Swift Light remained there, laying on her back, forelegs crossed over her chest for a few hours. She didn't know if it was a combination of the bright sun and oppressive heat or some other factor but her head was pounding. When finally her headache subsided, and her body was able to relax, it was late in the day and they had traveled far.

Glancing out the lone forward-facing window, Swift Light was able to see that a vast jungle had risen on the horizon. Dark, rain-filled clouds hovered over the expanse of green, covering the already shadowed land in an even deeper darkness. Without Pegasi to manage the weather there was little chance they’d be able to avoid the coming storm either. The captain of the airship didn't seem to care, as the prow of the ship was pointed straight for it.

Swift Light fell back into the bed and for the first time truly took in her surroundings, mind finally clear of the haze that had fallen over it. The space was narrow, longer then it was wide, and with a large nearly floor-to-ceiling window at the far end. By the door was Bloodhound, the mare seated at a desk and reading a large, heavy-looking tome. Beyond that there were the two beds, but more interesting for Swift Light was the many shelves that covered the exterior wall.

Running from one end to the other, and nearly going from floor to ceiling, they seemed stocked with everything Swift Light could think of. Nails, extra canvas, preserved food, rope, and other things needed for the upkeep of a ship were stacked next to stranger items. Strange jars filled with unknowable liquid, dried alchemical ingredients, and lamp oil were placed right next to clearly ancient books, and dusty weapons.

“Odd place,” Swift Light murmured.

“Huh oh ah yeah,” Bloodhound muttered, turning around in her chair and pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. “I’ve tried identifying a few of them but I’m afraid I have no idea what half of the things stored here are.”

“They can't be too valuable if they are allowing us to get this close to them,” Swift Light remarked.

“Most likely,” Bloodhound agreed.

“So,” Swift Light began, sitting up on her bed, and turning to her newest traveling companion. “Tell me more about yourself. Why are you going to Sift? What do you know of my mission?”

“Oh um well that's a bit of a long story,” Bloodhound murmured awkwardly.

“It's not like we have anything better to do,” Swift Light countered.

“I suppose we don't,” Bloodhound admitted.

The nervous young mare turned her chair around and faced Swift Light fully.

“Well to start with I’m a cryptoentomologist,” Bloodhound began. “Which means I study a wide variety of monstrous bugs, thus the cutie mark.”

Bloodhound shifted slightly to reveal that she had what looked like a stylized scarab on her flank.

“Which is why I’m headed to Sift, and how I ended up with the job of serving as your guide,” Bloodhound continued.

“Interesting,” Swift Light remarked.

“Yes, I was to acquire a sample for the institute. Apparently, they were able to successfully contain a phase spider and were putting it up for auction,” Bloodhound pressed on, her enthusiasm waning slightly. “Normally I wouldn't be doing something so potentially physically exerting but everyone else that could take on this task is either sick or on vacation.”

“Thus it fell to you,” Swift Light reasoned.

“Yeah,” Bloodhound muttered. “I told them they should have hired an outside contractor or something but that wasn't in the budget. That and they needed someone to check the voracity of their claim.”

“Makes sense. I’m assuming a royal guard got in contact with you and notified you of this potential outcome,” Swift Light remarked.

“Err yes. They said that you might show up and that if you did I would be your guide and erm assistant,” Bloodhound murmured, tapping her forehooves together. “I’d really rather not strain myself I’m not exactly the strongest.”

“I thought earth ponies were supposed to be strong,” Swift Light pointed out, mentally noting the lack of wings and horn on the other mare.

“I’m only half earth pony,” Bloodhound all but whispered. “The other half is unicorn so I get the magic of neither.”

“That's unfortunate but not too terribly concerning,” Swift Light remarked. “I wasn't exactly planning on getting into too many scuffles anyway.”

“Let us hope you get your wish, Miss Light,” Bloodhound exclaimed.

“Just Swift Light’s fine. Miss makes me feel old,” Swift Light dismissed.

“Oh um okay,” Bloodhound murmured.

“Oh and what’s that on the desk there?” Swift Light asked, pointing to a vertical glass container filled mostly with dirt.

“That is the fire nation!” Bloodhound proclaimed grabbing the container and displaying it to Swift Light. “It is an ant colony I’ve been caring for since I was a foal.”

“They live that long?” Swift Light muttered, scratching her head.

“Oh yes. A fire ant queen can live up to seven years but a careful diet and a bit of magical assistance have kept my queen healthy for nine,” Bloodhound proudly declared. “I expect she only has another year or so left in her, but even still, she’ll have lived far longer then the majority of her kin.”

“Neat,” Swift Light flatly replied.

“Oh, they are aren't they?” Bloodhound exclaimed, oblivious to Swift Light’s lack of interest. “Did you know that the queen can lay up to a thousand six hundred eggs a day and a colony could have as many as a quarter million workers?”

Bloodhound pressed her face against the glass, peering intently at the ants within.

“These little guys have had their cycles suppressed slightly so they don't overpopulate which has probably helped the queen’s longevity,” Bloodhound continued headlessly.

“So what do you know of the crew?” Swift Light inquired. “They seemed like a strange bunch.”

“Yeah they don't exactly talk much, do they?” Bloodhound muttered. “Supposedly they are the best though. Some kind of high-value courier service and transport.”

“Do you know where they came from or where they base?” Swift Light pressed.

“They mentioned that most of them came from a town called Stratisville but that's all the info I’ve been able to get from them,” Bloodhound declared only to sit up suddenly. “Oh, and they are almost all mares. I’ve only seen a single stallion the whole time I’ve been here.”

“Interesting. Stratisville is a small flying city that usually stays close to the eastern border,” Swift Light muttered.

“Wow you really know your stuff,” Bloodhound exclaimed.

“That's all I know, however,” Swift Light replied with a shrug.

“Still, that was more than me,” Bloodhound retorted.

“Anyway, did they leave us any food?” Swift Light inquired, glancing about the room.

“Oh yes, they gave me an entire week’s worth of rations and water,” Bloodhound answered, the mare reaching under the desk and producing a pair of loaded saddle bags.

“That is… interesting,” Swift Light murmured.

“Yes well. I’m just glad they are providing food. I left Canterlot so fast I didn't think to pack anything other than my books and the Fire Nation of course,” Bloodhound exclaimed.

“Of course,” Swift Light echoed mirthfully.

“I never go anywhere without them,” Bloodhound proclaimed, squeezing the glass container tightly.

“Hmm well, I think I’m going to get some of that food and lay down early. Despite sleeping soundly the other night I feel as though I have yet to recover from my previous adventure,” Swift Light declared.

“An adventure you say. Did you see any interesting insects?” Bloodhound inquired eagerly.

“Yes,” Swift Light muttered, pausing to shudder. “Yes, I did.”

“You simply must tell me about them,” Bloodhound half demanded, half asked.

“Maybe another time. For now I’d really like some of that water,” Swift Light interrupted.

“Oh um right. Of course. Here you are,” Bloodhound replied.

The insect-obsessed mare took a bottle of water from the bags and handed it as well as tin of food over to Swift Light. The guard took both, setting the food down on an end table while she drained almost the entirety of the container in a single go. With her thirst quenched, Swift Light shoveled down the dry field rations before falling once more into bed.

There she lay for some time, meditating and practicing her magic, focusing mainly on the spell feather fall. Something told her it would be useful and even if it wasn't, Swift Light felt better knowing that she had practiced it just in case. It wasn't long after that a yawn split her lips, and she felt the tug of exhaustion at the edges of her eyes.

With nothing better to do, Swift Light enacted a tripwire spell on the door while Bloodhound wasn't looking. Her paranoia somewhat pacified, the royal guard finally shed the last of her gear before slipping under the covers. Lying there, staring up at the wooden ceiling, Swift Light wasn't sure if she would actually be able to sleep despite her exhaustion.

No sooner had the thought occurred to her that she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, dragged down by a tiredness that she felt all the way in her bones.

Swift Light’s slumber was a turbulent one, with the mare tumbling through strange landscapes and half-remembered memories without rhyme or reason. Sounds blurred into sight, and shifting colors contorted the familiar until it became almost unrecognizable. It was like she had gotten turned around while underwater, she had no idea which direction was up and a vague sense of panic gripped her tightly.

Then suddenly she hit the ground with a wet thud, the air being driven from her lungs in a painful wheeze. The mare groaned, and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling while she attempted to suck back more air. As she lay there, Swift Light became increasingly aware of how strange her surroundings were.

The walls, floors, and ceiling were all damp, fleshy, and black. Swift Light immediately knew that this vaguely organic architecture was the work of changelings.

Scrambling to her hooves, Swift Light hastily looked around, seeking out any potential enemies. She found none, though she did find a great floor-to-ceiling rack of odd items. Jars of strange liquid bound shut with straps, large eggs that pulsed with a faint green light, illuminating the tiny bodies of the creatures suspended within. All of this and more were stored in a cold wet room illuminated by dimly glowing emerald sconces fastened to two of the walls.

“Weird,” Swift Light muttered.

No sooner had the noise come out of her mouth than it was met with the sound of hooves. Turning in place, Swift Light watched as the wall twisted and contorted, turning in on itself before slipping into the walls. Standing on the other side were a pair of changelings their appearance haggard and their bodies riddled with holes.

“See, I told you there were no guards here,” whispered one of them.

Swift Light paused, resisting the urge to launch a stun spell.

“I guess you were right about that,” remarked the other, glancing back and forth and seemingly looking straight through Swift Light as if she weren't even there.

“Come on, help me find the royal jelly,” urged the first.

“Fine, but I still think this is a stupid plan,” added the slightly taller of the two.

Swift Light stepped aside, allowing the changelings to trot into the room and begin inspecting the various jars, ignoring the many eggs sitting before them.

“Look if we want to start our own hive we need a queen, and how do you get another queen?” Asked the smaller one, clearly rhetorically.

“Royal jelly,” muttered the second changeling.

“Exactly, now help me grab the one up there. I think I see the label,” demanded the first changeling.

“How do you even oof-” began the second, pausing as his friend stepped onto his back. “Know this stuff won't be inert? Everyone knows how Chrysalis feels about potential rivals.”

“Yeah, but she didn't always feel that way, right? Which means… aha,” the smaller changeling exclaimed, stepping down and displaying a large oddly familiar jar. “Perfect.”

“You think this will work?” whispered the larger changeling.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” replied the smaller one.

Swift Light was about to lean over the one changeling’s shoulder when the floor suddenly fell out from under her. Tumbling through the darkness, Swift Light barely had a moment to cry out in confusion before she hit the ground a second time. Slamming into stone once more, Swift Light groaned and sat up, glancing around herself nervously.

“What in Tartarus?” murmured the mare.

Around her were numerous changelings, their bodies pressed in so tight there was barely room to breathe. Swift Light had landed in the only unoccupied space in the large cave complex that she was suddenly standing within.

The place appeared natural at first glance though Swift Light could soon see the signs of labor. Tools had chopped down stalactites and stalagmites while a clearly artificial tunnel entrance was visible behind her.

“Who do you think it's gonna be this time?” whispered a familiar voice.

Glancing to her right, Swift Light saw the two changelings from earlier standing in the crowd. The larger of the two wore a grim, but resolute expression while the other was nervous, and seemed on the verge of throwing up.

“I don't know, and I don't want to speculate,” hissed the smaller of the two.

“I bet it was Cracked Carapace,” stated the larger changeling. “She had a habit of sticking her nose where it didn't belong.”

“That's a cruel thing to say,” retorted the first changeling.

“Doesn't make it any less true,” shot back the second changeling.

The pair sat in silence for a moment before a voice was heard and all attention turned upward. Swift Light followed their gaze to a raised platform where a single large, well-armored changeling wearing a black plate stood.

“You stand here today to bear witness to the failing of one of your siblings,” he bellowed, voice clear and strong unlike the other two. “You are ordered by her majesty, queen Chrysalis to watch as her justice is doled out to the guilty.”

As if on cue, a haggard, panic stricken young changeling stumbled out onto the stage.

“I didn't do it I-” she tried to say.

“Silence!” Interrupted the guard, backhanding her to the ground.

The changeling lay on the ground weeping as she clutched the crack running down her cheek.

“This traitor sought to steal from her majesty’s stash of love and was caught red-hoofed in the act!” The armored changeling continued.

“I was starving, I just wanted-”

“I, said, silence!” Bellowed the armored changeling, stomping on the female with each word.

The downed creature lay there, whimpering and bleeding, unable to rise.

“The queen knows of our dire situation which is why all available love must go to the infiltrators to better aid them on their mission,” the commanding changeling continued. “So when you take from the stores, you actually ensure that we continue to starve.”

A pregnant pause hung over the crowd, the faint whispering finally dying down to complete silence.

“So think, think about the bright future ahead, and endure for only a little longer,” he pressed on, turning his gaze upon the crowd and cowing them into submission.

“Now then. Watch closely as your sibling pays the price for stealing love from your mouths, and trying to rob you of your glorious future,” he concluded.

The crowd turned their gaze to the whimpering female and watched as their commander rose up onto his hind legs. Then with a crack, he descended, slamming his hooves into the creature’s side and causing a cry of pain to erupt from her lips. Again he rose up and again he descended, slowly beating the poor, starved creature to death, one kick at a time.

Swift Light’s disgust was brief, as she soon found herself falling once more, only this time she landed in her bed. Scrambling into a sitting position, Swift Light looked herself over and found that she was unharmed. Not only that but she didn't feel the slime of the first room, or the cold dirt that had covered the ground of the second.

Looking around, Swift Light found that the candle left on the desk was burning low and her companion was stirring in her bed.

“What… what's going on?” she murmured, fumbling at the nightstand for her glasses.

“It's nothing, just a… nightmare,” Swift Light replied.

Glancing out the forward-facing window, Swift Light saw the crack of lighting and a second later felt the thunder roll over her. The rain engulfed them not long after, the pitter-patter of water filling the previous quiet that had fallen over them. They were in the storm now, and from what Swift Light could see there was no end in sight.

Not like she could see far mind you, as the moon was small and the darkness was deep.

“Did you get enough to eat?” whispered Bloodhound.

“I did. I think it might… no,” Swift Light muttered. “It's nothing, go back to sleep.”

“I don't think that's going to happen-” a bright flash and a loud boom shook the cabin, stopping Bloodhound mid-sentence. “Happen any time soon.”

“Hmm that might be for the best,” Swift Light remarked. “I got a bad feeling anyway.”

The royal guard rose from her bed, and hastily donned her gear, taking a moment to ensure all the various straps were secure. Behind her, Bloodhound had thrown on a cloak and was now hugging her ant farm while sitting on her bed.

“If anything happens just-” Swift Light began, only to be interrupted when the door was suddenly thrown open.

The rush of cold, damp air was accompanied by the high-pitched wail of the trip alarm Swift Light set only a few hours earlier. The locking enchantment she had placed had evidently been disarmed, though how was not known to the mare. Either way, the culprits stood before her, a small group of well-armed changelings that were staring at her with hunger in their eyes.

“Wait! Hold on, I saw what happened to you,” Swift Light exclaimed, waving her forehooves.

The changelings paused and looked at one another and then at Swift Light expectantly.

“I saw how Chrysalis was treating you, how you left. Don't do this, I can help you,” Swift Light professed.

The largest of the group stepped forward, revealing a familiar, though more scarred face than the one Swift Light saw in her dreams.

“Bitter Wing thought the same and she paid the price for her naivete,” proclaimed the jacket-wearing changeling. “I will not make the same mistakes as her.”

With a nod, the signal was given and the changelings attacked, their leader staying back while they swarmed around her.

“So be it,” Swift Light muttered, drawing her blade.

Meeting the first foe with a blast of magic, Swift Light attempted to press her advantage only to be forced into a defensive stance. Another changeling, flanking from the right, stabbed forward with a long thin dagger embedded with green runes. The blade was easily knocked aside and its wielder struck in the nose with another mana bolt but her brief instance of momentum was gone.

Changelings surrounded her nearly on all sides, forcing Swift Light to fight with all the ferocity and speed she could muster. Two things the mare had in spades these days.

Dismissing the glamorous, Swift Light lashed out with a clawed hand, striking a startled changeling in the face and carving deep green rivets in her flesh. As the creature fell back, screaming and attempting to stem the flow of blood, its ally pressed in, assuming the mare was defenseless. Swift Light was anything but however, and the pony leaped out of the stab only to sink her sharp fangs straight through her opponent’s hoof. Changeling blood poured into her mouth, but Swift Light pressed on, biting down fully and severing the limb completely.

With horn blazing, and features now drenched in bright green blood, Swift Light prepared for another attack. Only for her foes to have given her an unexpected amount of space, too nervous to be the first to strike.

“Come on, you had so much confidence a moment ago,” Swift Light growled. “Let's see how many of you make it out of here with all your limbs.”

The mare spat a wat of semi-congealed changeling blood on the ground in a challenge.

“Enough of this charade,” muttered the leader.

Before Swift Light had a chance to continue her assault, a sudden pain erupted from the back of her neck. The royal guard knew the moment the bolt of electricity ran down her spine, that they had likely hidden a stun rune on her when they had been scanning her. Swift Light had been so focused on simply studying her new surroundings that she hadn't taken into account the changeling that had been behind her.

With a cry of pain, Swift Light threw herself to the side, grasping at the back of her neck in the vain hope of disrupting the matrix. She knew it wouldn't be long before she was knocked out, and judging from how hungry the changelings were, she’d be podded immediately. The looming threat of failure and capture was enough to give her a burst of strength the changelings hadn't seen coming.

“She’s still up, watch out!” shouted a voice.

Swift Light swung her sword while attempting to grab at her neck with her pawed hand. She was barely even aware of the fact she had missed entirely, and struck the shelf, destroying one of the supports. Jars, and random items rained down upon them, knocked loose by several bodies crashing against it.

“Restrain her you idiots! Stop getting in each other’s way!” bellowed the leader.

Changelings clamored over one another, either trying to get away from the flailing royal guard or to her. The confused melee only grew more chaotic when Swift Light nearly grabbed her neck only to twitch suddenly, her leg shooting straight out from her body. The shock-induced spasm shook her so thoroughly that she tumbled over someone and slammed into the wall.

Something hard struck her head, the glass shattering on impact and coating her head and shoulders in a foul-smelling liquid that she couldn't identify. Her body was growing heavy, but in the chaos, Swift Light had managed to knock the changeling back a bit. The breathing room was just enough that she could reach back between shocks and remove the rune slowly incapacitating her.

“Oh no you don't,” muttered a voice.

A hoof grabbed her leg, restraining Swift Light just long enough for another powerful jolt to run down her spine. Unfortunately for both her and the changeling attempting to restrain her, they were both got shocked.

The white bolts of electricity traveled from the back of her neck only to strike the strange liquid and turn a bright emerald green color. The spell, now alive with foreign influence and tinged with lingering chaos magic, dug deep into Swift Light’s flesh. Skin tightened and grew hard starting at the back of her neck, the newly formed chitin traveling across her body like a black wave. A wave that grew in size the moment it struck the spot where Swift Light’s foe had grabbed at her hoof.

Boom, a massive green wave sent everyone, changeling and pony alike to the ground, all save for Swift Light. Awash with the chaotic twisting energies that lingered from her previous transformations, the royal jelly covering her upper body, and the tingling bolts of electricity, she could do nothing but cry out in agony. The changes which had already been happening quickly, accelerated, twisting the already warped royal guard into a new and horrifying shape.

Her jaw creaked, her strained muscles tearing and reforming around a larger maw filled with the same sharp teeth only with the addition of two long fangs that stuck a good two or three inches below her bottom lip. The rest of her exposed flesh calcified, hardening and growing thicker until she was covered in what looked like organic plate mail. The unicorn’s horn extended, snapping loudly as it wrenched itself one way and then the other, contorting until it was nearly twice as long and as jagged as a rusty blade.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Swift Light tried valiantly to hold back, to cling to what was left of her equinity but it was too much. Even her willpower was found wanting, the emerald wave cascading over the rest of her facial features and proceeding down her neck. Spikes sprung from her scalp, interlocking with one another until a jagged crown of serrated points sat proudly atop her head.

Thick, heavy sectioned pieces of chitin sprung up around her neck, connecting together and allowing Swift Light to move unhindered by her newly formed natural armor. This continued down her body, with the only change being a golden band that formed around her midsection. When this happened, her saddlebags snapped, her equipment fell from her form, and Swift Light stood naked before her foes, wearing only what the chaotic magic had given her. When finally every last piece of Swift Light’s body had been changed, her now glowing gold eyes snapped open, revealing a mind driven feral by pain.

“She's a war queen, run!” Someone shouted.

Immediately the atmosphere shifted, as the hunters became the hunted, and what was once Swift Light lashed out at them. The leader of the group, the one who had taken hold of Swift Light’s hoof at the pivotal moment shoved her underlings forward, forcing them back through the entrance. She was the first to be gripped by the newly changed Swift Light, who grabbed hold of the changeling’s leg and dragged her to the ground.

“No no no!” she cried, hooves scratching at the wooden deck.

A hoof grabbed her shoulder, and turned her over, forcing her to meet the swirling eyes of the former pony.

“I will not be a slave. Not again,” she muttered.

Striking Swift Light in the face and chest, the changeling struggled valiantly but with little success. The ex-unicorn’s chitin was harder than steel, and nearly as thick as the exterior of the airship itself. Her punches didn't do much more than annoy the war queen as she quashed her target’s will and forced her own into the mind of the creature.

“Nooo,” the changeling muttered before her eyes fluttered close.

When they opened again all trace of sapience was gone, and with a snarl, she scrambled away, sprinting after her former crew mates. The creature formerly known as Swift Light knew on an instinctual level that with the former captain turned, it wouldn't be long before the rest of the rogue changelings were hers. Thus with little else to concern her, she turned to the bundle of abject terror crouched in the corner of the room, body completely covered in blankets.

The war queen strode forward, her hoof falls punctuated by the pounding of the rain and the occasional crash of thunder. The ball shook harder with every thud, the pony unable to do anything but cower and pray to whatever god would listen. Her prayers went unanswered, and with a yank, the queen pulled Bloodhound out of her cover and into the light.

“No, please! I’ll do anything you ask!” She cried, ant farm pressed against her chest.

The queen grabbed the pony and pulled her forward while extending her jaws as far as they could go. The moment she was close enough, the queen began to pull, forcibly dragging out all the emotions good and bad from the mare. The swirling mass of rainbow light drifted from Bloodhound’s mouth and entered the queen’s open maw.

Panic struck the pony and she struggled for a few seconds before slowly losing the strength to fight back. It wasn't long after that when she went completely limp, eyes half-lidded and muscles barely strong enough to hold her ant farm. The small glass case soon slid down her chest until it fell to the floor, its holder completely drained of emotion.

Grey, lifeless, and on the verge of death, Bloodhound lay there listlessly, unable to bring herself to even care about her fleeting existence. The war queen looked down on her, and for a moment, recognition flickered within those empty orbs.

The former pony began to retch, attempting to regurgitate something large and round from deep in her belly. A moment later it emerged, a semi-solid green egg covered in a slippery slime. The half-solid mass slid past the queen’s lips and fell into the pony’s mouth where it slid down her throat and into her belly.

The moment this happened the queen pulled her former traveling companion up and buried her fangs in the pony’s throat. Harsh, transformative chemicals were pumped into her veins, activating the congealed mass of changeling essence already inside of her. A green pulse of magic emanated from Bloodhound’s belly, signaling the beginning of rapid change.

Though her body had been prepared more then Swift Light’s had, the transformation was no less violent. Hair fell out to reveal hardening black chitin beneath, and teeth fell out, only to be replaced by fangs. Muscles stretched, bones cracked, and flesh hardened until it felt like stone.

Though painful beyond words, Bloodhound had not cared enough about her fate to utter a sound. That was until her emotions began to return, but not as they were before. Muted, dull, and distant, she felt pain but did not cry out, her body locked in place by the two long teeth jammed deep into her neck.

That changed when the whole of her body had been altered, and new appendages began to sprout. The chitin on her back lost its color only for a pair of wings to burst through the weakened exoskeleton, extending as far as they could and continuing to grow. Her horn also pushed through a weakened section, the jagged length reaching up into the air at an agonizingly slow pace.

A scream of agony sat poised on the freshly turned changeling’s lips, unable to spilled due to the continued paralysis. All she could do was sit there and watch as her horn reached its full length and her wings shed the protective layer that had previously covered them. The moment she felt the last of the changes fall into place, something clicked within her mind and everything made sense.

She was a servant of the war queen, and her loyalties were to her and her alone. Nothing else mattered, not even her life.

The fangs retracted, leaving behind two small holes in the changeling’s chitinous flesh. These divots did not heal, remaining as a small subtle reminder of what she had once been.

The war queen rose to her full height and strode towards the door, her first servant hastily scampering after her. Neither needed to say a word to the other, merely stepping out onto the deck where a burgeoning hive awaited their arrival. Sure enough, every last one of the changeling pirates was waiting for her, golden eyes staring mindlessly forward, awaiting orders from their new queen.

Who gazed over them, inspecting each in turn, assessing each with the cold precision usually reserved for judging the usefulness of a sword or another piece of equipment. It was then that the queen was struck by an odd thought, one that she didn't immediately know how to answer.

What next?

She had power, a crew, and a potent flying asset under her command but where would she go?

“Canterlot,” she growled like a wolf attempting speech, smiling growing on her face. “Celestia.”

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