Pinkie was standing at the entry to the Hive, she said “I’m think it’s time I show you the full extent of the hive.” As her five friends and Celestia entered, they blinked several times at the hive entry’s bright pink walls.

Twilight asked “Isn’t this a bit much, I mean why is it all pink?”

Pinkie laughed “Everyling decided that the hive should be pink, it would be more welcoming that way, there’s more to see, come on.” They followed her until they ended up in the main section of the hive, they saw just how large it was, a huge pink building was at the back.

Twilight asked “What is that building?”

Pinkie said excitedly “That’s the nursery and the larger building next to is the hatchery.”

Fluttershy smiled “Can I go and see it?”

Pinkie smiled and nodded as she sent a message across the hive mind. 2 Changelings arrived they were half her height. Pinkie said maintaining her smile “Blitz and Cross, they run the nursery and hatchery, they will take you there now.” Fluttershy smiled as she followed the 2 large lings.

Celestia asked “I’m curious what types of changelings you hive has.”

Pinkie’s smile faded as she said “Blitz and Cross are what are known as Rocketlings, they are very fast, they often are incredibly competitive, their wings are have a small blue tint at the end of them. Blitz and Cross often argue over who is better at tending to the youngsters, I hope Fluttershy will be okay.”

Celestia asked “Is that it?”

Pinkie sighed “It will be easier to show than explain, follow me.”

Meanwhile

Fluttershy slowly followed Blitz and Cross, she was both excited and nervous. She watched as the 2 large lings walked forward. Blitz boasted “I will show you how good I am at looking after the eggs.”

Cross said in a snarky tone “Oh really all you do is look after some eggs, I actually look after them once they hatch.”

Blitz shouted “Caring for the eggs is an important job you know!”

Cross shouted back “So is raising young hatchlings!” Fluttershy shuddered a little at the shouting contest. She saw the large structure and was amazed at it’s size. She sighed as with only one eye she couldn’t truly measure it’s size.

Cross and Blitz boasted “This is the facility, what do you think?”

Fluttershy said “It’s huge, that’s for sure.” She rubbed her hoof over her bandaged eyesocket as they opened the door to the large building. When she entered the inside looked more like a series of caverns then an actual building, she cringed slightly at the pink walls. Blitz and Cross didn’t notice her cringing as they guided her to the hatchery, it’s wall were large and pink, it was so large that she couldn't see the top but it was very thin.

Blitz said proudly “This is where me and my colleagues works.”

Cross boasted “You’ll be more impressed by mine.” Several of the other lings groaned, Fluttershy noticed some were larger while others were about the same size as Blitz and Cross.

Fluttershy asked “How many does Pinkie lay per day?”

Blitz said “Our mum lays between one and hundred thousand eggs depending on how many her body produced that day.”

Fluttershy gasped “One hundred thousand eggs.”

Blitz said “Yep that’s how many.”

Cross said “But that’s not what you wanted to see, come on I’ll show the good part.” Blitz muttered under his breath but Fluttershy couldn’t quite make it out what he said. When they entered the nursery it was similar in colour but it’s shape was different while the Hatchery had been tall and thin, the Nursery was wide and short.

Thousand of hatchlings were running around the room. Cross said “One of the queen’s friends is here.” All 200 thousand of the rooms nymphs galloped over to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy asked smiling “What’s your names?”

A few of the less timid hatchlings stepped forward, Fluttershy’s smile diminished slightly as she was slightly disappointed only 3 stepped forward. The youngest said with a flourish “I’m Thunder Flash, I like flashy things.”

The other 2 said in unison “I am the miraculous Fireball and I like to play with fire/My name is Snowy Wind and I like animals.”

Fireball boasted “Animals, that’s lame, fire is better.”

Fluttershy immediately scolded him “That is very rude, I am animal caretaker myself and I find a very rewarding.” She then turned to Snowy Wind and asked “Would you like to come to my cottage and say hi to the animals I care for?”

Snowy Wind jumped up and down excitedly her pink wings buzzing “I’d love too.”

Fluttershy responded “I’ll ask Pinkie if you can come to my cottage.” The hatchling smiled exictedly.

An older changeling who is equal to Pinkie’s height said “I’m glad your here, these 2 have been scaring the hatchlings way too much.”

Cross said “I’d told you she would enjoy this part more.”

Blitz snarled “She would have like my part more if she really got time to actually explore it.”

Cross snarled back “She is an animal caretaker, how much caring do you do, you just watch eggs all day.”

Blitz said “I polish the eggs and clean them as well as make sure there are no abnormalities, why do you think there is all those computers there, my job requires an actual brain.”

Fluttershy looked down at the hatchlings and saw the terrified looks, Snowy was hiding behind her back, Lightning was trembling and even Fireball was slightly cowed. She looked at many of the others and they were crying. Fluttershy trotted over to Blitz and asked “Excuse me but can we talk in you office?”

Blitz and Cross asked “What for?”

Fluttershy said “I want to inform you of how well the both you are performing.”

Blitz followed her with Cross behind him, Cross said “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

Blitz said with a smirk “You scared of a timid little mare with on eye.” Fluttershy grimaced slightly at insinuation but kept going.

When they entered the room, Fluttershy said coldly “You 2 have done nothing but argue all the way here, I’m incredibly angry and now you 2 will be punished.”

Blitz laughed as he said “You, punish us you must be joking.”

Fluttershy thought (Fleur taught me well and I will make her proud today, standing up for those weaker than I as she did for me once.) She stood on her hind legs and one of her hooves crackled with lightning and the other stared to glow with ice’s power. From outside all that was heard was a several loud bumps and thumps. Fluttershy walked out and said “It will be fine now.”

Many of the hatchlings cheered and gave her a big hug. Snowy Wind said smiling “Thank you.” Blitz and Cross stumbled out their eyes bruised and their wings bent, their carapace had a few cracks in it.

The older changeling from earlier said “I’m glad you taught them a lesson, I’m Solemn Heart, I work in the medical wing usually but Pinkie transferred me here to watch those two.”

Fluttershy said “Don’t worry I will speak to Pinkie about those two later.” She then started playing with the little hatchlings, Solemn Heart smiled knowing that the first steps to peace were being established.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoy this chapter, any parts that you don't understand will be explainedin th first interlude.