Chapters Calypso trembled as Queen Chrysalis' cruel green eyes mercilessly scanned over her body. She knew what the consequence would be if the Queen was in any way disappointed with what she saw. At best she would be forced to do menial drone work for the rest of her miserable life, things like cleaning waste or digging latrines. If the Queen was very unhappy, she would bite her head off on the spot, to recycle her essence to make way for a more worthy Changeling. Since the day she hatched, Calypso had been training her hardest, both waiting for and dreading this day. Despite the fact that her teachers had called her nothing short of remarkable, she still feared the Queen's judgment.
After what felt like forever, the Queen finally gave her an approving nod and she retreated back to stand in line with the others in her group. They, like her, had all been subject to the Queen's scrutiny, and had all been deemed acceptable. If the stories she had heard were true, this was the first group in ages where Chrysalis hadn't consumed one of the young pupils.
She looked at the other eight faces in the row beside her. All had the same blue eyes, similar fangs, and webbed mane. They nine were all that remained of what had started as a clutch of a hundred eggs. Since they had hatched, they had been raised by a rigorous training regime that was far beyond what most members of the hive experienced. They were not ordinary drones. To the ponies, they were called Sappers. But inside the hive, they were known as Infiltrators.
Their caste held the most dangerous, but also the most exciting duty in Changeling society. They were the ones who would blend into Pony communities and siphon off love energy to feed the rest of the hive. The benefits of the job were numerous; the ability to travel relatively freely, the potential to become wealthy and enjoy the many pleasures of Pony society, not to mention the fact that having sexual relations was not only allowed, but encouraged. But perhaps the most seductive reward was the possibility of becoming famous. There were a few names among the Changelings that defied years and remained legendary. Anathema, who created a love poison so potent, it destroyed a pony's ability to focus on anything but their lover, or Oedipus, who brought an entire Earth Pony kingdom to its knees by engineering a scandalous relationship between a Prince and his mother. While their principal goal was to feed, Infiltrators were encouraged to create as much chaos as possible, because it would help interfere with any plans by the ponies to locate and destroy the Hive.
Calypso, Orion, Cassiopeia, Odysseus, Pandora, Io, Antigone, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern were the nine that would go on to serve the Hive. They bowed down before their Queen, who sat in her throne, a black, twisted mass of stone and metal that much resembled the being that sat in it. "You nine have endured much to make it here today. I offer you congratulations for surviving this far, but remember- everything you have faced so far pales in comparison to what awaits you." Chrysalis stood up and sauntered toward a large hole carved into the wall. "Come," she beckoned.
The group followed her into the tunnel, staying a respectful distance behind. The queen towered over all of them, standing more than twice as tall as Odysseus, who was the tallest of the group, and nearly thrice the height of Pandora.
The tunnel put them in a dimly lit cavern that was bare save a large map of Equestria drawn out in glowing webbing and slime. Each settlement was marked off with a crystal, from the smallest village to the biggest metropolis. Everywhere, Changeling scales stuck out of the map, each one carved with a name. "Welcome to my map room." Chrysalis smiled. "It is here that you will receive your assignments. Now, who can tell me what are your directives as an Infiltrator?"
Orion's hoof shot up. "One; do not blow your cover. Two; extract as much love as possible, providing it does not conflict with directive one. Three; cause as much disorder as possible, providing it does not conflict with directives one or two." He smiled smarty, chest puffed out. Calypso rolled her eyes. He always acted more like a soldier than a sneak, an attitude he had best fix. Soldiers rarely last long behind enemy lines, after all.
Chrysalis nodded, "Exactly. Today each of you will be assigned to blend in among a community in Equestria, and begin to collect food for the hive. There will be a home awaiting all of you upon arrival. Now, who can tell me what these scales on my map mean?"
Calypso stepped forward. "Each represents an Infiltrator who is in an area. The more scales, the more agents."
"Perfect," Chrysalis purred. She ran her hoof gently over all their heads, before suddenly and unceremoniously yanking a scale from the base of Io's neck. "Io, you along with Cassiopeia and Odysseus will be sent to Manehattan. I want you to assume your best city pony disguise. Go." On command, the trio enveloped themselves in green fire, replacing their scaly changeling exterior with the pastel fur of ponies. Io had become a pale blue pegasus with a cloudy white mane. Odysseus, always the showoff, had become a buff Earth Pony stallion with a flaming mane and chestnut fur. Cassiopeia, more modest, turned into a tall, slender mint green unicorn with a brown mane.
Chrysalis nodded approvingly at each of their disguises. "Well done. Once we are done here, you will all report to the Supply Warren to find costumes to go with your disguises. For now, return to your true forms." Another three flashes, and their disguises were gone, leaving three black Changelings where a moment ago stood three ponies. Chrysalis pulled a scale from Cassiopeia and Odysseus' necks, and instructed them to carve their names into them.
While they were at work, Chrysalis began doling out the rest of the assignments. "Pandora, you will be posing as a new migrant to Appleoosa." Calypso could hear the tiny mare cursing under her breath. She had dreamt of going to the big city, either Manehattan or Las Pegasus, but instead would be living in what she had called "Butt-buck nowhere" for the foreseeable future. Calypso did not envy her in the slightest.
"Orion and Antigone will be replacing the old Canterlot agents who were… discovered a few months ago." Antigone swallowed hard. Even the normally brash Orion shuddered at the mention of the accursed city. Canterlot was easily the most dangerous place in Equestria for a Changeling. Since the planned invasion during Princess Cadence's wedding was royally foiled, the Royal Guard had been on high alert for their kind, even more so than normal. Historically, Canterlot was where more agents died than anywhere else in Equestria. Getting sent there was practically suicide.
"Calyspo, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, you three will have the honor of starting a new infestation." The news perked up Calypso's ears. Being the first changeling in a settlement was hard work, but it was likely to make her name famous in the hive. Even if she had to share the glory with those two idiots.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern had made it through training by dumb luck and sheer coincidence. They had the combined I.Q. of a potato and were practically joined at the hip. If there was anypony in the group Calypso thought was likely to blow their cover, it was them. She wasn't sure what surprised her more, that the Queen had left them together, or was allowing them to participate in a job as important as this one.
Calypso raised her hoof. "Your highness, what town will we be colonizing?"
"A small village a few miles south of Canterlot. In the past, it was just an unimportant farming town. It was so insignificant, it has been able to fly under my radar for years. However, that’s all changed. A lot of recent events have been connected to this town. Now they even have a Princess. You three will be in charge of infesting Ponyville."
Chapter 2- Disguises and Dinguses
Calypso and the other Infiltrators sat idly in a circle outside of the Feeding Pit. They devoured their daily ration of crystallized love, which was 50% larger than the normal drones received. They had decided to let their meal settle before doing anything else, and were talking about their assignments, some excitedly, others angrily.
"I can't believe you losers get to go to Manehattan and I'm stuck in some dead-end town in the middle of nowhere!" Pandora griped.
Orion shot her an angry look. "Hey, at least going to Appleoosa isn't likely to get you killed! Antigone and I are being sent off to the slaughter, and you don't see us complaining."
"That's kind of what you're doing." Cassiopeia snidely remarked. She had always been a bit on the snarky side, which was why Calypso liked her so much.
Antigone was eager to change the subject. "So, has anypony put any thought into their characters? You know, who we're supposed to be and all that?"
Years ago, when their group had been bigger, they used to talk and laugh all the time about who their characters would be once they got their assignments. As more of them died off, the survivors became more somber, and those talks stopped happening. This was the first time many of them had even thought about it in years.
Pandora went first, enveloping her body in flames as she assumed her pony disguise. What emerged was a stunning Pinto mare with a white and brown coat, a curly mane, rosy lips and a seductively curved body. "Please, call me Indigo Blossom." She said with a classy southern drawl. The group struggled to contain their laughter. The accent could probably pass for real, but it was just overdone enough to get a rise from her companions.
"Tell me about yourself, Ms. Blossom." Io encouraged with a giggle.
Pandora flipped her mane with a pout and resumed talking. "My daddy owns a big ol' farm where they grow indigo to dye clothes. We had darn near everythin. Servants, big parties, and lots of money. But life was so boring, I wanted to move out west to have me an adventure."
In a puff of smoke, Pandora had returned to her Changeling body and returned to her spot in the circle amid modest applause. "Hey Orion, Antigone, how about you guys?" Rosencrantz asked.
Orion and Antigone looked at each other for a moment and began whispering excitedly. After a few minutes of deliberation, they assumed their disguises in a puff of smoke and fire.
Orion had taken the form of a pudgy green Pegasus with a sad looking face and a comically large moustache. Antigone had also opted to become a Pegasus, with wildly curvaceous features, much more than was normal, a chocolate brown coat and a slightly darker mane. Her eyes were a vivid red, signaling danger and adventure. "What do you think?"
Calypso cocked her head curiously. Every detail seemed wrong. Canterlot was a city of posh, well-dressed, blue-blooded Unicorns. These strange looking Pegasi would stick out like a pair of sore thumbs… whatever those were.
Everypony else was visibly confused. "Care to explain?" Odysseus asked.
"We're migrant workers from Marexico." Orion explained. "We figured if we pretended to be rich Unicorns like Cantelot agents usually do, somepony might wonder why they'd never seen or heard of us before."
Antigone continued. "Nopony will give two foreigners who barely speak Equish a second glance. We're hiding right in plain sight!"
"Hola Senor," Orion said in an over-exaggerated accent. "Can you tell me, does this ID look real?"
The changelings were rolling laughing at Orion's blatant and nonsensical racism. Antigone joined in on the fun. "Ay, jefe , I clean your windows, but I no find the Lemon Pledge."
"I do hope you two have your green cards." Everypony whirled around in surprise to see Chrysalis standing behind them with a smirk on her face. "And I do hope you are prepared to take these characters seriously. I guarantee nopony in Canterlot knows the first thing about Marexicans, but if your personas are nothing more than stereotypes, they will still see right through you."
Antigone and Orion reverted to their normal forms with their tails between their legs and their eyes glued to the ground. "Forgive us, Your Highness." Antigone squeaked.
"We were only joking, I promise we will take our assignment more seriously." Orion added.
Chrysalis nodded. "That being said, in theory your plan is solid. Nopony in Canterlot would even give these wretched creations of yours the time of day, let alone scrutinize them long enough to realize they aren’t ponies. A word of warning before you commit to them- you will be looked down upon by everypony in Canterlot, detested, scorned, spat upon. There will be few comforts afforded to you. You will be seen as the lowest wretches in society, condemned to poverty and misery. Will you be able to tolerate that?"
"A small price to pay for not being killed." Antigone flatly answered.
Chrysalis' head snapped toward Calypso, entrapping her in a freezing glare. "And what of you, Calypso? Have you thought of a disguise yet?"
She swallowed. Calypso had not even begun to think of what kind of pony she would be masquerading as. She would probably have to work her character around Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, because they would be expected to live together. Orion and Antigone were planning to be a married couple, and Odysseus, Io and Cassiopeia were debating the idea of Odysseus playing their guardian. Might as well keep it simple. She thought.
"Rosencrantz and I can be brothers, and Cally can be our older sister!" Guildenstern exclaimed. Calypso shot an angry glare their way. They hadn't consulted her about this. She didn't mind the idea, but she liked to at least be asked before anypony made decisions-
"Very well. Assume disguises." The Queen's order interrupted Calypso's inner monologue and sent her into panic mode. Without thinking, she transformed into a pony without taking the slightest moment to consider her appearance.
What emerged was fairly impressive considering it had been created in a few seconds without any planning. Calypso emerged as a peach-coated Unicorn with a jet black mane that hung flatly on the side of her neck. Her eyes nervously darted toward her idiot partners. By a stroke of luck, they had all chosen to become unicorns. It was possible for siblings to be of different races, but the fewer unusual characteristics they had, the better. That was the guiding philosophy behind Calypso's disguise, which had no standout features to speak of.
Her companions seemed to have other plans. Rosencrantz was short and slightly pudgy, and had a coat the color of blue cotton candy and a puffy blue mane to match. Guildenstern was taller and slender, with a coat that was a soft shade of neon orange with a striking spiked mane streaked neon yellow and green. Both of them looked very distinct and would not blend into a crowd.
Chrysalis seemed satisfied. "The most important part of your Pony disguise is the Cutie mark. If you should neglect to consider this element of your character, your disguise can easily be compromised. She evaluated each of the three and smiled when she confirmed all three had a Cutie mark. "Now, what do they mean?"
Rosencrantz's blue flanks had two sticks of cotton candy, one pink and one blue. "My talent is making sweets!"
Guildenstern had chosen two lightning bolts. "Mine means I work with weather!"
"And you, Calypso?" The queen demanded.
Calypso's eyes darted back to her rump. She was fortunate enough that there was a Cutie mark at all, considering she had put this form together without thinking. Her Cutie mark featured a quill and a sheet of paper. "I guess I'm a good writer." She answered with a tinge of doubt in her voice.
Their answers were satisfactory to Chrysalis. "Very well. Report to the Supply Warren to pick up anything you might want before you ship out. I expect you all to report the surface in pony form at eight AM sharp tomorrow." With that, Chrysalis turned and left, leaving the nine in an uneasy silence.
Orion flashed into his Marexican pony form. "I don't know about you yanquis , but I need to go find a sombrero."
"Yeah, we had better put our costumes together." Io agreed.
* * *
The Hive's Supply Warren was a huge cavern, among the largest in the entire network of tunnels and caves that compromised the Changeling's secret home. It was filled with crates containing all manner of things past agents had brought back from their assignments, everything from clothes to tools to golden mountains of Bits. While her friends excitedly dug through the piles of garments and modeled for each other, Calypso was enjoying some time alone, silently evaluating a few pairs of glasses.
Cassiopeia had commented that her Pony disguise would look better with a little pair of glasses, and Calypso had agreed. There were easily hundreds of pairs that had been brought back over the years, everything from big bug-eyed glasses to sunglasses to more than a few pairs of shutter shades. Finally, Calypso settled with a pair of tiny square-framed spectacles that sat on her nose and looked very cute in the mirror.
Happy with her accessory, Calypso went to rejoin the others. They were all standing in a circle, appreciating and laughing at each other's taste in attire.
Orion had gone full-out with his Marexican disguise. He had an oversized sombrero and poncho, while Antigone had decided to dress less flamboyantly, with a dingy shirt and ripped jeans. She wouldn't be winning any style awards, but her outfit was such a crime against fashion, Canterlot ponies would probably refuse to look at her- perfect for somepony who didn’t want to be seen.
Pandora had found herself an old-fashioned dress that would blend in well in Appleoosa. She would need to get clothes better suited to the heat of the Appleoosan wastelands, but that was why she carried a large purse that jingled with bits. Odysseus wore a collared shirt and tie, while Io and Cassiopeia respectively wore a bow and a necklace.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern stood together giggling. Rosencrantz had a pair of the shutter shades Calypso had seen in the glasses section, and a soda drinking hat that already had a pair of colas in it. Guildenstern had a pair of cheesy sunglasses and a knit viking helmet, where it had come from Calypso could only guess. She looked again at their glasses. She had certainly seen them while she had been looking for glasses herself, but she hadn't seen either of them come and get them. Calypso tried to justify it in her mind. Maybe they found them somewhere else?
Not possible. There was no way that separate agents had brought back the same pairs of ridiculous novelty glasses. She decided to just forget about it and move on.
The group's attention suddenly turned to Calypso when she approached. "So Cally, have you picked out a name yet?" Pandora asked.
Calypso cringed. Yet another detail she had not considered when she had created her pony disguise. Thankfully it was not Queen Chrysalis asking, otherwise there might have been consequences for not having an answer. Since it was only her friends, Calypso felt safe keeping them waiting while she thought.
"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have great names." Orion commented.
The two nodded eagerly, rushing in front of her to introduce their new selves. "I'm Candy Floss." Rosencrantz bowed.
"And I'm Thunder Dust." Guildenstern added.
Something generic. Come on, Calypso, you can do this. What's a name that somepony will forget the second they hear it? She quite liked her real name, but using it was out of the question.
"Twinkle Swirl!" She exclaimed.
Everypony else seemed underwhelmed. Their eyes wandered between themselves until finally Io spoke up. "That’s… nice?" She said, although it was obvious her words were insincere.
It didn't matter what they thought of her name. Aside from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, or rather, Candy Floss and Thunder Dust, she wouldn't be seeing them for a long time. If all things went well, she would be staying in Ponyville for the rest of her days, or at least until she was of an age where she could retire and return to the Hive. The name would do what it needed to; give her something to go by, but be so bland it would never make an impression. For Calypso, keeping her cover would be easy. Making sure Rosencrantz and Guildenstern didn’t blow theirs would be the real challenge.
Author's Note
I'd like to give a shout out to reddit user undotrescuatro for helping me figure out a name for Calypso's alter ego. I was having trouble thinking of a name that was bland enough, so i reached out to reddit for suggestions. He/she sent me a link to a website that generates random pony names: http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=mlpname
The spiraling tunnels that led from the Changelings' underground home let out into the town of Stallion Station. The entire settlement was a fake set up by Chrysalis to draw attention away from their hidden home. At any time, two hundred drones were stationed aboveground, posing as normal villagers and going about their lives as such, running shops, growing crops, and socializing as normal. Even with its use as a decoy, the biggest benefit the fake village provided was a train station which could be used to ship Infiltrators across Equestria. All the employees at the station were Changelings, although the crews of the trains were not. Regardless, the existence of Stallion Station allowed Changelings disguised as ponies to slip into the wider world undetected, which was precisely why Queen Chrysalis had poured a huge quantity of resources into building it.
The nine agents, plus Chrysalis, stood in their pony disguises on the small wooden rail platform impatiently waiting the train that would bring them to the junction in Fillydelphia, from where they would go their separate ways to their assigned towns. Calypso would be taking the same train as Orion and Antigone, which would drop them off in Canterlot before going south to Ponyville.
Before they left, Chrysalis had given them each a new suitcase, partially filled with supplies. Among the contents were a few days worth of crystallized love for food, a guidebook written by retired agents containing advice for blending in, and a list of hazards and dangerous individuals in the area they should avoid.
Chrysalis had entrusted one further parcel to Calypso. Inside the small burlap sack was a Seed of Corruption-the spores of a dark fungus used by Infiltrators to transfer energy back to the hive. Once planted, the fungus would reach out with its roots to connect to the hive's network, and once it was fully grown, agents could use it to send energy home. As an added benefit, the fungus functioned as a sort of communicator, allowing the agents to communicate with the Queen whenever they needed. It was vital nothing damage the seed, otherwise their infestation would be ended before it started.
"No matter what, that fungus must not fall into Princess Celestia's hooves." Chrysalis instructed. Her voice was dire, and seemed to hold a tinge of fear. "If somepony were to discover the network, it would lead them straight to us."
"I won't let you down, my Queen." Calypso assured. The house they were moving into would have a basement, a perfect place to let the seed grow undisturbed. As long as nopony came inside, they would have nothing to worry about.
"Keep it secret, keep it safe." She instructed. Calypso took the small pouch containing the seed and carefully placed it in her suitcase, wrapping it in a scarf for added protection.
From the distance, they could hear the telltale sound of a train whistle. "I wish you the best, my children." Chrysalis smiled as the group stared excitedly toward the approaching train. Unexpectedly, the Queen wrapped her hooves around Calypso's neck in a passionate hug before moving onto Antigone and the rest of the group to do the same. Just as she finished, the steam engine screeched to a halt, opening its doors. Only two ponies got off, both likely Changelings themselves.
"All aboard!" The conductor shouted. The Infiltrators took their luggage and got onto the train car. Their ride to Fillydelphia would take about seven hours, all in the luxury of an otherwise empty first-class car.
As the train slowly pulled out of the station, Calypso swore she saw a tear leaving Chrysalis' eye. "I hear she gets really emotional whenever she sends a group of us off." Odysseus commented. "She gets attached. After all, she's been watching over us since we hatched." Calypso had never regarded their queen as a mother figure, even if she technically was their mother, along with every other drone in the hive. For her, it must be like watching her children grow up and leave the house. Calypso reminded herself that once their seed was planted and grown, she would be able to get in touch with Queen Chrysalis whenever she wanted.
The ride seemed to go faster than Calypso had expected. Most of the time she was just staring blankly out the window, taking in the beauty of the Equestrian countyside. After a life spent underground, the vastness of the open sky was amazing to behold. Every now and again, the train would grind to a halt, pick up a few passengers, and continue on its way.
By the time they finally arrived in Fillydelphia, the train was still not very crowded. "Attention passengers, this is the end of the line. Thank you for travelling with us and have a nice day." As soon as the conductor finished speaking, the passengers stood up from their seats, retrieved their luggage, and departed the train, including nine otherwise unremarkable ponies who all carried identical suitcases and stayed huddled close together.
The exit put them out into the huge rail junction, with rows of tracks on either side of the platform. Each Changeling pulled out their ticket, trying to figure out where they were supposed to go.
Pandora groaned with annoyance. "My train goes west from here. So basically I'm going back past Stallion Station and further. It looks like I get to sit for another fourteen hours."
"We have an express straight to Manehattan." Io read. "I guess this is goodbye, at least for now." They all embraced in a hug before Pandora, Odysseus, Io and Cassiopeia went off to find their trains.
The remaining five would be taking the same train, the number eight to Canterlot. They navigated their way through the bustling station until they finally found their platform, boarding the train at three-thirty sharp.
Again, they were riding first class, but unlike last time, the train was almost full. They dared not talk about their assignments, fearing somepony might overhear them. Instead, they propped their handbooks inside of newspapers and read them in silence.
The ride to Canterlot was spent in silence, but Calypso could sense a growing feeling of dread in Antigone as the mountainside city got closer and closer in the window. "It's okay. I know you're scared, but you'll be fine, Margarita ." She said with a wink.
Antigone nodded, talking with in a Marexican accent. "Gracias, amiga. I just so scared about coming here."
Calypso leaned in close and whispered in Antigone's ear. "I'll write you, okay? Every week, I promise."
"Thank you." She whispered back, wrapping her hooves around Calypso.
"Last call for Canterlot Station!" The conductor called. Antigone and Orion took their suitcases and got off the train. Before they were killed, the last agents were able to destroy the energy link in their home, saving the hive from a greater disaster. Orion carried with him a new Seed of Corruption, which he would be planting at their new residence, which he said would be as lousy an apartment as they could find. Calypso rather admired their commitment, forsaking the many comforts living the Canterlot highlife would afford them for the sake of their disguises.
The train pulled out of the station, heading for the series of mountainside tracks and tunnels that would eventually put them in the flat plains around Ponyville. Just one more hour before her new life began. Calypso felt butterflies flapping around in her stomach. She didn't know if she was more nervous or excited. Either way, she couldn't wait to be off the train.
"Ponyville Station, last call!" Now it was Calypso's turn to grab her suitcase. She cantered off the train car, followed closely by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Outside on the platform, they set their luggage down to take in their new surroundings.
Ponyville was a beautiful small town, bustling with life. Calypso's eyes swept over the town, failing to see anything out of the ordinary, until she laid her eyes upon… it.
The crystal monstrosity that tore at the sky in the distance. That was the palace of Princess Twilight Sparkle, an individual listed in their handbook as "frightfully perceptive and extremely dangerous". They would do well to avoid attracting the Princess' attention. If memory served, she was the one who was responsible for the Queen's defeat during the invasion of Canterlot.
Then again…
This was a pony with whom the Swarm had a few bones to pick. Should the chance arise, perhaps she could engineer some trouble for her royal highness. Mess up a romance, sabotage an important meeting, or publish some embarrassing photographs.
Calypso shook her head. There would be time for all that later. Right now the most important thing was planting the Seed of Corruption.
"Hey Twinkle, what the hay is that?" Guildenstern asked.
She turned around to see what her partner was talking about, only to be blasted in the face by confetti. "I knew there would be new ponies in town today!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, as she slammed a party hat onto each of their heads. "My Pinkie Sense never lets me down!" She fired off another round from her party cannon before presenting them with a cake, which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern eagerly ate. "So, you three are moving in?"
"Yeah," Rosencrantz said with a smile, and if Calypso wasn't mistaken, a sparkle of... something in his eyes.
"I'm not doing anything for awhile, would you like me to give you the grand tour?"
"No, we had best just go to our-" Calypso started.
"We'd love to!" Rosencrantz answered.
Pinkie was delighted by his answer. "That's great! I'm Pinkie Pie by the way, what are your names?"
"I'm Candy Floss." Rosencrantz answered, "And this is my brother Thunder Dust and my sister Twinkle Swirl."
Once Pinkie's back was turned, Calypso roughly grabbed Rosencrantz by his neck. "Why did you say yes to her?" She demanded.
"Guidebook!" He coughed, struggling to breathe with Calypso's hooves around his throat. "Chapter 2, section 4- ack. It's bad manners to refuse a tour when you move somewhere!"
Calyspo groaned. She put her suitcase on her back and followed the upbeat pink mare, saying little while Rosencrantz talked back and forth with her. They seemed like a perfect match; more energy than brains, and what little they had seemed to be made of sugar.
After two and a half hours of walking, Calypso had been forced to learn about every building in town. Town Hall, Quill and Sofa Store, Carousel Boutique, and so on. Pinkie had probably rattled on about Sugarcube Corner alone for a good fifteen minutes. Calypso had decided to avoid that building like the plague. In fact, she decided to stay far away from Pinkie Pie as long as she was in town. Her guidebook listed her as "Wholly unpredictable", with a note from some of the drones who had attacked Canterlot warning of the cannon she could pull seemingly out of nowhere that could fire confetti at painful speeds.
Finally, Pinkie did one thing Calypso was at least a little grateful for; she showed them to their new cottage. Calypso could have found it on her own, but at least she didn't have to spend even more time wandering around after having to suffer through Pinkie's entire tour.
"So if you guys ever need anything, find me and ask okay?" Pinkie smiled as she turned away. "And remember to stop by Sugarcube Corner some time!"
"Sure thing Pinkie!" Rosencrantz and Guildenstern yelled back.
Finally with some peace and quiet, Calypso stuck the key Chrysalis had given her into the lock and opened the door. There was a small group of Changelings in the hive whose jobs were to shop around Equestria for real estate that would be suitable to serve as lairs for agents in the field. The cottage they had bought in Ponyville was a fairly spacious one, with more than enough space to accommodate three residents. It only had two bedrooms, however Calypso doubted that would be a problem, seeing as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were anxious to try out what the Ponies called "bunk beds". Otherwise, the house had a kitchen, a living room, a dining room, two bathrooms, and most importantly, a cellar. The basement was meant to be used to store foodstuffs like cheese and barrels of cider, but at least part of it would be devoted to keeping the Seed of Corruption. More than anything else, it was absolutely vital that nopony other than they three ever go into that basement. A common pony might mistake the Energy Link for a simple fungus, but should the building ever be connected with Changelings, it was likely somepony would figure out that it was no ordinary mushroom.
Calypso opened the door to the basement, trudging down the creaky wooden steps while "Candy Floss" and "Thunder Dust" explored the upstairs of the house. The basement was unfinished, its walls and floors made of dirt. The cellar was relatively dark, and dreadfully damp. Calypso liked the cold, wet feeling of the basement. It reminded her fondly of her old den back home. Were it up to her, she would rather sleep downstairs in nest made of dirt than in a bed, but unfortunately she had to keep up her appearance as a Pony, which would mean sleeping on a mattress.
She dug a small hole in the ground in a secluded corner before dropping the seed into it and covering it. Within an instant, the soil around the seed had blackened to a sickening dark color. The seed would be fully grown in about ten days. In that time, they would not be collecting energy beyond what they needed to survive, because they would have nothing to do with the excess. She would have to check on it daily, to make sure nothing disturbed its growth.
The house's upper floors had been set up with basic furniture, but it would be up to them to decorate the rest. This was one of the few tasks Calypso felt comfortable delegating to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. She did not see it as important enough to put her own attention into, and she had always had a poor sense of design regardless. Best let the idiots play interior designer. Hopefully it would keep them out of trouble, at least until the seed was finished growing.
The two bedrooms were on either side of the short hallway at the top of the staircase to the second floor. Calypso had claimed the master bedroom for herself, leaving Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to the two twin beds in the other room. As Calypso settled down on the plush mattress of her spacious bed, she could hear the sounds of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern struggling to lift one bed on top of the other to get the bunk setup they wanted. The sounds of them struggling to lift it became annoying very quickly. "Hey, I have an idea!" Calypso yelled, straining her voice to reach the other room, "Why don't you pick it up using magic?"
She heard the bed land with a thud, and a muffled 'ouch' from Guildenstern. "Great idea Cally!" Rosencrantz yelled back, "Thanks!"
She sighed. They were hopeless. Calypso threw off her soft cotton sheets to go check on them. The light in their room was out. She stuck her head inside, to see their beds stacked on top of each other on the far side of the room, Rosencrantz on top and Guildenstern on bottom. They had found a ladder to use to get up, and were soundly asleep in their new bedroom. Calypso yawned. It was late, and they would have another long day ahead of them. On their long list of things to do now that they had moved in, tomorrow they would be job hunting.
Author's Note
So I haven't been seeing the numbers i had initially hoped for on this piece, and i'm currently working on a couple of other projects. I promise i will get this going again eventually, but for now i'll be shifting over to other projects.
Chapter 4 Part 1 (Rosencrantz)
There was one detail about their personas that still had to be worked out even after they had moved in and unpacked the few things they had brought from the Hive. Since they were posing as adult ponies, Calypso and company would be expected to find jobs. As the sun rose and woke the disguised Changelings, they went their separate ways for the day in order to nail down work.
Rosencrantz had known what he wanted to do since he first saw her stunning blue eyes. When he met Pinkie Pie, it felt like his heart might beat out of his chest. The more they walked around Ponyville and talked, the more he could feel butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. Being able to work alongside her at Sugarcube Corner would be like a dream come true. It had been good luck that he had chosen to become a candy maker. He would be a perfect candidate to work there. "Or should I say, 'candy-date?'" He chuckled.
He went to knock on the door, which still had a closed sign on it. Before his hoof made contact with the wood, Pinkie had already opened it. "Hiya Candy Floss. What brings you here?"
"H-hi Pinkie." He stammered, "I was wondering if it would be possible to get a date- JOB! A job with you, here at Sugarcube Corner!"
"You'd have to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Cake about that." Pinkie said. "But don't worry, I'm sure they'll hire you. We've been a little short on hooves here since Mrs. Cake had her foals. I'm sure they'd appreciate some extra help."
Pinkie turned tail and led Rosencrantz into the bakery. He drooled a little as he took in his surroundings. Cakes, brownies, pies, not to mention the sweetest thing of all; Pinkie Pie. His eyes followed the gentle swaying of her hips, the smooth rhythmic swishing of her tail. Only through sheer self control was he able to pry his eyes off to avoid looking like a perv.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake were busily running between the kitchen and counter, preparing the day's orders. "Hey Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" Pinkie chimed, getting them to stop for a moment, "A new pony moved into town yesterday and wanted a job with us. His name is Candy Floss, can he work here?"
Mrs. Cake looked over Rosencrantz, whose Pony disguise looked almost like a shorter, pudgier, blue version of Pinkie. "Does he know how to make pie crusts?"
"Yes ma'am!" Rosencrantz chirped.
Mrs. Cake gave a smile of relief. "You're hired. Can you start immediately?"
Pinkie gave Rosencrantz an encouraging smile. "Yes!"
For his first day, Rosencrantz was given a trial by fire. Sugarcube Corner was unusually busy, with a line that stretched out the door for most of the day. Mrs. Cake attended the register while Mr. Cake packaged orders and bused tables, leaving the kitchen mostly to Pinkie and Rosencrantz.
"I need two tablespoons of molasses, stat!" Pinkie shouted.
Rosencrantz picked up the bottle in his magical aura and passed it her way. "Can you toss me a rolling pin?"
Pinkie grabbed the requested tool and threw it across the kitchen. Rosencrantz snagged it and started rolling out another pie crust. He had lost count of how many he had made today, and he had only started a few hours ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake had taken advantage of a small lull in the customers to observe their new employee at work. "Well, he certainly works hard." Mrs. Cake commented.
Her husband nodded, "I can't believe how well they work together. He's the first pony I've ever seen that can keep up with Pinkie."
For the first time in a long time, Sugarcube Corner was able to close on time, instead of having to stay open late to make good on a few orders. With four sets of hooves instead of three, the bakery was operating at peak efficiency, and for once Mr. and Mrs. Cake were able to go home and spend an evening with their foals.
"Candy Floss, I can't begin to say how pleased we are with your work today." Mrs. Cake praised. "Please, won't you stay for dinner?"
"We'd be more than happy to have you." Mr. Cake added, "And it's the least we can do to say 'welcome to the family'."
Rosencratz could not think of a word to describe how happy he was. "I'd love to have dinner with you!"
As the four moved from the bakery into the back part of the building where the Cakes and Pinkie lived, they fell into step, the Cakes in front and Rosencrantz and Pinkie behind them. "I'm really glad you came." Pinkie whispered into Rosencrantz' ear. He turned towards her, but her eyes were fixed forward, as if she had not said anything. Rosencrantz stayed silent.
Dinner was cucumber salad with cinnamon-covered apple wedges on the side. Rosencrantz ate hungrily, taking in all the flavors of Pony food that were utterly missing from the energy rations he was used to. Unfortunately, all this food would be able to do was just make him gain weight; Pony food had no nutritional value to a Changeling. The only thing they could survive on was love. He could still eat for pleasure, which was more than enough of a reason for him.
After the meal, Pinkie volunteered to walk Candy Floss home. For most of the walk, they went back and forth with small-talk, talking about the day and what they might do tomorrow. As they reached his house, Rosencrantz cautiously gave Pinkie a hug. "Thank you for everything. I've had the most wonderful day of my life today, and it's all because of you."
"Aw shucks, I'm sure you don't mean that." She smiled with a wave of her hoof.
"No, I really do." Rosencrantz said, "I don't think I've ever had so much fun with anypony before."
Pinkie blushed. "Well, if it means anything, I'm really glad I met you. And I know I say that to everypony, but with you its… different. I dunno, you just seem different than anypony I've met before."
Rosencrantz winced. "Why do you say that?"
She shrugged. "Dunno. Can't quite put my hoof on it. Anyway… goodnight I guess. See you tomorrow." Quickly, Pinkie planted a peck on his cheek and galloped home.
Rosencrantz stood on his porch, dumbstruck. "I'm never washing this cheek again." He said to nopony in particular.
"OH YES YOU ARE!" Calypso shouted from upstairs. "YOU'RE HARD ENOUGH TO PUT UP WITH WITHOUT A STINK CLOUD."
Rosencrantz ignored her. There was no room in his head for anything that wasn't pink.
Author's Note
Whew! Glad to have the next part rolling. Finals week is coming up for me, so I'm not sure how much work I'll be able to get done then, but after that, I have a month off from school to look forward to! Hopefully i will be able to get a chapter or two cranked out between december and january, so stay posted. As usual, thank you all for reading and for putting up with me!
Chapter 4 Part 2 (Guildenstern)
"Now where is it again?" Guildenstern had been wandering around Ponyville for what felt like forever, looking in vain for the house of the town's lead weatherpony, Ms. Rainbow Dash. "I've checked every block in town and still can't find… Oh." He looked overhead to see what was casting such a large shadow across the ground, and saw the large cloud house that was Rainbow Dash's place of residence. "That makes sense."
Getting up there would be a problem by itself. If it wasn't for his disguise, Guildenstern would have been able to fly up on his insect-like wings. Unfortunately he had to maintain the outward appearance of a Unicorn, so flight was out of the question. Wasn't there some kind of teleportation spell he could use?
He decided to wing it, focusing all the magic he could muster to blink himself upwards, just above the cloud layer that made up her front lawn. Just as he was about to start congratulating himself, he hit the clouds.
Which he immediately fell through, landing with a painful thud on the ground below.
The loud noise woke Rainbow Dash from another morning oversleeping. She stuck her head out the door to see the hole in her front porch. Annoyed, she quickly pulled a few pieces of cloud together to patch the hole, before flapping her wings to find out what had just gone through her lawn.
She found a half-conscious Unicorn on the ground, head stuck in the dirt, mumbling a mix of curses and jibberish.
Guildenstern felt a pair of strong hooves pulling his legs free from the ground. Finally, Rainbow Dash was able to pluck him from the ground like a carrot, and set him on the ground.
"Ow… Why is the world spinning..." Guildenstern moaned, clutching his head between his hooves.
"You took a pretty bad fall," Dash said, "How'd you get up there anyway?"
"Teleport… job… porch… fall… pain…" He groaned in a garbled voice.
Rainbow Dash nodded understandingly. "You wanted to see me about a job?"
"Yeah. I wanted to get a job with you on the weather crew."
Dash looked at the orange stallion critically. "But you're a Unicorn! If you can't fly, how are you supposed to clear clouds, or set up rainstorms?"
"Magic!" He emphatically declared.
Rainbow Dash was unconvinced. "Look, it's not like you can use magic to explain everything away with the wave of a hoof. It just makes you look lazy."
Guildenstern stared straight at Rainbow Dash, eyebrows knit into a scowl. "How does the sun get up in the morning?"
"Uh, magic?" Dash answered.
"And how does the moon get up at night?"
"Magic." She said again.
Guildenstern nodded. "Right. Now, how was Nightmare Moon defeated?"
"The Elements of Harmony. Duh."
"And what makes them work?" He asked, getting a little bit impatient.
"Magic?"
"Should I keep going?" Guildenstern asked sarcastically.
Realization dawned on Rainbow Dash like a slap to the face. "Fine, you can have the job. But don't come crying to me when you can't handle the work." She flapped her wings in an irritated huff and flew back into her house. "Meet me and the rest of the pegasi in town at eight AM sharp!"
"But that was two hours ago!" He yelled.
Rainbow came zipping out of her house, screaming. "Crap! I'm late again!"
With a shrug, Guildenstern took after her in a gallop. She was going to be a fun boss.
Guildenstern met Rainbow Dash, along with the rest of the weatherponies assembled in front of town hall. "Alright team, we have a new member with us today." Dash announced. "His name is- uh... I don't think I actually caught your name..."
"Thunder Dust!" He declared proudly.
"Right. Now today's scheduled for clear, sunny skies, so let's go clear those clouds!" With a clap of her hooves, Rainbow and the rest of the Pegasi scattered, leaving Guildenstern alone on the ground.
Overhead, Dash looked at him critically. "Dumb Unicorn. He'll be gone before the shift is over." She turned her attention away from the confused orange pony and returned to smashing clouds.
Undaunted, Guildenstern focused his gaze skyward. He saw a large patch of clouds to the northeast nopony had gone after. Breaking into a gallop, he charged towards them. Once he was directly beneath, he focused his magic on them, and one by one started ripping the clouds from the sky. One by one the cottony clouds faded into nothingness as Guildenstern slammed them into the ground. Within a few minutes, the whole sector was clear.
Guildenstern looked at his work with a nod of approval, and moved on to find more.
Back in the sky, Rainbow Dash, along with two of her fellow Pegasi, watched in surprise.
"He works hard, I'll give him that." Thunderlane said approvingly.
"He might be able to clear almost as fast as you, Rainbow Dash." Cloud Kicker added.
Rainbow Dash didn't know how to react. She had only given Thunder Dust the job to humor him, but not only was he doing the work, he was able to keep up with the best.
A few hours later, the clouds were gone, and the weather for the next day was all set to be deployed. Rainbow Dash approached her new teammate with an apologetic smile on her face. "Hey, sorry for doubting you Thunder Dust. I guess shouldn't have talked down to you like I did."
"It's okay!" He responded with a chipper grin, "I'm just happy to help."
"Well, we usually go for cider after a shift. Wanna come with us?"
Guildenstern smiled, "Boy would I!"
The weather crew, along with their new member, sat themselves at the bar of Ponyville's cantina, each with a mug of cider in hand. They laughed as they regaled each other with stories of past exploits. Guildenstern said little, but laughed the hardest out of anypony. Even the stories which Rainbow Dash had told the others a thousand times still got a reaction of awe out of the plucky orange unicorn.
After the weather crew scattered, Rainbow Dash began to walk Guildenstern home. "Good work today buddy," She complimented. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Ok, sounds good boss!" He chirped.
Rainbow leaned in a whispered into his ear, "If I don't show up on time, would you mind coming to my house to wake me up?"
"Sure Rainbow Dash." He giggled.
"Oh, before I forget!" Rainbow tossed Guildenstern an electric blue jacket with the logo of the Ponyville weather crew printed on it. "You're a part of the family now. Wear it proudly."
Guildenstern slipped the jacket on. It was a lovely windbreaker, and although it had two unnecessary wing holes, it still fit well and would certainly be of use in bad weather. He looked at Dash as she flew away. Family... He thought with a sigh.
Author's Note
Glad to have this going again.