Sally was filled with introspection as she approached the main hive entrance. "Sally." The sound of her name on unfamiliar lips drew her attention to a changeling approaching. "Gentle Care." The mare introduced herself and Sally recognized the name as the leader in charge of the ponies. Sally had giggled the first time she heard the changeling's name, they were indeed more thoughtful of their charges than most, but she was still, at the end of the day, in charge of slaves.

"Gentle." Sally tilted her head and got a deeper tilt from the mare. "I was actually wanting to have a chat."

The mare's wings buzzed a little. "To have my queen's… mate, seek me out, a rare honor." It suddenly hit Sally. All the leaders that were causing problems were the same ones who treated her badly. She had a sudden worry that her outlook on the leaders would hurt the hive. "And what is this dark look come over you suddenly?"

Sally thought of what her mares would say, if she asked them. They would of course tell her it was silly. Sharp might delve a little further, but ultimately both would shield her if it was real. "Gentle…" Sally figured she would get as honest an answer as was likely, but it did mean laying a lot of trust in the changeling. "Gentle, do you think me being… me, is a problem for the hive?"

The leader squinted at her and laughed. "Silly breeder, there is much more to the hive than one changeling. My queen is not so soft as she would tolerate you being a problem. I heard of the little outburst you had, a few weeks ago. Rumor has it the sound of a cane was heard through the chambers of the rear part of the hive, for half a week."

Sally blushed to the tips of her ears.

"In the hive, only one singular voice will ever have any impact." Gentle sat in place, apparently comfortable in the conversation.

"My queen." Sally almost said her lover's name, but she knew with certainty that when Sharp sat the throne, she was queen first and lover second.

"My queen." Gentle turned and looked at the ponies, the odd changeling drone mixed in with them. "I can only assume you really meant to talk about that." Sally nodded. "I am guilty. Don't bother with a lasso, I know you could have my flank in the dirt if it came to it." The mare sighed and looked defeated.

"What… no. I wanted to thank you, for treating the situation so… evenly."

The mare's ears perked back up from where she had lain them flat.

"My queen wishes to encourage more… well, more breeding. She is honoring my promise, from mother. We will not raid more free ponies." Sally could have sworn she saw Gentle sit up straighter.

"So the foal-"

The words caught Sally. "We are having a different conversation, I think. Show me." The satyr urged the leader to lead the way and she did.

The little cottage they approached, away from the farms, was the destination and Gentle opened the door with her horn and called out. "Clear, Little, you in here?"

Sounds of hooves came and the big pegasus stallion stuck his head from the one smaller room in the structure. "Gentle?" The words, however, came from the changeling mare who slipped past him. She froze still when she saw Sally. "No… please…"

Sally could all but taste the fear, it wasn't her changeling side sensing the emotion, it was thousands of years of evolution into a predator of earth that told her this mare feared for something and she looked ready to die to defend it.

"Stop!" Sally clopped a hoof down, taking a step back from the suddenly tense encounter. "Gentle, you tell me right now, what is going on?"

"They have an egg." Gentle gestured to Clear and Little.

Sally drew a deep breath, clearing the first thoughts she had. "Okay, a drone laying an egg is not completely unheard of."

"It is fertile."

"That isn't-"

"It is."

"Okay, let me see and, Little, you have my word your egg is safe." Sally stared to the mare, looking into her fearful eyes. The moment she registered the words Little Wings flopped on the floor of the room and Clear came out fully, his wing draping over her protectively.

Gentle brought out the ovoid. It was smaller than Sally remembered having seen being tendered, of her mother's broods. The outer, semi-translucent layer showed a little movement within. Sally wasn't sure what she should be feeling then, almost literally, she hit herself. "Congratulations." Her smile felt right, the mare on the floor looked up at her. Sally crouched down beside her. "I promise nopony will hurt your egg."

"You… no, you can't promise that, we have to run…" Little fumbled her hooves, trying to get them under her.

"I can. Come. Both of you." Sally looked up to Gentle. "You too, bring the egg."

Sally turned and led the odd precession. A satyr, a drone, a pegasus and a leader carrying a smallish changeling egg. There were looks from the guards at the entrance to the hive, but none challenged Sally.

Her queen was with a leader still, a leader who was shooed out when Sharp Mind realized something important was happening. "We will talk later." She told the changeling as they retreated. "So, what has my breeder done now?" Her mood was bright and playful, Sally didn't want to foul it.

"Good news, my queen." Sally stepped up and waved to Gentle to come forward. "It appears your ponies upstairs are so fertile that they can get even a drone to lay."

Sharp looked shocked at first, then intrigued. "Bring the parents forward, and their spawn."

Sally shot the queen a look that Sharp quickly understood, but was thankful no other changeling could see. She knew full well her hybrid mate would be very upset if something untoward happened. The queen was just trying to work out how to spin this.

"My queen." Gentle floated the orb up, letting the queen see the small pupa within.

"I see a growing shell, I see a horn and wings. Your foal will grow strong, I think." Sharp Mind could also see the terror in the mare, but she focused on the stallion. "And such strong stock, my drone, you are to be commended."

It was as if a huge bubble of tension was popped. An abscess of trapped emotion suddenly was free and Little sobbed, hugging tight to Clear Skies. The stallion only knew his love was crying and he pulled her close. Sharp had her hoof tracing the edge of the egg, the tiny life within sensing a change in the light and squirming. There was a happy laugh from the queen.

"Delightful as it is to know my hive grows, I think your duties are, for all three of you, outside. Go."

Gentle bowed and turned, ushering the couple ahead of her, bringing their egg safely along.

"Now, I have some questions for my breeder." Sharp had waited for everypony else to leave the chamber. "How did the other pony problem work out?"

Sally walked up and sat at the very base of the throne, leaning up and nuzzling Sharp's front hooves. "Well, I think. There are eight mares already carrying, their love is… I didn't sample them, do not fear. But their peers agreed, when I explained, that maybe more ponies would be good."

A hoof pressed to Sally's neck and the satyr leaned into the rubbing it was doing. Sharp looked down at her. "Good news indeed then, we will discuss things further in private. For now, though, know that the other matter we talked of is progressing."

The words implied somepony was listening to them and Sally, having been taught well when to shut her snout, did so.

The map was laid out, Easy was pointing with a hoof at the location marked for the other hive. "I slipped in, their guards are stupid, didn't even smell me properly. They have nearly fifty ponies, it is their primary food."

Sally steeled herself. Her deal with Sharp Mind… Queen Sharp, was clear in this.

"They are already claimed as food." Sharp brought a hoof to Sally's jaw, rubbing it. "We will take them, give the new hive lesser food in exchange."

The tension in the satyr was driven out. "As my queen wishes."

Easy laughed at the pair. "You two, I knew you before you were queen and breeder, remember." The drone was sharp enough, sometimes, that she could cut her own neck. "You should talk more, be lovers first, not…" she waved a hoof at the pair.

"If you weren't the most clever drone, the best at sneaking into places even a changeling should never dream of, I would not tolerate you." Sharp's smile had little heat in it, but there was a little fang showing. "Easy, any chance of getting near enough their queen?"

"Ha, no hope. I may be the sneakiest drone alive, but walking up to a queen who would flay me on sight is not how I want to spend my last moments." Easy pointed to a side part of the map. "But there is a back entrance, one they work to try and fill in. One of their tunnels came too close to the surface, sank in."

Sally laughed and pointed her finger at it. "Then that is where we go. They will expect it, but if their drones are as useless as you imply I am sure we can get in. Do you have any numbers or breakdown on what we might have there?"

Easy wobbled a hoof. "At least twenty guard, they aren't so well trained but don't take them for chumps. They may be half blind, but they have survived in a weakened hive this long."

"Then we hit them as hard and fast as we can. There is no reason to delay and every reason to assault." Sally felt her blood start to boil and, where she was pressed into Sharp's side, she felt a pressure there that she knew her queen could feel too.

"My blood-thirsty warrior, do you think you can hold yourself in check long enough to get an army behind you." Sharp looked down to Sally, something the queen's new stature was making her do a lot.

Easy shook her head and started leaving the room. "I remember what you were like after that first hive… just don't get my maps messy."

Sally looked to the map and then the retreating drone. "Tell Sweet Bite to get sixty of our best together!"

As she left the two, Easy nodded.

Easy kept moving out and coming back. The mare was relentless in her task. She had been practicing not only her primary trade of infiltration but, apparently, she had been studying her magic and working her body too.

So when the changeling trotted into view, two leashes leading a drone and a leader along behind her, Sally couldn't keep the grin off her face. "And look here, Easy Slip is going to do our job for us."

There were a lot of good natured calls to the mare and Sally saw more than one stallion eyeing her with looks ranging from envious to desire. And here Sally didn't even know the mare's preference.

Sally focused, her own horn glowing a little as she reached for the lasso Easy had on the leader. "Come, little changeling, come and tell me all about your hive." Sally smiled, knowing full well her fangs were on display.

The leader, of course, had little they could do, the leash couldn't be reasoned with. "What… what are you?"

Wishing not for the first time she could feed on other emotions, Sally pulled the changeling right up to her. "Why, I am your savior. Your queen lacks time, for hers is running out. Tell me where in your hive her chamber is and how likely it is she will be there?"

"I… I shouldn't, she…"

"She is far underground, hiding, not that she knows it yet. I could have one of my drones make you talk, you would love to talk if she but asked you. But I am a fair soldier. I offer you the chance to surrender and simply be on the winning side."

They seemed to slump, Sally giving a sigh and reaching a hand out to rub one of the mare's ears.

"She will be in the main cavern, she never leaves it anymore. She is… lazy. She demands even her food be brought to her."

Sally began rubbing the ear, letting the lasso fade. "Not so hard, welcome." The satyr smiled when the mare seemed to relax into the attention.

"Please just… the drones will follow her blindly, they can't-"

"They can't help it, all drones will be accepted. Do not fear us, we are here to help you." Sally meant every word. The more she heard of this queen, the more she was prepared to draw the sharp blade she carried and deliver it to her, point first.

Author's Notes:

Ah, Sally back in her element. The changeling side of her is enjoying this every bit as much as the crazy-ape side.