The sun was high in the sky as Twilight and Spike made their way towards Sweet Apple Acres. It had been nearly three hours since princess Celestia had departed with Dawn Wings, and Twilight was still trying to wrap her head around the whole thing. Princess Celestia was planning to attempt to capture Chrysalis? And she was going to have Dawn Wings be the one to track her down? The whole thing was giving Twilight a headache.

The least of which had to do with actually talking to the otherworldly pegasus. From what she remembered of her conversation with Raven in Dawn Wings’ dreamscape, the spymaster had said that she was a handful. But he didn’t mention that she was kinda a sarcastic jerk. That she felt so at ease speaking to princess Celestia with such casualness and frankly outright rudeness was almost too much for Twilight to take.

“So, Spike, do you remember the cover story we’re giving them?” Twilight said as she looked at the little dragon walking along next to her.

“Yea.” Spike said. “Princess Celestia called her back to Canterlot, first to check in with her to see how she’s integrating, and to talk with some of the professors at CSGU to try figuring out that language of hers. If she's gone for a while, we tell them that she chose to go exploring around Equestria for a bit.”

Twilight nodded.

“I still don’t get why she’s so darn secretive about what she is.” Spike said they walked through the gates of Sweet Apple Acres and towards the Apple’s house. “I mean, it’s so cool.”

“Probably the same reason the Power Ponies or Steel Stallion keep their identities secret in your comics: she doesn’t want anypony to know who and what she is.” Twilight said with a smile. “She is a scout and a spy, after all. Kinda hard to do her job if everyone knows what she does.”

“I guess.” Spike said as he folded his hands behind his head as he walked alongside Twilight. As they approached the farmhouse, they spotted Apple Bloom and Granny Smith out front, the former playing with Winona, the latter sitting in her rocking chair and watching her granddaughter. Hearing Twilight approaching, Winona turned away from Apple Bloom and ran up to the unicorn and dragon, pouncing on the former and licking her in the face.

“Hello to you too Winona.” Twilight said with a giggle as she gently pushed the dog off and patted her head.

“Heya Twilight! Heya Spike!” Apple Bloom called as she scampered up to the two visitors. “What’re yah doing here? Comin’ to see AJ?”

“We are. But we’re also here about Dawn Wings.” Twilight said.

“Why, is somethin’ wrong with her?” Apple Bloom said with concern.

“No no, nothing’s wrong. Princess Celestia just wanted her to come back to Canterlot for a bit.” Twilight said reassuringly to the filly, “She wants to see how she’s holding up, and have some of the university professors try to figure out that language of her’s.”

“Oh, okay.” Apple Bloom said. “How long’s she gonna be gone?”

“Probably for a while.” Twilight said with a reassuring smile. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. In any case, do you know where AJ is?”

“Yea, she’s in the back forty, probably the south east part.” Apple Bloom said.

“Thank you Apple Bloom.” Twilight replied.

“Sho’ thin’ Twilight. When yah’ see Dawn Wings next, tell her I said hi.” The filly said before scampering off to resume her game with Winona.

With a nod to Spike, Twilight began to trot passed the farmhouse and towards the part of the vast orchard that hopefully included Applejack. A twenty minutes or so of wandering through the trees, and they hit paydirt when they spotted Applejack tending to a large patch of trees. The fruits were still ripening, so rather than bucking, she was removing weeds and leaf litter from around the trunks.

“AJ!” Twilight called out to the farm pony. “Have you got a minute?”

Looking up from her work, Applejack smiled as she spotted Twilight and Spike.

“Twilight! Spike!” AJ called as she trotted over. “How’re ya’ll doin’?”

“We’re doing well AJ.” Twilight said, before her tone turned serious. “I just wanted to warn you that we might be called out on element business soon.”

AJ’s jovial mood turned sharply, and she became dead serious.

“What’s happenin’. It got somethin’ to do with tha changelin’ that went after yah’?” Applejack said.

“Yes. Last night, the silver-knights located and raided a changeling nest under Barnyard Bargains West.” Twilight said grimly. “They managed to capture six of them, and rescued at least a dozen ponies. Princess Luna had them taken back to Canterlot for interrogation. I think she’s trying to find where Chrysalis is hiding.”

“Whoa. That’s crazy Twi.” Applejack said with a whistle. “So, we’re on standby in case she figures out where that nasty varmint’s hidin’.”

“Pretty much.” Spike said, “I think she may be planning to go after Chrysalis once they figure out where she is.”

“Good.” Applejack growled, “That bug’s got whatever the princess has planned comin’. Thanks for lettin’ me know.”

“Of course AJ. Are you free later? I’m going to tell the rest of the girls, and then have a planning meeting at Golden Oak Library. Think you could be there around 4pm?” Twilight said.

“Yea, ah should be done by then.” Applejack responded.

“Good, I’ll see you then.” Twilight said, before turning to leave. She got exactly two steps before Spike poked her leg, causing her to stop. Looking down at him, he pointed to AJ and mouthed the words ‘Dawn Wings.’ At that, Twilight’s eyes widened a little as she remembered her other task.

“AJ, one last thing.” Twilight said as she turned back to the farmer.

“Ah’m all ear’s Twi.” Applejack said as she looked over her shoulder at the unicorn.

“Dawn Wings won’t be staying with you for a little while.” Twilight said, “Princess Celestia summoned her back to Canterlot. Something about checkin in to see how she’s doing, and see if the professors at the university can work out anything about her language.”

Applejack regarded Twilight for a minute.

“That seems kinda weird Twi. Why would the princess herself be askin’ for her.” Applejack said as she turned back to the unicorn. “Seems a might suspicious if you ask me.”

Twilight’s mind raced as she tried to come up with something to say. Luckily, Spike was there to pick up the slack.

“Well, I think it was the princess that found her in the first place, so maybe she’s just concerned.” Spike said, “I mean, Dawn Wings is pretty unusual, especially that language of hers. You’ve heard her talk.”

“Ah’ guess.” Applejack said, “Ah hope it doesn’t have anythin’ to do with them changelings. Ah’d hate to learn ah had one of them varmints livin’ under mah’ roof.”

“Don’t worry AJ.” Twilight said in a reassuring tone, “I’m 100% certain Dawn Wings isn’t a changeling.”

“If yah say so Twi.” Applejack replied skeptically. “Ah’ just think she’s mighty odd, if yah ask me.”

“You thought the same thing about Zecora too, one uppon a time.” Spike replied. “And look how that turned out.”

“Spike…” Twilight warned.

“Nah, its okay Twi.” Applejack said with a smile. “Spike’s right. Bloom seems tah’ like er’, so ah guess she’s ahlright. Ah’ just hope she’s not gettin’ mixed up in the stuff with tha’ changelings.”

“Don’t worry about her, AJ.” Twilight said, “I’m sure she’s doing just fine.”

“Ahlright Twi, if yah say so.” AJ said before turning back to her work. “Ah’ll see yah later tonight.”

“You too AJ.” Twilight said as she and Spike headed back to town.

*Elsewhere, far away from Ponyville, in the umbra*

Dawn Wings’ eyes narrowed with rage as she flew above the twisted, corrupt landscape of the umbra. From the location she’d been given by princess Celestia, and directions given to her by her gifts, she was heading towards what she hoped was the tick’s home, and, with any luck, where she’d find the tick queen.

And from the corruption below her, she knew she was on the right track.

The further she flew, the more desolate the umbra became. Once pristine streams and forests became twisted and grotesque, the clear, clean waters replaced by rivers of foul smelling sludge and the trees covered with cancerous tumors and pulsing veins filled with sickening white puss. Other plant life turned sickly and dead, as though the life were being leached out of the realm.

Then, there were the banes.

The malevolent spirits were rare at first, but soon became more common. Most of them were the hideous assasin-bug like ones, but as she flew, she began to see other types. Some were massive leech-like creatures that swam in the toxic sludge of the rivers, snapping at any passing spirits they could reach. Others were vicious looking centipede like creatures that fed on the assassin-bug banes. At one point, as she flew over a large valley, she spotted a pack of ooralath; vicious, deinonychus-like spirits covered in hardened carapaces like an insect. The malevolent things had managed to drag one of the massive leeches out of a nearby river, and were in the process of using hit and run tactics to slowly rip it apart.

There was no doubt about it in Dawn Wings’ mind. She was getting closer to the epicenter of a massive amount of wyrmtaint.

In a twisted way, it was nostalgic and natural feeling. Having been around so much sugary sweet cheer for the last month, there was a certain amount of comfort in the presence of the same kind of nastiness she was used to in Los Angeles and Bakersfield.

Still, she kept her wits about her as she flew. She was heading into the heart of enemy territory, and that meant her life was on the line. But, at the same time, that also gave her a thrill. She missed the danger of active duty. She missed the challenge of infiltrating enemy territory. And she missed the life or death stakes involved.

‘Glad this world isn’t making you soft, Wings.’ She thought to herself as she flew.

The land became more and more corrupt as she flew onward along the spirit trail her gift had laid down for her. Soon, the twisted trees and vegetation vanished altogether, replaced with pools of crusted sludge, small pockets of balefire, and dozens of banes. More disturbing were the long, vein-like roots that stretched across the landscape, each one oozing reaking puss and the corpses of dead spirits onto the umbral ground.

Then, as she flew over the crest of a hill, her goal came into view. Below her was a massive valley, its landscape thoroughly polluted by wyrm-taint and absolutely infested with assassin-bug banes. And at the center was the conflux of the puss spewing roots that snaked and twisted across and through the ground. Even from this distance, the structure was massive, resembling a black, twisted termite mound. But what was worse were the dozens of long, grasping, raptorial insect legs that sprouted from its surface, writhing and twitching in the air, occasionally lashing out to snatch banes off the surface to feed into large slavering maws at its base of the mound.

‘Looks like this is the place.’ Dawn Wings thought as she regarded the structure. Pushing spiritual energy into her flesh, she stepped sideways out of the umbra, and into the material realm. As she exited, the landscape became less openly horrifying, but no less barren and dead. All below her, the ground was bare and dry, without a hint of healthy vegetation. Even the trees were dead and bare, the exposed wood under the cracked and flaking off bark bleached.

Landing in the bows of one of the dead trees, Dawn Wings’ brows furrowed with anger at the desecration of the land below her.

‘How in the name of Gaia could the ponies have missed this!? I thought the ticks were subtle. This is as subtle as a black spiral dancer orgy, just with less murder.’ Dawn Wings growled in her mind as she surveyed the valley, her rage boiling just below the surface. She clamped down on it hard, forcing herself to stay calm. ‘Did you four legged morons never even consider looking for them before? Gah! I had a feeling before, but now I’m sure of it: every one of the equines is a nut-job. And not the kind the monkeys give their significant others.’

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Dawn Wings managed to calm herself enough to focus on the task at hand: penetrating the hive, mapping its interior and figuring out where Chrysalis was. If the ponies were going to try to take the queen, then she was going to give them the best possible chance she could.

And that meant observations. Lots of observations. Right in the middle of the hornet’s nest, so to speak.

She was almost giddy with anticipation.

But first, she needed a plan of attack, because from the size of that thing, this was going to be a multi-day affair. Maybe even weeks long if she was being honest with herself. With that realization, something else suddenly came crashing down on top of her head.

With how dead and barren the landscape around her was, there was probably nothing for her to eat… anywhere. No plants meant no herbivores. No herbivores meant no predators. No predators or herbavores meant nothing to scavenge or hunt. She wouldn’t even be able to find fruits or seeds to eat.

There was a moment of cold realization: she wouldn’t be able to stay in the tick mound and survey continuously. She’d have to leave and come back on a daily basis. Which, given the barrenness of the land, meant that she’d stick out even more. If other animals were avoiding the area, she’d be the only bird anywhere within at least a hundred miles, if her internal odometer told her anything about how far she’d traveled to get here.

‘Well, you wanted to play on hard mode Wings. You’ve got nobody to complain to but yourself.’ She thought with a chuckle. Truth be told, she wasn’t entirely unhappy about the situation.

Lifting her head, she spread her wings out and leapt from the tree. ‘Time to get to work.’

*****

High in the night sky, Dawn Wings circled the perimeter of the tick nest, her spiritual energy blooming out every so often, seeking out threats as she surveyed the external structure. Below her, she could see hundreds of un-disguised ticks guarding the entrances to the hive. In a lot of ways, the way they were positioned and the shape of the hive made her think of termites.

Occasionally, she’d spot a small number of them fly away from the nest, or arrive carrying large pods of pink vapor. Stolen love energy, she realized. So those were part of the foraging teams. Making a mental note, she put “finding internal larder of captured ponies” on her list of things to look for once she was inside the hive. Because if the ticks were dependant on their foraging teams, then that gave the princesses an avenue of attack.

With one final spiritual pulse as she circled the perimeter, she looked down to make sure that the ticks hadn’t noticed her circling above their hive. It appeared that none of them had spotted her. Bracing herself to get the hell out of Dodge the moment they took notice, she circled down and landed on the side of the structure, away from the entrance / vent holes, and took stock of what she’d learned.

There were approximately 2,000 ticks in the hive, possibly more deeper in the ground and out of range of her power. She’d get a better sense of their numbers once she was inside.

Guard shifts changed at rough estimate every hour. The guards stayed under the cover of the hive, and rarely ventured outside the caverns. The large, ground level entrances were the most heavily guarded, while those higher up were less well protected.

Those openings that weren’t guarded were covered in large resinous grates with bars far too thin for a pony or changeling to fit through, but wide enough for her corvid form to slip between. If the nest was structurally similar to a termite mound, these upper shafts were thermal exhaust chimneys to help keep the nest cool. If so, these were potential points of ingress and egress for her as she surveyed the tick’s nest.

Foragers would arrive from outside every four hours or so, and always in pairs.

There was no sign of any form of artificially maintained agriculture around the tick’s nest. She didn’t know if the ticks only fed on love, like the leeches could only feed off blood, but if they didn’t, and they were receiving no gathered food, and didn’t grow it outside the nest, that meant they would have to be growing it inside the nest itself, or they were carnivores and fed on meat. Which still led to the issue of what did they eat? If there was an internal garden or larder of sorts, that was another potential target.

Looking at the nearest exhaust vent, Dawn Wings considered her next move. This was going to be a challenge. And she relished a good challenge.

*Dawn Wings’ mental notes, day two*

Continued observation of the outside of the tick nest. So far, avoided detection, though had a close call with a squad of changelings that unexpectedly did a sweep of the sky above the nest. Avoided contact by hiding in a cloud. Thankfully the ticks do not appear to control the weather like the ponies do. Found a source of water coming from the nearby cliffs. No food available in the stream, but the water is pure enough to drink, and does not show any signs of wyrm-taint. May have to return to more verdant area and gather supplies to stash near water so as to not need to travel as far afield to find food. If possible, may attempt to place small stashes in the chimneys if it appears that they will not be found by patrols.

Still no sign of any sort of food coming or going from the nest other than shipments of stolen love. No sign of refuse piles either. Ticks either keep everything in the hive, or they subsist entirely on love, as suspected. In addition, ticks seem to have their own language, which consists of hisses, clicks, chirps and whistles. Will attempt to pick up as much as possible while observing.

No sign of changeling queen. Expected.

*Day six*

Supply stashes set up. Had to spend two days ferrying supplies to the site of the spring, then to the tick mound after dark. Most supplies consist of dried berries, nuts and meat gathered from the more verdant areas around the tick’s territory. Caches should provide needed food for at least a month’s worth of observations if only corvis form is used. Best case scenario will not require shifting to other forms.

Have begun making first ingresses into the hive. Was correct in my initial assessment of the structure. Vents are part of a cooling system that ferries hot air out of the nest and draws in cooler air through heavily guarded tunnels at ground level further away from the base of the mound. Possible route of attack: shatter the vents and prevent the passive cooling system from functioning, rendering the inside of the nest unbearably hot. Unsure of heat tolerances of ticks. Consider later.

*Day ten*

Chimney system mapped. Few ticks found in this area. Mostly the occasional patrol, which have been easy to avoid if staying close to the walls of the chimney. Have begun to penetrate the inhabited areas.

Parallels to termite mound continue to compound.

The internal structure of the tick mound uses the same resinous material that the caverns under Ponyville utilized, though far more refined in appearance. Light is provided by glowing tubercles embedded in the surface of the resin. Irregular shape of the tunnels have been invaluable in avoiding detection by ticks, as well as use of gifts to detect approaching patrols. Said patrols are infrequent and consist of few individuals.

Outermost layers of the hive appear to be occupied by rank and file ticks, as well as several garrisons of soldier ticks that can be ready to defend nearby entrances at a moment’s notice. Garrisons are spread out in a way to allow overlapping deployment of soldiers. Overlapping deployment space means that frontal assault from outside the hive is inadvisable, as defensive assets can be brought to bear far too easily.

Still no sign of any sort of agriculture, livestock, or larder. Seems likely that the entire hive is dependent on love to survive. This provides an opportunity for a siege to break the changelings: destroy their supplies of love, and seal them in to deprive them of sustenance. May propose to princesses.

*Day fifteen*

Most accessible outer tunnels and drone areas have been mapped. Ticks appear to operate in small “family” units, but the exact nature of the relationship is unknown. Have found no sign of any sort of latrine or waste disposal rooms/areas, further adding weight to the hypothesis that the ticks sustain themselves purely on love.

Located numerous entrances into the inner layer of the hive. Working out the patrols and shifts has been difficult. Brief excursions into the umbra has revealed the presence of numerous banes. May be possible to make brief trips into the umbra to bypass guards, but would be risky. May have to use this tactic if no other options to stealthily make deeper ingresses possible.

*Day nineteen*

Outer tunnels almost completely mapped. Several close calls with patrols, but managed to avoid detection. Found what appears to be a dispensary that the changelings receive portions of love in the form of small membrane-bound sacs.

Also, constant exposure has borne fruit, and have begun to understand the basic structure of the tick's language.

Will attempt to penetrate into the inner layers tomorrow.

*Day twenty*

First day mapping the inner layers of the hive. Penetrating this deep has required passage through the umbra, as the checkpoints leading to this layer are too narrow for undetected flight. So far, luck has held out, and have not attracted the attention of any banes. Hopefully luck will hold out, but can’t count on it.

Inner layers of the hive contain far more opulent dwellings, likely those of high-ranked ticks. One area of note observed was a large library. Books contained within appear to be made of the black resin used by the ticks for their construction, with thinner slips of resin as the internal pages.

*Day twenty-five*

Progress of mapping the inner layers of the hive has been slow due to increased patrols by guards, but would surmise that ca. 90% of the major elements of the structure has been cataloged. Had a few close calls, but managed to barely avoid detection. Should have picked up a few stealth gifts, but never had much need before. Hindsight. 20/20. All that good stuff.

Most importantly, located the larders. Most of the stolen love is stored in a series of decentralized chambers throughout the inner layer of the hive. Love is stored in large pods, easily thirty times the height of the average tick, and dispensed to the rest of the hive after being diluted through some unknown process. Rarely, the energy is taken without cutting, and delivered deeper into the hive. Most likely to Chrysalis. May attempt to follow.

Also located an internal “food” supply in the form of rooms filled with tick pods. Output from these pods appears to be low, and most likely supplemental to that of the amounts brought in by the foraging teams.

Tick language continues to remain elusive, but, like the pony language, the beginings of comprehension are forming.

Choosing to remain in the inner area instead of returning to outer levels to eat at a larder to make more observations.

*Day twenty-eight*

Chrysalis and the royal chamber has been located! Passages leading to the queen are heavily guarded, but bypassable through the umbra. Narrowly avoided being attacked by banes when I passed through, but managed to dissuade them from approaching with an application of Bridgid’s fire. Can’t over use that particular gift. Requires too much spiritual energy to summon, and without a safe place to restore my reserves, expenditures must be judicious. However, this has also provided some very useful information: the banes are cannibalistic, and will readily set upon a wounded member of their kind. Discovered this when I injured a large one, only for it to be swarmed and drained dry by the other bane-bugs in the area.

The royal chamber includes a large, opulent living area, private library, throne room, private larder of uncut love, and, surprisingly, a large nursery filled with tick eggs and grubs, presumably produced by the queen. Chrysalis appears to hold court with high ranking ticks for a portion of the day, but spends quite a bit of time tending to her eggs and hatchlings, along with several nursemaid ticks. Witnessed her kill several after they hatched due to some apparent imperfection.

As day and night do not mean anything this deep in the hive, internal clock has been used to estimate the queen’s schedule. She appears most active around dusk and dawn, with short periods of inactivity at the sun and moon’s zenith. These short periods of rest may be useful for striking at her, should a means of quickly penetrating this deep into the hive be found.

Will observe a few more days, then return to Canterlot.

*Day thirty-one*

Innermost part of the hive has been mapped. Thankfully, few patrols, but the constant presence of the queen made detailed surveying of the entire space nearly impossible. Had several more close calls.

Made potentially major discovery. Chrysalis’s throne appears to be a fetish of some sort, as it bears an immense amount of Wyrm-taint. Took a risk and examined it from the umbra to confirm. Suspicions worse than expected. Throne houses a powerful bane aligned with the Eater-of-Souls. Unsure of the function of the throne, but from what was observed, it serves as the epicenter of the veins and corruption polluting the umbra around the hive. May prove a serious problem if the influence of the throne’s power is as wide as the range of its veins. If it is powered by an Eater-of-Souls allied bane, it might also go a long way towards explaining why the surrounding land is so desolate and dead, especially if its affecting the material world.

This intelligence should be sufficient for the ponies to make their strike on the hive and capture the queen. Will provide advice on best use of tactical weak points, but acknowledge that they will likely be ignored.

Am now exiting the hive, and will return to Canterlot.

Author's Note

So, a few things about this chapter.

Originally, I was going to include a mass grave of various creatures that the changelings kidnapped, drained of love, hypnotized, and used as labor until they dropped dead from exhaustion. But, after thinking about it, realized that it didn't really fit what I wanted with the tone of the story, because it would make it too much like WoD, and not Equestria. The one constant that I swore to myself for this was that I couldn't deviate too much from the canon behavior of the characters and the setting, so that Dawn Wings' culture shock could be more complete. Having the changelings basically turn into skeksis would have undermined that too much, so it was dropped.

Another is the changeling "castle". I don't like the canon one, mostly because its just poorly constructed as a defensible structure. I get that Chrysalis thinks the throne makes her invulnerable, but it's in the most vulnerable position possible (right at the top of the spire). All it would take was to chuck a massive boulder at high speed into that thing and down it would come. So, I'm changing it up, and making the changeling castle/city laid out more like a termite mound. Far more defensible, more accurate to how real insects build their homes, with a far better location for the throne.

Also, to address why Dawn can still use her powers around the throne, its simple: her powers aren't equestrian magic. Magic is part of the world of Equs, and is therefore a natural force. Dawn Wings powers are explicitly supernatural, meaning that they operate outside of the bounds of Equs's natural magic systems. So the throne, which suppresses all natural magic other than that of the changelings, has no effect on Dawn or her powers. That's also why the land around the changeling's domain is so desolate: as magic suffuses everything, suppressing it kills/drives off all natural life.