Author's Note

Co-Written with my good friend the Bricklayer, this is a crossover with some of his Tokusatsu stories.

Chapter 5: Trial

In the Hive City of Canterlot, high in the personal castle of its ruler, a female Changeling was standing knelt over a workbench in a lab. She was taller than the other Changelings, with elaborate clothing and a crown seated on her head. She had a purple carapace and a dark violet mane with streaks of pink and purple in it.

Her horn glowed with energy as it enveloped both the object she was working on and a golden crown with a six pointed star. The magic from the crown flowed into the device that she was working on as it glowed brightly.

Finally, the attachments on it started to move as she released her grip on them and let out a sigh of relief as she finished working on it and held it in her hoof.

“Hello Shifter Gamma,” she spoke to the device through the Hive connection. “You have been created for a very special purpose. The Hive is in danger from enemies from both within and without. You will help the Princesses protect the Hive. I am Princess Dusk Shadow of the Canterlot Hive, we will be working closely together from now on.”

“Then, what is your wish, my Princess?” The Shifter asked.

“Understanding, knowledge, things that cannot be known about the way this world works,” Dusk answered. “I desire the power to understand these things.”

“Then it shall be done,” the Shifter replied as it was enveloped in a glow. It formed itself into a lavender mechanical bug shaped like a praying mantis with pink and purple streaks on it.

Dusk smiled as she levitated up a belt device. It was made of black metal with holes in it with a slot in the center that would fit the Shifter. A Change Driver, something she and her Hive had been working on for a while now. They had already finished two, but one had fallen into the hooves of a pony named Sea Spray, this would make three.

“My Princess, I’m sorry for disturbing you, but we have a situation,” a male voice echoed through the hive’s voice. She had been so focused she hadn’t even noticed the rising panic that was in the connection she shared.

In fact, now that she was focused on it again it felt more empty than before.

“What is it?” She asked, and with that she heard a scream and a jolt of pain through the Hive as another voice went silent.

“We’re under attack! It’s Scarab, she’s attacking Canterlot!” The male voice said again. “She’s been taking as many Drones as she can. Prism is sending help but they won’t be here in time! She’s out in the main courtyard now!”

Dusk got to her hooves and swung the Driver around as it attached around her barrel. She didn’t need any further prompting as she teleported away and into the main courtyard.

What she saw was… not what she was expecting. There was Scarab alright, but she never actually remembered Scarab actually being this brutal, watching the Rider rip off a changeling’s limb. And then the Rider actually bit down into a changeling’s carapace, green blood spraying everywhere.

Dusk took a step back in horror. She had never seen anything so disturbing in her long time as one of the Princesses. She had heard about the encounters that Elusive and Scarlet had with Kamen Rider Scarab, this didn’t feel like it fit with the reports of the mare who had stopped short of killing an enemy.

What in the name of the Queen was this thing really?

“Your majesty, what are you going to do?” The Mantis shifter asked her through their bond.

“What in Tartarus are you?” She asked and that thought only magnified when Scarab turned to look at her, jaw splitting open and letting out a horrific screech. The creature leapt forwards, back opening to reveal wings slightly torn open. Claws were extended, already matted with blood.

On instinct, Dusk teleported out of the reach of the horrifying monster. This hadn’t exactly been how she planned to test this, but it looked like she had no other choice. She placed her hoof on the Driver as the Mantis shifter flew into her other hoof.

“Are you ready for this?” She asked.

“Let’s do this,” the shifter replied.

“Henshin!” Dusk said as she slid the Shifter into the Driver’s slot.

“THE HIVE STANDS UNITED!” The Driver said as magical energy flowed from the Shifter.

The Mantis shifter broke apart as it attached to the Princess’ limbs. Lavender armor covered her body as a helmet formed over her head. It had a silver mouthpiece and was lavender with a line of purple over it and two large dark purple eyes. Two long spiked antennae jutted out of her head. She finally raised her hooves as a long handled scythe with a sharp forked blade.

Several drones buzzed down, appearing from every ounce of the woodwork you could possibly imagine, ready to defend -and if needed, die for- their Princess.

“You made a big mistake attacking us,” Dusk said as she stood there holding the scythe like the visage of death itself. “And now you will pay dearly for your mistake. You cannot hope to defeat the Hive!”

Scarab almost seemed to laugh, and reared ‘her’ head backwards and screeched again. The dead bodies she had claimed, they began to shift and to change. Wings erupted from the backs of the dead drones, hooves shifted into claws as the drones changed into almost perfect copies of the False Scarab.

“Okay, that’s definitely... not normal,” Dusk noted as she nodded to the other Changelings. “Be careful, all of you. We’re not going to give him more bodies to use.”

The False Scarab begged to differ, leaping onto another changeling, ripping it open before turning towards Dusk and screeching at her. Another leap, and this time a changeling jumped out in front of ‘Scarab’ with blade drawn. A slash through the heart, and the Scarab fell. But yet another seemed to take up the leadership of the hive mind these things seemed to share, and took command. And this changeling paid the price, her head flying off in another direction.

She reached out through the Hive to her fastest flyer, all the while fighting back the bile that was threatening to rise. Things had just gotten worse and right now they were going to need all the help they could get.

“Get word to Princess Prism, things just got a whole lot worse and we’re going to need help sooner than expected,” she ordered before gripping her scythe tightly and swinging it hard at the nearest false Scarab.

“Yes my Princess,” the voice answered. “How many should she send?”

“As many as possible, this isn’t Scarab, it’s something worse,” Dusk replied as she ducked another claw swipe from the false Scarabs. She took notice how the hive leader -whoever it was at the time- seemed to have this small red stripe running down their side. She shrugged, least it made it easier to tell who was who, for all the good that did. “Focus on the one with the red stripe, one of these has to be the focal point of its power or something.”

She twirled the scythe around and slashed through the fake Scarabs with it. Though it seemed almost like there was an unlimited number of them. She hissed a little as she was slashed across the chest by one of them, her armor taking the blow thankfully but she struggled to get back onto her hind legs.

“My Princess, are you alright?” Mantis’ voice echoed in her mind.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Dusk answered as she leaned on her scythe for a moment and punched hard into the chest of one of the nearest False Scarabs. It was sent flying from the sheer force behind the punch and when it hit the wall it exploded in a shower of gore. All around her, changeling drones were fighting and dying as they fought off the hoard. And then an explosion as a wall broke wide open, a familiar but welcome sight. A rainbow-maned Hive Princess came flying in, grabbing one of the Scarabs and tossing it out of sight.

“Looks like you could use a hoof,” Prism said. “I got your message and… eugh, what are these things?”

“I don’t know, but they look like Scarab…” Dusk commented the hoard now surrounding them on all sides and drawing ever closer “We’ll figure out who they are later, right now we need to get them out of Canterlot!”

“...You do realize you have a teleport spell right?” Prism deadpanned as she drew her blades, the swarm getting closer.

“Uh… I was getting around to using that, I just… Oh forget it!” Dusk said as she concentrated hard, her magic enveloping the monstrous forms before they vanished in a flash of light. She fell forward, her armor vanishing off her body as she did as the Shifter hopped up onto her shoulder. “Thank you Prism. But still, I want this city searched and any Changeling wounded quarantined until we’re sure they’re safe.”

“On it,” Prism said but before she dashed off she had to ask. “...Just curious, but where’d you send them anyways? The sun?”

“Hopefully, but I don’t know, I had a lot going through my mind, they could be anywhere right now,” Dusk said and Prism frowned at this.

“...Meaning they could come back?” she asked.

“Yes, but this time they can’t surprise us,” Dusk said as she was helped up by the drones. “If this thing has anything to do with Kamen Rider Scarab, we’re going to need help.”

“Lovely, oh and Dusk? I’ve found that life always finds a way to surprise you…”

Far away, atop a moonlit village hut a changeling-like creature reared its head to the sky and howled…

In another Canterlot, another battle raged. Against devils and demons, or at least what looked like it. Blades met as a red and silver armored figure went sword to sword with this devil-like creature, seemingly made of red solid crystal in some places. A gold aztec-like face served as this creature’s ‘buckle’.

The second creature looked more barbaric, and animalistic sporting a wild black mane with a shawl wrapping around the back of its head. In either hand it held what looked to be drumsticks of fire. These were Another Hibiki and Another Den-O respectively.

A breath of fire sent the red armored warrior back, holding up his blade to block the flames. A cry echoed from behind him, and a griffon hen with mostly blue feathers leapt up from seemingly out of nowhere holding a sword in paw. The Rider smiled. “Right on time, as always Skye…”

Several quick slashes were dealt to Another Hibiki making him or it stumble back. Neutron wasn’t sure what to call the oni-like creature really. Nor did he particularly care by this point. It was just another battle in another week for him, he was actually downright exhausted by this point. Which was probably the intent on the Time Jacker’s parts. Exhaust him, wear him down and then kill him.

Swinging the mighty titan sword he scored a slash across Another Den-O’s chest before hitting him upside the head with the flat of the blade. He then switched out for a simple staff, thrusting it into Another Den-O’s chest. Water swirled around it as he struck again and again, before spinning around and sending Another Hibiki spiraling to the ground with a strike.

“...This is getting ridiculous…” Neutron muttered even as he and Skye stood back to back. “We don’t even have the proper watches to defeat them!”

“So, can’t you just use a Time Break or Burst or whatever your driver calls it and knock them back into their pure forms for just a sec,” Skye suggested. “And then grab the Anotherwatch and purify it?”

“I need an opening,” Neutron said from under his helmet, his voice slightly distorted for identity secrecy. Granted, he wasn’t sure that would keep on working eventually given there were very few ponies Skye was actually known to hang out with. “Can you give me that?”

“I’ll try,” Skye said before letting out an ancient griffon war cry as she slashed downwards making Another Hibiki hiss out in pain. Before Another Den-O could touch her, Neutron tossed him into a shop window with a wave of his hand. “...You do realize our teacher is going to get suspicious when we don’t show for the trip back to Ponyville right? I mean, Professor Ocellus can only tolerate so many excuses, believe so many. Surprised she hasn’t written us up really.”

“I’ll bullshit it if I have to,” Neutron noted. “It’s worked so well for me before…”

“Yeah, only because you’re Princess Twilight’s son!” Skye said punching Another Hibiki in the mouth. “And you, stay down!”

Using the opening he was given, Neutron went for his watches. He smiled as he came across one. Perfect, this one could do some damage. “Blade!”

“Cho-Henshin!”

"Armor Time! Turn Up! Blade!”

Cards now sticking out of his shoulders, Neutron went for his Blay Rouzer. Using it to propel Skye upwards, he then struck Another Hibiki across the chest several times before spinning around. Just in the nick of time to roundhouse kick Another Den-O in the face, even as Skye kicked Hibiki in the chest.

“Skye Kick!” she cried punching the air and Neutron chuckled. So adorable. He then grabbed several cards out of his shoulder armor. “...Gonna shake you up, play an ace or two…” he thought to himself.

“Beat Lion, Tackle Boar!”

He tackled Another Den-O through a wall, mentally apologizing to Auntie Rarity in the process as he knocked over several mannequins. He then let Another Den-O really have it, scoring several powerful punches.

“Thunder Deer, Mach Jaguar!”

He became a blur of lightning, striking Another Den-O again and again before finally engaging the finisher.

“Finish Time! Lightning Time Break!” the Ziku Driver proclaimed as Neutron used the implanted Blay Rouzer as a stepping stone of sorts before side-kicking Another Den-O.

Neutron sighed to himself as the watch clattered to the floor, an antelope revealed in Another Den-O’s wake. He really needed his own power, instead of borrowing -and possibly swallowing up in the process- the powers of these legends. Yet instead he continued to use the power these Ridewatches gave him. Was it an addiction? He couldn’t tell, you never knew something was an addiction till you gave it up really.

In any case, there was still one left. Taking the Den-O Ridewatch, he slammed it into his bow. “Now you will bow to me!” Neutron cried finishing off Another Hibiki with a barrage of arrows.

“...Well, I guess that’s the way it goes really…” Neutron muttered taking the Hibiki watch and pressing down on it purifying it. He smiled as he watched the blue and red watch shimmer in the sun. Two more Another Riders down, and two more watches in his possession never again to be tainted. Oh wait, was that exhaustion finally setting in? He presumed it so as the floor rushed up to greet him…

“You see that too, right?” A light purple pegasus with an orange mane said as she pointed up towards Canterlot in the distance. The hive city had smoke pouring out of it from somewhere towards the top of it. “What do you think is going on up there?”

“I don’t know Jasper,” her companion, a unicorn mare with a dark blue coat and greenish-blue mane replied as she looked up at the smoke. “That’s definitely not normal.”

“Tch, it certainly is not,” a voice echoed in the unicorn’s mind. She glanced up at the mechanical purple beetle that rested on her head for a moment. “Perhaps the city was attacked by something, or someone.”

“Any idea who that would be?” The unicorn asked. “I’ve never heard of anything actually get close enough to one of the Hive cities to do something like that.”

“No clue,” was the response. “It could be anything, Zebras perhaps, they were always sneaky like that. There’s not much we can do but wonder about it anyway, unless you want to walk into Canterlot. I’m sure they would welcome that, Sea Spray.”

“No, I don’t think we’ll be doing that,” the now named Sea Spray commented with a snort. “Maybe we should go see if the others know anything. Do you think the Shadow Hive might know something?”

“Maybe, it’s worth a try at least,” Jasper replied as the two mares started back towards the group of buildings they called home. “Whether or not we can actually get in contact with them is another matter entirely.”

“Yeah, here’s hoping at least,” Sea replied.

The Shadow Hive was a group within the Changelings themselves that existed within their hive mind. Recently Sea and Jasper had crossed paths with them in Appletown when they had to help the mayor’s daughter who had been converted following an accident that would have killed her otherwise.

She had left with Princess Elusive to go back to Manehattan with her. But not before they had made her part of the Shadow Hive. Getting in contact with them was possible, but they knew it would be difficult to get the intel without risking exposure.

They moved through Ponyville together, walking past the ponies that called it home. A few of them waved to the mares and they smiled a little as they waved back as they headed towards their destination.

The Golden Oaks Library, an old Library, one of the few structures in Ponyville that was still unchanged. It had been built out of a tree, it had once been the home of Twilight Sparkle and her assistant Spike.

But that was a long time ago, before the dark times came. Before the Changelings took over most of Equestria and left Ponyville at the center of what was known as the Pony Safe Zone, probably the only place in Equestria that ponies could call home.

This was where Sea and Jasper called home. Sea had been raised in the Ponyville Orphanage, and Jasper had been raised by her grandmothers. But ever since they were fillies, the two mares had been best friends.

Jasper opened a secret door and they headed down a series of stairs that took them into a large underground room. There were many ponies around working on computer terminals and maps of Equestria.

“Jasper, Sea Spray,” an old pegasus mare with a faded orange coat and purple mane said. She smiled a little when she saw the two mares arrive and gave Jasper a hug. “I’m guessing you saw Canterlot.”

“Yeah, we were hoping you could get the Shadow Hive to help us find out what’s going on,” Jasper said. The old mare’s face fell a little at that. “Grandma Scootaloo, is everything okay?”

“That was the first thing we tried,” Scootaloo admitted as she looked at the screen that showed Canterlot. “They’ve had to go silent. The Hive is on full lockdown, and even the Shadow Hive can’t break through that to get the word out to us. Whatever is going on up there, it has them scared. And we didn’t get word from any of our allies, this wasn’t an attack from outside either.”

“Great,” Sea said as she glanced up at Scarab. “Do you have any idea what might have put them on guard like this?”

“Tch, other than you?” Scarab retorted. “No clue if there aren’t any known enemies in that city. Something has them spooked though, I’d be careful. You never know if they might come after you next.”

“What did he say?” Scootaloo asked.

“That we need to be careful,” Sea repeated. “He’s concerned that whoever attacked them might go after us too. I’m inclined to agree.”

“...Who you talking to, again?” a mare’s voice asked as a lime-green maned mare stepped into view, with a plate full of fruit in hoof. “Seriously, if you keep on going like that to yourself, ponies might think you’re crazy as a loon. Mi hai preso?” she asked idly tossing a pitaya in the air before catching it again.

Scootaloo and Sea Spray shared a look, swallowing hard before looking back at the mare who was now currently in the process of blending the pitaya with a few other fruits. “...One of our rangers on the outskirts, well hidden enough so he shouldn’t be found.”

Lemon Zest, she was a mysterious one. As her name implied she was good with cooking but aside from that she showed very few qualities. Mysteriously, she had shown up a few days ago without question. She had been found chased by drones, and both Jasper and Sea Spray had managed to drive them off before rushing Lemon inside the city walls. But an eye was kept on her at all times, as there was every chance she could have been a changeling drone in disguise waiting for her chance to strike. After Lime, Sea Spray didn’t want to take any chances.

“Just sayin’,” Lemon noted. “Last thing we need is a crazy mare in the regiments. May be on the back hoof, but this is a war make no mistake.”

“...Yeah, one we’re soundly losing…” another mare noted sourly to herself. Light blue in color, like a gem. Lemon skipped over to her.

“Oh you really need to be more upbeat, I mean there’s this mysterious Kamen Rider Scarab going about, and not all empires last forever. That includes Chrysalis’ own,” Lemon remarked twirling in a circle on her hoof as she poured her mix into a bowl. “Actually for that matter, does anyone know where Chrysalis actually is? Seriously brah, where’s bug bitch? Probably sitting on her throne grown fat with power. Tartarus, she could be pushing up the daisies for all we know eh? Seriously, when was the last time anypony’s seen her? A century?”

“...You know Lemon, I’m not sure how you do it,” Sapphire remarked. “Seriously, it’s like you’re on a perpetual high of some sort. I’ve never seen you cry or break down or anything, not once!”

Lemon stumbled for a bit before turning back towards Sapphire. “It’s because I know the sun will shine again eventually. Times look dark, yes, but… the night is always darkest before the dawn isn’t that what they say?”

“...One Tartarus of a long dark night then…” Scootaloo muttered and that particular remark sent a few chuckles throughout the room.

“True that,” Sapphire noted. “In any case, I have to get back to the Estate, see how things are coming. Everybody’s gotta contribute really, we lift together and we work together and who knows, the hives might see us pushing back and taking back what belongs to us.”

Jasper shook his head. “Tell us how it goes eh?” he asked Sapphire before looking back towards Scootaloo. “...Odd rumors coming out of Appletown really. Talked to some of the residents, and apparently we’ve been getting appearances by a certain deer again.”

Scootaloo frowned. A few days ago, actually around the time Lemon appeared to be precise -and she doubted this to be any sort of coincidence- rumors had started to circulate of a mysterious deer who appeared out of the shadows to aid those in need. Nobody ever saw his face thanks to his cloaked form but they always caught a small flash of silver near where his neck would be and his distinctive antlers. Nobody knew what had happened to the deer kingdom in the wake of Chrysalis’ take over. Most assumed they had either fled to the shadows or had been swallowed up and slaughtered by the Hives. But it seemed at least one had survived, and contrary to the aloof reputation of a lot of the deer actually made at least an effort to help others. Scootaloo just wished she knew why he hadn’t showed himself properly.

“...One Bowl of Heaven comin’ right up!” Lemon cried. “If anypony wants first dibs, please do speak up! First come first serve here!”

With a flick of her wrist, she threw a tablecloth over a nearby table never settling for anything less than the dramatic. “And before you say I’ve forgotten the plates…” Lemon started before tossing plates like frisbees onto the table. “Santo cielo, I am such an artist!” she said before kissing her hoof.

“Uh, thank you?” Sea Spray asked as she and Jasper took their seats and exchanged a look for a moment. “So, what is it other than a bowl of heaven?”

“It’s food… it’s art! Let’s see… 1 cup of pitaya cubes, 1 frozen banana, 1 cup of raspberries and and just a dash of cacao powder topped with a bit of chocolate. Write it down, tell your kids,” Lemon chirped. For just a brief moment, Sea Spray swore she saw a green crystal hanging around her neck before it vanished. Maybe she had been imagining things. “And the first pony who decides to be a sourpuss and mutter about if you even have kids, I will take my spoon and beat them over the head with it okay?”

“Alright, alright, geez,” Jasper said as she took a sip of the food. “Huh, that’s actually pretty good. We might have to keep this one Grandma.”

Scootaloo chuckled a little as she started on her own food.

“I think we will…” Scootaloo said. “...I think we will.”

She sighed sadly to herself, this was not the way she ever envisioned having lunch with her grandkids really.

“You alright?” Lemon asked noting the elder mare’s expression.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Scootaloo answered. “I’m just thinking about everything that’s been going on lately is all.”

“Times’ll change, they always do. Empires rise, empires fall. Chrysalis’s karma will catch up to her,” Lemon said before walking off back into the kitchen whistling a little ditty to herself. “...The filthy streets and the calloused hooves… Bloodshot Marish eyes…”

“She’s an interesting one,” Scootaloo commented as she glanced back at the kitchen. Lemon was still singing and now dancing along with the tune. “But at least she’s settling in alright. She’s not exactly the first refugee we’ve picked up, and I doubt she’ll be the last...”

Jasper nodded with a small ‘hmm…’ There were, after all, ponies scattered throughout the hive lands simply to be fed on and used to make the indoctrination process a lot easier. Lemon was more than likely one of those, and she probably wouldn’t be the last that they stumbled across. “...Incredibly cheery though isn’t she? Considering the situation and all...”

“So, what’s wrong with being cheery?” Sea Spray asked glancing at her friend. “Nothing wrong with being an optimist.”

“...Yeah, it’s just that something’s… off about her,” Jasper noted. “I’m not sure what it is, nor can I put my hooves on it but… There is something incredibly strange about her.”

“I have Vira and her staff looking into it,” Scootaloo said quietly. “It’s probably nothing more than a feeling, but right now it’s better safe than sorry. Sweetie and Apple Bloom agreed, and given the situation it’s protocol anyway. Hopefully it’s just our imagination.”

“Hopefully…” Sea Spray muttered. “How did Sweetie put it? The loneliest ponies are the kindest. The saddest ones smile the brightest. And the most damaged ponies are the wisest…” she whispered looking towards Lemon who seemed to be without a care in the world right now.

Worlds away, night had fallen over Ponyville where one particularly annoyed unicorn Rider/Prince of Friendship was hard at work cramming for a test. “...Ugh, carry the Y and… I swear, who ever invented the Pythagorean Theorem needs to be shoved in front of a math quiz and forced to read this rubbish. Math, I know exactly what it’s short for! Mental Assault and Torture to Horses!”

Something moved in the background, and Neutron grumbled something under his breath. He did hope it wasn’t the local frat boys playing a prank again. Hell Week, they called it. Induced the newbies to their fraternity.

He threw open a window and shouted: “Alright you arses, I swear, I may be the Prince of Friendship here but if you all are going passing around the PCP I’m not going to be particularly friendly to you lot!”

Crickets chirped, and bushes ruffled. Another window opened and Skye poked her head out, the griffon’s head feathers partially wrapped in a towel. “...Alright, what the hell are you yelling at? I’m trying to take a shower here! You know, a nice long relaxing hot shower?”

Neutron blushed. “...Sorry, it’s just that I swear I heard something moving out there…”

“Well you can bitch about it to me in the morning. Goodnight Neutron!” Skye shouted before slamming the window shut once more.

“...Night Skye.” Neutron muttered before this time he knew he heard something move about in the darkness. Neutron went for his bedside table and grabbed his watch. Maybe he was getting paranoid, but after a week of Another Rider attacks he decided it was best to carry it with him everywhere.

“...I wonder how Mum does it, keep herself from going completely spare…” Neutron muttered to himself. “...Exorcised the Nightmare from her we may have, but she’s still… well, Twilighting about the smallest things. Do they even have therapy for alicorns?”

He growled to himself muttering something under his breath about certain Time Jackers he’d love to introduce to a lake of broiling lava. The Ziku Driver wrapping itself around his waist, he carefully stepped out into the hall. “...With my luck it’s probably going to be an extra frisky couple just taking a late night walk.” Neutron muttered to himself.

He heard it from somewhere behind. Chittering sounds and Neutron whirled around a bow of magic forming in his hands. “Please do show yourself, I’d rather not arrow you in the arse…”

Then he saw it, a creature resembling a changeling of old but much worse coming right towards him. He twisted his watch and slammed it into the driver. “RIDER TIME! KAMENRIDER: GUARDIAN!”

“Alright you Saddledor Dali reject…” Neutron muttered before swinging his axe at the ‘thing’ and to his surprise the weapon simply passed through like it was a ghost. “...what the fuck…?” he ejacuated.

The thing just galloped down the hall and out of sight. Skye threw open her dorm room door, looking rather furious. A seething cauldron of rage really She was dressed in nothing but a towel. “...Alright, you want to explain what’s going on around here? Why did I just hear your driver?”

“...Would you believe a ghost changeling who looked all kinds of wrong?”

“You haven’t been sleeping well have you…?” Skye asked raising an eyebrow. Neutron for his part was trying very hard to avert his eyes. “Goodnight Neutron, take a sleeping potion. And don’t disturb me again…”

“But-” Neutron started to explain although Skye was having none of it. ...Or she wasn’t till the ‘ghost’ showed itself again.

“...Never mind, clearly we’re both in need of a good night’s sleep,” Skye noted as it ran past, screeching at them as it did so. “...Either that or the Time Jackers have finally driven us crazy.”

“...Since when did changelings run on all fours?” Neutron blinked. “...Shouldn’t we…”

“Go after it?” Skye asked. “...Yeah, probably. Let me get changed first. And grab my taser in case this is a frat boy prank.”

A few minutes later both were wandering the halls of the school. “...Since when did we have ghost changelings, if that’s what this even is?” Skye had to wonder. “This is just too weird.”

“We are in no room to talk about weird here. I change into an armored warrior drawing on the powers of other warriors from other dimensions. We fought my own mother who happened to be possessed by a millennia old monster and ponies called Time Jackers intent on seeing I do not become this demon king of sorts. We are in no position to talk about weird!”

“...Well, when you put it that way…” Skye muttered gripping her taser tightly. “So, ghost changelings then. Probably should just let it be, worst it can do is freak out the students.”

“...And keep me from studying, and you know how both Sunset and Twilight get if I fail a test, Celestia forbid…” Neutron muttered with a small shudder.

“Point taken, and if this keeps me from my hot showers… Okay, this thing dies now.”

“How do you kill something that’s already dead?” Neutron asked.

Skye growled. “...Trust me, I’ll figure out a way.”

Neutron had no doubt in his mind that she would. Scary, he thought to himself with a shudder. Probably even scarier than his mother, which was quite a feat.

“...You think this is Trixie or someone playing a joke, telling me to keep my guard up?”

“If it is, I’m not seeing the humor in it…” Skye trailed off as her reply. “I’m just going to go out on a limb and say Time Jackers. They’re usually behind everything nowadays.”

“...If it’s that brat, he’s getting a good spanking,” Neutron muttered. “I’m grabbing a switch from a tree, and using it on him. I’m out of fucks to give with this kid.”

He felt a pull in his mind and looked down. His Ridewatch was glowing. And then a bright flash of light as he found himself pulled through a wall. Groaning, he picked himself up off the ground and noticed he was no longer in a carpeted hallway. Instead, he was… well, he didn’t know where he honestly was truth be told.

“S-Skye…?” Neutron whispered. “Skye? You there?” he called. Then, he was pounced from behind as the Ghost Changeling leaped out of the shadows. Only this time it wasn’t so ghostly. Pinning him to the ground with its claws, the creature snapped and bit at him as two more came out of the shadows. Neutron bucked it off, but not before getting a good look at it. It almost looked like a Rider. Almost.

“Well, guess that explains the pull my Ridewatch felt…” he muttered. “So there's an infestation, and I guess a doctor is needed to clean and to disinfect!” Neutron muttered holding up a black and white watch.

“Buggle Up! Zombie!” the 2018 dated watch stated as it was slammed into his bow. Neutron had earned this particular one for valuing life and yet it was based off a zombie rider. He was well aware of the irony. Pulling back the bow, he let the arrows fly dispatching the three Another Riders. The Ridewatch almost seemed to laugh maniacally as he did so.

“Okay Neutron, where are you now, and what were those things…?” the stallion thought to himself. Then he got the shock of his life.

As he looked around he found himself on a dirt road in a field. In the distance he could see a town or settlement, only this one looked like it had large walls surrounding it. It wasn’t until he turned around that he got the shock of his life. High above him was the familiar shape of Mount Canter, but in the place of the familiar buildings of Canterlot was a twisted castle of black stone filled with holes.

Smoke was pouring out of the twisted castle, though it seemed to be going down slowly. It looked more like a twisted parody of Canterlot mixed with an insect hive than what he was familiar with.

Reaching out to touch a tree so he could stable himself, Neutron muttered one simple thing.

“...I’m in a nightmare.”

“So, here we go again,” Sea commented as she and Jasper walked into the settlement of Gateway. It was one of the settlements closest to the border with Changeling territory. “It feels like we just left Appletown, and here we are investigating more reports.”

“Yeah, but Gateway is so close to Princess Dusk’s territory that it’s better safe than sorry,” Jasper reminded her. “It might be a response to whatever happened in Canterlot the other day as well. We need to make sure it’s not a Soldier Drone.”

“Tch, hardly a concern, Gateway is often used as a stop-off point for Drones moving through the territory,” Scarab commented. “Putting them on edge would just endanger that.”

“Okay, then what do you think we’re dealing with here?” Sea asked as she glanced at the mechanical bug.

“Really wish he would’ve just taken his pony form for this…” Jasper muttered. “I hate hearing only one side of your conversations.”

“Regardless of your marefriend’s feelings, I honestly don’t know either,” Scarab retorted with a telepathic chuckle.

“She’s not my marefriend!” Sea countered, which got a weird look from Jasper.

“Yes, just keep telling yourself that,” Scarab replied. “I’m not the one who you spend every night in bed with.”

“You know I have nightmares!” Sea angrily said.

“Uh, is she okay?” A stallion asked as he walked over to where Jasper was standing. “She seems to be talking to herself.”

“It’s a long story,” Jasper sighed as she turned to the stallion. “I gave up on trying to stay out of this insanity regarding her… Anyways, you must be the Mayor’s aide right? We’re here from Ponyville to help with the monster attacks.”

“Yes, yes, Mayor Xylophone sends her apologies for not being able to come,” the aide said as he shook his head a little. “She was among those injured in the last attack so she is in the local hospital at the moment. She’s glad that Ponyville was able to send help so quickly though. Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Yes, we’re going to need a place to stay in case we have to stay overnight,” Sea Spray answered. “Also we’ll need to see any of the locations where the monster has been seen. Is anypony well enough to talk to?”

“I’ll talk to the doctor about it,” the aide answered as they walked through town, the evening sunset as their backdrop. “We’ve been living close to Changeling territory for years with no more problems than anypony else. So, this whole thing is kind of new for us.”

“It’s new for a lot of us, don’t worry,” Sea Spray answered. “We’ve dealt with Changelings before. Hopefully we’ll be able to help with this too.”

“It feels like everypony is in danger these days,” Jasper sighed. “We can only do so much to keep all the settlements safe.”

“Yeah, but we’ll do what we can,” Sea said as she looked back towards the sunset for a long moment.

She had a lot to get used to ever since she had found that Driver and the Scarab Shifter. It had gotten her and the other ponies including Jasper out of captivity and probably saved them from conversion. She didn’t want to think about it, but she had often been afraid of what might have happened if she hadn’t found them.

Now she was doing everything she could to protect ponies in the Safe Zone. Kamen Rider Scarab, that was what Princess Elusive had called her and somehow it had stuck. But Elusive had her own Driver and shifter, and had nearly spirited her away in Appletown.

Sea had escaped conversion twice, and she was afraid that the third time might be the charm for the Changelings.

“Hey Sea, are you okay?” Jasper asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just thinking is all,” Sea said with a shake of her head. “Sorry Jasper, I’ve just been really distracted lately.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame you,” Jasper said as she draped her wing over her best friend a little. “Don’t worry, Sea. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”

“Thanks Jasper,” Sea said as Jasper nuzzled her reassuringly. “That means a lot to me.”

“Are you two dating or something?” The Aide asked.

“I told you…” Scarab’s voice echoed in her mind.

“No, we’re not…” Sea started to say when there was the sound of a mare screaming. She levitated up her Driver and swung it around her barrel before they ran towards the sound of the scream. “Oh thank goodness a distraction…”

“You have an odd choice for loving distractions, you do know that right?” the Scarab noted.

“Shut it Khepri…” Sea muttered to herself as she ran vaguely recalling an ancient Somnambulan god by that name. Though she honestly doubted the real one was this much of a pain in the neck.

“Hmm… Khepri, I like that name. Can you keep calling me that?” the newly coined Khepri commented. “Never had a name before. Always Scarab this and Scarab that…” he said actually sounding a little bit unhappy about it.

“Uh, apparently he wants to be called Khepri now,” Sea commented to Jasper as they headed to the source of the scream.

“I didn’t even know the bug had enough individual thought to want a name.” Jasper deadpanned.

“Tell the little snot I can hear him.” Khepri said before muttering a few curses towards Jasper.

“He says he can hear you,” Sea said. “And also apparently thinks you’re a stallion.”

“Hey! I’m all mare!” Jasper protested.

“Coulda fooled me, all you ponies look alike to me…”

“Aren’t all Changelings basically identical other than coloring and manestyles?” Sea pointed out, but that was all moot as they turned a corner and saw what had caused the scream.

“...Well, Jasper being a bit butch does not help her ca… By the Hive!” Khepri exclaimed.

“That… that is not a changeling…” Sea Spray stated numbly. And she was right, as what she saw was this figure, partially composed of metal and partially covered in blue electronic lines. Horns stuck out of his(?) head, both curled to a point, crackling with electricity. He waved his hoof and all around him everything seemed to slow to a mere crawl…

“What… is… going… on…” Sea said slowly.

The figure’s neck glowed, before a massive flaming shuriken was sent Sea’s direction. Khepri reacted and shot out shouting: “Henshin!” as armor wrapped itself around Sea’s body. She swung her tonfas around and caught the shuriken with it before running right at the monster and punching at it with the force of a freight train.

“Didn’t know you could do that... “ Sea whispered.

“Built in safety feature for the Princesses. Or well… you now. Basically, I saved your life. You can thank me any time you like now…”

Sea ignored him.

“What in Tartarus are you?” She demanded of the monster who simply responded with a headbutt. She staggered back, and the monster drew what looked to be a cross between a gun and a mess of metal. Sea’s eyes widened. The creature fired.

Sea Spray rolled, and shoved Jasper to the ground. The creature gave his weapon a little flick and a blade popped out. Sea got to her hooves and put the two tonfas together.

“TRANSFORM: SCARAB TONFA RIFLE!” The Driver said as the connected tonfas turned into a rifle that she raised and fired several energy bullets at the creature.

The shots were met every time by the creature’s gun, and it slashed downwards sending a blue arc of energy slashing towards Scarab.

“Fly, NOW!” Khepri shouted in her head.

“Wait, what?” Sea said, and more on instinct than anything else, she crouched down as the attachment on her armor’s back opened up. Two long insect wings emerged and she flew up out of the way of the arc of energy, her insectoid wings buzzing. “Holy crap, I can fly…”

“Yes you can fly, young one,” Khepri said in complete and utter deadpan. “And we’re all overjoyed. You’re based on a flying insect. Does this surprise you?”

“I never thought about it until now, okay?” Sea said as she raised her rifle again and fired more shots at the monster. The creature saw the shots coming and fired more shurikens of flame from his neck to deal with the blasts, before sending another energy slash towards Scarab.

“Fair enough, the features of the suit generally only activate under… extenuating circumstances.” Khepri commented as his partner dodged the slashes. “Now, kick that thing’s ass okay? ...Actually, is it just me or does it look a little like a Rider?”

“A little bit… but not like either me or Elusive’s,” Sea said as she fired several more shots. “Think it might be like one of those old Neighponese Riders we heard about?”

“Not sure what you mean, if we survive this give me a history lesson okay?” Khepri asked sounding actually interested for once. “...Looks like a twisted mutation of a Rider though. Like something Moonbeam might come up with to scare little foals really…”

Sea blinked under her helmet. That almost sounded like… “Assuming we survive this, you and I are going to have a little talk okay?”

“Assuming. LOOK OUT!”

Underneath them, yellow portals of energy formed with spikes rocketing up from out of them. Sea’s eyes went wide as she dove out of the way of the energy spikes, coming in for a landing. “Okay, I don’t think that’s going to work anymore…”

The twisted Rider spun his sword around, a little like Zorro if you will before making a come hither gesture with his hoof.

“Alright, you want to have a duel, let’s have a duel,” Sea said as she twisted around the rifle and separated it again.

“TRANSFORM: SCARAB TONFAS!” The Driver said as her tonfas returned to her grip and she ran at him at full speed, swinging her hoof around to hit him in the stomach.

The ‘rider’ staggered back before flinging another flaming shuriken but this time Scarab was ready shooting it out of the air. Quickly changing back to tonfa mode, a few more strikes were dealt. Then the ‘rider’ elbowed her in the face before kneeing her in the stomach.

Sea groaned a little as she struggled to steady herself. She was still getting used to fighting on her hind legs at best and this really wasn’t helping. She swung one of her tonfas around, aiming for the ‘rider’s’ head with as much strength as she could muster.

The ‘Rider’ ran behind her, before grabbing her by the neck and tossing her into a nearby shop window. She groaned as she got back up, brushing the broken glass off her armor. The ‘Rider’ for his part seemed to be laughing.

“Resistance is futile…” he said in a droning voice that chilled Sea Spray to the bone. “I rise again.”

He flicked his hoof and from out of the woodworks popped what looked to be twisted mutations of Scarab, the same creatures both Neutron and Dusk had encountered earlier. “We rise again.”

“What in the name of all that is holy…” Sea muttered as she crouched a little, gripping the tonfas tightly in her forehooves. “What are these things?”

“If you squint a little, they almost look like, well… you. Almost.” Khepri noted. “This could be a… problem. One of these things was bad enough! But a whole swarm?”

“I don’t know…” Sea admitted as she backed up a little. Panic was starting to set in as the monstrous beings got closer to her. “How am I supposed to beat these things alone?”

“Not alone no,” a voice commented before a barrage of shots downed the ‘Scarabs’ as a cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows, purple eyes flashing and a small twinkling of silver from where his(?) neck would be. Red antlers stuck out of his cloak’s hood. “You know, ganging up on a lady like that? Fairly rude. If she wanted you, she would have taken you one at a time. But I guess you don’t have the intelligence for that, do you… country boy?” the figure drawled with a hint of disgust. He with a quick motion tossed off his cloak revealing his full figure.

“What the…” Sea said as she looked at the figure in shock, taking note of his eerily insectoid form, complete with folded up wings on his back. “You’re a…”

“Changeling? Yes, let the shock and awe run through your body,” the forest green changeling deadpanned, clicking his antlers -now revealed to be twin horns- together like a stag beetle’s. “I was hoping to remain a mystery for a little while longer, but what can I say? I guess my brother and his do gooderness rubbed off on me. Star Change: Ophiuchus.”

A flash of light and a silver costume complete with a snake themed opaque visor formed around him. Summoning a scythe to his hoof, he twirled it. “Now are we going to stand here and twiddle or are we going to actually do something, Kamen Rider?”

“Oh great, I'm being saved by a Changeling in spandex. What has my life come to?” Sea Spray thought. “And don’t you dare answer that one Khepri!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it milady. Oh, here they come!”

What came next was almost like art in motion as the two double-teamed the hoard. Pharynx watched Sea Spray’s back and she watched his. Together the two swiftly cutting down the hoard. Pharynx grabbed a Scarab in his horns and tossed him to Sea Spray who bucked it caving the false Rider’s chest in. He whirled around and slashed out with a spinning golden triangle of energy even as Sea took down two more with her rifle. She let out a shout of “On your left!” and Pharnyx ducked as she shot down another.

“Now on yours!” Pharynx shouted before Sea ducked and Pharynx changed into a tiger pinning the first of the false Riders to the ground before hoisting him up and slamming him back down. Again, this was done with his horns and all in brutal merciless fashion. “...Hail to the King.” he muttered before sending a swarm of spectral silver snakes to keep the ‘Scarabs’ off the real deal.

“Reminds me too much of Don Armage and his bunch of assholes, these creeps. Oppressors who won’t stop till everyone is under their hooves. ...No, that’s not just it. They remind me far too much of how we used to be till you stepped in brother dear.”

As the ‘Scarab’ hoard was dealt with, all of them going up in explosions Pharynx turned to look at Sea Spray. “Just him left. The ‘country boy’,” he remarked as one of his arms changed into what looked like a unicorn’s horn shaped into a drill. “Shall we finish him?”

“Alright, but after this I’m owed a few explanations,” Sea said. “But for now, we do this your way.”

Leaping upwards, they both activated their finishers.

“Ophiuchus Monoceros Impact!”

“Rider Kick!”

As Pharynx bored into the dark and twisted machine Rider, Sea’s hoof slammed headlong into the monster’s chest. He was sent tumbling backwards before exploding in a pile of machine parts. Far away, pain wracked a pony’s body. She had felt the body’s destruction. No matter, she thought to herself. She could always just make another.

And this time, she mused as a twisted mutation of a Rider complete with glowing gold ‘veins’ and an exposed ribcage, Another Dark Drive would not be alone.

Back in Gateway, Sea helped Jasper up even as Pharynx demorphed.

“...O-Okay, want to explain what’s going on here?” Sea stammered out taking a few steps back. “...You’re not like any changeling I’ve ever seen before…”

“Tch. Some way to treat the guy who just helped to save your ass. ...Yes, I’m a changeling. Well, Changeling King if you want to be pedantic about the whole thing,” Pharynx commented as his dragonfly-like wings buzzed irritably. He placed the strange silver orb he used to transform back around his neck. “Yes, quiver in fear or whatever. Get it out of your system.”

Pharynx felt it. That pull. He knew what it was. The Hive was calling for him. He’d felt it for the past few days, his former Queen calling out to him. And the longer he stayed in this possible divergent timeline the stronger the pull seemed to get. He was able to resist, but the obvious question was for how long? He didn’t know if Green felt it as well, he was not part of the Hive Mind. He hoped he didn’t. The last thing he needed was one more issue to resolve.

“Okay, you’re a changeling. Just not like any I’ve ever seen before,” Jasper remarked.

“Think we’ve already established that, yes,” Pharynx deadpanned. “Your point?”

“...What the flying feather are you? Some kind of divergent evolution?” the mare asked.

“Well, you’re half right to some extent. I am an evolution of changeling, just not a divergent evolution. See, Chrysalis, what she did, was… well, she stunted the species growth. Took me a while to figure that out, but those forms you see running about? Those aren’t what changelings are supposed to look like. Dear old Chrysalis isn’t supposed to be taking love, and hoarding it away. She’s supposed to be sharing it, the whole hive -or hives now I suppose- is. Trust me, if you think I’m a colorful bastard, you should see everyling. We’re like a walking gay pride parade, and my brother was the biggest and gayest of them all, in full rainbow moose horse thing mode.” Pharynx said.

“...Is any of this making sense to you?” Jasper asked. “Are we sure we’re both not experiencing some sort of weird fever dream?”

“...I’m almost tempted to believe him, almost.” Sea said.

“You know I can hear you right? Bah!” Pharynx spat. “Believe what you will. I’ve gotta get going really. Trust me, I’m not someone you want to have around civilians right now. They’ll eventually come out of hiding and while I can deal with their scorn, their disgust or whatever I’m not sure I want to be here when the Hives come calling.”

“Oh no,” Sea Spray said as she grabbed Pharynx by the hoof. “You’re coming with us. Pretty sure you owe us a few explanations at the very least, You did promise after all.”

“...Fine. I suppose I did. Demanding sort aren’t you? Well, let’s get going then…” Pharynx said as the two ponies led him off. He frowned and raised his Kyuchanger. “I might need your help soon.” he said into his gauntlet.

“How bad?” another voice crackled at the end of the line.

“...Well, put it this way, there goes the masquerade.” Pharynx said and in Ponyville ‘Lemon’s’ form shifted to reveal a brief glimpse of a stark yellow drone before it shifted back…