Spike's consciousness gradually returned, even as a dull ache echoed in his mind. His eyes were still adjusting to the dim light around him. At first, he thought he was still in the castle, but as his vision cleared, he realized he was lying in a completely unfamiliar place.

His body felt incredibly stiff, as if tightly bound by something. He tried to move, only to find himself entangled in a hard, sticky substance. Raising his head, he saw that he was trapped in a huge cocoon, with only his head exposed. Surrounding him were dense, intricate tunnels, which looked like biological structures, both strange and terrifying.

A peculiar smell wafted through the tunnels, a mix of sweet and sour rot, making Spike feel nauseous. He was filled with both fear and confusion—how had he ended up here? Where was this place? Why had the Changelings captured him?

As Spike struggled to remember what had happened, he heard a rustling sound nearby. He looked over nervously and saw several Changelings bustling about in the tunnel. Their figures looked especially sinister in the dim light.

Spike now realized he was trapped in a Changeling hive. He had to find a way to escape.

He began to struggle, trying to tear apart the green, sticky cocoon that held him, but no matter how hard he tried, the mucus clung tightly to him. The more he struggled, the tighter the cocoon's grip became. Exhausted, Spike hadn't managed to move an inch.

Panting heavily, Spike realized escape was impossible. He felt both desperate and regretful, wishing he had listened to Twilight and let her find somepony to watch over him. He was terrified that he might never see Twilight and his friends again—Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. If he couldn't get out, he would never see them again. Spike silently berated himself, thinking, "I'm sorry."

He prayed that his friends would come to rescue him, but the harsh reality told him it was impossible.

"Your friends have all gone to Griffonstone. You're alone at home, and nopony will know you've been captured. No creature will come to save you. How foolish you are," Spike berated himself. "Couldn't you just listen to Twilight? Couldn't you wait and ask her about the package instead of opening it directly?" Although no one could have predicted the trap in the package, Spike still felt it was his fault.

Now filled with regret, Spike thought about his last words to Twilight and their goodbye. He didn't want that to be the last time he saw her. He loved her and had so much he hadn't told her. Instead, he spent his days lost in his comics, helping her organize the library, and playing Dungeons and Dragons with Discord and Big Mac. It had been a long time since he truly spent time with Twilight. Tears streamed down his face at the thought.

But there wasn't much time for Spike to regret as the sound of buzzing wings echoed through the tunnel. Spike could feel a group of Changelings approaching his chamber.

As the sound grew closer, Spike saw their shadows in the dim light. He recognized the leader immediately—it was Queen Chrysalis. The terrifying memories flooded back—how she had impersonated Princess Cadance, controlled Shining Armor, and led her army to invade Canterlot, capturing Celestia and the others. That day, Changelings filled the skies, and the sounds of escape and cries for help filled the air. If it hadn't been for the real Princess Cadance's timely intervention, Canterlot might have become a giant hive.

"Well, well, look who I've caught. Isn't this Twilight Sparkle's little dragon?" Queen Chrysalis' sinister voice suddenly echoed in Spike's ear. He realized with a start that she was already in front of him.

"What do you want?" Spike shouted at her.

"Don't be so excited." Queen Chrysalis jumped onto the cocoon holding Spike.

"My last plan failed because of Twilight Sparkle and her friends, so this time I sent them a special gift," Chrysalis said, staring directly into Spike's eyes.

"But they were lucky not to be home and avoided it!" she said fiercely.

"I sent one to every one of their homes, and in the end, I only caught a useless little dragon."

Chrysalis jumped down, looking somewhat displeased with her catch.

"Of course, you couldn't catch them. They all went to Griffonstone. And I know what you're thinking—they won't be back for a while. Don't even think about using me to threaten them. I have nothing else to offer, just one dragon life. Do whatever you want with it," Spike said through gritted teeth, but his tears kept falling. "Goodbye, Twilight! Goodbye, my friends! I love you all," Spike silently bid his final farewell, closing his eyes, waiting for Chrysalis' judgment.

"Oh? What use is it to kill you? After all, you're just a useless little dragon. They wouldn't even bring you on their adventures," Queen Chrysalis said, somewhat surprised by Spike's resolve. He was still just a baby dragon.

Chrysalis fell silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

After a while, she spoke to her subordinates: "It seems we won't be able to catch Twilight and her friends anytime soon. I need to rethink our plans for the hive. As for this dragon, keep him in the hive. He might be useful later." Then she turned and flew away.

A few Changelings removed Spike's cocoon from the web and started down another tunnel.

The Changelings flew steadily, not causing Spike any dizziness.

Spike was a bit surprised. Chrysalis hadn't harmed him, but where were these Changelings taking him?

What did she mean by keeping him in the hive? Were they going to imprison him? He'd rather go a month without comics than be trapped in a small room—that would be torture. He remembered when he was little, he burned Twilight's homework by mistake. Twilight locked him in his bedroom, and despite his crying and shouting, she didn't open the door until she finished redoing her homework. When Twilight finally opened the door, Spike pounced on her, crying and apologizing. It broke Twilight's heart. For an adult pony, it was nothing, but for a four- or five-year-old dragon, it left a deep psychological scar.

The Changelings carried Spike through several narrow tunnels into a new area. It was spacious, not open-air, but Spike could feel the light was much better here. There were also many young Changelings. Spike guessed this might be the living quarters of the hive.

The Changelings took Spike to a room in this area and released him from the cocoon.

"Stay here and don't think about escaping. You can't get out anyway. Changelings will bring you gems to eat every day," they said before leaving, leaving Spike alone and confused.

He had escaped death.

"Their way of imprisonment is quite strange," Spike muttered, making sure they were really gone.

Spike remembered that during Chrysalis' takeover of Canterlot, she also made him stand aside without any restraints.

He looked around. The door wasn't locked—it was a Changeling automatic door. As soon as he approached, it opened automatically. When closed, it looked indistinguishable from the surrounding walls. Spike wondered if Changelings ever walked into walls by mistake. The room had almost no decorations, just a potted plant with a strange black plant, a bed, and a small table and chair, just the right size for a creature like Spike.

"I guess this is a room for their kids," Spike said to himself. He looked up at the ceiling, where a magical light source emitted a dim light. It wasn't very bright but much better than where he was before.

Spike tried to walk outside, and sure enough, the wall-like door opened automatically, meaning he could move around freely here. The atmosphere outside was pleasant, with sunlight streaming through windows high above. His room was in a corridor with a strange, porous symbol above the door, possibly some kind of address system. The corridor seemed endless in one direction, the way the Changelings had brought him, but the other side was much more open, with what looked like a park not far away.

That must be where they hang out, Spike thought. He could faintly hear Changelings talking and playing over there.

Let's check it out. Maybe I can find an exit, Spike decided.

Spike walked in that direction, passing a few Changelings who only gave him a curious look before moving on. Just as he was about to reach the park, a Changeling bumped into him.

"Sorry, I didn't see you," Spike apologized quickly, not wanting to cause trouble on their turf.

"It's me, Spike."

"Huh, Thorax!"

Author's Note

This is chatper 2