The areas throughout Equestria are numerous and varied. Whether they are the frozen peaks of the north, the dense Everfree Forest, even the San Palomino Desert, there remains one place that nopony in their right mind goes willingly: the badlands. Within one of the many spires of stone dotting this barren land, there resides a large structure of black and green. Holes dot the sides as small insect-like forms dart in and out on various business. At the core of this structure, Hive 42, lies a throne room not unlike that of the diarchs of the pony kingdom. Where Celestia’s room is grand, gold, and majestic though, this room gives a feeling of power, dark, and foreboding to those who were not raised around structures made with similar design choices. Upon the charcoal colored throne sits a changeling, larger and stronger than any other in the hive, as befits a queen. Currently, she appears to be taking a moment to herself, her eyes closed and her breathing quiet. Suddenly, her green eyes snap open.

Queen Chrysalis projects her voice so that she can be heard in the hall outside the throne room. "Nymph 34, enter."

A changeling strides into the room, her head held high. Like all nymphs, she is distinguishable from the male drones by a more defined figure, subtle, but enough to tell her gender. The particular nymph is also distinguishable from all other changelings in her hive by the blue tint to what is usually grey chitin. Her whole being seems to share this blue trait, from her longer-than-most tail, to the mane female changelings have instead of the fin-like versions the males do. Even her eyes, wings, and colored carapace, blue on the other changelings of the hive, seem to have more saturation on her. She stops in front of the throne, bowing respectfully. She holds her tongue, knowing that one does not simply address the queen.

The queen floats a form in front of her from the small stack next to her. "Colonel Gel, you are requesting assignment to Ponyville to become our resident agent, as well as the specific target of one unicorn stallion by the name of 'Rhino'. Is this correct?"

She straightens up, saluting smartly. "That is correct, my Queen."

The queen nods as she looks down at the nymph. "Do you have anything you wish to add to your request before I make my decision?"

Gel nods, lowering her hoof. "As you know, my Queen, the Elements of Harmony call Ponyville their home. We have no idea what defensive measures they have in place. Due to this, I humbly request to go undercover and send reports when I've figured out what they have to ferret us out." She glances at the red-tinted changeling next to Queen Chrysalis before returning her attention to her queen.

Chrysalis makes a note on the form as she comments. "A deep cover mission..." she turns to the changeling next to her. "What say you, General Mimic?"

He salutes as he barks out his answer. "My Queen, given the lack of information on the Bearers or any counter-measures they may have against us, I agree with this cautious approach."

The queen hums appreciatively as she turns back to the nymph. "Very well, your assignment is accepted. Severing of your link to the hive link is authorized." A flash of magic from her horn signs the paper with her seal. "Good hunting."

Gel smiles at this, bowing once more. "I'll make preparations to leave for Ponyville at once, my Queen." She turns and leaves, her mind abuzz with her thoughts.

Changelings have many options available to travel undetected. Gel prefers flying quickly at night in her true form, and making progress on hoof during the day while disguised. With these techniques, and the love she was given from the hive’s stores to see her through the travel, soon enough she crests a hill overlooking the quaint town.

Gel looks around from the shade of her cover within a cluster of trees on the hill, smiling at the townsfolk. This is perfect. I'll finally get the chance I've wanted since Canterlot. With a quick flare of her horn, her connection to the hive is severed, silencing the background buzz of voices at the back of every changeling’s mind. A sigh erupts from her throat as she relaxes, knowing there was no longer a chance of some higher ranked changeling deciding to peek in her mind to make sure she was obeying orders and protocol. She is enveloped in a blue flame, walking out on the street as a white unicorn. This form is her chosen one, with long blonde mane and tail, blue eyes, and a small halo cutie mark.

She walks through town, looking around curiously. No anti-changeling measures, so far. Now, what's needed for a 'new pony in town'? She stops in front of a restaurant, thinking to herself. I suppose a job is a pressing issue. I need to get money before I can get a place to live. She unhitches herself from her cart and enters the building.

The building, unassuming from the outside, is bustling inside. The place seems to put forth a feeling of lightness and warmth. It seems fairly normal, tables and booths line the restaurant, one unusual addition are some sectioned off areas in the back, revealed to be private booths when a waitress opens the door to come out. The waitress also reveals the most notable thing about the establishment, the staff. Every single visible staff member is a mare outfitted in a maid outfit. The outfits have everything, lace tiaras, socks, frilly skirts, tiny aprons, and every other part of far too complex maid attire.

The hostess, dressed in a maid outfit just like the waitresses, approaches the unicorn with menu in hoof. "Hello! Welcome to Ponyville Maid Cafe! How many in your party?"

The disguised changeling blinks at this. "...um...I-I was actually wondering...i-if there was a job opening..." She sheepishly smiles, entirely unsure how to go about applying for a job since changelings are assigned them.

The mare instantly sets down her menus and looks up and down the white unicorn. After a minute of this she nods. "Would you be interested in a position waiting tables? I'm afraid it's all we have open at the moment."

Gel smiles softly, nodding a bit. "...I'd like to take that job...i-is there anything I need to know about it?"

The hostess shakes her head. "I'm not the one to ask, but follow me and I'll take you to the pony who can answer any questions you have." She turns and leads the unicorn around the very edges of the restaurant until they reach a door in the back with the simple golden plate saying 'Manager' on it. The mare holds open the door for Gel. "Here you go, good luck!"

"...T-thank you..." She enters the doorway, nervously standing in front of the wooden desk. She looks at the chair turned away from her, confused. "...h-hello?"

As the door shuts, the chair swivels around to reveal a bright yellow pegasus with purple mane. Her light blue eyes scrutinize the unicorn before her. "Yes? How may I help you?"

Gel squirms a bit under the pony's gaze. "...um...I-I'd like to apply for the waitress position...I mean, I think I am...d-did I already get it? O-or am I mistaken?" She can't bring herself to look the pegasus in the eye, embarrassed by her own words.

The yellow mare laughs as she stands up out of her seat. "Ah, a shy one. That could definitely work..." She closes in on the unicorn, her smile still present. "Well dear, you're not a waitress yet, but let's see if you have what it takes." She circles around the white mare, her eyes scanning up and down the potential employee. "Oh yes... very nice..." She stops and heads to a locker behind her desk, pulling out a maid outfit and tossing it to Gel. "Go put this on and come back so I can see how it fits you. Chop chop!"

She blinks, looking down at the outfit before turning to go change. Arguing with your boss is a good way to lose your job. Follow her orders and things will go easier. Soon enough Gel returns, blushing in embarrassment. She tries to pull the short skirt down further, attempting to hide her rump. "...C-can I ask...w-what the job requires, miss? A-and why this outfit is so...s-short?"

"Well hon," The mare begins as she once again circles the disguised changeling, "you will be a waitress. As with any other waiting job, you take orders, bring those to the kitchen, and bring the food when it's ready. You ensure the customers have what they need." She suddenly grabs two strings near the waist and tightens them so that the outfit is more form-fitting. "But our customers don't just come for the food, they come for the experience." She undoes the neckline to allow it to plunge. "To be surrounded by lovely mares." She pulls up one of the lacey socks. "And last but not least," she flicks Gel's rump with her tail, "they come to enjoy the view."

She squeaks from the flick, her blush growing even darker. How humiliating. "...s-so...w-why did you say me...b-being shy would work?" She glances back at herself, unsure that the outfit would suit her.

The yellow pegasus laughs. "Relax, I just mean that there are ponies who like all kinds of personalities. Some like feisty, some like flirty, some like shy. We try to cater to all of them as best we can." She puts an arm over Gel's withers. "All I'm saying is 'be yourself, you'll do fine.' What's your name?"

Uh oh. "M-my name? It's...ah..." She frantically thinks, her eyes darting about the room. Think, Gel! She gulps, throwing caution to the wind as she comes up with a name off the top of her head. "...A-Angel...I'm Angel..." She sheepishly smiles, silently hoping she'd buy it. "...a-and your name is?"

The other mare smiles as she lets go of 'Angel' and holds out her hoof. "Silk Tease. Very nice to meet you Angel."

"Y-you, too, Miss Tease." She nervously shakes her hoof, inwardly sighing with relief at her name being taken so easily.

"Politeness, always essential." Silk walks back to her chair and sits down, looking straight at the unicorn. "So, I have one more question for you Angel. Do you still want to work here?"

Gel gulps quietly, thinking it over a bit. ...I do need a job...and the free food makes it that much better... She turns back to the pegasus, smiling a bit more confidently. "Yes, Miss Tease. I do."

"Good to hear, hon. Now then, shall we discuss the boring business parts?" Silk brings out a piece of paper and pen.

Gel stands at attention much like in her military past as her new boss goes on about the specifics of her job. After a short amount of time, the ground rules are set. She works the shift that starts just after noon starting tomorrow, she gets one free meal per day at the end of her shift, and she has to bring the uniform to and from work. The two shake again, the white mare much more comfortable now, and even more so when she gets to remove the test uniform and is given one that fits her better, which she stows in her bags.

Gel steps out of the restaurant, sighing softly and looking at the paper in the air in front of her, signifying her new employment. "...That was rather...interesting..." She glances around, thinking to herself. I should start looking for my target. Where could he be? She steps out into the street, heading over to her cart, lost in her thoughts.

Just as she's about to reach her cart, a sudden shout causes her to turn her head and see a large green stallion skidding towards her. She squeaks in fright and freezes up. He swerves to avoid hitting her, only to run straight into her cart. The cart itself is undamaged, but the stallion's momentum causes him to perform a flip over it, landing squarely on his backside.

Gel, wide-eyed in shock, rushes over to him. "O-oh my goodness! A-are you alright?" She attempts to help him get back up, carefully touching his face to look for anything broken. "D-do you need anything? I-I could spare some ice, if you need it..."

The stallion, his horn making it obvious he is a unicorn, seems dazed. He lets out a small groan before shaking his head and standing up. As his eyes set on Gel, he immediately backs away and looks from her to the cart. "Oh dear, my apologies, I wasn't paying enough attention to where I was going. I didn't hurt you or break anything of yours did I?"

"...Um...I-I'm not sure...a-about the cart, I mean...you didn't hit me..." She nervously giggles, slowly backing towards the cart. "...I-I'll just go check real quick..." She turns to look, thinking about what he hit and inspecting the point of impact. "...nothing seems to be broken...that I can see, at least..." She glances back at him, concerned. "...w-what about you, Mister...um..."

He dusts himself off before straightening up and giving a small bow. "My name is Rhino. Once again, I am very sorry for this... incident. I'm glad nothing was broken."

R-Rhino? That's my target! She quietly nods, her horn lighting up almost imperceptibly. "M-my name is Angel...a-are you sure you aren't hurt?"

He smiles and nods. "Yes ma'am, nothing that won't be forgotten in an hour." He checks his watch. "Well, I guess I'll just be going now. It was very nice meeting you... despite the circumstances." He smiles sheepishly before his horn lights up and he skates off, despite not wearing skates.

Gel stares after him, confused. "...How is he doing that?" She shakes her head, frowning softly. What are you doing? Your mind is clear of voices, yet you still can't think clearly? You have to find a way to get close to him! You have to - oh, hey, a bit pouch! She picks it up, smiling brightly. It must be my lucky day! Where did this even come from? She looks down at the spot where it was, thinking about it. Well, it's right here...and this was where Rhino landed...

She blinks at this, a small smirk slowly growing on her face. "It looks like we have a winner."

***

Gel groans softly, unhitching her cart about twenty yards from the house her target went into. She tries to calm down her breathing, having rushed after the stallion. "...How...does he move...so fast?" It is a medium sized house, similar to many others in the town. From the outside one can tell that it has two stories and a rear that faces the nearby woods. She trots over to the front door, rethinking her plan in her head. It'll be fine. You just give him back the bit bag, ask him a few questions, and be out of there before you know it. You will not choke. First impressions are key to success. She stops on the stoop, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "...okay...you can do this..."

She knocks on the door and waits. Before long, the sounds of hoofsteps approaches and the door opens to reveal the same green stallion. He looks at her with curiosity. "Oh, hello Miss Angel..." his face becomes worried, "Umm.. is this about the crash?"

"...Um...sort of...y-you see..." She pulls out the bit bag she found, smiling sheepishly. "...you kind of left this back there...I-I just thought I should return it to you..."

His eyes widen as he takes the bit bag with his magic. He looks to the side as he checks his saddlebags, finding a hole in one side. "Well.. thank you very much ma'am." He appears uncomfortable in the following silence, before he breaks it. "Erm... would you like to come in? I could make you something to drink." He takes a step back and holds the door open.

She blinks, surprised at this offer. "...S-sure..." She tentatively steps inside, standing awkwardly in the front room. What am I doing? When did going into this pony's house become part of this stage of the plan?!

The house is decently furnished, though it does have a lot of empty space. In the front room are a couch and two chairs, all comfortable looking. There are a few paintings on the wall, along with a clock. From the front room, one can see entrances to both a kitchen and a small hall, as well as a set of stairs leading upward.

Rhino shuts the door behind her as he tosses his bit bag into his saddlebags. He then gestures to the couch with a hoof. "Please, make yourself at home. Do you want something to drink?"

"...Um...m-maybe some apple juice?" She sits down on the couch, unsure of what to think at the moment. "...t-thank you for your hospitality...I-I didn't really expect you to do this..."

He talks from the kitchen as he fixes the drinks. "Well, it didn't seem right to just send you off after you were nice enough to bring my bit bag back. I figured this would be the least I could do." He walks back in with two glasses levitating in his green aura. One floats over to the mare as he sits in one of the chairs with his own glass.

She takes it in her own blue magical aura, sipping it quietly. "...I-I guess that makes sense..." She glances around, curious. "...S-so...d-do you live here alone? O-or do you have a roommate?"

He sips his own glass. "It's just me here. The house is a bit larger than I needed, but between location, pricing, and a few other things, it was the best option."

"...I-I see..." She gulps down half her drink before turning to him, sheepishly smiling. "...c-can I stay here?" Wait, what? What am I saying? "I-I kinda need a place to stay...I-I'm new here, after all..."

The stallion doesn't respond at first, simply blinking at the sudden question. "Well... umm... Sure, I guess. It's a bit sudden, but if you don't have a place to stay, I'll gladly help you out." He chugs the rest of his drink before setting the glass down. "Splitting rent is usually how the roommate setup works right? Would that be alright, starting next month?"

"Yes! Thank you!" She leaps forward and hugs him, elated. ...I suppose I just solved two issues at once. A place to stay and a way to get close to Rhino. She realizes that she's still hugging him, pulling away and blushing softly. "...um...s-sorry..."

He had frozen when she hugged him, and is now shaking himself out of it. "N-no problem..." He turns away from her and looks towards the door. "Did you need help with your things?"

"...I-I'll be fine...I-I couldn't bother you with that..." She gets up and heads towards the door, intent on bringing her few boxes in as quickly as possible.

A few things click in Rhino's head. "Uh oh, I need to get all the stuff out of the second bedroom and into the spare so she'll have room." He quickly trots up the stairs and comes back down with a few items levitated. He stows these in the downstairs room and heads back upstairs to make sure he didn't miss anything.

Gel returns, three boxes and her apple juice in her magical aura. She looks around, curious and confused. "...Rhino? Where are you?"

At her voice, a thump followed by a yelp comes from upstairs. The stallion in question comes down a moment later, a hoof rubbing the top of his head ruefully. "You called?"

"O-oh my goodness!" She quickly pulls out a small pack, placing it on top of his head. "E-enchanted ice. S-should help with your bump." She looks down at her hooves, ashamed. "...one you probably wouldn't have gotten if it weren't for me...I'm sorry..."

He adjusts the pack on his head as he looks at her. "Hey, it was just a coincidence. I've done this before even when nopony is around. I just brought my head up too quickly when I was under some shelving, no big deal, just a small knot to remind me not to do it again for a while."

"...O-oh..." She blushes brightly, embarrassed. "...um...I-I'll just...t-take this up to my new room..." She rushes up the stairs and opens the first door on her left.

Rhino, who had followed her up, chuckles as she makes it halfway through the door before realizing it was a bathroom. "Well, you are free to live in the bathroom if you want... but just in case, your room is..." he opens a door on the opposite end of the hall with a quick burst of magic, "that one."

She squeaks softly, backing out of the bathroom. "...t-thank you..." She rushes down the hall, her tail between her legs and the boxes in hot pursuit. As soon as she's in her room, she closes the door, sighing quietly. "...that...could have gone better..." She opens up one of her boxes, pulling out a few novels.

The stallion chuckles again as he makes his way to his own room. He flops down onto his bed, adjusting the ice as he does so. "Somehow I get the feeling she's going to make things very interesting..."