Hivemind Control

"What in Equestria came over you?!"

Luna sat on the edge of her bed, waiting patiently for her sister to calm down. She wore two bandages, one on her shoulder and the other around her waist where she'd been bitten. Other than the bite and the stab, she was uninjured, and didn't need additional medical care.

"What you did was reckless, selfish, and could very easily have caused the death of your companion, or worse, your own!"

It was a shame the doctor that had patched her up didn't preemptively bandage her ears for this yelling fit. That was the only part that still hurt, and hadn't started hurting until a minute ago, after her bedroom door closed.

"Hell's bells, what were you thinking?! No, don't answer that; I know what you were thinking! You weren't thinking! You didn't consider how any of this would effect me, Canterlot, or Equestria as a whole! You were only thinking of yourself!"

Luna had not spoken since the door closed. She didn't need to just yet. If any of this was important, it would be repeated slower and less loudly after she managed to scream it all out of her system. And with the way she was shaking and panting, that was to come soon.

"I can't lose you again, Luna. It was painful enough sending you away for a thousand years. That was excruciating. I don't know what I'd do if you died."

Luna nodded, stood up, and approached her sister. "I know, Tia. And I'm sorry that I ended up putting myself in harm's way. It was not my intent to worry you or make you upset. Nor was it my intent to come to harm."

Celestia wrapped her chin around Luna's neck. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she sniffled and sobbed.

"I'm fine," smiled Luna, wrapping her leg around her sister's shoulders, gently stroking her back. "I appreciate your concern, but if I felt overwhelmed at any time, I'm smart enough to flee. I didn't even bother pursuing them back to their camp to take them out. We have platoons of guards for that. My first and foremost concern was protecting my charge."

"But look at what happened to your shoulder!" squeaked Celestia. "You're wearing two different bandages for two different wounds!"

"The bite was a bit of a shock. He was just a pony, but I was given a rabies shot regardless. As for my shoulder, yeah, that was an oversight on my part, and I should have avoided it. I was just unlucky."

"And what happens the next time you're unlucky?" demanded Celestia. "What would have happened if one of those spears plunged through your chest, or one of those swords sliced your head off? We may not age like everypony else, but our skin is not impervious to being cut or punctured."

"I was focusing on the swords and spears. I saw the knife, too, I just couldn't move out of the way in time. And it's not as though I went looking for them. They found us."

"Just..." Celestia paused, pulled her head back, and sternly looked her sister dead in the eyes. "I want you to promise me, Lulu. Promise me that you won't do anything that stupid and reckless again. I need you. I don't want to lose you again."

It was Luna's turn to tear up. "I promise," she said, leaning in and hugging her sister tightly. "I don't want to be without you, either."

Cercus took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Come in," came a sultry voice. Steeling himself for what he might see, he opened the door and walked in.

He wasn't fond of the new palace. As it had yet to take on the will of its owners, it was very static. The walls did not move, and doors required you to actually open them by yourself. While the room was sparsely decorated, it was the nicest one in the network they'd spent the last two years building. The roots of plants wove their way across the ceiling, with little bulbous fungi hanging off, providing the room with a bioluminescent light. The walls were perfectly carved from the stone surrounding it, and the floor was covered in a mossy carpet, save for the few spots where the owner had worn holes into it. At the far end sat the only bed. Everyone else was sleeping on grass mats or unsupported old mattresses.

"Cercus. You've returned." Lying on the bed in a splayed-out position was a buxom young mare, who brought a hoof gingerly up to her lip. "Before we go over the details of your mission, what do you think? Don't I look ravishing?"

"If I were a pony, I'd have tackled you before you could ask."

"That's right. Now, take off that mask, we have work to discuss."

In a flash of green, the mare's body shifted and contorted, growing larger and darker, until she once again held the form of the changeling queen. In a presently following flash, Cercus shifted, as well, though he shrank down from a decently tall pony into a changeling of moderate size.

"Now, then, what do you have to report?" asked Chrysalis, examining her hoof.

"It's not exactly the best news," started Cercus. "While your protective enchantment did neutralize her spells, we did end up sustaining casualties. Two dead, and Mandible is going to be out of commission until his neck heals."

"What happened to his neck?"

Cercus reached up and rubbed the back of his own neck. "Princess Luna, well..."

"Spit it out!"

"She sort of, broke it. She kicked him in the throat. I consider it a miracle he made it all the way back here."

Chrysalis scowled. "All the way back here? Why didn't you utilize our target's free healthcare? Spend their tax bits?!"

"He... hasn't been able to hold his form for very long. He kept changing the whole way back. Do you know how much the carry weight of a camel is, or how hard it is to keep a giraffe's neck straight?"

Chrysalis sighed. "Did you attract any attention?"

"No."

"Then I suppose you did the right thing. We're less than a thousand strong. We can't afford to be wasting soldiers if we can help it. Anything else?"

Cercus scratched his chin. "I think that's everything." As he turned around, he found himself being pulled back.

"There is at least one more thing you need to tell me," hissed Chrysalis. "Aside from the casualties, what was the outcome of your mission?"

"Right," chuckled Cercus nervously. "Successful."

"Are you certain?"

Cercus smirked, his blue eyes glinting in the underground light. "I stabbed her myself."

Chrysalis let out a deep chuckle. "Very good. Now we wait. We watch. And we ready ourselves for step two. On that note, Let's give you some new orders."