Orbs on the biomechanical walls flickered to life, illuminating the large and cavernous room. It was a storage bunker, filled with all kinds of human artifacts. Vehicles, equipment, clothing, etc. A secret cache. The state of the artifacts, however, were troubling.

Cars and trucks lay shredded with their mechanical guts in piles, weapons bent and charred, and other miscellaneous things damaged beyond repair. Battle damaged, possibly.

"As I may have said before," Chrysalis started, "you were certainly not the first human visitor to Equestria. Before you is a collection of various human artifacts we've gathered from the previous ones."

Ray turned to the queen with the crossing of his arms. "And what of the previous 'visitors'?"

"They fought for their lives." She turned to Ray with a faux expression of reassurance. "Despite a rather generous peace offering. We were left with only the choice of defending ourselves.

I would have given them the same opportunity you have now, but it was Cattani who felt the next ones should be left oblivious to not only our plan, but to our very existence. Until the very end."

Ray turned his back to the queen and approached the items in the room. He cautiously inspected everything. I wonder if she understands the state of everything? What did she mean by her statement earlier? "When you said 'improvise' I had thought you meant something that could be conjured up from the field manuals."

"Of course. Are you questioning my intelligence, dear Ray?"

Ray turned to her. "What makes you ask that?"

"I see it in your eyes, small as they may be. Windows nonetheless, are they not?"

"I'm still very confused by your statement. You said 'improvise', yet you have an assortment of weapons and equipment at your disposal."

"Again with the questioning of my intelligence?"

Ray smiled. "Forgive me."

She met his in response. "You may find that not everything in this collection is in the dreadful condition you see before you. On the far right is the latest addition to the overall cache. Things we have collected from the attack on the small group in the Everfree Forest."

Yes, Ray saw them. A small pile of assault rifles next to a wooden box containing an M202 FLASH launcher with four rockets, an M67 recoilless rifle with a metal box of 90mm shells, and an Otokar Akrep light recon vehicle. Yet a familiar item also caught his eye. There was his WA-2000 resting at the top of the pile of assault rifles.

"Even I understand this isn't nearly enough for my army entirely. But I do believe it will give us an additional step towards our goal. Don't you agree?"

Ray took a deep breath. Look at where she brought me. Her drones are outside of this room. We are alone in a room full of potential weapons. Does she not realise I could kill her in an instant? He stared at his rifle in the pile until it felt as if his pupils were burning holes through it. I could do it. I could kill her and make my escape.

"Hmm? I said, don't you agree?"

"Yes, my queen." No. It's not right. This is what I was brought here to do. Something feels so different. 'I' feel different. There was yet another restraint. Magic. I would not be quick enough, and I would also be outnumbered. But... why take the chance as you have, Chrysalis? Have you made yet another reckless mistake, or is this something deeper I'm not seeing?

"Ray, it seems you're lost in your thoughts again. Would you care to come back to Equestria and help us with the problem at hand, please?"

Ray looked into Chrysalis' eyes. Those big, eerie yet soultry eyes. You understand everything, don't you? You know I won't pick up that gun and threaten your life, because the net result would be my death. You're aware of my understanding. I will be no good to you dead. You need me. You all need me. "Of course. Time is short, and so lets get on with it."

"Come with me first." She led him out of the room.

And I need you.

...

...

...

The air was cool, the smell of fresh air mixed with the unusual scent of honey from the hive, swirling amongst everyone as if the sweet breath of the planet itself. The space above was not of a cave, but it was surely dark enough. No, it was the night sky, yet not a star could be seen. Possibly smoke or some other such obstruction? But the open sky was there regardless.

Below was an immense depression in the earth illuminated by green and blue orbs. It was filled with literally thousands of Changeling drones, awaiting something.

Ray's heart sank. It was truly an impressive sight!

"Hear me, my army of the Changeling clan!" Queen Chrysalis shouted to her troops. "Who is our sworn enemy amongst these lands?"

"Equestrians!" they shouted.

"Well, my minions, we have yet another rival. The humans!"

Mumblings throughout the entirety of her subjects.

"You know of the humans. You know of my plan for them. However, we have a new human force in power that has threatened our very existence. Worse, they threaten both of us Changelings and the Equestrians combined!"

First mumblings, now a gasp to silence them all.

"We alone cannot stop them. However, tonight I introduce a new plan that may just liberate us after all! We have at least one human prisoner who is willing to teach us his species' ways of fighting, so that we will be victorious against the Phantom Raiders! His name is Ray. Listen to what he has to say. It may save your life." She paused. Not a voice among the gathering. No sign of objection. They were for it, if it meant the survival of their species. She continued. "Magic and technology combined! We will be far more powerful than ever before!"

What of their hunger for love? Is this no longer their power source? Perhaps their plan to feed rests on their victory.

Chrysalis turned to Ray, a twinkle in her eyes. She then turned back to her subjects. "But another factor lies in our efforts. We must work together with the Equestrians to fend away this menace! Do you understand, my faithful subjects?"

"What happens if we are victorious, my queen?" a drone asked among the gathering. "Then will we have a chance to overthrow the Equestrians as previously planned?"

She paused for a moment, shifting her jaw. Come on, Chrysalis. Make the right choice. I know an intelligent cerapter like you will understand what you must do. Search your heart... if you have one.

"No." she finally said. Well done. I may have some respect for you yet. "We will follow the gentlemens' code of warfare. We will give the Equestrians a head start in the end. After all, it is what a human would do when fighting another human."

I've never heard of such a "code," but I am familiar with the act itself. After all, it is only fair a swordsman's enemy have a sword as well, or it would not be a fair match. A philosophy she must've figured out from our own goal... I must applaud you, Chrysalis. You are no longer the maniacal dictator I first met.

"Ray, do you have anything you wish to add before we get started?"

He nodded. She stepped aside to make way for him as he cleared his throat to speak. "I am Ray. Skyray. I am a warrior of the great desert. Your queen has asked me to train you in the way of human combat. I have agreed to do more than just that. I will teach you how to improvise weapons that are a technological match for the Raiders' firepower. And I will help lead you all to victory. But in order for this to happen you must do me the favor of setting aside your petty differences with the Equestrians. Because as of now, they are our allies!

I will teach one-hundred of your finest soldiers. Those soldiers will teach the next thousand, and those will teach the next! Tonight, you will become more than an army. You will become warriors!"

"Hurrah!" erupted the gathering of drones. "Hail Ray!"

It felt amazing to Ray. For the first time he had an army behind him. There is nowhere else to run. There is no need to run. Now is the time to fight back. No more running and hiding. The runner has become a soldier. The soldier is now a leader.

...

...

...

Cattani gathered among the other high-ranking Changelings just adjacent to the primary gathering at the main entrance to the hive.

"For the first time," Tempest spoke up, "I question the sanity of our queen at the hight of conflict."

"You wouldn't be the first." Cattani grumbled. "If any plan is a flawed plan, it's this one. No human can be deemed trustworthy."

"I have faith in him." Gloster Grebe stepped in.

"You forget current events, Gloster."

"Don't ever say that to me again. Cattani, here we have the chance to learn a way of combat that might be in our favor. According to your studies of the smuggled documentation, they are a clever species. Yes? Are you not the one who said just that?"

"Yes..."

"Yes? Well, my friend, there it is. Now we will have the upper hand. We will be as clever as a human, not to mention just as advanced."

Albatross shook his head in disagreement. "Moderate match. I doubt we will receive computer-enhanced weaponry. Aside from that, I sense something behind the queen's plan. There is much more to the picture we're not seeing."

"Of the queen or Ray?" asked Cattani.

Albatross shrugged. "Both, perhaps."

An uncomfortable pause among the group.

"Best keep a lookout for anything suspicious. From both parties."