Author's Note

What she looks like

Chapter 1: First Impressions Are Everything

Chapter one

First Impressions Are Everything

[Changeling Kingdom]

The Changeling kingdom, home to all the changelings of Equestria and their queen. Queen Chrysalis. The once proud and noble kingdom has been reduced to nothing more than a kingdom on the verge of collapsing. Ever since the failed attempt to take over Canterlot for the soul purpose of obtaining love during the Canterlot wedding, Celestia have been keeping an eye on them as she set up a station at the borders of the badlands to prevent them from leaving. Somewhere within the kingdom’s meeting room was Chrysalis and her generals all gathered together to talk about the situation and status of the Changeling Empire.

“We can’t keep going like this forever Chrysalis. With the constant low supplies of love potions that Celestia is forcing us to drink as a substitute for real love, we won’t be able to last very much long.” Pharynx said as Chrysalis sighed upon hearing that.

“And how much time would we have left if this problem isn’t taken care of?”

“I would say...about a month or two if we ration it out sparingly.” said a mare changeling with glasses. “Though given how the ponies that Celestia have looking over us, I have a feeling that they’re the ones that have been tampering with our supply of love potion.” She said as Chrysalis cursed underneath her breath.

“Not to mention that we’re still having the issue of the children missing. We haven’t figure out who is doing it, even with the added security around the nursery.” Thorax said as an annoyed expression started to appear on her face.

“How is it that whoever is doing this is still being able to steal our children even with the security?”

“We don’t know Chrysalis, we might have a spy within our ranks that’s working with the ones that are stealing the children. We don’t know who, but we’re still looking into it who is doing this.”

“And the preparation plans for storming the watch station that Celestia had build near the border?” Chrysalis asked as the five changeling looked off in different directions. “Still no progress I take it?”

“It’s not like we can’t Chrysalis. It’s the fact that we don’t have any weapons, nor the drones to do it.” Pharynx said as he laid his head against the seat he was sitting in. “Almost 95% of our soldiers have been placed on guard at the nursery, and the other 5% of them are out protecting our gatherers from being attacked by any monsters out in the badlands.”

“Things are not looking so good for us Changelings.” said an elderly looking changeling. “If nothing is done before the next meeting with the Equestrians, then we could be seeing a mass genocide of the changeling race. Only those who are able to hide themselves well enough within pony society or somewhere else will be the only ones left to live on.”

“And of course this is my fault for not thinking of a back up plan if the invasion of Canterlot didn’t work out. That or try to take the diplomatic route again to see if something has changed.”

“Given the fact that we tried multiple times to ask for their help only to be met with an apology and love potions, it was bound to happen soon or later that we would try to take over Equestria.” The changeling with glasses said as she adjusted her glasses.

“Chrysalis, if I may suggest something?” asked a mare wearing what appeared to be a kimono.

“I take it that you wanted to perform that spell you’ve been trying to perfect Lotus Juice?”

“What spell?” Thorax asked as Chrysalis turned her attention to him.

“Lotus was able to go to Ponyville during the time we had the soldiers attack the patrol post that one time. She was able to return back to us with a book from Canterlot that might be able to help us in getting help from somepony outside of the badlands.”

“Which took me awhile to figure out the right spells to get the help that we need.” Lotus said as her horn glowed and summon a book with a royal seal on it. “It took me a while to find the right spells for transportation. Though it’s a bit hard to understand most of it seeing how it’s in an old equestrian language.”

“And you think that using something like that will help us?” Pharynx asked as he eyed the book suspiciously. “How do we know that this book isn’t bugged with a tracking spell?”

“Sadly, the book is laced with a tracking spell. Meaning the moment I use said spell from this book, that’s when all tartarus will break loose.”

“So we have options. We either wait until the next meeting with the Equestrian to talk about what’s been going on and hope they will help us, or we take a risk and gamble on this spell of yours to get help?” Pharynx asked as the mare nodded. The male changeling looked over at Chrysalis who was thinking things over in her mind. “Your thoughts on this Queen Chrysalis?”

“If we have more love potions, then we could wait it out. But seeing how we can’t, we’ll have to risk this.” She said as she turned her attention at Lotus Juice and the Changeling with glasses. “Lotus Juice, take Scarlet Sapphire with you to help you with the spell. If the two of you performed the spell, then it should help boost the strength of the spell.”

“Yes Queen Chrysalis!” Both mares said as they hurried off towards the top of the hive.

“You do know that if they do this and it fails, you might end up getting killed due to being a threat to Equestria?”

“I know Crimson Mist, but we’re at the end of the line here. We don’t have much of a choice in this matter...I’m willing to take another risky gamble at this and pray that we get somepony or something that can help us in this time of need.”

[Eorzea, Costa del Sol]

“Attention Maelstrom company personnel, we are now arriving at Coastal Del Sol. As per orders by Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, all members of the Maelstrom company are allowed to have one souvenir, and NO. Lalafell do not count, you pigs. It’s 0007 guys… get with the program.”

“This sucks!” Juritta yelled as she stormed her way through the beach with her teammates. “Why are we here? You said that there would be a monster on the hunting list that needed to be killed. And so far there isn’t anything here but sand, water, and the annoying sun hitting my face!”

“Oh come on Jurrita. You been working your ass off for the past year, why not take a break and just relax?” said a dark skinned Miqo'te wearing a bikini as she swam around in the water. “You can’t keep hunting monsters everyday just to make a quick gil.”

“In case you have forgotten, we need gil to buy food. We spent whatever we had on buying better armor and weapons for raiding dungeons to get even more better gear and weapons, Ruby.”

“I know that we need gil, but we can’t keep fighting and raiding dungeons 24/7. We do need time to recover and relax a bit before doing another dungeon raid.” Ruby said as she pulled herself out of the water and onto the deck that Jurrita was on. “We’re not machines that can go on fighting everyday. I know you might be able to, what with the whole dark night and darkness going on for you.”

“Look, as the team’s only tank and friend. It’s my job to make sure you lot are battle ready and prepared. Because if I end up falling in battle or end up having to go someplace else for a while.” The lalafell said as she took a seat on the dock. “Look out of everyone here, I’m the most experienced adventurer out of the group. And I prefer not to have an incident of what happen before you, Hal, and Garnet forced me to be the group tank.”

“Technically we bribed you in becoming the tank with Hal’s cooking.” Ruby said as Jurrita deadpaned at her. “But I can see what you mean by that.” She said before reaching for her bag to pull out a stack of fliers for Juritta to have. “Here, why don’t you go back and hunt some of the monsters around Limsa Lominsa. They’re having a monster hunting event thing for The Maelstrom Grand Company that with each hunt you complete, you get five-thousand gil.”

“....This isn’t some kind of prank like last time where you guy ambushed me for me to wear that sailors outfit, is it?” The dark knight asked as her eyes began to glow crimson red. Ruby raised her hands in defense as she shakes her head.

“No, no! Not this time. We learned our lesson after you pile drived us Hildibrand style...which I am still wondering how you were able to do that to Hal. I mean the guy is a freakin Roegadyn.”

“If I told you, then I would have to kill you in your sleep.” The lalafell said as she snatched the fliers of papers before heading off toward the aetheryte. Once she was there she extended her hand toward the giant crystal to teleport off to Eastern La Noscea, she felt something offly strange about the crystal’s aether. Once she looked up, she noticed that the color of the aetheryte was green and was giving off a sickly surge of energy. “What the hell is going on with this thing?” She said as the lalafell pulled her hand away from it. While this was happening, Ruby took notice to the odd feeling from the crystal as she looked over at it to see Jurrita backing away from it.

“Jurrita, what did you do to the Aetheryte!?”

“I don’t know!? And how do you know it was me that did this-” Before the dark knight could finish her sentence, a surge of lightning like energy spewed out from the crystal and hit the lalafell from behind. This caused Ruby to close her eyes for a moment, before regaining her sight once the flash vanish. Once her sight was regain, her eyes widen to see nothing but the fliers that Jurrita was holding were now on the ground and blowing in the wind. “.....Seven hells!”

[Badlands, Changeling Empire]

On top of the Changeling Empire, Sapphire and Lotus prepared the magic spell to summon somepony to assist them in helping the kingdom in the current crisis it’s having. Chrysalis would be off to the side while keeping an eye on the patrol station through a pair of binoculars. As she did that, she would notice a stallion doing the same as she was doing only they would be looking at the front entrance due to the soldiers running around as a distraction.

“Okay, they’re distracted. But I don’t think it’ll last long.” The queen said as she looked over at Lotus and Sapphire. “How big is this spell of yours anyway?”

“About as big as a firework during the Canterlot Wedding two years ago…..bad reference to say, but that’s the only thing I got for an example.” Lotus said as she continued to paint the ground with crimson red ink like substance.

“Once the spell is cast, we’ll have a good ten to twenty minutes before the border patrol invade the castle.” Sapphire said as she read through the book to make sure the spells that Lotus looked up were correct. “Though if you don’t mind me asking. What is your plan once this being gets here? I mean, I’m sure you have a plan on taking back the land that we had to give up to the Equestrians, but what happens afterwards?”

“We focus now on the spell and making sure they come here first. Afterwards, if the patrol from the border do show up… we might have to do something that I am not going to enjoy…” The queen groaned.

“You mean killing them so that they don’t get the others from inside the building to come in and kill every last one of us?” Lotus asked as she finished putting the markings on the ground.

“No, I mean if the one we’re summoning gets here before them…” The queen replied back. “What was the first part of teaching young drones how to hide under cover?”

“You mean play the part that you have or…” Sapphire asked, before a realization dawned on her as she looked back at the Queen. “Wait… you’re not thinking what I’m thinking now… are you?”

“I am…” Chrysalis told the drone. “We play the victim. It might not be like us to show fear and weakness during times like these, but if it's the only way to convince this somepony to lend us their aid, then we have to play the part.”

“I’m still saying that we should tell this pony the truth. I mean what if they find out what happen later on? They will be pissed beyond how you are when somepony called you fat.” Lotus said as she walked over to the two.

“We tell her the truth after we bring them here and deal with the patrol. We can’t tell the truth if they find us first.”

“If you say so Chrysalis, but for now, I’ve finished setting the markings on the ground. All we need now is the magic to activate it and hope for the best. Because Faust knows we really need it after today.”

The queen nodded, turning back towards the land that was behind them and staring off into the distance, before saying a few words. “Then begin the spell.”

“At once, Chrysalis.” Both the changelings said in union as their horns began to glow. As they did this, the circle on the ground began to glow crimson red. “Hero from another world, we summon you here to grant us your aid. Hear the call of this circle and aid us with your strength to reclaim our home from our oppressor!” They said in union as the sky above them turn black as the night sky. Once the sky turned black, the sky soon revealed a demonic eye opening up as a blood like substance began to drip from it.

“....What kind of summoning is that!?” Chrysalis yelled in disbelief at what she was seeing. “We’re trying to summon a hero, not a demon from tartarus!” she said before squinting her eyes as to where the eye was hanging over. “....You did make sure it was near us right?”

“Of course, my queen. We made sure to take it into account before-” As Sapphire was speaking though, that was when the eye in the sky did something that neither her, nor Lotus anticipated. The eye moved. Drifting away from them and towards the last place they wanted it to be. “No no no no no!! Come on, get back here!!” Sapphire began to channel more magic, trying to regain control of the spell. But it did not work. In fact, it was as if the eye was acting on its own. “Lotus-”

“I’m trying!!” She said, trying her best to help Sapphire. Both mares fell forwards as they felt their magic gave out as the eye appeared above the border station. “....You don’t think that it’ll summon our hero there...will it?”

“There’s only one way for us to know for sure. We should hurry. I have a bad feeling about this.”

[Border Station]

“Sir! We have a problem going on outside.” said Broadsword, a earth pony soldier that just arrived in the office of the sergeant who was in charge.

“What is it this time? Are those stupid bugs trying to take over the station again?” Buckle Shield asked as he pulled himself away from his paperwork.

“N-no sir. Something just crashed into the station…” The earth pony shook his head, before leading his commanding officer outside to show him. “We can’t tell if this is an attack or if its something else entirely.”

“Where the hell did it crash into?”

“I-i believe it was where we were holding the children, sir.” There a moment of silence in the room for a moment before Buckle Shield quickly bolted from his desk and towards the boiler room. “Gather the soldiers! We can’t let those stupid brats die before we get payback for what those bugs did to us in Canterlot!”

“Yes sir!!” The earth pony saluted before rushing off to fulfill the order that he was given. While he was doing that, elsewhere, a certain lalafell found herself smack dab on the floor in the boiler room of the border station. She let out a low grunt from the sudden pain as she slowly began to pull herself up.

“Seven hells...what the hell just happened?” Jurrita said as she staggered to her feet. “Stupid Aetheryte. They should really put up a sign that says it’s out of order or something at least.” She said as she tries to look around in the dark room she was now in. “Great, nothing but darkness….ironic given the class I’m in.”

“H-hello?” A voice spoke up as she began to look around her. Seeing what looked like a pair of yellow eyes in the darkness. “W-who are you?”

“Gah! Who’s there!? Is it Heydalyn?” The Lalafell asked as her eyes glowed red. Once they were red, her vision in the darkness began to become more clear as she saw what appeared to be humanoid like bug creatures in the room she’s in. Ones that had holes in their legs and arms that reminded her of cheese.

“W-what? N-no!” She heard again. Now, Jurrita began to see who the voice was coming from. It was one of the creatures that was closer to her. “P-please, w-we didn’t mean to be rude.”

“Is she like those ponies that captured us?” Another voice asked, before hearing a few murmurs as Jurrita now could see multiple pairs of eyes. And all of them were looking to be around almost the same height that she was. Some a bit taller.

Of course, it was when the first voice spoke up that the lalafell was left with a new question. “Q-quiet everybuggy. M-maybe she’s here to save us.”

“Wait, save you guys? From what if you don’t mind me asking? Because I was just busy minding my own business in Costa Del Sol, and the next I’m in a room talking to bug children...no offense if that’s a racial slur.”

All the creatures in the room were a bit confused when she mentioned the name of the town. Almost like they haven’t heard of it before. But the first one then spoke again. “I-its a lot to explain… And we are the changelings. We may come off as bugs, but that’s just our normal appearance. H-however, a-all of us were taken captive by the p-ponies who live at this station,” The changeling then paused, brushing something away from her face as she looked back at her. “M-my name’s Yellow. Yellow Jacket. W-who are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Jurrita Kalahan, I’m a lalafell from the land of Eorzea and a traveling sellsword for the most part.” She said before walking over to Yellow.

“What’s an Eorzea?” They both heard another changeling ask. “Is it some kind of food?”

“Probably something that we can’t have anyways. Not enough love in something like that.”

That caused Yellow to sigh, right before looking back at the lalafell. “I’m sorry, but my friends here are just… surprised. We haven’t seen anyone aside from the ponies that have been standing guard over us for so long… We just want to go back home.” Jurrita stared at the group of children for a moment before placing a hand to her chin and begins to think to herself for a moment.

“Stuck in a room with a bunch of kidnapped children from another country with no knowledge of where I am and how I got here. Talk about getting myself into something that isn’t my own business… maybe if I can save these kids and have them take me to their leader, then I might be able to get some answers and a way to get back to Eorzea.” She thought as she looked over at the kids. “Does anyone here know any of the ponies in this station. As in have they been nice to you or something?”

“Well, not… exactly-”

Before the changeling could be able to fully answer Jurrita’s question, there were several loud bangs at the door. Causing a lot of the changelings to shiver and hide as the two of them looked back at it. “Alright, open this door RIGHT NOW! We know you’re in here! And I’m not going to repeat myself a second time.”

“-The pony in charge runs a tight ship and really despises us. Only some of his troops think we are living creatures and not some bug they can crush under a hoof.” Yellow said softly, before looking back at the door. “W-we need to open it up or else they’ll not give us the food we need to live-”

“I said…” Another loud bang on the door was heard. Just as pieces of metal from the hinges were beginning to shake look. “Open… THIS… DOOR!!!” On the third slam, the door was forced open. Almost hitting Jurrita as it flew backwards and narrowly missing a few of the kids. “All of you maggots, get out here right-” The pony paused, before looking back at Jurrita. Caught off guard by her presence. “-The hell? Boss, there’s some kind of rabbit thing in here with them!”

“Care to make a deal, Yellow Jacket? I get you and your friends out of here and in exchange, you take me to where you live.” Jurrita said as she reached for her claymore and gets into a fighting stance. “Not gonna lie, but there might be some blood, guts and a whole lot of dead bodies around the station when I’m done.”

“A-anything that could get us out of this place! Please.” Yellow told her, making the lalafell grin in response.

“Shows about to start… you might want to sit back though. First few feet is a slash zone~” She said as darkness began to flow through her greatsword.

As Yellow watched though, that was only followed up by one of the other changelings asking a question. “W-what does she mean by that?” As they said that, the lalafell unleashed a blast of darkness at the poor pony standing in the doorway as the impact sent him flying backwards and exploding due to the force behind the attack. Blood soon flew off into the room as it covered Jurrita’s face and armor a bit.

“Dammit, and I just cleaned this armor yesterday.” Jurrita said as she wiped away some of the blood on her face. “How many more are in this place kid-?” Before she could get an answer from him, she soon heard the sound of soldiers yelling from the distance from where she was. It didn’t help that they saw what just happen to the poor pony she killed.

“Over there!! It’s the intruder!!”

“Stop that monster before she escapes!!”

“But sir, she just decimated-”

“I DON’T CARE!! I am NOT letting some short deformed rabbit intimidate us and make our company look like a bunch of fools,” The pony that looked to be the one in charge shouted at his men. “Stop it now or all of you will suffer the consequences!!”

“What a good leader you are pal.” She thought as a dark aura developed around herself as she took one step forwards. “Listen up, all of you. Because I’m only offering you this once in a lifetime chance. You can move to the side and let me take these children home that you kidnapped and you’ll be able to walk home to your friends and family members that some of you might have. But if you chose to fight me, then every last one of you will die. That is unless you ask for mercy, but I have a feeling that won’t be likely.”

It didn’t help the commanding officer that a few moments after making that declaration, a couple of ponies dropped their arms and began to flee. Terrified of the amount of power the lalafell just put on display. As for the others though. “KILL HER!!!”

“And with that, you sealed your fates.” She said before placing her sword onto the side of her shoulder and quickly bolted at the soldiers with a devilish smile on her face. Once she was close to the nearest soldier, she quickly lunges herself at him and brought down her sword at the pony’s neck, and cut it clean off. Blood splattered all over most of the soldiers standing behind him as the lalafell quickly kicked the decapitated body over to them before firing off a ball of darkness towards the body. Once it exploded and cause them to cover their eyes, Jurrita jumped over the squad of ponies and began to bolt it down the hallway. “Can’t catch me you old farts!”

“Where did she-!?”

“She’s by the armory! Stop her!!” Buckler Shield yelled as the squad quickly ran after her to the armory. Once they made it to where she was, the captain quickly ducked as a dagger flew pass him and implanted into Broadsword’s head. “Fall back! Fall back!” He ordered as they quickly moved back into the hallway on each side of the doorway.

“Ha! Headshot! And I wasn’t even aiming that time!” Jurrita yelled as she quickly reached for a spear and readied herself to throw it.

“Everypony regroup, now-!” He ordered as one of the ponies from the otherside of the doorway tried to quickly make his way over to the captain, only to get speared in the head and stuck to the wall next to them. “Dammit!”

“Who’s next!? I got a ton of spears just itching to throw them at you punks!” She yelled as she readied another spear. However, when she looked back at the group, she saw that some of the ponies were backing away from her position. But there was another sound that was being heard. Something that sounded like… sizzling.

“Fire!!”

“Nald’s balls!” Jurrita quickly jumped out of the way of the cannon fire and quickly covers her head from the explosion from the cannonball hitting the room. The projectile tearing through the support beams that held up the structure that she was in as the roof began to collapse on top of her.

“Ha! We got her sir! There’s no way she could survive that!”

“Stay on your guard! There’s no telling if that thing’s dead or not!” Their commander snapped as the soldiers stayed cautious as they slowly began to peak their heads into the room. Only to be met with one of the soldier’s head to be split into by an oncoming axe flying through his head.

“H-how?! She should’ve died when the building collapsed!!”

“What did I just tell you?!!” The commanding officer snapped again. The sound of a wall breaking could be heard coming from beside them as the soot, dirt, and blood covered dark knight glared at the group while panting.

“Using a cannonball to try and kill me while taking out your armory. Bold and risky move, but that doesn’t work unless you can aim properly.” She said before charging at them while dragging her sword against the ground towards them.

“S-sargeant? W-what do we do now?!”

“Hold fast and stand ready! We’re not going to let her take those children away. Not over my dead body!!” Upon hearing that, the dark knight jumped up into the air, lifted up her greatsword, and threw it like at spear at the captain’s chest.

“That can be arranged.”

“H-holy!! She killed Buckle Shield!!”

“E-everypony run! Get out of here now!!” Some of the ponies soon immediately darted off in a hastened attempt to retreat as the lalafell began to pull the greatsword out of the chest of the commanding officer. She would go after the others, but she was already satisfied with the kind of carnage that she had just unleashed. “Dammit, there goes my threat of killing every last one of them.” She said before turning around and started to head back towards the kids slowly. Once she was near the room where Yellow Jacket and the other kids were in, she staggerly made her way over to them with a smile on her face. “Anyone know how to get back to your homes?”

“Umm…”

“...Please tell me that someone here knows how to get you all back from where you came from?”

“M-maybe… but we don’t know where we are exactly aside from the fact that this is a border station.” Yellow told her in response.

“Hey, maybe we should look around a bit. Those equines did leave behind all their stuff. Maybe they have a map or something?” Another one of the changelings suggested as they all began to come out of the small room that they were hiding in.

“Sounds like a plan. While you do that, I’m gonna pass out for a bit or two.” The lalafell’s eyes widen for a moment before dropping to the floor like a ton of bricks and passing out.

“… This being is the one who saved us?”

“Maybe you shouldn’t talk about her like that. Unless you want to have her sword go through your chest.”

“… Noted.”

[Outside, Border Station]

“Never thought we’d be coming back here anytime soon. Especially after what happened last time.” Pharynx said as he along with three soldiers landed side-by-side next to Chrysalis. “You sure this is the place that the spell landed our hero into?”

“It must be. We saw it with our own eyes.” Sapphire insisted.

“And you don’t think that they might’ve killed the being that you summoned already. For all we know this could be a trap.”

“That’s why we brought you guys here just in case this is a trap.” Lotus said as she took notice to the building. “Huh, I’m surprised that no pony has come out to try and attack us yet...You think they up and left?”

“Wait…” Pharynx lifted a hoof as he looked around, before getting closer and sniffing the air around him. “Do you smell that?”

“Smell what?” Sapphire ask.

“The scent in the air. It smells like the scent of… corpses.”

“Are they Equestrian?” Chrysalis asked as she began to walk over to the front door of the station, only to get stampeded on by a squad of fleeing stallions as they ran out of the station off in the direction of Equestria.

“What was that all about?” Sapphire asked.

“I’m not entirely sure…” Pharynx stretched out his right arm as he pointed to the hallway of the border station. “But I think I can take a few guesses.”

“No please. Take your time in getting me up to my feet.” Chrysalis said as she pulled herself up from the ground. Once she was up, she took notice to seeing Pharynx point to the hallway as she gasp in horror. “Oh my me….”

“Don’t you mean oh my Celestia?” Lotus asked as the queen glared at her.

“I am not saying her name after what she did!” She said before carefully making her way inside. “Let’s go. If our hero that you two botched the landing summoning is in here, then we need to get them out of here before the equestrians come back with reinforcements.”

“Yes, my queen.” Sapphire responded as the drones followed after Chrysalis. “Geez, whoever it was we summoned really did a number on Celestia’s royal guards.” She said before examining one of the bodies that were still intact along with the burn marks on the wall. “Seems this one we summon can use magic….dark magic from the smell of it.”

“That would explain why there’s a giant sword sticking from out of that pony’s chest over there.” Lotus said as she pointed a finger over near the armory of the border station. Chrysalis squinted her eyes for a moment before they widen upon seeing how it was.

“That’s….Buckle Shield.”

“Isn’t he the one in charge of the border station?” Sapphire asked.

“He is… and with it, he was somepony who was seen as almost invincible around the ponies that were at the station,” Pharynx spoke up. “I wonder who did a number on the bastard…”

“My guess is the one we summon. Now the biggest question is where is he or she?” As if the universal gods were listening, the group hear someone talking in the distance a couple of feet away from them. “There’s still somepony here?”

“Hey, do you think that creature that saved us is going to be okay? I mean, she did just pass out right now.”

“Look, if Yellow Jacket trusts her, then I believe her. If anything, she’s probably exhausted from using up a lot of magical power. Besides, shouldn’t we be looking for a map? It would be hard to try and return home to the queen without knowing where we are going.”

“I’m just glad to finally be free.”

“Wait...aren’t they the children that were foalnapped?” Lotus asked.

“That… does sound like them.” Sapphire admitted, before turning to Chrysalis. “My Queen, what do you think?”

“If they’re here then we need to get them out fast.” Chrysalis said as she rushed over to where the voices were coming from. “Move it drones!”

“Yes, my queen!” They yelled as they quickly followed after the queen. Once they located the source of the talking, they soon see the children dragging the lalafell by her legs through the hallway...well, trying to at least, the girl’s armor was pretty heavy from the looks of it.

“Q-queen Chrysalis?” They soon heard another voice speak up. One that was rather familiar to her as she looked to see a changeling drone with yellow eyes stare in her direction. “Everybuggy, over here! It’s the queen!”

“What, seriously?!”

“By the hive, we’re saved!!”

“First that bunny girl and now this? What kind of blessing did we receive?!”

“Bunny girl? What do you mean by that my child?” Chrysalis asked as she noticed the lalafell that two of them were trying to carry. “What in all of Equestria is that thing?”

“That’s Juritta,” Yellow then replied. “She was the one who saved us… and also warned us of a splash zone or something.”

“I can think of a bunch of reasons why she would say that given the blood and guts scattered around the hallway.” Sapphire said as she walked over to Jurrita’s body and picked her up over her shoulder. “Right now we should go before anything else happens. I would suggest that we have some of the drones come here and gather any useful equipment or tools that might help us.”

“I’ll be sure to do that once we’re at the castle.” Chrysalis said before looking over at Yellow Jacket. “But before I forget, I would like to ask you children some questions on the way there if you don’t mind.”

“What kind of questions, Queen Chrysalis?” Yellow asked her.

“Who foalnapped you all, and what does he or she look like?”