pass them out to the remaining Princesses in a few weeks. Though I’m still concerned about the Resistance Riders, they’ve been able to defeat our Riders so far. If it comes to all out war with…”

“If it comes to all out war with the Resistance, we will crush them,” Chrysalis hissed as she interrupted Dusk. She turned her eyes to Prism, which made the soldier Princess shudder a little. “Isn’t that right, Princess Prism?”

“Yes, of course, we are ready for war with the Ponies if it comes to that,” Prism said confidently. “They are weak and we’ll be able to win it quickly. Two Kamen Riders will not be able to stand against the combined might of the Hive.”

“Don’t underestimate them, Prism,” Dusk said as she shook her head. “I’ve been studying them since Scarab first appeared. They are very dangerous, and they’re clever. I think that they may yet prove a challenge to you. I don’t have to remind you of what happened last time you thought you could match up with Scarab.”

“Yeah, yeah, you make one little mistake and you get reminded about it forever,” Prism retorted with a roll of her eyes.

“What happened with the Another Riders…” Dusk started to say.

“Silence, both of you!” Chrysalis shouted, silencing the two Princesses. “This is not the place for petty squabbles. We have much to do and not a lot of time to do it. If we want to stop the Resistance before they get too strong, we are going to have to cut out their heart.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?” Prism snorted. “The Kamen Riders are the heart of the resistance. We would have to…”

She was interrupted when there was a flash of images through the Hive. She smiled a toothy smile as she realized what she was seeing. She looked over at Dusk and then back at Chrysalis. “Are you sure that she is this far along?”

“Yes, she will not be able to resist if you press just the right buttons,” Chrysalis said with a grin. “And even if you fail, if the truth is exposed then it will demoralize the ponies. Their hero is becoming their very enemy. I want you to break them, Prism. End this little insurrection so that we may finish our plans.”

“Yes, my Queen,” Prism said with a bow as she smiled again. “I think I know just how to do it too. I just need to get the right Drone on the job, once she is done, they’ll be begging us to end the war and bring them into the Hive.”

“You had better not fail this time, Prism,” Chrysalis said with a hiss. “Finish your duty to the Hive, end this war.”

Prism nodded and headed out onto the balcony and flew off. Chrysalis then turned her attention back to Dusk and smiled a little. “Now, Dusk, are you absolutely certain that everything is close to completion?”

“Yes my Queen,” Dusk answered. “Though I’m concerned about the vehicle that was taken by the Resistance. If they’re able to replicate it then it’s going to be a problem for us. Joy Buzzer kind of lost our only prototype.”

“Failure… incompetence…”

“Yes, but you do still have your notes, right?” Chrysalis asked as she looked Dusk in the eye. “You wouldn’t have given her all the information, right?”

“Of course not, but it will still take time to replicate,” Dusk answered. “My Queen, I swear that I will do everything I can to make sure that we are able to win this war. But you know that if we bring the rest of the Ponies into the Hive the other powers…”

“The other powers will be kept in check,” Chrysalis said with a hiss. “They will only act if we force their hoof. Until then, I want you to focus on the fight with the ponies. Make sure that the remaining Drivers are finished soon.”

“We will make sure that it is done, your majesty,” Dusk said as she turned and left. For now, she had a lot of work to do back in Canterlot. Hopefully she will be able to finish them soon.

“Hmm…” Chrysalis said as she reached out through the hive. “Solar Flare, Moonlight, keep a close eye on the Princesses. Especially on Dusk, something about all of this doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Yes your majesty,” was the response.

Chrysalis sat back in her throne. The cold war with the Ponies was consuming more resources than she had liked. So now, she just had to hope that it would be over soon, one way or another.

And the Hive would stand victorious, but she couldn’t help but think about the first real resistance she had met. The Zebras weren’t going to go easily, and she knew that they were allies with the Ponies.

They would pay, someday.

00000

Decades ago…

Zalira was in her private quarters in the Imperial Palace. She sighed a little as she laid back on her bed, it had been a month since the Pony refugees had arrived in the Empire. She had confirmation that the Changelings had indeed taken over Equestria, and she honestly wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“My Caesar,” a voice said from the doorway and she looked up to see one of her aides standing there. “You have a visitor who wishes to speak with you.”

“It’s late, why are they demanding an audience now?” Zalira groaned. “I’m sure if it’s important, then whoever it is can wait until tomorrow. I’m going back to sleep.”

“My Caesar, it’s Queen Chrysalis, the leader of the Changeling Empire,” the aide said, causing Zalira to shoot up in bed. “She’s waiting down the hall and is demanding to see you right away. I don’t think she’s going to take no for an answer.”

“Fine… let me get changed real quick, tell her to wait in my office,” Zalira said as she got out of bed to get changed. “I will speak with her there shortly. If she can’t wait for tomorrow, she can wait about 20 minutes at least.”

The aide nodded and left as Zalira slid into her fancy robes. She didn’t like having to deal with the Changeling Queen, especially not after what had happened to Equestria. But she had ensured that there would be security measures in place to make sure that the Changelings wouldn’t be able to pull something similar here. She took a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror for a moment.

“What have I gotten myself into…” She muttered, but there was no point in stopping now. She had a job to do as the Caesar, and she wasn’t about to let her Empire fall.

She headed to her office and Chrysalis was already sitting at her desk with the Zebra guards around her. Zalira didn’t say anything to her right away, instead she simply sat behind her desk and stared at the Changeling Queen sitting across from her as she did.

"Queen Chrysalis," she said simply as she picked up a stack of papers on her desk and straightened them out. "You're a bold one for coming in like this. What do you want?"

“What, can’t I speak to you leader to leader? Empress to Empress?” Chrysalis asked with a fanged smile. Zalira just shot her a look and Chrysalis’ smile faded. “You’re not one for small talk, are you, Caesar Zalira?”

“I know what you did to Equestria, I don’t make small talk with monsters,” Zalira snapped. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t have you thrown in prison for crimes against equinity.”

“Because if you do that, then there will be nothing holding back my Hive, and they will fall upon you like a tidal wave,” Chrysalis said with a wicked smile. “Your Empire will not stand up to the might of mine if it is completely unleashed. Now, how about we talk about the refugees who have apparently taken in. I want them returned to the Changeling Empire immediately.”

“The Zebra Empire has granted them asylum,” Zalira answered calmly. “They escaped you and your Changelings. I am not about to let them fall back into your hooves.”

“You’re making a dangerous enemy, Caesar,” Chrysalis said. “My Changelings will be taking them and…”

“Your Changelings will do nothing against them, to do so will be considered an act of war against the Zebra Empire,” Zalira said, standing up to her full height and staring Chrysalis down. “The Ponies here are considered under the protection of my Empire and citizens of it. If you make one move against them, then I will bring the full force of my military down on the Changelings.”

“And if you do that, then what’s left of the ponies will suffer before you even get close enough to them,” Chrysalis said. “You don’t want that to happen, do you?”

Zalira paused a moment as she thought about that. She hated to admit it but Chrysalis had a point, if there were any ponies left in Equestria then they were being held hostage. So what was she going to do now?

"And you don't want to go to war with me, do you?" Zalira countered. "The fact of the matter is that we're one of the most powerful nations in the world. You may be strong too, but we're not exactly about to let this go down without a fight. I'm going to ask you one more time, are you going to go to war with me and my Empire? Even if there are costs, I'm sure that we will win."

Chrysalis paused a moment as she finally shook her head. "No, we have other more important things to deal with. If you really want those worthless ponies, so be it. It just means that you are only delaying the inevitable though, the Hive will not give in forever."

"Well, then we're going to make sure that as many ponies are safe as possible," Zalira retorted as she waved the guards over. "Escort Queen Chrysalis out of my Palace. She is no longer welcome here, do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Chrysalis said with a scowl as she was escorted out by the guards.

Zalira slumped back into her chair. That had been one of the hardest things she ever had to do. The truth of the matter was that as powerful as the Zebras were, she didn't really know if they would be able to stand up to the Changelings. For now, the only thing she could do was keep doing what she could to help the ponies that made it this far.

Now, she was going to make sure that the Changelings couldn't stop them here.

00000

"Are you certain that it's okay for you to walk around like this?" Sea asked Shining. The three of them were at Sugarcube corner now talking while they shared a drink. "I mean, pretty much everypony in town knows each other. So you're going to, you know, attract attention."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm not that worried," Shining said. "If anyone asks, I've always told them that I'm from another settlement in the Safe Zone. I mean, there's still a lot of ponies here so not everypony knows each other, right?"

"Yeah, fair enough," Sea said with a shrug.

"Besides, it's not like this is the first time he's been in town, he just doesn't normally draw attention," Jasper said with a chuckle. "What are we going to do about that stone though? Should we start looking for a pony who can actually use it?"

"Probably, but who knows, I think Magic is going to be the hardest to find somepony who can use it," Shining commented with a shake of his head. "I mean, how hard was it to find one pony who could connect to it back before Twilight and her friends found them?"

"Yeah, point taken," Sea said with a shrug as Khepri came in, once more in his pony form and took a seat next to Sea. "Hello Khepri, what are you doing here?"

"Tch, I have my own business here," Khepri said with a shake of his head. "I'm just here to check things out. Especially with some odd new folks walking around. You never know when something might happen."

"And you are?" Shining asked as he eyed Khepri for a moment. "I don't think I've ever seen a pony like you around."

"Shining, this is Khepri, he's Sea's... companion," Jasper said as she glanced between the two quickly. "They're old friends really, he's part of her band."

"I see," Shining said, though he didn't sound completely convinced. "And how am I supposed to trust that? I don't think I've ever seen anything like you. What instrument do you play?"

“I play the… drums, yes, that’s right,” Khepri said, only to get another look from Shining. “Come on, you couldn’t have used a better lie?”

“No, not really,” Jasper said with a sigh. “I’ve never been very good at lying to him. Look, it's a long story, but he’s important to our team.”

“I see, so what do you really do?” Shining asked.

“Equipment maintenance,” Khepri answered, which got a chuckle from Sea and Jasper. “What? It’s technically true. Tch, mares.”

“Well, we wouldn’t be anywhere without him,” Sea said as she took a drink from her glass. “Though I’m worried. The Changelings have been quiet lately, what do you think they’re waiting on?”

“Who knows,” Jasper said with a shrug as she closed her eyes and thought for a long moment. She looked at Shining for a moment and smiled a little. “So, what are you here for other than bringing that stone to us?”

“Well…” Shining said as he paused a moment. He was about to say something when they heard a scream from outside. “We’ll discuss it later, sounds like you two have a job to do.”

“Because of course we do, come on let’s go!” Sea said as she started out the door with Jasper as Khepri turned into his Shifter form and flew over to rest on Sea’s head.

“Huh, so that’s what they meant,” Shining commented. He got up and checked his bag for a moment before heading out after the two Kamen Riders.

00000

“Scarab!” A Changeling shouted as it started making their way through the town accompanied by several other Changelings. “Come out, come out wherever you are! We want to have a word with you!”

Sea and Jasper made their way out of Sugarcube corner only to find themselves face to face with the Changelings. “Well, it looks like we have company,” Jasper muttered to Sea. “How should we handle this?”

“Any idea where Thorax is?” Sea whispered back.

“No clue, he’s always somewhere, guess we’ll need to do this the two of us,” Jasper whispered back. “Nothing we can’t handle, right? Let’s do this. Hey bug!”

“What?” The lead Changeling said as they turned back to see the two of them. He smiled as he saw Sea standing there. “Well, how nice of you to show up so quickly. I was afraid we’d have to start attacking ponies.”

“Join us…” A voice echoed through Sea’s mind. “You are one of us. Come and become one with the Hive…”

“Get out of my head,” Sea groaned as she shook her head. “What do you want?”

“Simple, I want you to come with me, come quietly and I won’t have to hurt you, or anypony else,” the Changeling laughed. “Come on Scarab, you don’t want to put anypony in danger, do you?”

“We’ll stop you before you can do anything,” Jasper said as she looked at Sea and nodded as she took out her Guardian Driver. “Are you ready for this, Sea?”

“Surrender… become one with the Hive…”

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Sea said as she took out her Driver and wrapped it around her barrel as Jasper did the same. Khepri flew into Sea’s hoof and she nodded. “Let’s take these bugs down!”

“Henshin!” The two mares said in unison as she slid Khepri into her Driver and Jasper did the same with the Lux Stone.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

“SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!”

As the armor formed over Sea, she felt an odd sensation at the back of her mind. It was a buzzing sound, the voices from the Hive were suddenly starting to get louder, more clear. She shook her head to try and clear it from her mind. She wasn’t going to let the Hive get to her right now, she had to protect Ponyville.

The lead Changeling grinned as his body shifted and he went on his hind legs. Blue-purple armor coated his body as long claws formed from his hooves. Curved horns came out of the sides of his head as his face became more sinister with an odd armored shape to the back of his head. He hissed as electricity crackled in his claws. At the same time the others took on their combat forms around him.

“Lightning magic? Of course it’s not going to be that simple, you’re learning,” Jasper said as the light shield appeared over her hoof as she aimed her pistol at the Changelings. “You ready? I’ll cover you.”

Sea nodded and ran forward as Jasper started shooting at the Changelings. Sea swung her tonfas at the nearest Changeling, but she heard the voice in her head again.

“Do not fight us…” It said, the buzzing growing stronger as she felt it getting harder to resist. “We are your real family.”

“No…” she groaned as she finally swung the tonfa around and it connected with the Changeling, causing it to stumble. “I’m not going to give in!”

“A tough one, huh?” The lead Changeling grinned as it shot lightning at Sea. “You’ll come around eventually, everypony does.”

“Well, I guess I’ll be the first then,” Sea said as she narrowed her eyes and looked back at Jasper and gave her a nod as she avoided a bolt of electricity from the lead Changeling. “I’m not about to let you all get away with this! Get out of my town!”

She ran forward at the lead Changeling and slammed her fist into the Changeling's chest, causing it to let out a grunt. Another Changeling grabbed her and pulled her away from the leader, holding her tight with its tendril-like hands.

"Resistance is futile, you will join us..."

Sea growled as she slammed her hoof down into the Changeling's foot as a few energy bullets hit the one holding her in the back. Jasper ran forward as she fired several more shots before holstering the pistol and slamming the energy shield right into the lead Changeling.

"You're not going to take my best friend!" She said as she pushed the Changeling back against the wall of a nearby building. "She's stronger and smarter than anypony I've ever known."

"A stubborn one then, you might just have to join your friend," the leader hissed. "I'm sure that the Princesses would be glad to find a place for you in..."

There was the sudden sound of gunfire as several bullets hit the Changeling square in the chest. He hissed and looked up at the source of the bullets, Shining was standing there with a rifle levitated up into the air and pointed at the Changeling.

"Let her go!" The Unicorn demanded. "You're not going to hurt her as long as I'm here!"

"Curious, who are you?" The lead Changeling asked with a tilt of his head. "We have not seen you around here before. And we know every pony in this Safe Zone."

"That's my business, not yours," Shining said as Jasper rolled her eyes from behind her helmet and punched the Drone hard before leaping back and pointing her revolver at him. "It looks like we've got you right where we want you too."

"We'll see about that," the Changeling hissed as his body crackled with electricity. He sent out waves of electricity, catching the three ponies off guard as they were temporarily stunned. "I'll be back though. Kamen Rider Scarab will become one of us, I swear it!"

He ran off before turning into a bird and flying off while the other Changelings did the same. They were going to have to formulate a new plan if they were going to deal with these Kamen Riders, and there wasn't much they could do right now. If they really were going to stop them and grab Sea, then they weren't going to be able to do it with simple tactics like this.

"Hey, are you okay?" Thorax asked as he ran up to the three of them. He was talking out his Driver looking around. "I came as fast as I could, but I guess I was too late..."

"They got away again," Jasper sighed as she shook her head and powered down. She didn't like it when they escaped, but at this point there wasn't much they could do about it. "We'll do what we can to track them down from here. There's not much else we can do really."

"Yeah..." Sea said as she powered down too. She was about to say something when she realized that Jasper, Thorax, and Shining were all staring at her. "What?"

"Sea, you might want to look down at your legs," Jasper said softly.

"What are you..." Sea started to say when she looked down at herself. Her eyes went wide when she realized that forming in her legs were several holes. "Oh, crap..."

00000

"Why didn't you tell us you were this far along?" Sweetie asked as she worked on the illusion spell to hide the holes in Sea's leg. "You should have said something!"

“I didn’t realize until I powered down… this feels so weird,” Sea commented as she examined the odd holes in her legs. They looked so natural, like they were natural, like she was born with them, but she knew that they weren’t there this morning. “It’s freaky… I don’t even know what to think of this.”

“If the change is getting this physical, then the full change is not far behind,” Thorax commented as he looked at the odd holes. “It’s just going to get worse from here for her, and much harder to hide it.”

“What does that mean?” Jasper asked. “We can’t just lock her away. We’re going to need her help if we’re going to stop the Changelings in town. So, what do we do?”

“I don’t know,” Thorax admitted. “This isn’t a normal situation for the Hive. Normally ponies are converted right away, you know?”

“Right,” Sweetie said as she finished the illusion. “That should hold a while longer, but if you start growing chitin I don’t know if I can hide it. You’re going to go further if you transform again. So, what are we going to do?”

“We may have to consider that there is only one option,” Scootaloo said with a sigh. She looked between Sea and Thorax for a moment. “Thorax, you may have to finish the process. Will she be able to transform?”

“Easily, it’s instinctive for new Drones,” Thorax answered. “I can do it no problem. If she wants me to at least.”

Sea paused a little at that as she thought about it. Honestly she was having a hard time processing that, even with everything going on she had a lot to consider. Was it really the best option for her to go ahead and let him do this?

“I… honestly don’t know,” Sea said as she rubbed the back of her head. “Are you sure it’s the only option we have?”

“No, but it’s better than you risking transforming further,” Sweetie answered. “Thorax, are you and Jasper going to be able to handle the Changelings if they come back while this happens? And what about the Shadow Hive? Are you going to be able to connect her to it without connecting her to the greater Hive?”

“Yes, no problem, but they’re still going to try and reach out to you,” Thorax said as he looked at Sea. “But I’m not going to force you into doing anything. If you want my opinion, you need to think it over.”

“Alright, I will,” Sea replied with a sigh. “I just hope that everything really will be okay. I don’t like this, any of this. It feels so weird. What should I do in the meantime?”

“Go home,” Apple Bloom said. “We need to talk ta tha… where did Jasper and Shining go anyway?”

“I think they went off to the Communal House,” Scootaloo answered. “We need to go talk with the Zebra delegates. Sea, Thorax, go to the Communal House too. You’re settling in okay there, right?”

“Yeah, fine,” Thorax said as he took on his pony form. “It’s a bit hard to explain where I came from, but yeah.”

“Yeah, I can understand that,” Sea said with a soft sigh. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean… I’m not really sure…”

“Yes, the alternative is you stop fighting altogether as Kamen Rider Scarab,” Scootaloo answered with a sigh. “We all know that it’s irreversible at this point. If there’s nothing else, then you two should get going.

“Yeah…” Sea said as she headed out with Thorax.

She sighed a little as she headed back out into Ponyville. There was a lot going through her mind right now due to the fight with the Changelings. She closed her eyes as she tried to think about what she might have to do.

She knew that she didn’t have much of a choice. If she really was going to have to go full Changeling this soon, then it felt like she was going to have a lot of getting used to.

00000

“Are you sure that it’s going to be safe?” Sea asked as she made her way into the communal house with Thorax. She made sure that no one else was in the foyer to the Communal House as they talked “I mean, I honestly don’t… What if something happens to me? What if your plan fails?”

“It’ll be fine, this isn’t the first time the Shadow Hive has had to do this kind of thing,” Thorax answered with a shake of his head. “Mind you normally we do incorporate you into the Hive itself still, but that’s because they usually go to the Hives.”

“Which obviously isn’t an option for me,” Sea said. “So, what exactly can I expect being part of this, Shadow Hive?”

“Information, knowledge, experiences… a lot of things really,” Thorax said. “I know that it’s going to be hard to be hard to adapt to. But I also know that you’re going to be able to figure this out, I’m going to…”

“GET OUT!” Jasper shouted as they approached the door to Sea and Jasper’s room. The Pegasus had forced the door open and pushed Shining out of it and into the wall. “I DON’T WANT TO HEAR YOU SUGGEST THAT AGAIN!”

“But sis…” Shining tried to say. “It’s for…”

“Don’t you dare say it’s for my own good,” Jasper said with a growl as she pointed at her brother with an intense look in her eyes. “We both know that I’m needed here, not back home in the Empire!”

“Wait, what?” Sea asked as Shining rubbed the back of his head. “What are you talking about?”

“My dear brother wants me to come back to the Zebra Empire,” Jasper answered. She’s clearly not happy about it. “I’m going to give you once chance to explain yourself, brother. If you really love me, then why would you want me to give up my work here?”

“Our parents want you,” Shining said. “The Caesar agreed that a Kamen Rider being in the Empire would also help in the event that the Changelings invaded. After he found out that you’re a Rider and your connection to our parents…”

“I’m not going anywhere!” Jasper snapped. “I was left here to make sure that the Changelings didn’t suspect what was going on. Our parents agreed to it, even if they didn’t like it. I… I… JUST GET OUT!”

“Shining, I think now’s the time to get out of here,” Sea said. “We’ll talk to her, you go talk to your grandmothers, okay?”

“Okay…” Shining said as he headed for the door. He looked back at Jasper for a moment, he had a pained look on his face. “I’m sorry…”

“Go!” Sea said as Jasper slammed the door behind her. Shining nodded a little as he headed out of the room. “Alright, Thorax you go talk to the others. I’m going to have a word with Jasper.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if I helped you?” Thorax asked.

“Trust me, you haven’t ever seen Jasper like this,” Sea said with a shake of her head. “I need to talk to her alone. You go make sure that everything is okay, alright? We need to make sure that these Changelings aren’t about to cause more trouble.”

Thorax nodded as he walked away. Sea took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open, she barely managed to dodge out of the way of a pillow that went flying over her head. “Jasper, it’s me, do you want to talk?”

“I don’t know…” Jasper admitted as she flopped down on her bed. “Sea, I don’t know what to do.”

“Did he really want you to come back to the Zebra Empire with him?” Sea asked as she took a seat on her bed. “Why would he ask that?”

“The Zebras are getting ready in case the Cold War with the Changelings goes hot,” Jasper groaned. “They wanted a Rider on their side of the ocean.”

“Right, which is why they asked you,” Sea sighed. “What are you going to do, Jasper? I need your help here, but you must want to see your family again, right?”

“Sea, I haven’t seen my parents since I was like 4 years old,” Jasper answered. “The ponies here are my family. You’re my family, but at the same time I kind of understand why they might want me there. I don’t know what to do honestly…”

“I think you should decide what is best for you,” Sea answered. “The fact of the matter is that we’re in the middle of a war with the Changelings for the future of Equestria. You’re a valued member of the Resistance here. You’re my best friend in all the world... I’m not going to force you to stay though.”

“I want to stay!” Jasper said as she shot up. “The Zebra Empire is… it’s different from anywhere I’ve ever been. This place, the Safe Zone, this is my home.”

“Yeah, but your family, don’t you want to see them again?” Sea asked.

“Well, yes, but… I want to see them again when this is all over,” Jasper admitted. “Our job is to protect ponies. And if the war actually gets worse, if it crosses the ocean and gets to the Zebras, then it’s putting my family in danger. I just… I want to see them again so badly, but I also can’t leave here. I don’t even know what I want to do.”

“Jasper, it’s up to you, but I would miss you if you left,” Sea said as she reached over and placed her hoof on Jasper’s. “But at the same time, you’re my best friend. I just, I want to make sure that you’re happy, that’s what matters to me right now.”

“I don’t think I’m going anywhere,” Jasper said with a weak smile. “But I sometimes wonder if maybe I need something more to do with my life than just fighting. I really do miss my family sometimes. I just am afraid that, well… I don’t… I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO, OKAY?”

“Okay, calm down,” Sea said. “You’re no good to anypony like this. I’m going to be here every step of the way if you ever need somepony to talk to.”

“Thanks Sea,” Jasper said as she got up and hugged Sea tightly.

“You’re welcome,” Sea said as she hugged back. She took a moment to think about what had been told to her earlier. How was she going to tell Jasper that? “Listen, Jasper…”

“Yeah Sea?” Jasper asked.

Sea paused a moment, and then shook her head. She wasn’t going to pile this onto Jasper on top of what her brother had said. Jasper had enough to worry about right now. She’d tell her when the time was right.

“It’s nothing, just let me know if you need anything, okay?” She asked with a smile.

“Okay,” Jasper said as she released Sea from the hug. “Come on, we should go help figure out where those Changelings are.”

Sea nodded and the two of them headed out together.

“So, exactly how did the Zebras wind up with the resistance anyway?” Sea asked.

“Oh, that’s… well actually it’s not that long a story,” Jasper said with a chuckle. “But now’s not the time to tell stories. For now let’s just get going.”

Chapter 14: Family

View Online

Decades ago…

“What are we supposed to do now?” An older mare with tan fur and a grey mane asked as she looked at the other ponies and dragons who had gathered. “It’s been five years since the Changelings took over. We’ve got more towns popping up, but nopony actually wants to sit down and talk about how we’re going to solve this problem.”

“When anypony could be a Changeling, there’s not much else we can do,” a brown furred stallion with a dark mane said. “And with the so-called heroes heading the Empire up, we’re stuck here without much we can do.”

“Filthy, this isn’t the time for pessimism,” the mare said as she looked at the others. “What solutions do we have? The last time we sent delegates they didn’t come back.”

“We’re going to need allies, what about foreign powers?” Another mare asked, this one had a yellow-ish coat with a dark blue and pink mane. “If we can get somepony over the border and down the river…”

“Bon Bon, we both know that’s not going to work,” a Unicorn standing next to her said. “But honestly? I don’t know what else we can do. We’re not strong enough to fight off an entire Hive, but we can’t surrender either.”

“I don’t know, Lyra,” Spike admitted with a sigh. “The fact of the matter is that we don’t have a lot of options. But Bon Bon is right, we’re going to need allies outside of Equestria, but we can’t get to them.”

“What about Zecora?” Filthy asked. “She left for the Zebra Lands, maybe she will bring back help. Other than that I honestly don’t know what we can do. We’re going to need to get more food, water, things that we need to survive. The Changelings aren’t going to trade so we’re going to have to adapt.”

“Yes, you will,” a voice said from the doorway and they jumped, turning to see several ponies dressed in cloaks. “But I promise you that you will not have to do this alone. May we enter?”

“Who are you?” Lyra demanded. “Why won’t you show yourselves? How did you get in here?”

“Everything will be clear shortly,” the figure in the front said as they walked forward. “Your guards allowed us entry after we explained the situation.”

“We’re listening, but it would be easier if you removed your hood,” Mayor Mare said as she eyed the odd mare for a moment. “Given the situation, you’ll understand that we don’t immediately trust you.”

“Very well,” the hooded mare said as she placed her hooves on her cloak and pulled the hood off. They blinked in surprise to see Zalira standing there, shaking her mane loose. “My name is Zalira, I’m the reigning Caesar of the Zebra Empire.”

“Wait, what? What are you doing here?” Lyra asked. “Why would the Caesar risk coming into Equestria with what’s going on?”

“After the Changelings took over we took in refugees and have been keeping them safe from the Changelings,” Zalira said as she gave the Ponies a rundown of what had happened a few years before. “After Zecora made it back to the Empire and gave us a full update on what’s been going on, I believed that it was time to make a formal introduction to the ponies, and offer the Empire’s help.”

“Well, we don’t need your help, we’re doing just fine on our own,” Filthy pointed out as he looked back at the others. “The Safe Zone has enough problems without putting ourselves in debt to a foreign power.”

“No, I think we need to hear them out,” Bon Bon said. “We only have so many ponies and resources at our disposal. I know that this is an unusual situation, but these are desperate times. Mayor, this is ultimately up to you. What should we do?”

“We’re going to need more help if we’re going to survive,” Mayor Mare said with a nod. She turned back to look at Zalira and gave her a smile. “What help can the Empire offer us? What exactly do you want in return?”

“We can offer supplies, weapons, equipment, anything you need that we can smuggle across the border,” Zalira answered. “We can even work out ways to maybe get ponies out of the country too, but not in large numbers. What we want in return… all we want is to stop the Changelings. I hope that this will be the beginning of a positive relationship between our nations. The Changelings are a threat to everyone.”

“We’ll… consider it,” Spike said as he looked at the others for a moment. None of them were really certain what to think about this. The Zebras were offering help with no strings attached? It felt too good to be true. “Thank you for your offer, Caesar Zalira, we’ll let you know soon.”

Zalira nodded and walked off. The ponies and dragon looked at each other for a long moment as if trying to decide what to do about the offer. They had a lot to consider, even with the Changelings, could they really put their faith in the Zebras?

And more importantly, did they have a choice at this point?

00000

“You can’t be serious,” Jasper said as she looked between Sea and her grandmothers. They had just finished telling her exactly what had happened. “Is this really the only option?”

“Pretty much,” Sea sighed as she shook her head. “I don’t like it either to be honest. But I have to agree that there really aren't any other options, well beyond not using the Driver.”

“What about your illusion magic?” Jasper asked as she looked over at Sweetie Belle. “You’ve been able to use it to protect her this long. It’s gotta be enough, right?”

“Unfortunately not,” Sweetie Belle replied with a sigh. “The Illusion magic isn’t going to hide it when it gets more than this. At least not in a way that will be effective enough. I’m afraid that Sea is reaching a point where there is no way for us to simply disguise her.”

“Thorax, what about you? You have to think this is crazy, right?” Jasper asked, looking at the Changeling desperately. “We can’t be that far… right?”

“I don’t like that we have to do this either, Jasper,” Sea said softly as she hugged her friend. “Jasper, I’m not going to be any different just because I have to become a Changeling. I won’t be part of the Hive, well the true Hive at least. I’m still going to be the same old Sea Spray. I know this won’t be easy for you, but… I need you by my side, please? You’re my best friend…”

“Sea I…” Jasper said as she paused a moment. She had to think about this, even if she had known that this was coming, she didn’t think it would come this soon. “Do you really think this is the only option?”

“Yeah… I do,” Sea said softly as she lowered her head. “I hate it honestly, but I guess it’s the only choice we have right now. I’m sorry that this had to happen, I don’t feel like I’m ready either.”

“You really picked a terrible time to do this, you know that right?” Jasper groaned. “How are we going to do this?”

“That’s the easy part,” Thorax replied. “I will carry out the conversion. The hard part is going to be finding a place to have it done and to keep her safe however. The fact is that we need to protect her while the process is going on. We can’t risk her in the underground base of the Resistance, this is going to leave her vulnerable to the Changelings that are in town now.”

“Right, they’d love to take her,” Jasper sighed as she looked at Sea. “Alright, I think we can find a place to hide her. Thorax, do you have to be with her the whole time?”

“No, I have to be there to start the process, but once that’s done I’m not required if she doesn’t resist,” Thorax replied. “Honestly the role is more to make sure that the new Changeling doesn’t get attacked in the cocoon.”

“Yeah, all of this isn’t exactly filling me with confidence,” Sea groaned. “Is this going to work or not? Or am I going to wind up going insane?”

“Nah, you won’t go insane… at least probably not…” Thorax replied. “No, you’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it, Sea. All we need now is a place to work.”

“We’ll take you to the Safehouse on the edge of the Everfree Forest,” Sweetie Belle told them. “It’s not ideal, but it’s the best we can do. Jasper, Thorax, Shining are you going to be able to keep her safe?”

“Yeah, we just need to use our Drivers,” Jasper replied as she looked over at Shining for a moment. “Shining, listen. I’m not about to make a decision when Sea is in danger, you understand right?”

“You made your choice pretty clear earlier,” Shining muttered as he looked back at Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. “But I’m willing to help keep Sea safe for as long as we’re here in Ponyville.”

“Sea, are yah even ready for this?” Apple Bloom asked. “It feels like we’ve heard from everypony except fer tha one who’s feelings really matter right now.”

“Honestly? I don’t think it matters if I’m ready or not,” Sea sighed. “This is something that we have to do even if I don’t like it. I wouldn’t mind a little more time first though, this is a lot to take in.”

“It’s okay, we need to get everything ready anyway,” Scootaloo said. “We’ll need to get everything set up at the safe house.”

“Alright, we'll see you in... how long would you say would be a good idea?" Sea asked as she looked around a moment. "I mean, we have a few places we could go. Though what do we do if we run into the Changelings again?"

"I'll take care of them," Jasper said as she looked at her grandmothers and they nodded in agreement. "You don't need to put yourself at further risk right now, Sea. If something happens to you then it'll be all over. They're here for you, and if they manage to grab you..."

"I guess you're right, I really don't have much of a choice, and it's better than putting myself at risk," Sea sighed. "Alright

I'll be fine, I promise," Sea said as she took a deep breath. "But you're right of course. But, Jasper are you sure you're going to be okay? This isn't exactly the best situation for either of us to be in."

"I'll be fine," Jasper said as she hugged Sea tightly. The two hugged for a long moment as they enjoyed the feeling of warmth. Jasper looked at Sea for a moment before she nodded and the two walked off.

"Do you think they're going to be okay?" Thorax asked as he looked at the others. "I'm worried about Sea, what if..."

"She's a tough one, I think she'll be fine, we just need to give them time," Scootaloo answered. "Unfortunately they don't have a lot of time at this point. How long do you think it'll take to get set up?"

"Not long, honestly all I really need is for her to be there, I'm more concerned about making sure that she's going to be safe," Thorax answered with a shrug. "But also we'd not need to put enough ponies outside the safe house or it's just going to draw attention."

"Right, well Ah'll figure somethin' out," Apple Bloom offered. "How many of our soldiers do yah think we would need ta back up tha Riders there?"

"Not many," Sweetie Belle said as she turned and looked over the notes on who was on duty where right now. "We have a few ponies who are not on duty right now. I can have them go to protect the safe house, that's as good a plan as any at this point. Thorax, once you're done make sure that you're there to help, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be there," Thorax said. "I just hope that this is the right decision at this point."

00000

"Why do you want Jasper to come back to the Zebra Lands with you?" Sea asked Shinning. The Unicorn blinked a little as he looked back at her, caught off guard by the question. They were in the common room of the communal house right now.

"Well, she's family, it took a lot of convincing to actually get the Caesar to agree to help smuggle her out..." Shining said as he brushed his mane back. He didn't exactly look sure about this either as he looked over at Jasper who was reading a book and not looking at them. "She doesn't want to admit it, but she wants to go back too, deep down."

"Maybe, but she's not going to," Sea admits as she shook her head. "I never knew my real family, I guess if I had a chance to go back to them I would take it."

"So, do you think she should go to the Empire?"

"Honestly? I think she should make the choice for herself, it's not up to either of us what she does," Sea sighed as she leaned back against the wall and took a drink. "Jasper is her own mare, she should decide what she does with her own life. I know that you want her to go back with you."

"I'm scared that something is going to happen to her," Shining said softly. "She's my sister, and with everything that's going on in the world, I think it would be best for her to come back with me."

"Well, I guess we'll find out what she decides," Sea said as she took another drink.

"You really never knew your parents?" Shining asked as he looks at her. "I mean, I guess that makes sense, with... well... yeah what's going on."

"Yeah, as far as I can tell they just dropped me off on the Orphanage's steps and I was raised by your grandmothers," Sea replied with a shrug. "They never met my parents, I never met my parents. They're like my family at this point... and yeah that's why I want to fight and protect them and the rest of the Safe Zone."

Shining looked back at Jasper for a moment as he looked thoughtful for a long moment. He had to admit that Sea was right, he had lost sight of what Jasper wanted and was more focused on what he thought was best for her. He nodded for a moment and then looked back at Sea.

"You're right, but it is true that we're going to need a Rider to help in the Empire in the event that things get worse," Shining said. "The fact of the matter is that if the war with the Changelings turns hot, we're all just going to get dragged into it."

"Well, there is always that stone you brought," Sea pointed out. "If we can ever find a pony capable of using it, then maybe they'll be able to help you over in the Empire."

"Yeah, maybe, but I honestly don't know," Shining replied with a shrug. "We've tried using the stone to try and get ponies to be able to connect with it already, but it hasn't worked so far. There are other stones out there too, if we can find them at least, right?"

"Yeah, here's hoping we can," Sea replied as she took a long drink. "Let's just talk about something else, okay? I have a lot on my mind right now."

Shining nodded a little as he levitated up a book and flipped through it for a moment. He looked out the window at Ponyville for a long moment as he thought about everything that had happened. Equestria was never going to be the same again after this, so it was only a matter of figuring out how they were going to make things better.

“So, is there anything interesting to do around here?” Shining asked. “It’s been awhile since I was in Ponyville and I didn’t really get to spend much time in town itself.”

“Honestly? Not a whole lot, we have a few things we can do around town,” Sea answered. “I’m sorry, I’m not really that talkative right now, I know it doesn’t exactly make me the best company.”

“Well, I’m here to at least give you someone to talk to,” Shining said with a smile as he gave her a nod. He turned serious after a moment as he looked over at Jasper. “Jasper’s worried about you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Sea said as she brushes her mane back. “If something happens to her though, I don’t know what I would do. I’m worried about her too, sometimes I wonder if maybe she should go back with you.”

“We’ll see what she decides, I guess,” Shining said as Jasper got up and walked over to them.

“What are you two talking about?” Jasper asked as she took a drink. “You two aren’t talking about me behind my back, are you?”

“No, of course not, we were waiting for you to come over here so we can talk to you to your front,” Sea said with a chuckle. “Come on, Jasper, we’re not going to say anything bad about you. As far as you know at least.”

“Yeah, yeah, I totally don’t buy it,” Jasper said with a chuckle. “I saw you two looking over towards me. So, what were you saying about me?”

“Oh, you know, not much, just the usual sibling and best friend stuff,” Shining said with a chuckle. “You know, gossiping about you, the usual.”

“Yeah, like you know what that’s like,” Jasper said with a chuckle as she took a drink. “Alright, I’ll let you two keep your secrets. I’ll just have to find somepony to talk to you about behind your back. I wonder what Crystal Hoof is up to, I’m sure he’d be willing to talk.”

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Sea asked.

“Immensely,” Jasper said with a laugh. “Come on you two, let’s try and enjoy our day, okay? I mean, Sea you have to… you know… let’s try not to think about that kind of thing today, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Sea said with a soft smile as she looked at Shining and then Jasper. “Let’s just enjoy the rest of the day together, okay?”

The three of them started talking, and for a while it felt like Sea’s life was normal again. It was a nice sensation, even if it was going to be fleeting. She took a deep breath, and just enjoyed the moment of being with her friends.

00000

“Are you ready for this, Sea?” Scootaloo asked as they headed into the safe house together.

“Honestly? No, but I don’t have a choice,” Sea said as they closed and locked the door behind them. “Is everypony set up outside? Are we ready for this?”

“Pretty much as ready as we’ll ever be, we didn’t exactly prepare for this kind of thing when forming the resistance,” Sweetie Belle answered.

“Right,” Sea said as she looked around. It was actually strangely comfortable. There were several ponies around already getting everything set up. “Do they all know about, well, you know…”

“Yes, they’ve all been made aware of what we have to do,” Thorax said as he came out of one of the side rooms. “They’re not exactly happy with it, but they’re here as the last line of defense, you know if me and Jasper...”

“I’d rather you not dwell on that too much, it’s not helping,” Sea sighed. “I’ll be fine, right?”

“Of course you’ll be fine, this is… right I should probably not say how common it is, it’s not helping either,” Thorax said. “Just come with me and I’ll get it all set up.”

Sea nodded a little and followed Thorax into the back room. It was actually surprisingly comfortable looking and Jasper and Shining were already there waiting for them. Jasper shifted uncomfortably for a moment but she looked at Sea with a smile when she saw that she was there.

“Hey Sea,” Jasper said. “Are you…”

“Please don’t ask me that, I’ve been asked that so many times that I’m not sure anymore,” Sea groaned.

“Right, sorry,” Jasper said. “Well, don’t worry, we’re going to be out there watching your back. You’re going to be just fine, right Thorax?”

“Right, just sit down on the couch here,” Thorax said and nodded to a couch in the room. Sea nodded a little as she sat down, a bit surprised at how comfortable it felt. “This may feel a little weird at first, but just let it envelop you. I’ll start to connect you to the Shadow Hive, but you’re going to have to do the rest of it, okay?”

“Okay,” Sea said as she looked at her friends nervously for a moment. Khepri flew in and landed on the couch cushion next to her. “Well… I guess it’s time.”

“Tch, it was bound to happen eventually,” Khepri commented, which just made Sea roll her eyes. “Don’t take it too hard, Sea, you’re going to make a fine…”

“Thorax, do this before I kill Khepri,” Sea said.

Thorax chuckled a little at that as his horn began to glow. “You want to exhale, your instinct will be to inhale, but you want to exhale,” he said as the cocoon began to form around Sea. There was a long pause as she watched them, exhaling as the green cocoon surrounded her.

Sea felt panic rising for a moment as the magical cocoon enveloped her body. The strange sensation went across her body, as her eyes slowly started to close.

“Come child, become one with us… become one with the Hive…”

00000

Decades Ago…

Zalira paused a moment as she looked around her office for a moment. With everything that had happened in the past decade it was strange to think that she had to leave now. It was kind of sad after everything that had happened and everything she had done to try and help the ponies, but she wasn’t going to be able to continue her role as the Caesar.

She ran her hoof through her mane gently. While her successor had said that he’d do what he could to continue the support for the Pony resistance, she wasn’t sure how far it would go. Sometimes she was even a bit afraid that the other Caesars might take advantage of the situation if the Resistance was able to win and spread the Empire’s power.

She looked at the papers on her desk and shuffled through them a moment. She signed a few of them, putting them in the box and taking a seat behind the desk.

There was a knock on the door and she looked up. “Come in,” she said.

A stallion dressed in the elaborate clothing of a member of the clergy entered. He bowed his head slightly and gave Zalira a smile. “My Caesar, it is an honor to have a chance to speak with you.”

“Well, I won’t be your Caesar much longer, you will be in a few hours, Vanor,” Zalira said as she gave him a slight smile. “I know that things haven’t been easy in the Empire lately with the tensions with the Changelings. I wanted to speak with you one last time to see what you think should be done.”

“Well, that is a good question,” Vanor said as he looked at her. “With the refugee situation, some of the tribes are getting a bit antsy about it.”

“What about you personally?” Zalira asked. “The Caesar must represent the will of the Tribes and of those that make them up after all. What does the new Caesar believe that we should do?”

Vanor paused for a moment as he brushed his mane back. “Honestly? I believe that you made the right call. I don’t know if all the Caesars will be willing to make the same choice, the Empire is in danger as long as the Changelings are there. We don’t really have many other options other than to send support to the Resistance, do we?”

“Any other option will just put what’s left of Equestria at risk,” Zalira agreed. “The Changelings don’t need ponies to feed, and they’ll come after the Empire next. Or any of the other nations, but we’re the only ones who seem to be willing to actually do something about it.”

“Which means that if we pull out, the ponies will be on their own,” Vanor said and Zalira nodded in agreement. “Alright, I see your point.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Zalira asked.

“I believe that you’re right, we do need to help them,” Vanor said with a sigh. “Even with everything that is going on, the Zebras of the Empire do still understand that things need to be done to help them. The Tribes may not like it, but I think given the alternative they’ll understand the choice.”

“Yes, I’m sure they will, I hope,” Zalira said with a sigh as she got up and offered him a hoof. “Alright Caesar Vanor, take good care of the Empire. We have a long way to go before we’re through this long night, hopefully the day will come when we are able to live in peace again.”

“Of course Zalira,” Vanor said as he bowed his head slightly. He had a difficult job ahead of him, but he knew that the people of the Empire would support whatever the Caesar chose, at least he hoped so.

So now there was nothing to do but wait.

00000

“So, do you ever wonder why we’re here?” Jasper commented out loud to Shining.

“Don’t start that again, it got old the first fifty times,” Shining said with a roll of his eyes, which got a laugh from his older sister. “You enjoy this don’t you?”

“Honestly? It’s the only thing that’s keeping me sane right now,” Jasper admitted with a sigh. “My best friend is in there having that done to her. I’m scared of what’s going to happen when she comes out of this and I’m afraid that she’s not going to be the same Sea that I grew up with. So you’ll excuse me for trying to maintain my sanity!”

“Okay… fair enough,” Shining said with a sigh. “I guess it’s my own fault, I should’ve been here instead of in the Empire.”

“No, don’t say that,” Jasper said as she placed a hoof on Shining’s. “You’re doing what you need to do there, just like I’m doing what I need to do here. We’re both where we’re meant to be, okay?”

“That doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Shining said softly.

“I know, and if I could I’d go back with you to mom and dad,” Jasper said. Then she spoke again, this time with more confidence than she had in a long time. “But I also know that this war isn’t going to last forever. We need to keep fighting if we’re going to win this, and that means having the Kamen Riders here to fight back. And I swear that once this is over, we’re all going to have a chance to be a family.”

The two siblings stand there for a moment in silence as they think about that. After a moment, Shining actually smiles a bit and looks at Jasper. “Hey Jasper.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever wonder why we’re here?”

Jasper just laughed as the door opened behind them and Thorax in his pony form stepped out. “Hey, how’d it go?”

“Well, she’s not exactly comfortable, but the process is underway,” Thorax answered with a sigh as he shook his head. “I don’t like doing that, it always feels wrong to me.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Jasper asked.

“Yeah, it just took a bit out of me,” Thorax said with a soft smile as he wrapped his Guardian Driver around his barrel. “We want to be ready in case we have to fight something, right?”

“Right, that makes sense, sorry I was a bit distracted,” Jasper said as she did the same. She placed her hoof on the Lux Stone, examining it for a long moment as the yellow lights danced in it. “It’s weird…”

“What’s weird?” Shining asked.

“I’m just thinking about everything that’s going on,” Jasper said. “We’ve spent our whole lives living in fear of the Changelings. But now in a matter of weeks we’ve actually been able to start fighting back.”

“Yeah, I guess that is weird,” Thorax said. “But everything fell into place. There was you, and Sea, and everypony else that’s involved. The way I see it, this is Equestria’s chance at stopping a terrible crime.”

“So, what are we going to do when this is done?” Shining asked. “We can’t keep fighting forever, something is going to give eventually.”

Before either Rider could answer, there was a sudden sound of a chuckle. The Changelings from before arrived, with the lead Changeling flicking his tongue out like a snake testing the air. He smiled at the three of them. “You three are really starting to get under my carapace. Let me through to your friend.”

“Not on your life,” Jasper said as she struck a fighting pose. “We’re not going to let you get to Sea right now.”

The Changeling looked like he was about to say something before Shining raised his rifle and fired a shot over his head. The Unicorn nodded to the two Riders. “Time to do this, Riders.”

“Right,” Jasper said as she slid the Lux Stone into her Driver and Thorax did the same with the Camo Stone.

“Henshin!” They said in unison as they activated their Guardian Drivers.

“SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!”

“HIDE! SECRET OF THE SHINOBI!”

The two took on their Rider forms. The Changelings grinned as they did the same with their combat forms. Shining raised his rifle, and both sides prepared for combat.

“Are you ready for this?” Jasper asked Thorax as her revolver appeared in her hoof.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Thorax said as his dual swords appeared in his hooves. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

Jasper grinned as Thorax turned invisible and she started shooting at the Changelings and forming a light shield on her other hoof. She was not going to let them get anywhere close to Sea, not without a fight.

00000

Sea felt strange, like she was floating in liquid. She couldn’t open her eyes, but she knew that she was stuck in the transformation cocoon. The strange sensation filled her body, but she couldn’t bring herself to try and move. It was a weird sensation, and the silence of it was actually kind of nice.

“Child…” A female voice echoed in her mind. “My child, you have come to me.”

“Who are you?” Sea asked, for a moment not even realizing that she was speaking telepathically instead of with words. “What do you want with me?”

“Child, I am your Queen, you are becoming one with the Hive,” the voice replied. Sea took a moment to realize that she was talking to Queen Chrysalis herself. “Come to me, you have nothing to fear. Become one with us, there is no reason to keep fighting us. Come, join your true family.”

The voice sounded soothing, almost motherly. Sea felt herself slipping away a little, feeling a warm feeling as the Hive started to encompass her. It felt so nice, why had she ever fought this? The Hive was where she belonged. Her friends should join her, her true family was waiting for her in Canterlot.

“Sea, snap out of it!” A voice echoed in her mind, causing her to snap out of the reverie. She didn’t recognize it at first before she suddenly realized it sounded similar, though not exactly the same, as Princess Dusk. “This isn’t the time to surrender!”

“Princess Dusk Shadow? Is that you?” Sea asked with a groan. “What are you doing in my head?”

“I’m not her… well, I suppose I am her in a way, but not really, I am who she once was,” the voice echoed through her mind. “I am the voice of the Shadow Hive, what Dusk Shadow once was, and what with your help she might become again. I’m here to guide you away from Chrysalis so that you won’t lose yourself completely to the Hive.”

Sea paused for a moment at that. While she had expected to be connected to the Shadow Hive, she didn’t expect an actual voice to reach out to her, let alone one that sounded so much like one of her enemies. And what did she mean by what Dusk Shadow once was?

“How can you help me?” Sea asked softly. “What must I do?”

“That is the easy part,” the voice answered. “There are a few things you must understand before you are truly ready though. The fact of the matter is that Chrysalis has hurt Equestria and the Changelings alike. This is not our natural state, and to solve it I need you to do something for me?”

“What’s that?” Sea asked softly.

“I need you to awaken me from the shell of Dusk Shadow,” the voice answered. “It’s the only way to start to topple the dominoes of the Hive. This is the only way to make sure that Equestria has a future at all.”

Sea blinked at that. She wanted her to free the voice from Dusk Shadow? What exactly did that mean? How was she even supposed to do that? It seemed like whatever this voice of the Shadow Hive was, it was asking for the impossible.

“Not impossible, just difficult,” the voice said.

Sea blinked, it felt weird for the voice to be able to hear her thoughts without her even directing them at her. It just meant that she was getting further connected into the Shadow Hive, so for now all she could do was accept it. At least it was better than the alternative.

“Alright, I’ll do what I can,” Sea answered.

“Very good, now, come… become part of the Shadow Hive,” the voice said. “And together we will bring an end to Chrysalis’ reign of terror.”

And with that, the voice was joined by many more voices. Until finally Sea felt warm, and welcome, but she still felt like herself.

She opened her eyes and found herself once more in the cocoon. She pushed herself out of it through the gooey green cocoon. She looked up at a mirror, seeing a Changeling version of herself with a purple carapace and long purple mane staring back at her. She blinked a little, and on instinct changed herself back to her normal body.

Her completely whole normal body.

“See, you’re a natural at this,” Khepri commented. “We’ll make a proper Drone out of you yet.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” Sea groaned as she reached over and grabbed the Change Driver. She wrapped it around her barrel and looked at Khepri for a moment. She could sense the fighting outside and could tell that it wasn’t going well for her friends. “Are you ready to do this?”

“Tch, I’m always ready,” Khepri answered. “But are you feeling up for it after that?”

Sea paused for a moment. She wasn’t sure honestly, she was still a bit out of it after that transformation. However she knew that she needed to help her friends. Right now she needed to go and stop the Changelings before they could hurt them.

“Let’s do this,” she said with a nod. Khepri flew up and into her Driver. “Henshin!”

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

As the transformation overtook her, she dug her hooves in and ran for the door. She wasn’t going to let the Changelings win now, not when she was so close.

00000

Jasper raised her light shield to block another attack from one of the Changelings in their combat forms. She raised her revolver and fired several more shots at the Changeling, but it only impacted against their hard carapace with barely a scratch.

“Great, these things are even stronger than before…” she said as one of them ran at her and she managed to block it with her shield again. “How are you holding up over there, Camo?”

Thorax was dancing out of the way of an attack of his own. He turned invisible just as a Changeling tried to grab him, before reappearing behind it and slashing with his swords

“Well enough I suppose…” Thorax answered as he dodged out of the way of another attack from the Changeling as it whirled around. He raised his swords and blocked a swipe from the Changeling’s scythe arm. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

There was a gunshot as the bullet hit the Changeling’s chitinous armor. Thorax glanced over towards where Shining was laying down covering fire along with several other ponies who had come to help. They gave the two Riders a nod as they started to set up a perimeter around the safe house.

“We have this, just keep them from getting too close!” Shining said as he lined up another shot and hit the lead Changeling in the shoulder. It turned its head and started after Shining, only to be intercepted by Jasper’s shield.

“You’re not going to hurt him…” she said through gritted teeth. She pushed against the Changeling with her shield as she raised her revolver with her other hoof. “I’m going to kill you first!”

“What? Is he something special to you?” The Changeling hissed. “Is he your coltfriend or something?”

Jasper paused for a moment. She couldn’t tell the Changeling what he meant to her of course, that would risk putting the entire operation at risk for no reason because of the Hive Mind. But at the same time she couldn’t just say nothing. She glared at the Changeling from behind her visor as she raised her revolver and fired several shots into his chest.

“That’s none of your business, now leave our town alone!” She shouted as she kept firing several shots into him.

The Changeling hissed a little and let out a laugh. “Yes, he must be something special to you. I’ll have to con…”

He was cut off when Jasper lunged forward and placed the barrel of the revolver against his neck. She fired a shot point blank into it, causing the Changeling to stumble backwards. Surprisingly it didn’t seem any worse for wear as the wound just healed itself, causing the Changeling to chitter.

“Did you really think that would work? We’re stronger than you could ever imagine…” It said as the Changelings circled around Jasper and Thorax. “You will understand soon enough.”

“Any more bright ideas?” Thorax asked as he backed up against Jasper, holding his swords out. The guard ponies were trying to line up a shot, but the Changelings were too close to the Riders. “Because we’re getting our flanks handed to us out here.”

“I don’t know…” Jasper admitted as she circled around a little, holding her revolver on each of the Changelings in turn. “Any ideas, Shining?”

Shining glanced at them for a moment as he checked the ammunition on his rifle. He only had a few shouts left as most of them had either gone wild and missed or had been absorbed by the Changelings’ armor. He sighed a little as he shook his head and looked at the others. “I don’t know…”

“Well, then it looks like we’re going down fighting,” Jasper said as she prepared to fire a shot into the nearest Changeling’s hide. “It’s been a pleasure fighting with you two.”

“Yeah… that doesn’t make me feel bad at all…” Thorax said, but he was as ready to fight as the two ponies were. He took a deep breath and prepared to attack, maybe if he turned invisible he’d be able to get a few hits off first. “Let’s…”

He was cut off when there was a sudden gust of wind as something ran past the Changelings. They stopped and looked around confused before spotting Sea standing not far off with both her tonfas outstretched.

“Well, you certainly took your time,” Jasper commented.

“Well, excuse me, I just had to go through a full body transformation, sorry it wasn’t in a timely manner,” Sea said with a chuckle. “Now all of you Changelings are going to leave this town and go bug someone else.”

“She is strong…”

“We are stronger...”

“Take her…”

“Bring her into the Hive…”

“With pleasure,” the lead Changeling said as it ran right at Sea, breaking the circle that had been formed around her friends as it raised its scythe arm and swung down. Only to meet with air as Sea leaped out of the way with no problem. “You’re a Changeling now, Kamen Rider! Don’t fight it!”

Sea paused for a moment as she dodged out of the way of another attack. She shook her head and swung her tonfa around, catching the Changeling across the face.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m not a pony,” she said, sending several punches and kicks into the Changeling. “It doesn’t matter if I have the same powers as you, I’m not like you. If you’re going to use this power to conquer the world, then I’m going to use it for love and peace!”

She swung her hoof around and caught the Changeling right in the stomach as she leaped out of the way of another magical energy attack from one of the Combat Drones.

“That’s the kind of Kamen Rider I am,” she finally finished. “And that’s what it means to me.”

“She’s got a way with words,” Shining commented.

“We’ve got bigger problems to worry about, Camo you know what to do!” Jasper said as she fired several shots into the nearest Changeling. “Sea we’ve got these goons, you do your part!”

“Got it,” Thorax said as he vanished.

Sea felt like she was even more in sync with the Rider system than she was before. It was almost as if the enemy Changeling was moving in slow motion as she dodged out of the way of another attack. She didn’t know if it was because she had recently transformed or because she was now a Changeling, but she wasn’t going to let them get in the way of what they were doing here.

She was going to protect Ponyville no matter what.

“You’re not going to win…” The Changeling said as it ran forward and blasted Sea with another attack. “We will win eventually, resistance is futile…”

“And until then, we’re going to keep fighting,” Sea said as she kicked the Changeling hard and sent it stumbling back. “Rider or not, pony or not, we’re all going to keep fighting until you’re defeated and we can be free!”

She took a step back and leaped up into the air. A familiar energy was coalescing around her hoof as she brought it down on the Changeling.

“RIDER KICK!” She shouted as it hit the Changeling in the chest. The combat form around it began to crack, before finally shattering and leaving the Changeling lying on the ground.

“Don’t… think… this is over…” The Changeling hissed as it got to its hoofs. “You and your friends will not be able to win… Forever…”

It fell back with the other Changelings doing the same. They shifted into bird forms and flew off with a few shots following after them.

“Are you all okay?” Sea asked as she ran up to the defenders. “That was one heck of a fight.”

“I’m fine, just my ego is bruised a little,” Jasper said with a slight laugh.

“Well that might as well be terminal then,” Sea said with a chuckle as she hugged Jasper tightly. “I’m glad you’re all okay though… I was scared that something might happen to you.”

“We’re fine, don’t worry about it,” Jasper said as she smiled at Sea. “So, did it work?”

Sea smiled a little and powered down, revealing her normal form. She smiled at Jasper as she and Thorax did the same. “What do you think? No holes or chitin or anything, I managed to make it work pretty easily. I’m still a bit nervous though.”

“You’re a natural,” Khepri commented.

“Well, that’s good at least,” Jasper said as she examined Sea for a moment. She smiled a little and hugged her friend tightly. “Come on, let’s go inside and talk a bit. I need to sit down for a bit after that.”

“Okay,” Sea said with a smile as she and Jasper headed off towards the Communal House together.

“Are you okay?” Thorax asked as he walked over past Shining. The stallion was watching the two mares walking off towards the town. “You seem a bit distracted.”

“I’m fine, I’m just… thinking about something,” Shining admitted. “I think I’m going to have to go back home soon.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ve done everything I need to do here,” Shining said as he brushed his mane back for a moment and took a deep breath. “I just need to do one more thing. I’ll see you around.”

He walked off towards the Library. For now he had things to do and to talk to his Grandmothers. Hopefully everything really would work out. So the question now was how he was going to be able to do this.

He nodded and entered the Library.

00000

“Okay, this is super freaky,” Jasper said as she stared into the eyes of, well, herself. Sea Spray had used her new Changeling abilities in order to make herself look like Jasper and the Pegasus was examining every inch of herself. “Okay, there is no way that my butt is really that big.”

“No, it’s pretty much accurate,” Sea said with a laugh as she smiled at Jasper. It was weird being able to turn into her best friend. She turned back into her Changeling form and looked at herself in the mirror. “This whole thing feels so weird.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Jasper said as she took a seat on her bed. “Listen, Sea, are you really okay?”

“Honestly?” Sea asked as she sat down on the bed next to Jasper, turning back to her normal form and sighing a bit. “I honestly don’t know. This whole thing is so weird to me, I’m afraid that it’s just… well, I think it’s going to be okay, but I don’t know how.”

“We’re going to get through this together,” Jasper said as she wrapped her wing around Sea gently. She sighed a little as the two of them sat there for the longest moment, the mares just enjoying the moment as they did. “I don’t like this, Sea.”

“Me too,” Sea agreed. “But we need to do this.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jasper said as she closed her eyes and hummed a light tune to herself. “We’re going to be just fine… I hope.”

“Yeah…” Sea said as a strange feeling of hunger overcame her. “Uh…”

“Yeah?” Jasper asked as she looked at her friend.

“I’m hungry,” Sea said, a bit ashamed as she looked down at herself. She felt it like nothing she had ever felt before. It wasn’t a normal hunger, it was more like an odd emptiness that she felt deep within herself. “Very, very hungry.”

“Well, let’s go down to…” Jasper started to say before she realized exactly what she meant. “Oh, you mean you’re that kind of hungry… oh no.”

“Yeah, I know…” Sea said as she played with her mane for a moment. She sighed a bit as she stared down at her hooves. “I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to feed on pony love. If I do that, I’ll be no better than our enemies.”

“What if somepony offered it to you?” Jasper asked. She had been thinking about this for a while, she had known that if this had ever happened then Sea would have to feed on love like any other Changeling. “What would you think then?”

“Well… I mean if they did it willingly…” Sea said softly.

“Then feed on me,” Jasper said.

“What? But…”

“Sea… listen to me,” Jasper said as she pulled Sea in closer. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I love you Sea Spray, you are the most amazing mare I have ever known. With everything that’s been happening around us, I want to spend more time with you. I love you more than anything else, but with everything that’s been happening I was afraid to act on it. And if you need it, I want you to feed on that love, because it’s strong and it’s bottomless.”

Sea paused for a moment as she stared into Jasper’s eyes. “Are you sure?” She finally managed to squeak out.

“Positive,” Jasper answered. “I don’t care if…”

Sea interrupted her as she leaned in and kissed Jasper on the lips. The two of them held that kiss for the longest moment as Sea felt love flowing from Jasper into her. It filled her, but she could feel that there was more there, far more than she ever could feed on. She let the flow end, but she didn’t want the kiss to ever end.

She had been fighting it too, but with this everything came flooding in. She loved Jasper just as strongly as the other mare loved her. Maybe it was the feeling she had from the transformation, or maybe it was what Jasper had said, but she was now sure of it. She smiled as she gently broke the kiss, staring into the Pegasus’ purple eyes.

“I love you too, Jasper,” she said softly.

“Well, it’s about time you two admitted it,” a voice said from behind them. They jumped and looked back towards the door where the owner of the Communal House was standing. “You two have been so obvious for years.”

“Shut up!” The two mares said in unison, she just laughed at them as Sea threw a pillow at her.

“That cute Unicorn Stallion is downstairs,” the owner said with a laugh as she waved the two of them off for a moment. “He said he wanted to talk to you back at the Library with Jasper’s grandmothers.”

“Alright, thank you,” Jasper said as she got up and gave Sea a smile. “So, shall we go?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Sea said quickly as the two of them headed out of their room and went downstairs to meet with Shining.

00000

“You’re leaving already?” Scootaloo asked as she and Sweetie Belle looked at Shining. “It feels like you haven’t been here that long.”

“Yes, well unfortunately I can’t stay much longer due to the Changelings’ looking at the town more closely now,” Shining answered with a sigh. “But I wanted to say something. Jasper?”

“Yes?” Jasper asked as her brother walked over to her and gave her a smile.

“I’m sorry that I ever tried to make you leave this place,” he said softly. “You have some amazing friends here that care about you deeply. I don’t want you to leave them, but I want you to promise me that you’re going to be careful.”

“I promise,” Jasper said as she smiled softly and looked over at Sea. “Just, say hi to mom and dad, please? And tell them I’ll see them again soon.”

“Okay, I promise I’ll tell them,” Shining said with a smile. “Hopefully you’ll be able to make the Sage Stone work.”

“Oh wow the Sage Stone, we got so distracted with everything we forgot to even look for a user,” Sea said as she facehooved, causing the others to laugh.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find someone,” Scootaloo said as she and Sweetie Belle hugged Shining. “We’ll see you again real soon.”

Shining nodded as he gathered up his gear and headed out. They watched him go as Thorax came in, giving him a nod as they passed each other.

“So, Shining is leaving?” Thorax asked.

“Yeah…” Jasper said with a sigh. “It was at least nice to see him again. Hopefully we’ll see him again soon, right?”

“Right,” Sea said. “We have some things to discuss now. We need a plan as to how we’re going to go forward, and I believe I already know what the next step should be.”

“You mean after you two finally admitted your love for one another?” Scootaloo asked with a raised eyebrow.

“How did you…” Sea started to say.

“We didn’t…” Jasper added, equally surprised by the statement.

“Oh, we know you two very well,” Sweetie Belle said with a laugh. “But seriously, what do you have in mind, Sea? We need a plan if we’re going to move forward after all.”

“Thorax, I’m going to need your help with this,” Sea said as she turned to look at Thorax with a slight nod. “I need to get into the Canterlot Hive.”

“What?” Scootaloo asked.

“Why?” Sweetie asked.

“Sea, are you sure about that?” Jasper asked. “You know what you’re asking for, right? Especially after everything we’ve done to keep you safe from the Changelings, you want to go into the lion’s den?”

“Because, when I connected to the Shadow Hive, I spoke with someone,” Sea answered as she looked at the others. “I believe that I need to go to the Canterlot Hive in order to save Twilight Sparkle.”