Sleepless in the Hive

“Okay, okay. I spy with my little eye….Something green.”

“Let me guess…..The grass.”

“Yeah.”

The changeling guard face hoofed. “Twig, that's the third time you chose grass”

“Well Fig.” Said the changeling next to them. “I don’t see you trying to find something entertaining to do.”

Fig turned toward the other changeling. “That because its stupid Sid.” He said in anger.

“Its not stupid!” Twig yelled. “Its fun.” Fig turned around to face Twig again.

“Twig” Said Fig “Fun isn't looking around and pointing out things so the others can find them.”

“And neither is standing guard outside of a cave.” Sid sneered.

“Hey Sid.” Fig said “We have a job, sure its boring, but the queen-”

Sid ran up to Fig. “The queen can bite my big, black, armored fla-”

Twig ran up to Sid and wrapped an arm around his mouth. “Don’t say something like that Sid! She could be hearing us.” He held Sid tight in his arms, looking terrified while his eyes darted back in forth.

“Twig has a point Sid.” Fig said while crossing his hooves.

Sid grumbled. He took hold of Twig’s arm and pushed it off of his mouth, then he and Twig went back to their respective position. Twig, being the big one, on the right side. Fig, being second tallest, was on the left and Sid patrolling around the entrance. Sid couldn't remember how long the three of them had been sitting outside of the cave. He remembered the moon being more to the right of where it was before, which was straight up. He sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hooves. Wishing for something interesting to happen. The silence was nerve racking. So Twig decided to liven up the mood “I spy with my little eye something....”

“Twig…” Fig said. “Will you-”

“Orange"

Both Fig and Sid turned toward Twig. “Orange?” Sid questioned “Where do you see that?”

“Now now” Twig said while patting Sid’s head. “That would be cheating.”

Sid grabbed Twig’s arm. “Twig, orange isn't that common of a color in the forest. Where could you have possibly of seen it.”

Twig looked down on Sid. “But if I told you then that would be cheating Fig.”

“Why do you care Sid.” Fig yelled. “It’s probably just a flower.”

“Nope.” Twig said. “Its not that.”

“Alright, fine Twig.” Sid said. “We give up, now will you just show me where you see it, it might be important enough for us to actually scout out their.”

Fig made one of his eyes taller to simulate a raise of an eyebrow. “Is that why you want to do this?”

Sid ignored him. “Besides Twig.” Sid looked back and forth, then gave a look worry and whispered in his ear. “The queen might want to know about this.” Sid knew saying something like that to Twig would make him-

“Over there!” Twig yelled nervously. He extended his arm, with Sid still dangling on it and pointed forward. Sid went into attention and swung from Twig’s arm to his back. He looked where he was pointing, but all he could see in the forest was trees. He pointed his ear stems forward, thinking that picking up some sort of sound would help.

“What do you see Sid?” Fig questioned.

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!”

Fig pulled his ear stems down as soon as he heard that scream. “Ugh. What in the hive was that" He said. "Sounded like a whining hatchling.” Sid closed his eyes was did the same, while Twig looked straight at where the yelling was coming from.

Twig took a step back. Parts of his mind started talking to him, one of them saying that he should stay where he was, another telling him to get help and the last one telling him to charge straight at whatever this noise was. Then he finally came to a decision. “ATTACK!” He ran forward, leaving Sid standing in the air for a few seconds, then landing on the ground.

“Twig wait!” Sid and Fig screamed, but it was too late. Twig was already out of sight. Sig and Fig looked at each other, then sighed.

“Welp,” Sid said. “Lets go after him.”

“What about our posts?” Fig said. Knowing full well that Sid was doing this on purpose

“We’ll be right back.” Sid insisted. He knew that now was the perfect moment to get out of this boring job and do something fun. It would be like the invasion, though with less casualties.

“But-”

Sid put an arm around Figs back. “Do you really want leave Twig out in the forest....alone, All by himself, with no one to watch him?”

Fig opened his mouth to say something else, but Sid had a point. Twig may be big and strong, but he wasn't the brightest changeling in the batch. He could really hurt himself. “Fine.” Fig said. “But if we get in trouble for this…”

“We won’t” Sid patted on his back. “Now come on, big Twig ain’t gonna stop himself.”

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“Come out come out wherever you are!” Twig yelled as he kept running in random directions. Admittedly he didn't know where he was going. he only saw the orange blob for half a second so he couldn't tell where it went. He continued running in circles.

“HELP!”

Twig stopped dead in his tracks and pointed his ear stems in attention, “Somebuggys in trouble.” He whispered. He ran in a random direction and listened closely, but all he could hear was the sound of water. His brain started telling him that, since both water and the cry for help made noises, then they must be the same thing. ergo, he should run toward the water. He stopped and looked around, wondering where the water was, then he realized that he was already at the stream. “Oh...nice job legs.” He said.

Twig looked around. Trying to find any form of a changeling in the river. “Hello?” He listened for a response, but all that came back was coughing and cries of help. That wasn't helping. Twig glanced at the water. Trying his hardest to find whomever it was that was in danger. Then his eyes spotted something in the water. It looked like the same orange thing he had seen before, though it looked less blurrier and had a weird hat on. Now it was starting to look just like an orange…Twig froze, knowing exactly what it was. Something that the queen and his fellow brothers and sisters have warned him about. Something that could end up killing everyone he knew. Something that every changeling should know about.

“PONY!” Twig yelled at the top of his lungs. He dove headfirst into the water and swam towards the creature, grabbing it by the scruff of its neck, and then flying into the air, landing on the ground with the pony at hoof. He brought the creature up to eye level. He had never seen one this close before, Its weird nose and hair started scaring him, as did its weird hat. Its eyes not opening made him even more afraid. “Um….Little pony? Hello?” Twig Poked its stomach, Making it stir in its strange state of slumber. Twig decided not to mess with it anymore, he might just end up breaking it. He hoisted the pony on his back and ran to where he thought the cave was.

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“TWIG!

“Hey Twig! Ya out there?”

Sid and Fig looked at each other, knowing that yelling in a forest like this wouldn't work.

“How could a big guy like him get lost so easily?” Fig said.

“Come on Fig, its Twig were talking about.” Sid answered.

“This is serious Sid, we've been wandering for Queen knows how long. What if he really hurt himself out here.”

Sid chuckled “Twig’s a big bug. He can handle himself.”

“Yeah, but what if-”

“Will you stop ‘what if’ ing, we’ll find him soon enough.”

“You’re acting like he’s just gonna come running out in the open.”

As if on cue, Sid was tackled by Twig who had sprinted out of the bushes. Fig immediately went to action and pushed Twig off of Sid, though as soon as he did. he looked strait at Twig.

“Ow” Sid moaned “Twig What’d ya do that .” Sid closed his eyes and tried to make the dizziness stop.

“Oh...uh..Sorry Sid, I was trying to-”

“Uh...Twig.” Fig interrupted. “What do you have in your hooves?"

Once Sid got his vision back, he opened his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Right in front of him was a…

“Its a pony!” Twig exclaimed. Both Sid and Fig looked at him in astonishment. In Twigs hooves was indeed a living, breathing, unconscious, orange colored, purple haired, little pony. It was drenched in water (as was Twig) and had a strange dome shaped hat on its head. Sid and Fig looked at each other, not knowing what to say. So Twig decided to ask. “Can we keep it?”