There I was, standing in the changeling hive.

All around me, all I could see were changelings going to and fro around the massive network that was the emerald colored solid that was the hive.

Unfortunately, I only had about ten seconds to bask in the beauty of the hive before I was snapped out of my daze by two changelings that had approached me.

"Come with us." said the first one.

"We will take you to see the Queen." said the second.

"Okay, but-" was all I was able to get out before one of them silenced me.

"Do not speak to us." said the first one.

"We are just escorts." said the second one.

"Okay." I said. "Thanks anyways...."

The two changelings turned around and proceeded to guide me through the huge self-operating machine that the hive seemed to be. The only time they stopped was when they reached a large set of doors that appeared to be made of obsidian. The doors had several patterns and designs carved into them.

"Whoa." I said in marvel of the doors. It was all I could think at the time. That, and if these were the doors to the throne room, the throne room itself must have been equally impressive.

I was so stuck in my own little thoughts that I hadn't noticed that the changelings had opened the door and had motioned for me to go inside. Until one of them stepped in front of me and snapped its fingers in my face.

"Whuh, huh?" I babbled. "What's going on? Oh yeah."

"Go inside, she's waiting." said the changeling that stayed at the door.'

"It's not good to keep her waiting." said the changeling in front of me.

It seemed at that moment that the entire hive had stopped. I say this because right after the changeling said that, absolutely everything had gone silent. It was as if the changelings had stopped to observe the creature that had the nerve to come looking for them and then demand to see their queen, even going so far as to call her by name. Let me say, if you thought your stage fright was bad when you had to do that presentation for you class, or you had to read a poem, or preform a solo piece in front of a huge audience, you only know a small fraction of the anxiety that I was feeling at that moment. For me, it was like I had another voice in my head. I wish I could have silenced the voice that was nagging me to behave, to not screw up. Oh how I wished I could kill the sound.

All of this happened in the span of a few seconds, just enough time for me to muster up enough of my nerves to get my body moving and head into the throne room.

I took a second to admire the room. All around the room were bits and pieces of art, all of them featuring some kind of royalty.

The doors closed behind me with a loud "THUD", and immediately I was addressed by the Queen of Changelings herself.

"Do come closer." she said. "It is terribly rude for someone to talk to a guest without even seeing them."

I really didn't enjoy hearing her say that. It's not the whole multi-tone voice, it's just how she said it. I could practically hear every word she said drip with a venomous and acidic quality. The worst of it was that I could tell she wasn't caring about manners or rudeness at all, she just wanted to size me up. She wanted to see if I was a threat, or just a fool who had come to die. Now, I'll admit to being crazy, bordering on insane even, but I was no fool.

I sure wasn't a threat either. I had come here with a mission, one that I intended to finish. I wasn't going to leave until the dead was done.

As I walked up to the throne from the other side of the room, I reached to my bastard sword in its sheathe, preparing to ready it if necessary. If my plan were to go as I hoped it would, I would need it.

I stood there at the foot of the throne before the queen, all the while being sized up by her.

"Why did you come here?" she asked. "Why did you purposefully seek out me and my changelings?"

"I came here on a mission." I said. "A mission that will benefit the both of us."

"Oh? And how is that?" she asked in disbelief.

"Like this!" I said as I pulled my sword from its sheathe.

I then proceeded to throw it..... straight onto the ground.

"I've come with a request for help." I said, getting down on one knee. "In exchange, I can offer intelligence and advice on Equestria and a plan I have no doubt you've already thought of."

"Oh? And what kind of 'advice' would you give me that would be of any worth to me and the hive?" she asked, her tone pure venom. "You are just a pony who has gone mad. A useless stallion that would be a bittersweet snack."

"I'm not a pony." I said in a hushed voice. "I'm a changeling. And I'm more useful than you think. I know about your plans for the royal wedding that's coming up."

"How?" she said in disbelief. "How do you know about that? No one outside the hive knows about that!"

"I know because of where I came from." I said. "A different world, a parallel dimension in a sense. There, you and your changelings had been defeated and thrown from Canterlot. I am not sure if that version of you is even alive any more."

I honestly wasn't lying. I wasn't sure if all of that happened in the world I was first, but judging that they were both Equestria, and this was just one that was further back, I just sort of went with what I could think of at the time.

"Fine." she said. "But know, if you lie to me about any of your information, you will be killed."

Author's Notes:

Somehow I was able to get this out. There's going to be one or two more chapters before the chapter "Remember to Gather Friends and Allies". And don't worry, I'll fix the order when the chapters come out.