Lampyridae had not spoken to him since they had left Dodge Junction. They had moved out when the night fell over the town and it was easier to sneak into the desert. Lampyridae had walked some distance from him and she clutched a vial of pure undiluted love with her mouth. He’d looked at her a few times, trying to come up with anything to say, but ultimately 1077 had given up and just kept walking.

They joined up with the broodling Infiltrators and Warriors a few miles into the desert. The Warriors gave him respectful nods and questioned him on their conduct. 1077 had honestly not paid any attention to the broodlings during his time in the pony town, so he gave them a few common pointers and tips that any ling’ could have given them. Though they looked satisfied with his words all the same. A few of the Warriors then returned to their true forms and 1077 had to firmly tell them to remain as ponies until they reached the McIntosh Hills. Too many times careless broodlings had been spotted by pegasi and the like when they thought themselves safe, 1077 among them.

The Princess kept to herself and only conversed with a few of the Infiltrators. The broodlings seemed ecstatic to be near the Princess and she smiled at their adoration. 1077 could not help but find her smile beautiful.

Once the group reached the camp in McIntosh Hills they shed their disguises and Mute reported to Infiltrator Tarsus. The older changeling gave him a thankful nod and told him to prepare to leave. They still had a few hours of darkness, which meant they could fly without being spotted. They’d be by the Prowl border before morning. 1077 nodded at the older changeling’s orders and left to speak with Lampyridae. But before he could find his charge he was approached by Dragonfly who gave him a questioning look. Dragonfly was the only other member of 1077’s brood that had qualified to guard the broodlings during their exam and as such he knew 1077 better than most. That meant he also knew when 1077 felt like a diseased rat. 1077 felt a headache form but he pulled his brood brother aside to a quiet area of the camp where they could speak.

“Did you fight with the Princess?” Dragonfly asked.

1077 gave his fellow Warrior a tired look. “Do we have to discuss this now?...”

“I am only looking out for you, brother. You need to keep her safe but it doesn’t hurt if she likes you as well. And having fights with her is a recipe for disaster. You don’t want to anger the Queen, do you?”

1077 sighed and dragged a hoof down his face. “I did not mean to argue with her, brother. I hate arguing with her. But she spoke of things that should be beneath her.”

Dragonfly scoffed in amusement. “Maybe, but you know how she is. Once she is Hive-Queen I can only imagine we will see some dramatic changes. Probably even more dramatic than the breeding programs.”

“Maybe, but Fire— I mean Lampyridae would not abandon tradition. Or at the very least I can’t see her going against the Seamstress’ commandments. However, she speaks of enjoying the ponies’ company and culture. I could imagine she might want to make them aware of us,” 1077 said.

“Eh, they are aware of us. We can’t move thousands of broodlings through Equestria and expect none of them to mess up,” Dragonfly shrugged.

“Of course, a few of them know about us, but they don’t know about the Hive and they don’t know how far we’ve reached into Equestria. If Lampyridae revealed we have walked around Canterlot for decades she’d create much animosity. And I would rather not have their living goddess come south to burn down the Hive…”

“I saw their Princess Celestia when I was assigned to Canterlot a cycle ago. I don’t think she is the kind to burn down the Hive. Then again her kind face might be as fake as our disguises…” Dragonfly mumbled.

“Exactly! That is why I worry about Lampyridae. She might bring about change that would hurt the Hive, and I can not accept that. Very few ponies both know of our existence and happily live with our kind. I can think of two exiles that managed to find a pony mate and we only know of them thanks to the Infiltrators. Do you know what happened to the rest? They were driven out from whatever community that discovered their true self.”

Dragonfly let out an annoyed groan. “Then speak to her then, tell her about your worries! You’re one of the few that can do so! Maybe you can help her see reason or maybe she will ease your fears. Either way, you need to talk with her.”

1077 exhaled deeply and then nodded. “You’re right. I can’t hide from it like a broodling.”

Dragonfly nodded at him and tilted his head in the direction of a smaller personal tent at the edge of the camp. Inside Lampyridae had her sleeping pod, some personal belongings, and a few weapons if they were needed. She had offered 1077 a spot in her tent when they had first arrived, but he’d refused because it would be unseemly. And because Infiltrator Tarsus had overheard the offer and given him such a dark look 1077 was certain he’d be instantly killed if he accepted.

1077 took a deep breath to calm his nerves and Dragonfly gave a light punch to his shoulder. He left Dragonfly behind and approached the tent. He felt annoyance and a bit of sorrow roll off the tent and he could not help but sigh. He had really hurt the Princess’ feelings. 1077 walked inside and found Lampyridae seated by a table absentmindedly reading a book on pony culture. She looked up in surprise when he entered but she quickly scowled.

“What do you want, 1077?” she muttered.

Ouch. He felt his chest sting at her so casually added emphasis on his numbers. “I need to speak with you, and apologize.”

That drew a more soft look from the Princess and she closed the book. “I’m listening…”

“I am worried about you. I worry that you will offend the Seamstress with your words and in doing so have the Queen punish you. I am sorry I was so brash back in Dodge Junction. I am just worried that you don’t take the ponies seriously. They are a threat to the Hive,” he said.

“I don’t believe they are, at least not all of them. I have studied them and spent time with them since I was a broodling. They are often dismayed by outsiders at first but are quick to accept you when they get to know you. Most of them are not violent and the few that are tend to be shunned by their society. But I understand your worry. You’re worried about the changelings that are gathering love and information in Equestria right now. You’re worried I would end up hurting them when I am Queen.”

1077 nodded. “I am.”

Lampyridae smiled at him. “You are kind. Do not worry, I would not put their lives in jeopardy. I want to change many things when I am Queen, but I will never hurt my people. Mother has similar worries about my disposition and so does my sister, but I will not fail the Hive. If we could gather love freely we could much more easily feed our people. Mother’s expansion of our Hive and population has always been her oddest decree, and it has left us with so little love. But I plan to find enough love for all of us when I ascend to the Throne.”

He took some solace in her words, but his heart still felt conflicted. “Would you break with the castes, Firefly? Even though they are the word of the Seamstress?”

“Arachia never decreed that our people had to only breed within and advance in the caste they were born into. The Seamstress of Fate saw it fit to give us roles in society and traits that would help us prosper, but never did she say we had to adhere to them as absolutes or hold onto them for all time. Arachia valued merit, wisdom, and kinship. Those are her commandments to us.”

1077 bit his lip but nodded. “I am only repeating what the Archivists told us when we were broodlings. Watch your brood brother’s back, listen to your elders, obey every command from a Praetorian unless the Queen overrules it, and only mate within your caste.”

“Those old bugs in the tower have read every document and tablet our people have made over our existence, and despite that, they have not picked up on that the Seamstress never commanded us to breed within our castes. It was the Hive-Queens that strictly enforced the castes, but they see the two things as the same. The Hive-Queens sit on the throne because Arachia deemed their bloodline the purest, therefore a Hive-Queen’s interpretation of Arachia’s words must be pure. I hate it. A few younger Archivists feel the same and they too are interpreting the old texts in new ways. Of course, a few interpretations are… unique, but they’re more open to much-needed change. I can introduce you to them when we return to the Hive,” Lampyridae smiled.

“Firefly, do you wish to stop enforcing the castes because of me?” 1077 asked and walked up to the Princess.

Lampyridae gave him a slight grin. “You’re one of the many reasons I wish to break them. Another reason is that I feel it stifles our progress. You can exceed in your caste, but you can not learn skills outside it. I have seen Warriors recall old songs and texts just as well as Archivists and I have seen Praetorians being twice as fast as a worker at rebuilding a wall. It happens so rarely but there are instances where I see changelings do tasks outside their normal duties and excel at them. Now I know what you're gonna say: that the castes are not just social, and you'd be right. You do not have an Infiltrator's ability to transform into anything. You can't use a Praetorian's voice to control hundreds of changelings at once. Unlike the Scouts, you can't communicate over long distances and memorize an area at a glance. But you could still aid every one of them even if you lacked their traits. That is why I believe strict adherence to the castes stifles us. I wish to give our people the choice of what they do for the Hive, like how it worked before the Hive-Queens enforced the castes.”

1077 nodded slowly and sighed. “I am still not sure about this, Firefly. I do not want to anger the Seamstress and I do not want to bring disorder to our society. The castes make us powerful, they are like the many arms of a creature all working together towards a common goal. The castes are what give our people unity and stability. But I have not read the old texts. If you say that our people would be better off moving between castes then I will believe you for now. But I wish to see proof of that before I support it. And I will never leave my caste behind.”

“You won't have to become a Praetorian just because you could," she smiled and touched his shoulder, "and I will show you proof of my ideas' validity. Now help me pack up the tent before we lose any more darkness.”

1077 gave her an uncertain nod and touched the hoof she had on his shoulder. “As you command, Princess.”

Their flight across the McIntosh Hills was quick and agile. Though it was certainly not quiet with dozens of wings buzzing in the air. 1077 led the way with Dragonfly to his right and another Warrior to his left. Lampyridae flew behind him with more Warriors flanking her. They even had Warriors that flew above and below the Princess, creating a buzzing shield of chitin around the royal daughter. Behind them flew a larger group of Workers and Infiltrators with Tarsus leading it. In front of them flew another smaller group of Warriors that in turn had a group of Scouts far ahead of them. As there was no Praetorian with them they answered to the oldest changeling present and that was Infiltrator Tarsus. The old changeling would bark out new flight paths now and again which was relayed to the front with the characteristically fast clicks of the changeling Scouts. Each group had a Scout present that could quickly relay information. 1077’s Scout was next to Lampyridae.

The four groups made good headway over the hills even with their equipment slowing them down. The Workers carried most of the load but each Warrior carried some of the equipment to ease the load. But even with the Warriors helping the Workers grew tired quickly. There were several breaks along the way until they finally reached the Appaloosan Mountains. The mountain chain separated Equestria from the southern jungles and the Prowl and there was only one pass in the east that allowed passage.

“Be ready to land and disguise yourselves. The Scouts report that there were other travelers in the pass. They are ponies and griffons,” 1077’s scout said through his clicking mandibles.

There were plenty of travelers that came from Caracows in the west who wished to purchase Equestrian goods and sell them to the small villages that dotted the southern jungles. This had made the pass somewhat of a hard place to pass undetected and where once changelings could move without disguise they now had to wear one long before and after the pass.

They would land a bit away from the pass and resume their disguises. A heavy fog had pulled in and it was hard to see anything as they moved around. Infiltrator Tarsus, who had disguised herself as a red unicorn mare, gave them all orders to go in smaller groups and not to arouse any suspicions. If any pony or griffon asked they were just pilgrims going south to the old holy sights in the jungles. 1077 wished they had appropriate attire to come across as pilgrims, but ponies and griffons were quite gullible and as such, they likely would not be too suspicious. Or at least he hoped so.

The Scouts would enter the Pass first with Tarsus following behind with the Workers. 1077 was told to wait with Lampyridae and the rest of the Warriors for a few minutes before they made their way through the pass. Finally, the Infiltrator broodlings would go through the pass, being supervised by their Scout. 1077 gave the young lings' a few encouraging words before he pushed onwards into the foggy pass with his group.

“Something feels wrong…” Lampyridae whispered to 1077 as they lost sight of the broodlings.

1077 tried to ignore her words, but he too felt it. The air in the pass felt stale and old. The great rock walls that reached ever upward felt like they came closer. When they finally reached the middle of the wide pass the fog cleared enough that 1077 noticed a large group of griffons and ponies to their right. The ponies and griffons had gathered around a couple of wagons and sat around a campfire, told tales, and ate some food. It seemed like any other meeting with travelers, but 1077 could feel a chill down his pine. He pressed Lampyridae into his side and swept his eyes over the rocky walls. The fog made it downright impossible to see anything. 1077's eyes returned to the travelers and for a second he saw a green shimmer in one of their eyes. An Infiltrator traveling alone with ponies and griffons?

“Firefly I want you to prepare a shield spell,” he whispered.

The Princess nodded and 1077 looked to Dragonfly.

“I noticed it too,” Dragonfly, disguised as a grey pegasus, said.

1077 eyed the travelers and once again caught the green shimmer, this time in a pony’s eyes. Then again in another griffon’s eyes. Were they all changelings? If so why had they not come to greet them?

“I don't like this... Move faster, Tarsus is waiting on the other side of the pass,” Dragonfly mumbled.

Their group hurried up until 1077 noticed a shape in front of them. The dark form limped towards them in the fog and 1077 made himself ready to drop his earth pony guise. He would need his horn to defend Lampyridae. Dragonfly readied a dagger and nodded to the other Warriors. 1077 could feel the tension in the air and he turned to the Scout.

“Tell the broodlings to wait outside the pass and hide,” he said.

The Scout nodded and let out fast clicks with his mandibles. He splayed his long ears wide and listened for a reply but quickly grew concerned. He clicked his mandibles again and waited. This time when there was seemingly no response the Scout grew white. “Talia is not responding…”

“Try Tarsus!” 1077 hissed to the Scout.

The changeling tried but shook his head. “It is completely silent.”

While they tried to get into contact with the broodlings and Tarsus the dark figure came ever closer. 1077 could now hear the figure’s labored breaths and hoarse whispers. He could not make out what the figure was trying to say but he held the Princess close and growled.

“Who goes there!?” he yelled.

A red unicorn mare stumbled out of the fog. Blood poured down her head where a slash had destroyed her left eye and she looked at them with horror. An arrow stuck out from her side and her blood coated the rocky ground. It took a second before 1077 heard Tarsus’ words.

“It is a trap!!!”

The arrow that whizzed out from the fog and pierced Tarsus’ skull shattered her disguise and the senior Infiltrator fell dead on the stone. Lampyridae screamed in panic and threw a bubble shield around the group just in time as more arrows flew at them from the fog. They impacted the shield and created small cracks and dents. The ponies and griffons by the fire lost their disguises and revealed themselves to be changelings clad in white robes. 1077’s Scout clicked his mandibles together to send out another message but 1077 had a feeling he knew what had happened to the poor broodlings and Scout Talia. He shed his disguise and the others followed.

“We are surrounded! Push through to the Prowl or we are all dead!” he yelled. “Drop the shield now!”

The shield dropped and 1077 opened his elytra. He beat his wings faster than he had ever done before in his entire life and flew upwards. Lampyridae joined him with the other Warriors close behind. The changelings in white pursued them and more arrows came from the fog. One arrow hit a Warrior in the chest and he fell out of the sky. Lampyridae cried in fear and 1077 gritted his teeth as they flew higher and higher. Dragonfly narrowly dodged an arrow and one of the attackers caught up to pierce a Warrior’s back with a spear.

1077 gritted his teeth as yet another changeling fell to an enemy arrow. It was a slaughter! They needed to get out of there and back into the Prowl!

1077 whistled and grabbed onto Lampyridae before he dove back down toward the ground. The air whipped his face and the Princess screamed in fear but the other Warriors followed. Dragonfly pulled up first and shot through the fog and 1077 followed him. They saw dozens of changelings in white robes with bows attached to the sides of the walls as they passed. The enemy quickly realized what they were trying to do and they filled the air with arrows. 1077 held Lampyridae to his chest as the projectiles whizzed past them and he cried out as he felt one lodge itself on his back leg and another in his shoulder. Several Warriors were riddled with arrows as they tried to break through the fog and they fell dead. But their quick plan succeeded. They made it through the final stretch and pushed through the fog into the fresh air of the jungles. But they could not stop, they were still pursued.

“Where do we go, 1077!?” Dragonfly screamed. “There had to be over a hundred of them!”

“Fort Cicada! It is the closest fortification we have!” he yelled and still clutched a crying Lampyridae to his chest.

“What about one of the storm shelters!?” yelled the Scout.

1077 laughed bitterly. “We have no workers! How do you expect us to fortify it!? No, we go to Fort Cicada!”

The survivors would fly south towards the Prowl with the changeling in white hot on their heels. At one point they lost two more Warriors, one as he fell behind from exhaustion and another as a javelin hit his side. But they could not afford to stop. They flew for over two hours until they finally noticed the fort among the trees. The changelings in white pulled back and retreated the way they had come while 1077 felt his vision dim. The blood he had lost was too much. He would do his best to slow himself down but he crashed his side into one of the watch towers, giving the broodling on guard a fright. 1077 soared through the air and saw the courtyard below him. He gave one last buzz of his wings, threw Lampyridae into the air who opened her elytra and flew after him, and he hit the ground with a pained yell. Lampyridae quickly flew to his side and screamed for help.

“Please we have been attacked! We need a healer!” she said through panicked sobs and clung to 1077 side.

Dragonfly landed with a stumble next to 1077 and the Princess. He hurried to 1077's side and inspected his wounds. “Seamstress curse them… HEALER! WE NEED A HEALER!”

Their Scout and surviving Warriors landed next to them and collapsed from exhaustion. A few of them too had wounds from the attackers' weapons or arrows lodged into their chitin. 1077 could only hope they had not lost as much blood as he had.

There was absolute pandemonium in Fort Cicada as broodlings ran around trying to figure out what to do and senior Warriors and Infiltrators desperately tried to calm them down. Praetorian Barks, Old Scourge's chosen replacement, eventually emerged from his quarters and began to yell out orders. Wards were activated that enveloped the fort in a bubble shield, a large horn was blown to recall all changelings outside the fort, and healers rushed to the survivors. The Princess had to be pried from 1077 by Dragonfly to allow the healers access.

1077 vision darkened as the healers hurriedly began to look over his wounds. His last thoughts before he lost consciousness were of Lampyridae and how he hoped she wasn't hurt and of Tarsus' look of horror before she died. They had been betrayed. They had been betrayed by their own people.

Surely only more death would follow.

Author's Note

Finally, I am getting into the meat of things with these flashbacks. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.