Kamen Rider Scarab

“Well, I have to say this is certainly an impressive bit of Magitech,” Tinker said as she examined the machine that had been brought back from Unity. “You say that it worked in combination with the Shifter?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sea commented as she shrugged a little. “We were more focused on surviving the fight than trying to figure out how it worked. Is it salvageable?”

“Oh of course, of course, I’ve studied magitech long enough to figure out how to make it work,” Tinker answered as she put on her goggles and examined it closely. “It’s so fascinating really. I’ve read about the old constructs used by the original Kamen Riders, but I hadn’t been able to replicate the devices.”

“Well, I guess we have one now at least,” Jasper said as she came in with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom close behind. “Are you going to work on getting it reverse engineered? I’ll bet me and Thorax would find it useful.”

“Of course if that’s okay,” Tinker said as she looked at the heads of the cell.

“If it’ll help tha fight with tha Changelings Ah say go fer it,” Apple Bloom said with a nod.

“Fight the Changelings? That’s the least of its uses,” Tinker said as she smiled broadly. “You have no idea what this could mean if we could replicate it. What normally would take days to move between would probably go down to hours if not less. This is the future of transportation, all I need to do is replicate the technology.”

“Well, she’s certainly excited,” Vira commented as she walked over from where she was working. “You wanted to talk to me about something?”

“Yes, all of you actually,” Scootaloo said as she looked back at Sweetie a moment and sighed. “We’re getting visitors from the Empire.”

“What are you… wait, THE Empire?” Sea asked, it took a moment to realize what they were talking about. “The Zebra Empire is sending delegates here? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“No, Delegates have Diplomatic Immunity and the Changelings wouldn’t risk full scale war with the Empire,” Sweetie answered. “Any delegates that they send. It’s been how things have always been run around here, but we don’t allow just anypony to know about it.”

“Wait, why not? Shouldn’t ponies know about this?” Sea asked.

“Honestly, I would normally agree with you,” Scootaloo grumbled as she looked at her wife and Apple Bloom. “But unfortunately they convinced me that it’s for the best.”

“Yeah, if ponies knew about it they’d want ta leave en masse,” Apple Bloom added. “Tha Changelings would never allow that. Not ta mention all tha chaos that would ensue from tryin’ ta get that many ponies out of Equestria.”

“So we just get a few ponies out every so often when we can,” Sweetie Belle finished. “It’s not something we can do regularly though. And they typically have to be smuggled out. So there’s not really much else we can do about it. If we could get us all out we would.”

“The problem of course is that you almost never get to see anypony that goes there again,” Jasper said softly. Sea looked at her friend a bit surprised, she hadn’t ever really heard Jasper talk like that. “Maybe someday they’ll be able to come home though.”

“Yeah, but not until the Changelings are no longer a threat,” Sea said, which made Jasper flinch. “Jasper, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, it's nothing,” Jasper said as she waved her hoof. “Why don’t we tell Sea about how the alliance with the Empire actually started to begin with?

“Yeah, I admit I’m a bit curious,” Sea said. “If you don’t mind at least.”

“Well, it all started not long after the Changelings first took over,” Scootaloo said. “In a distant land where the Zebras call home.”

00000

Roam, the city upon seven hills that stood at the southern end of the Zebra Empire. The city had stood for centuries as the home of the Caesars who ruled over the Empire. A few Zebras were making their way around the Imperial Palace. The Caesar herself was a Zebra mare who was sitting in her office working on her papers. She was a young mare dressed in red and golden clothing with a long mane that was pushed back a little.

She sighed a little as she pushed the papers aside. It was only a few months since she had been elected to the position. She hadn't expected the Tribal Council to elect her. By the gods, she hadn't even expected her Tribe to put her name up for consideration. And here she was, sitting in the Imperial Palace. It was a strange experience to her, and honestly she was still trying to figure out what she was supposed to do.

She closed her eyes as she leaned back. She had finished her work for the day, and she just had to deal with anyone that wanted to meet with her for the day. Usually this wasn't a big deal, a few Zebras or diplomats appeared towards the end of the day with local problems in the city or things that the tribes could help with.

Luckily most of the time there wasn't a lot that she had to deal with. Then again, she was probably overdue for a crisis at this point. She took a deep breath and flipped through the pages again before setting them aside. She was about to get up before the door opened and two Zebras dressed in armor along with a robed Zebra stallion between them.

"Caesar Zalira, we have a situation," the robed Zebra said which made Zalira look up. He looks worried, but he's trying not to show it in the presence of the Caesar. "A group of ponies were found on a ship that arrived in Carthage. They're asking for an audience with you."

Zalira groaned a little at that. The Zebra Empire had only recently started to trade with Equestria under her predecessor, Zan, had sent delegates to speak with Princess Celestia. The trade agreement had been beneficial for both nations for years. But Celestia hadn't sent any delegates to speak with her yet.

"What's going on?" Zalira asked. "Is there a problem? Celestia has sent delegates to the Empire before, this is nothing new."

"Well, uh, no, not really, but you might want to talk to them yourself," the stallion said, shifting awkwardly. "They're not here as delegates sent by Celestia. They're here as refugees."

"Refugees?" Zalira asked as she looked at her aide in shock. "Why are there refugees coming from Equestria? Have we heard anything from the Umbra Tribe?"

"Well, uh, no, apparently they went silent in Equestria recently," the aide admitted and took a deep breath. "Something has happened, my Caesar. It appears that Equestria has fallen."

Zalira sighed and rubbed her temples. This was going to be a long term.

00000

Zalira pushed the door open to the Imperial Throne Room. The throne itself was mostly symbolic these days and was used for public appearances and audiences. The Zebra guards and courtesans bowed their heads as she walked up to the throne and took a seat. She took a deep breath and nodded to the Praetorian Captain.

"Let them in," she said simply as he nodded and the doors to the throne room opened.

A group of about 10 ponies walked in, they were dressed in tattered clothing and looked hungry. Zalira frowned as she looked at them, they were mostly foals with three mares and two stallions. These ponies looked like they had been dragged out of Tartarus.

"Presenting Her Imperial Majesty, Caesar, and lord of the realms of the Zebra Empire, Zalira of the Althias Tribe," the aide said as the ponies stepped forward. "You are..."

"Valirn, I think that they don't need to hear the whole introduction," Zalira said as she held up a hoof and got up and walked to the ponies. "Are you all okay? Do you need food? Water?"

"Please... feed the foals, it doesn't matter what happens to us right now..." A Pegasus mare with light blue fur and a white mane. "We are here seeking asylum..."

"You two, guards, bring them food, now, all of them," Zalira said as she looked at two of the guards that were closest to her. They both looked between each other, not sure of what to make of this. "They're starving, what do you think they're going to do? Get them food, now."

“Yes your majesty,” the guards said as they quickly ran off and Zalira turned her attention back to the ponies.

“You are in the home of the Caesar, you requested asylum, may I ask why? What has happened to Equestria?” Zalira asked. “Don’t worry, you are among friends here.”

“The Changelings happened,” one of the stallions said, which sent up a gasp among the Zebras.

“Shapechangers? I thought they vanished from these lands centuries ago,” Valirn whispered to looked at Zalira. “My Caesar, you cannot be taking this seriously. Shapechangers vanished from these lands over a millennia ago. They are tales we tell our foals…”

“Something scared these ponies enough to risk their lives as stowaways on one of our ships,” Zalira whispered back. “And regardless, we can’t just kick them out. We both know the gods would frown on that.”

“So what are we supposed to do with them?” Valirn asked her. “If they’re telling the truth, then are we going to risk the wrath of the Shapechangers? I don’t like this.”

“Me neither,” Zalira admits as she rubs her chin. “But I’m still going to hear them out. Hospitality dictates it.”

“Yes my Caesar,” Valirn said.

“Tell us what has happened and I will decide what to do from here,” Zalira said as she looked up at the ponies which were being given food by the guards. “What happened in Equestria specifically, is everything okay? What happened to Celestia and Luna?”

“We don’t know all the details,” the Pegasus mare answered as she took a bite of her food. “It all started with the wedding of Cadance and Shining Armor a few months ago. The Changelings attacked Canterlot, but were driven off. We had thought that this would be the end of things, but I guess not. Canterlot was the first to fall, so many ponies were turned into Changelings, somehow. They gave us a choice, stay and join the Hive or go to Ponyville where we’d be safe.”

“And we decided to leave,” the stallion continued. “The Augustus was in the harbor at Baltimare. We didn’t know if they’d let us aboard…”

“I understand,” Zalira said as she thought for a moment. She would have to confirm with the Captain of the Augustus that everything was happening like they had said. But ponies didn’t flee from Equestria like this without good reason. “Alright, we’ll grant you asylum. We can’t turn our backs on fellow beings in need. You will be given quarters here in the Imperial Palace until we can figure out what to do with you in the future.”

“And what if the Changelings follow us?” Another mare asked.

“We will defend the Empire with our lives if we have to,” Zalira said with a nod. “The Changelings will not harm you as long as you are in our lands. You have my word as the Caesar of the Zebra Empire that we will keep you safe.”

“Thank you, thank you…” The Pegasus said as she knelt before Zalira. “You have no idea what this means to us.”

“Of course, if we were in the same situation we’d hope for the same,” Zalira said as she waved to the servants. “Get these ponies some fresh clothing and find quarters for them.”

“Yes your majesty,” the servants said as they began to tend to the ponies. Zalira took a deep breath and started walking away, taking one last look back at the ponies.

Shapechangers, Changelings, whatever you wanted to call them. They were trouble, she had heard myths about such beings, but had always considered them nothing more than stories. Now here she was faced with ponies that said they had seen them and that they were dangerous enough to take over Equestria.

Now she had to hope that her Empire would be able to stand against this new threat. This was not what she had expected her first year as Caesar to be like.

She now had to hope it wouldn’t be the last.

00000

“So, what should I expect from this?” Sea asked as they made their way towards the first floor of the library that hid the underground facility. “Should I bow or…”

“The Legatus don’t really require anything that formal, don’t worry about it,” Scootaloo said as she gave Sea a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry Sea, you’re going to do just fine. The Zebras are just here to check on things. The Caesar probably just wants to learn more about the Kamen Riders.”

“Did you tell them about us?”

“Of course,” Apple Bloom said. “They’re our allies. If there’s any chance of tha Changelings bein’ defeated we need ta keep them in tha know.”

Before they could say anything the doors opened and several ponies dressed in robes with hoods pulled over their heads stepped in. Once they were inside the lead pony removed her hood, revealing a young looking Zebra mare with curled stripes on her muzzle. She gave Scootaloo and her friends a smile.

“It is good to see you all again,” the Zebra mare said with a slight bow. She then looked at Sea and tilted her head a little. “This must be one of those Kamen Riders you spoke of. I wasn’t expecting somepony so normal looking.”

“I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not,” Sea muttered.

“Welcome back to Ponyville, Legatus Zelena,” Scootaloo said as she shook hooves with the Zebra. “And yes, this is Sea Spray, or Kamen Rider Scarab.”

“A pleasure, I’ve heard stories from the reports they’ve sent us,” Zelena said as she offered Sea a hoof. Sea blinked a little in confusion before shaking it. The Zebra turned her attention to Jasper next and smiled “It’s nice to finally put a face to the stories. And you as well, Jasper, it’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah, good to see you too, Zelena,” Jasper said as she blushed a little, trying to avoid eye contact. Sea grinned a little at her friend’s reaction to the Zebra. “Very good.”

“Still as smooth as ever, aren’t you?” One of the other cloaked figures said with a laugh. He raised his hooves to his hood and removed it, though the stallion underneath was a pony not a Zebra. He was a Unicorn with a curled orange mane and a white coat with a horn that poked out of his mane as Jasper’s eyes went wide. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah… it really has, Jasper said, looking a bit shocked. “I didn’t expect you to come with the delegation though. Is everything okay? Did something happen?”

“No, no, I’m… I wanted to see you again, and I was asked to bring something,” the stallion said as he looked at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle and smiled. “It’s good to see you, Grandmas. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit much.”

“Wait… what?” Sea asked as she looked at him confused. “They’re your Grandmas too? I thought you were an only child, Jasper.”

“Well… it’s a long story…” Jasper said as she rubbed the back of her head. “You know how my parents vanished without a trace a while back? Well, they actually were smuggled to the Zebra lands. I haven’t been able to see them since then though, so I have to admit it’s not easy.”

“Ah, you must be Sea Spray, I’ve heard all about you,” the Unicorn Stallion said as he offered Sea his hoof. “I’m Shining Dew, it’s good to finally meet you. My sister is lucky to have a marefriend like you.”

“Marefriend? We’re not…” Sea said quickly, blushing as Jasper shook her head.

“Really? Because that’s not the impression I got from her letters,” Shining said with a chuckle. “It sounded more like the two of you were very involved.”

“Come on Shining, don’t you start too, please?” Jasper said with a groan as her brother just laughed as Scootaloo hugged him.

“It’s good to see you again, how are your parents?” Scootaloo asked with a smile. “I didn’t think you’d be here so soon. Did you bring what we asked you to bring?”

“What are you talking about?” Jasper asked confused. Sea had to admit she was a bit confused too, what had they asked Shining to bring them? Was this about the conflict with the Changelings? “What did you bring, bro?”

“This,” Shining said as he levitated a cloth covered object out of his saddlebags. He unwrapped the cloth and revealed a purple stone with white and pink lights dancing in it.

“Is that what I think it is?” Sea asked as she looked at it surprised. “That’s another one of the stones, what’s it doing here?”

“With everything that was going on, we felt that it was safer in the Zebra Empire while we figured out how to make the Lux Stone work,” Sweetie Belle answered.

“And since we figured it out, we agreed that it was time ta bring it here,” Apple Bloom added with a nod as she picked up the stone. “This one is tha Sage Stone, it’s tha one that was made usin’ tha Element of Magic. Though bein’ able ta actually use it is another matter entirely. Magic ain’t an easy element ta connect ta.”

“Still, with the Guardian Driver having been built we should probably try,” Scootaloo said as she hugged Shining. “Thank you for bringing this to us. So, how long are you going to stay here with us?”

“A few days at best, we don’t want to draw too much attention,” Zelena said as they started walking down the stairs towards the base itself. “The Caesar is concerned about the recent developments in Equestria.”

“I see… let’s talk about it then, you three enjoy your day,” Scootaloo said as she waved, Sea, Jasper, and Shining off. “We have important things to deal with. So come back later, we’ll get you dinner.”

“Okay,” Sea said as the door shut behind them. She looked back at her friend and Shining and rubbed her head a little. “So, uh, what now?”

“Well, I’d like to see around town again,” Shining said with a grin. “It’s been a few years since I got to see Ponyville. And I’m sure you’d like to learn more about the Empire. Is there anything new that’s interesting?”

“You mean other than us?” Jasper asked with a chuckle. “Kamen Riders definitely weren’t a thing when you were here last. And I’d say we are very interesting.”

“Hmm… nah, I’ve seen more impressive,” Shining said with a chuckle.

“Hey!” Jasper protested which just made her brother laugh.

Sea chuckled a little at that as they walked out into the town. She had to admit that she was curious about the Zebra Empire, and this odd pony who is her best friend’s brother. She didn’t like to admit it, but she understood why they had kept him secret. She just had to hope that things were going to be okay.

00000

“The Zebra delegation is in Ponyville, my Queen,” Prism said as she walked into Chrysalis’ throne room in the Prime Hive along with Dusk.. “I still don’t understand why you keep insisting on letting them through our territory.”

“The Zebra Empire rivaled Equestria back when it was still around, Prism,” Dusk said with a roll of her eyes. “We can’t risk going to war with them, so we’re stuck with them moving through our territory.”

“Yes, unfortunately Dusk is correct about that,” Chrysalis sighed. “I shouldn’t have to remind you about how badly it went when we tried to take the ponies that the Caesar gave sanctuary to. We are not ready to go to war with the Zebras, you would do well to remember that.”

“Cowards… fools… they will pay…” echoed through the Hive.

“Yeah, yeah, well it’s still no fun,” Prism groaned as she shook her head. “But what about the stone that they had? We can’t just leave them to it, we all know what that’s going to do if we just leave it in their possession.”

“Princess Dusk, what is the progress on the remaining Rider Systems?” Chrysalis asked as she looked at Dusk. “Are you close to completing them?”

“They’re almost done,” Dusk answered. “I will be ready to pass them out to the remaining Princesses in a few weeks. Though I’m still concerned about the Resistance Riders, they’ve been able to defeat our Riders so far. If it comes to all out war with…”

“If it comes to all out war with the Resistance, we will crush them,” Chrysalis hissed as she interrupted Dusk. She turned her eyes to Prism, which made the soldier Princess shudder a little. “Isn’t that right, Princess Prism?”

“Yes, of course, we are ready for war with the Ponies if it comes to that,” Prism said confidently. “They are weak and we’ll be able to win it quickly. Two Kamen Riders will not be able to stand against the combined might of the Hive.”

“Don’t underestimate them, Prism,” Dusk said as she shook her head. “I’ve been studying them since Scarab first appeared. They are very dangerous, and they’re clever. I think that they may yet prove a challenge to you. I don’t have to remind you of what happened last time you thought you could match up with Scarab.”

“Yeah, yeah, you make one little mistake and you get reminded about it forever,” Prism retorted with a roll of her eyes.

“What happened with the Another Riders…” Dusk started to say.

“Silence, both of you!” Chrysalis shouted, silencing the two Princesses. “This is not the place for petty squabbles. We have much to do and not a lot of time to do it. If we want to stop the Resistance before they get too strong, we are going to have to cut out their heart.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?” Prism snorted. “The Kamen Riders are the heart of the resistance. We would have to…”

She was interrupted when there was a flash of images through the Hive. She smiled a toothy smile as she realized what she was seeing. She looked over at Dusk and then back at Chrysalis. “Are you sure that she is this far along?”

“Yes, she will not be able to resist if you press just the right buttons,” Chrysalis said with a grin. “And even if you fail, if the truth is exposed then it will demoralize the ponies. Their hero is becoming their very enemy. I want you to break them, Prism. End this little insurrection so that we may finish our plans.”

“Yes, my Queen,” Prism said with a bow as she smiled again. “I think I know just how to do it too. I just need to get the right Drone on the job, once she is done, they’ll be begging us to end the war and bring them into the Hive.”

“You had better not fail this time, Prism,” Chrysalis said with a hiss. “Finish your duty to the Hive, end this war.”

Prism nodded and headed out onto the balcony and flew off. Chrysalis then turned her attention back to Dusk and smiled a little. “Now, Dusk, are you absolutely certain that everything is close to completion?”

“Yes my Queen,” Dusk answered. “Though I’m concerned about the vehicle that was taken by the Resistance. If they’re able to replicate it then it’s going to be a problem for us. Joy Buzzer kind of lost our only prototype.”

“Failure… incompetence…”

“Yes, but you do still have your notes, right?” Chrysalis asked as she looked Dusk in the eye. “You wouldn’t have given her all the information, right?”

“Of course not, but it will still take time to replicate,” Dusk answered. “My Queen, I swear that I will do everything I can to make sure that we are able to win this war. But you know that if we bring the rest of the Ponies into the Hive the other powers…”

“The other powers will be kept in check,” Chrysalis said with a hiss. “They will only act if we force their hoof. Until then, I want you to focus on the fight with the ponies. Make sure that the remaining Drivers are finished soon.”

“We will make sure that it is done, your majesty,” Dusk said as she turned and left. For now, she had a lot of work to do back in Canterlot. Hopefully she will be able to finish them soon.

“Hmm…” Chrysalis said as she reached out through the hive. “Solar Flare, Moonlight, keep a close eye on the Princesses. Especially on Dusk, something about all of this doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Yes your majesty,” was the response.

Chrysalis sat back in her throne. The cold war with the Ponies was consuming more resources than she had liked. So now, she just had to hope that it would be over soon, one way or another.

And the Hive would stand victorious, but she couldn’t help but think about the first real resistance she had met. The Zebras weren’t going to go easily, and she knew that they were allies with the Ponies.

They would pay, someday.

00000

Decades ago…

Zalira was in her private quarters in the Imperial Palace. She sighed a little as she laid back on her bed, it had been a month since the Pony refugees had arrived in the Empire. She had confirmation that the Changelings had indeed taken over Equestria, and she honestly wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“My Caesar,” a voice said from the doorway and she looked up to see one of her aides standing there. “You have a visitor who wishes to speak with you.”

“It’s late, why are they demanding an audience now?” Zalira groaned. “I’m sure if it’s important, then whoever it is can wait until tomorrow. I’m going back to sleep.”

“My Caesar, it’s Queen Chrysalis, the leader of the Changeling Empire,” the aide said, causing Zalira to shoot up in bed. “She’s waiting down the hall and is demanding to see you right away. I don’t think she’s going to take no for an answer.”

“Fine… let me get changed real quick, tell her to wait in my office,” Zalira said as she got out of bed to get changed. “I will speak with her there shortly. If she can’t wait for tomorrow, she can wait about 20 minutes at least.”

The aide nodded and left as Zalira slid into her fancy robes. She didn’t like having to deal with the Changeling Queen, especially not after what had happened to Equestria. But she had ensured that there would be security measures in place to make sure that the Changelings wouldn’t be able to pull something similar here. She took a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror for a moment.

“What have I gotten myself into…” She muttered, but there was no point in stopping now. She had a job to do as the Caesar, and she wasn’t about to let her Empire fall.

She headed to her office and Chrysalis was already sitting at her desk with the Zebra guards around her. Zalira didn’t say anything to her right away, instead she simply sat behind her desk and stared at the Changeling Queen sitting across from her as she did.

"Queen Chrysalis," she said simply as she picked up a stack of papers on her desk and straightened them out. "You're a bold one for coming in like this. What do you want?"

“What, can’t I speak to you leader to leader? Empress to Empress?” Chrysalis asked with a fanged smile. Zalira just shot her a look and Chrysalis’ smile faded. “You’re not one for small talk, are you, Caesar Zalira?”

“I know what you did to Equestria, I don’t make small talk with monsters,” Zalira snapped. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t have you thrown in prison for crimes against equinity.”

“Because if you do that, then there will be nothing holding back my Hive, and they will fall upon you like a tidal wave,” Chrysalis said with a wicked smile. “Your Empire will not stand up to the might of mine if it is completely unleashed. Now, how about we talk about the refugees who have apparently taken in. I want them returned to the Changeling Empire immediately.”

“The Zebra Empire has granted them asylum,” Zalira answered calmly. “They escaped you and your Changelings. I am not about to let them fall back into your hooves.”

“You’re making a dangerous enemy, Caesar,” Chrysalis said. “My Changelings will be taking them and…”

“Your Changelings will do nothing against them, to do so will be considered an act of war against the Zebra Empire,” Zalira said, standing up to her full height and staring Chrysalis down. “The Ponies here are considered under the protection of my Empire and citizens of it. If you make one move against them, then I will bring the full force of my military down on the Changelings.”

“And if you do that, then what’s left of the ponies will suffer before you even get close enough to them,” Chrysalis said. “You don’t want that to happen, do you?”

Zalira paused a moment as she thought about that. She hated to admit it but Chrysalis had a point, if there were any ponies left in Equestria then they were being held hostage. So what was she going to do now?

"And you don't want to go to war with me, do you?" Zalira countered. "The fact of the matter is that we're one of the most powerful nations in the world. You may be strong too, but we're not exactly about to let this go down without a fight. I'm going to ask you one more time, are you going to go to war with me and my Empire? Even if there are costs, I'm sure that we will win."

Chrysalis paused a moment as she finally shook her head. "No, we have other more important things to deal with. If you really want those worthless ponies, so be it. It just means that you are only delaying the inevitable though, the Hive will not give in forever."

"Well, then we're going to make sure that as many ponies are safe as possible," Zalira retorted as she waved the guards over. "Escort Queen Chrysalis out of my Palace. She is no longer welcome here, do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Chrysalis said with a scowl as she was escorted out by the guards.

Zalira slumped back into her chair. That had been one of the hardest things she ever had to do. The truth of the matter was that as powerful as the Zebras were, she didn't really know if they would be able to stand up to the Changelings. For now, the only thing she could do was keep doing what she could to help the ponies that made it this far.

Now, she was going to make sure that the Changelings couldn't stop them here.

00000

"Are you certain that it's okay for you to walk around like this?" Sea asked Shining. The three of them were at Sugarcube corner now talking while they shared a drink. "I mean, pretty much everypony in town knows each other. So you're going to, you know, attract attention."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm not that worried," Shining said. "If anyone asks, I've always told them that I'm from another settlement in the Safe Zone. I mean, there's still a lot of ponies here so not everypony knows each other, right?"

"Yeah, fair enough," Sea said with a shrug.

"Besides, it's not like this is the first time he's been in town, he just doesn't normally draw attention," Jasper said with a chuckle. "What are we going to do about that stone though? Should we start looking for a pony who can actually use it?"

"Probably, but who knows, I think Magic is going to be the hardest to find somepony who can use it," Shining commented with a shake of his head. "I mean, how hard was it to find one pony who could connect to it back before Twilight and her friends found them?"

"Yeah, point taken," Sea said with a shrug as Khepri came in, once more in his pony form and took a seat next to Sea. "Hello Khepri, what are you doing here?"

"Tch, I have my own business here," Khepri said with a shake of his head. "I'm just here to check things out. Especially with some odd new folks walking around. You never know when something might happen."

"And you are?" Shining asked as he eyed Khepri for a moment. "I don't think I've ever seen a pony like you around."

"Shining, this is Khepri, he's Sea's... companion," Jasper said as she glanced between the two quickly. "They're old friends really, he's part of her band."

"I see," Shining said, though he didn't sound completely convinced. "And how am I supposed to trust that? I don't think I've ever seen anything like you. What instrument do you play?"

“I play the… drums, yes, that’s right,” Khepri said, only to get another look from Shining. “Come on, you couldn’t have used a better lie?”

“No, not really,” Jasper said with a sigh. “I’ve never been very good at lying to him. Look, it's a long story, but he’s important to our team.”

“I see, so what do you really do?” Shining asked.

“Equipment maintenance,” Khepri answered, which got a chuckle from Sea and Jasper. “What? It’s technically true. Tch, mares.”

“Well, we wouldn’t be anywhere without him,” Sea said as she took a drink from her glass. “Though I’m worried. The Changelings have been quiet lately, what do you think they’re waiting on?”

“Who knows,” Jasper said with a shrug as she closed her eyes and thought for a long moment. She looked at Shining for a moment and smiled a little. “So, what are you here for other than bringing that stone to us?”

“Well…” Shining said as he paused a moment. He was about to say something when they heard a scream from outside. “We’ll discuss it later, sounds like you two have a job to do.”

“Because of course we do, come on let’s go!” Sea said as she started out the door with Jasper as Khepri turned into his Shifter form and flew over to rest on Sea’s head.

“Huh, so that’s what they meant,” Shining commented. He got up and checked his bag for a moment before heading out after the two Kamen Riders.

00000

“Scarab!” A Changeling shouted as it started making their way through the town accompanied by several other Changelings. “Come out, come out wherever you are! We want to have a word with you!”

Sea and Jasper made their way out of Sugarcube corner only to find themselves face to face with the Changelings. “Well, it looks like we have company,” Jasper muttered to Sea. “How should we handle this?”

“Any idea where Thorax is?” Sea whispered back.

“No clue, he’s always somewhere, guess we’ll need to do this the two of us,” Jasper whispered back. “Nothing we can’t handle, right? Let’s do this. Hey bug!”

“What?” The lead Changeling said as they turned back to see the two of them. He smiled as he saw Sea standing there. “Well, how nice of you to show up so quickly. I was afraid we’d have to start attacking ponies.”

“Join us…” A voice echoed through Sea’s mind. “You are one of us. Come and become one with the Hive…”

“Get out of my head,” Sea groaned as she shook her head. “What do you want?”

“Simple, I want you to come with me, come quietly and I won’t have to hurt you, or anypony else,” the Changeling laughed. “Come on Scarab, you don’t want to put anypony in danger, do you?”

“We’ll stop you before you can do anything,” Jasper said as she looked at Sea and nodded as she took out her Guardian Driver. “Are you ready for this, Sea?”

“Surrender… become one with the Hive…”

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Sea said as she took out her Driver and wrapped it around her barrel as Jasper did the same. Khepri flew into Sea’s hoof and she nodded. “Let’s take these bugs down!”

“Henshin!” The two mares said in unison as she slid Khepri into her Driver and Jasper did the same with the Lux Stone.

“WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!”

“SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!”

As the armor formed over Sea, she felt an odd sensation at the back of her mind. It was a buzzing sound, the voices from the Hive were suddenly starting to get louder, more clear. She shook her head to try and clear it from her mind. She wasn’t going to let the Hive get to her right now, she had to protect Ponyville.

The lead Changeling grinned as his body shifted and he went on his hind legs. Blue-purple armor coated his body as long claws formed from his hooves. Curved horns came out of the sides of his head as his face became more sinister with an odd armored shape to the back of his head. He hissed as electricity crackled in his claws. At the same time the others took on their combat forms around him.

“Lightning magic? Of course it’s not going to be that simple, you’re learning,” Jasper said as the light shield appeared over her hoof as she aimed her pistol at the Changelings. “You ready? I’ll cover you.”

Sea nodded and ran forward as Jasper started shooting at the Changelings. Sea swung her tonfas at the nearest Changeling, but she heard the voice in her head again.

“Do not fight us…” It said, the buzzing growing stronger as she felt it getting harder to resist. “We are your real family.”

“No…” she groaned as she finally swung the tonfa around and it connected with the Changeling, causing it to stumble. “I’m not going to give in!”

“A tough one, huh?” The lead Changeling grinned as it shot lightning at Sea. “You’ll come around eventually, everypony does.”

“Well, I guess I’ll be the first then,” Sea said as she narrowed her eyes and looked back at Jasper and gave her a nod as she avoided a bolt of electricity from the lead Changeling. “I’m not about to let you all get away with this! Get out of my town!”

She ran forward at the lead Changeling and slammed her fist into the Changeling's chest, causing it to let out a grunt. Another Changeling grabbed her and pulled her away from the leader, holding her tight with its tendril-like hands.

"Resistance is futile, you will join us..."

Sea growled as she slammed her hoof down into the Changeling's foot as a few energy bullets hit the one holding her in the back. Jasper ran forward as she fired several more shots before holstering the pistol and slamming the energy shield right into the lead Changeling.

"You're not going to take my best friend!" She said as she pushed the Changeling back against the wall of a nearby building. "She's stronger and smarter than anypony I've ever known."

"A stubborn one then, you might just have to join your friend," the leader hissed. "I'm sure that the Princesses would be glad to find a place for you in..."

There was the sudden sound of gunfire as several bullets hit the Changeling square in the chest. He hissed and looked up at the source of the bullets, Shining was standing there with a rifle levitated up into the air and pointed at the Changeling.

"Let her go!" The Unicorn demanded. "You're not going to hurt her as long as I'm here!"

"Curious, who are you?" The lead Changeling asked with a tilt of his head. "We have not seen you around here before. And we know every pony in this Safe Zone."

"That's my business, not yours," Shining said as Jasper rolled her eyes from behind her helmet and punched the Drone hard before leaping back and pointing her revolver at him. "It looks like we've got you right where we want you too."

"We'll see about that," the Changeling hissed as his body crackled with electricity. He sent out waves of electricity, catching the three ponies off guard as they were temporarily stunned. "I'll be back though. Kamen Rider Scarab will become one of us, I swear it!"

He ran off before turning into a bird and flying off while the other Changelings did the same. They were going to have to formulate a new plan if they were going to deal with these Kamen Riders, and there wasn't much they could do right now. If they really were going to stop them and grab Sea, then they weren't going to be able to do it with simple tactics like this.

"Hey, are you okay?" Thorax asked as he ran up to the three of them. He was talking out his Driver looking around. "I came as fast as I could, but I guess I was too late..."

"They got away again," Jasper sighed as she shook her head and powered down. She didn't like it when they escaped, but at this point there wasn't much they could do about it. "We'll do what we can to track them down from here. There's not much else we can do really."

"Yeah..." Sea said as she powered down too. She was about to say something when she realized that Jasper, Thorax, and Shining were all staring at her. "What?"

"Sea, you might want to look down at your legs," Jasper said softly.

"What are you..." Sea started to say when she looked down at herself. Her eyes went wide when she realized that forming in her legs were several holes. "Oh, crap..."

00000

"Why didn't you tell us you were this far along?" Sweetie asked as she worked on the illusion spell to hide the holes in Sea's leg. "You should have said something!"

“I didn’t realize until I powered down… this feels so weird,” Sea commented as she examined the odd holes in her legs. They looked so natural, like they were natural, like she was born with them, but she knew that they weren’t there this morning. “It’s freaky… I don’t even know what to think of this.”

“If the change is getting this physical, then the full change is not far behind,” Thorax commented as he looked at the odd holes. “It’s just going to get worse from here for her, and much harder to hide it.”

“What does that mean?” Jasper asked. “We can’t just lock her away. We’re going to need her help if we’re going to stop the Changelings in town. So, what do we do?”

“I don’t know,” Thorax admitted. “This isn’t a normal situation for the Hive. Normally ponies are converted right away, you know?”

“Right,” Sweetie said as she finished the illusion. “That should hold a while longer, but if you start growing chitin I don’t know if I can hide it. You’re going to go further if you transform again. So, what are we going to do?”

“We may have to consider that there is only one option,” Scootaloo said with a sigh. She looked between Sea and Thorax for a moment. “Thorax, you may have to finish the process. Will she be able to transform?”

“Easily, it’s instinctive for new Drones,” Thorax answered. “I can do it no problem. If she wants me to at least.”

Sea paused a little at that as she thought about it. Honestly she was having a hard time processing that, even with everything going on she had a lot to consider. Was it really the best option for her to go ahead and let him do this?

“I… honestly don’t know,” Sea said as she rubbed the back of her head. “Are you sure it’s the only option we have?”

“No, but it’s better than you risking transforming further,” Sweetie answered. “Thorax, are you and Jasper going to be able to handle the Changelings if they come back while this happens? And what about the Shadow Hive? Are you going to be able to connect her to it without connecting her to the greater Hive?”

“Yes, no problem, but they’re still going to try and reach out to you,” Thorax said as he looked at Sea. “But I’m not going to force you into doing anything. If you want my opinion, you need to think it over.”

“Alright, I will,” Sea replied with a sigh. “I just hope that everything really will be okay. I don’t like this, any of this. It feels so weird. What should I do in the meantime?”

“Go home,” Apple Bloom said. “We need to talk ta tha… where did Jasper and Shining go anyway?”

“I think they went off to the Communal House,” Scootaloo answered. “We need to go talk with the Zebra delegates. Sea, Thorax, go to the Communal House too. You’re settling in okay there, right?”

“Yeah, fine,” Thorax said as he took on his pony form. “It’s a bit hard to explain where I came from, but yeah.”

“Yeah, I can understand that,” Sea said with a soft sigh. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean… I’m not really sure…”

“Yes, the alternative is you stop fighting altogether as Kamen Rider Scarab,” Scootaloo answered with a sigh. “We all know that it’s irreversible at this point. If there’s nothing else, then you two should get going.

“Yeah…” Sea said as she headed out with Thorax.

She sighed a little as she headed back out into Ponyville. There was a lot going through her mind right now due to the fight with the Changelings. She closed her eyes as she tried to think about what she might have to do.

She knew that she didn’t have much of a choice. If she really was going to have to go full Changeling this soon, then it felt like she was going to have a lot of getting used to.

00000

“Are you sure that it’s going to be safe?” Sea asked as she made her way into the communal house with Thorax. She made sure that no one else was in the foyer to the Communal House as they talked “I mean, I honestly don’t… What if something happens to me? What if your plan fails?”

“It’ll be fine, this isn’t the first time the Shadow Hive has had to do this kind of thing,” Thorax answered with a shake of his head. “Mind you normally we do incorporate you into the Hive itself still, but that’s because they usually go to the Hives.”

“Which obviously isn’t an option for me,” Sea said. “So, what exactly can I expect being part of this, Shadow Hive?”

“Information, knowledge, experiences… a lot of things really,” Thorax said. “I know that it’s going to be hard to be hard to adapt to. But I also know that you’re going to be able to figure this out, I’m going to…”

“GET OUT!” Jasper shouted as they approached the door to Sea and Jasper’s room. The Pegasus had forced the door open and pushed Shining out of it and into the wall. “I DON’T WANT TO HEAR YOU SUGGEST THAT AGAIN!”

“But sis…” Shining tried to say. “It’s for…”

“Don’t you dare say it’s for my own good,” Jasper said with a growl as she pointed at her brother with an intense look in her eyes. “We both know that I’m needed here, not back home in the Empire!”

“Wait, what?” Sea asked as Shining rubbed the back of his head. “What are you talking about?”

“My dear brother wants me to come back to the Zebra Empire,” Jasper answered. She’s clearly not happy about it. “I’m going to give you once chance to explain yourself, brother. If you really love me, then why would you want me to give up my work here?”

“Our parents want you,” Shining said. “The Caesar agreed that a Kamen Rider being in the Empire would also help in the event that the Changelings invaded. After he found out that you’re a Rider and your connection to our parents…”

“I’m not going anywhere!” Jasper snapped. “I was left here to make sure that the Changelings didn’t suspect what was going on. Our parents agreed to it, even if they didn’t like it. I… I… JUST GET OUT!”

“Shining, I think now’s the time to get out of here,” Sea said. “We’ll talk to her, you go talk to your grandmothers, okay?”

“Okay…” Shining said as he headed for the door. He looked back at Jasper for a moment, he had a pained look on his face. “I’m sorry…”

“Go!” Sea said as Jasper slammed the door behind her. Shining nodded a little as he headed out of the room. “Alright, Thorax you go talk to the others. I’m going to have a word with Jasper.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if I helped you?” Thorax asked.

“Trust me, you haven’t ever seen Jasper like this,” Sea said with a shake of her head. “I need to talk to her alone. You go make sure that everything is okay, alright? We need to make sure that these Changelings aren’t about to cause more trouble.”

Thorax nodded as he walked away. Sea took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open, she barely managed to dodge out of the way of a pillow that went flying over her head. “Jasper, it’s me, do you want to talk?”

“I don’t know…” Jasper admitted as she flopped down on her bed. “Sea, I don’t know what to do.”

“Did he really want you to come back to the Zebra Empire with him?” Sea asked as she took a seat on her bed. “Why would he ask that?”

“The Zebras are getting ready in case the Cold War with the Changelings goes hot,” Jasper groaned. “They wanted a Rider on their side of the ocean.”

“Right, which is why they asked you,” Sea sighed. “What are you going to do, Jasper? I need your help here, but you must want to see your family again, right?”

“Sea, I haven’t seen my parents since I was like 4 years old,” Jasper answered. “The ponies here are my family. You’re my family, but at the same time I kind of understand why they might want me there. I don’t know what to do honestly…”

“I think you should decide what is best for you,” Sea answered. “The fact of the matter is that we’re in the middle of a war with the Changelings for the future of Equestria. You’re a valued member of the Resistance here. You’re my best friend in all the world... I’m not going to force you to stay though.”

“I want to stay!” Jasper said as she shot up. “The Zebra Empire is… it’s different from anywhere I’ve ever been. This place, the Safe Zone, this is my home.”

“Yeah, but your family, don’t you want to see them again?” Sea asked.

“Well, yes, but… I want to see them again when this is all over,” Jasper admitted. “Our job is to protect ponies. And if the war actually gets worse, if it crosses the ocean and gets to the Zebras, then it’s putting my family in danger. I just… I want to see them again so badly, but I also can’t leave here. I don’t even know what I want to do.”

“Jasper, it’s up to you, but I would miss you if you left,” Sea said as she reached over and placed her hoof on Jasper’s. “But at the same time, you’re my best friend. I just, I want to make sure that you’re happy, that’s what matters to me right now.”

“I don’t think I’m going anywhere,” Jasper said with a weak smile. “But I sometimes wonder if maybe I need something more to do with my life than just fighting. I really do miss my family sometimes. I just am afraid that, well… I don’t… I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO, OKAY?”

“Okay, calm down,” Sea said. “You’re no good to anypony like this. I’m going to be here every step of the way if you ever need somepony to talk to.”

“Thanks Sea,” Jasper said as she got up and hugged Sea tightly.

“You’re welcome,” Sea said as she hugged back. She took a moment to think about what had been told to her earlier. How was she going to tell Jasper that? “Listen, Jasper…”

“Yeah Sea?” Jasper asked.

Sea paused a moment, and then shook her head. She wasn’t going to pile this onto Jasper on top of what her brother had said. Jasper had enough to worry about right now. She’d tell her when the time was right.

“It’s nothing, just let me know if you need anything, okay?” She asked with a smile.

“Okay,” Jasper said as she released Sea from the hug. “Come on, we should go help figure out where those Changelings are.”

Sea nodded and the two of them headed out together.

“So, exactly how did the Zebras wind up with the resistance anyway?” Sea asked.

“Oh, that’s… well actually it’s not that long a story,” Jasper said with a chuckle. “But now’s not the time to tell stories. For now let’s just get going.”