Shining Armor sat impatiently in the small room as he waited for the "doctor" to finish his analysis. The others had thought him crazy. Some told him he was just stressed and gave him pills to help him sleep. He refused to accept this though. He had heard her. He knew he had. That bitch was still in his head and he wouldn't rest until she was out.

Fortunately, one pony was willing to take him in. It had been a long several hours since he heard the voice, but he had finally found someone who didn't think he was going insane. Dr. Cognitive Function.

"And what were the exact words you heard, Mr. Armor?" the unicorn asked his patient.

Shining Armor sighed before answering. "She said, "Now it begins.""

Dr. Function wrote down a few more notes on his clipboard. "And you say you've also been having consistent nightmares as well?"

"Yes, Doc, ever since I got mind controlled," Shining Armor confirmed. "I've seen psychiatrist after psychiatrist and while the frequency has gone down, I still have them."

"Yes, I think I understand now," Dr. Function stated. "What you're experiencing isn't due to stress or paranoia. Your issue is less of a mental health issue and more of a magical one."

"Magical?" Armor questioned. "That can't be right. Chrysalis is dead. There's no way she could still be tormenting me."

"And yet her magic lingers," Dr. Function replied. "Mind control is a very special kind of magic. It links into not only to the mind of the victim, but into the mind of the caster. It can be very dangerous for both ponies even when it is performed correctly, and Chrysalis was able to become more powerful than Celestia, making it even more potent. It would seem that whatever she did has left a mark on your mind."

"No, that can't be possible," Armor denied. "Chrysalis is dead! How can she still be doing this?"

"It is no longer Chrysalis. Like I said before, she became more powerful than even Celestia. With that kind of power, there is no telling the extent of damage she could have caused if you had remained under her spell for much longer. I do know this though. The magic inside of you is no longer connected to Chrysalis. It can't be."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean," the doctor continued, "is that the magic that Chrysalis used on you was able to become an independent construct, imbedded into your sub-consciousness, and now it is feeding off of your fear. You have a magical parasite living in your brain."

Shining Armor leaned back in his seat, staring straight ahead with wide eyes and beads of sweat accumulating on his head. The words began to sink in and he found himself shocked at what he was beginning to realize. This all made so much sense. This doctor was right. He didn't know how he knew, but he was right.

Shining Armor took a deep breath. "Is... is there anyway to get rid of this... a cure?"

Dr. Function thought for a moment. "Yes, I believe so. There is a procedure that could be performed, but it is risky and well..." he paused, knowing Armor would not like what he was about to say.

"What is it, Doc? Please you have to tell me."

"It will require the same type of magic that created this parasite to begin with."

"Mind control magic?" Armor questioned.

"No," Dr. Function answered. "Changeling magic."

"So what you're saying, is that all I need is to get my hooves on some changeling magic and then you would be able to cure me, right?"

Dr. Function sighed. He wished that there was a way of just capturing a changeling's magic in a crystal and then just using it as was need, but it wasn't so simple. "I'm afraid it's more complicated than that," he said sorrowfully. "The procedure would require a live changeling and even if you could locate their hive and capture one, it would still have to be willing to help, or else it will not work. I'm sorry, but your condition can only be treated, not cured."

Shining Armor thought about all of this for a moment, letting the words of the doctor sink in. In order to purge this parasite from his head he would need changeling magic from a live changeling and it had to be willing to help him. Switchback was out saving his hive with Twilight and he doubted that he would he would want to help him after the way he had treated him.

Suddenly, something clicked inside Shining Armor's head. That's it! Crawlway was in Canterlot. All he had to do was convince that changeling to help him, but how? It wasn't like Crawlway actually liked him. He had kind of alienated him when they were at Fluttershy's cottage. Would a simple 'sorry' be enough? No of course it wouldn't. It would take time and patience, but he would get the help he needed, one way or another.

"Are you freakin' kidding me?!" Jackpot exclaimed in frustration.

"Well this is unexpected," August pointed out.

The group looked on at the large heap of crumbled rock that now impeded their progress in confusion. How could they have already hit a dead end? This didn't make any sense, unless of course, it was a cave-in. It certainly looked like one.

"It seems to be a cave-in," Rampart acknowledged. "How did this happen?"

"So what now?" Talisman asked. "Do we go and just come back with some shovels?"

"Maybe there's a way around," Twilight commented.

"It's a cave-in, Princess," Jackpot pointed out. "I don't think one of this size would have a way around. It is in chunks though, so maybe we can move it?"

"Oh, gosh," August complained. "This is going to take forever."

"Not unless we all use our magic," Rampart said, "or at least those of us who have it. Brisk, you're with me. Talisman, August, Jackpot, stand guard and make sure nothing sneaks up on us from behind." He turned to Twilight and Switchback. "Princess, Ambassador, I hate to ask of you, but..."

"It's no trouble Captain," Twilight interrupted. "We'll be through this in no time at all." She started toward the large pile that Brisk had already begun moving.

Twilight was followed by Switchback, who still seemed a little distraught. He looked up at the large mound. "I have a bad feeling about this."

August paced around uncomfortably as his colleagues stood guard. At least, Talisman was standing. Jackpot had sat down with his back against one of the cave walls and now held his head low with his forehooves crossed. Talisman on the other hoof was focusing on nothing in particular, just the darkness of the cave at the edge of the newly lit flare that he had used. He looked over to Jackpot and rolled his eyes, knowing that he wasn't the kind to be disturbed. Besides, it wasn't like they would even have all that much time to sleep anyways. Might as well get it while they could.

Talisman went back to focusing on the dark before his mind quickly fell into line with the rhythm of August's hooves. "Clip clop clip clop clip clop," they would go as he walked in circles on the hard stone floor, trying to pass the time. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity of the echoing noise, Talisman snapped.

"Would you cut that out!?" Talisman almost yelled.

"Sorry," August apologized. "I cant help it. I guess I'm just nervous."

"Yeah, well cut it out," Talisman demanded. "You're making me antsy."

August frowned with a sigh, before finding a seat. The defeated, shameful manner that he had done this in made Talisman feel bad about snapping at him the way he did. "Sorry," he said. "I'm just a little on edge ever since... well..."

"It's alright, bro," August assured. "I understand." He went quiet for a few moments, letting the silence of their surrounding take hold of them once more. After thinking for awhile, he found his voice. "What do you think happened back there?" he asked, trying to not be too pushy with the subject. "They all... just..." he tried to continue but found himself choking on the words.

"I don't know," Talisman answered. "I don't understand how something so horrendous could take place as to leave something like that behind. It all gives me a really uneasy feeling, like something is very wrong here."

"I think we're being kept in the dark," Jackpot said suddenly, catching both his comrades off guard.

"What do you mean?" August asked.

"I mean that we're not being told all the details," Jackpot answered. "I think something's being kept from us."

"Let me guess, you think Switchback knows something about it, don't you?" Talisman inquired.

"Yeah, and I don't like it." Jackpot stood from his position and headed back in the direction of the cave-in before stopping short. "Something tells me that there's something he doesn't want us to know. And I think if we're going to be guarding him all the way to the royal palace or castle or whatever it is that the Queen lives in, we ought to know about everything that's going on."

"That's ridiculous," Talisman insisted.

"Is it? Didn't you see how careful and hesitant he was acting back there? He's hiding something, I know it."

"You would have done exactly the same had you been in his shoes."

Jackpot's eyes narrowed as he stared down Talisman with a slight bit of rage in his expression. "What are you trying to say, that I'm a liar, that I would keep secrets and potentially endanger the mission?"

"We were surrounded by bodies, Jackpot!" Talisman replied harshly. "They were changeling bodies. Do you really think that being surrounded by more than fifty dead of your own kind doesn't have some kind of affect on ponies? He's not acting any weirder than any of us would have, especially not somepony who cant control their anger!"

"You know nothing about me!" Jackpot shouted angrily. "I've only ever done what was necessary!"

"Necessary?! I'd hardly call what you did back in Canterlot necessary!"

"It was an invasion, Talisman! Mercy wasn't a luxury that we could afford at the time. Not with the entire capital city of Equestria crawling with enemy combatants!"

"Guys!!!" August interjected, trying his best to stay between the two stallions who were not making any attempt to get out of each other's faces. "Get a hold of yourselves! You're letting all this stress get to your heads. If we cant keep it together after seeing a bunch of dead changelings then how are we ever going to make it through the husklands?"

Both Talisman and Jackpot relaxed a little, realizing what they were getting themselves into. This wasn't at all how they should be behaving. "Listen," August continued. "We all did things that we aren't proud of when the changelings attacked Canterlot, but this is the here and now. We can still make this all right. So what do you guys say?"

"August is right," Talisman said with a sigh.

"Agreed," Jackpot confirmed as he extended a hoof towards Talisman. "We cool?"

"Yeah," Talisman said, returning the gesture. "We're cool."

When everypony calmed down and went back to their duty of standing guard, the silence returned and they each found themselves growing more and more anxious to get moving. None of them liked standing in one spot for so long, especially given their current situation. Eventually, it was August who spoke up, hoping he could start a conversation in order to pass the time. "So," he began, only to find that there was really nothing good to talk about. There was of course what they had seen only minutes ago, but it was obvious that that subject matter should be left alone.

Before August could think of anything, Brisk arrived as if he were an angel come to answer a prayer to end the boredom. "We're though," he said simply before turning around and walking back to where Twilight, Switchback, and Rampart patiently waited just as the others had.

"Good," Jackpot said as he began to follow the young unicorn. "I was bored."

As the group made the short walk back, Talisman turned to August. "What was that you were going say?" he asked, curious to know what was on the pegasus's mind.

"Nothing really," August replied. "You know... just... so."

"Hmm. Yeah," Talisman mumbled as he thought. "I know how you feel."

Agent Chaser sat in a hallway of the royal Canterlot palace looking just about how you would expect a bored and depressed stallion to look. He slouched lazily against one of the walls as he rested on the floor, throwing a rubber ball to keep him busy. First he would throw it forward into the floor where it would bounce up and then ricochet off the opposite wall and fly back into his hoof, only to begin the whole circle over again.

Clah tunk, clah tunk, clah tunk, clah tunk

As he threw the ball, finding a constant rhythm to the noise that it made, he couldn't help but think about how much time he was wasting. He had trained four long years for his job. He had pushed his body far beyond its limit many times just to prepare for what he would face in the field. He had dedicated his mind to learning and mastering the ability to think and adapt on his hooves at a seconds notice. He had chosen a hard and uncomfortable life full of danger and stress, and here he was, sitting on his butt in the middle of an air conditioned castle, probably annoying the crap out of someone on the other side of a sheet of drywall.

Clah tunk, clah tunk, clah tunk...

The noise suddenly stopped as Chaser caught the ball and stood up. He then began to head to the throne room where Celestia was more than likely putting up with some spoiled brat of a noble complaining about his drinking water not tasting pure enough. In Chaser's experience, that's basically what the day court boiled down to.

As he walked through the long and twisting halls, he made no indication that he had any interest in the many stain glass windows or that he was going to stop to admire the craftsmanship of the elegantly made wooden doors that any carpenter would have gone bananas over. Instead, he continued down the hall at a slightly rushed pace. It was time he found something to do. He needed a new mission.

Switchback stared up at the hole they had dug at the top of the pile of rubble. It was small, big enough for only one pony to squeeze through at a time. It had taken them some time and energy to complete the task, and no doubt put them behind schedule, assuming that they ever really expected to be able to keep one in a place like this, but they were now through the rubble and ready to move on. So why was everyone just standing there?"

They had entered the hive already, prepared themselves for the worst and stepped into the darkness only to find that there were no threats to them. Everything was dead. But now, now they were about to truly enter dangerous territory. There was no way of knowing what was on the other side of the rocks. Perhaps it was this fact, the fear of the unknown that caused each pony to stay stagnant, looking on at the hole without saying a word.

"Well, tallyho... I guess," August muttered nervously as he took a few steps forward.

"Yeah," Jackpot agreed. "Let's get moving." He too sounded somewhat nervous, just as they all had when first seeing the entrance to the cave that they now occupied.

One by one, as the group moved through the hole and to the other side of the rubble, they each noticed that the air was considerably warmer and it was just as dark as it had been when they first entered the caves. Just how dark it was was very unsettling. They had already seen the bodies in the cave and there was no telling what else could be lurking within the black void.

Brisk continued taking point, doing his best to light the way with his horn. Rampart, Twilight, and Switchback all lit their horns as well, providing a good sized bubble of light. It was their own little sphere of protection from whatever horrors their minds might trick them into thinking they saw. This comforting light though, soon became irrelevant as they came across what could be considered an anomaly for the cave they were in.

Up ahead was a light source. It was faint and flickered and shimmered ever so slightly, but it was there, and it scared the crap out of everyone. No one really showed it, but they had all been scared, even though most of them would never admit to it.

The light grew stronger and larger as the group neared it source. They stopped though, as that source became visible. Up ahead, was a single, lone changeling. He sat on the floor with his head against the wall. His eyes were closed, but the small fire burned bright. He appeared to be sleeping.

Rampart extinguished his horn and signaled for the others to do the same. "Alright," he began. "This is our first contact with the changelings of the hive. It is imperative that we get this right. Switchback, it would be best if you went in first and see if you can talk to him. If you can use reason, we might be able to avoid any unnecessary complications."

Switchback took a deep, nervous breath. "Okay, I'll try," he replied.

"Don't worry, Switchback. You can do this," Twilight reassured him.

Switchback nodded. He looked up to Twilight at times, so having her there for moral support really helped.

"The princess is right," Rampart added. "Besides, we'll be here to aid you if anything goes wrong."

Switchback took a few seconds to compose himself before stepping out into the flickering light of the fire while the ponies all took positions within the darkness. It was time to find out if Switchback was still in touch with his own people.

He walked slowly and cautiously, being careful not to spook the other changeling. "Um, hello?" he said cautiously.

There was no reply with the exception of the faint snoring.

Switchback tried again. "Excuse me."

This time it worked. The unknown changeling began to wearily open his eyes. He blinked a few times before his eyes shot open and he jumped back at realizing someone else was with him in the cave. "Stay back!" he shouted in a defiant voice. He grabbed a sword that had been leaning against the wall and pointed it in Switchback's direction. "Who are you? What is your business here?!"

Switchback took a step back, knowing if he wasn't careful, this could end very very badly. "Uh, I-I uh." He was fumbling his words like an idiot and he knew it. Dammit, why did he always have to screw these types of things up. After taking a moment to find his voice, he spoke. "My name is Switchback," he said, trying to sound confident.

"Right," the changeling said with a raised eyebrow. He looked passed Switchback and into the darkness. "So you went through all of that alone, huh?"

Switchback looked back over his shoulder toward where he had come from. "You're talking about the cave-in, right?"

"Yeah, that and the bodies."

"Oh, you know about those."

"They're the reason we blocked off the cave to begin with," the changeling replied condescendingly. "Why would you go through all the trouble to get through that?"

"Well, I... uh," Switchback took a deep breath. "I have to speak with Queen Cicadia. I have an urgent message for her."

The other changeling just stood there for a moment, thinking about what Switchback had just told him. "A message for the Queen you say?" The changeling paced side to side as he thought. "Well, that is a good reason to go through a field of husks and then dig through a cave-in. So tell me then, why did you come from the outside? As far as we know there are no settlements outside of the hive."

Switchback began to freak out a little on the inside. "Crap, crap, crap, crap," he thought to himself. He still hadn't figured out how to tell another changeling about his alliance, no, his friendship with the ponies. "Why do you keep saying "we" when you refer to yourself?" Switchback asked, doing his best to dodge the question while he came up with a way to tell this changeling about the ponies.

"I am not referring to myself," the changeling informed. "I am simply a lookout for a small settlement deeper in the hive. I was posted here as a precaution, in case someone did get through the wall. Now Switchback, answer my question."

This changeling's advances made Switchback even more nervous. He seemed aggressive and spoke in tones that were almost unfriendly, as if he would not hesitate to end Switchback's life if he made a false move. He seemed almost hostile.

"Well, you see..." Switchback fiddled with his hooves as he looked around as if a nearby sign was just sitting somewhere displaying an answer. "I didn't come from another settlement."

"So you're one of the Queen's scouts then, and you found something that the Queen should know about? Or are you just another outscav on a self righteous quest of indignation?"

"I'm sorry," Switchback apologized. "Outscav? What is that?"

The changeling gave Switchback a strange look. "You really aren't from around here, are you?"

Switchback shook his head.

"An outscav," the changeling began, "is what we call the scavengers who chose to live their lives outside of the hive. They risk everything, their possessions, their bodies, their lives, just to try and make it on their own. It is no way to live though. A changeling who abandons his hive, is no changeling at all. He is something different, something... wrong. So I will ask you again. Where are you from?"

Switchback took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Here went nothing. "I'm from Ponyville," he said as calmly as he could manage, "although I actually came here from Canterlot."

"Canterlot?" the changeling questioned. "You mean the capital of the ponies?"

Switchback nodded this time.

"So you're a spy then?"

"Not exactly."

"So what then?" the changeling snapped. "Have you just been hiding among them? Did you see something in the ponylands that the Queen must see?" He eyed Switchback down carefully as he waited for an answer.

Switchback dodged this question again. He wanted to just come out and say it already, but the way that this changeling was levitating his sword with his magic made him very nervous. He had to treat this as a delicate situation. "I-I... Do you think that the hive needs help?"

"What? What are you talking about now?"

"I mean, do you think the hive needs help," Switchback insisted. "Do you think that the current state of the hive warrants the necessity for assistance from an outside force?"

"Oh, you better not be saying what I think you're saying," the changeling challenged. "Did you conspire with them!?! The ponies!?!" He now seemed very angry now that he realized exactly what Switchback was trying to say. When he did not answer and only stood nervously trying to think of how to respond, it was only solidified in his mind more. "You're a traitor!"

"No, no," Switchback said as he began to take steps back. "Please, just hear me out."

The other changeling, who had begun to advance on Switchback with his sword drawn looked only angrily upon him. He made no signs of stopping until for some reason, as if an angel had come to save Switchback, he halted suddenly. He looked passed Switchback and into darkness of the cave. His eyes went wide and his jaw stayed agape as he look out with disbelief. "You led them here," he said quietly under his breath.

Switchback looked back over his shoulder. Sure enough there were five royal guards standing only a few meters behind him. They had obviously been drawn out by the initial yelling. Switchback was very glad to see them. None of them had their swords drawn yet, instead favoring a less aggressive approach.

The changeling just stood there for a moment, one that must have seemed like an eternity to him. He was more than a little shaken by the fact that he was currently in a staring match with five royal guards, five pony royal guards. What should he do? Should he run? Should he try to say something? He knew he wanted to do one of those, but not which. His hooves seemed as if they were frozen in place, and he couldn't wipe the dumb, shocked expression off his face.

Before he could come to his senses and make a decision of what he should do, something caught his eye. It was something that changed everything about the situation that he was now in. Standing just to the side of one of the guards, looking just as confident as the guards themselves was another pony. A mare, who wore no armor and held no weapon. She wasn't just a normal mare though. No she was something far more special. She was an alicorn.

Author's Note

It took way to long to get this chapter finished. I think I rewrote this at least five times. The biggest problem I'm having is writer's block. So far, I have point A and B solidified in my mind, but it's the little in-between parts that are giving me trouble. Hopefully this was worth the wait.