The Aftermath of a Failed Invasion (Changelings only/PM for invite)

[Bellosh]

“OOOF!” Snively had no opportunity to relish in Luxuria’s praise, for his goading of Bianca went too far. Being the weakling that he was, the bureaucrat’s back swiftly slammed onto the ground on account of that vile brute of an arch-nemesis. To anyone watching, it would have appeared that Snively was in immense pain yet again; something that medic chastised Bianca over.

But alas, the vocal winching coming from the annoying excuse of a hive administrator was actually yet another of Snively’s tricks. There was no way on earth the shortie could win a fight against Bianca, even if he employed every dirty trick in the book. Even then… Bianca’s aggression could still very easily be turned against her. Changelings might live in a society considered primitive by pony standards, but that gave them absolutely no excuse to fight each other on a whim, as if they were mindless hippoorcs in the service of some fantasy dark lord. In-fighting, in theory, was a deplorable act, and Snively would see to it that Bianca would get punished… even if that meant sacrificing much of his self-dignity.

“ARGH, ARRRRRRGH!!!” Snively screamed, covering his head in phony terror; “NO NO NO, DON’T HIT ME AGAIN!” Cuing a round of crocodile sobbing, the drone "hysterically" whimpered; “I can’t take any more pain... don’t let that maniac do any more harm to me.” Where was Queen Chrysalis when Snively needed her.....?

[Imagination]

Bianca wasn't about to go in for more, it was simply an attempt to get Snively out of her face. Of course she expected dramatics, but... Not like that. Jeeze, Snively, have some dignity. But she should have figured this would happen. Even in the best light that little weasel knew how to make someone look like the bad guy. Actually looking like the bad guy by hitting him probably didn't do Bianca any favors.

When the medic spoke up, she had half a mind to tell her she didn't understand just how frustrating the Administrator is... But she couldn't. Because she was right. The lieutenant heaved a sight, nodding. "Yes yes, you're right. It was unbecoming of me..." she begrudgingly admitted. Wait, in no shape to fight? She certainly didn't agree, but maybe she was just underestimating her wounds. The searing pain in her back had been numbed by her hate for the Administrator... At least until the medic talked her down. But Snively was doing quite the job in acting as a painkiller once again. She restrained herself from doing anything more physical... Like give him something to really cry about. Though she did shoot the medic a look that said 'really...?' in response to Snively's cries of agony.

Her squad was still around rounding up stragglers and Snively was... disposed of, she supposed. So she just remained where she was, taking deep breaths and trying to clear her mind... "I don't know why the Queen wastes her time with such a whelp..." Well, so much for that.

[Tiktaalik]

Figment tensed up a bit more as Duskfall decided to just grab him, his eye widening in surprise. "Nono, that's not neces-eeep..!" He fully expected to be crudely manhandled and winced in anticipation...along with making a shrill yelp, thoroughly breaking out of his normally serious and dutiful state. He opened his eyes and let out a small sigh of relief when he was safely on the ground after all, though he quickly and heavily sulked at Duskfall. "Don'ttouchme.", he spat out rapidly after regaining his composure. His irritation turned to mild curiosity as Duskfall spoke to him further, though. Figment merely huffed in slight amusement, resinging himself to the fact that he would probably never 'get' this stray changeling. "You really are a misfit drone...", he responded back just as quietly.

As Duskfall seemed to finally making a wise getaway, Figment eyed him, considered ratting him out. The loyal changelings here may have been just recently healed, but he wagered they could probably apprehend one errant drone. Then again...he had a nasty kick. And he didn't really seem so bad. Aside from the whole blatant treason he committed--that was a bit of a sore spot. However...he decided he didn't really have the energy for a double cross. The atmosphere was unhappy enough as it was, too. He just gave Duskfall a certain, knowing, look. "Don't make me--and all of us--regret this."

He then glanced back to the others, making certain they hadn't overheard him. Taking inaction towards a traitor was nearly as bad as being one... Though, he could probably just claim he was pretending. There was hardly a time when he wasn't.

It seemed as if it wouldn't even matter, though, what with all the bickering still diverting everyone's attention. Along with Snively's...theatrics. As much as it pained the agent to see such overacting, he was glad to see that Bianca appeared to have gotten it out of her system. Or just given it up. Snively was horribly irritating, to put it politely, but...he was still one of them. With his own special role. Figment inwardly conceded that he must be doing something right if the Queen bothered putting up with him.

He perked up from his thoughts as Aria addressed him, glad to finally be getting some treatment. The fact that she sounded a bit unsure concerned him a bit...but, she'd helped the others fine. He looked her over a moment. "So. Where do you operate at? It sounds like some kind of native accent rubbed off on you.", he asked, both out of curiosity and to see if he might be able to guess it and test his knowledge of ponykind. It would be useful to know where a medic was, too...

[RarityDash]

"You're feeling a tad sore right now,right? That shouldn't last too long and will fade in not too long so sit tight while I help the rest. Tell me if anythin' else starts to hurt."

Luxuria gave a weak laugh and a smile. "It'd be a feat for something else to start to hurt. I can't say there are many places where I don't feel pain," she struggled to say. "Though it is starting to feel better. I suppose you truly know what you're doing."

It was the truth too. As the treatment sunk deeper into her carapace, the pain from her wounds quickly started to get weaker and weaker. Soon she was able to move around more easily. Where once she had been convinced everything in her was broken and she was probably going to die from the trauma, she now had confidence she'd be able to stand again before very long. This traitorous changeling was truly full of interesting surprises. Luxuria found herself grateful and also quite amused. Having a front row seat for the ridiculous struggle between Snively and the female drone Bianca just made it all the more amusing. Things were starting to get interesting... and then Luxuria spotted something in the sky that would ensure that things only would get even more so...

​

There really was nothing to say. The aura around the Queen of the Changelings was one of profound melancholy and absolute malice as she flew in the direction of her kingdom. Failure was a tough pill to swallow. She felt utterly humiliated. She seethed with anger. She wanted to be alone more than anything. At the same time, she knew that she was Queen and her role meant she owed a certain obligation to her subjects. For that, she was looking for a certain despicable drone.

She found Snively amongst a small group of changelings. He was in some manner of meaningless confrontation with a soldier named Bianca. Chrysalis didn't care. THis was hardly the time for such petty and stupid things. There were things she needed to know and she needed to know them now. She swooped down toward the group without a second thought and grabbed Snively by the neck.For the annoying creature he was, Snively did have his uses. His ability to gather information quickly with his crystal ball was second to none. Right now, he was the only one there who might be able to tell her anything she was interested in hearing.

"Snively, you pathetic worm. Cease this foolishness at once. The pain we've all suffered is enough as it is. We hardly need to experience the grate of your whine in addition to it all," the queen said, her seething anger plainly evident.

"I have need of your abilities," she started at once, pushing the bureaucrat to the ground. "I wish to hear a report. I want to know the full of it. How many of our force failed to flee that miserable eyesore of a town?"

​

[SteelEagle]

Nightmare Night had turned into a disaster for those who had delusions about the capabilities of a small group of changelings in the heart of Equestria. Despite alll the words contrary, it was not a secret that they were physically overmatched by mares and stallions and magically outgunned by unicorns and pegasi alike. Subterfuge and deceit, these were the ways of the Changeling and their efforts when tuned correctly could devastate any enemy. This instance had not been a success because they had decided to act like griffons instead of Changelings. Indeed, the invasion of Canterlot came down to brute force. Oh well. Sachadara had benefitted from that foolish attack and she benefitted even more from this invasion as well. Such delicious victory, as she always tasted.

She had taken part in the invasion as the doppleganger of Twilight Sparkle, a pretty purple pony princess who lived in the small city of Ponyville. Her task had been to trap ponies as part of the overall plan, but anyling who had a brain saw a much better avenue for her to take. Taking much of her high-grade formula with her, she was finally able to test it out on the unwilling and the non-changelings. Her brothers and sisters never made great guinea pigs, frankly, and the coverups that followed were more exhilarating than sound science. With pony prisoners of the mind being attacked by her concoctions which amplified her own magica a millionfold every few moments, she had come to dominate their realities down to the smallest detail. For her it was easy, like a bunch of paperwork that in the manner of her magic took little more than a few seconds to fully realize.

And so she had started the process of breaking them by making every moment- that for them stretched into hours- a living, breathing Tartarus. Her favorite part was when she brought low a particularly bratty little filly so rapidly that she had been reduced to a husk. Favorite for effect if not production. Her method required a longer drip of fear so if she had more time with them she would have really done her work on them, breaking and rebuilding them at lifetimes a second speed until every fabric of their being- mind, body, and if she wanted it, soul- quivered at the mere fact that they lived. Then and only then would she grant them the relief of a mind wipe and reprogram them to be sustenance for the hive at large. Their fear would be like tarts and sweets and their mindless love would be the nutrients that fed the hive until one day in the far future their bodies failed them and Sachadara allowed them momentary consciousness so they could have one final fearful realization that their known reality was a lie. So delicious and fantastic a fate.

But because of the failures inherent in both the plan as well as those chosen to carry it out, her plan had not come to fruition. It almost had. With just a few minutes more work they would have been unable to process outside signals for all their lives without her allowance. They would recover sadly, even if the recovery period itself would be long and fraught with identity issues. More importantly, Sachadara had been punched and captured. She had been saved a more brutal attack by the fact that she didn't fight back as caught up in her work as she was and her attackers had proved gentle in the art of war and more concerned with the prisoners. Oh, they had done so well freeing all the prisoners. Freeing all the prisoners...and walking about in her concoction that sat on the floor like a stale lake. Such arrogance.

They would pay for it, of course. The squad that took her in didn't stop to wonder why the mixture soaked into their skins. They went about their royal duty with all the stupidity of a pony. When she awoke in a cage, she noticed that their auras glowed her color ad pounced with all the fury she had in store for those who had disrupted. No gentle mocking or sly speeches, just her fury that turned into their fears. After a few hours of them weeping and moaning and finally laying as still as statues on the ground as the horrors flew by in centuries a second for them, some of them were destroyed and rebuilt. It was this very squad of former Royal Guardsponies, Equestria's so called finest, who trotted with endless stamina- regardless of their torned muscles all she had programmed them to feel was a deep void where their emotions and free will should be- towards the arguing changelings and the Queen with Sachadara laying on top of them.

"Ahhh, the rhythm of their trot does wonders for my spine. Almost as well as their fear," she tapped a few vials of magical substance, their purified fear made real. They stopped and she rolled off of them. A gentle pat on the side and the front two fell like a sack of wet cement to the ground and just lay there motionless and blank as the other three stood there in place, panting in controlled and even bursts.

"I return, my beloved Queen. I see that the invasion didn't go as planned?"

[Bellosh]

"Snively, you pathetic....."

“AIEEEEEE!!!”

That chilling voice of righteous authority! All at once, Snively remembered what true fear was; the fear brought upon by the wrath of Queen Chrysalis. Her Great Majesty couldn’t even finish calling her servant a pathetic worm before Snively squealed like a pig and kowtowed at her hooves. “My most humble apologies, O’ Chrysalis the Stupendous,” Snively begged once his mistress ceased talking, taking care to moderate his nasalness; “I shall take greater care with my voice in the future, if it pleases you.” Bianca was going to pay for Snively’s latest humiliation!

"I have need of your abilities. I wish to hear a report. I want to know the full of it. How many of our force failed to flee that miserable eyesore of a town?"

Chrysalis returned Snively’s gesture with a shove to the ground, but the lesser changeling did not mind the pain. He was needed by their Leader, which meant a chance at redemption. Lifting himself off the ground, Snively dug through his satchel and brought out a travel-sized seeing stone; the device needed for farsight. Activating it with a cackle of eerie green magic, the drone gazed into the crystal ball to spy on the events unfolding beyond the rendezvous point.

It took ten seconds for Snively’s gaze to reach Ponyville, and another thirty to note all movement in the entire . Fearful of further punishment for being the messenger of bad news, the bureaucrat weakly stammered; “I-I’m afraid that… t-that at least 50% of your task force have been captured by the vile fleabags. The rest of your minions are scattered in a wide circle around the town, but even now, the Enemy is using flying chariots to track down the stragglers. The possibility of being spotted if we stay put is very high.”

[Duskfall]

Nobody seemed to be paying attention to Duskfall as he inched away from the scene. There was Figment who was eying him, but Duskfall was convinced that he wouldn't say anything about it. If he didn't say anything before, he wasn't going to say anything now. Probably. Duskfall was this close to turn, and bolting away from the other changelings. A large figure broke into the clearing and Duskfall quickly decided against his previous thought of cutting and running.

Chrysalis found his merry group. As much as Duskfall boasted his agility and hoof-bound speed, he wasn't about to try to flee directly from the Queen of the Changelings. He took a few small steps forward and back into the group of changelings. Snively, whose name Duskfall now knew, was currently begging forgiveness from "her royal highness" (as Duskfall sarcastically thought of her).

“I-I’m afraid that… t-that at least 50% of your task force have been captured by the vile fleabags. The rest of your minions are scattered in a wide circle around the town, but even now, the Enemy is using flying chariots to track down the stragglers. The possibility of being spotted if we stay put is very high.”

The thought that the rest of the town was subject to attack by the Changelings, on one hoof, was disturbing. However, learning that not only was the attack repelled, but that the ponies had managed to capture half of the invasion force, was very pleasing to hear. Duskfall had to restrain himself from giggling and smiling in delight, although his mouth curled very slightly upward into a smirk.

Still, most ponies regarded all changelings to be united under one banner, which meant that these airbourne patrols may still be able to capture him. The closest city he could get to was not close by at all, and for all his agility and land-bourne speed, the pegasi, especially those with military training, could still catch up with him. On the bright side, there was that pegasus pair he had saved in the caverns. Perhaps if luck was in his favor, he might run into them and they could vouch for him as non-hostile.

Returning to Figment's side, Duskfall bumbled onto Figment questioning Aria about her accent. Wait, accent? I must not have been paying attention. Duskfall slipped back into the conversation. "I'm curious as well. What's with the accent?"

[Imagination]

The Queen had arrived! This changed things! For one, the pain in her back was once again nearly forgotten! She sat straight up, a couple of pops in the lieutenant's back rendering a painful wince to her features. But, having her back straight was reminding her of the medical drone's previous request for the lieutenant to lie down. "O-Of course..." she acknowledged the drone before going prone, trying her best to hide the pain in her voice. She didn't want to show any weakness before her Queen... But that was hard to do while laying on the ground with a medic treating her. At the time, the fact that she was so eager to treat, and having her story backed up by one of the key invaders of the last operation, Bianca didn't think at all to bring the medic to the Queen's attention. At least not yet... There was already the chance she might get chewed out for attacking Snively like she did, no need to add assumptions to her list.

Her bearing broke only as she belittled the administrator. It seems her assault will be forgotten and forgiven. In that order. Maybe. Maybe not so forgiven by Snively. HE seemed to have a hard time letting go. After having a chuckle to herself, especially after hearing his squealing at the Queen's harsh words, she felt she had to give the regal changeling her own report. With Bianca being the only military commander in the area, she must be expecting it, right? She spoke with authority in her information, though of course in a respectful manner to her monarch. "My Queen, the Administrator speaks the truth, however my team is currently scouring the perimeter searching for stragglers. We are retrieving and treating as many as we can for the time being, and can make a quick evacuation in the unlikely event the royal dogs stumble upon us..." she said, stealing a glance at Snively once she was finished. Coupled with a smug smile.

She personally didn't think the REA was pursuing. Seemed out of character. No, they'd likely be trying to secure the town for a defensive posture rather than risk offensive action... At least, that was her personal assessment.

[Pretzelparty]

"Yes yes, you're right. It was unbecoming of me..."

For now it seems that the that the armored changeling agreed with her. It was nice to see that these creatures could be reasonable instead of solely aggressive and scary. For a moment she could see why Bianca was so willing to hit this changeling as he broke into a rather melodramatic display. The screeching... oh celestia, that screeching was painful to listen to to the point the little medic wished she could shut him up herself... but she was raised better than that and focused on her healing of figment's carapace while remaining in earshot of Luxuria.

"It'd be a feat for something else to start to hurt. I can't say there are many places where I don't feel pain," she struggled to say. "Though it is starting to feel better. I suppose you truly know what you're doing."

The purple maned changeling smiled rather proudly as Luxuria (more or less) complimented her abilities, "Well I learned from the best... in the hive." she made sure add that last par so as not to raise any more suspicion than she already probably had.

"So. Where do you operate at? It sounds like some kind of native accent rubbed off on you."

"I'm curious as well. What's with the accent?"

It seems she was one hundred percent right about her raising suspicion. Her accent in particular seemed to be the main issue as she kept slipping into it, especially when she was flustered. While she looked over Figment she decided she may as well try and validate her accent," It's what this one said. It uh rubbed off on me. I worked mostly in Dodge junction but after the first invasion I began traveling around to see if I could lend medical assistance to any of our kind who were still reeling from the attempt."

While she went to work with Figment's carapace she noticed that it was rather... misaligned with it's fracture. It was obvious from the medic's look on her face that she wasn't going to give figment good news about what was coming, "Okay... um before I use my magic we're gonna need to set your carapace back into proper alignment. Now this is only gonna hurt for a moment... but, WOW, it's gonna hurt." The changeling carefully made sure to angle the pressure she applied on the fracture and then pushed hard with her hooves upon it. The feeling of pain would indeed be intense but momentary as soon figment's carapace snapped back into place and lowered her horn to the fracture and then after her horn gained it's characteristic glow Figment's carapace soon began to become mended back together. Looking to figment, "So... how's it feel?"

[Tiktaalik]

Figment listened to medic's explanation, nodding slowly. It made enough sense to him. "Dodge Junction...I've heard of it. Fooling yokels like those must be easy. Er. No offense..." Also, the fact she was helping him was reason enough to leave her be. Though, he frowned at the bad news regarding his injury. She didn't need to warn him about how painful what she was about to do was. He couldn't help but look anxious for a moment, but he soon fought the feeling off. Or hid it, at least. There was no sense in griping or fretting--he had to get this fixed. He braced himself when she put her hooves on him, but it didn't really do much for him...

"...OW.", he cried, mostly losing his cool-headed demeanor, his eyes watering as his carapace was forced back into place. He exhaled a shaky breath as she went about healing it, shuddering slightly. When it was all done, he flopped the rest of the way onto the ground limply, in relief. "...That's much better now. Thankyou."

Figment's brief bit of relaxation was cut short, however. Nearly immediately upon hearing Queen Chrysalis' voice, he scrambled back upright, wiping away any tears with one swift movement of his arm. Despite any leftover soreness he still had, her presence had him looking as if he was already prepared for any and all orders she might give him. He didn't want to be anything less than flawless for her, especially now! Though, it seemed she was mostly paying attention to Snively at the moment. Figment frowned in deep concern at the report of his--he certainly made it sound dire... More dire than it already was, anyways.

It really was terrible--it brought back all kinds of bad memories from the last invasion. Though, no matter how bad it was for any of them, he felt the worst for the Queen herself. He almost thought to ask if there was any way he could help...but thought better of it, not wanting to be a pest. If she needed something from him, he was sure she'd just say so. However, while this was all very distressing and tragic to any right-minded changeling, Figment caught smirking nearby him, and couldn't help but glare severely at him. How could he be so callous?! It took a great amount of his restraint to avoid creating a scene with the stray, but he managed to bite his tongue. After all...Chrysalis was right there--for all he knew, she'd be able recognize Duskfall. Or maybe Figment would tattle if the chance arose. For now, he let him be...

His leering at Duskfall was interrupted by his ears perking up at the sound of some very unchangeling-like trotting, causing him to snap his gaze to a what seemed like a whole squad of pony royal guards. He only panicked inwardly for a moment--it didn't take him very long to figure that the newcomer changeling had done something to them. Figment knew his magic and whatnot, and even though he personally found those sorts of methods...distasteful--especially when a drone was dabbling in it--, he was impressed that she'd neutralized an entire squad apparently by herself, though she'd obviously had help in the form of some kind of concoction. His frown deepened as what this might mean went through his head.

"...I hope all that was really necessary.", he said to Sachadara, sounding more concerned than annoyed or in disapproval of what she'd gone and done. "I doubt the ponies would've bothered making hunting down every straggling drone a priority...but those are royal guards. They'll be missed, and could have all kinds of problematic attention out looking for them right now..." It was part of Figment's profession and character to play things cautiously--he couldn't help but try and avoid more trouble by pointing it out in advance.

[RarityDash]

“AIEEEEEE!!! My most humble apologies, O’ Chrysalis the Stupendous, I shall take greater care with my voice in the future, if it pleases you."

Chrysalis just stared at her minion sternly. Teasing Snively was something she enjoyed, but at that moment her mooed did not allow it. She wasn't here to play. She was here to learn the truth about this most egregious failure she had suffered. Nothing else was even worthy of her attention.

​

“I-I’m afraid that… t-that at least 50% of your task force have been captured by the vile fleabags. The rest of your minions are scattered in a wide circle around the town, but even now, the Enemy is using flying chariots to track down the stragglers. The possibility of being spotted if we stay put is very high.”

The queen's displeasure was immediately evident from her frown. Her eyes narrowed and her expression tightened. She then kicked her front right hoof into the dirt and gave a short cry. This was unacceptable! Half? Half of her force lost to the miserable ponies? How could that be? How could that have possibly happened? It was inconceivable. Moreover, it was infuriating. Unable to contain her seething rage, the queen very suddenly fired a blast of magic at a nearby tree, reducing it to smoldering dust. She couldn't even bring herself to say anything in response and found it harder than usual to even look at Snively. He was right though. It was imperative that they moved and moved quickly.

​

"My Queen, the Administrator speaks the truth, however my team is currently scouring the perimeter searching for stragglers. We are retrieving and treating as many as we can for the time being, and can make a quick evacuation in the unlikely event the royal dogs stumble upon us..."

Chrysalis turned at the voice of her solider Bianca. Her words helped Chrysalis find at least some calm. She had to put this in perspective and keep herself together. They had failed. She had failed. That was the unavoidable truth. What remained however was that they did their best to collect themselves so as the already painful losses didn't become more severe. They needed to make their escape. Whatever measure they could take to return safely to the kingdom needed to be enacted.

"The blaze I started earlier should allow us at least some time to regroup. I imagine the ponies will be more concerned with the threat it is to their town than they are with hunting us down," the queen reflected in a solemn voice. "Snively is however correct. Time is of the essence. We cannot stay in this area long or the losses of the day will only grow more staggering."

"All changelings, we make haste back to the kingdom as soon as we can move! Do not hesitate, do not wait for your full strength to return! Stragglers will invariably be lost as so many of our comrades were this night!" Chrysalis called out in a loud voice, hopeful that the call would be heard by those who needed to hear it.

It was then that another sound caught her attention...

​

"Ahhh, the rhythm of their trot does wonders for my spine. Almost as well as their fear, I return, my beloved Queen. I see that the invasion didn't go as planned?"

Chrysalis could only stare perplexed at the misshapen form of Sachadara parading along atop her show of guardsponies. Sachadara was something of a challenge to unravel. Her methods were cruel and twisted even by the queen's standard, and her mastery of them could be just as inspiring. Seeing her come along as she did left the queen with an odd mix of emotions. She was just not in the mood to see something like this. It was something of a blow to her pride as a leader to come away with nothing herself and then see such a thing. The smugness in Sacadara's tone only made it further unsettling. It was as if Sachadara meant to make a point of her superiority. A misbegotten notion perhaps, considering Sachadara and her unorthodox methods were far from popular with very many of her brethren.

​

"...I hope all that was really necessary. I doubt the ponies would've bothered making hunting down every straggling drone a priority...but those are royal guards. They'll be missed, and could have all kinds of problematic attention out looking for them right now..."

As it were, a changeling happened to speak in protest quite immediately. Chrysalis looked at this one, Figment, as she recalled, and gave a small nod. He had a fair point here.

"He has something of a point, Sachadara. Your talents are all your own, but this gaudy display of yours... it comes at hardly the right time," she said, focusing her eyes on the small, ugly creature. "Whatever personal victories any one of us might have had, the night was lost and that is not going to change. Our losses our staggering. It will take time for the wounds suffered this night to heal. In the immediate, haste is imperative and trophies like these will only slow us down. Moreover, taking so many will only draw the enemy's anger. Ponies by their nature are soft-hearted, but if anything might draw action from them, this might. We are at the sure disadvantage. Now is not a time where we want them following us back to the kingdom."

"I do acknowledge that you have need of your test subjects. I will not deny you a pet or two to keep and use as you see fit," she started through a long breath. "But you will leave the rest where they stand. They are but a burden to us in this hour."

​

"Well I learned from the best... in the hive."

Luxuria laughed, which in turn bought a certain level of pain with it. This one was certainly proving interesting. More interesting was that the queen was now on the scene. Luxuria wondered if her majesty might be able to sniff out a traitor where the others couldn't? She somehow doubted it. The queen had a lot of changelings to keep track of in the kingdom. Until she was called in for this mission, she wasn't even sure the queen had been aware of her actually. One thing that was sure was that the queen wanted them to move. Luxuria wasn't sure she was in the best condition for it, but she didn't have a lot of choice. She hardly wanted to be caged by some dim ponies for the rest of her life. With considerable effort, she started to move her body and force herself upright. it was painful and difficult but soon she was sitting up. She groaned bitterly and then pushed harder until she was on her hooves. She felt so heavy, but she had to do this. She had to move and move now.

Before that, she had to make things a little easier for her new pet Aria. She was getting drilled pretty hard over little things like the fact that none of them had seen her before and she had a weird pony accent she couldn't suppress. Perhaps it was none of Luxuria's business deep down, but she had already made up her mind. This pony had saved her so now it was her turn to repay that debt by making sure she got through this night undetected. With labored steps, she moved toward Aria and the others.

"Come now, boys, I know she's a pretty little thing--I can see why you're all so curious--but is now really the time to try and get to know one another better?" she said with a playful laugh "You should really save all the chitchat and cute questions you have for dear Aria until we're safe and snug back home. For one thing, she'll be in a lot less of a scramble then," she said, shaking her head and stretching her aching limbs.

"Your techniques really do work wonders," she spoke now to Aria. "I feel as if I can fly again already..."

​

[SteelEagle]

There was a great many times as time bled out from behind the steel curtains of her resolve that she had to give in to the demands of others. She was no fool but she was also no strategist, and while she had only ever planned on keeping two of them, she had not given any thought to the strategic implications of her capture. Not that she would have cared necessarily, as she was more than capable of escaping from the weak hooves of her captors through the laser-like focus of her disturbed mind. But the others arund her were not made of such stern stuff, platitudes and weakness masked with the bravado of their big plans and ideas. That started at the top, where her beloved Queen had the sensibilities of a Diamond Dog when it came to noticing her utilities and strengths, and her philosophical vanity oozed down until all those around her were infected with the same troubling disease of hubris. The counter-point to that was eventually they were defeated and had to evolve, and this little gathering was proof of that. Only the stronger of the Hive remained and the Queen would soak this setback's lessons up llike a sponge. Where was the defeat again? In any case, th Queen ordered it and Figment had something of a point.

Sach sighed, her pointed ears pulling on her stretched out cranial skin as they bent down in dissapointment with a sound of leathermaking.

"My dear, everything I do is quite necessary. After all, how else could I have led the Guards deep into the forest and away from what Changelings remain closer to town? Now they have a better shot at escape, where they can make up for their ineffectiveness with future success," She shrugged and smiled through her lie, "though I suppose you ARE right. I had only ever intended to keep two anyway. Was just wondering how to slowly bleed the other three of identity, but that can be fast tracked," she stated plainly as she started to shift position on top. The two that had fallen early glowed yellow for a brief second before they started spasming in place, legs kicking wildly as their breathing intensified along with Sachadara's giggling, her misshapen horn stuttering and stopping imperciptibly as their very identity was robbed. After a few moments they stopped and lay motionless on the ground, breathing in even increments as they blinked mindlessly into a void only they could see. She tapped the head of the Guard on the far left and he sat down, though unlike the other two his breathing intensified and stayed intensified as his pupils dillated and eyes started to take on a red coloring slowly from the veins inside starting to crack the surface and display his panic. She shifted onto the two who remained, whose breathing had remained intense but steady. She knocked one beside the head and the duo started to trot deeper into the group, moving on top of one of the Guards' head.

"I had only ever planned on keeping two. These stallions are quite large, easily able to carry several of our wounded. Only the strong, please. I will remove any weak drones from my carriage. In any case- My Queen, I have learned such great things for the Hive. Even in 'defeat', we plant the seeds of future victory," She said eagerly, excited to show the Queen the successes of her new formula. With it, even a city could fall given enough preparation. She looked around and saw one medic Drone doing a fine job as well as Luxaria casting her obscene net around her. Now, that didn't seem quite fair, but at least they had earned some attention. Snively didn't earn anything. Bianca was a firebrand but was fun to toy with and Figment was an intelligent one. There was another drone that she couldn't recognize, which was something that made her feel peculiar. She knew a lot about the underclass and the working class than most Changelings in her position for the simple reason that she had to gauge potential test subjects. Not knowing someling meant she had missed out on a potential experiment. Phoeey. He would have to be researched as well.

"Now come, sisters and brothers. There is plenty of room on my ride."

[Bellosh]

".....All changelings, we make haste back to the kingdom as soon as we can move! Do not hesitate, do not wait for your full strength to return! Stragglers will invariably be lost as so many of our comrades were this night!"

".....Now come, sisters and brothers. There is plenty of room on my ride."

Snively winced as Queen Chrysalis blasted that tree in her rage; somepony could have noticed that and discovered their group! But being a perceptive Queen, she also correctly noted that most of the ponies were still off fighting that blaze, even the soldiers in the chariots. The administrator left that detail unmentioned, to discourage any thought of slacking off.

Injured as he was, Snively in no way trusted Sachadara’s version of a “chariot” to ride him safely back to the Hive. He’d just fly on his own power; a quick flexing of his see-through wings indicated that Snively could still take to the skies. But acknowledging that some of the casualties required airlifting, the short drone with a massive inferiority complex did one of the things he did best; screech orders. “FIGMENT! You and-” for the life of him, Snively couldn’t put a name on that one-winged companion of his (meaning he was just a typical lowly drone); “Whoever you are, stop yapping with the medic and get the seriously injured onto those fleabags. HURRY IT UP!”

[Duskfall]

".....All changelings, we make haste back to the kingdom as soon as we can move! Do not hesitate, do not wait for your full strength to return! Stragglers will invariably be lost as so many of our comrades were this night!"

Ah, finally they were going to get on the move. It was also comforting to know that the situation for the invading forces was critical, if not dire. And the sooner that the others begin to focus more on the trip back to the hive and less on each other, the sooner Duskfall could slip away and be on his way.b

".....Now come, sisters and brothers. There is plenty of room on my ride."

The thought of using the ponies as pack mules. . . disgusted Duskfall, and he had restrain himself from acting as such. Decisively, Duskfall would be traveling of his own accord during his "companioned" portion of the journey. He noted that the changeling that had. . . captured these Royal Guards had been looking at him like a potential test subject. He founded it extremely disconcerting. If she was willing to commit what was probably horrific things to these stallions. . . Duskfall didn't want to dwell on the things she would do with a traitor.

“Whoever you are, stop yapping with the medic and get the seriously injured onto those fleabags. HURRY IT UP!”

On the other hoof, the fact that he was was an unknown to the group (sans Figment, and he didn't seem like he would out him) was a comforting. "The moment you don't respect your enemy is the moment you lose, " a pony once told him early in his free-running career. Not that these changelings knew he was the enemy. Chrysalis was something else, however and Duskfall would have to be careful to maintain as little contact with her as possible. Figment and the changeling the medic had been tending to since the start seemed like the only ones in need of aided transport. Duskfall swallowed his digust. Just keep up the image, and you can leave soon. . . hopefully.

"So doc, looks like she and Figment need transport." Duskfall pointed at Luxaria. Don't think we want to break any more of their bones or carapaces and I don't know where we can get a stretcher on short noticed."

As Duskfall asked for instructions, he approached the medic until they were within whispering distance.

"Somehow I don't believe everything you said," he whispered, "You see, I'm a messenger for the Hive. That means I bring all of the intel and orders to and from every corner of Equestria. Last I checked, there were no changelings operating in Dodge Junction."